Team EVIL

In preparation for the incoming class of education volunteers, our Literacy Coordinator brought a bunch of us together to be on the planning committee and train them when they arrive and learn how to be volunteers. Needless to say she is a plotting genius and gathered some of the wildest personalities we have in our group. All together, it is composed of some of my best friends here and boy do we get crazy when we are together, it is like we have known each other for years. Not only that, but we deliver!

We have been working endlessly to make sure this pre-service training is the best yet, combining all of our experiences and expertise and designing a very new type of training. Everyone has something different to bring to the table and it all comes together seamlessly, having fun the whole way. We decided to name our group Team Education Volunteers In Literacy...hehe. Of course there were tons of hiccups and frustrations, but we really managed to design a great and comprehensive training.

Right now we are with the trainees and things are going extremely well. They are a fantastic group of people with tons of knowledge and experience in education, which is super exciting. Sessions are being delivered and it seems they are learning really quickly. I can't wait to see how it turns out when they are at school and teaching here for the first time. Being involved in training is a great experience because it gives me the chance to alleviate the anxiety they have and give them some great advice on how to approach Peace Corps. I realized by biggest lesson I have learned so far is that I had such giant expectations coming in, to the point they were not realistic. I did not actually grasp what development was or what my role would be until a few months in. Of course that is to be expected and they will need to go through this too, but I am happy to be here to prepare them and help them along the way. Not to mention their energy and excitement is contagious and I am that much more excited to do work at site next year, now that I know what to expect and have a better idea where I want to go with my work.The thing I love about this service is that it has taught me you never stop learning and by putting yourself in new situations and constantly getting out of your comfort zone, you really grow as an individual.I used to think Peace Corps was not for me and I belonged in inner-city schools teaching. I still believe that is where my life is taking me, but that does not mean PC is not for me. I am here because I have things to learn and more to grow before I can continue in teaching and going on to be an administrator. I just have to keep reminding myself to be open to growth and to see what is in front of me...every challenging situation is an opportunity to learn something about myself or about humanity, and that is such a great thing to have. 

Big shout out to my friends and co-trainers. They work so hard, they know so much, and they care so deeply about this work. I love working with them and love working when I am with them. I am blessed to have them and can't wait to bring them in on work at site!   

Well, it's been a year

So our one year mark in country just passed...woohoo!!! Everyone who has been serving before us told us that it is a huge milestone and things really feel differently after; I did not believe them but they certainly were right. It is so strange, the first few months dragged on day after day, but the last few months have flown by. As you can tell I have not been posting on this because I have been so busy, which has been wonderful.

Finished up Term 2 successfully by getting a few of my kiddos to read CVC words! It felt so great to have something tangible and in my sphere of control to work on. I got a grant for a fence around my school approved and started work on that. It was a super long ordeal, but I can officially say now that my school is safe and secure! That means no more pooping in the classrooms by people in the community, no more stealing of teacher resources, we can fix the water storage tanks, and start a ton more development projects next year. We even had a big PTA meeting about it and many parents came out and were so excited about our work. I just hope we can carry that excitement forward. I worked at camp again, where I had the greatest night of my life dealing with amoebas and parasites coming out both ends =). Decided that I loved camp so much that me and some of my best friends out here are going to direct a camp in my part of the country next May; I can't wait! Leadership is really the way to go in this country and we can do so much with the youth. I helped to organize the All Volunteer Conference this year, big success!

This past term I have been mostly involved in preparing for trainings and the incoming group of education volunteers. I am super excited to be doing more with PCVs and helping pass on some knowledge to new volunteers. I definitly have reached a point in my service where I feel very comfortable in my community and know what I can and cannot do, but I also still love working with volunteers. I have oodles of ideas for what to do next year at site and can't wait to carry them out. Peace Corps is totally a hot mess, but you really do learn about yourself and push your comfort levels, often learning how to live uncomfortably. It is not ideal and I still feel passionate about what I did at home rather than development work, but it is also a lot of fun. My lifestyle out here, traveling around and always doing something new, is not something I will have the time to have at home. I have made some amazing, life-long friendships out here and love the work we do when we get together. My goals for next year are to still work on reading and decoding with small groups, but also to build my own professional skills by working on some teacher development. I really have learned to love living in Uganda. There are still days when I just shake my head and wonder why I am here, but then someone I don't know will go completely out of his way to help me with something and give me the biggest smile ever and I remember why I am here. There is something beautiful that happens when two people from two totally different places can communicate, understand each other, and work together. Uganda has some real issues that really need to change, I am here to empower people to stand up and make those changes.

History lesson

So I figured, being a history teacher, I should shed some light on the history and development of the country I am living in.
A couple thousand years ago, as with most of Africa, Uganda was ruled by tribes of hunter-gatherers and Empires. Eventually, Luo peoples came down from central Africa and settled pretty permanently; these tribes also settled Sudan and Kenya. In the 1800s, Arabs from the eastern coast of Africa came into Uganda for trading and slaving and then in the 1860s, the British came to explore the source of the infamous Nile River, which they found in Lake Victoria. Soon to follow the explorers came missionaries, bent on civilizing the tribe and converting them to Protestantism and Catholicism (I am not going to give my personal beliefs on long-term effects of the mission here, maybe later). In 1894, this area officially became part of Britain and became known as Uganda in 1914. A lot happened during this time, including indentured servitude and exploitation of traditional values and culture. However, a lot of health reforms, infrastructure, and education were also brought to the region. Living here now, you can still feel the inspiration of British values of the 1800s still in place. For example, women must wear long skirts and they still take morning and afternoon tea.
In 1962, Uganda gained independence while remaining in the British Commonwealth and maintaining an amicable relationship. The majority Buganda tribe became the ones with most of the power, but it was mostly democratic power with a president and a parliament. A few years later however, power became an issue to be struggled over (a common trend to become somewhat of a legacy here) and in 1967 Uganda became a republic, breaking apart the traditional tribal culture. In 1971, disaster ensued when General Idi Amin started a coup and took power into his own military hands. Under him, thousands were killed, mostly of particular tribes, and he forced a degree of westernization onto his land. Nearly 300,000 people lost their lives during his 8 years. In the next few decades, Uganda entered a war with Tanzania and eventually, combined with rebels inside the country, overthrew Amin. The current president of Uganda, Museveni, was one of the leaders of this resistance and overthrowing of Amin.
Museveni has been in power for about 28 years now. In the beginning he can be praised for bringing peace and stability to Uganda. This is of special note considering the unrest in virtually all the nations surrounding Uganda: Congo, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, and Rwanda. Additionally, during the 1990s, the Lord’s Resistance Army, led by Koni, invaded the North of Uganda where it recruited thousands of men and children to become soldiers to fight in Sudan and Somalia. This tore apart life in the North and left it crippled. Museveni stepped up and led a war against Koni, following him until the LRA broke up and he fled to Congo. However, many in and out of Uganda feel like today Museveni has been in control too long and is now taking advantage of the country’s many poor. The amount of corruption in this country is unparalleled and many opponents of Museveni have somehow or another lost their lives. Currently, although still a stable and peaceful nation, Uganda’s GDp leaves it one of the poorest in the world and the level of growth and development is almost entirely dependent on the millions of dollars in foreign aid and services that is given every year. Not only is the corruption unfair, but it leaves Uganda’s country with terrible infrastructure and suppresses any kind of growth on an individual level. Those that live in the village need to work harder than anyone I have seen to hope to send one of their many children to school and then pray they can get a sponsorship for university to increase their standard of living even a little bit. There is a lot of hope here, because the people are strong, but long-term sustainable growth is very far in the future.

Adjustment Rollercoaster

As many of you know, there was a period a little while back where I was in a not-so-good place. If I remember correctly, I even wrote a rather negative blog post about culture shock and clash. Well I can happily say now that I am over that slump and feeling much more positive about my experience and my life here. As one of my brilliant friends-a returned PCV as it would have it-advised me during that time, you go through that period of hatred and near depression where everything seems terrible, but you push yourself and after a few months you come out of it; then you look back and say, “yea I got through that, I am awesome!” She was so right, it seemed like there was only one way to get to the light at the end of the tunnel and that was by going home. However, that was just not true.

While here I am learning a lot; about myself, about teaching, about life, and most especially about the human experience of being uncomfortable and adapting. Thrusting yourself into a new culture and way of living is hard, one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I never realized how completely comfortable I was living in America, doing things the American way. Even ‘alternative’ lifestyles at home are still very American, or western and first-world at least. Living here as forced me to rethink how life is lived and how people act. At first I was subconsciously opposed to it, but now I am coming to understand that where life is different, people will act differently. Now I am not saying I have completely adapted and gone through a cultural metamorphosis or anything, but I have learned to accept what I cannot change and just go with the flow of life here. I realized it isn’t about me, its about the people who live and work here every day. I realized what I am comfortable with means nothing in a place that faces so much hardship. I realized that communities are extremely tightknit and to assume you can just waltz in and be accepted is really ridiculous, you need to work and love and not judge anyone else until you are trusted. In realizing all this, a few really amazing things have happened to me.

I am making some serious progress at my site. The progress is materializing very slowly, but I am taking that as a major sign of its success. We have asked what things people where I work would like to see happen, instead of telling them what needs to be done. Then, we bunker up and do whatever we can in whatever time is given. If we miss class one week because of unplanned events that just appear out of nowhere (as they almost always do), then we re-plan or try and teach on the weekend. If teachers are not going to show up regularly or don’t want to teach in the afternoon, that is when I have my classes that I do on my own with small groups. When the teachers see what I am doing and have an interest, they can ask me to show them what I am doing and I gladly oblige, but I am not forcing any trainings down their throats. Why, because they are the experts of the UG educations system and I am just a visitor, so anything I want or can do to help has to be asked for because this is their life and their world, not mine.

I have also made some really good friends in the community. This is actually my proudest achievement. If I am feeling bored, I can go and sit with someone around for a few hours. I know this is very hard to believe for the people that know me best, but I am actually learning to sit around and do nothing for hours, sometimes not even talking, just enjoying the company of someone else. My favorite part of is though is the cultural exchange. I learn a ton about living in Uganda and gain a better appreciation for life here and they get to ask a million questions about what happens in America. Some of these friends are actually my students at the teachers’ college and we even started a running club together. They love exercise and are inhumanly fit; we are training for a half-marathon. All in all I am comfortable moving around, I have got my routines, and I am finally living here without thinking about the fact that I am living here. It is really nice. Although I still love my home and my country, it is nice to experience life outside it for a little while and I am gaining a lot of knowledge and respect for the human experience. I am coming to love Uganda and its people, whenever I do go home I feel like now I will go home successful!

As a caveat, I also now understand that my emotions here come in waves like the title of this posts suggests. I am sure I will come to another low point when I am frustrated that the improvements I am talking about plateau. However, I am better prepared for that and I don’t think I will feel as unhappy as I did before. For now, wooooooooh let’s go!

A moment of gratitude =)

I think it is about time to talk about some of the things I love about Uganda and the things I am most grateful for having in my life while I am here. After all, you get out of life what you give so I have been focusing on putting myself out there, making mistakes, learning, and staying as positive as I can—much harder to do here where I am constantly feeling vulnerable.

In another post I will talk about how Uganda is a country filled with extremes, but for now I just want to focus on why I love it here. The landscape and environment is gorgeous. Green, green, green everywhere and such a variety of trees and foliage. My favorite thing to do is look out the window from a taxi or bus while traveling across the country. Mango trees and acacia trees jut out of no where, dense forests with ferns, rows of pine, acres of tea leaves, sugarcane, and maize. There are also plenty of mountains and lakes sprawled across the land. It really feels so natural and real. And people live in this nature, alongside it, plotting their grass-thatched mud huts and family compounds right in the bush, making sure to plant some banana, orange, and guava trees for both fruit and protection from the ever-beating sun. The fact that moving around the country is so easy (although not without intense frustration in its own right) makes the experience more enriching. Travel is cheap and Uganda is small, so going from one place to another is possible. The roads are pretty terrible and break downs always happen, it just takes planning and patience. Another guilty pleasure is traveling in matatus, taxis, because they pack them so tight. It may get hot, but people are mostly friendly, you stop and vendors come to the window to sell snacks like roasted plantains and maize, and I love that feeling of being packed in. I am weird I know, but it sort of feels comforting. If you don’t feel like riding in that, the most popular form of transport is by boda boda, motorcycle. It is super fast and cheap. However, pcvs are not allowed to ride these because of how dangerous they are. But what you can do is give them a little money and send for things like groceries or airtime, maybe even a key to your hotel room that your friend took with them haha.

Another thing I love is how contend and humble most people hold themselves in this country. Life is hard and people bare with it and work even harder. Therefore, the simple things are all the need and they don’t have grand ideas about what they should have or should not have. Strangely there is a large sense of entitlement in regards to money, but not in regards to goods or services. Time is also spent leisurely and freely when work is not to be done. For the most part, everyone is very warm and friendly, glad to see me in their country. The kids are even better. They will run up to me shouting “muzungu” and saying hello, many coming in for a hug or a touch on the hand. They just love us strange white people. The students at school can really get attached and it is a love I really enjoy feeling. Watching them play is also really entertaining, they are so creative with the games they come up with and they are ever doing gymnastics around. A popular one is taking an old tire and using a stick to travel with it, or finding spare parts to make toy trucks.

The men here are gorgeous. Facial structure, tall and lean with muscle from work, long lashes, and good skin and teeth. Can’t help but include this haha. Fresh vegetables are always available, in fact I don’t eat anything that isn’t fresh, local, and organic; that is all they have here. I probably pass the gardens where the food is grown! And if I need to top up dinner with an egg or something else, I can just walk to the duka (store shop) right down the road that has all the essentials people in the village need. Walking around anywhere you are forced to greet all the time. Although at first I was not used to this, it reminds me of the human element in living in a community and how simply recognizing someone else and taking time to ask how they are can mean so much.

Now this is getting long so I am just listing what I am even more grateful for:

Lots of veggies and beans so I can stay a vegetarian

Somewhat moderate climate (could be much colder and much hotter)

Good friends that I see on weekends

A married couple of volunteers that are my neighbors-Love the Rentropes!

Good communication home to people who love and support me endlessly

Being challenged by this place and these people to be a better person 

Cool small cities to enjoy, one of which is very close

Abundance of coffee

I can go running and exercise

A couple really good co-workers at site

The real friends I have made with Ugandans

I am not wasting much (little garbage, tons of compost)

I have running water and electricity most of the time

National language is English

I am healthy and safe on a regular basis

Tons of things to read and watch

I have a good bed and a net to sleep under

Oatmeal in the mornings

I am learning and growing personally and professionally

Where am I...oh yeaaaaah, Uganda.

I sometimes forget that I am in a developing country; I sometimes can’t do anything but think that I am in a developing country. Uganda is filled with extremes and paradoxes; it is definitely part of what makes being here so entertaining, in fact I often feel like I am living in a tv show like the Twilight Zone. Let me explain.
Aside from some culture related issues that would happen anywhere, the most frustrating times of my life here are usually centered around work. Uganda has an education system, they have a national curriculum, they try to educate every child below 16, they have examinations, and they have universities. All of these structures lead me to forget that Uganda is a developing nation, which still has a far way to go. When that happens I get mad that the teachers do not go to work and the students are not learning a thing. So although there are many great things in place that exist in the developed world, that does not inherently mean it is going to be successful because there are plenty of departments that need to exist behind the scenes to make education effective. Number one being accountability, which simply doesn’t exist. Number two being a body of people in Uganda that are reforming education according to Uganda’s situation and not merely copying what happens in western cultures. Number three could be what causes so much of Uganda’s delay in moving forward, proper management of money and resources. UPE (Universal Primary Education) was created as a mimic of what many western countries have been doing for decades, calling for all children to receive a basic education where they can acquire basic skills. Unfortunately, the planning period for this edict must have been short because it is barely funded at all and there is no monitoring being done to ensure what the government says should happen actually happens. So there is one way that I often forget, but then am subtly reminded I live in a country that is still trying to learn how to swim. On the one hand, they have a country-wide system of schools and, on paper, everything looks in order. Just seeing that causes my mind to operate like it would in the US and expect certain things to happen at school. However, digging a little deeper reveals all the infuriating little things that prevent schools from running the way they should, like teachers not receiving pay in three months and schools not being given any books from which the curriculum is based. Other areas, like the fact that Uganda has a complex system of roads and highways and that the capital city, Kampala, feels like a small US city often lead me to forget where I am. However, I would do much better to remember to have more patience and forgiveness for this place because they are in fact still developing and really trying. Despite being one of the poorest countries in the world, the people here for the most part are so resilient and happy. You don’t walk around and see people who looked depressed or starving (although that absolutely does happen, it is just not everywhere and luckily agriculture is something Uganda does well and is very self-sustaining on so although a balanced diet is lacking for most people, so also is starvation lacking for most). Maybe that relaxed attitude is hurting Ugandans because they don’t have the desperation to change and develop that some of their less fortunate neighbors have, such as Kenya or Sudan. However, it also keeps Uganda relatively peaceful. If you look at all the countries surrounding Uganda, almost all of them have wars and rebel fighting going on. For the past decade or so, Uganda has remained quiet.
The other side of this is that feeling of living in a unreal world that my friends and I often get. That comes from little things like hearing Celine Dion or Shania Twain on the radio of a really macho man, waiting in a taxi that is pretty much full but not overfilled to leave for about two hours and then breaking down half-way to your destination forcing you to get out and stuff into another taxi that doesn’t leave, not being able to swim or touch water for fear of parasites, teachers thinking that mid-day cleaning of the compound is way more important than a lesson, when cleaning means sweeping dirt from one area to another nearby, and countless other little mishaps that happen (I will write a blog all about this). Sometimes these are really irritating, but mostly they are just funny. I have to admit the transportation issue was at one point the bane of my existence, but now I plan for it and rather enjoy being crammed into a taxi where I am smashed between four people; I am learning to be patient and go with the flow and realized how I have virtually zero concept of personal space! So Uganda is teaching me some valuable lessons and when I remind myself they are not a country with a GDP to match the US, I can relax and take a breath and let things happen the way they do. After all, the slow pace allows me to have such delightful mornings where I eat my breakfast, drink my coffee, and read before going in to work, in fact it is when I wrote this lovely little post. Cheers.

Living in the world of "no homo"

As most of you know, Uganda became famous last year with its threat of a “kill the gays” bill, where being caught in a homosexual act could lead to life in prison. Although most of the aim of this bill was more towards pedophiles than adult gay men and women, it was still a major concern from a human rights perspective. So much so that many governments around the world, including ours in the US, told Uganda that if the bill passed they would lose all aid and funding; that was a big uh-oh for this country. So, the bill has been put on the backburner and is not really going anywhere. Since being here, I have discovered that this issue is mainly a religious one, and Uganda is one of the most religious governments I know of, that was started by missionaries that came here and was taken up by MPs in districts in order to gain public support. Some people here are very against homosexuality on moral grounds, but most people either don’t care or don’t know about it. I doubt the bill will ever pass since Uganda relies on foreign aid more than any other African country. Interestingly, despite being such a homophobic country, it is also the most homoerotic place I have ever been.
It is totally common to see two men or two women holding hands, way more common than a man and a woman. It is also common to see two men sitting in one another’s lap, massaging some part of the others body, and leaning on one another on a bench or seat. More than that it is custom for friends to talk about how much they love one another and express that physically with the aforementioned signs of friendship. And believe me that is all it is, friendship. I am not sure where the culture came from, maybe even from the extreme religious beliefs that say men and women can’t be physical unless married and in the bedroom. However, there are more weird things that happen here. It is perfectly normal for a man to walk around wearing a pink shirt, tight jeans with bedazzled jewels on it, nail polish, carrying a purse, and sometimes even ladies shoes. What!? In my world at home, this would be a gay man walking down the street. Here it is just fashion gone awry. So maybe the US has some catching up to do; boys would be humiliated and maybe beat in some parts of the country if they held each other’s hands even as friends. In fact although some of it can be really confusing for me…is this seemingly feminine man hitting on me or just trying to be my friend?...I think it is one of my favorite parts about Uganda. I mean relax guys, holding hands is a physical way to show friendship and trust and love, it doesn’t have to mean homosexuality. The pink bedazzled clothing, well I guess gender norms are a lot looser here. This bodes great for me seeing that nothing I do really could be considered gay and I am totally safe from being outted on accident. Now I just need to navigate a new set of rules for flirting and dating and friendship, because you all know me if someone tells me they love me my heart melts. I guess here it will just have to be a friendship melt.
On the bright side there is an underground gay community here, mostly in the capital and big cities. There are groups that support one another and even fight for rights and medical care. There are even nightclubs! Somehow everyone knows they are there, which is why I think being gay is not such a big deal for the public here (at least in the more liberal and open-minded capital) but more a political issue. Don’t worry, I know what you are thinking. I am being safe! I am just really excited to make some friends and see what life is like for that group of people in Uganda and maybe even get some dancing in where I feel comfortable. In a small sense, I am feeling what it is like to be a minority group somewhere. Yes I am white so a minority in an African country, but that is different because being white here has a very specific connotation of having money, thereby making the minority experience different (probably my least favorite part about Uganda). But being a part of a group that is so incredibly targeted and penalized is very interested. Back into the closet I went! However, I am strangely still allowed to wear tight jeans and walk with a strut without anyone thinking anything; I can even hold a boys hand in public and get away with it!

All around Uganda

After the safari, I still had a couple weeks before I had to be back at site, so my friends and I (we turned into the fab five) continued to explore Uganda and see more people in our group. We slowly made our way to the infamous Southwest of Uganda, Mbarara and Kabale to be precise. Before going we recuperated in Kampala with some good food and Iron Man 3. Let me tell you, I love that city. Mostly I am just a city person and this village life nonsense is killing me, but Kampala has a few gems. Then we set out for Mbarara. After a long bus ride, where I made faces at a cute kid in the front, we finally reached. It was reasonably developed, but the people came off as very rude. We hung out a bit, reunited with our friends that did the camp in this region, made fun of a menu that included drinks called “blow job” and “pink p****,” and I got to meet up with someone from an underground organization that works with a very at risk group in Uganda. I am sure you have heard the news about the legality of a certain lifestyle here, well some people are doing very good work around the issue lets just say that. Went out that night to an awesome nightclub and had a good time overall. Next day we set out to a friend’s site in the middle of the woods. Well we had to travel a bit to get there, but the one thing the southwest does have is a gorgeous scenery. Rolling hills with tons of trees of all types, isolated lakes, and beautiful skylines. We hiked through what felt like three ecosystems. First it was typical Ugandan with banana trees and tall grass, next came a real rainforest with ferns and all, and finally a coniferous forest the likes of back home in upstate New York. We finally reached a secluded lake that years ago was believed to cure gonorrhea and housed a witch doctor. Of course we went swimming! We made family dinner that night ( I cooked!) and watched the Lion King in honor of our safari trip, especially because we were making references to it the entire time.

Eventually we reached Kabale, which was not all that impressive. Only thing nice about it was it was near Lake Bunyoni, where a volunteer lives. It was a nice get away, we stayed at a resort like place (do not picture anything remotely like resorts in Jamaica or Mexico, my standards have gone way way down.) Got to eat good food, play drinking games, swim, and just relax. A few of us headed back, taking a short detour along the way in a very very beautiful and delicious place, and began the dreaded journey back to site. Before going to Tororo, we stayed again in Kampala and explore the nightlife there. Went to an incredible rooftop lounge that played western music and then to a night club. Well the first one we went to was filled with pretentious Europeans and Americans (not that all of them were but many of them just acted ridiculous), none of us liked it. So we went next door to a place that was crammed full of Ugandans and had a total blast till 3 in the morning. I don’t want to go back to site!!!!!

Safari-hari

Not going to lie, one of the major reasons why I wanted to do Peace Corps in Africa was to go on a safari. I have always always loved animals, especially the wild ones you see on Animal planet, and my mom and I shared the dream of seeing those majestic creatures in real life. During the school holiday I had the chance to go to Murchinson Falls, if anyone ever wants to do a safari I recommend here. We spent two days and one night for super cheap because we know someone; time of my life!

Eleven of us crammed into this safari car, which has a roof that opens up and racks on the top. Upon entering the park we are greeted by a giraffe (hi Mom!). As we move deeper in we see tons and tons of antelope/gazelle/long faced deer, more giraffes, warthogs, water buffalo, and even some elephants. Not only the animals were cool but the scenery was gorgeous and driving through sitting on the roof of this van was such a satisfying experience for us, not to mention being surrounded by awesome people the whole trip! We take lunch at this incredibly fancy lodge, which costs 250 muzungu dollars a night, and got ready for our river cruise…yes a cruise on the river, the Nile River! On this boat ride we saw many hippos, crocodiles, tons of birds, more elephants, and the falls the parked was named for. I even got to drink a Nile Special beer while on the Nile River. Lucky for me I had the binoculars my friend Matt gave me so I could spot all the animals from really far away before they scattered. After the cruise was over we got back in the van and set out for our evening game ride. The sun was setting soon, but we were on a hunt for the illusive lion that we heard was in hiding today. We saw more and more giraffes, which looked awesome silhouetted in the sun and even saw a family of them running away. Then all at once the drivers got quiet and one of my friends noticed something laying down in the distance. Was it another deer? No, it was the lions! We quickly switched course and went off road to right where they were resting, we literally drove right up to 10 feet away from them. It was a male and a female and they really could care less that we were there. We probably stared and took pictures for 5 minutes before the female growled and walked away. We moved to a different spot and then the male stretched and walked away too; only he had just three legs so he sort of hopped! Seriously one of the coolest moments of my life. We continued on to the Nile Delta where we watched the sun set, saw the DRC in the distance, and stared down a hippo that was on land…they are huge. We then made the long trek back to where we were staying, driving in the now night sky with tons of stars above us, the only people for miles and knowing that we were still surrounded by wild animals in Africa.

The next day we had a nice breakfast and set out for our hike along the falls. Before reaching the hike our van was attacked by Tse Tse flies and everyone was swatting like crazy. The trick is to sit still and they move on to more attractive flesh. The hike started out nice, going right to the top with a  few of both falls and the river. As we moved on we got closer and closer till we were right at the falls, rainbow and all. We took tons of pictures and got our feet wet in the Nile. Such a fun day, but now time to head back. However, what should have been a quick 2 hour game drive trip home turned into quite an adventure. After lunch we had not heard from our driver, so we walked to catch the ferry that only leaves every 2 hours. Well of course we missed it; some went back to where we took lunch and some of us waited around till we somehow got a private boat to take us across to wait at the fancy lodge; did I mention they had margaritas? A couple hours and some drinks later we learn the van got in an accident so we were waiting for another vehicle to come and get us. Of course we could do nothing but drink while we waited. Eventually it came so we piled in, drunk at this point, and drove off. Instead of doing the game drive we sped through the park and continued to drink, both inside and on top of the van. Needless to say debauchery ensued and we had ourselves quiet the time. Now is probably a great time to point out that I love my friends here, we are such a mixed group of personalities and we all mesh so well. We make our way out only stopping to refuel our wallets and purchase some souvenirs. However, because it is Uganda and nothing can ever go as planned or even as planned again, our van began to smoke and we had to stop. I do believe I had all the luck that day because where we stopped there happened to be a very attractive shirtless man holding the most adorable puppy that I have ever seen and I got to pet it! Sadly, we flagged down a matatu and were again on our way back to Gulu; but as luck would have it this particular matatu was filled with beer so the drinking of course continued. Oh Uganda! We made it back safe and exhausted but it was definitely a trip I don’t think any of us could ever forget =)

Breakdance Project Uganda

While I was at camp I got the chance to meet some really cool people that are part of this incredible organization and I thought they deserved their own post. Bpu is a grassroots group started by street kids in Uganda, though is now run by motivated community activists all over the country. They dance, they rap, they graffiti, and they go around the country empowering youth to stay away from drugs, alcohol, and sex and to work hard for a better life. A group, that in most western societies gets a lot of crap about spreading bad things and leading to gangs and drugs, is doing a ton of great work here and inspiring a lot of kids.  They take street kids in cities and some village kids and teach them all these skills, giving them confidence and creativity. At the same time they try very hard to be role-models, teaching them to make good decisions and think of ways to find an income. For kids that might have a life of begging, this is an awesome way out. They are based in Kampala but have branched out and were at camp, a lot of our campers were in the organization. Seeing it firsthand I can see it really is transformative for the kids. They learn a lot of leadership and life skills, having fun at the same time. I got to know one of the people that helps to run it, Candy, and he was so dedicated to helping his kids. You could also so the change it had on his life; he talked about learning to work hard to see the world in a more open way. Many of those boys were the ones who were totally on board for women’s rights and many of the girls in the organization were some of the most outspoken girls I have met in this country.

My mind went crazy. I am going to try and get them to do a workshop at my school and maybe rub off a little on my kids. Also, I want to bring this idea home and hopefully can incorporate it into wherever I go next! I am even learning how to beat box =)

Camp BUILD

After our last training, it was school holiday for almost a month before the next term began. Therefore, I had a fantastic month of fun planned out for myself and a bunch of other volunteers, using the time to see more of Uganda and get to know it a little better. I began by being a counselor at a weeklong leadership and development camp for boys in Gulu, northern Uganda. As education volunteers, we had been psyched up about these camps since we arrived in country, so I was very excited to finally be working at one and to be in charge of a group of teenage boys…just like Hillcroft back in the states! The only thing I knew to expect was feeling exhausted, but I got so much more out of it.

Just like any camp, it started a bit slow as we all got used to each other and the routine. At first the boys were very quiet and not sure how to respond to us muzungus with so much energy, but eventually they started getting really excited and the atmosphere was just electric. More than anything we were continuously learning about each other and our cultures. Of course there were various life skills sessions and team building exercises which were great for inspiring the kids to take the lessons home and develop their schools or communities; it was basically taking what Peace Corps is in Uganda for and cramming it into a week. We even went to a ropes course that was built by an NGO in the area. The thing about Gulu and the north is that is where Kony and the LRA swept through about a decade ago, so many of our kids were either taken by the army at some point or had family members killed by it. Therefore, there were a lot of deep routed feelings and beliefs that came to the surface. Nowhere did this become more apparent than during Gender Equality day when the girls came over from their leadership camp to discuss gender roles and issues in Uganda. Now I don’t know whether it was the presence of girls, the suddenly larger groups with more male peers, or the issues themselves but I saw a lot of previously open minded and modern boys become very traditional and close minded in their thinking and speaking. These were teenagers after all and had tons of ego and pride to stick to, but I had a feeling I was learning a lot more about cultural norms and development than I had anticipated. Some of the boys were on board for total gender equality: whatever boys can do so can girls and vice versa. However, most boys had a few sticking points that they just would not budge from. Here are some examples of the norms we uncovered: men head the household, do serious manual labor like digging a pit latrine, and are the ones to ask a girl over/to marry; women do the cooking, cleaning, taking care of children, must kneel when greeting, and can’t ride motorcycles and most certainly cannot wear pants (the reason given is because it shows their figure and men don’t want to have to control themselves). There was also some contention over who can have the money, although now a days there are a lot of women in the workforce and in positions of power so they do have rights to money management, but rarely to property. Fortunately a lot of the talk turned towards more of an equality and human rights agenda and I am proud to say a lot of the girls spoke up on behalf of their own rights, especially over the wearing of pants. We even had some great conversations about getting rid of the marriage rights which ask men to provide a dowry, essentially buying their women, because it creates an image of ownership.

What I took away from this experience was that culture and social norms run very deep and to try and move into a country as a foreigner and change certain aspects because my society has gone “past” them, seeing them as out of fashion, is ridiculous. It took American centuries to see African Americans as people and to allow women to vote. I also had to remind myself that I come with a particularly modern and liberal perspective, so going into a very conservative culture is bound to spark some feelings that I deeply have. But if someone were to come into America, coming from a position of trying to develop America, and told me that women couldn’t vote and gay marriage was evil I think I would have something to say about it. Therefore, I have gained a lot more patience and humbled myself. I am not here to change the culture or social beliefs, I am not even here to develop. I am simply here to give the people here an idea of what American culture is like, help them with basic skills that can enrich their lives (reading, writing, income generating, and health issues), and maybe inspire a few to have enough confidence that if there is something to change, they will be the ones to do it one day.

I also learned, after hearing an inspiring story, that life here is really hard and I really need to take a break and relax a bit. Of course things move slowly here, it takes so much to make a good life here. Short of inheriting money, the only ways to make a solid living is by attaining a high level of education or starting your own business. Both are very risky. After primary school, school fees become very high and if you want a good school you go private, which has even higher fees. University is extremely expensive and the job market upon completing university is extremely small and cannot accommodate everyone who goes. On the business end, one needs to save a lot for startup capital and there is no guarantee it will be successful. This one gentleman worked non-stop for a few years, not even eating more than once a day and only sleeping a couple hours, just so he could save money to create a good business. So yea, there isn’t any of that work hard and you will succeed, snap your fingers and it happens stuff. These are good lessons for me to learn!

Out and about in Uganda

I know it has been a very long time since a post, but that is for good reason. This is definitely a journey and I am being pushed and challenged in ways I never really took the time to prepare myself for. Not a bad thing, but well you know. Anyway, there has not been much at all going on with work, which has been driving me insane, so I decided I would make the most of being in Uganda and do some traveling around the country. For the past few weeks each weekend I have gone to a new spot to explore and see what this place has to offer.

A while back I got to go to Gulu up in the north. I was going to help out at a Women’s Day event held by a volunteer, but I was also getting the chance to see Jen (one of my new bffs here) and “muzungu haven.” Gulu is in an area that was completely affected by LRA (Lords Resistance Army) when they came in to Uganda. All those stories about child soldiers, most came from this area. Therefore, there are countless NGOs and tons of white people from all over the world working to re-boost the morale and livelihood in this area; they are doing a fine job. So besides a great event, I also got to experience some comforts from the West I was missing: a yoga class at a studio, a swimming pool (these are actually all over the country), a delicious veggie burger ordered on take-out, and an amazing coffee shop! Oh yea and Indian food and Ethiopian food in the same weekend; I was in heaven. However, even though I love this region of Uganda, the bus ride from where I live to Gulu is 12 hours…and bus rides are not like Greyhounds at home. They are extremely bumpy and crammed full to the brim. The ride was gorgeous and I was able to see a ton of the land, but I don’t know if I will make the trip a habit.

Another weekend some friends and I went to a place near Mbale called Sipi Falls. It’s this stunning area of waterfalls that come off of Mt. Elgon and the views are just breathtaking. We took a three hour tour and got to stand underneath the freezing cold water dropping from up top. Our guide, Tom, was super cool and we became friends by the end of it. We also spent the night in a cabin that is owned by the tour company, Crow’s Nest, which was actually started in partnership with a pcv years back. Despite getting into an interesting situation that night (it would not be pc without those stories) it was a great trip.

More recently a bunch of us got together for the long Easter weekend and went to a beach off Lake Victoria. The hotel was great, it actually felt like a vacation. Now don’t get me wrong, it was no 5-star resort, but it was definitely an escape. We ate fried fish and chips, drank, had a bonfire, had another one of those interesting situations (you will have to ask me about this one personally haha), and got to take a boat out on the lake. Did I mention we were in sight of Kenya, so cool! It was so great to just relax with people I really care about and have nowhere else to be. I may or may not have gotten shistosomiasis, a waterborne disease in Africa, but it was totally worth it. Haha don’t get worried, it’s not a big deal and everyone gets it at least once.

This past weekend I was invited to a Murder Mystery dinner party by a volunteer who has been here for a while. It was soooo much fun! I was playing a rich southern musician. It was just really nice to have a night like that in Uganda, going all out with the cooking and finding costumes in the local open market. I think my whole costume cost a couple dollars. It was also cool to hang out with volunteers that have been through this slump that I am definitely in and made it out alive. They had some solid advice for me and I think I have a more concrete vision of what I want and need. The next day I took a short trip to the famous Jinja. This is where the Nile River starts and you can go white water rafting if you so choose. I did not do that this weekend, but I did walk around town admiring the street art and crafts and going to some mind-blowing places for coffee and lunch. They really were not anything great, but in the setting of Uganda I felt transported somewhere else. While I was sitting down to my iced latte (I have not changed) and gentleman sat down at my table. We began to make conversation, he was very interested in my role as a volunteer in his country and I was very interested in his family story he told me. He has been an electrical engineer for 25 years, traveled a bit, and has a good sized family. One of his sons had a scholarship to study in the Ukraine, but he has not heard from him in months. He assumes he dropped out, that’s what his other children tell him, but he is having too much fun traveling. It was just very fun to hear him talk and great to have unexpected company.

Well, April is world Malaria month so luckily I have a few projects to run at school. I still have the travel bug so my next eye is on the Southwest...the land of milk and honey in this country. Hopefully Rwanda and some cool mountains are in the picture for me in the next month or so! Oh and I am going on a safari in May!! Who knows, maybe school will actually pick up. I am trying my absolute hardest to remain positive and listen to my heart during this very tough acclamation period, but keep sending the love. Here is to effort!

Culture Shock

Well my friends its real and has hit hard. Sparing you some of the more grimy details, there are just certain differences that really come out when you are living so far away from home and missing things. Combining new new new with missing loved one and your old life leads quite a combination I have noticed and I now understand why Peace Corps is so hard and competitive.

So some specific things that I have noticed to be markedly different than what I am used to, though I am still not judging and don’t label these things wrong or bad, just different:

Zero privacy. When all you want to do is go hide in your room and be alone, there are people everywhere…I mean everywhere. And those people do not hesitate to converse loudly and play music near you, listen to your conversations, or peep into your house to see what you are doing. I have learned to be careful where I talk when I call home and to watch where I journal because I have had people looming over my shoulder to read it. There just isn’t a sense of personal or individual here, everything is shared within family or small community units. This can be great when you are celebrating something, but its very hard when you need a moment to be by yourself (that also doesn’t exist here and people will ask if you are sick if you spend time alone.)

Incessant greetings. You must must must greet. No matter what you are doing or where you are going you must greet everyone you see. If you walk away without at least waving to someone, though you usually are called over to ask how you and your home are doing, then you are again thought to be sick. I once travelled with a man who teaches at the college that I have come to really love spending time with (he is hysterical, belongs on TV), we went to get a haircut—this was another story and quite an experience. On the way, which was a 10 minute walk, we stopped so many times to greet and talk with people that it took 40 minutes. Maybe this is why all my teachers come to school late!?

Religion. Oh my goodness it is everywhere. At night when all the college kids are hanging out after class and I am getting ready for bed, I notice them all in circles. I figure they are kids and they are just hanging out or talking. Then they break out in kumbaya for 10 minutes, not kidding. When people are done talking many of them bless each other before leaving. Any time something good happens, it is necessary to say thank god for blessing us. I also witnessed a very interesting event at school. A girl began flailing around in class, knocking desks over, hitting herself, and screaming. At first I wondered if it was epilepsy, but it wasn’t. I asked what was going on and all the teachers (who were standing around watching) said she was “possessed by demons.” Now I knew she wasn’t and I knew there had to be a real cause; at first I thought it was attention or psychological trauma, but later overheard there is a land dispute going on in her family that is probably involved. Anyway, what really shocked me was how normal it seemed to all the teachers and students and the unanimous decision that it was demons and no other options were available. I tried to talk to the students who witnessed it, to see if they were ok, but they began laughing at me because it is so common and not an issue.

Fishbowl. Yes I am in a fishbowl. Everywhere I walk, STARES. It is not considered the slightest bit rude to stare for minutes at me. I get it, I am white and weird and they don’t see too many. But really, I don’t think I am that impressive.

Cleanliness. Where does the trash go? Anywhere. When people eat they just drop scraps and trash wherever they are sitting because the kids will pick it up later. And it eventually makes it's way into a large pit that gets burned and smells. Furthermore, though Ugandans are very tidy and go through much effort to sweep up dust and dirt, the notion of cleaning walls and furniture or getting rid of cobwebs/repairing things that are broken doesn't come in.

Time and work ethic. I think the biggest thing I am struggling with right now is that work moves so slowly. Since no one is in a rush and things will get done when they get done, it is a month into school starting and some teachers still have not lesson planned. Now as I mentioned in a previous post, there are certain things out of their control that inhibits this. But on the other hand, I see so many teachers just sitting around in class and staring into space, many don’t even come to school. I just wish there was some personal initiative, but going back to the culture of collectivism, why would one person carry such a burden when no one else is? Additionally, the way school is done and taught further inhibits individualism. Students are rarely asked questions at a higher level than what/who is… and I have not yet heard any teacher ask a student what he/she thinks or feels about something or what they would do or how they would solve a problem. There isn’t even a culture that fosters the students asking their own questions. It is mostly just repetition and memorization; here in lies my purpose for being here. Tell me if this was way too bitchy of a post!

So yea, things are different here…to be expected. I am in what PC calls stage 3 of culture shock where I start to see the negative before taking the real plunge of integrating. And what a ride it is. . Thankfully, I have limitless love and support from all my family and friends back home =) I miss you daily

An agrarian dream come true

I am going to briefly describe the Ugandan food system, something many of you know I am quite annoying about in the states. First let me begin by saying, you get what you wish for and sometimes you don’t expect what you find. So in Uganda, everyone farms. I mean everyone. It is very hard to find a family or even an organization that does not have a personal garden that is used to provide the main sustenance for the family and maybe some income. There are trees and grass, fruits and vegetables everywhere. The cows, chickens, turkeys, and goats roam totally free and graze on the grass. Since land is not as personal as in America, they can really travel around, usually with a small boy watching over them with a stick. Because most of them are unaffordable, most people do not use pesticides or fertilizer. Although compost is not widely used, it is pretty common and the people in the agriculture business are heavily promoting it. Therefore, all the food I eat is totally natural, organic, and local. I am in heaven! The main crops are maize, cassava, millet, wheat, beans, g-nuts (peanuts), bananas, and matoke (sort of a bland plantain.) Despite the prevalence of animals, meat is still expensive and not a part of everyday meals. You can also find fresh water fish and a mix of green vegetables (tomatoes, onions, carrots, potatoes, eggplant, garlic, and greens.) Biggest letdown—no broccoli.

The downsides of all this lie in the unfortunate lack of trash/waste management and lack of knowledge on preparing balanced meals. So trash here is just piled high up and then burned. Not going into how harmful burning paper and plastic is for humans, the trash often leaves the pits and finds its way onto the grass where the animals graze. I am sure it is not appetizing for them, but the occasional bits probably enter their stomachs. Also, pit latrines are rarely covered so disease and germs amongst animals and vegetables is pretty common. Also, trying to find a way to grow during the dry seasons is hard and many people lose a lot of money for those parts of the year. Also, climate change is seriously affecting life here. They used to have very regular seasons and knew exactly what week to plant and when to harvest. Now, each year is different and the rains come sporadically, making it hard to know when to do what. Back to the meals, most here consist of 80% starch in the form of rice or posho (mix of flour from maize and cassava that is pounded to this moist and hot bread-like food) and some beans or greens. It is not rare for there to be no greens and apart from the beans, no protein. Therefore, despite having an amazing agriculture nutrition and health is fairly poor. Not as poor as some of the drier African countries, but not where is should be. Many have also said (by many I mean Ugandans) that because growing food is so easy here due to extremely fertile soil, that is why people are lazy and expect everything to come so easy. Now I personally have met some very lazy Ugandans, but I also know a great deal more hard working ones. Time just moves at a different pace here and it is up to the citizens to decide if they want that to change.

So for now I am staying a vegetarian because I can get my protein (I eat a lot of peanut butter), but I will eat the occasional fish and chicken because they are treated so humanely and naturally. Needless to say, this is one part of Uganda that I definitely love and will miss when I am home.

Introduction to the Education system

After going to a curriculum workshop, which reviewed the new curriculum that was just created for teachers’ colleges, and spending the first few weeks in my primary school, I want to highlight some key observations I have made. First the basics. Schooling starts at nursery or kindergarten, but those are usually private so only available to families that can pay. Next is 7 years of primary school, at the end of which students (called pupils) take a leaving exam to go to secondary school. Secondary is divided into 4 years of Ordinary Level (mandatory) and two years of Advanced Level/ a college like the PTC I work with. If you wish to do a trade, you don’t need to go to A level, but if you want to go to university you must complete A level and do well. At the end of O and A there are leaving examinations as well. These are equivalent to the U.S high-stakes tests, like the MCAST. A few years back, the government issued a law that states that primary education must be attended by all children and will be universally provided by the government. Later, a similar law was passed to make O level the same, but there is some controversy over it and it is not clear if it is holding. Despite that, there are small school fees attached to school (much higher at secondary) on top of buying books and uniforms. For families making a couple dollars a day, this is hard. Not to mention that although school is free, lunch is not, so only about 200 of my 1300 students eat lunch every day. Ergh!

Ok so the new curriculum was put in place to increase literacy in school and highlight “peace education,” as well as insist that Swahili be taught in primary. So here is what I observed. The new things being introduced, like student-centered learning and continuous assessment, are not new by any means but just arriving in Uganda. However, the curriculum was and is written with a ton of things like, “suggested skills taught—critical thinking.” Unfortunately, there is no mention of how exactly to do that and the teachers in the field simply write it into their lesson plans without actually doing it. In sum, there are many good things being “done” in Uganda, but due to lack of teacher support it is not actually happening. Further, I saw firsthand how hard it is for things to get done here because meetings consist of hours of hearing everyone’s point and not actually deciding on anything. Despite this, the teachers I met are thoroughly dedicated to their jobs and do want to make a difference in their students (these are still the Tutors that teach new teachers at the colleges). So in sum, the education system is behind, but is on the verge of becoming current, if only the ministry would support the teachers in the fields and give practical ways of teaching.

At the Primary school things are different. Because of corruption and bureaucracy, teachers are only paid about 80 dollars a month, sometimes not getting their pay for months at a time, and are transferred to new schools on a regular basis. In the first few weeks of term, many teachers do not coming in or show up late and most students don’t come till week 2 or 3. Because of the lack of support I mentioned, most teachers are teaching in very traditional ways and physical punishment often occurs because managing a class of 150 students is extremely difficult. Combined with sickness, taking care of children, and little pay, it is hard to believe teachers come in to teach at all. However, there is Uganda for you. Although at first I was hard pressed to not call some lazy, the teachers are still teaching and do care about the students. I am trying to figure out the best place for me in all this and I think it is in providing the support and updated methods/strategies that the government is failing to give. Although I am frustrated that 3 weeks into term classes have not begun, I am learning to be patient and humble, acknowledging that these are the struggles teachers go through all the time. I cannot change everything, but hopefully I can find a way to empower teachers to use some new methods, introduce positive ways of disciplining, and getting the students to actually learn skills like critical thinking and problem solving-skills that would really help Uganda in the future if the general population had them. I am thinking about what it takes a nation to be successful and to develop and those are the things I hope to experiment with in the classroom. Ugandans may take FOREVER to do things, but they always bring their whole heart into it!

A day in the life

It has been awhile since I updated everyone so I thought it would be nice to just post what a typical day is like here and what my area is like. Keep in mind, school term has not started yet so this will be different once I start working.

I wake up anywhere between 6:30 and 7:30 and either go for a nice run or begin to make breakfast. I go running early now because it is cooler and there are not tons of people. My runs consist of small village dirt roads and amazing views of trees and the tallest mountain in Uganda! If I did not boil water the night before and put it in a thermos, I boil up some water and add it to quick oats and into my French press. Yes I can find peanut butter to add in, yes I have cinnamon, yes there is fresh coffee right from Uganda, and yes sometimes I get milk but I am also learning to drink it black…woah! After a long and exaggerated meal, I wash my dishes (either in a bucket or in my all-purpose bathroom sink), I take a cold shower, and do what I need to do. If it is a clothes washing day, I soak the clothes with some powder detergent and then handwash everything and line dry it. It is actually pretty cool! During the day I either meet people in the village, walk to the closest trading center to buy produce and such, lay around and do nothing, or go to town.

So traveling is the most interesting part of my days. I live off of the major road that connects Kenya-Uganda-Sudan; that means it is really busy with huge trucks and probably the worst road I have ever seen in my life. There are monster pot holes I can lay in everywhere! But, there is also a lot of opportunity to meet people. I am about a 15 minute ride to my town, Tororo, and an hour ride to Mbale, which is a much larger town where I can find lattes!. Also, I am only an hour and a half from Jinja, the source of the Nile and “mini-America.” Ok so boda boda—motorcycles—are everywhere here and most peoples’ source of travel. However, they are dangerous so we are not allowed to use them. Instead we use taxi vans called Matatus. They comfortably seat 15, but since personal space does not exist, they usually have 20+. They are always an adventure and you never know what is going to happen while on the road.

At night I exercise a little, usually yoga (I might unintentionally be becoming a yoga instructor because I get tons of watchers who join in), and then begin the process of making dinner. Until I can get a gas tank for my stove, we use either a charcoal stove (sigiri) or a wood-burning stove. With the help of some kerosene, you light it up and play this dance of trying to keep it lit/hot while also preparing your meal. Depending on what I am making, it can take hours haha. Luckily, I brought a lot of spices and you can find almost any kind of food, so the meals are really tasty. I am saddest about there being no broccoli, but I intend on planting some! It is more dishes time, another shower, I boil up some drinking water to cool overnight, and then some reading or movie watching before going to bed. I am usually asleep by 9:30 or 10, crazy!

Every day is usually a little different and there is a ton of downtime that I spend reading, making my house a home, or watching the farm animals in my front yard do their thing (no I am not crazy, but it surprisingly replaces TV.) We have a really feisty female cow that does whatever she wants. The house is really coming along and I am quite excited for it. There is room for visitors! And my host dad is a carpenter so he built me a gorgeous full sized bed that needs extra bodies =). I am still loving life here; it is so relaxed and so green, no mad crazy rush. But I do get a little homesick each day. Mostly, I can’t wait to start working with the kiddies!

Mailing address!!!

Hey all! It has been awhile since I last posted, so I am putting up two. This one is just my new permanent address. Feel free to send tons of letters and packages =). Rules: no big brown envelopes, they get opened pretty often; tape it up nice and tight; number your letters so I get them in order; write something religious on packages…like a bible verse or God is Great, you get the idea. It takes about 3 weeks for me to get anything.

Peace Corps volunteers Tororo
Matthew Raymond
P.O. Box 463
Tororo, Uganda

If you want to be my best friend in the entire world, send me stuff! I don’t really NEED anything, but it feels really nice. Here are just some things that would never be turned away: protein bars, candy (you know how I love chocolate and M&Ms), maybe nice pens, good ground coffee or instant coffee, small hand sanitizers, and anything to remind me of you like pictures or memorabilia. And don’t you worry, I am gathering some awesome African gifts to send back to peeps and return the favor =) Love ya!

First glance at cross-culture

Before I go into the main details, I just want to let everyone know I had a great Christmas in Uganda. All of us volunteers in Tororo took a short trip to the next largest town (which is really a small city by Ugandan standards), Mbale. We met up with our friends and had the best time. The city has everything, including a few proper coffee shops with espresso, huge supermarkets and craft stores, luxurious hotels (where we did not stay), delicious Indian food, and a bakery run by an American family. Not to mention there are tons of NGOs and travelers there so no one was staring and Mt. Elgon, the tallest mountain in Uganda, is in the background everywhere you walk. Oh and did I mention my hotel had hot running water!? That was the best part I think.  It was definitely sad being away for the first time, but because of amazing technology I got to talk to a lot of people and even skyped my family for present opening on Christmas morning. Great trip!

In the past couple weeks, I have had the chance to attend a few really cool events in Tororo. My family was invited to an introduction ceremony, where a girl is formerly introduced to her future husband. They had of course already met, but this was a traditional way of the families exchanging gifts and saying thank you to one another. What was different was that the women attending were dressed in very traditional African wear and performed this shrieking sound during the ceremony. However, besides that it really felt like a ceremony you would expect to find back home. Everyone was so excited, the sisters of the girl were taking care of her, people were eager to get in front to take photos, there was a long line for food, and towards the end it broke out into this large singing and dancing arty. Needless to say I had a fantastic time. Next, I brought in the New Year Ugandan style.  My family took me to this Trade Show, sort of like a fair upstate back home, where they were shooting off fireworks. There was a stage with performers and the main artists were a dwarf and a Rastafarian. Other than some more traditional songs and dances (which I will learn) it felt exactly like New Years back home. Tons of excitement, teenagers sneaking alcohol, parents sitting in the back, and the countdown! The only thing I didn’t like was that I was out later than ever, after 1 am…I am an old man now and sleep by 10 haha. Ok last, for New Year ’s Day we went to a nice hotel for lunch and swimming. At the pool I saw everything you see at home, kids splashing each other, dads teaching their kids how to swim, some kids standing arms crossed shivering and not swimming, and teenagers outside the pool doing soccer. Basically, I am saying that it seems so far that people are largely the same everywhere you go! Oh and Happy New Year everyone!

*Keep in mind the following is just from the Uganda I have experienced and the US I have experienced

Some differences:

-Sense of time is very different and urgency isn’t really here

-Cleanliness is relative and subjective

-Food is a very big deal here

-Dress and music

-Greeting one another is very important

-Restrictions and guidelines for hotels and restaurants are non-existent

-All your necessities are cheap

-Those are roads?

-Many eat with their hands

-Different concepts of personal space and no such thing as reaching carrying capacity.

-Vague future planning/foresight

-Life is exercise

-pets are practical, not family

-Gender roles are really strict

-Religion is very important and is a public thing to discuss

-Families are huge; extensive family is always welcome to come over

-Water is sacred and holy

-Electricity is special and rare

-Neighbors always stop in and chat for A WHILE

-Ownership is vague and borrowing often means you don’t get it back for weeks and weeks

-Food is sometimes used as a present

-Polygamy is not rare at all

-No trash or waste management (pit latrines and trash burning)

-They eat at very different hours (dinner is at 10 at night)

Similarities:

-Love of laughter and humor

-Strong immediate family ties

-Dressing smart for work

-Kids love to play games and sports

-Food brings people together

-Big ceremonies are very much like big parties

-School and intelligence is highly valued

-Stealing is a big no-no

-Noticeable gap between rich and power and what luxuries, rights, knowledge, and access they have (I think the gap is a bit larger here)

-Awareness of news and African events

-A ton of national pride

-Love of music and dance

-You can find both conservative/liberal and traditional/modern people

-It is more liberal and open-minded in the cities than in the villages

-A lot of cars (but there are more motorcycles here)

-Loving to dress up and look pretty

-Appreciation and protection of environment (might actually be more here)

-Privacy in the bathroom and bedroom (though only those places)

-Some types of food are the same: rice, beans, onions, tomatoes, salt, corn, bananas, meat..

-Sports are big and people go crazy at the games
-Women work very hard

-Same chores, just done differently (a lot of bending down and reusing water)

-Kids do a lot of the work in house (this is for the not spoiled kids at home)

- Teachers are professionals, but not paid well

-Some kids unfortunately go to school hungry

-Personal gardens abound

-Pictures and posters on the walls in the house
-A lot of furniture, but they also sit on the ground to eat
-Uganda capitalizes on tourism rather similarly
-People love to use the phone/internet to communicate all the time
-Yes, there are proper toilets some places with plumbing
-And of course, the teenage boys sag their pants…jeans, and the girls have dyed weave!