Murchison Falls was a blast. We stayed at the Red Chili campsite, which was great -- real toilets, showers, a decent restaurant and a nice seating area to hang out. We brought a bunch of two-person tents with us and sleeping on the ground was a little rough, but overall the accommodation was wonderful.
A hippo walked through the camp shortly after our arrival on the first night. Crazy!
We spent Saturday morning doing a game drive, and saw loads of elephants, giraffes, wildebeest, warthogs, antelopes, baboons, and a lion. The terrain was beautiful, and much different from the landscape we're used to in the eastern part of the country. I couldn't get it through my head that we were seeing the animals in their natural habitat; I really felt like we were in a zoo or a fenced-in park, and that the animals had been put there for us to witness. Pretty great.
Easter Sunday was spent doing a boat tour to the bottom of the falls, which allowed for lots of hippo and crocodile sightings. In the afternoon we drove up to the top of the falls, which was incredible. Seeing huge mammals is great, but the sheer power of the water pounding its way down the rocks was more breathtaking in a way. We spent some time swimming at a campsite a short ways up the Nile, which was short-lived and a little scary since we could see the hippos surfacing halfway across the river.
The hippos and warthogs were my favorites. The hogs hung out around the campsite, and are pretty cute despite their giant tusks and weird back mohawks.
Spending time with the other volunteers and having a real, safari-style holiday was a much-needed break from placement life. We're all a little bummed to get back to work, but it was a lovely respite and got me pretty excited to be a Ugandan tourist in May.
This computer isn't linking up to my camera, so I'll post some pics next time I'm in. The SPW staff called a mysterious meeting for all of the volunteers this afternoon, which is why I'm still in Jinja and not teaching lessons today. Our placement is having an additional meeting afterwards about the security situation in Buwenge afterwards. We expressed concern to staff person Nat on Thursday night, and I think that some security measures are going to have to be implemented or SPW might want to move us. Starting over in a new community would be a little unbearable at this point, but we might get shifted to a different trading center and stay at the same schools. I really don't want to think about moving house, but I don't like not being able to leave our house at night either.
I have moments, like this weekend, where I love Uganda and dread the thought of readjusting to American life. There are also plenty of times on placement where I wish I had an excuse to pack up and head home. I have a lot to look forward to when I get back.
I got to eat a bacon cheeseburger and chocolate this weekend! Rock on!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
No one said it would be easy
Sunday, March 16th:
Sunday appears to be drum circle day. It’s kind of cool and kind of tiring to listen to kids going nuts on their djembes all afternoon.
I started developing some kind of weird skin irritation last night. I have little white bumps on the right side of my chin and neck, and it feels like a bad sunburn. I walked over to the health center this morning, but apparently a 24-hour schedule doesn’t apply to hours people spend in church. I’ll try again later. I have no idea what’s causing it. I’m thinking of Kelly’s experience with mystery travel skin rash and hoping it goes away soon. I feel kind of tired and dizzy too, but it is really hot today.
Kagoma Primary hosted Sports Day on Friday, and we had groups from about 15 primary schools here. The kids were lined up around the field, and different swatches of the school uniform rainbow bounced and sang depending on who was leading each race. Some of the kids had running uniforms, but most of them ran in their school clothes. All were barefoot. The boys had a 12k race – 25 laps around the field – and quite a few kids collapsed or fainted over the course of the day. It was a hot, sunny day, and I don’t think the kids had access to any water unless they brought some or trekked over to the borehole. Some of the kids have been training pretty much the whole school day for the last couple of weeks. They were pushing themselves to the limit, even though the javelins were sticks and the shot-put was an irregularly shaped rock.
Lucy and I were recruited to sit with the Kagoma kids, since Muguluka PS had “brought their mzungus” (they have four volunteers from AV, a British gap-year organization). We did get a chance to walk around and cheer for some of our outreach schools, chat with the students, and greet a few teachers we know. The weather was beautiful and it was a fun, festival-like atmosphere. There were lots of vendors selling fruit and various fried foods, which was wonderful. I got some grilled corn on the cob, a chapatti, and a few feet of sugarcane.
Later in the day, Dennis and I went in to Jinja to meet with some partner NGOs we’d like to involve in an AIDS awareness event we’re planning for April. We met with people at TASO and the AIDS Information Center and gathered a lot of information and contacts. We’ll have to go in again this week with letters outlining our plans and to arrange the details.
I love going to Jinja. It was a pretty quick stop, but I got to use the internet and buy a juice box, two things that always make me happy.
I had a relaxing Saturday back in the parish. I washed a lot of things, read, and went on a fun exploratory bike ride. Lucy and I made fried Ugandan-style spaghetti, which will be a tasty addition to our meal collection.
I’m really missing Tom lately, and feel like I could use a break. I’m not exceptionally busy, but I could really use a day where showering, cooking, and getting around weren’t major undertakings. Jason, Jen, Tom, and Grace got their tickets to visit in May, and I am really looking forward to the vacation.
This weekend most of the international volunteers are going to Murchison Falls for our four-day Easter break. It could be a bit of a disaster since we’ve arranged the whole thing on our own, but I’m pretty excited to see the park.
Dennis and I saw some beautiful marabou stork while in town on Friday, and having the kids bring by the monitor lizard last week was pretty wild. They eat chickens.
Tuesday, March 18th:
Bad times on the home front. Lucy is fighting a losing battle against the fleas that Georgia imported to her bed last week. I still have a weird rash on the back of my neck, although I went to the health center and was prescribed a cream to try out. Dennis has a fever and Peter was diagnosed with malaria this morning.
Dennis and Peter saw a little girl being raped in the parish on Saturday night. This has been really upsetting for all of us, and Lucy and I especially it seems. We talked with Tedi last night, since it was likely one of the girls at Kagoma Primary. She’s going to talk to the girls who were absent Monday, and get each class together to talk about defilement. It’s not uncommon around here, which is pretty disgusting. Little kids get lured out at night by men who promise to give them gifts or money, and some of the time they know what’s in store for them but go anyway. There are laws against defilement, but they’re loosely enforced. And sadly, Tedi said that some of the parents encourage it, since their kids get money or goods in return.
I feel pretty helpless knowing that this is going on. We’re here to be agents of change, but what are we supposed to do, erect signs that say “Don’t rape children”? It’s repulsive to me that defilement and mob justice are just “the way things work here,” and that we’re supposed to take it in stride. There are countless campaigns and NGOs and new laws, but it’s still socially acceptable to beat your kids and cheat on your wife.
It’s becoming more apparent that we’re living in an area that’s not particularly safe. If we stick around the house after dark we’re fine, but there are too many sketchy characters to venture out alone after the sun goes down. It seems so quiet in the parish, but the vodka sachets, condom wrappers, and anxious neighbors tell a different story. Peter said that one of his family members bought land in Buwenge, but the rest of the family urged him to sell it instead of building a house because “Buwenge is no place to raise children.”
I don’t want to upset anyone at home; I’m being careful and trying to make changes. I expected things like homesickness, discomfort, illness, and poverty to be part of this trip, but the recent incidences of violent crime have come as a bit of a shock.
Wednesday, March 19th:
It’s been a rough week, but I’d say things are looking up. No new crimes have come to light. My neck’s getting better, and we found Lucy some flea powder. Dennis and I have been busy planning an AIDS event for April, which we’ll propose to the SPW office tomorrow morning.
My frustrations with Uganda are waning, and I’m getting really excited about the vacation in May. Jason, Jen, Tom, and Grace will be here, and there are lots of exciting things we can do. It’s going to be a blast to be a tourist for a couple weeks.
We have this Friday-Monday off for Easter, and I’ll head into Jinja tomorrow morning. Friday morning, 13 of the international volunteers leave for Murchinson Falls National Park. We’ll be camping, hiking around the falls, going on a boat tour, and doing a game drive. I haven’t thought about it too much, but I am going to be really pumped if we see some elephants or something. Maybe I’ll get a chance to put some pictures up if we roll into town at a decent hour on Monday.
I haven’t taken any pictures for the last few days. It’s raining a lot more, which I like. It’s good for the farms and the water tanks, and I feel less guilty lounging around when it isn’t beamingly gorgeous outside. I decided to accept the offer from UNC, and Tom sent in my matriculation forms this week. I am really looking forward to being a grad student next year. I know it’ll suck sometimes, but I can’t help but feel a little twinge of nostalgia when I walk into a classroom and there are half-reactions written up on the board.
Happy Easter to all. Maybe I can hard-boil some eggs and get someone to play the egg-tap game with me.
Sunday appears to be drum circle day. It’s kind of cool and kind of tiring to listen to kids going nuts on their djembes all afternoon.
I started developing some kind of weird skin irritation last night. I have little white bumps on the right side of my chin and neck, and it feels like a bad sunburn. I walked over to the health center this morning, but apparently a 24-hour schedule doesn’t apply to hours people spend in church. I’ll try again later. I have no idea what’s causing it. I’m thinking of Kelly’s experience with mystery travel skin rash and hoping it goes away soon. I feel kind of tired and dizzy too, but it is really hot today.
Kagoma Primary hosted Sports Day on Friday, and we had groups from about 15 primary schools here. The kids were lined up around the field, and different swatches of the school uniform rainbow bounced and sang depending on who was leading each race. Some of the kids had running uniforms, but most of them ran in their school clothes. All were barefoot. The boys had a 12k race – 25 laps around the field – and quite a few kids collapsed or fainted over the course of the day. It was a hot, sunny day, and I don’t think the kids had access to any water unless they brought some or trekked over to the borehole. Some of the kids have been training pretty much the whole school day for the last couple of weeks. They were pushing themselves to the limit, even though the javelins were sticks and the shot-put was an irregularly shaped rock.
Lucy and I were recruited to sit with the Kagoma kids, since Muguluka PS had “brought their mzungus” (they have four volunteers from AV, a British gap-year organization). We did get a chance to walk around and cheer for some of our outreach schools, chat with the students, and greet a few teachers we know. The weather was beautiful and it was a fun, festival-like atmosphere. There were lots of vendors selling fruit and various fried foods, which was wonderful. I got some grilled corn on the cob, a chapatti, and a few feet of sugarcane.
Later in the day, Dennis and I went in to Jinja to meet with some partner NGOs we’d like to involve in an AIDS awareness event we’re planning for April. We met with people at TASO and the AIDS Information Center and gathered a lot of information and contacts. We’ll have to go in again this week with letters outlining our plans and to arrange the details.
I love going to Jinja. It was a pretty quick stop, but I got to use the internet and buy a juice box, two things that always make me happy.
I had a relaxing Saturday back in the parish. I washed a lot of things, read, and went on a fun exploratory bike ride. Lucy and I made fried Ugandan-style spaghetti, which will be a tasty addition to our meal collection.
I’m really missing Tom lately, and feel like I could use a break. I’m not exceptionally busy, but I could really use a day where showering, cooking, and getting around weren’t major undertakings. Jason, Jen, Tom, and Grace got their tickets to visit in May, and I am really looking forward to the vacation.
This weekend most of the international volunteers are going to Murchison Falls for our four-day Easter break. It could be a bit of a disaster since we’ve arranged the whole thing on our own, but I’m pretty excited to see the park.
Dennis and I saw some beautiful marabou stork while in town on Friday, and having the kids bring by the monitor lizard last week was pretty wild. They eat chickens.
Tuesday, March 18th:
Bad times on the home front. Lucy is fighting a losing battle against the fleas that Georgia imported to her bed last week. I still have a weird rash on the back of my neck, although I went to the health center and was prescribed a cream to try out. Dennis has a fever and Peter was diagnosed with malaria this morning.
Dennis and Peter saw a little girl being raped in the parish on Saturday night. This has been really upsetting for all of us, and Lucy and I especially it seems. We talked with Tedi last night, since it was likely one of the girls at Kagoma Primary. She’s going to talk to the girls who were absent Monday, and get each class together to talk about defilement. It’s not uncommon around here, which is pretty disgusting. Little kids get lured out at night by men who promise to give them gifts or money, and some of the time they know what’s in store for them but go anyway. There are laws against defilement, but they’re loosely enforced. And sadly, Tedi said that some of the parents encourage it, since their kids get money or goods in return.
I feel pretty helpless knowing that this is going on. We’re here to be agents of change, but what are we supposed to do, erect signs that say “Don’t rape children”? It’s repulsive to me that defilement and mob justice are just “the way things work here,” and that we’re supposed to take it in stride. There are countless campaigns and NGOs and new laws, but it’s still socially acceptable to beat your kids and cheat on your wife.
It’s becoming more apparent that we’re living in an area that’s not particularly safe. If we stick around the house after dark we’re fine, but there are too many sketchy characters to venture out alone after the sun goes down. It seems so quiet in the parish, but the vodka sachets, condom wrappers, and anxious neighbors tell a different story. Peter said that one of his family members bought land in Buwenge, but the rest of the family urged him to sell it instead of building a house because “Buwenge is no place to raise children.”
I don’t want to upset anyone at home; I’m being careful and trying to make changes. I expected things like homesickness, discomfort, illness, and poverty to be part of this trip, but the recent incidences of violent crime have come as a bit of a shock.
Wednesday, March 19th:
It’s been a rough week, but I’d say things are looking up. No new crimes have come to light. My neck’s getting better, and we found Lucy some flea powder. Dennis and I have been busy planning an AIDS event for April, which we’ll propose to the SPW office tomorrow morning.
My frustrations with Uganda are waning, and I’m getting really excited about the vacation in May. Jason, Jen, Tom, and Grace will be here, and there are lots of exciting things we can do. It’s going to be a blast to be a tourist for a couple weeks.
We have this Friday-Monday off for Easter, and I’ll head into Jinja tomorrow morning. Friday morning, 13 of the international volunteers leave for Murchinson Falls National Park. We’ll be camping, hiking around the falls, going on a boat tour, and doing a game drive. I haven’t thought about it too much, but I am going to be really pumped if we see some elephants or something. Maybe I’ll get a chance to put some pictures up if we roll into town at a decent hour on Monday.
I haven’t taken any pictures for the last few days. It’s raining a lot more, which I like. It’s good for the farms and the water tanks, and I feel less guilty lounging around when it isn’t beamingly gorgeous outside. I decided to accept the offer from UNC, and Tom sent in my matriculation forms this week. I am really looking forward to being a grad student next year. I know it’ll suck sometimes, but I can’t help but feel a little twinge of nostalgia when I walk into a classroom and there are half-reactions written up on the board.
Happy Easter to all. Maybe I can hard-boil some eggs and get someone to play the egg-tap game with me.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Days in the Life
Thursday, March 6th:
Haven’t written for a week or so. Last weekend was a blast. All of the international volunteers (minus Reet, who had a teacher’s meeting) gathered at Georgia, Carson, Iggy and Becky’s placement near Iganga. They have a huge house, a pretty yard with some unused farming structures, and a kitten. Cats are pretty rare around here, and Ugandans seem to dislike them. The kitten has turned out to be quite a nuisance, but I was really happy to get to play with it for a while. She was loaded with mites. I finally got out the five or so that had embedded themselves next to her eye, and Jack and I tried unsuccessfully to clean a few dozen more out of her ears.
Haven’t written for a week or so. Last weekend was a blast. All of the international volunteers (minus Reet, who had a teacher’s meeting) gathered at Georgia, Carson, Iggy and Becky’s placement near Iganga. They have a huge house, a pretty yard with some unused farming structures, and a kitten. Cats are pretty rare around here, and Ugandans seem to dislike them. The kitten has turned out to be quite a nuisance, but I was really happy to get to play with it for a while. She was loaded with mites. I finally got out the five or so that had embedded themselves next to her eye, and Jack and I tried unsuccessfully to clean a few dozen more out of her ears.
We partied in celebration of several volunteer birthdays that fall at the beginning of March. Jack slaughtered a chicken for the occasion, and everyone brought snacks, sodas, and fruit to share. After lots of catching up and goofing off we covered the floor for a mass slumber party, and Carson entertained us well into the mostly sleepless night.
Everyone seems to be having really different experiences on their placements, and I’m very thankful for the way things are going at mine. The fact that we can agree on food, budget our money, and teach together is not something to take for granted. We also have electricity, a variety of vegetables available, and some semblance of privacy. Lucy and I were escorted to Georgia and Carson’s place by about thirty shrieking children, and were surrounded by many more the entire time we were at their house. I’m grateful that the kids show up to hang out with us at home, but take off when we’re busy or it gets late.This week, like the last two, has gone by very fast. The sports season has started up for our local schools, which means rampant evening activity at the field next to our house and rescheduling some afternoon lessons. Peter and Lucy have taught a couple environmental lessons in schools and met with some farmers’ groups now. One primary school class presented them with gifts, and we ended up with a box of about 35 avocados and a box of pawpaws (papayas? I’m not sure what we’d call them at home). We were very pleased.
I’m reading a book I borrowed from Carson called Race Matters, by African-American scholar and activist Cornel West. It’s interesting to read about race relations at home while living in a setting where it’s rare for me to see another white person on any given day (other than Lucy). The book was published in 1995 so it feels a little outdated; he cites a lot of examples from the LA riots and Rodney King, and the stats are a couple decades old. Still, it’s extremely well-written and thought-provoking. I’m white, heterosexual, fairly moderate, middle class, religiously inactive… living in Africa is the first time I’ve been on any sort of fringe.
Other books I’ve read since my arrival:
The Consul’s File
The Kindness of Strangers
On Beauty
Hide
The Guardian (by Nicholas Sparks; so awful it’s almost good)
The Death of Achilles
Into the Wild
Lucy’s grandparents sent a few books… I’m looking forward to borrowing them!
Peter went into the SPW office yesterday for our required monthly visit, and came home with mail for me and Lucy and a bike for our placement! Both of us received clothes and sweets from our moms, which was better than Christmas. The bike is HEAVY, large, one speed, and rickety, but I impressed the priests by riding it around this morning and I’m excited to have it.
What else? Dennis turned 19 on Monday, which would have been my Dad’s birthday too. We went to Green Valley and had fries, goat, and sodas. As they say upon parting here, Nice time.
Friday, March 7th:
Today was a bit of a taxing day, without good reason really. I think the weekdays go by so quickly that suddenly – BAM! – it’s Friday and we’re all pretty exhausted.
Sports season is in full swing, and our field was packed with soccer spectators for most of the day. This means that we have lots of “visitors” whenever we’re home and out on the porch. Some are friendly and some are trying. The kids especially are either really sweet or really annoying.
Dennis and I taught a first lesson at Buweera Primary today. The students were quiet, disciplined, and unable to understand me. We planned to cover two lessons since we had a two-hour block, but only made it through one with all of the interpreting and explaining. They had some questions about HIV prevention at the end, including, “If a condom is too big, can you tie it on with banana fiber?” This happened in Lusoga but I think Dennis answered with something to the effect of, “You’re too young for condoms, kid.”
Our lesson at Muguluka Primary was cancelled due to aforementioned sports season, which Dennis and I were fine with since it would have been another hour-long walk (in the opposite direction).
Kenneth, a soccer player that likes to come around and ask about scholarships, brought us a dozen or so eggs from his family’s farm. I made some egg fried rice which turned out really well! Any deviation from our usual repertoire of meals is a cause for excitement. Tomorrow we’re planning to try egg toast for breakfast… hold on to your hats.
Saturday, March 8th:
Another weekend. I spent the afternoon in Kamuli, an hour’s taxi ride north of where we live. Kamuli’s a nice town; it’s small and easy to navigate, but has two grocery stores, a big market, and an internet café (which was closed this afternoon). About ten of us met up and had a good, wallet-friendly lunch, swapped stories, and did some shopping.
Georgia and Carson saw a man beaten to death in their village yesterday, and were pretty shaken up. He had stolen some chickens and the entire community had stripped him, attacked him with bricks and sticks, then left his battered body in the trading center. It was removed at some point today, but the blood and the memory of his death march past their house were still waiting for them.
We were all upset to hear what had happened, and I think a lot of us were questioning what we would have done. I’d like to think I would intervene, but realize that protesting against a violent mob isn’t a safe option. I think one of the hardest things for them was knowing that the people they teach and interact with every day had dragged their children to the scene, excited to partake in the killing. It’s an unsettling reminder that we are living in a very different world sometimes.
Our taxi home was packed with people, birds, and a goat under the backseat. Seeing the other international volunteers is always really grounding somehow. I think we all care about each other, and having a sounding board for our experiences on placement is invaluable.
Tomorrow should be a nice day, as Georgia, Katie, and Jill are going to meet us in Buwenge for lunch, and I’m planning to attend the Catholic church service in the morning. I’ve visited a lot of cathedrals but don’t think I’ve ever attended a mass. It should be nice, and I know our presence will be appreciated by the Fathers that have been so friendly to us since the day we arrived. It’ll probably be conducted in Lusoga, but I bet I’ll be able to get the gist of things.
I think the word is out that I like avocadoes – Dennis said that a group of boys from Kagoma Primary showed up while we were out to add to our collection. Fruit is a wonderful gift. We’re each going to have to eat a couple every day at the rate they are ripening. It’s the good kind of fat, right?
Today is Womens’ Day. Traditionally, this is celebrated by the men doing the cooking and cleaning. Lucy and I have been told repeatedly that there is not a designated Mens’ Day because “every day is Mens’ Day.” We figured we wouldn’t have much opportunity to observe the holiday, since Dennis does most of the cooking and cleaning around here anyway. Right now he is adding his signature spicing to my favorite home-cooked meal, BEANS, so I suppose there’s a cause for celebration after all!
It actually gets kind of chilly when it rains. It’s nice to wear long sleeves in the evening, especially with the recent influx of bugs.
Sunday, March 9th:
Lucy and I attended the Catholic church this morning, which I really enjoyed. The kids from Kagoma Primary were in charge of leading the music today, and the service was dominated by singing and dancing. There were a couple songs we do at home (This is the day…) and a lot of African ones. The songs are accompanied by a drum and something that sounds like a tambourine, and, unlike any church service at home, they are sung in a register that is comfortable for me.
The shorter Father (I still don’t know their names) led the service, and he introduced Lucy and me in English. The offering part was really cool; most of the adults came forward first to put money into the basket, and afterwards there was a long period of singing and clapping while the kids tramped down to the altar carrying sugarcane and fruit. I think there was a chicken in there too. I like the idea of offering food. It’s easier to give stuff than money, and it can go directly to meeting needs in the community.
The service was in Lusoga but there was very little sermon, really. It was mostly music and prayers. A bunch of people said they were happy to see us there and I plan to attend on the weekends we’re around.
Tom and Grace bought their plane tickets! The rest of my time here is punctuated with trips and events and I have a feeling it’s going to go by really fast.
We spent some time at home last night talking about mob justice. Dennis said it’s pretty common, as thieves typically pay off the police and go back to stealing. Since there’s no retribution with the legal system, the community takes it into their own hands. It’s terrible but not uncommon. Stealing is a major offense when people have very little they can do without. Lucy pointed out that the situation isn’t so different at home when the community finds out that someone is a pedophile, although it doesn’t go as far.
There’s a drum circle going on outside. The sound of lots of people hand drumming makes me think of smelly white people hippy-dancing at the Seattle Center. Thankfully, this one comprises about ten little boys in their Sunday best, not patchouli and dreads. I stepped outside and they started chanting in rhythm, “Mzungu! How-are-you! Mzungu! How-are-you!”
Wednesday, March 12th:
Yesterday we had a visit from Medi, one of the SPW staff members. Now that we’ve been on placement a month or so, the office is checking up on all of the volunteer groups to see how things are coming along. We had fruitless visits to the health center and sub-county office, then Medi chatted with key teachers at a couple of our schools, watched Dennis and I teach a lesson, and had individual and group chats with all of us. There were surveys to complete, records to go over, and events to plan. It was a long day.
Georgia and Carson’s placement (which had the mob justice incident last Friday) has moved locations, so they’re a 15-minute taxi ride away from us now. They left the kitten behind.
Dennis are I planning to head into Jinja tomorrow to stop by the TASO (The AIDS Support Organization) office and see if their outreach group will participate in a AIDS day we’re planning for April. I haven’t been in to Jinja in a couple weeks and I’m looking forward to some supermarket/internet time.
Last weekend was nice; I got to see a lot of the other international volunteers, but had a relaxing weekend too and didn’t spend a bunch of money by staying in town. Our stipend is pretty limiting, and I’ve had to make withdrawals from home in order to visit people, have some snack food on hand, and send the occasional text message. Our personal allowance is 45,000/= a month, which works out to about $25. Not a lot if you want to, say, meet people at a restaurant.
There seems to be less to report nowadays. Dennis and I are teaching regularly, and there aren’t too many new developments. Wilber has more or less replaced Ronald as our community volunteer, although Ronald still comes by the house to talk to the boys for some reason. I think he is trying to weasel his way back in. Peter’s been gone all week because SPW selected him to attend an AIDS conference in Kampala.
The lack of privacy is starting to drain me a little bit. I’ve gotten used to the constant attention I get while walking around town, but I haven’t been by myself in one place for more than an hour or so in the last few months. It’s like living in the dorms again, I guess. Sometimes I could kill for a fenced backyard or a real bathroom.
There’s a really ugly sheep on our walk out to Kalebera – it has a fat tail, like a stubby kangaroo. I’ve decided to touch it every time I see it, and yesterday it looked at me lovingly with its ugly little face while I patted its head, then gurgle/snarled at me as I walked away. It is my favorite.
Lucy and I battle sugar cane (Lucy's mouth started bleeding).
Dennis models backseat-driver technique on our new bike.
Proud hunters come to visit with their kill!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Entertainment Tonight
Wednesday, February 20th:
Per request, I’ll be putting the most recent stuff at the bottom of each post. I thought it would be easier to keep the overall bottom-to-top flow going, but turns out people like to start at the top of each entry. New and improved!
We were invited to address a parents’ meeting at Kalebera Primary today. I like Kalebera a lot; the kids are excitable and friendly, and the headmaster, Aron, has been really welcoming. We showed up around noon, taught part of a lesson on HIV, and then were asked to join the meeting. The meeting was conducted in Lusoga (Dennis translated for Lucy and I) and was pretty interesting at times; the main purpose was to persuade the parents that their kids needed something to eat during their 8-5 school day. Aron told us that most of the kids weren’t getting a lunch, and that it was pretty impossible to get kids to focus when they were hungry.
It was a bit of a flashback to our training days: debate for debate’s sake. Any monetary contribution for maize seemed to be too much, and numerous other issues were brought up. There was a long tirade from one of the teachers about male dominance. One father objected to a command for better discipline at home. How was he supposed to discipline, now that caning was illegal? He said that “child rights” made discipline impossible. On and on and on. By 4:30, I understood just how hard it must be for those kids to concentrate when they haven’t eaten all day.
SPW was brought up pretty frequently, and it was decided that Lucy and I needed Ugandan names. I have been renamed Nangovi, and Lucy is now Kakuwaire. I asked Dennis if Nangovi meant goat-lover, but he said he didn’t think so.
Peter is away this week, which is a drag. His friends have coerced him into planning a massive graduation party, and it requires him being in Kampala to organize the details. He and Lucy are supposed to teach a two-hour livelihoods lesson at secondary school tomorrow morning, and now she’s going to be on her own with kids that might not understand English. Their first farmer’s meeting is scheduled for Friday, and if our newly unreliable community volunteer doesn’t show, it might be a language barrier disaster.
I hope we get to go to the party though – it’s in his home village, and it sounds like it will be quite the event.
I’d like to get a few annoying “cultural differences” off my chest:
1. Understatement. How long will the food take? Not long. (Probably hours.) How far away is it? Very close. (Miles.) It would be nice to get some concrete answers instead of being unpleasantly surprised with the truth.
2. Eagerness to point out your faults. Peter’s friend Michael marveled for several minutes the other day at how bad I was at peeling motoke.
3. Borrowing means keeping until asked for it back, even if you were using it at that moment. (Lily did a lot of this during training.)
4. Timing. I am not a fan of Africa Time. It’s hard to keep a schedule when things happen several hours after they are supposed to, and there’s a lot of sitting around waiting for people to show up.
5. Assuming that being white means being rich. Kids ask Lucy and me for money and sweets without blinking an eye. A couple boys came over the other night and one wanted to know how he could get to England. Lucy told him he’d need a visa and a plane ticket. When we declined his request for us to buy him a plane tickets, he wanted to know if he could open a bank account and have us put money in it. We told him that we didn’t have money to give and that he should look into scholarships, and he asked if we could get him sponsors from home. Dollars and pounds go a long way here, but it’s hard to get across that we don’t have buckets of cash and no clue how to spend it.
On a lighter note, one of the Fathers told us that we get monkeys here when the bananas are ripe. I am pumped for monkeys. Dennis said he grew up around lots of them, and one time they caught a baby and caged it in their house. The baby’s mother freaked out, and their house was ambushed by monkeys of all sizes. He called it “monkey solidarity.” They had to release the baby and run to avoid mass monkey attack.
And even more exciting: an acceptance letter from UNC arrived at home! Some pieces still have to come together, but it’s very likely that this’ll direct my life for the next several years. It’s an awesome program and I’m so glad it’s an option.
Thursday, February 21st:
I’m writing in a less frustrated state tonight. Dennis, Lucy and I had a nice day today; we postponed our faraway morning meeting until next week, which got Lucy off the hook for the solo teaching session. Dennis and I taught a rowdy bunch of S1 and S2 kids about HIV in the afternoon.
I’ve tried teaching some of the Dance4Life drill to a couple classes now, and Ugandan kids appear to have no rhythm whatsoever. There is no syncopation. There are only quarter notes. The phrase I’m working on is “HIV and AIDS we can beat it,” and the rhythm goes 1 2 3 4+ +2 3 4. The kids say one word per beat, regardless of whether we clap it, do call and response, do the motions along with it… curious.
Emily linked on to Tom and my Skype chat this evening, which was pretty exciting! I wish I was in NC this weekend for her visit.
Despite missing out on Masher Time, this weekend promises to be pretty fun. Peter’s party is scheduled for Saturday night, and we’ve been invited to the wedding of one of the primary school teachers on Sunday. I’m looking forward to seeing a Ugandan wedding and reception! Lucy and I were concerned about what we would wear but Dennis stepped up as helpful male by saying, “You have lots of clothes.” We have one drawerfull each.
I gave a group of primary school girls a balloon animal I made from the kit Ruta got me, and they were pretty confused. “What is it?” “A giraffe!” I don’t think they had seen balloons before. They giggled a lot and carried it around the school yard for the whole day.
(Late-night fun when the power’s out.)
Sunday, February 24th:
We ended up having to miss out on Peter’s grad party due to lack of transportation and communication (Peter couldn’t get phone reception out in the village). Alas. He’s back tonight and it sounded like the party was a huge success. He brought us back a piece of cake so all is forgiven.
Dennis, Lucy, Wilbur (Dennis’s friend) and I spent most of the day at the wedding and reception of one of the primary school teachers, Monica. It was a lot of fun. The ceremony was pretty similar to a wedding at home – same vows, same procedure – but with much more dancing and ululating. There were a lot of people in the wedding party, and the little boys in suits were pretty cute. Afterward, we walked over to the reception, which was held in tents at a primary school compound, and listened to a lot of speeches in Lusoga before having a bit of cake and a big dinner.
The meal included most of the Ugandan staples and was pretty tasty:
Chapatti, rice, spaghetti, motoke, cabbage, irish potato, beef stew, yam and pumpkin.
We had to each with our hands, as there were no utensils. I thought, Mom would hate this! I just shook the hands of about 100 people and held a baby, and now I’m licking rice off my fingers without getting to wash my hands first. Let’s hope I don’t get dysentery.
Here are Lucy and I with the happy couple (Monica had changed dresses for the reception). The groom seems pretty attached to Lucy…?
Yesterday was pretty uneventful since we didn’t go to the party, but a bunch of little kids stopped by in the evening. We played jump rope for a while, and I brought out some more balloons which were a hit as you can see:
Wednesday, February 27th:
Things are just rolling along. We have our first required visit to the SPW office in a week, and we have a ton of forms to fill out and meetings to arrange between now and then. We’ve been slow about it but it’ll happen.
Peter’s back, and he and Lucy have had a few meetings with people that have connections to farmer’s groups, out-of-school youth, and demonstration gardens. It seems like the livelihoods work is picking up. Dennis and I are still teaching 1-2 lessons a day, and they have been going well. It’s really gratifying when the kids can recite back the things we talked about the week before – sometimes I’m not sure how much is sinking in, but they seem to be getting the main bits.
We had a chat yesterday with Sister Claire, one of the four nuns that live in the parish. She’s in charge of several women’s groups (some for widows) that get together weekly to practice farming techniques and make crafts. The women showed us some of their handicrafts and they’re really cool. A lot of them string necklaces out of beads made from rolled-up strips of paper, and they weave purses and bowls and things. It seems like a really good business idea but there’s really no market here. There are a few shops that sell the necklaces but the supply seems to be much higher than the demand, and they can’t really sell them in their villages. I’m trying to figure out if there’s a way I could sell them at home and ship them. Most items cost $1-2. Ideas, anyone? I could set up something through Etsy if the shipping wasn’t too expensive, or see if I could get a store interested in buying a bunch of them.
Claire showed us around the sisters’ place, too. They have a beautiful demonstration garden, a couple cows, and pigs. Their house is immaculate and landscaped, and they have internet access. I’ll have to get some pictures of it. It’s absolutely gorgeous and it seems like such an idyllic lifestyle. The sisters are wonderful and do a lot of meaningful work all over Kagoma. I hope I get to know them better over the next few months.
The four of us had an impromptu party last night – we set out for Buwenge to get out of the house for a bit and ended up getting rolexes (an omelet wrapped in a chapatti, my favorite Ugandan snack), stopping at our favorite restaurant for fries and sodas, and watching The Life Aquatic on my laptop to commemorate the return of our power after a two-day absence. What a life.
I’m a little uncomfortable with our garbage situation here. There’s no trash pick-up, and we’ve been instructed to pile our waste at the bottom of the tree in front of our house until someone comes around to burn it. Most of our garbage is vegetable peelings and paper so it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but the kids come and root through it and take away things like empty cookie boxes. I also feel bad about burning plastic. I don’t see an alternative but I don’t really like it.
We had RAIN and hail yesterday. I put my bucket out and it filled up within a couple minutes! I love it when it rains here; the sky goes all gray and windy and everything feels exciting until it pours. I asked Dennis if we should make a run for St. Gonzaga to teach our lesson and he was like, NOOOO! I hope it’s okay that we just didn’t show up to teach yesterday?
I hear my blog has quite a following in Ilkley! Hello to the Newtons and other friends! I’m sure I’ll be planning a trip to England after I get home and hope to meet all of you at some point.
The plan is to head into Mayuge this weekend for Georgia’s birthday celebration, with a stop in Jinja on the way. Time to mail some letters! Dennis’s birthday is on Monday so I might be in for a lot of celebrating this week. I wonder if we can get a cake?
Thursday, February 28th:
The S1-S2 kids at St. Gonzaga Secondary started off our lesson by parroting back everything I said in my accent today. RUDE. Dennis and I yelled at them and they were quiet for a while, and actually had a lot of good questions about VCT (voluntary counseling and testing for HIV). They are our most difficult class; I think they are testing us at the moment to see what they can get away with.
The four of us went to a couple new schools today in Mutai, which is a ten-minute taxi ride away (probably a two hour walk). The high school was the most rural school we’ve seen yet! There’s a concrete building that serves as the office, and the “classrooms” are in a rectangular building made of sticks and boards. There are chalkboards at opposite ends, and the side of the room you face determines which class you’re in. Lucy and Peter taught their first Livelihoods lessons there while Dennis and I gave a lesson at the primary school, which was pretty big. We’ll be out there every other week, since we can’t afford to pay for transport each week.
I keep getting told that I’m fat. I know it’s not supposed to be rude here but it’s starting to bother me.
Duke emailed and wants to interview me.
Peter caught a moth in the mouth after dinner. He did something pretty similar to Grace’s cat-sneezing impression, pinched the moth by the wings, and then with big eyes said, “Thees ees iiize eating!” This cracked me up for a long time.
Friday, February 29th:
Happy leap year! Dennis, Lucy and I went to Buweera Primary this morning, and scheduled lessons there every other Friday. This brings our school total to nine. I’m hoping we don’t stretch ourselves too thin, as we’re still meant to set up clubs, after-school activities, a youth resource center, and community events.
We took bicycle bodas out to Buweera. It felt great being on a bike again, even if I was just sitting on the back! We’re supposed to pick up a bike on Wednesday when we go to the office, and I can’t wait to start riding again (even if it is on a massive single-speed).
Lucy said that the 29th of February is traditionally the day that women are supposed to propose to men. I hadn’t heard this. British thing?
I’m looking forward to heading into Jinja tomorrow and seeing friends this weekend. The weeks are slipping by really quickly now. I can’t believe it’s been 2 out of 7 months already! It seems like I’ve been here for ages, but it feels like we are just getting going with our program.
Per request, I’ll be putting the most recent stuff at the bottom of each post. I thought it would be easier to keep the overall bottom-to-top flow going, but turns out people like to start at the top of each entry. New and improved!
We were invited to address a parents’ meeting at Kalebera Primary today. I like Kalebera a lot; the kids are excitable and friendly, and the headmaster, Aron, has been really welcoming. We showed up around noon, taught part of a lesson on HIV, and then were asked to join the meeting. The meeting was conducted in Lusoga (Dennis translated for Lucy and I) and was pretty interesting at times; the main purpose was to persuade the parents that their kids needed something to eat during their 8-5 school day. Aron told us that most of the kids weren’t getting a lunch, and that it was pretty impossible to get kids to focus when they were hungry.
It was a bit of a flashback to our training days: debate for debate’s sake. Any monetary contribution for maize seemed to be too much, and numerous other issues were brought up. There was a long tirade from one of the teachers about male dominance. One father objected to a command for better discipline at home. How was he supposed to discipline, now that caning was illegal? He said that “child rights” made discipline impossible. On and on and on. By 4:30, I understood just how hard it must be for those kids to concentrate when they haven’t eaten all day.
SPW was brought up pretty frequently, and it was decided that Lucy and I needed Ugandan names. I have been renamed Nangovi, and Lucy is now Kakuwaire. I asked Dennis if Nangovi meant goat-lover, but he said he didn’t think so.
Peter is away this week, which is a drag. His friends have coerced him into planning a massive graduation party, and it requires him being in Kampala to organize the details. He and Lucy are supposed to teach a two-hour livelihoods lesson at secondary school tomorrow morning, and now she’s going to be on her own with kids that might not understand English. Their first farmer’s meeting is scheduled for Friday, and if our newly unreliable community volunteer doesn’t show, it might be a language barrier disaster.
I hope we get to go to the party though – it’s in his home village, and it sounds like it will be quite the event.
I’d like to get a few annoying “cultural differences” off my chest:
1. Understatement. How long will the food take? Not long. (Probably hours.) How far away is it? Very close. (Miles.) It would be nice to get some concrete answers instead of being unpleasantly surprised with the truth.
2. Eagerness to point out your faults. Peter’s friend Michael marveled for several minutes the other day at how bad I was at peeling motoke.
3. Borrowing means keeping until asked for it back, even if you were using it at that moment. (Lily did a lot of this during training.)
4. Timing. I am not a fan of Africa Time. It’s hard to keep a schedule when things happen several hours after they are supposed to, and there’s a lot of sitting around waiting for people to show up.
5. Assuming that being white means being rich. Kids ask Lucy and me for money and sweets without blinking an eye. A couple boys came over the other night and one wanted to know how he could get to England. Lucy told him he’d need a visa and a plane ticket. When we declined his request for us to buy him a plane tickets, he wanted to know if he could open a bank account and have us put money in it. We told him that we didn’t have money to give and that he should look into scholarships, and he asked if we could get him sponsors from home. Dollars and pounds go a long way here, but it’s hard to get across that we don’t have buckets of cash and no clue how to spend it.
On a lighter note, one of the Fathers told us that we get monkeys here when the bananas are ripe. I am pumped for monkeys. Dennis said he grew up around lots of them, and one time they caught a baby and caged it in their house. The baby’s mother freaked out, and their house was ambushed by monkeys of all sizes. He called it “monkey solidarity.” They had to release the baby and run to avoid mass monkey attack.
And even more exciting: an acceptance letter from UNC arrived at home! Some pieces still have to come together, but it’s very likely that this’ll direct my life for the next several years. It’s an awesome program and I’m so glad it’s an option.
Thursday, February 21st:
I’m writing in a less frustrated state tonight. Dennis, Lucy and I had a nice day today; we postponed our faraway morning meeting until next week, which got Lucy off the hook for the solo teaching session. Dennis and I taught a rowdy bunch of S1 and S2 kids about HIV in the afternoon.
I’ve tried teaching some of the Dance4Life drill to a couple classes now, and Ugandan kids appear to have no rhythm whatsoever. There is no syncopation. There are only quarter notes. The phrase I’m working on is “HIV and AIDS we can beat it,” and the rhythm goes 1 2 3 4+ +2 3 4. The kids say one word per beat, regardless of whether we clap it, do call and response, do the motions along with it… curious.
Emily linked on to Tom and my Skype chat this evening, which was pretty exciting! I wish I was in NC this weekend for her visit.
Despite missing out on Masher Time, this weekend promises to be pretty fun. Peter’s party is scheduled for Saturday night, and we’ve been invited to the wedding of one of the primary school teachers on Sunday. I’m looking forward to seeing a Ugandan wedding and reception! Lucy and I were concerned about what we would wear but Dennis stepped up as helpful male by saying, “You have lots of clothes.” We have one drawerfull each.
I gave a group of primary school girls a balloon animal I made from the kit Ruta got me, and they were pretty confused. “What is it?” “A giraffe!” I don’t think they had seen balloons before. They giggled a lot and carried it around the school yard for the whole day.
(Late-night fun when the power’s out.)Sunday, February 24th:
We ended up having to miss out on Peter’s grad party due to lack of transportation and communication (Peter couldn’t get phone reception out in the village). Alas. He’s back tonight and it sounded like the party was a huge success. He brought us back a piece of cake so all is forgiven.
Dennis, Lucy, Wilbur (Dennis’s friend) and I spent most of the day at the wedding and reception of one of the primary school teachers, Monica. It was a lot of fun. The ceremony was pretty similar to a wedding at home – same vows, same procedure – but with much more dancing and ululating. There were a lot of people in the wedding party, and the little boys in suits were pretty cute. Afterward, we walked over to the reception, which was held in tents at a primary school compound, and listened to a lot of speeches in Lusoga before having a bit of cake and a big dinner.
The meal included most of the Ugandan staples and was pretty tasty:
Chapatti, rice, spaghetti, motoke, cabbage, irish potato, beef stew, yam and pumpkin.
We had to each with our hands, as there were no utensils. I thought, Mom would hate this! I just shook the hands of about 100 people and held a baby, and now I’m licking rice off my fingers without getting to wash my hands first. Let’s hope I don’t get dysentery.
Here are Lucy and I with the happy couple (Monica had changed dresses for the reception). The groom seems pretty attached to Lucy…?Yesterday was pretty uneventful since we didn’t go to the party, but a bunch of little kids stopped by in the evening. We played jump rope for a while, and I brought out some more balloons which were a hit as you can see:
Wednesday, February 27th:
Things are just rolling along. We have our first required visit to the SPW office in a week, and we have a ton of forms to fill out and meetings to arrange between now and then. We’ve been slow about it but it’ll happen.
Peter’s back, and he and Lucy have had a few meetings with people that have connections to farmer’s groups, out-of-school youth, and demonstration gardens. It seems like the livelihoods work is picking up. Dennis and I are still teaching 1-2 lessons a day, and they have been going well. It’s really gratifying when the kids can recite back the things we talked about the week before – sometimes I’m not sure how much is sinking in, but they seem to be getting the main bits.
We had a chat yesterday with Sister Claire, one of the four nuns that live in the parish. She’s in charge of several women’s groups (some for widows) that get together weekly to practice farming techniques and make crafts. The women showed us some of their handicrafts and they’re really cool. A lot of them string necklaces out of beads made from rolled-up strips of paper, and they weave purses and bowls and things. It seems like a really good business idea but there’s really no market here. There are a few shops that sell the necklaces but the supply seems to be much higher than the demand, and they can’t really sell them in their villages. I’m trying to figure out if there’s a way I could sell them at home and ship them. Most items cost $1-2. Ideas, anyone? I could set up something through Etsy if the shipping wasn’t too expensive, or see if I could get a store interested in buying a bunch of them.
Claire showed us around the sisters’ place, too. They have a beautiful demonstration garden, a couple cows, and pigs. Their house is immaculate and landscaped, and they have internet access. I’ll have to get some pictures of it. It’s absolutely gorgeous and it seems like such an idyllic lifestyle. The sisters are wonderful and do a lot of meaningful work all over Kagoma. I hope I get to know them better over the next few months.
The four of us had an impromptu party last night – we set out for Buwenge to get out of the house for a bit and ended up getting rolexes (an omelet wrapped in a chapatti, my favorite Ugandan snack), stopping at our favorite restaurant for fries and sodas, and watching The Life Aquatic on my laptop to commemorate the return of our power after a two-day absence. What a life.
I’m a little uncomfortable with our garbage situation here. There’s no trash pick-up, and we’ve been instructed to pile our waste at the bottom of the tree in front of our house until someone comes around to burn it. Most of our garbage is vegetable peelings and paper so it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but the kids come and root through it and take away things like empty cookie boxes. I also feel bad about burning plastic. I don’t see an alternative but I don’t really like it.
We had RAIN and hail yesterday. I put my bucket out and it filled up within a couple minutes! I love it when it rains here; the sky goes all gray and windy and everything feels exciting until it pours. I asked Dennis if we should make a run for St. Gonzaga to teach our lesson and he was like, NOOOO! I hope it’s okay that we just didn’t show up to teach yesterday?
I hear my blog has quite a following in Ilkley! Hello to the Newtons and other friends! I’m sure I’ll be planning a trip to England after I get home and hope to meet all of you at some point.
The plan is to head into Mayuge this weekend for Georgia’s birthday celebration, with a stop in Jinja on the way. Time to mail some letters! Dennis’s birthday is on Monday so I might be in for a lot of celebrating this week. I wonder if we can get a cake?
Thursday, February 28th:
The S1-S2 kids at St. Gonzaga Secondary started off our lesson by parroting back everything I said in my accent today. RUDE. Dennis and I yelled at them and they were quiet for a while, and actually had a lot of good questions about VCT (voluntary counseling and testing for HIV). They are our most difficult class; I think they are testing us at the moment to see what they can get away with.
The four of us went to a couple new schools today in Mutai, which is a ten-minute taxi ride away (probably a two hour walk). The high school was the most rural school we’ve seen yet! There’s a concrete building that serves as the office, and the “classrooms” are in a rectangular building made of sticks and boards. There are chalkboards at opposite ends, and the side of the room you face determines which class you’re in. Lucy and Peter taught their first Livelihoods lessons there while Dennis and I gave a lesson at the primary school, which was pretty big. We’ll be out there every other week, since we can’t afford to pay for transport each week.
I keep getting told that I’m fat. I know it’s not supposed to be rude here but it’s starting to bother me.Duke emailed and wants to interview me.
Peter caught a moth in the mouth after dinner. He did something pretty similar to Grace’s cat-sneezing impression, pinched the moth by the wings, and then with big eyes said, “Thees ees iiize eating!” This cracked me up for a long time.
Friday, February 29th:
Happy leap year! Dennis, Lucy and I went to Buweera Primary this morning, and scheduled lessons there every other Friday. This brings our school total to nine. I’m hoping we don’t stretch ourselves too thin, as we’re still meant to set up clubs, after-school activities, a youth resource center, and community events.
We took bicycle bodas out to Buweera. It felt great being on a bike again, even if I was just sitting on the back! We’re supposed to pick up a bike on Wednesday when we go to the office, and I can’t wait to start riding again (even if it is on a massive single-speed).
Lucy said that the 29th of February is traditionally the day that women are supposed to propose to men. I hadn’t heard this. British thing?
I’m looking forward to heading into Jinja tomorrow and seeing friends this weekend. The weeks are slipping by really quickly now. I can’t believe it’s been 2 out of 7 months already! It seems like I’ve been here for ages, but it feels like we are just getting going with our program.
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