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
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Goin' down under
Ok, so I’m not actually going to Australia, the real down under, but I’m going to the southern most country in Africa, so it’s the African down under. That’s right, it’s official. I’m being sent to South Africa for more tests. As of right now, I’m doing just ok. I actually had a really good weekend until Sunday night, when I passed a kidney stone with the oh-so-powerful extra strength Ibuprofen. Yeah, in case you didn’t get that sarcasm, the Ibuprofen didn’t do anything but I survived. I went to the clinic yesterday, where they scanned my abdomen and showed me a nice picture of the rock that is slowly making its way through my urinary tract. The scan specialist and I actually have a relationship now because I’ve been going there so often. In fact, when she found the stone, she just started laughing and pointed it out to me. She asked my why they were so fond of me, to which I was thinking that the feeling is definitely not mutual. All I can say is that it’s not fair that I should have to go through pain that is supposed to be near to that of birthing a child and all I get is a stupid rock. What the heck am I supposed to do with a rock that is obviously too small to use as a weapon and would probably disintegrate upon contact? Anyway, I’m being shipped of on Thursday morning and I don’t have a date of return yet. Hopefully, they will be able to remove any more kidney stones that may be inhabiting my body and fix any other things that have decided to be difficult.
Ok, now for the more fun parts of the weekend. There was a Jica-PC event in Masaka this past weekend that was arranged and hosted by the volunteers. Jica is a Japanese volunteer organization that is very similar to PC. There are probably as many Jica volunteers in country as PCVs. On Saturday morning, there was a football (soccer) match. It was the most fun I’ve had in a while!! As someone who hasn’t been active for the past three weeks, I was a little nervous I’d be on the field for all of a minute before my lungs gave out. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my lungs were working pretty well and I was able to play in both halves of the games (not the whole time of course, come on, let’s be realistic here). For some of the time that I wasn’t playing, I acted as a ref. It’s always nice to have a whistle of power! After the football game, we played American football, powder puff style. I was QB, which BTW is a very stressful position to play, with people running at you while you have to find someone who’s open to throw the ball too and hope that the other team doesn’t realize that you tend to throw it to the same area every single time because you’re too stressed out to switch it up. The final sport of the day was baseball. I was going to sit this one out, and had even bathed, but I felt like they needed a left hander with no glove and a possible hand-eye coordination handicap. While we dominated football, the Jica’s dominated us in baseball. I was barefoot and the first time I ran to first base, I slipped, fell on my back and slid into the base. I like to think that from a distance, it looked like I purposely slid into the base in a cool, calm and collected way. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s how it happened; no way I fell, what with all the grace I posses! The day ended with a dance party. I did my thing on the dance floor and then proceeded to die around midnight or one (which is about 4 hours past my usual bedtime; ask any PCV and they will tell you that they are in bed by 8:30pm). I died because my body severely rejected and punished me for all the activity. I was sore for a couple of days and barely able to move. However, it was totally worth it and I’d do it again!! On Sunday, I just watched the ultimate frisbee game and proceeded to sun burn my forehead and nose. Yeah, apparently I still haven’t learned the importance applying sunscreen in an equitorial region. So, my nose is peeling, which is really annoying and slightly gross.
So, that’s what’s been happening/is happening now. Hopefully, I’ll get to a computer before Christmas, but if not, MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMASS!!! (or as we say it here, HAPPY CHRISTMAS!) Enjoy the snow if you have it and listen to many Christmas songs : ) Love and miss you guys! TTFN!!
~Rachael
Ok, now for the more fun parts of the weekend. There was a Jica-PC event in Masaka this past weekend that was arranged and hosted by the volunteers. Jica is a Japanese volunteer organization that is very similar to PC. There are probably as many Jica volunteers in country as PCVs. On Saturday morning, there was a football (soccer) match. It was the most fun I’ve had in a while!! As someone who hasn’t been active for the past three weeks, I was a little nervous I’d be on the field for all of a minute before my lungs gave out. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my lungs were working pretty well and I was able to play in both halves of the games (not the whole time of course, come on, let’s be realistic here). For some of the time that I wasn’t playing, I acted as a ref. It’s always nice to have a whistle of power! After the football game, we played American football, powder puff style. I was QB, which BTW is a very stressful position to play, with people running at you while you have to find someone who’s open to throw the ball too and hope that the other team doesn’t realize that you tend to throw it to the same area every single time because you’re too stressed out to switch it up. The final sport of the day was baseball. I was going to sit this one out, and had even bathed, but I felt like they needed a left hander with no glove and a possible hand-eye coordination handicap. While we dominated football, the Jica’s dominated us in baseball. I was barefoot and the first time I ran to first base, I slipped, fell on my back and slid into the base. I like to think that from a distance, it looked like I purposely slid into the base in a cool, calm and collected way. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s how it happened; no way I fell, what with all the grace I posses! The day ended with a dance party. I did my thing on the dance floor and then proceeded to die around midnight or one (which is about 4 hours past my usual bedtime; ask any PCV and they will tell you that they are in bed by 8:30pm). I died because my body severely rejected and punished me for all the activity. I was sore for a couple of days and barely able to move. However, it was totally worth it and I’d do it again!! On Sunday, I just watched the ultimate frisbee game and proceeded to sun burn my forehead and nose. Yeah, apparently I still haven’t learned the importance applying sunscreen in an equitorial region. So, my nose is peeling, which is really annoying and slightly gross.
So, that’s what’s been happening/is happening now. Hopefully, I’ll get to a computer before Christmas, but if not, MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMASS!!! (or as we say it here, HAPPY CHRISTMAS!) Enjoy the snow if you have it and listen to many Christmas songs : ) Love and miss you guys! TTFN!!
~Rachael
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Good Food and exteneded Kampala Holiday
Hello All! This is me updating my blog before you think I’ve been swallowed up. So, I have good things and some not so good things but, no worries, everything will be A-OK!
First, I had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I celebrated it in Tororo with ~20 other volunteers. We had the magnificent feast on the Saturday following the actual holiday. I made apple pie, which is a holiday classic and tradition. There was no pie pan to be found, so my pie was actually baked in a square, glass casserole dish. Even though it was not round, the pie was very yummy. All the volunteers contributed a dish, so we had quite a feast. The final count was (homemade) mac-and-cheese, fried chicken, Amish bread, stuffing, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed irish (regular) potatoes, vegetable kabobs, vegetable medley (I helped to cut the carrots! And then lied when they asked if I had washed them… they looked clean enough and nobody got sick!), and pumpkin-apple soup (absolutely delicious, it tasted almost like cider). Then, there was the dessert table. I had cheated and already used my second stomach, which most of you know I reserve for desserts, to get a second plate of mac-and-cheese, so I was bursting at the seams. However, Thanksgiving is all about eating until you want to die and then eating a little bit more until you actually die or fall into a food coma. Oh yeah, and being thankful too : ) Besides, one cannot pass up homemade desserts in this country because they are very few, far between and the smell alone makes you lose control. So, our dessert table had cheesecake with chocolate drizzled on it, apple pie, cherry pie, chocolate cake, brownies, frosting, and banana pudding with dolce de leche (which I’m pretty sure is French for caramel) topping. And, some very nice sangria was made, where I also helped in cutting the fruit for it. All in all, it felt like Thanksgiving. Everybody was in the kitchen, cooking, helping, washing or shouting. I couldn’t have asked for more and I’m very thankful for all the friends that I’ve made here. They have, truly, become my second family.
The term has officially ended and all my girls are back home for holiday. I gave my exams and graded them all before I had to go to Kampala. After grading them, and comparing them to the beginning of term exams, I was a little disappointed at first because they were a bit lower. I thought that maybe I hadn’t spent enough time teaching or that I had gone to fast. However, I ran into one of the students in my S1 math class. She asked me what the high score was and I told her. She was very impressed and said, “Well taught.” And that was all it took to lift me out of my funk. Really, the scores and the average of the students are not, and should not, be the only indicator of success. My girls are getting scores that they hadn’t gotten before. The high score in my class is higher than the average. I should be happy that the girls are really and truly trying. They are now comfortable enough with me that they ask questions when they don’t understand, as opposed to nodding absently. I have more girls participating in class then when I first began. So, even though the scores aren’t what I hoped for, this last term was still a success. I’m trying my best and so are the girls and that’s really all you can ask.
So, that’s the good stuff, now for the not so good. I’ve actually been in Kampala for the last week and a half for medical reasons. I originally came the weekend of the 21st to cheer people on in the annual Kampala marathon. The following Monday, I went to the PCMO (PC nurses) to get checked out because I had been having kidney pains. Now, I just had a UTI at the end of October, so I was expecting to just be given the drugs and go on my merry little way. That, however, was not meant to be. I will not go into the details because I don’t think you all are interested in the specificities of my body functions, but it was not a UTI and the pain in the kidneys has noticeably increased. But, they still do not know what it is. This, combined with a blood test and the fact that I have peed the entire rainbow (except for the most beloved colour yellow!) means that I am most likely (~90%) being sent to South Africa for more tests. Now, there’s no need to worry. Hopefully, I will be back here for Christmas, but I just wanted to give a general FYI. So, the good thing is that I get to tick another country off my list and I can investigate World Cup things.
So, that is what’s happening right now. I’ll let you all know if something changes but, I’m not dying and beside the kidney tenderness, I don’t feel sick at all. Hope you all enjoyed Black Friday shopping! As always, miss and love you all!!!
~Rachael
First, I had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I celebrated it in Tororo with ~20 other volunteers. We had the magnificent feast on the Saturday following the actual holiday. I made apple pie, which is a holiday classic and tradition. There was no pie pan to be found, so my pie was actually baked in a square, glass casserole dish. Even though it was not round, the pie was very yummy. All the volunteers contributed a dish, so we had quite a feast. The final count was (homemade) mac-and-cheese, fried chicken, Amish bread, stuffing, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed irish (regular) potatoes, vegetable kabobs, vegetable medley (I helped to cut the carrots! And then lied when they asked if I had washed them… they looked clean enough and nobody got sick!), and pumpkin-apple soup (absolutely delicious, it tasted almost like cider). Then, there was the dessert table. I had cheated and already used my second stomach, which most of you know I reserve for desserts, to get a second plate of mac-and-cheese, so I was bursting at the seams. However, Thanksgiving is all about eating until you want to die and then eating a little bit more until you actually die or fall into a food coma. Oh yeah, and being thankful too : ) Besides, one cannot pass up homemade desserts in this country because they are very few, far between and the smell alone makes you lose control. So, our dessert table had cheesecake with chocolate drizzled on it, apple pie, cherry pie, chocolate cake, brownies, frosting, and banana pudding with dolce de leche (which I’m pretty sure is French for caramel) topping. And, some very nice sangria was made, where I also helped in cutting the fruit for it. All in all, it felt like Thanksgiving. Everybody was in the kitchen, cooking, helping, washing or shouting. I couldn’t have asked for more and I’m very thankful for all the friends that I’ve made here. They have, truly, become my second family.
The term has officially ended and all my girls are back home for holiday. I gave my exams and graded them all before I had to go to Kampala. After grading them, and comparing them to the beginning of term exams, I was a little disappointed at first because they were a bit lower. I thought that maybe I hadn’t spent enough time teaching or that I had gone to fast. However, I ran into one of the students in my S1 math class. She asked me what the high score was and I told her. She was very impressed and said, “Well taught.” And that was all it took to lift me out of my funk. Really, the scores and the average of the students are not, and should not, be the only indicator of success. My girls are getting scores that they hadn’t gotten before. The high score in my class is higher than the average. I should be happy that the girls are really and truly trying. They are now comfortable enough with me that they ask questions when they don’t understand, as opposed to nodding absently. I have more girls participating in class then when I first began. So, even though the scores aren’t what I hoped for, this last term was still a success. I’m trying my best and so are the girls and that’s really all you can ask.
So, that’s the good stuff, now for the not so good. I’ve actually been in Kampala for the last week and a half for medical reasons. I originally came the weekend of the 21st to cheer people on in the annual Kampala marathon. The following Monday, I went to the PCMO (PC nurses) to get checked out because I had been having kidney pains. Now, I just had a UTI at the end of October, so I was expecting to just be given the drugs and go on my merry little way. That, however, was not meant to be. I will not go into the details because I don’t think you all are interested in the specificities of my body functions, but it was not a UTI and the pain in the kidneys has noticeably increased. But, they still do not know what it is. This, combined with a blood test and the fact that I have peed the entire rainbow (except for the most beloved colour yellow!) means that I am most likely (~90%) being sent to South Africa for more tests. Now, there’s no need to worry. Hopefully, I will be back here for Christmas, but I just wanted to give a general FYI. So, the good thing is that I get to tick another country off my list and I can investigate World Cup things.
So, that is what’s happening right now. I’ll let you all know if something changes but, I’m not dying and beside the kidney tenderness, I don’t feel sick at all. Hope you all enjoyed Black Friday shopping! As always, miss and love you all!!!
~Rachael
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Swine Flu, Hannah Montana and Cramped Legs
Hello to all! I know I've been bad in updating lately, but I'm here and ready to impress you with all the exciting happenings of my life the past month and a half. Ok, maybe not so much on the exciting side, but at least vaguely interesting : )
Something interesting: Swine Flu has started making a dent in Uganda. I know there have a been a lot of people infected with it in the States already, but it is just beginning to get a foot hold here. And, people are terrified! I think it's more because of lack of information about what actually happens upon infection, than of the flu itself. Anyway, the government has been trying to quarantine it to the few spots that the virus has managed to make itself known. This has met with limited success. There were two schools that became infected with it outside of the initial infected area. As a result, all visitation days were cancelled, which caused major difficulties. A large number of students attend boarding schools, meaning they are at school the entire term and only see their families during visitation days, if then. These are important days not only because the students can see a family member but also because they are re-supplied for the rest of the term: pocket money, snacks, essentials (toothpaste, pads, soap) and school fees, among others. As a result of the decree, students were somewhat panicked because they had to make due with the little they had and school were panicked because they were without means of getting owed money. Without the money, some schools may have to close early because they don't have the means of taking care of the students (aka food). It was interesting to me because many of the problems that arose as a result of the canceled visitation days would never have occurred to me. It just shows how one difference can have many repecussions.
The last week of October, I had Life Skills training in Kampala. We were told to bring a counter part from site, so I brought a fellow teacher, Madame Kwaga Godia. I chose her especially because she's an assertive, smart and opinionated woman, whom I thought would get the most out of the training and be most likely to want to use what we learn at our school. I should probably explain what life skills means before going into the details of the training. Basically, when PCVs talks about life skills, we're talking about giving people the ability to use the knowledge and resources available to them to lead a healthy, positive lifestyle. One of the big problems here is not the lack of knowledge, though that can be a contributing factor, but the inability to use the knowledge to make good decisions. If you ask any student about living healthy while in school, they will spout off a whole list things to do or avoid: delay sex until marriage, don't accept gifts, HIV/AIDS kills, complete you studies etc. However, if you were to ask, what would you do if your boyfriend pressures you for sex? Or can you get HIV/AIDS through kissing? Many students would not know. They have a list of facts that have been pushed on them since primary school, but the great majority of them have no idea how to connect the facts with their actual life. The Life Skills Manual, which is made by PC and is an excellent, excellent resource, has a variety of interactive game and activities that tries to bridge this gap. It tells stories culturally, so the target group (primary/secondary students, youths, etc.) understand and asks questions that forces them to think instead of memorize and apply instead of recite. During the training, specific activities were chosen out of the book and the volunteers, with their counterparts, did them. The first day was led by the facilitators and the rest of the week, each of the sessions was led by a different PCV and their counterpart. Godia and I did a session on Danger Signs and rape. It was an interesting session because the Ugandan and American takes on rape are different, both in the judicial sense and cultural sense. For example, what we call statutory rape they call defilement. Here, if someone is actually convicted (which happens rarely), rape is life imprisonment and defilement is death sentence. Yes, an intense subject but enlightening as well. Understanding how things are viewed differently here than in America is an important step in adapting to life. Godia and I each got a copy of the Life Skills Manual and are excited about doing activities at our school.
In the middle of training, Wednesday, we had a Halloween celebration, with a rockstar theme. It was aaawesome! I was dressed as (drumroll please) Hannah Montana! Yeah, I know you all are very surprised at my choice of costume but I like to keep it real. As you may imagine, it was impossible to find a blond wig in this country, so I ended up with pieces of yellow yarn arranged on my head in what I thought was a passable wig. However, upon picture inspection the next day, it was concluded that I looked more like an incomplete, color challenged Raggedy Ann doll. Oh well, I give myself Kudos for tryin'!! Also, Celeste and I were in charge of the music for the night and accepted our DJing post with gusto. On the whole, I'm going to say that our music stylings were highly appreciated and any negative comments were conveniently drowned out by the playing music.
At the end of training, I stayed in Kampala for a few days with my engaged neighbors, Nulu and Hussein. In Uganda, there are several steps that are taken before two people are happily wedded. They each need to be introduced to their families (informally first), the bride price needs to be decided, the dates for the introduction and wedding ceremony agreed upon and then that actual ceremonies need to take place. It is a long, and somewhat laborious, process. I will explain later what happens during the introduction ceremony, but for right now, just know that it needs to take place before there can be a traditional wedding. On the weekend following training, I was invited to attend the meeting that would decide the dates of the introduction and wedding. Hussein's family was supposed to arrive at 1pm (didn't get there until 2:30pm) and Nulu's family spent the whole day cooking. I'm happy to say that I earned my keep and peeled matooke, helped with fruit salad and with making juice. During the actual meeting, which was in Runyolee, I sat on the floor, listened for the occasional English world and tried not to fidget too much. However, the floor is a most uncomfortable place to sit for 2½ hours, so there was a lot of adjusting of the legs whenever they fell asleep, which was quite often. Eventually, I sat cross legged, even though I wasn't sure if that was culturally appropriate. However, since I wasn't flashing anybody and none of the men, all of whom got to have chairs, responded to my mental frustrations and cursings by offering me one, I figured it was ok. In the end, January 10th was decided as the date for both ceremonies and we ended the meeting by stuffing ourselves silly. So, on January 10th, I'll be going to my first Ugandan introduction and wedding.
Upon returning from Kampala, I finished teaching my classes. I use “finish” in a loose interpretation of the word. It was more like I was forced to stop teaching because of the end of term exams. I am far from finished with my subjects and my only goal next year is to have them caught up! So, right now, the students are taking exams and I am contemplating how I'm going to spend my two months (!) of holiday. That is a lot of Rachael time and, as entertaining as I know I can be, I will eventually get tired of having only myself as company. I know. Hard to believe but, trust me, it will happen. So, I'm planning on doing a lot of traveling around Uganda during holiday. There are a lot of PCVs spread throughout the country, so it'll be a nice little adventure. I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving that weekend in Tororo. There's going to be a nice group of us here and I am very excited about the food prospects. I predict it'll be the best meal I've had since getting to Uganda. Not that I'm anticipating too much : ) Personally, I'll be making apple pie. I know it's a big leap, especially considering my cooking history, but you'll be happy to know I'll have access to a toaster oven and will be supervised. So, no fires in the kitchen!
That's all I've got for now! I promise to make a better effort at keeping you all informed of the going ons over here. Love and miss you all and Happy early Thanksgiving!!
~Rachael
PS- Lauren, I got your card and I laugh everytime I open it! You are very much forgiven and thanks for making my day a little more fun : )
Something interesting: Swine Flu has started making a dent in Uganda. I know there have a been a lot of people infected with it in the States already, but it is just beginning to get a foot hold here. And, people are terrified! I think it's more because of lack of information about what actually happens upon infection, than of the flu itself. Anyway, the government has been trying to quarantine it to the few spots that the virus has managed to make itself known. This has met with limited success. There were two schools that became infected with it outside of the initial infected area. As a result, all visitation days were cancelled, which caused major difficulties. A large number of students attend boarding schools, meaning they are at school the entire term and only see their families during visitation days, if then. These are important days not only because the students can see a family member but also because they are re-supplied for the rest of the term: pocket money, snacks, essentials (toothpaste, pads, soap) and school fees, among others. As a result of the decree, students were somewhat panicked because they had to make due with the little they had and school were panicked because they were without means of getting owed money. Without the money, some schools may have to close early because they don't have the means of taking care of the students (aka food). It was interesting to me because many of the problems that arose as a result of the canceled visitation days would never have occurred to me. It just shows how one difference can have many repecussions.
The last week of October, I had Life Skills training in Kampala. We were told to bring a counter part from site, so I brought a fellow teacher, Madame Kwaga Godia. I chose her especially because she's an assertive, smart and opinionated woman, whom I thought would get the most out of the training and be most likely to want to use what we learn at our school. I should probably explain what life skills means before going into the details of the training. Basically, when PCVs talks about life skills, we're talking about giving people the ability to use the knowledge and resources available to them to lead a healthy, positive lifestyle. One of the big problems here is not the lack of knowledge, though that can be a contributing factor, but the inability to use the knowledge to make good decisions. If you ask any student about living healthy while in school, they will spout off a whole list things to do or avoid: delay sex until marriage, don't accept gifts, HIV/AIDS kills, complete you studies etc. However, if you were to ask, what would you do if your boyfriend pressures you for sex? Or can you get HIV/AIDS through kissing? Many students would not know. They have a list of facts that have been pushed on them since primary school, but the great majority of them have no idea how to connect the facts with their actual life. The Life Skills Manual, which is made by PC and is an excellent, excellent resource, has a variety of interactive game and activities that tries to bridge this gap. It tells stories culturally, so the target group (primary/secondary students, youths, etc.) understand and asks questions that forces them to think instead of memorize and apply instead of recite. During the training, specific activities were chosen out of the book and the volunteers, with their counterparts, did them. The first day was led by the facilitators and the rest of the week, each of the sessions was led by a different PCV and their counterpart. Godia and I did a session on Danger Signs and rape. It was an interesting session because the Ugandan and American takes on rape are different, both in the judicial sense and cultural sense. For example, what we call statutory rape they call defilement. Here, if someone is actually convicted (which happens rarely), rape is life imprisonment and defilement is death sentence. Yes, an intense subject but enlightening as well. Understanding how things are viewed differently here than in America is an important step in adapting to life. Godia and I each got a copy of the Life Skills Manual and are excited about doing activities at our school.
In the middle of training, Wednesday, we had a Halloween celebration, with a rockstar theme. It was aaawesome! I was dressed as (drumroll please) Hannah Montana! Yeah, I know you all are very surprised at my choice of costume but I like to keep it real. As you may imagine, it was impossible to find a blond wig in this country, so I ended up with pieces of yellow yarn arranged on my head in what I thought was a passable wig. However, upon picture inspection the next day, it was concluded that I looked more like an incomplete, color challenged Raggedy Ann doll. Oh well, I give myself Kudos for tryin'!! Also, Celeste and I were in charge of the music for the night and accepted our DJing post with gusto. On the whole, I'm going to say that our music stylings were highly appreciated and any negative comments were conveniently drowned out by the playing music.
At the end of training, I stayed in Kampala for a few days with my engaged neighbors, Nulu and Hussein. In Uganda, there are several steps that are taken before two people are happily wedded. They each need to be introduced to their families (informally first), the bride price needs to be decided, the dates for the introduction and wedding ceremony agreed upon and then that actual ceremonies need to take place. It is a long, and somewhat laborious, process. I will explain later what happens during the introduction ceremony, but for right now, just know that it needs to take place before there can be a traditional wedding. On the weekend following training, I was invited to attend the meeting that would decide the dates of the introduction and wedding. Hussein's family was supposed to arrive at 1pm (didn't get there until 2:30pm) and Nulu's family spent the whole day cooking. I'm happy to say that I earned my keep and peeled matooke, helped with fruit salad and with making juice. During the actual meeting, which was in Runyolee, I sat on the floor, listened for the occasional English world and tried not to fidget too much. However, the floor is a most uncomfortable place to sit for 2½ hours, so there was a lot of adjusting of the legs whenever they fell asleep, which was quite often. Eventually, I sat cross legged, even though I wasn't sure if that was culturally appropriate. However, since I wasn't flashing anybody and none of the men, all of whom got to have chairs, responded to my mental frustrations and cursings by offering me one, I figured it was ok. In the end, January 10th was decided as the date for both ceremonies and we ended the meeting by stuffing ourselves silly. So, on January 10th, I'll be going to my first Ugandan introduction and wedding.
Upon returning from Kampala, I finished teaching my classes. I use “finish” in a loose interpretation of the word. It was more like I was forced to stop teaching because of the end of term exams. I am far from finished with my subjects and my only goal next year is to have them caught up! So, right now, the students are taking exams and I am contemplating how I'm going to spend my two months (!) of holiday. That is a lot of Rachael time and, as entertaining as I know I can be, I will eventually get tired of having only myself as company. I know. Hard to believe but, trust me, it will happen. So, I'm planning on doing a lot of traveling around Uganda during holiday. There are a lot of PCVs spread throughout the country, so it'll be a nice little adventure. I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving that weekend in Tororo. There's going to be a nice group of us here and I am very excited about the food prospects. I predict it'll be the best meal I've had since getting to Uganda. Not that I'm anticipating too much : ) Personally, I'll be making apple pie. I know it's a big leap, especially considering my cooking history, but you'll be happy to know I'll have access to a toaster oven and will be supervised. So, no fires in the kitchen!
That's all I've got for now! I promise to make a better effort at keeping you all informed of the going ons over here. Love and miss you all and Happy early Thanksgiving!!
~Rachael
PS- Lauren, I got your card and I laugh everytime I open it! You are very much forgiven and thanks for making my day a little more fun : )
Friday, October 9, 2009
Dedicated to my sister, Shannon (she knows why!)
Hey all, I just wanted to give you my new phone number: 075-708-6861. The same applies to this one as the last. You need to put in the country code, which is 011256, and then my phone number, omitting the first zero. I have a new number becuase my other phone was either lost or stolen. I'm not 100% sure which, but I'm more inclined toward the stolen. It was a brand new phone!! Seriously. My old phone had flew out of my bag when I was riding to school and got a crack in the screen. So, I decided to buy a new one, which I did in Tororo. However, it didn't even make it back to my town! In less than 4 hours, my phone was gone and I was forced to buy a new sim card and return to my battered one. So, in protest, I've decided not to buy another phone until Christmas. Oh yes, this will teach a lesson to anybody who tries to steal my phone, because it's not me who's suffering with this peice of junk, but anybody who decides to take it. Hahaha! Haha! Ha.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
From me to you: Pics!!!
Alright, here are some pictures for those of you who have been bugging me. These are from training. The next batch will be more recent ones from site. I hope this will be enough for you for now. Enjoy!!
Hanging out at Wakiso Gardens, which was one of two spots we fled to after training so we wouldn't go insane.
Sourting out g-nuts for eventual concumption.
Girls' Night Out!! Included chick flick and lots of yummy, sweet, semi-American food. Oh, yeah!!
We went to visit the source of the Nile in Jinja. I made sure to touch it, risking contracting Schisto in the process, but it was totally worth it because I can say I've touched the Nile now : )
Autumn brought a tent with her. We decided it was a good time to put it together. Keep in mind that this is a two and a half person tent. Woo!
Me and Miranda listening to awesome music on my ipod in Wakiso.
Hanging out at Wakiso Gardens, which was one of two spots we fled to after training so we wouldn't go insane.
Sourting out g-nuts for eventual concumption.
Girls' Night Out!! Included chick flick and lots of yummy, sweet, semi-American food. Oh, yeah!!
We went to visit the source of the Nile in Jinja. I made sure to touch it, risking contracting Schisto in the process, but it was totally worth it because I can say I've touched the Nile now : )
Autumn brought a tent with her. We decided it was a good time to put it together. Keep in mind that this is a two and a half person tent. Woo!
Me and Miranda listening to awesome music on my ipod in Wakiso.
Sweet & Sour, Salty & Sweet, Riots & Relaxation
Hey al, it's been awhile but I'm back after an interesting couple of past weeks.
First, I'll address the situation in Uganda, more specifically Kampal. I'm not sure how many of you keep up with events in Uganda, but a few weeks ago (starting Thursday, Sept. 10)there were riots in Kampala. Let me begin by explainging the cause. Uganda is a tribal nation. People will tell you what tribe they're from before telling you that they're Ugandan. One of the largest tribes, if not the largest, are the Bugandans. The Bugandans are situated in central Uganda, with their centre in Kampala. They also have a King, the Kabaka. The Kabaka was scheduled to visit Kayunga, which is part of the Baganda Kingdom, on Sat., Sept. 12. He was going there to take part in a Bugandan anual ceremony. On Thursday, President Musevini prohibited the Kabaka from visiting the region, citing security reasons. The Kabaka wanted to continue with his visit, arguing that he is still a citizen of Uganda, therefore, has the right to travel wherever he wanted. Musevini refused, blocked the road and all hell broke loose. The city was paralyzed for four days. The riots were not restricted to the city center. They were spread over several districts (Wakiso, Kayunga, Masaka, Kampala, Mukono amoung others) The rioters set fires, burned down a police station, destroyed all sorts of property (cars, taxis, businesses) and looted. The second or third day, they targeted the Indian businesses and completely destroyed some of them. There was nothing going in or out of Kampala. Taxi drivers had turned around, or just completely abandoned their vehicles to run to safety. The riots on Thursday started out of nowhere; everyone was taken by surprise. The ones on Saturday were more planned. People started shooting. There were some volunteers who were caught up in the middle of it. They had been in Kampala for one reason or another and were just around when people lost it. PC was able to get everyone out safely and I won't go into detail about what they had to get through, because it's not my story to tell. The police were called in to restore order, which did not really help. They used live ammunition on the rioters and the brutality was... a lot. I was not in Kamapala. I had been planning on going there on Friday, for a soccer game that Saturday. However, the game was cancelled, so I did not end up going. Instead, I was on the other side of the country, in Tororo. On Friday, all PCVs were put on standfast, whihch meant that no traveling was allowed. So, I was stuck in Tororo from Friday until Monday, when I got permission to return to site. By Sunday, the rioters had stopped and there was a relative calm in Kampala. As of now, Kampala is back to normal, though as I understand it, there is a heavy police presence. I haven't actually been to Kampala since the riots. So, the aftermath: over 600 people have been arrested for rioting, with 29 of them being charged with treason. These 29 are the people that set the police station and several cars on fire. Musevini addressed the Parliament and said that he supported the reaction of the police. People have the right to defend their lives, therefore the use of live bullets was not against the constitution. He and the Kabaka are going to try and talk about it. From what I understand, the two of them are constantly at each others throats because each is a threat to the others power. It's the political vs the cultural leader. As far as Kayunga goes, I think it was a test by Musevini to assert his authority over the Kabaka, which resulted in disaster.
So, that's what happened. I just thought it was important for you all to be informed. I want you to know what I'm doing, but also what I'm living with or through. Part of that is, inevitably, political. I'm hoping I won't have to write updates like this too often. Also, I'm really hoping you don't freak out too much! Really, everything is ok. I'm safe and PC has good policies and quick reaction times. Besides, I live in the bush, so I'm pretty secluded from the hot spots. The biggest worry I have is how to get to the only market in town that sells chocolate before it closes.
Right now, I'm in Tororo again. This time, I'm taking meds for parasites. Since last Friday, I've been having stomach cramps, amoung other things. So, I got here Friday afternoon and took some drugs that will, hopefully, kill whatever organism is invading my space and making my life difficult. I should be back to site on Tuesday.
Last weekend was the end of Ramadan, called Ed. Ed is calculated according to the moon and marks the end of fasting. There is usually a feast to celebrate. Nulu and I spent over 6 hours cooking a ton of food! At the beginning, I was cooking but then I demoted myself to washing dishes (you all can probably guess why). I did get to cut come cabbage though. And, after a couple bad starts, I kicked that cabbages butt!! When we finally got to eat, the food was excellent : )
And, to end, here's the latest cooking faux paux: I attempted to make smore the other day, by cooking the marshmellows over my gas stove. Now, you should know that smores are a delicacy because one, maybe two, stores in the entire country sell marshmallows, so getting my hands on thosewas tricky. Well, I roasted the marshmallow and put it on my biscuits (cookie/cracker) and chocolate. Then, I went to lick the fork... and branded myself! Afer blowing on it and everything. My tongue and bottom lip had an imprint of the fork on it. My lips were swollen the next couple of days as a result. Seriously, I'm not sure why the culinary gods are so against me, but they are ever busy.
And with that, I'll leave you all to your fall weather. TTFN!
~Rachael
First, I'll address the situation in Uganda, more specifically Kampal. I'm not sure how many of you keep up with events in Uganda, but a few weeks ago (starting Thursday, Sept. 10)there were riots in Kampala. Let me begin by explainging the cause. Uganda is a tribal nation. People will tell you what tribe they're from before telling you that they're Ugandan. One of the largest tribes, if not the largest, are the Bugandans. The Bugandans are situated in central Uganda, with their centre in Kampala. They also have a King, the Kabaka. The Kabaka was scheduled to visit Kayunga, which is part of the Baganda Kingdom, on Sat., Sept. 12. He was going there to take part in a Bugandan anual ceremony. On Thursday, President Musevini prohibited the Kabaka from visiting the region, citing security reasons. The Kabaka wanted to continue with his visit, arguing that he is still a citizen of Uganda, therefore, has the right to travel wherever he wanted. Musevini refused, blocked the road and all hell broke loose. The city was paralyzed for four days. The riots were not restricted to the city center. They were spread over several districts (Wakiso, Kayunga, Masaka, Kampala, Mukono amoung others) The rioters set fires, burned down a police station, destroyed all sorts of property (cars, taxis, businesses) and looted. The second or third day, they targeted the Indian businesses and completely destroyed some of them. There was nothing going in or out of Kampala. Taxi drivers had turned around, or just completely abandoned their vehicles to run to safety. The riots on Thursday started out of nowhere; everyone was taken by surprise. The ones on Saturday were more planned. People started shooting. There were some volunteers who were caught up in the middle of it. They had been in Kampala for one reason or another and were just around when people lost it. PC was able to get everyone out safely and I won't go into detail about what they had to get through, because it's not my story to tell. The police were called in to restore order, which did not really help. They used live ammunition on the rioters and the brutality was... a lot. I was not in Kamapala. I had been planning on going there on Friday, for a soccer game that Saturday. However, the game was cancelled, so I did not end up going. Instead, I was on the other side of the country, in Tororo. On Friday, all PCVs were put on standfast, whihch meant that no traveling was allowed. So, I was stuck in Tororo from Friday until Monday, when I got permission to return to site. By Sunday, the rioters had stopped and there was a relative calm in Kampala. As of now, Kampala is back to normal, though as I understand it, there is a heavy police presence. I haven't actually been to Kampala since the riots. So, the aftermath: over 600 people have been arrested for rioting, with 29 of them being charged with treason. These 29 are the people that set the police station and several cars on fire. Musevini addressed the Parliament and said that he supported the reaction of the police. People have the right to defend their lives, therefore the use of live bullets was not against the constitution. He and the Kabaka are going to try and talk about it. From what I understand, the two of them are constantly at each others throats because each is a threat to the others power. It's the political vs the cultural leader. As far as Kayunga goes, I think it was a test by Musevini to assert his authority over the Kabaka, which resulted in disaster.
So, that's what happened. I just thought it was important for you all to be informed. I want you to know what I'm doing, but also what I'm living with or through. Part of that is, inevitably, political. I'm hoping I won't have to write updates like this too often. Also, I'm really hoping you don't freak out too much! Really, everything is ok. I'm safe and PC has good policies and quick reaction times. Besides, I live in the bush, so I'm pretty secluded from the hot spots. The biggest worry I have is how to get to the only market in town that sells chocolate before it closes.
Right now, I'm in Tororo again. This time, I'm taking meds for parasites. Since last Friday, I've been having stomach cramps, amoung other things. So, I got here Friday afternoon and took some drugs that will, hopefully, kill whatever organism is invading my space and making my life difficult. I should be back to site on Tuesday.
Last weekend was the end of Ramadan, called Ed. Ed is calculated according to the moon and marks the end of fasting. There is usually a feast to celebrate. Nulu and I spent over 6 hours cooking a ton of food! At the beginning, I was cooking but then I demoted myself to washing dishes (you all can probably guess why). I did get to cut come cabbage though. And, after a couple bad starts, I kicked that cabbages butt!! When we finally got to eat, the food was excellent : )
And, to end, here's the latest cooking faux paux: I attempted to make smore the other day, by cooking the marshmellows over my gas stove. Now, you should know that smores are a delicacy because one, maybe two, stores in the entire country sell marshmallows, so getting my hands on thosewas tricky. Well, I roasted the marshmallow and put it on my biscuits (cookie/cracker) and chocolate. Then, I went to lick the fork... and branded myself! Afer blowing on it and everything. My tongue and bottom lip had an imprint of the fork on it. My lips were swollen the next couple of days as a result. Seriously, I'm not sure why the culinary gods are so against me, but they are ever busy.
And with that, I'll leave you all to your fall weather. TTFN!
~Rachael
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