Hey all, I have an unfortunate announcement: Peacecorps has decided to medically separate me and send me back to the states. I have not full recovered from whatever is plaguing my kidneys. I've been to the doctor numerous times and had several tests but they have not been able to properly diagnose me. Therefore, PC has decided to send me back the states so I can get better treatment. This means that as of Wednesday, when I'll be on a plane heading back, I will no longer be a PC volunteer. Also unfortunate is the fact that, since I'm being sent back for medical reasons, this means my service is over. If I want to return to Uganda as a PCV after I've regained my health, I need to do the entire process over again. So, I've been in Uganda for 13 months and been a volunteer for 10. It's not the way I wanted to end my service, but there's nothing I can do. The decision has been made. I'm a little disappointed at the moment, so I'll post again when I'm in a better mood. I do want to tell you all how I've felt about my service. So, thanks for following and I'll be in the same country with you soon. TTFN-
~Rachael
Monday, March 1, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Anniverasary: Fans on Fire, R. Kelly is not, Back-to-School
HAPPY 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!! That’s right, I’ve been in Uganda for one whole year today! All I can say to that is wow. I have to admit, during the first week at Lweza, before training, I wasn’t sure if I was cut out for this. It could have been that my first time out of the country would be for two years or it could have been that after a few of the current volunteers had talked about what to watch out for, I had been pretty much convinced that I was going to be over-charged to take a fake taxi that had people who were going to rob me and then turn me into a ritual sacrifice before I was even able to become an official volunteer. Not sure which of those caused the most alarm, but it’s sufficient to say that I was a liiiiitle on edge. However, here I am a year later, comfortably updating my blog from an internet café in Jinja that has relatively fast internet speed. I would say that that is definitely an accomplishment to be noted. Ok, now that it has been noted, let’s move on to what’s been going on in the month or so since I regaled you with my S. African adventures.
As those of you know who judged me most ungraciously on Facebook, I went to the R. Kelly concert at the end of January. And, I have to say that it was not worth it at all. First, the line to get into the stadium was over a block long, and it wasn’t even a proper line! It was all clumpified, meaning it was probably ten times longer than it actually looked. So, we waited in line for about an hour and half before getting in, having missed all of the opening acts (by local artists). The concert lasted about one hour. Yep, that’s it, one hour. R. Kelly did not sing one complete song the entire time. He would sing a stanza and a refrain, then move on to the next song. Sucked, sucked, sucked!! Oh, and my phone was stolen as I was getting into the stadium. Picked right from my pocket! So, I am currently on my third phone. I think that’s about normal for a PCV. I’m hoping that’ll be the last time I have to replace the phone, but I do have another year here, so we’ll see what happens.
It is very hot here. Thanks to the thermometer that Dad gave me, I can tell at any time what temp. I’m roasting in: at least 95 in the shade and ~105 in the sunlight. Unfortunately, the fan that had been saving my sanity and sweat glands caught fire and subsequently broke. It had been a little finicky lately, only turning on if I positioned the cord at the right angle to the head (the thing that actually plugs in). Well, one night while trying to find the desired position, I saw a suspicious glow inside the cord. It was orange. Now, my common sense told me that it was probably a bad thing for my white cord to be glowing orange. However, my practical senses told me that it was unbearably hot in the room and the fan needed to be on in order for me to sleep. Then, my fan threw a hissy and decided to do what it wanted, regardless of the evil consequences. The wires in the cord began shooting sparks, the cord itself started melting and turning black and there was a mini fire on the cord. Needless to say, I decided it was in everybody’s best interest not to burn my house down for a crotchety old fan. So, the fan is now deceased, though it taunts me from its corner because I’m not quite sure how to dispose of it. Fear not though! I new fan will be replacing it soon.
The tap outside of where I live is not really working these days. If there’s electricity, it will usually turn on around 7am and stay on for 10-15 minutes. Not enough time to sleep in and not enough water to fill all the empty jerry cans. Consequently, I’ve been frequenting the local boar hole. Let me tell you, when you all next see me, I am going to have the wickedest biceps you’ve ever seen! Those boar holes are not for the faint of hear, or muscle. First I pump, then I carry the jerry cans. It sucks, and I hate doing it, but I decided long ago that I prefer to be clean then covered in a layer of sweat and questionable substances that flew on me as cars pass me on the bike.
Classes started the first week in February. I’m following the students I had last year, so I’ll be teaching S2 Maths, S3 and S6 bio. This term, I’m sharing my S3 class with another teacher, so we’ll see how that goes. The first week was used for the students to check in. Last week was the first week of actual teaching. I’m very happy to be in the classroom again! The students are getting used to my accent again, but in general, their comprehension of me is good. Next week is beginning of term exams, so there will be no classes. I’m also on duty, which means that I’m a slave to the school for the next week. I’m thinking that it will be easier to be on duty when the students are taking exams because all I have to do is make sure that the exams are taken. Otherwise, I usually suck at being on duty. I’m definitely not the worse but, let’s just say that I’m not that close to the top.
This term, I’m trying to get together a school football team. I was supposed to have practice on Tuesday and Thursday last week, but due to unforeseen difficulties, they won’t officially start until the week after exams. However, last Thursday, there was a PE class in which I was able to at least get the ball out. The girls really enjoyed playing and some of them looked as if they know what they were doing. In Uganda, the athletic teams don’t play a different school every week like they do in America. Instead, there is a single tournament that is held near the end of the term. It starts from the district and then reaches nationals. I’ve talked to teacher in charge of sports and she said that our district doesn’t have a tournament scheduled because it’s relatively new (three years! Not that new…). I’m going to try and find out more information. If there’s no way to get them into the competition, then we may just invite other schools to come over and play. I think it’s important for the girls to play against teams from other schools, so they can see the different levels of skill that are possible.
Alright, that’s all I have time to write. I’m meeting a fellow PCV to celebrate our anniversary. Of course, by celebrate, I mean eat all the western food and sweets we can possibly fit into ourselves, and then a little more. Love and miss you all! TTFN!!
~Rachael
As those of you know who judged me most ungraciously on Facebook, I went to the R. Kelly concert at the end of January. And, I have to say that it was not worth it at all. First, the line to get into the stadium was over a block long, and it wasn’t even a proper line! It was all clumpified, meaning it was probably ten times longer than it actually looked. So, we waited in line for about an hour and half before getting in, having missed all of the opening acts (by local artists). The concert lasted about one hour. Yep, that’s it, one hour. R. Kelly did not sing one complete song the entire time. He would sing a stanza and a refrain, then move on to the next song. Sucked, sucked, sucked!! Oh, and my phone was stolen as I was getting into the stadium. Picked right from my pocket! So, I am currently on my third phone. I think that’s about normal for a PCV. I’m hoping that’ll be the last time I have to replace the phone, but I do have another year here, so we’ll see what happens.
It is very hot here. Thanks to the thermometer that Dad gave me, I can tell at any time what temp. I’m roasting in: at least 95 in the shade and ~105 in the sunlight. Unfortunately, the fan that had been saving my sanity and sweat glands caught fire and subsequently broke. It had been a little finicky lately, only turning on if I positioned the cord at the right angle to the head (the thing that actually plugs in). Well, one night while trying to find the desired position, I saw a suspicious glow inside the cord. It was orange. Now, my common sense told me that it was probably a bad thing for my white cord to be glowing orange. However, my practical senses told me that it was unbearably hot in the room and the fan needed to be on in order for me to sleep. Then, my fan threw a hissy and decided to do what it wanted, regardless of the evil consequences. The wires in the cord began shooting sparks, the cord itself started melting and turning black and there was a mini fire on the cord. Needless to say, I decided it was in everybody’s best interest not to burn my house down for a crotchety old fan. So, the fan is now deceased, though it taunts me from its corner because I’m not quite sure how to dispose of it. Fear not though! I new fan will be replacing it soon.
The tap outside of where I live is not really working these days. If there’s electricity, it will usually turn on around 7am and stay on for 10-15 minutes. Not enough time to sleep in and not enough water to fill all the empty jerry cans. Consequently, I’ve been frequenting the local boar hole. Let me tell you, when you all next see me, I am going to have the wickedest biceps you’ve ever seen! Those boar holes are not for the faint of hear, or muscle. First I pump, then I carry the jerry cans. It sucks, and I hate doing it, but I decided long ago that I prefer to be clean then covered in a layer of sweat and questionable substances that flew on me as cars pass me on the bike.
Classes started the first week in February. I’m following the students I had last year, so I’ll be teaching S2 Maths, S3 and S6 bio. This term, I’m sharing my S3 class with another teacher, so we’ll see how that goes. The first week was used for the students to check in. Last week was the first week of actual teaching. I’m very happy to be in the classroom again! The students are getting used to my accent again, but in general, their comprehension of me is good. Next week is beginning of term exams, so there will be no classes. I’m also on duty, which means that I’m a slave to the school for the next week. I’m thinking that it will be easier to be on duty when the students are taking exams because all I have to do is make sure that the exams are taken. Otherwise, I usually suck at being on duty. I’m definitely not the worse but, let’s just say that I’m not that close to the top.
This term, I’m trying to get together a school football team. I was supposed to have practice on Tuesday and Thursday last week, but due to unforeseen difficulties, they won’t officially start until the week after exams. However, last Thursday, there was a PE class in which I was able to at least get the ball out. The girls really enjoyed playing and some of them looked as if they know what they were doing. In Uganda, the athletic teams don’t play a different school every week like they do in America. Instead, there is a single tournament that is held near the end of the term. It starts from the district and then reaches nationals. I’ve talked to teacher in charge of sports and she said that our district doesn’t have a tournament scheduled because it’s relatively new (three years! Not that new…). I’m going to try and find out more information. If there’s no way to get them into the competition, then we may just invite other schools to come over and play. I think it’s important for the girls to play against teams from other schools, so they can see the different levels of skill that are possible.
Alright, that’s all I have time to write. I’m meeting a fellow PCV to celebrate our anniversary. Of course, by celebrate, I mean eat all the western food and sweets we can possibly fit into ourselves, and then a little more. Love and miss you all! TTFN!!
~Rachael
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Cereal with cold milk, toasted cheese sandwhiches and movie theatre popcorn
Hello All! Greetings from the South Africa sickie who will soon be returning to her Ugandan homeland!!! That’s right! I’ve gotten the all clear from Washington and will going back to Uganda within the next couple of days. There was a chance that I was going to be sent back to the States, but I’m happy to say that that crisis was averted. I’m very excited to be getting back and can’t wait to start preparing for the upcoming term. So, I bet you’re wondering what I’ve been doing since I’ve graced this country with my presence. Well, here are the highlights of my med evac trip:
I arrived in SA Dec. 17, so I’ve been here three weeks. I saw a specialist, who determined that I had kidney stones, that’s right people, more than one. The stone on my left side was what was causing all the problems because of its ginormous size (7-10mm). I had surgery, where they removed the stone (Dec. 23). Of course, I asked to keep the stone as a souvenir and they gave me the smaller parts that weren’t needed for analysis. I had arrived in country with a string of battery powered Christmas lights that had been given to me by another volunteer. I proceeded to drape these, alternately, on my hospital bed and myself. Hey, if I have to be in the hospital so close to Christmas, there is going to be some sort of festivity, whether provided by the hospital or by myself! I was released on Christmas day, went to lunch with Dr. Cedric, the PC APCMO and watched Christmas movies when I got back to my room. All in all, Christmas was not the lonely train wreck I thought it was going to be. It turned out to be quite pleasant.
In the three weeks that I’ve been here, I’ve been taking advantage of things that are not readily available in Uganda. I was showering twice a day for the first week because the water pressure is amazing (I have not had water pressure since being in Uganda). There is a TV with a movie channel(!) is my room, meaning I’ve probably killed all the brain cells I managed to grow back from my last 10 non-TV months. I’ve been to three malls, which have blown my mind. The first time I went to a mall, I knew I had a problem when I couldn’t stop smiling, just because I was in an actual, real life mall. I’ve seen a few movies and walk to the PC office for their lightning fast internet. Dr. Cedric took me to a nature reserve, where I saw some zebras and giraffes, up close and personal. I was also unaware of the length of the trip and managed to burn off the top layer of skin on my face, neck and collar bone area. Right now, I look like I’m suffering from a painful skin disease, as it’s peeling off in a non-uniform layer. This means that I have a new found respect for people who still hang out with me and complete adoration for those who pretend like I don’t look like a leper. While I’ve been here, I’ve also caught up so very necessary food options. There is KFC (which might possible be better here than in the US, but I don’t know how objective that opinion is…) and McDonald’s, so I’ve been hitting those up as much as possible (and paying for it later). There is also ice cream, cheese and milk galore, so those have been amply ingested, along with a smattering of candy bars and movie theatre popcorn. You have to get it in while you can!! And I’m absolutely not ashamed, though my body has been punishing me for the excessive intake of processed foods. However, it is a price I am always ready and willing to take. Damn the digestive gods, I tell you, damn them all!!
On Monday, I had my follow-up appt. with Doctor P. and everything went well. He said there was no reason I shouldn’t be able to go back to site health wise. I just need to make a few dietary adjustments and drink water like it’s nobody’s business. These are all completely doable, so I don’t foresee any immediate problems.
So, that’s been my life for the last few weeks. I had fun but am definitely ready to return to my life in Uganda, even if it means less chicken and more pancakes. Hope you all had nice holidays! Until next time-
~Rachael
I arrived in SA Dec. 17, so I’ve been here three weeks. I saw a specialist, who determined that I had kidney stones, that’s right people, more than one. The stone on my left side was what was causing all the problems because of its ginormous size (7-10mm). I had surgery, where they removed the stone (Dec. 23). Of course, I asked to keep the stone as a souvenir and they gave me the smaller parts that weren’t needed for analysis. I had arrived in country with a string of battery powered Christmas lights that had been given to me by another volunteer. I proceeded to drape these, alternately, on my hospital bed and myself. Hey, if I have to be in the hospital so close to Christmas, there is going to be some sort of festivity, whether provided by the hospital or by myself! I was released on Christmas day, went to lunch with Dr. Cedric, the PC APCMO and watched Christmas movies when I got back to my room. All in all, Christmas was not the lonely train wreck I thought it was going to be. It turned out to be quite pleasant.
In the three weeks that I’ve been here, I’ve been taking advantage of things that are not readily available in Uganda. I was showering twice a day for the first week because the water pressure is amazing (I have not had water pressure since being in Uganda). There is a TV with a movie channel(!) is my room, meaning I’ve probably killed all the brain cells I managed to grow back from my last 10 non-TV months. I’ve been to three malls, which have blown my mind. The first time I went to a mall, I knew I had a problem when I couldn’t stop smiling, just because I was in an actual, real life mall. I’ve seen a few movies and walk to the PC office for their lightning fast internet. Dr. Cedric took me to a nature reserve, where I saw some zebras and giraffes, up close and personal. I was also unaware of the length of the trip and managed to burn off the top layer of skin on my face, neck and collar bone area. Right now, I look like I’m suffering from a painful skin disease, as it’s peeling off in a non-uniform layer. This means that I have a new found respect for people who still hang out with me and complete adoration for those who pretend like I don’t look like a leper. While I’ve been here, I’ve also caught up so very necessary food options. There is KFC (which might possible be better here than in the US, but I don’t know how objective that opinion is…) and McDonald’s, so I’ve been hitting those up as much as possible (and paying for it later). There is also ice cream, cheese and milk galore, so those have been amply ingested, along with a smattering of candy bars and movie theatre popcorn. You have to get it in while you can!! And I’m absolutely not ashamed, though my body has been punishing me for the excessive intake of processed foods. However, it is a price I am always ready and willing to take. Damn the digestive gods, I tell you, damn them all!!
On Monday, I had my follow-up appt. with Doctor P. and everything went well. He said there was no reason I shouldn’t be able to go back to site health wise. I just need to make a few dietary adjustments and drink water like it’s nobody’s business. These are all completely doable, so I don’t foresee any immediate problems.
So, that’s been my life for the last few weeks. I had fun but am definitely ready to return to my life in Uganda, even if it means less chicken and more pancakes. Hope you all had nice holidays! Until next time-
~Rachael
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