We are warriors fighting for peace

Dancing is fun. If you haven't danced lately, then you should.

This week has been alright. It's November, and that means it's cold at home. It is not cold here. Actually, it is really hot. The hottest times in Uganda occur in November- February or something close. Sometimes if I am sitting in a room, maybe I will be just sweating sitting there. I pretty much don't like it too much. The worst is when you are sleeping and it's hot. ooo boy, not fun.

Caning is a common practice in the schools here, although it is ILLEGAL, but like a lot of laws here, it is not enforced. I am going to try to do a workshop for the teachers, making them aware of the alternatives to caning and beating a child and how to impliment these alternatives. It makes me upset to see, even like I want to throw up. It is quite terrible. "If your only tool is a hammer, pretty soon all the world appears to be a nail"
There is an organization here in Uganda that is working on fighting Violence against women and children. Their website is raisingvoices.org

America is a dream to some, maybe a lot of people probably for so many reasons. Maybe for money, opportunities, studying, anything really, but sometimes I forget how lucky we are to have the things we have, live the life we live, and have all the opportunities layed out before us. They really are there, we just have to go after what we want. It's not the same for everyone else in the world. Being here does help me open my eye lids a little to see, but still... I will never really know what it's like because I am me, and this is my life.
So, recently one of my friends lost his 16 year old brother. I was sad for him, and we were talking about it... he said that he wished he had been in America, America you know. He said he wished he had been there with his brother, because they would have had the machines that could have saved him.

One thing I hate here is being treated like I am a Queen or something. It is insane! Really, they roll out the red carpet for me to walk on usually, and a lot of times I have a hard time coming to terms with this. It doesn't always happen, but when it does I'm like woah dude, it's alright. I actually really hate it, and it makes me really uncomfortable. Some examples are as follows, If I am stopping by a neighbors house to say hello, I have to have a seat, even if it is the very one they are sitting on, then they will sit on the floor. If I am in a meeting or gathering, burial, wedding, church, anything, I am usually ushered up to the front. I may not even know what's going on, but I will be introduced and given a golden plate to eat off of. Yesturday I was at a ceremony, and I just wanted to sit with some of my fellow teachers/friends, but I was actually not allowed to. They made me move to the front row because it would look bad on their part as the hosts of the ceremony. I want people to realize that I AM NOT BETTER than them! These situations makes it difficult to prove.

Well anyway, Happy November to everyone who reads this and even those that don't. ha. I love November at home, fall, woo, I love it, so live it up!
oh... and did you know that Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants. ? haha... random email from my Dad, but interesting anyway.