Some of my other family members and friends

I always refer to her as the Brown cow because I can never remember her actually name. She recently returned from her trip to a friend's farm. The going was slow, much stopping, starting, mooing, swerving, stumbling, jerking, at dusk fun. She is safely back home now and is eating up a storm every time Anna calls for food.

This is Anna. Maama Gertrude says she's stubborn. Mind you stubborn actually encompasses a whole list of other adjectives to describe someone's behavior. If someone isn't doing quite exactly you would like them to do...they're stubborn. Anna makes two very distinct sounds, a loud long moo to let everyone know there is no food in the trough and that somebody better do something about it because she is hungry. The other sound she makes it similar to what any normal person after consuming WAY too much food would make...kind of a moaning 'I'm so full' groan. It could be one of two reasons...she did eat way to much or...

This is a crazy picture of our late friend the mama goat. She was having problems one morning that I was leaving for school...wasn't the usually goat droppings dispersement. But she was just hanging out under the dish drying rack. Half way through my day at school, Raymond shows up to tell me that the mama goat is no longer with us. I guess she was experiencing paralysis of her entire body and the lady next door kept wanting it slaughtered (hearsay from me), so now we are one goat less on our compound. Her son cried and cried...it was one of the saddest sounds. He cried so much he was getting hoarse; so pitiful that sound. Maama Gertrude couldn't take it anymore either and sent for a companion goat. I kept thinking about all the trouble Sis went to for her rabbits to like one another and that was definitely not the process here. The result of this match was a headbutting young female who liked to eat all the food and keep the little guy away. A few times they were seen frollicking across the compound, but most of the time it wasn't buddy buddy.

I do want to tell you about mama goat since I brought up the topic of rabbits. One day we went to collect the goats from the area by the police station and they were proving quite difficult for just me to run down. As I was trying to get close enough to grab the rope, they of course would run off. There was a large group of goats at the time and during the chasing process mama goat took a running leap and totally did a binky. Anyway, I figured at least Sis would enjoy that little tidbit. Let me tell you, mama goat definitely had some air time on that one too. Didn't know they could do that. I've seen the little kids do some cute little excited manuevers, but that was cool.

This is the little boy who is no longer with us. He was sold off. However, before he left he managed to get himself tied up in a corner of the compound. He was definitely stuck there. I did help him out of his predicament after I took this photo. I thought it quite humour.

Welcome to My little corner of Uganda

Welcome...this has been a long awaited visit, sorry I did not invite you to come see my place sooner. This is the street I live on. As you can see, if there is a camera, there are children running to get in the picture. Okay, we are infront of Maama Gertrude's clinic so let's turn around and go inside the compound.


I live in a gated compound, so I feel pretty secure at night. During the day people are coming in and out to visit Maama Gertrude, bring food for the cows and goat, and collect water in their jerry cans for 100/= (USG) each.

My new friend Joyne here is going to begin out tour with the open courtyard. Beyond her, you can see two rainwater harvesting tanks...mine is on the right, well the one I use anyway. The building in between is the kitchen. The goats like to sneak in there every once in a while.

If we go in and look to our left we see Maama Gertrude's house. People are always coming and going, but a few people are ever there like my friend Raymond, who is completing is university work, Noah, who does all sorts of jobs around the place and out in the 5 gardens Maama Gertrude has, and Brenda is the newest of the household help, she helps with basics like cooking and cleaning. Of course I cannot forget Nalongo and her twins. She is the main helper to Maama Gertrude in maintaining the compound...and she does it while watching her two little ones. They are pretty good too, except one likes to cry often.

Okay so sweeping around to the right a little you will see the dish washing/drying area and beyond that is where the cows live (eating, sleeping, and poo-ing). It only took me a couple weeks to migrate to using the washing area, but I have my system down now.

Now here we come back to the kitchen and if you look closely on the very right you can see a lace curtain. That my friends is my door.

Unfortunately I need to cut the tour short here due to time. I invite you in and show you where all the fun stuff is next time.

I'm running out of cool new titles

Tippy tap

Newly constructed school rainwater harvesting tank

Sunset over the sand mine...one of my favorites...not the sand mine but the sunset.

21 Months Left. Hope I can get something done

Our training group has just completed our first three months at site and finished our in-service training. Now we are all excited to get back to site and start working on projects...well except for the few that have already started projects, guess they get to continue, right?
Christmas and New Year were good...not the same as at home, but good having friends here to share the holidays with. I definitely didn't miss out on one aspect of the season...eating way too much food. It didn't help that someone else was doing the cooking. I feel I eat less and enjoy the food more when I cook for myself; might have something to do with it taking a significant amount of time to prepare. I do tell my mom that I will be an expert onion dicer, maybe even develop an immunity to the juices causing my eyes to burn and tear up. I doubt it, but we'll see what happens. Maybe that can be one of my side experiments.
Picture from the holidays to come. Just wanted to say Hi and ask for prayers that the next wedding I go to is either at a comfortable volume or I am no where near any of the speakers...behind them is where I'm thinking will be the best spot.
Hope all of you had a good Christmas and beginning to the New Year.

Until Next Time...

YAY Pictures! Yay, Peace Corps Office.

Some boat on the Lake, tied to the landing.

Now, please do not be jealous or feel forgotten, but I do have to let my little cousin Sierra know there is one little Ugandan girl born a week before Christmas Eve very early in the morning. Her mother asked if I would give her an American name. I thought and thought going through relative after relative. My goal was to find something unique that I had not heard yet here in country (and because the mother wished for something unique as well) and something that could be pronounced with Ugandan English. I have always found Sierra to be a very pretty name and being as I was quite on the spot to come up with the perfect name, I think the result was appropriate. Living in a compound with a midwife will probably provide other opportunities to name babies, but I wanted to let you know about this special first naming. Of course I had the privilege for no other reason than being a muzungu, but that's okay with me.

Making roasted G-nut paste (Ugandan peanut butter). Turned out pretty good, just a tad burnt.

The bakery up the road from my village. These little morsels are delectably rich in cooking oil, but they are rather tasty too.

Me preparing my beans Maama Gertrude gave me to be dried so I can enjoy cooking them for a day before eating them.

Inside my organization's maize mill. Yummy yummy posho...

Bicycles are used to transport just about everything from charcoal (seen here) to people. *And for taking on the go photos as well...hehe

Children from the next village over carrying water back to their homes...Their water hole is literally that too, not good.

Maama Gertrude and one of her friends on the veranda on their way to church.

A smiling goat...at least I think so...

One of the monkeys over by the police station, on the hill overlooking the landing. It's a neat place.

Ducks and Pig....someone asked to see wildlife (Dad) and this is what I got. Monkeys that snatch food out of your hand and roaming chickens, ducks, pigs, goats, and cows....

More cute, adorable ducks. But I must say, they are definitely cuter when they are young because some of the local species are as attractive as turkeys.

Here is Korie and Medi, my two chapatti guys, that's about all I have to say about them. They're nice too.

Merry Christmas

I have just spent the Christmas holiday with my friend Sarah at her convent. The Ugandan Catholic Christmas with three nuns is quite an experience. I would have posted some pictures today, but due to the holiday season I am unable to travel to my home because the taxis will not be going to Kampala until Tuesday. So it may come as bad news, but I'm sure not surprising considering all the issues I've had with previous posts, that you will have to wait yet again to see new pictures.
Hope all of you enjoyed Christmas Day and everyone is doing well. I know my Christmas season involved eating way, way too much food. I have come to the conclusion that cooking my own food also has the benefit of not wanting to prepare much and after all the work required to cook it, what I end up eating I enjoy thoroughly and don't even consider more...except maybe the odd piece of fruit. What I want is a banana though and for some reason I have not been able to find them and when I do, I miss the chance to buy them. When I reach home I plan to get one or five.

I did learn how to make yogurt during this trip and provided some baking tips to Sarah. We did make three delicious cakes that were devoured Christmas Day.

God has His plans for everything that happens, so I thank Him for all the small things and the big, especially giving up everything for us here on earth. After all, He is the reason for Christmas.

Until Next Time.

Whew! Toure de France here I come

I'll tell you about these later. Must ride back home.

Okay...here are some captions for the pictures you've been looking at.
Here is the second livestock training for group members caring for cows. The training was quite intense covering many many topics...which means we were there for many many hours. I may have enjoyed it more if it was in English, but maybe if I planned it better I could have taken something with me to occupy my time. As it was, the attendants were getting sleeping, so here is Mr. Kulumba providing an energizer to get the blood flowing and help get some tired eyes and brains a little more attentive.
This is me riding a my bicycle, if that is not obvious enough. Over the last few weeks I have been trying to get much riding in, keeps me active, helps me feel better, and I am definitely not bored. I think I'm getting to know my surrounding community and losing weight in the process, but I have a sneaking suspicion someone would rather me be at home in case I need to go give a bad speech somewhere. Just kidding, kind of. I do have to say, I have a pretty sweet bicycle and sorry, but no you cannot have it because it has already been requested and I try to keep my word.
Lake Victoria looking towards Kampala. From this location it only cost 2000 Uganda shillings by boat to go to Kampala. That's pretty sweet, especially compared to 40,000 from other locations.
From my home we rode to another landing site. This location is quite different from where I live. I didn't see any brick/cement structures, except the latrines surrounding the village. Apparently groups of homes are designated to specific latrines. I was glad to see they at least had some because while eating lunch on a bench under a tree out of the hot hot sun I had to witness a young boy go to the tall grass and do what he needed to do (I didn't watch the relieving part) but I have the unexpected sight of seeing the boy return to the bare ground near his house, sit on the ground and proceed to scoot. It wasn't unlike that of a irritated dog butt Maneuver.
I finally got a chance to climb a tree. Meaning I wasn't wearing a skirt and we just happened to be near an excellent climbing tree. You can tell this particular mango tree has been well climbed. If you can think of a place you've been where the wooden structures have been well used to the point of smoothness and discoloration, you will know exactly what I saw on every climb-able branch. I just wanted to climb the tree since we were taking a rest of our bike ride. Several children gathered to see the Muzungu in the mango tree and the magical Muzungu-ness also brought another unexpected surprise. As I was looking at all the mangoes high up in the tree suddenly a lady bearing a basket with four ripe mangoes in it appeared. I tease Raymond when he talks about having a mango...I just ask if he would like me to climb a tree. I think it's funny anyway. So as a kindness to her kind gesture, we went to her home across the road and I took a couple photos of her family. People here are way to nice sometimes.
My buddy Sarah, who lives far away from me came to visit and learn some sanitation techniques. My counterpart, Mr. Kulumba, graciously gave her some extensive presentations. He thinks a lot of Sarah. So to finish her visit with me, I took her to the landing to see the sun rise. As usual, it was beautiful as of course my friend is.