The sweetness of Peace Corps Office

Of course there will be more to come, but due to time I must stop here. Enjoy! Just for my sissy...here's some furry friends near my home.

Just so you know for those of you in Uganda, Orange is coming to a hill near you. Nkokonjeru is currently constructing a new mast and I got to help shovel a few bits of dirt. Definitely couldn't do this in the States.

They were quite impressed I could get the dirt out of the hole.

Here is the ditch we filled in with rocks and stones for the truck to deliver tank materials with more ease.

The truck bed full of children manuever works every time.

My first Speech day, as guest of honour, began with a parade the students led by a marching band. Brings back memories and they were pretty good too, especially for the size of the group.

I don't remember which grade level by I want to say this is P7 doing their song.

This song and dance was very entertaining. If you can see the boy to the far left is drinking a soda he opened with his teeth and the student with the box was chomping on some tomatoes. I have no idea what was going on, but I want to venture a guess that it has something to do with nutrition and eating properly. I'll have to ask Maama Gertrude.

The landing site with people getting prepared for fishing.

One of the monkeys on the hill just near the landing site. They welcome free food and will come up and take it from you too. Pretty cool. If you visit, I 'll definitely show you the monkeys.

Another Glimpse of Ugandan Life

A highlight from the last couple weeks came while delivering rainwater harvesting tank materials to a school several miles from my home. The road was muddy and full of dips and craters.
We arrived and I received the typical muzungu greeting getting surrounded by school children. After unloading the bags of concrete mix and other stuff (so to reduce the weight in the back of the truck...it just happened to be stuck), they went and dumped the bed full of stones in a pile by the second building of classrooms. Getting back on the "road" presented an equally challenging problem [it seems uploading photos to my blog is as well]. After several students and much digging, they were able to leave to get a load of sand. While they were gone, the children and I ran up and down the road gathering rocks to fill in the ditch along the road to help the truck get where it is trying to go. With almost a hundred little hands the amount of work that can be achieved is quite amazing and fun too.

I tried to put more photos, but I think I am quite lucky to have miraculously uploaded the one above. Let me see if the ATM has money now and I can get more time.

Until Next Time...

One Month Down...Sorry, is a countdown too early

Well, my first month in the real world of Uganda has moved by quite quickly. My two rooms are as clean as I can get them for now. Last Thursday was a big get things done day. Clothes, dishes, refrigerator...you know all the necessities. Then Friday came and that was a big day as well. It rained. Yahoooo. We needed it, the collection tanks were getting low. Mid-morning I rode my Jeep bicycle about 5km to a school that was having their end of year festival. I thought I was just going to watch...and I did, I watched it rain for a good 2 hours before anything started happening. Upon arrival, I was surrounded by a couple hundred children. I wish I could show you a picture, but I was holding a cake in one hand and my muddy, wet poncho in the other and there was not way of carefully or cleanly removing my camera to photographically document this first in "my time in Uganda" moments (don't worry, next time I will eat my cake en route, however, you will also have to wait a year. Maybe remind me next time, I might forget by then. Hehe)
Anyway, after being removed from the circle of children, I was taken to the office to greet people and of course to be asked if I could take the place of the guest of honor who I was told would not be attending because they had lost someone. So I went ahead and accepted, but was sure to ask if I would have to say something. Yep, but luckily they were going to help me with that part.
So around 3pm the festivities started. I have pictures, but unfortunately I pick a computer that has faulty USB ports...sorry. Don't fret, I'll see what I can do.
Okay, so I was seated with all these important people watching all these primary students share what they had worked on to present to a very large audience. And it kept getting later. In case you forgot or did not know, it gets dark at 7pm and very quickly I might add, and the festival was supposed to start at 11am...mmmm, let us see if we can still do all of it. By all means I'm glad they had lighting to continue the fun, but I had a ride in the dark on muddy, slippery roads. Good thing I was already muddy from the ride there. I was definitely not living up to my Ugandan name, Nanyonjo, which mean very clean girl. Oh well, not the first, and certainly not the last.
So they managed to squeeze my speech in before it got too dark. The wrote 5 key points down for me to touch on...I proceeded to write a blurb about the middle 3 because I tend to not talk coherently to a group of lots of people. So I encouraged the parents, students, and teachers to keep educating and being educated. I asked the students who were not going on holiday to help their parents, share what they learned in school with them, and be respectful of themselves. Maama Gertrude (the mom of my supervisor and is in charge of the compound I live in) wanted me to mention something about protecting themselves from HIV, but I'm just couldn't quite work it in...I feel quite novice at giving hardcore direct speeches to people who have never seen me before in their lives. Give me time. On my second round of inspections with a second women's group, I was much tougher on the community members. (Inspections: Members of the women's groups are trained to go train people in the community that are not members of the group in tippy tap, dish drying rack, and rubbish pit construction, and as to check if they have boiled drinking water and a pit latrine and bathing "room" at the homes.)
Again, I'll have to get back to you with pictures.
Back to the guest of honor speech. The plug I really didn't feel comfortable saying was for the solar they are requesting donations for. I tried to work it in the the importance of education, because an improvement of the facilities would likely improve (in some ways) the quality of education. After hearing what the school is lacking, it seems anything would be an improvement. So even though I had said that and the teacher next to me translated it to the crowd, when I turned and asked him if I needed to say anything else, he said to tell them to make pledges for solar. Wait a second, didn't I just tell them that. Guess not, I wonder what else I didn't tell them too because I have not idea what he was saying, I was too busy trying not to sound like an idiot. I've told people I hate that part about being a muzungu, that I feel more importance is placed on what I say even if someone else could say something much better than I. But now that I have typed all that, there is the other side to being a muzungu...that they just smile and nod and say thank you. Saving face, of all parties involve, how courteous.
Thank you all for listening. I am looking forward to getting back to my little two room home so I will end here, but be reassured pictures will follow.

Until Next Time...

After delivering some letters to the two primary schools near the lake, I stopped to talk with Mr. Kulumba, my counterpart. A woman at the shop was making mats and she was willing to let me have a try. I'm pretty sure she had to fix the very little I did. You definitely have to know how to hold all the pieces, which I do not yet. Who knows, I may be able to make of these mats some day.

In case you were curious, this is what a garden looks like, at least the gardens I visited one day. I planted a banana plant in there somewhere. I'll have to go check up on it when I return to town.

Just outside town there is an area that is being used to mine sand. And yes, it is all done by manpower. They load these trucks with shovels and sheer stamina. And it is definitely not just sand they are tossing up there each time either. As they drive down the street through town, you can heard and the see the water pouring out of the truck bed...talk about fresh dirt.

The second day I was in town I was invited to a wedding on the weekend. Here the couple makes their way to the cake. I just have to say I'm not sure I would hire the same sound techs. For the 2 or 3 hours waiting for the bride and groomto arrive we were treated to music and talk. Though I don't know the language that well yet, I would have appreciated all of it much more if my ears didn't feel like they were bleeding. It was quite a painful experience. I couldn't even talk to my neighbors due to the incredible volume. Everyone looked very lovely though and it will be the talk of the village for awhile. I don't know if I'll be able to hear them talking, but I'm told they will be talking of it for months. While sitting there having my inner ear beaten, I found some things to think about that made me laugh. I don't remember them now, but I needed something to laugh about so I wouldn't cry. Anyway, to go along with the talking part. I think it is impressive after being to an event such as this wedding how people can still hear each other...because it's not that they go deaf, but the crazy part is that everyone talks soooooo quietly. Mom, maybe you were right, maybe I do have bad hearing, but most of the time I hear lots of things even if people think I don't. I wonder if I just don't hear somethings because my brain is being overloaded trying to hear what is being said in Luganda, translating it, trying to remember the vocabulary to respond, and then trying to respond with correct pronounciation. Whew...

If you want, care packages, letters, any type of mail can contain a pair of earplugs if you have an extra pack lying around. I'll use them for upcoming social functions.

On Halloween (which is not celebrated here...well it is All Hallow's Eve/All Saint's Day Eve I suppose), but I had quite the experience getting a haircut. I know if I just let it grow, I'll just pull it back. With shorter hair it is new for me and in many ways easier to deal with, except in the morning when it wants to be all crazy.

Okay, so I asked around to where I could get my hair cut and was told it would be best in Kampala, they'd know how. So I waited until I made the trip to the city. My supervisor dropped me off on Martin Rd at an Indian barbershop. Looked okay, I walked up and asked if they could cut my hair, gave me a nod for yes. I asked how much, 7000/- was the reply. Saved 3000/-, I know this because one of the other volunteers paid 10,000/- at Garden City. I think there is a reason I saved 3000/- (by the way, /- means Ugandan shillings). There was very little talk, very little. No questions. I just sat down, got the cloth draped over me, and he signaled for me to remove my glasses. He spritzed my hair down with water, pulled out a horse comb, and proceeded to chop my hair off. This is an exaggeration in terms, but I do not think I have ever been manhandled during a haircut before. He'd grab a chunk of hair and cut. Then another. I did not see any method here. The top is quite short and the back is still longer than I would have like...but according to the other three guys there, it apparently looks good, okay, and I look hot. Sure, sure. Whatever, it's just hair right? That's what I keep telling myself. Some women here wrap their heads...I have considered this; now to find the right material.

I went shopping a picked up items to make my home more functional. In the States, I tried to be conscious of packaging, trying to avoid plastic wrapping- especially the unnecessary kind, but here I have even more reason to because I can't even "throw it 'away'" I mean, where is it going to go...Most of the time I'm gonna say it just ends up on the side of the road. I don't want to contribute to that. So I think I managed to get two items with plastic packaging. The rest had paperboard, which can at least be used to start cook fires. My neighbor, Raymond is still waiting to see what I manage to do with all the plastic I'm collecting. I haven't figured out a creative way to use it yet, but give me time...I'm thinking.

Time to get back to town, mop up all the water that I am very sure has pooled around the refigerator and run along the floor under the cupboard (hopefully no further...not that there is anywhere else to go), eat the avocados that are probably ripe by now, sweep, and visit people.

Until Next time...

More Pictures...Less Words; Continued.

YAY, more pictures. Enjoy....
I went up the hill to the school to sit on a rock and read...I mean it was Sunday and I needed to not just be sitting my little rooms looking at the walls and my eight-legged roommates (we had a meeting the second day I was there and came to the agreement that if they stay where they are they will live.)

One of our rainwater harvesting tanks. This is the one I use the most since it is right next to my door. As you can see, we are currently at capacity, so if you need water, stop by, the price is reasonable.

On the hill overlooking Lake Victoria, well that's what I'm doing. You are currently looking at me doing just that.

Welcome to my new home. This is basically what you see when you show up at my door...except for the stacks of books under the table.

My first sunrise at my new home. The first day at site, my counterpart took me by this location to show me a bit of the town. You can see the town I live in tucked down there next to the shore.

The second time I went to photo the sunrise a Malibu Stork flew in and did some posing for me. This is the closest picture I have of this species of bird. They are referred to as the garbage eating birds, but either way they are pretty neat creatures.

Before people headed out to the lake to do fishing for the day, the landing is quite a peaceful place. I enjoyed one day watching people coming in from fishing for the day. There is a whole crew of people that wade out to the boat and carry the people, their items, and their daily catch to shore. I guess I'm not quite sensitized to that culture aspect cause I found it a bit humorous to watch.

Uganda is a land of hills and I'd say the majority have cell phone towers on then. The one overlooking town is not different. There are three up there, but no matter, because the view from up there is worth the hike and potential slide down.

Welcome to my home again. This is my kitchen. Equipped with a gas stove, refrigerator, and cabinet space. (Guess you could say I'm not exactly roughing it, but in my own defense, I'd say surviving on a daily basis is pretty rough...especially for a newbie like me. Don't worry though, I'm gonna be Baganda before too long.)

Here is my bedroom leading to my bathing area. It currently does not look like this, but all the items are still there--a bed, mosquito net, and something that passes for an armoir.

My supervisor has a beautiful home. And the flowers around the compound are very pretty. I like these with the little hangy things...sorry not being all biology technical right now.

On my bike purchase day this is what a typical street looks like...the non-traffic jam kind...I am truly impressed with the way people are able to drive here. I'd say it is crazy, but that's still an understatement.

Another flower at my supervisor's home. Had to try out the macro on my camera. At least I got that figured out because I am awfully disappointed with not being able to take good night photos.

I am told that I was giving the impression that Uganda is all pretty and neat, but really I just don't like taking pictures of the not so neat parts. I thought I'd better share, so if you came and visited you wouldn't be completely shocked.

This is probably one of my favorite horse pictures. The mist provided the perfect opportunity for this shot.

This was during our site visit, when we were still trainees, and Khrissee and I passed by a school. They wanted a picture, so I took it for them. The only part I did not appreciate was when they clamps death grips on my new camera to look at it. I was freaking out since I just got it a couple days before after having a man in Wakiso break the one I brought. I do like my new camera though, my one and only splurge. Gots to be able to share pictures with you right?

Just for you dad, my three cycle washing machine. Two wash, one rinse, and then to the line for drying. And like I mentioned before...if it rains, I get an extra rinse cycle...hehehe.