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 : )
Sunday, November 15, 2009
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
Monday, August 17, 2009
Bday, carpel tunnel, holiday (oh yes, you read that right)
Hey all! I’ve decided that updating once a month is the best way to go around this. That’s about how often I get to the computer and enough has happened that I don’t have to worry about boring you.
We just finished the second term of school. I’ve spent the last couple of weeks giving end of term exams, grading and filling out progress reports for the students. Very, very tiresome. You all know how many students I have in each class, so imagine filling out a report for every single one of them. I know! I was convinced I had given myself carpel tunnel syndrome after the first day of writing; I could barely move my hand. The grading system here is a bit different then it is in America. As previously mentioned, there are three exams every term and these are the only things used to give a grade to the student. The exams are weighed unevenly when calculating the final grade. It’s a little different from school to school, but at ours, the end of term exam from last term was 15%, the beginning of term 5% and mid term 70%. I had to adjust mine a little, so it ended up being beginning of term 30% and the mid-term, 70%. I was, and am still, not very happy about this distribution. The students did the best on the end of term exams, which makes sense since they’ve had the entire term to adjust. Also, the end of term tests them on the subjects of the entire term. Therefore, I think it’s important that it be included in the grade for the term in which it was given. I also don’t understand why the mid-term is so heavily weighed. I think it would be more appropriate if they all had the same importance. However, there was nothing I could do except grumble to myself and make the necessary calculations. I was happy to see that my science class is doing pretty ok. The average has gone up since the beginning of term and the writing has made a slight improvement. I haven’t graded that end of term for math, so I have no diagnostic yet for them. All in all, though, I think the term went well, considering it was my first time teaching. I am excited for next term and have some ideas for extra classes I could teach. I’m not sure yet on the details, but when I know, I’ll post. Now that classes are over, I have three weeks of holiday, two of which will be spent in training… joy.
Thank you to everyone who remembered my birthday!!! It was really nice to get the messages/texts. I have to admit, I was a little worried about spending it here, since I didn’t know what to expect and I am living in the village (aka- the middle of nowhere). I went to Tororo and spent the day with Kendra, another volunteer, who recently COSed! (*sob, tear*). Since she was leaving to return to America, people were throwing her parties every which where and I went to them with her. There were Ugandans and bazungu (that would be the plural of muzungu), so it was an interesting mix. She had them sing happy birthday to me and I felt very loved. Later, we spent the night at Erin’s, who made me birthday crepes, which were superb and excellent. On Saturday, we all had lunch together and I went hope happy. All in all, it was wonderful ( :
I went to Kampala last week for a few days, to say goodbye to Kendra. While I was there, I saw my movie, which was HP 6. All I have to say is oh, wow. More different from the book than the other movies. I haven’t decided yet how I feel about it and need to see it a second time before judgment can be rendered. I do, however, love the girl they chose for Ginny. While in Kampala, I did the usual: at my way through the visit. I had my ice cream and oh-so-delicious pizza, so I was satisfied in that area. I also talked to the PCMO about allergies and sleeping problems I’ve been having lately. The allergies aren’t really surprising. Ever since landing in Uganda, my allergies have increased ten fold and I have to take something everyday for it. *sigh* Just another thing to remember. The bad side of it, though, is that my body seems to become immune whatever anti-histamine I’m using, so I have to keep switching. I’m on lucky pill type #3, so hopefully this will be the last. Hopefully… As far as sleeping goes, I’ve just been waking up at hours in which no sane, or sober, person should be awake. That, I hope, goes away soon. We all know how happy and sociable Rachael is without her sleep.
Last Friday, I had Suzuki over for lunch. She knows about my cooking history and I think she was a bit wary of the meal we made. We used the recipe she brought for rice, so I am claiming innocence over that part. It may or may not have had a taaaad too much vinegar, but one you dowsed it in soy sauce, all was well. The biscuits, which I was in charge of, came out very well, especially the first batch. The second might have been a teensey bit burned on the bottom, but once you cut that off, it was a-ok. Aunt Diane, I want you to know that I still had the marshmallow bunny you sent in the care package. That was used to make rice crispy treats, which came out fabulous, if a little pink in color. Hey, you gotta use what you have, right? In total, I think it was a successful first luncheon and I’m confident Suzuki will eat my cooking again because she likes it, not because she just that nice.
Well, that’s all for now ladies and gents. I hope all of you are doing marvelous in the states and enjoy the fall weather. We don’t have any seasons here, so I’m a little jealous of you all and the changing leaves. TTFN!
~Rachael
We just finished the second term of school. I’ve spent the last couple of weeks giving end of term exams, grading and filling out progress reports for the students. Very, very tiresome. You all know how many students I have in each class, so imagine filling out a report for every single one of them. I know! I was convinced I had given myself carpel tunnel syndrome after the first day of writing; I could barely move my hand. The grading system here is a bit different then it is in America. As previously mentioned, there are three exams every term and these are the only things used to give a grade to the student. The exams are weighed unevenly when calculating the final grade. It’s a little different from school to school, but at ours, the end of term exam from last term was 15%, the beginning of term 5% and mid term 70%. I had to adjust mine a little, so it ended up being beginning of term 30% and the mid-term, 70%. I was, and am still, not very happy about this distribution. The students did the best on the end of term exams, which makes sense since they’ve had the entire term to adjust. Also, the end of term tests them on the subjects of the entire term. Therefore, I think it’s important that it be included in the grade for the term in which it was given. I also don’t understand why the mid-term is so heavily weighed. I think it would be more appropriate if they all had the same importance. However, there was nothing I could do except grumble to myself and make the necessary calculations. I was happy to see that my science class is doing pretty ok. The average has gone up since the beginning of term and the writing has made a slight improvement. I haven’t graded that end of term for math, so I have no diagnostic yet for them. All in all, though, I think the term went well, considering it was my first time teaching. I am excited for next term and have some ideas for extra classes I could teach. I’m not sure yet on the details, but when I know, I’ll post. Now that classes are over, I have three weeks of holiday, two of which will be spent in training… joy.
Thank you to everyone who remembered my birthday!!! It was really nice to get the messages/texts. I have to admit, I was a little worried about spending it here, since I didn’t know what to expect and I am living in the village (aka- the middle of nowhere). I went to Tororo and spent the day with Kendra, another volunteer, who recently COSed! (*sob, tear*). Since she was leaving to return to America, people were throwing her parties every which where and I went to them with her. There were Ugandans and bazungu (that would be the plural of muzungu), so it was an interesting mix. She had them sing happy birthday to me and I felt very loved. Later, we spent the night at Erin’s, who made me birthday crepes, which were superb and excellent. On Saturday, we all had lunch together and I went hope happy. All in all, it was wonderful ( :
I went to Kampala last week for a few days, to say goodbye to Kendra. While I was there, I saw my movie, which was HP 6. All I have to say is oh, wow. More different from the book than the other movies. I haven’t decided yet how I feel about it and need to see it a second time before judgment can be rendered. I do, however, love the girl they chose for Ginny. While in Kampala, I did the usual: at my way through the visit. I had my ice cream and oh-so-delicious pizza, so I was satisfied in that area. I also talked to the PCMO about allergies and sleeping problems I’ve been having lately. The allergies aren’t really surprising. Ever since landing in Uganda, my allergies have increased ten fold and I have to take something everyday for it. *sigh* Just another thing to remember. The bad side of it, though, is that my body seems to become immune whatever anti-histamine I’m using, so I have to keep switching. I’m on lucky pill type #3, so hopefully this will be the last. Hopefully… As far as sleeping goes, I’ve just been waking up at hours in which no sane, or sober, person should be awake. That, I hope, goes away soon. We all know how happy and sociable Rachael is without her sleep.
Last Friday, I had Suzuki over for lunch. She knows about my cooking history and I think she was a bit wary of the meal we made. We used the recipe she brought for rice, so I am claiming innocence over that part. It may or may not have had a taaaad too much vinegar, but one you dowsed it in soy sauce, all was well. The biscuits, which I was in charge of, came out very well, especially the first batch. The second might have been a teensey bit burned on the bottom, but once you cut that off, it was a-ok. Aunt Diane, I want you to know that I still had the marshmallow bunny you sent in the care package. That was used to make rice crispy treats, which came out fabulous, if a little pink in color. Hey, you gotta use what you have, right? In total, I think it was a successful first luncheon and I’m confident Suzuki will eat my cooking again because she likes it, not because she just that nice.
Well, that’s all for now ladies and gents. I hope all of you are doing marvelous in the states and enjoy the fall weather. We don’t have any seasons here, so I’m a little jealous of you all and the changing leaves. TTFN!
~Rachael
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Blue sky+yellow sun+reflective pool= red, red Rachael
Hey all, I have made a startling discovery: there is an internet café in Busolwe!! I didn’t know of its existence until a Canadian volunteer who was here for some few weeks told me about it. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it’s kind of expensive and I’m not sure of the hours. However, this means I can check my email more often and give more regular updates.
I’m sure the majority of you are not surprised by the title of my post. Apparently, when you live on the equator, the rules for preventing sunburn change. A little lesson I will not be forgetting quickly. A few weeks ago, I went to the pool at a hotel in Tororo with another volunteer. It was a beautiful day, absolutely perfect for swimming. There were no clouds in the beautiful blue sky. *sigh* Then, after five hours of alternately swimming and lounging, my perfect pool day was destroyed. I realized that my thighs, shoulders and face were red. Red I tell you!! And not only red, but sore. I was walking as if I had just ridden a horse and when I got to Kendra’s house, where I spent the night, I layed on the floor and spent the rest of the night putting aloe on my burned, burned skin and wondering how other people were able to sunburn so many times. That stuff hurts! I now have a new found respect for those of the fair skinned. I really wasn’t sure what to do, so I just layed there and watched House on her laptop. So, I learned a valuable lesson: apparently, when you go to the pool in Uganda, you need to put on sunscreen. Well, I’m sorry but I’m still getting used to the climate here. Back in Colorado, I can go to the pool without putting on sunscreen and I’m just fine! Anyway, I’m still reaping that little episode as the skin is peeling from my legs. Just another reminder of what I should have done!
Last week, I went to Kampala for a couple of days. Yes, I’ll admit it, the sole purpose of going to Kampala was to storm PC HQ and get the mail I know they were holding for me! And guess what, 5 packages and 2 letters, BAM! So, one reason I wasn’t getting any letters is that Rachael N.H. looks like Rachelle R. (I don’t see the similarity), so they were being put in the wrong box. Also, I guess I’ve been spelling my name wrong all my life, because the label for the box reads Rachek NH... yeah, I’m not even sure where that spelling came from, but all I know is that it’s been causing me some major frustrations. I tried to correct it, but I think it looks more like Rachel, which isn’t very helpful. Anyway, I got 4 from my momma and one from Chibi! I was so excited to get the goodies and the pictures. Thank you, thank you, thank you my wife ( : Also, while I was in town, I treated myself to a movie: Transformers 2. It was awesome! We all know Optimus Prime is the shiznit, and Shia’s pretty cool too. Hey, lay off! This is the second time I’ve been to a theatre in 5 months, so I think it’s a pretty momentous occasion. Hmmm, theatre popcorn... The trip was pretty good except that the matatu got a flat tire on the way back to Tororo. We were stranded on the side of the road for over an hour until another tire was brought. Yep, just another experience with Ugandan public transport.
Last Saturday, there was a fundraising event at my school. Fundraising here is very different from fundraising in the States. Guests are invited to the school and they donate or pledge money to the school. Then, there is an auction, which is also a little different. Basically, items are bought and then sold at the auction. The price that is paid at the auction has to be greater than the original price of the item. It was a very long ceremony and it started 2 hours late because the guest of honor was 2½ hours late. It is very common for people to not keep time in Uganda. Therefore, my policy is to always have a book to read and some sort of snack. The book is to keep me from being bored in the time between when the event is supposed to start and when it actually does. The snack is to help keep my sanity because, if food is served, it’s not done until after the event is finished, no matter what time it starts.
Teacher at Mulagi Girls is going ok. Our last week of classes is next week, followed by two weeks of exams. Then, the second term is over and I get three weeks of holiday (2 of which will be spent in PC training; I’m not complaining, just saying...). I was a little thrown off by the class schedule because I though I had an extra week of teaching. I am already behind in both classes, so I’m just trying to be less behind. It is very hard to stay on top of things because classes are constantly getting cancelled for one reason or another. However, now that I’m familiar with how it works, I can plan my classes better next term.
Ok, that’s all I’ve got for now, but before I finish, I just want to give another little wishlist (fun fact: almost everything on it you can get for free by raiding the fast good places, which I don’t have here *tear*):
-packets of mustard, jelly (you can get them at Popeyes), taco bell mild sauce, McDonald’s sweet & sour and hot mustard
-mac-&-cheese cheese packets (just the cheese, I have lots of noodles)
-taco seasoning
-chex mix (so good Chibi!)
-chocolate, gummies, chocolate, gummies
-rainbow chip frosting
-drink mixes (those ones that you just pour into water bottles)
That’s all I can think of right now (you can tell where my priorities are ( : ) Also, I love getting letters, and I just sent out a bunch, so check your mailboxes. If you haven’t gotten one yet, you should definitely forward your complaint by letter and I will address it promptly. Miss you all!! TTFN-
~Rachael
I’m sure the majority of you are not surprised by the title of my post. Apparently, when you live on the equator, the rules for preventing sunburn change. A little lesson I will not be forgetting quickly. A few weeks ago, I went to the pool at a hotel in Tororo with another volunteer. It was a beautiful day, absolutely perfect for swimming. There were no clouds in the beautiful blue sky. *sigh* Then, after five hours of alternately swimming and lounging, my perfect pool day was destroyed. I realized that my thighs, shoulders and face were red. Red I tell you!! And not only red, but sore. I was walking as if I had just ridden a horse and when I got to Kendra’s house, where I spent the night, I layed on the floor and spent the rest of the night putting aloe on my burned, burned skin and wondering how other people were able to sunburn so many times. That stuff hurts! I now have a new found respect for those of the fair skinned. I really wasn’t sure what to do, so I just layed there and watched House on her laptop. So, I learned a valuable lesson: apparently, when you go to the pool in Uganda, you need to put on sunscreen. Well, I’m sorry but I’m still getting used to the climate here. Back in Colorado, I can go to the pool without putting on sunscreen and I’m just fine! Anyway, I’m still reaping that little episode as the skin is peeling from my legs. Just another reminder of what I should have done!
Last week, I went to Kampala for a couple of days. Yes, I’ll admit it, the sole purpose of going to Kampala was to storm PC HQ and get the mail I know they were holding for me! And guess what, 5 packages and 2 letters, BAM! So, one reason I wasn’t getting any letters is that Rachael N.H. looks like Rachelle R. (I don’t see the similarity), so they were being put in the wrong box. Also, I guess I’ve been spelling my name wrong all my life, because the label for the box reads Rachek NH... yeah, I’m not even sure where that spelling came from, but all I know is that it’s been causing me some major frustrations. I tried to correct it, but I think it looks more like Rachel, which isn’t very helpful. Anyway, I got 4 from my momma and one from Chibi! I was so excited to get the goodies and the pictures. Thank you, thank you, thank you my wife ( : Also, while I was in town, I treated myself to a movie: Transformers 2. It was awesome! We all know Optimus Prime is the shiznit, and Shia’s pretty cool too. Hey, lay off! This is the second time I’ve been to a theatre in 5 months, so I think it’s a pretty momentous occasion. Hmmm, theatre popcorn... The trip was pretty good except that the matatu got a flat tire on the way back to Tororo. We were stranded on the side of the road for over an hour until another tire was brought. Yep, just another experience with Ugandan public transport.
Last Saturday, there was a fundraising event at my school. Fundraising here is very different from fundraising in the States. Guests are invited to the school and they donate or pledge money to the school. Then, there is an auction, which is also a little different. Basically, items are bought and then sold at the auction. The price that is paid at the auction has to be greater than the original price of the item. It was a very long ceremony and it started 2 hours late because the guest of honor was 2½ hours late. It is very common for people to not keep time in Uganda. Therefore, my policy is to always have a book to read and some sort of snack. The book is to keep me from being bored in the time between when the event is supposed to start and when it actually does. The snack is to help keep my sanity because, if food is served, it’s not done until after the event is finished, no matter what time it starts.
Teacher at Mulagi Girls is going ok. Our last week of classes is next week, followed by two weeks of exams. Then, the second term is over and I get three weeks of holiday (2 of which will be spent in PC training; I’m not complaining, just saying...). I was a little thrown off by the class schedule because I though I had an extra week of teaching. I am already behind in both classes, so I’m just trying to be less behind. It is very hard to stay on top of things because classes are constantly getting cancelled for one reason or another. However, now that I’m familiar with how it works, I can plan my classes better next term.
Ok, that’s all I’ve got for now, but before I finish, I just want to give another little wishlist (fun fact: almost everything on it you can get for free by raiding the fast good places, which I don’t have here *tear*):
-packets of mustard, jelly (you can get them at Popeyes), taco bell mild sauce, McDonald’s sweet & sour and hot mustard
-mac-&-cheese cheese packets (just the cheese, I have lots of noodles)
-taco seasoning
-chex mix (so good Chibi!)
-chocolate, gummies, chocolate, gummies
-rainbow chip frosting
-drink mixes (those ones that you just pour into water bottles)
That’s all I can think of right now (you can tell where my priorities are ( : ) Also, I love getting letters, and I just sent out a bunch, so check your mailboxes. If you haven’t gotten one yet, you should definitely forward your complaint by letter and I will address it promptly. Miss you all!! TTFN-
~Rachael
Sunday, June 28, 2009
AVC- Oy, not another acronym
So, I have been able to get back to the computer within as couple weeks of my last update, which is good for me, because to don’t have to write as much and good for you, because you don’t have to read as much plus you don’t have to worry if I’ve died from starvation since I can’t cook.
This past week, I have been at the All Volunteers Conference, outside of Kampala. This is a big deal, since only a few countries have the funds to put one on. The conference is exactly what it sounds like: all of the volunteers in Uganda are pulled together in one place to give sessions to one another. All together, there were ~130 volunteers. In our case, we stayed at the same hotel where the sessions were held. All of the sessions were led by volunteers and addressed a variety of issues, topics, interests and ideas that were, somehow, relevant to our service and what we were doing at site. Some were geared toward education, others to economic development or maybe to health volunteers. We arrived at the hotel on Wednesday, had three days of the actual conference, and left today, Sunday to get back to site (I’m actually in Jinja right now, on my way back).
The conference was organized so that there were three sessions offered during each time slot and the volunteers could choose which ones they wanted to attend. The majority of the sessions were useful to me. I attended some on football tournaments, since I want to start a girl’s football team at my school, health clubs, gardening and youth empowerment. I think it was better that the sessions were led by fellow PCVs because they understand the difficulties that are involved in everything you do in country. They can address the challenges and solutions, of their own experiences, in creating sustainable changes in the community, integrating themselves with its members and just surviving with the day-to-day trials and tribulations that may arise as a result. I can relate to someone better when I know they’ve experienced the same frustrations I have, survived it and even come out with something they can show to the world. In addition to the sessions, it was also really cool to meat all of the other volunteers. Since being in country, the majority of volunteers I know are from my group, but there are so many other awesome people that I was missing out on and that were missing out on me because, I think we can all agree, I’m a pretty stellar individual. No, really, I am! Stop laughing at the screen!!
So, all in all, it was a pretty good week and that is all I have to report on. But, I have a good, good, good announcement! I have received mail!!!!!! I got a letter from Eric (holler bollar!) and the package from Aunt Diane. I’m gonna say she gets my favorite person of the week award, because it contained a pickle that was completely edible. Yes, I ate the pickle; yes, I drank all of the juice; and, yes, I had stomach problems for an entire day because of it. But, it was totally worth it, as always. Thank you Aunt Diana ( : So, my hope, definitely not faith but hope, has been restored to the Ugandan Postal System and I’m hoping it will get it’s act together and get me the rest of my frickin’ mail. That’s all I have for now. Miss you all and think of you often. TTFN!
~Rachael
This past week, I have been at the All Volunteers Conference, outside of Kampala. This is a big deal, since only a few countries have the funds to put one on. The conference is exactly what it sounds like: all of the volunteers in Uganda are pulled together in one place to give sessions to one another. All together, there were ~130 volunteers. In our case, we stayed at the same hotel where the sessions were held. All of the sessions were led by volunteers and addressed a variety of issues, topics, interests and ideas that were, somehow, relevant to our service and what we were doing at site. Some were geared toward education, others to economic development or maybe to health volunteers. We arrived at the hotel on Wednesday, had three days of the actual conference, and left today, Sunday to get back to site (I’m actually in Jinja right now, on my way back).
The conference was organized so that there were three sessions offered during each time slot and the volunteers could choose which ones they wanted to attend. The majority of the sessions were useful to me. I attended some on football tournaments, since I want to start a girl’s football team at my school, health clubs, gardening and youth empowerment. I think it was better that the sessions were led by fellow PCVs because they understand the difficulties that are involved in everything you do in country. They can address the challenges and solutions, of their own experiences, in creating sustainable changes in the community, integrating themselves with its members and just surviving with the day-to-day trials and tribulations that may arise as a result. I can relate to someone better when I know they’ve experienced the same frustrations I have, survived it and even come out with something they can show to the world. In addition to the sessions, it was also really cool to meat all of the other volunteers. Since being in country, the majority of volunteers I know are from my group, but there are so many other awesome people that I was missing out on and that were missing out on me because, I think we can all agree, I’m a pretty stellar individual. No, really, I am! Stop laughing at the screen!!
So, all in all, it was a pretty good week and that is all I have to report on. But, I have a good, good, good announcement! I have received mail!!!!!! I got a letter from Eric (holler bollar!) and the package from Aunt Diane. I’m gonna say she gets my favorite person of the week award, because it contained a pickle that was completely edible. Yes, I ate the pickle; yes, I drank all of the juice; and, yes, I had stomach problems for an entire day because of it. But, it was totally worth it, as always. Thank you Aunt Diana ( : So, my hope, definitely not faith but hope, has been restored to the Ugandan Postal System and I’m hoping it will get it’s act together and get me the rest of my frickin’ mail. That’s all I have for now. Miss you all and think of you often. TTFN!
~Rachael
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