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...