Burning trash is the bomb- it's awesome and I really never realized it until yesterday when I burned a bunch of papers and other rubbish I don't really need anymore. The kids were helping me burn and they kept asking me... "You are burning that!!!???" They thought I was crazy for burning a cereal box, papers or the most prized possession among us was a wedding invitation that had a car on it... the kids loved this so much that a few hours after burning they were all gathered on my veranda looking at it in amazement... pretty cool. Also during the burning process I was burning a lot of papers that had my name on them, and this was agreed upon by the kids that I should burn them because otherwise I could be bewitched... the little girl did not want her brother to keep the paper with my name on it because if it got lost then a witchdoctor could bewitch me... this is all very true, look out...
Termites are good for eating...
A couple days ago I woke to kids screaming my name to come outside... I got out of bed to tell them to go away, but then I realized they were extracting termites from a hole in my house on the outside... gross... They were sticking a piece of long grass into the hole and the termites would latch on, the kids would grab the butt and put it in a container... When they started biting into them raw I told them to go home and cook them. Termites actually look really gross close up and they have these clamper things like a scorpion or something... they will bite you. Lovely morning... ha, really though it was fun.
Spiderman
Spiderman is alive and well and living in New York City?? I was looking through a magazine from home with my neighbor and we saw an add for Spiderman. He told me that this is how rumors get started... and I was like, wait a minute.. what do you mean?? He said that most people think Spiderman is real...
This is just one example of how American culture seen in the eyes of a Ugandan can be scewed? word? Point being... what else do some think is real?? hehe.
Yet again another hilarious BBC headline was as follows:
"it looks like green wool and actually... it smells like over cooked spinach" - this was a report referring to algae in the waters where sailing competitions will take place at the Bejing Olympics.. haha
Also random... one day I was talking with some girls at my school and one of the girls held up my hand and started examining it as well as my arm... as she looked down at my wrist she gasped and told the other girls to look at my blue veins that they could see... they thought it was crazy that you could see the vein (and as I almost threw up) because they have black skin so you can't see the veins...
I have started becoming a book reviewer and now a movie reviewer... I saw Adaptation and it sucks. I feel sorry for Susan Orlean because her book looked sweet, but the movie made it suck. Nicholas Cage makes the movie bad, but Merel Streep and Chris Cooper make it worth watching until then end... those are my reviews..
A couple weeks ago I lost my flash drive and today as I am entering the computer room, the computer man tells me that they have miraculously found my flash! woo hoo! It really made my day. Hold tight to the things you love, because you never know when they'll be gone, and if you're lucky they may return to you someday.. haha... goodness.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The Struggle
“The Struggle” is a statement written on taxis and coasters that travel around Uganda. I see them around where I live and in Kampala.
“The Struggle”… it used to make me laugh because it conjures up thoughts of rap songs, but now when I see it, I think yep… the struggle.
I see the struggle, feel the struggle and live the struggle. I guess we all do here in Uganda, at least a few times throughout the day. The struggle to get by, to carry your water, wash, teach, travel, live, provide, speak, wake, at night, in the day, always… there’s no getting around it. It’s basically what you do to survive. I guess to a certain extent people do it all around the world, but for some you just have to struggle harder.
When I visit schools, sometimes their motto is: “Struggle and succeed” I guess that’s true too. Thought it sounded strange at first, but here, it’s what you gotta do.
And, I think they like the word “struggle”… apparently I like it today too.
I heard the most hilarious BBC headline of all my time. The headline was approximately as follows:
Chinese people living in South Africa are now to be considered black people because of different rights or some sort of privilege they will get if they are considered black. Haha… what?
Hairy = Hotty
I have always been a trend setter since I can remember. (haha, not really). Anyway, the new black is hair. You should grow your armpit hairs and legs hairs out and you will be cool. Look and see, look and see.
Reflections and thoughts
I have been living in Uganda for about 16 months now, and sometimes it feels like forever, sometimes it feels like less. Lately I’ve been anxious and having feelings of being ready to move on thinking “I’ve been here for some time now, gotten to know people, the culture, helped out here and there, lived it, and now ready for a change” Not because I think I can or should or will or who knows… but the thoughts just run through your mind. Sometimes when I think about foreign aid, me being here, the world, life, my life, how short life is, my Dad, Mom, family, friends, etc. … then I think, ok, maybe it’s time to give back to where I am from. Even if that means just seeing and spending time with my family and friends, getting a job at home, volunteering at home… Anyway, the point of me putting this information on my blog is to just make anyone who cares aware of what thoughts and what it’s like sometimes being away for so long. I’m sure some can relate, some can’t, some think they can or can’t, but for me, I’m here, I’m doing this, and I’m writing this. I know what I know and I have what I have and for now there it is in short… ha.
Being here can be exciting, exhausting, fun, sad, boring, fast, slow, scary, fearless, thrilling, adventurous, and everything in between… I guess just like anywhere else except that I am in Uganda. Ha, before I came here, when I was first told I was assigned to Uganda, the honest truth is that I didn’t even know where it was on a map… and now I live here!
I can't reflect anymore right now.
By the way, I finally shaved those pits... and I ended up losing the bet, but seriously, it was the concept. Also, For some odd reason I ended up shaving at 2am on a Wednesday night or something... random and couldn't sleep...
“The Struggle”… it used to make me laugh because it conjures up thoughts of rap songs, but now when I see it, I think yep… the struggle.
I see the struggle, feel the struggle and live the struggle. I guess we all do here in Uganda, at least a few times throughout the day. The struggle to get by, to carry your water, wash, teach, travel, live, provide, speak, wake, at night, in the day, always… there’s no getting around it. It’s basically what you do to survive. I guess to a certain extent people do it all around the world, but for some you just have to struggle harder.
When I visit schools, sometimes their motto is: “Struggle and succeed” I guess that’s true too. Thought it sounded strange at first, but here, it’s what you gotta do.
And, I think they like the word “struggle”… apparently I like it today too.
I heard the most hilarious BBC headline of all my time. The headline was approximately as follows:
Chinese people living in South Africa are now to be considered black people because of different rights or some sort of privilege they will get if they are considered black. Haha… what?
Hairy = Hotty
I have always been a trend setter since I can remember. (haha, not really). Anyway, the new black is hair. You should grow your armpit hairs and legs hairs out and you will be cool. Look and see, look and see.
Reflections and thoughts
I have been living in Uganda for about 16 months now, and sometimes it feels like forever, sometimes it feels like less. Lately I’ve been anxious and having feelings of being ready to move on thinking “I’ve been here for some time now, gotten to know people, the culture, helped out here and there, lived it, and now ready for a change” Not because I think I can or should or will or who knows… but the thoughts just run through your mind. Sometimes when I think about foreign aid, me being here, the world, life, my life, how short life is, my Dad, Mom, family, friends, etc. … then I think, ok, maybe it’s time to give back to where I am from. Even if that means just seeing and spending time with my family and friends, getting a job at home, volunteering at home… Anyway, the point of me putting this information on my blog is to just make anyone who cares aware of what thoughts and what it’s like sometimes being away for so long. I’m sure some can relate, some can’t, some think they can or can’t, but for me, I’m here, I’m doing this, and I’m writing this. I know what I know and I have what I have and for now there it is in short… ha.
Being here can be exciting, exhausting, fun, sad, boring, fast, slow, scary, fearless, thrilling, adventurous, and everything in between… I guess just like anywhere else except that I am in Uganda. Ha, before I came here, when I was first told I was assigned to Uganda, the honest truth is that I didn’t even know where it was on a map… and now I live here!
I can't reflect anymore right now.
By the way, I finally shaved those pits... and I ended up losing the bet, but seriously, it was the concept. Also, For some odd reason I ended up shaving at 2am on a Wednesday night or something... random and couldn't sleep...
Monday, May 19, 2008
Get on the Night Train
choo, choo... They sell night train here like a fine wine... haha, Night Train. I've been seeing posters and advertisements around in Kampala and on the shelves near me.
To get someone's attention here, it seems as though clapping or hissing are acceptable... for me, I don't really like it that much. Sometimes I will be walking down the street while people are hissing at me for their attention. I don't know... it makes me somehow feel like a dog.. although I think whistling is okay. Waiters and Waitresses are treated the worst. They are clapped at, yelled out, hissed at and about any rude forms of communication I have seen. They can sometimes be treated as though they are lesser of a person... They are sometimes not thanked, rarely tipped and treated like a slave. Seems pretty harsh. Maybe it's just not what I'm used to, but it just doesn't always seem right. I mean, we're all people. ha.
Lunch time can really be anytime here. I have eaten "Lunch" from times between 11am and 7pm... haha... they are calling it "lunch" no matter. At workshops a lunch may be delayed until 4 in the afternoon, but it's still called lunch. Once at my neighbors I ate "lunch" at 7pm and after we finished they told me to hurry home so I could prepare my dinner. hehe... I was thinking, that was dinner... but not in their book.
I just finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. It was pretty good, hard to follow at first, but I liked it... love story. I hear they're making a movie of it with Rachel McAdams, I like that girl. I am still reading The Poisonwood Bible too. While being here in Uganda I read more than one book at once... sometimes 2 or 3 at the same time, going back and forth... haha, I would never do that at home. Probably wouldn't have the time. The Poisonwood Bible is good... about a missionary family from the U.S. living in the Congo in the 1960's... as of now, it seems like the worst has yet to come... sometimes when I read it, the descriptions and details of life there reminds me of mine here.
I saw the new Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, ha... probably beat some of you readers to it. It was the first movie I have ever heard of as coming to Uganda on time. Usually the movies come out later than at home... by a few weeks, maybe a month. Indiana, however, came out Thursday... right on time. I liked the movie, thought it was pretty sweet.
I read a Vanity Fair article called "Continent Adrift" by Paul Theroux (guy who wrote Dark Star Safari) the article is talking about basically the state of Africa and in it, he says this..."Into that gap step the international superstars, Oxfam... the Peace Corps... However well intentioned, there is no real logic or long term plan; it just seems like a good idea, and it's not a bad way to add to your personal myth. But the simple truth is that nothing will change as long as the governments are corrupt, indifferent or merely posturing."
I'm sure the rest of the article can be found online...
So, I guess I am mentioning it in my blog because he mentions the Peace Corps, and that's me. Somehow I agree, somehow I am not sure, but it's there anyway.
To get someone's attention here, it seems as though clapping or hissing are acceptable... for me, I don't really like it that much. Sometimes I will be walking down the street while people are hissing at me for their attention. I don't know... it makes me somehow feel like a dog.. although I think whistling is okay. Waiters and Waitresses are treated the worst. They are clapped at, yelled out, hissed at and about any rude forms of communication I have seen. They can sometimes be treated as though they are lesser of a person... They are sometimes not thanked, rarely tipped and treated like a slave. Seems pretty harsh. Maybe it's just not what I'm used to, but it just doesn't always seem right. I mean, we're all people. ha.
Lunch time can really be anytime here. I have eaten "Lunch" from times between 11am and 7pm... haha... they are calling it "lunch" no matter. At workshops a lunch may be delayed until 4 in the afternoon, but it's still called lunch. Once at my neighbors I ate "lunch" at 7pm and after we finished they told me to hurry home so I could prepare my dinner. hehe... I was thinking, that was dinner... but not in their book.
I just finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. It was pretty good, hard to follow at first, but I liked it... love story. I hear they're making a movie of it with Rachel McAdams, I like that girl. I am still reading The Poisonwood Bible too. While being here in Uganda I read more than one book at once... sometimes 2 or 3 at the same time, going back and forth... haha, I would never do that at home. Probably wouldn't have the time. The Poisonwood Bible is good... about a missionary family from the U.S. living in the Congo in the 1960's... as of now, it seems like the worst has yet to come... sometimes when I read it, the descriptions and details of life there reminds me of mine here.
I saw the new Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, ha... probably beat some of you readers to it. It was the first movie I have ever heard of as coming to Uganda on time. Usually the movies come out later than at home... by a few weeks, maybe a month. Indiana, however, came out Thursday... right on time. I liked the movie, thought it was pretty sweet.
I read a Vanity Fair article called "Continent Adrift" by Paul Theroux (guy who wrote Dark Star Safari) the article is talking about basically the state of Africa and in it, he says this..."Into that gap step the international superstars, Oxfam... the Peace Corps... However well intentioned, there is no real logic or long term plan; it just seems like a good idea, and it's not a bad way to add to your personal myth. But the simple truth is that nothing will change as long as the governments are corrupt, indifferent or merely posturing."
I'm sure the rest of the article can be found online...
So, I guess I am mentioning it in my blog because he mentions the Peace Corps, and that's me. Somehow I agree, somehow I am not sure, but it's there anyway.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Mid-service, been here 15 months, woah dude.
I have just returned from our mid-service conference for the Peace Corps. This means that we have exactly one year left until we end our service and say goodbye. One year may seem long, but in reality I am thinking it will fly and next May will be here before I know it. The workshop was nice, relaxing and a good time to sort of sum up our thoughts and organize plans for the last year. We have been in country for 15 months now and I feel like I have learned so much over the past year but still have so much more to learn and see and understand about life here, my life and a lot more. The group that I came with last March was 50 volunteers. For various reasons we are now 44, but the workshop also gave us a good chance to hear what we are all doing at their sites and all the great work in general throughout Uganda.
Akon was supposed to come to Uganda, but he canceled so far... the papers say he's canceled 5 times in Kenya and now here... let down, woah.
Kampala has 7 main hills, and it's a beautiful city. The afternoons and evenings are especially nice, the wind blows and everything. I have been here now for a few days because I had to go to the dentist again. That wasn't really fun, but I am saving my tooth somehow.
Since I have been away for about 2 weeks, with the workshop and dentist, when I return, all of my neighbors will say, "you have been lost". They will ask me where I was, what I was doing, and the best is when every single one always asks, "what did you bring for me?"
Akon was supposed to come to Uganda, but he canceled so far... the papers say he's canceled 5 times in Kenya and now here... let down, woah.
Kampala has 7 main hills, and it's a beautiful city. The afternoons and evenings are especially nice, the wind blows and everything. I have been here now for a few days because I had to go to the dentist again. That wasn't really fun, but I am saving my tooth somehow.
Since I have been away for about 2 weeks, with the workshop and dentist, when I return, all of my neighbors will say, "you have been lost". They will ask me where I was, what I was doing, and the best is when every single one always asks, "what did you bring for me?"
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Sarah Budi was here! Sarah is my friend from home, we grew up together and she's a best friend of mine. I love her, I love you Sarah, ha. She came to Uganda, she saw, she somehow conquered and now she is gone. boo, that is the sad part. I can't decide if I'm gonna elaborate on our trip on this blog, but if I do, it won't be now... if you know Sarah, ask!
Well, in true Peace Corps form I've decided to stop shaving my legs and arm pits for the next few months and see how things go... I am now in a bet with another Peace Corps Volunteer, Rivka, so we will be hairy for a while. I know it's lovely.
I don't know if my cousin Katy reads this blog, but if you do... I just wanna give a shout out to you and Ted and the baby! wooo hooo! It's hard being here knowing that there's the first baby coming into our family, so but I am so excited even though far away! I can't wait to see pictures.
AKON is coming to Kampala Uganda! I can't wait for this either... it's April 26, and I really want to go. I love Akon, and I hope I can save up if it's fairly cheap and go!
Well, in true Peace Corps form I've decided to stop shaving my legs and arm pits for the next few months and see how things go... I am now in a bet with another Peace Corps Volunteer, Rivka, so we will be hairy for a while. I know it's lovely.
I don't know if my cousin Katy reads this blog, but if you do... I just wanna give a shout out to you and Ted and the baby! wooo hooo! It's hard being here knowing that there's the first baby coming into our family, so but I am so excited even though far away! I can't wait to see pictures.
AKON is coming to Kampala Uganda! I can't wait for this either... it's April 26, and I really want to go. I love Akon, and I hope I can save up if it's fairly cheap and go!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Ain't no pizza parties in Uganda...we have goat slaughtering parties, woo, yee hawww. (credit to AK, my beautiful sister for this one)
Today is a beautiful day in Uganda and I just thought I would post another blog to follow up on the athletics competitions...
Yesterday there were inter-school competitions where the girls divided into different countries (teams) and raced each other. The team that won got a prize of a goat. The goat was black and lovely and when it came time to announce the winning team, I got to hand over the goat to the winning team. The kids were going crazy! People were yelling, hooting and hollering, smiling and laughing... it was so much fun! The goat I think knew it was on its death bed though... as I tried to pull him over with the rope he didn't seem to want to come so much. Once I finally handed him over to the winning team the kids went nuts! They started singing and they took the goat and started running all over the place with it chanting and singing their victory song. They didn't sing "we are the champions" by Queen, like my Mom likes to do sometimes, but they sang their own song... it was fun!
I am having a great day and I must say thanks to Mom and AK for sending me the Tao Te Ching... I am loving it and feeling the Tao already! woo hoo!
Also, thanks to AK and Erin, I got your packages, holy crap, Thanks sooo much! I love you!
Yesterday there were inter-school competitions where the girls divided into different countries (teams) and raced each other. The team that won got a prize of a goat. The goat was black and lovely and when it came time to announce the winning team, I got to hand over the goat to the winning team. The kids were going crazy! People were yelling, hooting and hollering, smiling and laughing... it was so much fun! The goat I think knew it was on its death bed though... as I tried to pull him over with the rope he didn't seem to want to come so much. Once I finally handed him over to the winning team the kids went nuts! They started singing and they took the goat and started running all over the place with it chanting and singing their victory song. They didn't sing "we are the champions" by Queen, like my Mom likes to do sometimes, but they sang their own song... it was fun!
I am having a great day and I must say thanks to Mom and AK for sending me the Tao Te Ching... I am loving it and feeling the Tao already! woo hoo!
Also, thanks to AK and Erin, I got your packages, holy crap, Thanks sooo much! I love you!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Women's Day is celebrated here in Uganda big time... I think because every other day women are usually so supressed that this is the one day of the year where it is ok for a man to cook for his wife, get his own water, women wear their nice clothes and things like this... but through stories I hear that the day can actually backfire and some men end up beating their wives. At our school we celebrated with an assembly and dancing and good food and speeches all about women and how important we are and everything.... it was a fun day but when it was time to eat all the male teachers sat down and the women served them all... I was like what the heck is going on.... ha, it really defeated the whole point...
We were out of power for about a week there... I heard it was because some people had cut the cables in the middle of the night to sell... I hear they can get a lot of money for them, so when you're poor, that's what you do... at least it's an option that's there... finally power came back a few nights ago and the whole school went crazy, cheering, yelling "umeme" (that's the name of the power company) and it was pretty exciting... it's normal to lose power here, but a week was a long time... basically every single day it does go out at some point for at least a few hours... so I usually think about how thankful I am for the power we have in the US. I told some of my neighbors that the power might go out once a year at home and they thought that was crazy! They couldn't believe it really...
My neighbor transferred schools a couple weeks ago which means he had to move out, pack up his things and travel to a new home some where else.... as he packed up his things in the afternoon I sat on my front porch to watch. For him to move out took no longer than 5 minutes... he packed up his metal frame twin bed, a chair, one bag and a few other small things and that was it... I really thought about the contrast between him moving and any time I have every moved at home... I always have so much stuff! This man had hardly anything, but that was him and that was what he had... he moved out and moved on in less than 5 minutes...
Athletics are running competitions the schools have and the competitions are coming up, so lately I have been going to the practices... girls run around sprinting and running in skirts and dresses and no shoes... I always think they will step on something and hurt their foot, but they seem fine for the most part...
2 days ago I was visiting a school and when asking what their challenges were, one challenge was that every evening someone comes in to one of the classrooms and defecates on the floor, so every morning they come in and have to clean up poo. I asked about locks, but they can't afford them and the windows are broken anyway, and I asked why and the probably reason is that within the entire town there is not one single latrine (no place to use the bathroom except maybe the bush). This was only one problem though... another problem was that there is no boar hole near by.... the closest one about 3km away so they get their water from an untreated spring... this is crazy! Sanitation level is awfully low and it's just insane. I was reviewing some of the lesson plans and most were not up to a high standard, incorrect facts or misspelled words, etc, but I was thinking that no wonder they can't focus on these things when problems of health and sanitation aren't met first...
I've been in Uganda for a year now! I guess it feels like it, but sometimes not... I still learn so much about everything everyday and although I've grasped a little bit of how life works here, I still have a long way to go...
My Mom just sent me the Tao Te Ching book with commentary by Wayne Dyer... if you're in to that kind of stuff, it's really great!
Here's a lovely quote from it: "When you realize you have all you need, the world belongs to you."
We were out of power for about a week there... I heard it was because some people had cut the cables in the middle of the night to sell... I hear they can get a lot of money for them, so when you're poor, that's what you do... at least it's an option that's there... finally power came back a few nights ago and the whole school went crazy, cheering, yelling "umeme" (that's the name of the power company) and it was pretty exciting... it's normal to lose power here, but a week was a long time... basically every single day it does go out at some point for at least a few hours... so I usually think about how thankful I am for the power we have in the US. I told some of my neighbors that the power might go out once a year at home and they thought that was crazy! They couldn't believe it really...
My neighbor transferred schools a couple weeks ago which means he had to move out, pack up his things and travel to a new home some where else.... as he packed up his things in the afternoon I sat on my front porch to watch. For him to move out took no longer than 5 minutes... he packed up his metal frame twin bed, a chair, one bag and a few other small things and that was it... I really thought about the contrast between him moving and any time I have every moved at home... I always have so much stuff! This man had hardly anything, but that was him and that was what he had... he moved out and moved on in less than 5 minutes...
Athletics are running competitions the schools have and the competitions are coming up, so lately I have been going to the practices... girls run around sprinting and running in skirts and dresses and no shoes... I always think they will step on something and hurt their foot, but they seem fine for the most part...
2 days ago I was visiting a school and when asking what their challenges were, one challenge was that every evening someone comes in to one of the classrooms and defecates on the floor, so every morning they come in and have to clean up poo. I asked about locks, but they can't afford them and the windows are broken anyway, and I asked why and the probably reason is that within the entire town there is not one single latrine (no place to use the bathroom except maybe the bush). This was only one problem though... another problem was that there is no boar hole near by.... the closest one about 3km away so they get their water from an untreated spring... this is crazy! Sanitation level is awfully low and it's just insane. I was reviewing some of the lesson plans and most were not up to a high standard, incorrect facts or misspelled words, etc, but I was thinking that no wonder they can't focus on these things when problems of health and sanitation aren't met first...
I've been in Uganda for a year now! I guess it feels like it, but sometimes not... I still learn so much about everything everyday and although I've grasped a little bit of how life works here, I still have a long way to go...
My Mom just sent me the Tao Te Ching book with commentary by Wayne Dyer... if you're in to that kind of stuff, it's really great!
Here's a lovely quote from it: "When you realize you have all you need, the world belongs to you."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
