Umm...
Well, we are getting toward the tail-end of training. Two weeks and we will meet our counterparts for the next two years and find out where we will be living.
I will definitely miss my Ugandan family, they have taken very good care of me. So in turn, I repay my spoiling with baked goods. The past two weekends we have baked cakes using the Dutch oven method. It is pretty cool how two big metal pans, three metal mugs, and a pan with cake batter on top of a fire produces a pretty tasty treat. I didn't eat the first one because Maria wanted chocolate, but I am told this one is better...Good thing I have all that baking experience from the States, I was able to modify the ingredients (because I didn't buy them) and have a beautiful, moist, delicious cake to eat. In fact I took a picture of it with Betty (the granddaughter).
I went with some of the trainees to a gentleman's fish farm. It was cool to see in practice what I heard from a few master's theses presentations.
In case you didn't hear, a couple weeks ago there were riots in Kampala, so we were put on what some called "house arrest." The first weekend was not all that great, but that probably was not just from the weekend, it was probably building up until that point. We received a handout that showed (generalized) how we could expect to be feeling/experiencing during the first month, second month, year, end of service: from what I read, it was actually pretty accurate...Crazy!

Okay, reading is probably not what you are looking forward to most, so I share some pictures with you now...Enjoy!

Betty with our second scrumptious cake, Herbert (my Luganda group language teacher) in Nkokonjeru with a very young goat or lamb (the sheep here are much different than the fluffy one at home).
The New taxi park in Kampala.
The road on the way to getting to the new taxi park...and this is normal. Crazy!

Fishing for catfish.

My neighbors: Rose (L), Florida (In back), Fiona (R), and Immaculate.

Until Next Time...

Picture of "Maama wange mu Uganda"

4 weeks completed

Wow.
Well, just spent the week in Nkokonjeru visiting and having a language immersion time. Much different from the craziness of Kampala...sorry from a small town.
However, since the first visit, it is getting better.
My language group is a good group. We will soon be traveling back to site to get ready for our 5th week of training. Almost half way done.
I am in charge of the garden at training site, so hopefully we will get a good crop.
I think my brain is going in too main directions right now to think of what you would like to hear about...I'm sure in the next couple months I will have lots to tell you and more time to do so.

Until next time.

Three weeks down

Hello again,
Here in Kampala for a few hours on our way to the Mukono District. Thought I'd pick up some items...a new camera, some stamps, find a shop to print photos. Yeah, some guy helped me break my camera so if I plan on taking any shots I either need a long slender screwdriver or an inexpensive newly purchased camera. Either way, it's annoying.
Now that I'm writing this I realized what other things I need to get done on the Internet...loans and banking.
Packing for five days it quite difficult when asked to bring stuff for running, the mosquito net that is ever essential, and clothes enough where I shouldn't have to wash too much thinking a basin nor iron will be very accessible.
Living without electricity or running water in the context of Uganda seems pretty normal, they have a pretty good system of Jerry cans and charcoal. The food is filling, but not necessarily nutritional, however, me being the starch eater that I am, I'm doing quite well...for the most part...don't think my digestive tract has quite caught on to the new diet though...but it has been only three weeks. Only three weeks...wow, may not see that long, but PC sure knows how to pack in the information. Good thing I have it all (most) written down.
This week, language immersion; we get to practice what we know and pick up on some that we may not know. Should be good. We will be shadowing a volunteer, getting the inside scoop on what we will are training to become in two months.
Some day I may get some pictures for you to see, but not yet...you'll have to patient along with me because I'd like to see some of the photos I have taken as well.

Until next time.

Kampala

We made it to Uganda safe and sound (for the most part) and have been spoiled for the past few days. We soon begin the next phase of intense learning as we prepare to go out into the field. We have a great group of trainees ready to get to work.
Hope all is well back in the States.

Don't have much of anything to say right now, but it is definitely going to be an experience. Kampala has all the conveniences of home--maybe not the way we're used to, but we are talking about a different country.

Until next time.

Here We Go

Good morning (while I can still say that in this time zone ;-)

We are checking out of here and should be leaving in just over 1 hour.
This will probably be one of the last posts I will be able to give you for a while.
Our group of 43 had an enjoyable time during our pre-departure training and short exploration of the historic district of historic Philadelphia...I took a few pictures of some of the historic buildings too. Okay, one more historic and I'll be done.

Trip time: estimated 18 hours: ~8 to Europe, 10 to Africa, and a 3 hour layover in between. Bet you wanna come too now right.

Side note--think my bags are getting heavier the closer we get to Africa...or maybe it is proportional to the length of flight...I am going to be very, very strong when I get there heh.

Until Next Time...

It's time

Well...
I'm at the airport waiting for my flight to leave...in about 45 minutes.
It may sound crazy, but what is going to be happening in the next 27 months has not quite hit me yet. I know it's going to happen, but I still feel disconnected from the idea that I will not be 4 or 7 or 9 hours away from home...not even just across the pond, but across the pond and then some.
I am glad I got to see/talk to all of you whom I was able to get in contact with. I will surely miss you...but know my mom printed off pictures upon pictures, so I will at least not forget what you look like.
Packing...still don't know how to pack for 2 years. The few clothes I brought...along with other necessities surely took up a bunch of room for some reason. I am pretty proud of myself though...the luggage did not weigh nearly a ton, in fact my baggage is actually under weight. Yippee for me. The down side is I still have to lug it around...yes, yes, I know it is my own doing-and so far so good. Airport employees are pretty nice in the morning...even when getting randomly selected to get patted down. This experience might as well have been a first for that as it is a first for many many more adventures to come.

Until next time.