Today, I had the chance to visit with a women's group, Iki-ki Widows and Orphan Initiative Association. We gathered under a mango tree, and everyone sat on the ground, but first they gathered leaves from the tree to sit on... make-shift seat, ha, good use of local resources. I tried to see what I can do to help, most of the women are HIV positive, and the main concerns are what will happen to their children they leave behind. They have established themselves as an official group recognized by the sub-county, and there are about 70 women and 50 OVCs (orphans and vulnerable children). They have fields to grow crops, few cattle and some goats to get started. The Chairperson led the meeting, and I know only some Lugwere, so most of what I said had to be translated. The woman that sat next to me told me her name was Sarah and that she was HIV positive. I told her that I have a best friend from home named Sarah, so it is a nice name. She looked at me and said, "That's fine, I love her." ha, this was funny for me to hear, so Sarah, you now have at least 2 people that love you in Uganda. For some reason when she said this to me, it hit me weird, just made me be like, "huh, you love my friend Sarah" haha.
Anyways, I think the women and children were really happy I was there to visit with them, I just hope they don't think I am God and will be able to answer all their prayers, maybe only some. We shall see.
Black boogars
Every time I blow my nose in Uganda, what comes out, but lovely black boogars. haha, this is actually true. It is usually worse when I travel, but I was talking with another volunteer that says this is not good. (haha, I will agree, no, it's not good). Now, it's not just me either, so don't think I am this extremely dirty, it happens to everyone. (If you are a person in Uganda reading this, don't write any comments about how this doesn't happen to you) haha, because I'm sure it does, maybe you just don't blow your nose often enough, and that's even grosser. So, my thoughts on this are, let's clean up our world, and get rid of these black boogars, I'm ready for clear or even greenish will be fine. Dad, I hope you like this post, it's mainly for you, so you can think of me. Smile, cheese.
Country music
Ugandans love country music! Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Shania Twain, and many more always on the radio. This is also funny to me, but good, because I love listening to country music very much too.
Kneeling
Girls kneel here, it is something they do as a part of their culture, but then I'm like, well why don't boys? Yesturday I was at a school, and a little girl walked by me, but as she got near to me, she kneeled. Most girls and even women kneel when they greet me. At first, I was not too comfortable only because I want them to know they are equal with me, so they shouldn't have to kneel, but mostly it's just out of respect (according to their culture). I don't kneel because it's not a part of my culture.
Before this,
Lately life had been a little down, just because I haven't really known what in the world I am supposed to be doing here in Uganda, ha, soon though, soon I see some light shining somewhere sometimes, so for now, I guess that's enough. Sometimes I want to do a hundred billion things, but I need to really just focus on a few. I know this anyways.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Coke makes my eyes water
I was coming to Kampala this weekend because an old cavity of mine was messed up. The dentist left a gap between the filling and the tooth, so I couldn't eat on my left side. The dentist had to drill out 2 old fillings completely and then re-fill them, lovely. I don't usually like the dentist anyways, so it really wasn't fun, but it was nice coming to Kampala.
So, I think that I need to stop drinking soda or something. Coke makes my eyes water anyways, which I always think is weird.
Visitor's book:
Lately I have had the opportunity to visit a lot of the schools in my outreach area, and the visitor's book is this book you have to sign as soon as you get to a school. It is kind of a funny thing, because when you sign it, you really have to, and it is really, really important that you do. I know it's important because it is the very first thing I do at every school I reach. This one school I was at, there was a man who arrived late, but had to make a speech. As he is in the middle of his speech a man comes up and places the visitor book in front of him to sign... yes, it's really important as you can see.
Bee's in my pit latrine:
I have these weird blueish/black bees in my pit latrine. It is very scary because now every time I go, I get freaked out a bee will fly up and eww... I don't like the situation. I think I will have to smoke them out or something, but I don't know how to do that, so I guess eventually I will have to ask a neighbor to help me. Wish me luck.
So, I think that I need to stop drinking soda or something. Coke makes my eyes water anyways, which I always think is weird.
Visitor's book:
Lately I have had the opportunity to visit a lot of the schools in my outreach area, and the visitor's book is this book you have to sign as soon as you get to a school. It is kind of a funny thing, because when you sign it, you really have to, and it is really, really important that you do. I know it's important because it is the very first thing I do at every school I reach. This one school I was at, there was a man who arrived late, but had to make a speech. As he is in the middle of his speech a man comes up and places the visitor book in front of him to sign... yes, it's really important as you can see.
Bee's in my pit latrine:
I have these weird blueish/black bees in my pit latrine. It is very scary because now every time I go, I get freaked out a bee will fly up and eww... I don't like the situation. I think I will have to smoke them out or something, but I don't know how to do that, so I guess eventually I will have to ask a neighbor to help me. Wish me luck.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Music Competitions
This week and the next couple weeks there are music competitions for the primary schools, and it is amazing. The kids are so talented. I have taken tons and tons of videos and pictures, I just wish there was an easier way to post them for everyone to see. It's somehow slow though. The sun was setting in these pictures, and it was just beautiful.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
A few days ago, we were plowing some land into lovely rows, with the P.5 students (around age 10-11), so we could then transplant some tomato seedlings from the nursery to the newly plowed rows. I helped dig a little, and people usually laugh because they think I have never done it before, which actually I never actually have used a hoe. haha, I have done some gardening, but not like this.
By the way, kids carry around machete knives here like nobody's business. As we were in the field, the teacher handed a child a huge machete knife she had just used to chop down a small tree, and I was thinking in my head, gee, that would probably never happen back home. It even reminded me of a time with my host family, and the 1 year old was walking around with a kitchen knife about 7 inches long. Look out. haha.
"If you play the recorder with your nose, by the way, I give you a zero". -on judging a music competition.
Yesturday, I had the chance to attend a music workshop, and it was awesome. The facilitators were really good, and I really think music is so good for the soul, and could and will probably solve a lot of the problems the world is facing. I mean when I think about how music makes me feel, I'm like woah, this could solve anyone's problems... I guess we shall see.
At this workshop, I was faced with some challenges I think under normal circumstances, I would not be able to handle, small, but big, so,
If you want to step out of your comfort zone, do the following:
1. Don't use your fork or spoon tonight at dinner. Try eating with your hands. (Preferably rice and soupy beans, obviously something other than "finger food") and make sure at least 10 people are watching you do this.
2. Sing a song in front of 30 strangers. (I had the chance to sing "You are my sunshine")
3. This is just a random fact I learned, if you want to be a music judge, one of the qualities you must have is, to be sober. Yes, thank you.
By the way, kids carry around machete knives here like nobody's business. As we were in the field, the teacher handed a child a huge machete knife she had just used to chop down a small tree, and I was thinking in my head, gee, that would probably never happen back home. It even reminded me of a time with my host family, and the 1 year old was walking around with a kitchen knife about 7 inches long. Look out. haha.
"If you play the recorder with your nose, by the way, I give you a zero". -on judging a music competition.
Yesturday, I had the chance to attend a music workshop, and it was awesome. The facilitators were really good, and I really think music is so good for the soul, and could and will probably solve a lot of the problems the world is facing. I mean when I think about how music makes me feel, I'm like woah, this could solve anyone's problems... I guess we shall see.
At this workshop, I was faced with some challenges I think under normal circumstances, I would not be able to handle, small, but big, so,
If you want to step out of your comfort zone, do the following:
1. Don't use your fork or spoon tonight at dinner. Try eating with your hands. (Preferably rice and soupy beans, obviously something other than "finger food") and make sure at least 10 people are watching you do this.
2. Sing a song in front of 30 strangers. (I had the chance to sing "You are my sunshine")
3. This is just a random fact I learned, if you want to be a music judge, one of the qualities you must have is, to be sober. Yes, thank you.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
They are playing the song Silent Night in this computer lab right now, and it is reminding me of home and Christmas. woo, I miss my home.
Hey now, I am really sad to be missing Wimbledon while I am here. I hear updates from the BBC sometimes, and last night they were playing the Serena Williams match versus I don't know who, but the screeching is annoying sometimes. Those screechers are a little out of
control, and I think they should be regulated, but I still miss it.
Mostly the mens tennis I miss.
This weekend I went white water rafting on the Nile River. I was sometimes a little scared for my life, but once it was all over, haha, I finally relaxed and realized how much fun it was. Before each rapid, I would look up to the sky with the beautiful clouds I love and pray to God and my Mom that I would make it through okay. I don't know if that was all necessary, but here I am, so maybe it helped. The rapids were mostly all class 5, some class 4, and the first rapid we went down I asked our guide what class it was, and he was like, "uh, those were ripples". haha.. I started to get a little nervous. When we flipped was always the scariest part, and my life jacket always saved me. Luckily. It really was so much fun though, and there would be these long stretches that we would paddle and some areas we could get out and swim, others no because crocodiles, but it was really beautiful.
Yesturday I went to my first burial in Uganda. A teacher at my school's father died, so I went with my school. When we arrived, there were so many people there. I did a random count and approximated at least 500 people, for real. As we are walking up, they got a bench and I sat under a tent in the shade. Once they started carrying the body towards me, I realized I was in the front row of a man's burial I had never even met. It was a little crazy, but by the end I had so many people come up to me thanking me for coming, and I think just appreciating that I was there and that I came. It was very nice of them, and they were so kind. The service was all in Lugwere, so I couldn't understand very much until suddenly I heard, "Naikoote". That is my Lugwere name, and the man next to me pushed my leg and told me I had to stand up. Ha, it caught me way off guard, and I freaked out a little, but introduced myself and said hello. I guess most people were maybe wondering who this random white girl was, so I got to tell them. woo.
I am in town today to fix the tire of my bike that has gone flat at least 5 times and the pedal has also fallen off twice. haha, I guess I am not very good at picking a good bike. Funny story, I was telling my neighbor about it, and he says, (he actually says this), "well when it has to carry, you are so heavy." haha, a little blunt he was. I was like heyyyy, that's not very nice. haha. Funny though.
We painted the resource room last week with water paint though, so it was a little transparent, but it turned out nice yellow.
Hey now, I am really sad to be missing Wimbledon while I am here. I hear updates from the BBC sometimes, and last night they were playing the Serena Williams match versus I don't know who, but the screeching is annoying sometimes. Those screechers are a little out of
control, and I think they should be regulated, but I still miss it.
Mostly the mens tennis I miss.
This weekend I went white water rafting on the Nile River. I was sometimes a little scared for my life, but once it was all over, haha, I finally relaxed and realized how much fun it was. Before each rapid, I would look up to the sky with the beautiful clouds I love and pray to God and my Mom that I would make it through okay. I don't know if that was all necessary, but here I am, so maybe it helped. The rapids were mostly all class 5, some class 4, and the first rapid we went down I asked our guide what class it was, and he was like, "uh, those were ripples". haha.. I started to get a little nervous. When we flipped was always the scariest part, and my life jacket always saved me. Luckily. It really was so much fun though, and there would be these long stretches that we would paddle and some areas we could get out and swim, others no because crocodiles, but it was really beautiful.
Yesturday I went to my first burial in Uganda. A teacher at my school's father died, so I went with my school. When we arrived, there were so many people there. I did a random count and approximated at least 500 people, for real. As we are walking up, they got a bench and I sat under a tent in the shade. Once they started carrying the body towards me, I realized I was in the front row of a man's burial I had never even met. It was a little crazy, but by the end I had so many people come up to me thanking me for coming, and I think just appreciating that I was there and that I came. It was very nice of them, and they were so kind. The service was all in Lugwere, so I couldn't understand very much until suddenly I heard, "Naikoote". That is my Lugwere name, and the man next to me pushed my leg and told me I had to stand up. Ha, it caught me way off guard, and I freaked out a little, but introduced myself and said hello. I guess most people were maybe wondering who this random white girl was, so I got to tell them. woo.
I am in town today to fix the tire of my bike that has gone flat at least 5 times and the pedal has also fallen off twice. haha, I guess I am not very good at picking a good bike. Funny story, I was telling my neighbor about it, and he says, (he actually says this), "well when it has to carry, you are so heavy." haha, a little blunt he was. I was like heyyyy, that's not very nice. haha. Funny though.
We painted the resource room last week with water paint though, so it was a little transparent, but it turned out nice yellow.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
It's not always rainbows and butterflies...
Well, I'm finally posting, sorry it's been a while.
I saw a goat getting slaughtered the other day at my school, it was gross.
Lately life has been a little difficult here, just trying to figure out what my role is and what I should be doing to help... It's not easy, but I think I'll get there eventually. For now I am spending my days at my school and other schools near by. Yesturday we started painting the resource room, and it's a pretty yellow color. It is water based paint, and we added extra water to it, so it was pretty transparent. ha, the dirt was showing through a little, but I think it will be okay. I was thinking the other day about Coke-A-Cola because I see their marketing adds everywhere! I was thinking that since they are so good at convincing people to drink Coke, maybe they should try and convince people to steer clear of HIV/AIDS, and help. Random thought. I miss home lately, and my mind is in a million different places all the time. I feel like I can't even get it together to write this blog. haha.
I saw a goat getting slaughtered the other day at my school, it was gross.
Lately life has been a little difficult here, just trying to figure out what my role is and what I should be doing to help... It's not easy, but I think I'll get there eventually. For now I am spending my days at my school and other schools near by. Yesturday we started painting the resource room, and it's a pretty yellow color. It is water based paint, and we added extra water to it, so it was pretty transparent. ha, the dirt was showing through a little, but I think it will be okay. I was thinking the other day about Coke-A-Cola because I see their marketing adds everywhere! I was thinking that since they are so good at convincing people to drink Coke, maybe they should try and convince people to steer clear of HIV/AIDS, and help. Random thought. I miss home lately, and my mind is in a million different places all the time. I feel like I can't even get it together to write this blog. haha.
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