Last night we took Betty out on the town to go and eat and just have fun...just to say thank you for all she does I guess, and to hang out. I love her. Have I mentioned this? The other day she was in my room cleaning and I was half asleep, but I heard her come over to the bed and she just bent over, inches from my face and stared. No idea what she was doing, but I decided to scare her and so I opened my eyes and her eyes got so wide and then the both of us just burst out laughing..."Please don't report me, Auntie!"...which is her way of joking and saying, "Please don't tell on me!"...later that day she was in the kitchen and I told that when she was sleeping...and left it at that. We laughed again...
While we were eating last night, Betty was telling us about all the guys who want to marry her at school, and how they stalk her. It bothers me. Somewhere down the line, Rachel asked her to tell us about "The Miscarriages"...I guess some of the women here, when they are pregnant and cannot afford an abortion, give birth to their babies and say they have miscarriages, but they wrap them in wool and dump them in the sewar ditches or dumpsters or this man's garden...I almost started crying. And then she added that the dogs will eat them. And this morning when I was walking home from the boys home (after washing clothes for a couple hours) I looked in all the ditches.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Oh the places you'll go...
On Sunday all of us decided we wanted to go on a boat ride on the Nile and Lake Victoria, so while Rachel, Adam and I were in town food shopping, Rachel, Becca, Alex and Kate left to go to the King Fisher Safari Resort about 9km outside of town in the van...so we had to Boda. It was basically amazing. And moritifying. Here I am, in Africa, on the back of a small motor bike, driven by a Ugandan man, driving on a huge bridge that crosses the Nile River, with all kinds of traffic, next to huge trucks and buses and cars, with my flipflops and sunglasses, getting ready to take a boat ride...kind of reminds me of Slumdog Millionaire when I'm riding through the city on a boda.
We arrived and found Kate, Becca, Rachel and Alex by the pool just chilling waiting for us to arrive...so we went and sat down and got some Fantas while we waited for them to change for the boat ride. At the resorts there are always bars, and it's funny, I can legally drink here. And also in London. I haven't though. haha
It was a little wooden boat with a straw over-hang and little wooden benches. The bottom was all paint-chipped and wet...it was fantastic. We saw some huge lizards that looked more like alligators, can't remember what they were called, some monkeys and a whole bunch of birds. Especially King Fishers...they were amazing. On the way home we saw some storks...they're practically the same size as me! I need to take pictures. They freak me out.
On Tuesday I went to visit Sali in the village of Danida. I walked the whole way, so I was a little late. Which really is never a big deal in Uganda, no one is ever punctual and they just don't worry about what time it is. I left at 1:30 and got there at 2:30 instead of 2, and one of the first things Sali said to me was, "I was beginning to worry that you were not coming!". Her English is really good. Wow, a punctual Ugandan. haha So I sat in her little one room home, with no electricity and no running water. And one window. And holes in the roof. Just like all the little houses in Danida and Walukuba. And basically everywhere. Sali has two little girls, one is two months and her name is Charity, and one is 2 years and her name is Janelle. Florence was there when I arrived, Sali was plating her hair. She wants to work at a salon, but she has to stay home and take care of the babies. That is why she is in Suubi, to sell us her necklaces. I rolled paper beads forever, and they were super amazed that I was actually capable of rolling good beads. I laughed. After awhile, Sali got up and started mixing in this pot, and from a distance it looked like rice and so I asked her what it was, "Is that rice?". "Mm, no, Posho."...which I had been told was completely disgusting. It's the inside of a corn kernel, mashed up with water and steamed. It has a funny, bland taste and is in between the consistency of mashed potatoes and jello. Yummy. So when she told me it was posho she asked, "Do you like posho?"..."I have never had."..."Oh! Kate says it does not sit well in the stomach for her, your stomachs are not use to it."...so at this I automatically assumed that she would not be serving it to me. But to my delight, she gave me a carving about the size of my freaking head. With a huge plate of beans, which I actually do enjoy eating. She gave me a fork, since I'm not use to eating with my hands...and off I went. I ate about three quarters of it until I couldn't eat anymore...I was really worried about offending Sali and Florence, who sat there and ate with me the entire time, so I couldn't even pawn some off on the dog or the kids. haha So I told them, in my sweetest voice possible, "I am sorry. I have had a big lunch and I am full, I cannot eat more."...and to my delight (for real this time!) they both said, "Oh no Auntie! Thank you for eating."...which makes me think that volunteers in the past have just turned it down completely. I apologized for wasting the food, but I think they just gave it to the dog, or mixed it back in with the leftovers.
Yesterday, Adam, Alex and I went to town, but the power has been out quite a bit, and so has the Internet, which is the whole reason we went to town. After walking back and forth all over some of Main Street, Adam ended up walking home and Alex and I went to The Source and just got on computers there, because the Internet was actually working. We finished up and walked a little bit and hopped on a couple bodas...then Alex goes, "To Magwa Primary School, for 500.", not a question, a statement..."Mm, no. 1000." Mine wanted 1500. Alex goes, "Oh no, 500 or we will foot.". We walked.
Yesterday night, Alex and I walked to the boys home and watched a movie with them...Wall-E. They had seen it before and all kept going, "Eva!". It was pretty darn cute. Adam had been there earlier by himself playing football with them and I guess they had asked where I was. I felt loved. haha Somehow I feel ridiculously comfortable there, with the concrete floors and wooden benches and bars on the windows, in a room full of little boys who are grubby from playing in the rain...just chillin', watchin' a movie...(Oh, by the way, Emma and Melanie, I wore the skirt and the dogs jumped on me...so hopefully Betty can get the stain out!) After Wall-E was over, Alex and I attempted to leave, since it was late and we assumed we were good to go since they had already served us tea, but Sara was adament about us staying and eating dinner with them, they usually eat dinner at eight or nine, but we were kind of unaware, and so we had eaten before we came. We told Sara that but she insisted, and then asked the boys and they really wanted us to stay and eat, and so out came two HUGE plates of rice and beans. Which I definitely love, but not at this moment when my stomach was full of the makeshift spaghetti Rachel and I had made. They put Narnia on and off we went, eating in the dark...after about half an hour of shovelling away, Alex somehow finished his, but I guess he is a guy, and I finished almost everything until I couldn't eat anymore or I was going to expload...and so I apologized and thanked Sara, but I could tell she was a little upset...I need to get better at finishing my food. I guess I just won't eat before I go places. haha We said goodbye to the boys, and they gave us all a million hugs and then walked us home in the dark again, dogs and all, and left at the gate. I'm going back early Saturday morning to wash their clothes with Mama Grace.
Today it's cold...for here. I'm actually wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt, crazy, huh? It's probably 60 degrees. I'm going to die when I go back to Alaska. Yikes. Later on, Rachel, Adam and I are walking to Walukuba West to go visit darling Agnes and roll beads...we'll probably pick up some Cokes on the way, so she doesn't have to buy something for three extra people. Though I have this sinking feeling there will be posho involved.
We arrived and found Kate, Becca, Rachel and Alex by the pool just chilling waiting for us to arrive...so we went and sat down and got some Fantas while we waited for them to change for the boat ride. At the resorts there are always bars, and it's funny, I can legally drink here. And also in London. I haven't though. haha
It was a little wooden boat with a straw over-hang and little wooden benches. The bottom was all paint-chipped and wet...it was fantastic. We saw some huge lizards that looked more like alligators, can't remember what they were called, some monkeys and a whole bunch of birds. Especially King Fishers...they were amazing. On the way home we saw some storks...they're practically the same size as me! I need to take pictures. They freak me out.
On Tuesday I went to visit Sali in the village of Danida. I walked the whole way, so I was a little late. Which really is never a big deal in Uganda, no one is ever punctual and they just don't worry about what time it is. I left at 1:30 and got there at 2:30 instead of 2, and one of the first things Sali said to me was, "I was beginning to worry that you were not coming!". Her English is really good. Wow, a punctual Ugandan. haha So I sat in her little one room home, with no electricity and no running water. And one window. And holes in the roof. Just like all the little houses in Danida and Walukuba. And basically everywhere. Sali has two little girls, one is two months and her name is Charity, and one is 2 years and her name is Janelle. Florence was there when I arrived, Sali was plating her hair. She wants to work at a salon, but she has to stay home and take care of the babies. That is why she is in Suubi, to sell us her necklaces. I rolled paper beads forever, and they were super amazed that I was actually capable of rolling good beads. I laughed. After awhile, Sali got up and started mixing in this pot, and from a distance it looked like rice and so I asked her what it was, "Is that rice?". "Mm, no, Posho."...which I had been told was completely disgusting. It's the inside of a corn kernel, mashed up with water and steamed. It has a funny, bland taste and is in between the consistency of mashed potatoes and jello. Yummy. So when she told me it was posho she asked, "Do you like posho?"..."I have never had."..."Oh! Kate says it does not sit well in the stomach for her, your stomachs are not use to it."...so at this I automatically assumed that she would not be serving it to me. But to my delight, she gave me a carving about the size of my freaking head. With a huge plate of beans, which I actually do enjoy eating. She gave me a fork, since I'm not use to eating with my hands...and off I went. I ate about three quarters of it until I couldn't eat anymore...I was really worried about offending Sali and Florence, who sat there and ate with me the entire time, so I couldn't even pawn some off on the dog or the kids. haha So I told them, in my sweetest voice possible, "I am sorry. I have had a big lunch and I am full, I cannot eat more."...and to my delight (for real this time!) they both said, "Oh no Auntie! Thank you for eating."...which makes me think that volunteers in the past have just turned it down completely. I apologized for wasting the food, but I think they just gave it to the dog, or mixed it back in with the leftovers.
Yesterday, Adam, Alex and I went to town, but the power has been out quite a bit, and so has the Internet, which is the whole reason we went to town. After walking back and forth all over some of Main Street, Adam ended up walking home and Alex and I went to The Source and just got on computers there, because the Internet was actually working. We finished up and walked a little bit and hopped on a couple bodas...then Alex goes, "To Magwa Primary School, for 500.", not a question, a statement..."Mm, no. 1000." Mine wanted 1500. Alex goes, "Oh no, 500 or we will foot.". We walked.
Yesterday night, Alex and I walked to the boys home and watched a movie with them...Wall-E. They had seen it before and all kept going, "Eva!". It was pretty darn cute. Adam had been there earlier by himself playing football with them and I guess they had asked where I was. I felt loved. haha Somehow I feel ridiculously comfortable there, with the concrete floors and wooden benches and bars on the windows, in a room full of little boys who are grubby from playing in the rain...just chillin', watchin' a movie...(Oh, by the way, Emma and Melanie, I wore the skirt and the dogs jumped on me...so hopefully Betty can get the stain out!) After Wall-E was over, Alex and I attempted to leave, since it was late and we assumed we were good to go since they had already served us tea, but Sara was adament about us staying and eating dinner with them, they usually eat dinner at eight or nine, but we were kind of unaware, and so we had eaten before we came. We told Sara that but she insisted, and then asked the boys and they really wanted us to stay and eat, and so out came two HUGE plates of rice and beans. Which I definitely love, but not at this moment when my stomach was full of the makeshift spaghetti Rachel and I had made. They put Narnia on and off we went, eating in the dark...after about half an hour of shovelling away, Alex somehow finished his, but I guess he is a guy, and I finished almost everything until I couldn't eat anymore or I was going to expload...and so I apologized and thanked Sara, but I could tell she was a little upset...I need to get better at finishing my food. I guess I just won't eat before I go places. haha We said goodbye to the boys, and they gave us all a million hugs and then walked us home in the dark again, dogs and all, and left at the gate. I'm going back early Saturday morning to wash their clothes with Mama Grace.
Today it's cold...for here. I'm actually wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt, crazy, huh? It's probably 60 degrees. I'm going to die when I go back to Alaska. Yikes. Later on, Rachel, Adam and I are walking to Walukuba West to go visit darling Agnes and roll beads...we'll probably pick up some Cokes on the way, so she doesn't have to buy something for three extra people. Though I have this sinking feeling there will be posho involved.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Life
It's hard being here sometimes, walking along the streets. You want so badly to help just about everyone you see...but you can't, because the kids either want to take all the money you have on you, or the guys just want to marry you. Because you're white. Because you're "rich". Because they think you can take them back to the US, or the UK. Or they can get a passport.
Actually, it makes me laugh when they hit on you. They have the dumbest pick up lines, stuff that would never work in America. Like, "You look very smart!"...which is their version of pretty or nice. Or, "I love you!". As blunt as that. Or the kids just outright ask you for your money. Even the adults do sometimes. They never do anything about it, they just want to see if maybe they'll get lucky this time. Nope. The best is when they try to rip you off at the Market. Rachel and I went clothes "shopping" last week...and this one guy tried to get me to pay 20,000 shillings for a skirt. It was nice, and that's only like, ten bucks in the US. But still it was a rip off. Cause he probably only bought it for 4,000. And he only tried to charge me five times as much because I'm white. So this Ugandan lady walks up along side us, and Rachel goes, "Miabo, how much would you buy this skirt for?"..."Eeeh...maaaybe, maybe 8,000.". hahaha We laughed and said, "See Sabo!"...but he still wouldn't give in, so we moved on. Sabo means Sir and Miabo means Mam, by the way.
The other day we went to Flavours, this Internet cafe on Main Street for a movie night...plus all the beverages were half off for two hours...so we went and got on the Internet and bought something to drink and waited to see what movie would be playing. The movie nights are free and go pretty late, and usually it's all Mzungu's who show up. I ran into Sara and she gave me a hug and said Hello. I like her, she's very friendly. The movie ended up being something super lame like Bridget Jones, so Kate and I shared a boda and went home.
Sometimes I feel ridiculous, going to the village where poverty is everywhere. That's all there is. The kids have holes in their clothes...or they're just naked. There are stray dogs. Garbage everywhere. The smell not so appealing. The little shacks are run down...and I feel ridiculous, because I boda or walk home to this great little house, that is clean and has good water, and mosquito nets, and wonderful people, and I watch pirated copies of Gilmore Girls and Arrested Development on my laptop. It's almost like you forget where you are and where those kids you just played with are going to sleep.
On Friday night we went to the boys home down the road from our house. Nancy walked us there to show us. All the Ugandan kids are deathly afraid of the dogs here, so when the boys opened the gate and three dogs ran out, she tried hiding behind me. Oh poor Nancy...we told her she could go home and off she went. haha The boys were insanely sweet...they are street boys, mostly orphans. This lady Sara (a different Sara than the one I know in town) started this home for them, instead of going to America to attend a University. That amazes me.
The boys didn't call us Mzungu, they only called us Auntie and Uncle. We asked Sara why they were so well behaved and she simply answered, "I cane them."...which sounds worse than it is. It's just their version of spanking their kids, except they use a little switch. They even do it in the schools. Though sometimes it can be super harsh. Which makes me sad. But these boys were very good...they took us on a tour of their house and then turned on some music videos on this TV in the main room...the house isn't very big and there's no way they bought the TV, it was definitely donated to them. They had Beyonce and Usher and Chris Brown. This made me laugh. And they all sang along and knew them by heart and danced for us. It turned out to be a huge dancing party.
Afterwards we went out to the yard and the boys all played football and the dogs ran around and us girls just sat on a bench and talked with Sara and listened to her story. Soon after, the cook, Grace, brought us hot sweet tea and four slices of bread. It was enjoyable for a little while, but most of us ended up feeding it to the dogs. That's awful, isn't it? I know. But it's hard to eat all the food they give you, especially when it isn't so great. I have yet to be fed actual food by one of the women, except Florence who gave us those eggs last week. After we ate, and the boys ate, all the guys started tumbling and doing flips and stuff. One of the boys has a broken arm, but he can't get a cast or anything, so he just holds it there. He still played around though.
Once that was over, all the guys started challenging Adam, Randy and Alex to arm wrestling matches...which after awhile, I decided I wanted in on. One of the boys ran up to me and said, "Auntie! We go!" and so I arm wrestled him, and beat him. And then another boy ran up, and I beat him too. And another one, and I also beat him. I promise I'm not lying. I'm as amazed as you are, trust me. So I must have beaten like, ten guys. Again, I am not lying. They were freaking out, and then they all wanted to challenge me, just to see who could beat me. Later after we had handed out candy, and gotten a million hugs for it, I asked Donald, the oldest, who is probably 15, but doesn't know his age, if he wanted to arm wrestle, since he was the only one I hadn't tried to beat already. He of course said yes...so we did, and it was a tie with my right arm, because he gave up after awhile. But then he asked to switch arms and ended up beating me, because my left arm isn't my good arm. haha I'm ridiculous. He told me he would write me a song..later on that night Alex told me my ego was showing...which was probably true. haha Adam and I are planning on going back to visit all of them again sometime soon. They all walked us home in the dark, dogs and all. It was something I won't forget. Probably one of my favorite memories since being here. They gave us a ton of sugar cane at the gate and then went home, making us promise to come back and visit. The whole way home they would hold our hands. Oh, I love them also. They remind me of Zack. It makes me sad, but they are so happy, all the time.
Yesterday we met a guy named Andrew. I guess he is a friend of Rachel and Randy's, and he knows Kate, Alex and Becca. He was a lot of fun to hang out with, very smart...he's four months younger than me and is alone. He doesn't have any living family I guess. His sister died last Spring, and his grandma just died two weeks ago. Still he is a joy to be around. He was happy to hear that I was his age, because, he said, "The volunteers are always older than me...21 or 28 or 35!"...so he continued to hang out with us for most of the afternoon, until we went to the Suubi meeting in Danida at three. We dropped him off at his home in Walukuba, I am not sure who he is living with. His English is very good, so that makes it easy to talk with him. I asked him what it meant if someone told me I looked very humble, and so he tried to explain that it meant you are a calm, mostly quiet or not very talkative person. Then he told me he was just about to tell me that when I asked what it meant. I laughed. Betty tells me this almost everyday. Which is funny, because I feel like I have been somewhat outgoing since I have been here. Ugandan people can read you so easily, even if they barely know you. I kind of love it.
Yesterday at the Suubi meeting, my job was to clasp the necklaces again, and make sure the stoppers worked. This is when you ask the women if you can come to visit them, I was a little nervous because I do not know many of them. The first woman I asked was a lady named Sali (Sally), who was familiar to me, because I had seen her around whenever I had come to the villages...I can't imagine her being that much older than me...but she lives in Danida near the Suubi building and I believe she has a little baby. When I asked, her face lit up and so I am going to visit her on Tuesday. This makes me happy. Between me and Rachel asking the women, we are going to see atleast one every day this week. Except Sali I am visiting on my own, which should be nice. This way it can be one on one and I can maybe help her with some chores and what-not. On Thursday we are going to see Agnes, who, even though I know you're not suppose to have favorites, is my favorite. I'm awful, I know. She lives in Walukuba West and is so sweet. I know I have mentioned her before.
The other day, I really wanted to go to Danida and play with the village kids. So Rachel and Adam wanted to come along, too. We brought a football and some skipping ropes and cut up a bunch of the sugar cane the boys had given us (or should I say, Nancy cut it up, because we are incapable of cutting through it with a machete, but she isn't) . We each got on a boda near the house and took off down the road...Rachel's driver ended up taking her toward Main Street (which is completely off)...but once he understood they went the right way. Adam's driver followed them. And mine stopped on a street corner, just sitting there for like, ten minutes. I tried to communicate with him and ask him why we were stopped. He seemed confused. Just as I was planning on getting off and getting on another boda, he said, "I am not understanding, exactly where it is we are going.", so I said "Danida."...which I had said about a million times already. He just made a noise, still in confusion. "Past Walukuba!"...now he understands where to go. FINALLY. haha So we drive to Walukuba, and I had to point him in each direction everytime we had to make a turn. He dropped me off a ways from the road I was going to, and I got off, stuffed 700 shillings in his hand and walked away down the road. He started yelling (they usually do) for me to pay him more, "Mzungu, you add more!"...and his friend, who I think was Adam's driver and had driven up in the opposite direction and was sitting there also, was laughing, laughing, laughing. I just kept walking. It was pretty funny. I would have paid him more except he was a super lousy driver. haha
Well, this is long. I'll write more another day. The end.
Actually, it makes me laugh when they hit on you. They have the dumbest pick up lines, stuff that would never work in America. Like, "You look very smart!"...which is their version of pretty or nice. Or, "I love you!". As blunt as that. Or the kids just outright ask you for your money. Even the adults do sometimes. They never do anything about it, they just want to see if maybe they'll get lucky this time. Nope. The best is when they try to rip you off at the Market. Rachel and I went clothes "shopping" last week...and this one guy tried to get me to pay 20,000 shillings for a skirt. It was nice, and that's only like, ten bucks in the US. But still it was a rip off. Cause he probably only bought it for 4,000. And he only tried to charge me five times as much because I'm white. So this Ugandan lady walks up along side us, and Rachel goes, "Miabo, how much would you buy this skirt for?"..."Eeeh...maaaybe, maybe 8,000.". hahaha We laughed and said, "See Sabo!"...but he still wouldn't give in, so we moved on. Sabo means Sir and Miabo means Mam, by the way.
The other day we went to Flavours, this Internet cafe on Main Street for a movie night...plus all the beverages were half off for two hours...so we went and got on the Internet and bought something to drink and waited to see what movie would be playing. The movie nights are free and go pretty late, and usually it's all Mzungu's who show up. I ran into Sara and she gave me a hug and said Hello. I like her, she's very friendly. The movie ended up being something super lame like Bridget Jones, so Kate and I shared a boda and went home.
Sometimes I feel ridiculous, going to the village where poverty is everywhere. That's all there is. The kids have holes in their clothes...or they're just naked. There are stray dogs. Garbage everywhere. The smell not so appealing. The little shacks are run down...and I feel ridiculous, because I boda or walk home to this great little house, that is clean and has good water, and mosquito nets, and wonderful people, and I watch pirated copies of Gilmore Girls and Arrested Development on my laptop. It's almost like you forget where you are and where those kids you just played with are going to sleep.
On Friday night we went to the boys home down the road from our house. Nancy walked us there to show us. All the Ugandan kids are deathly afraid of the dogs here, so when the boys opened the gate and three dogs ran out, she tried hiding behind me. Oh poor Nancy...we told her she could go home and off she went. haha The boys were insanely sweet...they are street boys, mostly orphans. This lady Sara (a different Sara than the one I know in town) started this home for them, instead of going to America to attend a University. That amazes me.
The boys didn't call us Mzungu, they only called us Auntie and Uncle. We asked Sara why they were so well behaved and she simply answered, "I cane them."...which sounds worse than it is. It's just their version of spanking their kids, except they use a little switch. They even do it in the schools. Though sometimes it can be super harsh. Which makes me sad. But these boys were very good...they took us on a tour of their house and then turned on some music videos on this TV in the main room...the house isn't very big and there's no way they bought the TV, it was definitely donated to them. They had Beyonce and Usher and Chris Brown. This made me laugh. And they all sang along and knew them by heart and danced for us. It turned out to be a huge dancing party.
Afterwards we went out to the yard and the boys all played football and the dogs ran around and us girls just sat on a bench and talked with Sara and listened to her story. Soon after, the cook, Grace, brought us hot sweet tea and four slices of bread. It was enjoyable for a little while, but most of us ended up feeding it to the dogs. That's awful, isn't it? I know. But it's hard to eat all the food they give you, especially when it isn't so great. I have yet to be fed actual food by one of the women, except Florence who gave us those eggs last week. After we ate, and the boys ate, all the guys started tumbling and doing flips and stuff. One of the boys has a broken arm, but he can't get a cast or anything, so he just holds it there. He still played around though.
Once that was over, all the guys started challenging Adam, Randy and Alex to arm wrestling matches...which after awhile, I decided I wanted in on. One of the boys ran up to me and said, "Auntie! We go!" and so I arm wrestled him, and beat him. And then another boy ran up, and I beat him too. And another one, and I also beat him. I promise I'm not lying. I'm as amazed as you are, trust me. So I must have beaten like, ten guys. Again, I am not lying. They were freaking out, and then they all wanted to challenge me, just to see who could beat me. Later after we had handed out candy, and gotten a million hugs for it, I asked Donald, the oldest, who is probably 15, but doesn't know his age, if he wanted to arm wrestle, since he was the only one I hadn't tried to beat already. He of course said yes...so we did, and it was a tie with my right arm, because he gave up after awhile. But then he asked to switch arms and ended up beating me, because my left arm isn't my good arm. haha I'm ridiculous. He told me he would write me a song..later on that night Alex told me my ego was showing...which was probably true. haha Adam and I are planning on going back to visit all of them again sometime soon. They all walked us home in the dark, dogs and all. It was something I won't forget. Probably one of my favorite memories since being here. They gave us a ton of sugar cane at the gate and then went home, making us promise to come back and visit. The whole way home they would hold our hands. Oh, I love them also. They remind me of Zack. It makes me sad, but they are so happy, all the time.
Yesterday we met a guy named Andrew. I guess he is a friend of Rachel and Randy's, and he knows Kate, Alex and Becca. He was a lot of fun to hang out with, very smart...he's four months younger than me and is alone. He doesn't have any living family I guess. His sister died last Spring, and his grandma just died two weeks ago. Still he is a joy to be around. He was happy to hear that I was his age, because, he said, "The volunteers are always older than me...21 or 28 or 35!"...so he continued to hang out with us for most of the afternoon, until we went to the Suubi meeting in Danida at three. We dropped him off at his home in Walukuba, I am not sure who he is living with. His English is very good, so that makes it easy to talk with him. I asked him what it meant if someone told me I looked very humble, and so he tried to explain that it meant you are a calm, mostly quiet or not very talkative person. Then he told me he was just about to tell me that when I asked what it meant. I laughed. Betty tells me this almost everyday. Which is funny, because I feel like I have been somewhat outgoing since I have been here. Ugandan people can read you so easily, even if they barely know you. I kind of love it.
Yesterday at the Suubi meeting, my job was to clasp the necklaces again, and make sure the stoppers worked. This is when you ask the women if you can come to visit them, I was a little nervous because I do not know many of them. The first woman I asked was a lady named Sali (Sally), who was familiar to me, because I had seen her around whenever I had come to the villages...I can't imagine her being that much older than me...but she lives in Danida near the Suubi building and I believe she has a little baby. When I asked, her face lit up and so I am going to visit her on Tuesday. This makes me happy. Between me and Rachel asking the women, we are going to see atleast one every day this week. Except Sali I am visiting on my own, which should be nice. This way it can be one on one and I can maybe help her with some chores and what-not. On Thursday we are going to see Agnes, who, even though I know you're not suppose to have favorites, is my favorite. I'm awful, I know. She lives in Walukuba West and is so sweet. I know I have mentioned her before.
The other day, I really wanted to go to Danida and play with the village kids. So Rachel and Adam wanted to come along, too. We brought a football and some skipping ropes and cut up a bunch of the sugar cane the boys had given us (or should I say, Nancy cut it up, because we are incapable of cutting through it with a machete, but she isn't) . We each got on a boda near the house and took off down the road...Rachel's driver ended up taking her toward Main Street (which is completely off)...but once he understood they went the right way. Adam's driver followed them. And mine stopped on a street corner, just sitting there for like, ten minutes. I tried to communicate with him and ask him why we were stopped. He seemed confused. Just as I was planning on getting off and getting on another boda, he said, "I am not understanding, exactly where it is we are going.", so I said "Danida."...which I had said about a million times already. He just made a noise, still in confusion. "Past Walukuba!"...now he understands where to go. FINALLY. haha So we drive to Walukuba, and I had to point him in each direction everytime we had to make a turn. He dropped me off a ways from the road I was going to, and I got off, stuffed 700 shillings in his hand and walked away down the road. He started yelling (they usually do) for me to pay him more, "Mzungu, you add more!"...and his friend, who I think was Adam's driver and had driven up in the opposite direction and was sitting there also, was laughing, laughing, laughing. I just kept walking. It was pretty funny. I would have paid him more except he was a super lousy driver. haha
Well, this is long. I'll write more another day. The end.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Laundry
This morning I woke up at six to the sound of Becca's voice and some banging around in the bathroom. "Um, Oh my goodness!" and then she ran out of the bedroom into the living room and came back in with Adam, who was the only guy awake. There was a mouse in the bathtub which she spotted when she was going to take a shower. I was too tired to get up out of bed and see it, but I guess it was a, "cute little critter". Well, that cute little critter can stay out of my bathtub. We showered in the boys bathroom. And I was afraid that one would come up out of the pipes while I was peeing earlier. Oh joy.
Today everyone left the house except for Alex, Adam, Rachel and I. So we watched some episodes of Arrested Development on Alex's laptop for about an hour and have been decaling the pink breast cancer Suubi beads for most of the day. It's really slow in coming, but hopefully most of them will be done soon. There are over 1000 to complete. Yes, 1000. But with three of us doing it, it goes a little faster. Well, once Alex left, it was just Rachel, Adam and I. Adam went to shower so we could go into town, where I am now. And so I went out on the back porch where Nancy was (I love her, Adam and I were playing football with her earlier, she loves it)...washing the laundry. I asked her, "Nancy? You will teach me?" and she laughed and said, "Yes, Auntie! I will teach!" and so her and Sharon (who was home from school for lunch) taught me how to wash the clothes. I enjoyed it, but I only washed two things. A couple shirts. It makes me thankful for washing machines and dryers. They laughed at me, and I said, "Oh, I am no good!" and Sharon goes, "But Auntie, you are trying!". I love them. I held Kymbi for awhile, it was the first time he voluntarily allowed me to hold him. He had just woken up from a nap and was half naked. Meaning his bottom half. I was a little "fearful" of being peed on. haha He is too cute. I think we are headed out of the cafe soon to walk to the market, and I do not have much else to write for today, but I will another time.
Today everyone left the house except for Alex, Adam, Rachel and I. So we watched some episodes of Arrested Development on Alex's laptop for about an hour and have been decaling the pink breast cancer Suubi beads for most of the day. It's really slow in coming, but hopefully most of them will be done soon. There are over 1000 to complete. Yes, 1000. But with three of us doing it, it goes a little faster. Well, once Alex left, it was just Rachel, Adam and I. Adam went to shower so we could go into town, where I am now. And so I went out on the back porch where Nancy was (I love her, Adam and I were playing football with her earlier, she loves it)...washing the laundry. I asked her, "Nancy? You will teach me?" and she laughed and said, "Yes, Auntie! I will teach!" and so her and Sharon (who was home from school for lunch) taught me how to wash the clothes. I enjoyed it, but I only washed two things. A couple shirts. It makes me thankful for washing machines and dryers. They laughed at me, and I said, "Oh, I am no good!" and Sharon goes, "But Auntie, you are trying!". I love them. I held Kymbi for awhile, it was the first time he voluntarily allowed me to hold him. He had just woken up from a nap and was half naked. Meaning his bottom half. I was a little "fearful" of being peed on. haha He is too cute. I think we are headed out of the cafe soon to walk to the market, and I do not have much else to write for today, but I will another time.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
"Gullible?" "Yes Auntie, Gullible!"
Every morning at five o'clock, I can hear the school bell ringing to wake all the children up so that they can be to school on time, at around seven. And then the roosters start to crow, and the horns begin to beep on the cars and Bodas, and the dogs howl and the Muslims pray, rather loudly.
When Betty washes our clothes, she scrubs them, hangs them up to dry and then irons them, always. She even irons the underware. This is because of the Mango Flies...they are attracted to wet clothing and so they lay their larvae in them, and then if you wear the clothing, they become embedded in your skin, and tada! Fly Larvae hatching in your skin. Fantastic, right? Not so much. The heat from the iron kills anything. I am thankful for Betty's thoroughness. Today I taught her the word Gullible, she tried to tell Becca that she was giving Kimbi sips of wine from a small cup she was carrying around...and we both believed her. It was actually soda. She said, "Oh Aunties, you are easy to deceive!" and then laughed. Then I said, "Oh yes, we are very Gullible!". "What is Gullivle?"..."Gullible?", "Yes, Auntie!" and so I told her, "Gullible means, easy to deceive. Yes."..."Oh! Gullible!"...Oh she is lovely. And so beautiful.
On Saturday night on the way home from the market, I took my first Boda ride. I have ridden several times since then, but this was my first time. I didn't know which side to get on on, so I burnt my leg on the exhaust pipe and now have a huge mark on my left leg...it's not very pretty and I am positive it will leave a scar. haha Well, at least I can say I got it in Uganda.
On Sunday we went to The Nile River Resort and hung out at the pool. It made me feel like I was not in Africa. It was very, very nice and absolutely lovely (not to say it is not beautiful here, I always tell the Boda drivers that when they ask me what I think of Uganda. The other day one of them was asking me and Kate (we double up sometimes) what kinds of "greens" we have in America) Needless to say, I fried. I am so sunburned I want to cry when I get in the shower and put on my clothes. Ugh. Hopefully it will go away very soon and turn into a tan already. Today I smothered myself in Aloe Vera and Sunscreen. Also I got pooped on by a crane the other day. Am I not a super newb, or what?!
I've decided my favorite things to drink here at Cocacola, water and Passion Fruit Juice from Flavours (one of the internet cafes in town, which I just went to for the first time today.) The places I visit the most here are Main Street, which is probably a mile away from the house, I either walk or Boda for 500 shillings, which is close to a US quarter. And the villages of Danida and Walukuba. I am excited to visit some of the women myself, they are much more open when there are not 3 new volunteers and a few others...though today one of the women, Jaja Margaret gave Becca, Rachel and I one of her necklaces. I picked this amazingly beautiful teal one. I love it. We also visited a friends of hers, (and Becca's) Flavia and Florence. When we met them, they asked if Becca and I were sisters...we said, "Oh no!" and laughed. "We are not sisters.", "Oh! You resemble very much so!" "Our faces?", "And bodies, yes." We laughed. We really don't look that much alike, but are around the same size I guess. And our hair is similar. It's funny. "You are called what?", she asked me. I didn't understand at first and so I looked at Becca, who saved me. haha "Emily!" "Oh, is a very pretty name." I love the women here. She also gave us hard boiled eggs...I couldn't finish mine for fear I might throw it up (it was old lukewarm and also I am not a fan of eggs to begin with)...so I ate half of it and then Rachel finished the rest, because her, Adam and Becca liked them. Alex slipped his into his pocket when no one was looking. But I saw. haha I have decided I am a huge fan of Coke, it settles my stomach. The funny thing is, a hard boiled egg is not bad food at all, it is probably just all in my head.
It's funny, I feel safer walking around here than I do walking along a road in the US...everyone is ridiculously friendly. I love the children. Have I mentioned that already? I love talking to the Boda drivers, asking them how their day is and what they are called. I have met a Sam and a Henry. They all have old fashioned names here.
Rachel and Adam brought home sugarcane today while Becca and I were washing Suubi beads on the back porch...you peel off the bark with your teeth and then chew on pieces of the inside. It is good but gets stuck in your teeth, which I am not a fan of. It just tastes like sugar-water-gum. If that makes sense.
Well, this is very, very long. I will write more another day. The end.
When Betty washes our clothes, she scrubs them, hangs them up to dry and then irons them, always. She even irons the underware. This is because of the Mango Flies...they are attracted to wet clothing and so they lay their larvae in them, and then if you wear the clothing, they become embedded in your skin, and tada! Fly Larvae hatching in your skin. Fantastic, right? Not so much. The heat from the iron kills anything. I am thankful for Betty's thoroughness. Today I taught her the word Gullible, she tried to tell Becca that she was giving Kimbi sips of wine from a small cup she was carrying around...and we both believed her. It was actually soda. She said, "Oh Aunties, you are easy to deceive!" and then laughed. Then I said, "Oh yes, we are very Gullible!". "What is Gullivle?"..."Gullible?", "Yes, Auntie!" and so I told her, "Gullible means, easy to deceive. Yes."..."Oh! Gullible!"...Oh she is lovely. And so beautiful.
On Saturday night on the way home from the market, I took my first Boda ride. I have ridden several times since then, but this was my first time. I didn't know which side to get on on, so I burnt my leg on the exhaust pipe and now have a huge mark on my left leg...it's not very pretty and I am positive it will leave a scar. haha Well, at least I can say I got it in Uganda.
On Sunday we went to The Nile River Resort and hung out at the pool. It made me feel like I was not in Africa. It was very, very nice and absolutely lovely (not to say it is not beautiful here, I always tell the Boda drivers that when they ask me what I think of Uganda. The other day one of them was asking me and Kate (we double up sometimes) what kinds of "greens" we have in America) Needless to say, I fried. I am so sunburned I want to cry when I get in the shower and put on my clothes. Ugh. Hopefully it will go away very soon and turn into a tan already. Today I smothered myself in Aloe Vera and Sunscreen. Also I got pooped on by a crane the other day. Am I not a super newb, or what?!
I've decided my favorite things to drink here at Cocacola, water and Passion Fruit Juice from Flavours (one of the internet cafes in town, which I just went to for the first time today.) The places I visit the most here are Main Street, which is probably a mile away from the house, I either walk or Boda for 500 shillings, which is close to a US quarter. And the villages of Danida and Walukuba. I am excited to visit some of the women myself, they are much more open when there are not 3 new volunteers and a few others...though today one of the women, Jaja Margaret gave Becca, Rachel and I one of her necklaces. I picked this amazingly beautiful teal one. I love it. We also visited a friends of hers, (and Becca's) Flavia and Florence. When we met them, they asked if Becca and I were sisters...we said, "Oh no!" and laughed. "We are not sisters.", "Oh! You resemble very much so!" "Our faces?", "And bodies, yes." We laughed. We really don't look that much alike, but are around the same size I guess. And our hair is similar. It's funny. "You are called what?", she asked me. I didn't understand at first and so I looked at Becca, who saved me. haha "Emily!" "Oh, is a very pretty name." I love the women here. She also gave us hard boiled eggs...I couldn't finish mine for fear I might throw it up (it was old lukewarm and also I am not a fan of eggs to begin with)...so I ate half of it and then Rachel finished the rest, because her, Adam and Becca liked them. Alex slipped his into his pocket when no one was looking. But I saw. haha I have decided I am a huge fan of Coke, it settles my stomach. The funny thing is, a hard boiled egg is not bad food at all, it is probably just all in my head.
It's funny, I feel safer walking around here than I do walking along a road in the US...everyone is ridiculously friendly. I love the children. Have I mentioned that already? I love talking to the Boda drivers, asking them how their day is and what they are called. I have met a Sam and a Henry. They all have old fashioned names here.
Rachel and Adam brought home sugarcane today while Becca and I were washing Suubi beads on the back porch...you peel off the bark with your teeth and then chew on pieces of the inside. It is good but gets stuck in your teeth, which I am not a fan of. It just tastes like sugar-water-gum. If that makes sense.
Well, this is very, very long. I will write more another day. The end.
Monday, October 19, 2009
This is only the beginning...
On the way to the cafe earlier I rode a Bodaboda and I was talking to the driver and I asked him, "How are you?" "I am fine." "What is your name?" "I am called Sam.", and so I said, "Oh, Sam, yes, I am called Emily." But they usually end up calling me Emilia. So we get to the cafe and I pay him and he goes, "Oh, surely you add more!", which is the usual response, because they try to rip us off since we are Mzungas...white people. But I just go, "No, I live here, I know what is fair!, and then they usually drive away.
Today we walked to the villages of Walukuba and Danida. To visit some of the women. First we went to see Joyce (who lives in Danida), but she had to leave to go see her sister who is sick...though sadly sometimes that is an excuse so that we will not stay, because in Uganda it is considered rude for them not to offer their guests some kind of refreshment, usually a soda, like Coke or Fanta or Mirinda (which is a Ugandan soda, kind of like Fanta)...or food. And if they cannot afford it they try to get out of having visitors. Which is understandable, even though we really don't need anything from them. It's just their custom I guess. Also, when they greet you or are sitting with you, they always have to be lower or at the same level as you, so if you are in a chair, they are one the floor. So we left her house in Danida and walked all the way back to Walukuba West to vist one of the women, Agnes. Who is amazingly sweet and small, even for being Ugandan. Everytime we walk, all the little kids we pass wave at us and yell, "Mzungu, Bye!", because they do not say Hi, all they know to say is Bye. And they yell, "Muzungu, how are you!" and the reply is always, "I am fine, how are you?" in kind of a singsongy voice and then they go, "I am fine! How are you?" and then it just keeps going in a circle unless you stop. It is what they are taught to say to us. They are so cute! It's like we are celebrities. The kids love us especially. Usually the adults just stare at us...When we were walking from Danida to Walukuba the kids would run up to us and some of them would hold Adam's hand. They love Adam here. A Mzungu guy is as good as it gets. Except for when the Boda guys hit on you and say things like, "You look very Smart today!" or, "You are just my size!". haha One little boy ran up and grabbed my hand and walked down the road with me until he knew he was too far from his mother, and so he let go. But the entire time he looked at all the other kids and people along the road and while talking in his language, either Atrolli or Lugandan or Swahili, I didn't know. And he was smiling and every once ina while I would hear, "Mzungu"...he was just so proud to be holding the hand of a "Mazungu Lady!". That's what I am called here. Or Auntie. Or Auntie Emilia. So cute.
While we were at Agnes', we sat on the side of her "house" on the ground on a little mat and helped her roll paper beads, which she taught us to do. She is so sweet. I will definitely go visit her again. It's hard to see all the women and make sure that they are all visited, because there are over 90 of them...so you have to make time to see them and ask them when you can visit when they come to the Suubi meetings every Saturday and they sell us their necklaces. The worst is when you have to tell them we cannot buy the necklace because there is something wrong with it. Ugh. This one lady, Obama, put up such a fight because most of her necklaces where way too short. It got kind of funny after awhile.
After we spent time with Agnes, we walked down the road to Christine's house (there are quite a few Christine's, this is the one who has a reputation for being drunk all the time.) She was definitely drunk. But it made us laugh, because she was still very kind and offered us sodas. We sat in her little "house" which is a shack, separted in half by a few sheets hanging up, with a bed on one side and a few chairs and a mat on the other. And then the bike sits inside the door which makes it even smaller. We sat on the chairs and Kate (one of the other volunteers, who was taking us around) almost sat down until she realized there was a tiny baby there. His name was Christopher, and he was almost two months old. I could tell he was having breathing problems, so once Rachel let me hold him, I tilted him up and patted his back for awhile and he seemed to breath a bit better. It made me happy. Well, the baby was the grandchild of Christine, and she decided that she was going to name him after Adam...so I guess now his name is Adam Christopher...but I don't know if she even remembers. Plus the babies mother was sitting right there, her name was Jennifer, and she is a Suubi woman too...but she really didn't get any say in the matter. Wow.
It always smells awful here, there is trash everywhere, there are no new buildings, they are all run down. Everyone smells like BO...but my nose is almost use to it. I can ride on the back of a BodaBoda and not even smell the driver now. So that's better. There is a lady in town who is friends with Rachel and Randy (Stroud) and her name is Sara, she speaks really great english and is fun to stop by and see if I am at the cafe or whatever...she has a little girl named Diana. So adorable. I stopped by earlier this evening and bought a little change purse from her to carry my shillings around in, because I don't like carrying my wallet with all my cards and all that jazz inside of it. So it's perty nifty.
All the volunteers are amazing. There's Becca, who shares a room with Rachel and me...she's fantastic, she's 21, from CO and engaged to her Love, Scott. So much fun and really sweet and cute. And then her cousin Alex, who is 20 and pretty nice, funny. I am made fun of by the boys a lot. haha I think it's cause I'm the baby here, I'm always made fun of for being the baby. Then Kate, who is in her early 20's I think and is a news reporter from CO...and then Rachel and Randy Stroud...who are fantastic. I really love our house, it's wonderful.
Me and Adam have been playing soccer a bit...or football. Adam was playing football with Kimbi (who is the son of Betty, our house lady)...he's like two, and he just laughs and says, "Auntie" or "Uncle!" haha He was calling Adam, Uncle Iya...I think he just couldn't say Adam. And his little friend Moses who comes over, he's probably four and doesn't say anything. Just smiles a little crooked smile. So adorable and loves playing Football. Kimbi like never wears clothes. Just always runs around half naked. Stinking adorable. Betty's younger half sister and I think neice are living with her (and us). Their names are Nancy and Sharon. Nancy is here straight from the North and doesn't speak a lick of English, actually only a little bit, and then Sharon speaks pretty well. She goes to the school across the street called Magwa Primary...I love her. She is very quiet and calls me "Auntie"...this morning I woke up early, as usual, and walked into the kitchen and she was waiting by the back window for someone to give her the gate key so she could get out and go to school and she goes, "I am so sorry to disturb you Auntie, but, the gate key?"...Oh I love her.
It is amazing here and I still feel like I never want to leave...though I suppose it may be because I have only been here for less than a week. I already miss good meat. While we live here we are basically vegetarians because the meat is not safe. Wow, this is long. The end.
}
Today we walked to the villages of Walukuba and Danida. To visit some of the women. First we went to see Joyce (who lives in Danida), but she had to leave to go see her sister who is sick...though sadly sometimes that is an excuse so that we will not stay, because in Uganda it is considered rude for them not to offer their guests some kind of refreshment, usually a soda, like Coke or Fanta or Mirinda (which is a Ugandan soda, kind of like Fanta)...or food. And if they cannot afford it they try to get out of having visitors. Which is understandable, even though we really don't need anything from them. It's just their custom I guess. Also, when they greet you or are sitting with you, they always have to be lower or at the same level as you, so if you are in a chair, they are one the floor. So we left her house in Danida and walked all the way back to Walukuba West to vist one of the women, Agnes. Who is amazingly sweet and small, even for being Ugandan. Everytime we walk, all the little kids we pass wave at us and yell, "Mzungu, Bye!", because they do not say Hi, all they know to say is Bye. And they yell, "Muzungu, how are you!" and the reply is always, "I am fine, how are you?" in kind of a singsongy voice and then they go, "I am fine! How are you?" and then it just keeps going in a circle unless you stop. It is what they are taught to say to us. They are so cute! It's like we are celebrities. The kids love us especially. Usually the adults just stare at us...When we were walking from Danida to Walukuba the kids would run up to us and some of them would hold Adam's hand. They love Adam here. A Mzungu guy is as good as it gets. Except for when the Boda guys hit on you and say things like, "You look very Smart today!" or, "You are just my size!". haha One little boy ran up and grabbed my hand and walked down the road with me until he knew he was too far from his mother, and so he let go. But the entire time he looked at all the other kids and people along the road and while talking in his language, either Atrolli or Lugandan or Swahili, I didn't know. And he was smiling and every once ina while I would hear, "Mzungu"...he was just so proud to be holding the hand of a "Mazungu Lady!". That's what I am called here. Or Auntie. Or Auntie Emilia. So cute.
While we were at Agnes', we sat on the side of her "house" on the ground on a little mat and helped her roll paper beads, which she taught us to do. She is so sweet. I will definitely go visit her again. It's hard to see all the women and make sure that they are all visited, because there are over 90 of them...so you have to make time to see them and ask them when you can visit when they come to the Suubi meetings every Saturday and they sell us their necklaces. The worst is when you have to tell them we cannot buy the necklace because there is something wrong with it. Ugh. This one lady, Obama, put up such a fight because most of her necklaces where way too short. It got kind of funny after awhile.
After we spent time with Agnes, we walked down the road to Christine's house (there are quite a few Christine's, this is the one who has a reputation for being drunk all the time.) She was definitely drunk. But it made us laugh, because she was still very kind and offered us sodas. We sat in her little "house" which is a shack, separted in half by a few sheets hanging up, with a bed on one side and a few chairs and a mat on the other. And then the bike sits inside the door which makes it even smaller. We sat on the chairs and Kate (one of the other volunteers, who was taking us around) almost sat down until she realized there was a tiny baby there. His name was Christopher, and he was almost two months old. I could tell he was having breathing problems, so once Rachel let me hold him, I tilted him up and patted his back for awhile and he seemed to breath a bit better. It made me happy. Well, the baby was the grandchild of Christine, and she decided that she was going to name him after Adam...so I guess now his name is Adam Christopher...but I don't know if she even remembers. Plus the babies mother was sitting right there, her name was Jennifer, and she is a Suubi woman too...but she really didn't get any say in the matter. Wow.
It always smells awful here, there is trash everywhere, there are no new buildings, they are all run down. Everyone smells like BO...but my nose is almost use to it. I can ride on the back of a BodaBoda and not even smell the driver now. So that's better. There is a lady in town who is friends with Rachel and Randy (Stroud) and her name is Sara, she speaks really great english and is fun to stop by and see if I am at the cafe or whatever...she has a little girl named Diana. So adorable. I stopped by earlier this evening and bought a little change purse from her to carry my shillings around in, because I don't like carrying my wallet with all my cards and all that jazz inside of it. So it's perty nifty.
All the volunteers are amazing. There's Becca, who shares a room with Rachel and me...she's fantastic, she's 21, from CO and engaged to her Love, Scott. So much fun and really sweet and cute. And then her cousin Alex, who is 20 and pretty nice, funny. I am made fun of by the boys a lot. haha I think it's cause I'm the baby here, I'm always made fun of for being the baby. Then Kate, who is in her early 20's I think and is a news reporter from CO...and then Rachel and Randy Stroud...who are fantastic. I really love our house, it's wonderful.
Me and Adam have been playing soccer a bit...or football. Adam was playing football with Kimbi (who is the son of Betty, our house lady)...he's like two, and he just laughs and says, "Auntie" or "Uncle!" haha He was calling Adam, Uncle Iya...I think he just couldn't say Adam. And his little friend Moses who comes over, he's probably four and doesn't say anything. Just smiles a little crooked smile. So adorable and loves playing Football. Kimbi like never wears clothes. Just always runs around half naked. Stinking adorable. Betty's younger half sister and I think neice are living with her (and us). Their names are Nancy and Sharon. Nancy is here straight from the North and doesn't speak a lick of English, actually only a little bit, and then Sharon speaks pretty well. She goes to the school across the street called Magwa Primary...I love her. She is very quiet and calls me "Auntie"...this morning I woke up early, as usual, and walked into the kitchen and she was waiting by the back window for someone to give her the gate key so she could get out and go to school and she goes, "I am so sorry to disturb you Auntie, but, the gate key?"...Oh I love her.
It is amazing here and I still feel like I never want to leave...though I suppose it may be because I have only been here for less than a week. I already miss good meat. While we live here we are basically vegetarians because the meat is not safe. Wow, this is long. The end.
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Friday, October 16, 2009
Here I am called Auntie, Here I am called Mzungu
I'm finally here! In Uganda! After a crazy, intense and exhausting 48 hours of travelling half way across the world! A beautiful nightmare is what I would call it. Flying from Anchorage, to Seattle, to Denver where I met up with Adam and Rachel, to London where we left the airport and ran around the city on the Underground and seeing Big Ben, Parlament, The Eye and then Buckingham Palace from accross the River, to finally arriving in Entebbe! As we were landing, we could see all around...we saw Lake Victoria and the rain forests, the tea fields and the sugar fields...my first impression of Uganda was that it was insanely beautiful, and it made me so happy to finally be here I almost started crying on the plane. I'm sure that the fact I was incredibley exhausted had something to do with that too, though. When we stepped off the plane and were walking to the airport bus, my second impression was that the air here smells like sweat and meat and wet grass. Kind of what I expected, almost. It was super gross but again, super beautiful at the same time. After Rachel, Adam and I found our luggage, we used the bathroom and then headed outside where we met Rachel and Randy Stroud, who are amazing and who are kind of what you would call the directors at The House over here in Uganda. We loaded into this old van and started the long drive "home"...after driving in an insanely hot, sweaty, bumpy, smelly van ride for three hours, through Entebbe and Kampala, we finally arrived in Jinja, our home for the next three months. There aren't really any traffic laws here, every once in a while there will be a speed limit of 50 KPM or so, but that's about it. The traffic in Kampala is completely ridiculous and crazy! But somehow I loved it. All the buildings here are run down and old, a lot of them are made from scrap peices of wood or metal...there were mounds of bricks drying along the road, there were bikes and pikis or bodabodas (motorbikes) everywhere, tea and sugar fields, rain forests, bright pink buildings, billboards and Coke signs, Mirinda (Ugandan Soda) signs, vans full of people, garbage and stray dogs along the street, and the Ugandan Police walking around with their guns and directing traffic. It was marvelous and overwhelming and fantastic. If tour buses would stop along the road, locals would run up to the windows and attempt to sell bottled water, and bananas, plantains or meat on a stick...also newspapers and some kind of cards. Once we got to the house, Randy and Rachel helped us bring our stuff into the house, where we moved into our new rooms. My bed is in the girls room, at the end of the hallway...it's the middle of a triple bunkbed. We have a bunch of shelves and a bathroom, with a shower where you have the hold the shower head yourself, and the hot water isn't really hot. I love it. Our room is rather large with white walls, a red tile floor and two windows. There are mosquito nets on all the beds. I share it with Rachel and a girl named Becca, who is also amazing. Kate is another volunteer here and she stays in the room next to ours and then the guys are down the hall...Adam and then Alex, another volunteer. They're all fantastic. Rachel and Randy took us out for lunch, at a place called Two Friends. They have mainly Indian food, and it was all really good. All I ate was rice and a Coke though because I wasn't all that hungry. We came home and showered, unpacked everything, and then played Catch Phrase for awhile. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open so I headed to bed at about 4pm and slept until 5am when I woke up to pouring rain, thunder and lightening, which stopped after about an hour. Then the roosters started crowing, the dogs started barking and howling, the cars started beeping their horns, I could hear music and people and children. We live directly across from a school called Magwa Primary, where Betty's (the lady who cleans for us and does our laundry and other miscellaneous things and is basically the sweetest most lovely lady you will ever meet) younger sister goes to school. Betty has a little boy named Kimbi, he's adorable and runs around half naked. Betty has two chickens that were given to her as a gift and they run around the yard...there's a tree with a tire swing that's broken right now though. I drank some peppermint tea and ate some scones this morning and later today we are headed around town where Randy is going to show us everything, where to exchange money, get on the internet at the cafe, eat, buy food and get our cell phones. This afternoon there is a Suubi Meeting with the women, to buy their necklaces...I'm so excited! So this is where I will end my post...it's gotten rather long and even though I'm sure it was a lot for you to take in and read, what I have written is not even half of what I have already experienced here. It's all very overwhelming, but simple at the same time, and will take a lot to get use to. I am completely in love with this place though...right now I feel like I will never want to leave. Even if it is dirty and busy, it's also lovely and fantastic and the people are basically wonderful. Even if they stare at you for being white! ;) I will try to post pictures next time...with love, Emily
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Goodbye Alaska, Hello Africa!
I leave tomorrow morning! I can hardly believe it. I'm completely packed and basically all ready to go...though I wish I could skip the whole travelling-for-48-hours thing. And just be there. But, I suppose it will feel even more worth it once I finally arrive in that amazing place. Touch down.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
And here...we...go!
I'm off to Uganda in less than a week now! Can you believe it? I sure can't! It feels like just yesterday I was sitting in my room, writing my first blog entry about how I had an entire year to go before I left for Africa, and wondering if I was even going to be accepted into the Suubi program through Light Gives Heat. It really is amazing how time flies! I've already graduated, gone to work at camp all summer, and taken my little side trip to Seattle! I can hardly wait to leave for my trip, but at the same time it is a little bitter sweet. I'm getting to go to a place I've only seen pictures of, a place I've dreamed of since I was twelve...and at the same time I am leaving the ones I love and all things familiar for three months. I know it's going to be utterly fantastic in every sense of the word, but also at times difficult. But I am so blessed to be able to go, and I just know that the people who's lives I will somehow seem to be touching, will move my heart so much more than I will even begin to move theirs...I can hardly wait. Have I mentioned that already? :)
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