Sunday, June 12, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
5/31- 6/4
Tuesday
Today I woke up at 8 am, again! I think I am adjusting well, and I don’t even need an alarm clock. Other than going to the grocery store, and eating lunch, we stayed at the house virtually all day. We had three visitors, Cathy from the SAS foundation came by to talk to us briefly about our summer plans. Our friend Pharouk stopped by for some tea, and he drove Nicole to find an ATM that would work. Even though she tried a few times, turning her card and trying various strategies, Pharouk got it to work the first time. Kitufu! Later, Moses came over. It’s his 2 year anniversary with his girlfriend, Sonja, and we had arranged for them to have a skype date. It was a slow day, and I am anxious to begin work tomorrow.
Wednesday
We made it to Mary’s house by 10, proving that we are now experts at “keeping time.” Mary is one of the few Ugandans who really means 10 am when she says it, so she was happy when we arrived promptly. She calls us her white children. When she first saw us she tried to pick me up, then she really did pick Ginger up. Mary had lots of exciting news to share with us. We met her new boyfriend, Henry, who she plans to marry within the year. She invited us to the wedding and I think I am going to try to come, maybe just for a week next summer. It would be so much fun, and Mary is like a mother to me. She also has a new housemaid, Rosemarie, who is from her village in the west. Other exciting pieces of news for Mary: she bought a car within the last eight months, and her eldest daughter gave birth to her first grandson. His name is Shem and he is 3 months old. Things are going very well for Mary and her family right now. When she described buying her RAV-4 she told us she just said, “To hell with the matatus, and to hell with the bodas! It’s too risky!” haha.
While Nicole and I accompanied Mary to our first school observation of this season, Ginger made her way to the foundation. We are already dividing up which will make things so much easier to accomplish. Ginger met us later on, and it was nice to do an observation with all of us in attendance. The children are wonderful. I love them. I warned Nicole that they slap you and run away, and they will swarm you when they see a camera and so she wasn’t surprised when it happened. I’m glad I did because the school we went to has over 2 thousand students, and the classes are huge. We were outside when they went to lunch and it was organized chaos in the courtyard. Nicole brought a Polaroid so we can leave a picture with each class and they LOVE it! It’s such a fantastic idea, and much appreciated. We watched Seinfeld when we got home, which always makes us happy. Thanks, Mike, for letting me bring a few DVDs!!
Thursday
Eggs and toast for breakfast! We made it to the foundation at 10, where we accompanied Echiba to another new school. SAS has begun to target schools with large populations in the city. We had a successful meeting with Echiba afterwards, and made plans for our summer research, including focus groups, traveling to the North, and conducting more observations and interviews. We also discussed the one thousand or more pretests we have to grade. Echiba told us there are more from Hoima, and we also think we should administer them in these new large schools so we have TONS to do. One exciting piece of news: Echiba told us that in lieu of a charity walk, they are going to do a music festival to communicate HIV this year. The festival will be themed and based upon traditional dance/music most likely. Echiba said that music and dance is a way to show the “emotional scenes and occurrences” that HIV/AIDS fosters within the community. I think it’s the best idea ever. We ate at the pizza place we loved last year, and went home. We’ve been losing power a lot lately
Friday
We graded tests for 3 hours and barely made a dent. For lunch today, we ate bush crickets and ants. I still don’t like htem much, but Ginger seems to enjoy them a lot, the bush crickets anyway. She dips them I ketchup. I just really dislike the antennas. I can’t separate from my mind that I’m eating a bug when they crunch. We had coffee at Roses, and basically ate 2 lunches. I forgot how much people make you eat here.
Saturday
Nicole isn’t feeling well, so we went to the soccer match with Moses without her. I think it’s best she didn’t come because we walked a lot and it was pretty hot out. She would have felt worse for sure. After Moses’ team won, we decided to go watch Uganda play Guinea Bissau and stopped by the house for Gigner to get her Uganda Jersey. Nicole felt well enough to join us, so we all went to Steak Out and watched Uganda win 2-0. It was fun, and an early night.
Sunday
We went to church with Mary, and it was very similar to last year. There were a few differences, however. This time, it lasted 4 hours. Also, there were traditional Buganda dancers and a collection for one of the 5 pastors weddings. We put 5K in an envelope around hour three. Then, at the end, one of the pastors passed earrings around. Whoever got a pair was asked to donate 5K for the wedding. Even though Mary go a pair, she handed them to me to buy them, so we ended up giving 10K UGX for the wedding. Interestingly, before the asked for money the second time, they passed out an itemized list of wedding expenses.
After church we hung out with the family, and played with baby Shem. He has lighter skin than his relatives and they kept joking that he looked like he was white and more related to us. I loved holding him, and he was so sweet and well behaved. He ate a lot, and they were giving him a bottle. Playing with Shem sort of makes me want a baby, which is something I never really felt before. I don’t know what’s happening to me!! When we ate lunch, the three of us shared 2 plates, which were not as full as everyone elses. We got seconds, which made Mary happy. Nicole ate her first sugar cane, and we had a great time. We were at Mary’s from 9:30 to 5. We got home at 6. It was a long day. I am also getting sick, which I really dislike. I didn’t bring any sinus medication, so I am going to look for some at the store today (Monday). More pictures coming soon!!
Today I woke up at 8 am, again! I think I am adjusting well, and I don’t even need an alarm clock. Other than going to the grocery store, and eating lunch, we stayed at the house virtually all day. We had three visitors, Cathy from the SAS foundation came by to talk to us briefly about our summer plans. Our friend Pharouk stopped by for some tea, and he drove Nicole to find an ATM that would work. Even though she tried a few times, turning her card and trying various strategies, Pharouk got it to work the first time. Kitufu! Later, Moses came over. It’s his 2 year anniversary with his girlfriend, Sonja, and we had arranged for them to have a skype date. It was a slow day, and I am anxious to begin work tomorrow.
Wednesday
We made it to Mary’s house by 10, proving that we are now experts at “keeping time.” Mary is one of the few Ugandans who really means 10 am when she says it, so she was happy when we arrived promptly. She calls us her white children. When she first saw us she tried to pick me up, then she really did pick Ginger up. Mary had lots of exciting news to share with us. We met her new boyfriend, Henry, who she plans to marry within the year. She invited us to the wedding and I think I am going to try to come, maybe just for a week next summer. It would be so much fun, and Mary is like a mother to me. She also has a new housemaid, Rosemarie, who is from her village in the west. Other exciting pieces of news for Mary: she bought a car within the last eight months, and her eldest daughter gave birth to her first grandson. His name is Shem and he is 3 months old. Things are going very well for Mary and her family right now. When she described buying her RAV-4 she told us she just said, “To hell with the matatus, and to hell with the bodas! It’s too risky!” haha.
While Nicole and I accompanied Mary to our first school observation of this season, Ginger made her way to the foundation. We are already dividing up which will make things so much easier to accomplish. Ginger met us later on, and it was nice to do an observation with all of us in attendance. The children are wonderful. I love them. I warned Nicole that they slap you and run away, and they will swarm you when they see a camera and so she wasn’t surprised when it happened. I’m glad I did because the school we went to has over 2 thousand students, and the classes are huge. We were outside when they went to lunch and it was organized chaos in the courtyard. Nicole brought a Polaroid so we can leave a picture with each class and they LOVE it! It’s such a fantastic idea, and much appreciated. We watched Seinfeld when we got home, which always makes us happy. Thanks, Mike, for letting me bring a few DVDs!!
Thursday
Eggs and toast for breakfast! We made it to the foundation at 10, where we accompanied Echiba to another new school. SAS has begun to target schools with large populations in the city. We had a successful meeting with Echiba afterwards, and made plans for our summer research, including focus groups, traveling to the North, and conducting more observations and interviews. We also discussed the one thousand or more pretests we have to grade. Echiba told us there are more from Hoima, and we also think we should administer them in these new large schools so we have TONS to do. One exciting piece of news: Echiba told us that in lieu of a charity walk, they are going to do a music festival to communicate HIV this year. The festival will be themed and based upon traditional dance/music most likely. Echiba said that music and dance is a way to show the “emotional scenes and occurrences” that HIV/AIDS fosters within the community. I think it’s the best idea ever. We ate at the pizza place we loved last year, and went home. We’ve been losing power a lot lately
Friday
We graded tests for 3 hours and barely made a dent. For lunch today, we ate bush crickets and ants. I still don’t like htem much, but Ginger seems to enjoy them a lot, the bush crickets anyway. She dips them I ketchup. I just really dislike the antennas. I can’t separate from my mind that I’m eating a bug when they crunch. We had coffee at Roses, and basically ate 2 lunches. I forgot how much people make you eat here.
Saturday
Nicole isn’t feeling well, so we went to the soccer match with Moses without her. I think it’s best she didn’t come because we walked a lot and it was pretty hot out. She would have felt worse for sure. After Moses’ team won, we decided to go watch Uganda play Guinea Bissau and stopped by the house for Gigner to get her Uganda Jersey. Nicole felt well enough to join us, so we all went to Steak Out and watched Uganda win 2-0. It was fun, and an early night.
Sunday
We went to church with Mary, and it was very similar to last year. There were a few differences, however. This time, it lasted 4 hours. Also, there were traditional Buganda dancers and a collection for one of the 5 pastors weddings. We put 5K in an envelope around hour three. Then, at the end, one of the pastors passed earrings around. Whoever got a pair was asked to donate 5K for the wedding. Even though Mary go a pair, she handed them to me to buy them, so we ended up giving 10K UGX for the wedding. Interestingly, before the asked for money the second time, they passed out an itemized list of wedding expenses.
After church we hung out with the family, and played with baby Shem. He has lighter skin than his relatives and they kept joking that he looked like he was white and more related to us. I loved holding him, and he was so sweet and well behaved. He ate a lot, and they were giving him a bottle. Playing with Shem sort of makes me want a baby, which is something I never really felt before. I don’t know what’s happening to me!! When we ate lunch, the three of us shared 2 plates, which were not as full as everyone elses. We got seconds, which made Mary happy. Nicole ate her first sugar cane, and we had a great time. We were at Mary’s from 9:30 to 5. We got home at 6. It was a long day. I am also getting sick, which I really dislike. I didn’t bring any sinus medication, so I am going to look for some at the store today (Monday). More pictures coming soon!!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
5/28-30; Days 3-5
Saturday
In the middle of the night, Ginger hit her head on our headboard and it was so loud that I heard it through my earplugs. Soon after the power came back on and Nicole got up to turn off the lights. Ginger yelled out to turn off the light in the bathroom, I think she thought she was in the room she stayed in last year. I told her that was the kitchen and she said, “Oh, I’m disoriented.”
When we woke up we ate breakfast outside: toast and tea. It was a beautiful morning. We finally started to get moving and I noticed some activity in our compound: the Eritreans were decorating their cars with orange banners and they were holding elaborate flower bouquets. I called to Ginger and Nicole to come look because I thought it was a wedding party. Soon we saw the bride and her bridesmaids who wore orange dresses. We got brave enough to go outside and see if we knew anyone because we didn’t recognize anyone yet. After a while I went inside, which is when Ginger saw Rose, and she invited all three of us to the wedding reception for her niece. We were so excited to be invited to the reception. I love how serendipitous invitations to events are in Uganda, you just end up seeing someone and they invite you places you wouldn’t otherwise go.
Afterwards we went to the supermarket, which has really evolved since last summer. On the way home, Nicole slipped on the loose dirt road. She split her pants at the knee and scraped her hand. I felt bad, but it was sort of funny because she fell in extremely slow motion and I saw it happen. We only lost one egg, a quart of milk, and soy sauce, but Nicole was carrying much more than that. I’m glad she didn’t fall on the bag directly and cut herself on the broken glass.
I went all over the place to find internet before someone told me I can upload it on the SIM card in our phone. In moments like those, I remember that there is still so much I have yet to learn. Ginger and Nicole bought a wedding gift: a glass pitcher, glasses and some homemade peach preserves Ginger brought from her mom’s cupboard.
The wedding reception was awesome! The Eritreans were wearing western dresses or their traditional gowns which are white, with hoods, and made out of some almost see-through fabric that looks like it would be light and soft to the touch. I wanted to feel the fabric, but didn’t. They have elaborate colors and embroidery on the arms and down the center. I love the traditional hairdo for women. I want to do my hair like that sometime. Nicole mentioned how their flowy dresses are individualized with embroidery yet maintain their traditional custom of group identity. She pointed out that they allow the female body and image to be beautiful without being form fitting and revealing, like western dress. She's right and they are absolutely gorgeous women. See photos!
Despite the fact the bride and groom were Pentecostal converts, the rest of the guests danced after the cake was cut. We laughed because Rose warned us there would be no dancing. Because they are immigrants from Eritrea, at celebrations like weddings here in Uganda anyone of Eritrean descent is invited. It reminds me of Hafli’s in America that I’ve gone to. Actually, they also make the “yee-yee-yee-yee…” sound in unison, like I’ve heard at many Lebanese/Arabic functions, which made it seem more familiar. We ate too much, because the food is delicious. It's very similar to Ethiopian food. In retrospect we should have shared a plate. Kitufu!
Sunday
I’ve been having extremely vivid nightmares, which I attribute to the anti-malarials. I hope they stop soon. Today we walked to town and we were stopped by the police after Nicole took a picture of a round-about. Nothing too serious came of it, and I really feel like they were just stopping us to exercise their power and probably wanted to talk to muzungus. The guard was smiling the whole time and his body language did not suggest that we were in trouble. I think it scared Nicole the most because it was her first venture to town and he was holding a large rifle. We are used to police officers with small guns, although to me it’s a gun either way. I think it’s also more intimidating because the guns are in their hands instead of strapped in a holster. It feels a little ominous to walk past armored trucks that hold tear gas, and see so many more officers with large rifles as they are much more prevalent this year.
We walked to 1000 Cups where we were reunited with Joan and shared some lunch. I already want to buy gifts. Please let me know what you might want me to bring back for you! We talked to some students from the University of Michigan. They have a mandatory 3 week cultural awareness class for undergrads, which I think is fantastic.
Moses and Richard came over for dinner. It’s Moses and Sonja’s 2 year anniversary on Tuesday, so they skyped and he opened the presents I brought from her when we met in Amsterdam. I don’t think they’d seen each other in real time since February so it was really special. After dinner, we gave Richard and Moses the baseball t-shirts Mom helped me find for them. They loved them so much and argued over who should get red or blue. I was so glad we found those for them.
Monday
Not much today. We walked to the post-office and Nicole is having problems with her debit card. Since it’s Memorial Day we can’t do much to address the issue until tomorrow. We ate at an Indian restaurant, where the three of us shared one plate. It was still enough to make us all full and I forgot how large the portions are here. Nicole took her first boda, which was during a high period of traffic. The drivers, in true form, went the wrong way on the round-abouts. I think Nicole is adjusting very well, and she seems to be much more confident than I was in the first week. I’m glad to see that she already is falling in love with being here. I am really happy to be here with both Nicole and Ginger.
Last night, Ginger drafted a letter of complaint with KLM/Delta and I only made a few changes before we sent it. The letter was actually pretty tame, despite how annoyed we were with our service. In other news, we joked about Nicole needing a full body cast because she has so many scrapes and unidentifiable bites, and we have been counting our mosquito bites (which are easy to identify). I have 10 so far. One funny story, in conclusion: There are over 1000 species of birds here, which is amazing for such a small country. As a result, we see and hear all kinds of birds in our compound. Nicole has been similarly fascinated about this fact since we arrived, and we both love the one that sounds like it’s laughing. So she often asks about what kind of birds are here. In the middle of the day, she said, “What kind of bird is that!?” to which I replied, “That’s actually a baby.”
Cheers!
In the middle of the night, Ginger hit her head on our headboard and it was so loud that I heard it through my earplugs. Soon after the power came back on and Nicole got up to turn off the lights. Ginger yelled out to turn off the light in the bathroom, I think she thought she was in the room she stayed in last year. I told her that was the kitchen and she said, “Oh, I’m disoriented.”
When we woke up we ate breakfast outside: toast and tea. It was a beautiful morning. We finally started to get moving and I noticed some activity in our compound: the Eritreans were decorating their cars with orange banners and they were holding elaborate flower bouquets. I called to Ginger and Nicole to come look because I thought it was a wedding party. Soon we saw the bride and her bridesmaids who wore orange dresses. We got brave enough to go outside and see if we knew anyone because we didn’t recognize anyone yet. After a while I went inside, which is when Ginger saw Rose, and she invited all three of us to the wedding reception for her niece. We were so excited to be invited to the reception. I love how serendipitous invitations to events are in Uganda, you just end up seeing someone and they invite you places you wouldn’t otherwise go.
Afterwards we went to the supermarket, which has really evolved since last summer. On the way home, Nicole slipped on the loose dirt road. She split her pants at the knee and scraped her hand. I felt bad, but it was sort of funny because she fell in extremely slow motion and I saw it happen. We only lost one egg, a quart of milk, and soy sauce, but Nicole was carrying much more than that. I’m glad she didn’t fall on the bag directly and cut herself on the broken glass.
I went all over the place to find internet before someone told me I can upload it on the SIM card in our phone. In moments like those, I remember that there is still so much I have yet to learn. Ginger and Nicole bought a wedding gift: a glass pitcher, glasses and some homemade peach preserves Ginger brought from her mom’s cupboard.
The wedding reception was awesome! The Eritreans were wearing western dresses or their traditional gowns which are white, with hoods, and made out of some almost see-through fabric that looks like it would be light and soft to the touch. I wanted to feel the fabric, but didn’t. They have elaborate colors and embroidery on the arms and down the center. I love the traditional hairdo for women. I want to do my hair like that sometime. Nicole mentioned how their flowy dresses are individualized with embroidery yet maintain their traditional custom of group identity. She pointed out that they allow the female body and image to be beautiful without being form fitting and revealing, like western dress. She's right and they are absolutely gorgeous women. See photos!
Despite the fact the bride and groom were Pentecostal converts, the rest of the guests danced after the cake was cut. We laughed because Rose warned us there would be no dancing. Because they are immigrants from Eritrea, at celebrations like weddings here in Uganda anyone of Eritrean descent is invited. It reminds me of Hafli’s in America that I’ve gone to. Actually, they also make the “yee-yee-yee-yee…” sound in unison, like I’ve heard at many Lebanese/Arabic functions, which made it seem more familiar. We ate too much, because the food is delicious. It's very similar to Ethiopian food. In retrospect we should have shared a plate. Kitufu!
Sunday
I’ve been having extremely vivid nightmares, which I attribute to the anti-malarials. I hope they stop soon. Today we walked to town and we were stopped by the police after Nicole took a picture of a round-about. Nothing too serious came of it, and I really feel like they were just stopping us to exercise their power and probably wanted to talk to muzungus. The guard was smiling the whole time and his body language did not suggest that we were in trouble. I think it scared Nicole the most because it was her first venture to town and he was holding a large rifle. We are used to police officers with small guns, although to me it’s a gun either way. I think it’s also more intimidating because the guns are in their hands instead of strapped in a holster. It feels a little ominous to walk past armored trucks that hold tear gas, and see so many more officers with large rifles as they are much more prevalent this year.
We walked to 1000 Cups where we were reunited with Joan and shared some lunch. I already want to buy gifts. Please let me know what you might want me to bring back for you! We talked to some students from the University of Michigan. They have a mandatory 3 week cultural awareness class for undergrads, which I think is fantastic.
Moses and Richard came over for dinner. It’s Moses and Sonja’s 2 year anniversary on Tuesday, so they skyped and he opened the presents I brought from her when we met in Amsterdam. I don’t think they’d seen each other in real time since February so it was really special. After dinner, we gave Richard and Moses the baseball t-shirts Mom helped me find for them. They loved them so much and argued over who should get red or blue. I was so glad we found those for them.
Monday
Not much today. We walked to the post-office and Nicole is having problems with her debit card. Since it’s Memorial Day we can’t do much to address the issue until tomorrow. We ate at an Indian restaurant, where the three of us shared one plate. It was still enough to make us all full and I forgot how large the portions are here. Nicole took her first boda, which was during a high period of traffic. The drivers, in true form, went the wrong way on the round-abouts. I think Nicole is adjusting very well, and she seems to be much more confident than I was in the first week. I’m glad to see that she already is falling in love with being here. I am really happy to be here with both Nicole and Ginger.
Last night, Ginger drafted a letter of complaint with KLM/Delta and I only made a few changes before we sent it. The letter was actually pretty tame, despite how annoyed we were with our service. In other news, we joked about Nicole needing a full body cast because she has so many scrapes and unidentifiable bites, and we have been counting our mosquito bites (which are easy to identify). I have 10 so far. One funny story, in conclusion: There are over 1000 species of birds here, which is amazing for such a small country. As a result, we see and hear all kinds of birds in our compound. Nicole has been similarly fascinated about this fact since we arrived, and we both love the one that sounds like it’s laughing. So she often asks about what kind of birds are here. In the middle of the day, she said, “What kind of bird is that!?” to which I replied, “That’s actually a baby.”
Cheers!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Blog 2: Travel to Kampala and first full day
While we were in Amsterdam I ate one of the best meals of my life at the fancy restaurant called Supper Club on Tuesday night. The restaurant has beds to lay on, with overstuffed pillows. There are small tables on the long beds, and a three or five course meal depending on the night you go. I can’t get over how much fun we had splurging on that meal. It was worth it. We watched a short burlesque show during desert, and I ate steak (which I never do) and loved every bite of it. That was so much fun. Afterwards we danced with some middle-aged couples on the floor. We walked home to help ease the too-full-feeling we had from the delicious food. You will have to appreciate the night (and food) from the pictures we took. See the right-hand side for the link.
While Amsterdam was fun to explore, I didn’t particularly love the city and I was looking forward to traveling to Kampala. A few things I found interesting about our time there: people hold hands riding bikes and are very affectionate in public, particularly in the parks. Even people who are old do it. Amsterdam feels like a great place to fall in love. Equally interesting: people ride bikes wearing high heels, texting and sans helmets. On the way to the airport I asked the cab driver if people hold up umbrellas as they ride their bikes in the rain. He explained the physics behind why that would not work, although I’m not convinced because people seem to do everything else whilst riding bikes. It seems plausible they also can manage to hold up an umbrella against the wind.
Our friend Sonja visited us on the last day we were in the city and we had a marvelous time catching up. She had never been to Amsterdam before and she said the old buildings were somewhat different from Cologne, Germany where she currently lives. She took several pictures of the canals and streets as we enjoyed coffee and lunch. We chatted about our experiences over the past year and explored the two markets. She and I only skyped twice since I last saw her in Uganda so it was wonderful to catch up in person, and in a new city. She has future plans to start an NGO and wants to do so many wonderful things to help children living in poverty in Uganda. She is an inspiration. I am lucky to have met such a dear and lifelong friend in Kampala. I wish she were traveling with us this year, although it’s really neat that we can meet up to hang out in another country on our way to the field. Next time, Eritrea!! She was kind enough to bring us German chocolates and a children’s book, and she gave me a few items to bring to her boyfriend Moses and the kids from the slums they help find soccer scholarships in Uganda. Walking around all day, it felt like no time had passed between us at all. It seemed normal to once again be tourists together and it reminded me of when we traveled with her last summer exploring Uganda. I was excited to leave Amsterdam, even though overall it was a fun experience. I know now that I prefer places like Kampala to Amsterdam.
We had an unpleasant experience at the airport. KLM charged us 100 Euros each to check a second bag, which we had to do because they would only let us carry on one item even though we saw a ton of people carrying on two. We already paid a luggage fee leaving the US so we didn’t understand having to pay twice AND not being allowed to carry it since we would have been able to if we had a short connecting flight instead of an extended layover. That’s almost $180 each plus the original fee of $50 which we all paid before we left. It’s outrageous. In addition, our flight stopped in Kigali, Rwanda even though it was not on our tickets or in the original itinerary.
When we finally got to the airport we realized that our ride thought we were arriving the next morning. It takes an hour to the Entebbe airport, so we waited and chatted over sodas. I had the ginger flavored one called “Stoney” that I liked so much last year. By the time we left the airport it was almost midnight. We’d been travelling since 8 am. We got to Kampala around one, and had no way to get into the apartment so we had Reverend drop us off at Kabiira Country Club where we pushed two double beds together and slept from around 2 am to 9 am. That cost us about 180 big ones too. Then, we ate breakfast at the hotel, which was really delicious and free (thankfully). Afterwards Reverend gave us a ride to the compound, where we waited on the porch outside for Grace and Annette to arrive. It was gorgeous out and the dog that lives with Rose’s family in the compound, named Dee-dee, played with us for a while. I listened to the birds that sound like they are laughing and cursed myself for once again forgetting my binoculars. There are over 1000 species of birds here. I wonder how much it would cost to buy binoculars.
We took long naps, unpacked, and then Nicole and I ventured to the grocery store. I bought a journal to write in and really wanted her to have a short period of exposure before our long day tomorrow. I am excited to see the city with fresh eyes and look forward to walking off all the chocolate, bread, and cheese we ate in Europe. After dinner, the water went off so we couldn’t do dishes. I decided to write in my field notes/journal instead. After I finished writing my field notes, as I dotted the period to the last sentence, the lights went out. Both the power and water are still off. Nicole just told me she heard something scurrying around (probably a roach) and we switched our headlamps to the redlight feature. The battery on Ginger’s computer is waning so I have to make this blog short. Welcome to Uganda! Ironically, these experiences add to the multitude of reasons I absolutely love it here!
While Amsterdam was fun to explore, I didn’t particularly love the city and I was looking forward to traveling to Kampala. A few things I found interesting about our time there: people hold hands riding bikes and are very affectionate in public, particularly in the parks. Even people who are old do it. Amsterdam feels like a great place to fall in love. Equally interesting: people ride bikes wearing high heels, texting and sans helmets. On the way to the airport I asked the cab driver if people hold up umbrellas as they ride their bikes in the rain. He explained the physics behind why that would not work, although I’m not convinced because people seem to do everything else whilst riding bikes. It seems plausible they also can manage to hold up an umbrella against the wind.
Our friend Sonja visited us on the last day we were in the city and we had a marvelous time catching up. She had never been to Amsterdam before and she said the old buildings were somewhat different from Cologne, Germany where she currently lives. She took several pictures of the canals and streets as we enjoyed coffee and lunch. We chatted about our experiences over the past year and explored the two markets. She and I only skyped twice since I last saw her in Uganda so it was wonderful to catch up in person, and in a new city. She has future plans to start an NGO and wants to do so many wonderful things to help children living in poverty in Uganda. She is an inspiration. I am lucky to have met such a dear and lifelong friend in Kampala. I wish she were traveling with us this year, although it’s really neat that we can meet up to hang out in another country on our way to the field. Next time, Eritrea!! She was kind enough to bring us German chocolates and a children’s book, and she gave me a few items to bring to her boyfriend Moses and the kids from the slums they help find soccer scholarships in Uganda. Walking around all day, it felt like no time had passed between us at all. It seemed normal to once again be tourists together and it reminded me of when we traveled with her last summer exploring Uganda. I was excited to leave Amsterdam, even though overall it was a fun experience. I know now that I prefer places like Kampala to Amsterdam.
We had an unpleasant experience at the airport. KLM charged us 100 Euros each to check a second bag, which we had to do because they would only let us carry on one item even though we saw a ton of people carrying on two. We already paid a luggage fee leaving the US so we didn’t understand having to pay twice AND not being allowed to carry it since we would have been able to if we had a short connecting flight instead of an extended layover. That’s almost $180 each plus the original fee of $50 which we all paid before we left. It’s outrageous. In addition, our flight stopped in Kigali, Rwanda even though it was not on our tickets or in the original itinerary.
When we finally got to the airport we realized that our ride thought we were arriving the next morning. It takes an hour to the Entebbe airport, so we waited and chatted over sodas. I had the ginger flavored one called “Stoney” that I liked so much last year. By the time we left the airport it was almost midnight. We’d been travelling since 8 am. We got to Kampala around one, and had no way to get into the apartment so we had Reverend drop us off at Kabiira Country Club where we pushed two double beds together and slept from around 2 am to 9 am. That cost us about 180 big ones too. Then, we ate breakfast at the hotel, which was really delicious and free (thankfully). Afterwards Reverend gave us a ride to the compound, where we waited on the porch outside for Grace and Annette to arrive. It was gorgeous out and the dog that lives with Rose’s family in the compound, named Dee-dee, played with us for a while. I listened to the birds that sound like they are laughing and cursed myself for once again forgetting my binoculars. There are over 1000 species of birds here. I wonder how much it would cost to buy binoculars.
We took long naps, unpacked, and then Nicole and I ventured to the grocery store. I bought a journal to write in and really wanted her to have a short period of exposure before our long day tomorrow. I am excited to see the city with fresh eyes and look forward to walking off all the chocolate, bread, and cheese we ate in Europe. After dinner, the water went off so we couldn’t do dishes. I decided to write in my field notes/journal instead. After I finished writing my field notes, as I dotted the period to the last sentence, the lights went out. Both the power and water are still off. Nicole just told me she heard something scurrying around (probably a roach) and we switched our headlamps to the redlight feature. The battery on Ginger’s computer is waning so I have to make this blog short. Welcome to Uganda! Ironically, these experiences add to the multitude of reasons I absolutely love it here!
Monday, May 23, 2011
The beginning of Summer 2: Amsterdam
A quick recap on what's going on:
In May, I graduated with my cohort from the University of Memphis, and I will miss them all dearly over this summer and as we all move on with our lives. I moved to New Orleans recently, and I look forward to beginning my PhD in Public Health from Louisiana State University in the fall.
I am thrilled to be traveling with two of my best friends and colleagues, Ginger and Nicole! The past year has been very exciting for us all and being reunited feels great. Nicole just completed her first year as a doctoral student in Medical Anthropology at the University of Kentucky and Ginger is beginning a doctorate in Public Health from the Oregon State University this fall. I am looking forward to sharing the journey to Europe and Africa with them both. Please read their blogs to catch up on the latest news from abroad as they have already written more than I have! I need to catch up!
We arrived safely in Amsterdam, although there were a few bumps in the road. First, my plane was delayed in Greenville, so I barely made it to Atlanta in time to get on the flight to Amsterdam with Ginger and Nicole. Fortunately, I was able to board but my luggage did not make it! It arrived in Amsterdam at the end of day two.
We decided to extend our layover in Amsterdam on the way to Uganda this summer. I’ve never been to Europe, so this is a very new experience for me. The primary source of transportation here appears to be biking around the city, or simply walking, which makes the city seem quiet despite the bustling of large crowds. The city has a very modern feel, even though it's quite old, which contrasts with the quietness since there are few cars. Even the tram is virtually silent. Amsterdam is actually nothing like what I expected.
The first day we walked around a TON and I was dead tired. We couldn´t go to our room until after noon, even though we arrived at the airport early. Everyone tells you that the place you are looking for is 5 minutes around the corner but it never is. I was so tired I could barely appreciate being somewhere new. Finally we got to go to the hostel. I don´t like staying in one very much because I really prefer my privacy and everyone is very young and here to party. Anyway, Í´ve never stayed in one before so I at least appreciate trying it out once. I was surprised about the subtlety of the girls advertising themselves in the window in the redlight district. It was oddly tasteful.
I love the canals and the boats, and the variation in flora. The first two days we explored the Redlight district, and the open air market and flower market. At the flower market, I was expecting cut-flowers but it’s primarily bulbs and seeds for sale. We also have figured out the trams now, and learned them in an attempt to visit the harbor and see larger boats. It´s colder here, so we are wearing layers and jackets each night. We decided not to go to Cologne, and instead our friend Sonja from Germany, (who we met in Uganda last year), is going to come visit us here on Wednesday. We discussed going to Bruges but we decided not to spend so much money. Instead we are going to go out to eat at this really fancy place called Supper Club. Today we went by there to make sure we had reservations.
For dinner the second night, we decided to buy groceries and eat a picnic in the park. We brought bread, cheese, salami, red and black berries, and olive paste. We had the most lovely picnic, and laughed while we chatted. It was beautiful out. The parks are so well used here, and it was nice to feel like we were behaving like natives. That was my favorite part so far. Afterwards, we went dancing. Sunday we went to the city of Haarlem. Its much smaller and more like what I expected of Amsterdam. It´s quaint and quiet and much less like a big city. I like it better there. We toured a windmill and learned how complex they are. I was really impressed with our guide, and when we went to the top it was really windy and I was terrified because of heights. I thought the windmill had started! I can’t wait until we figure out a way for everyone to see the pictures. Nicole is doing a great job documenting each day.
Today (Monday) we toured the Van Gogh and Anne Frank House museums. I was really moved at both, and had a great time viewing the exhibits. Tomorrow we are going to the Rembrandt museum. I’m sure both Ginger and Nicole have blogged about the trip more in detail so I’ll let you catch up on the rest through them. Cheers!
A few observations:
- Everyone takes bikes and there are very few cars. Bikes are the primary form of transportation. It's very quiet as a result
- At restaurants all the chairs face out to the street/square enhancing the sense of a real community
- There are lots of cute dogs that are well behaved walking without leashes
- The canals and houseboats are gorgeous
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
July 29th through August 3rd
Thursday July 29th
I wrote all day today, and Ginger compiled the preliminary results we developed yesterday into a document so we can take them with us to the foundation tomorrow. We went out with some friends to “Rock Night” at a local hang out. The music was only “rock” music half the time, but it was still awesome. I saw a famous Ugandan musician there. His name is Jamal and he sings a song I LOVE called, “Anavawa.” I walked right up to him and shook his hand. You can’t do that in America! Afterwards, we went and bought an “eggroll.” If you remember, about a month ago we realized that eggrolls are an entirely different substance here. See the pictures to appreciate the initial hilarity of this discovery.
Friday July 30th
Moses came with us to the foundation today. We introduced him to the administrators. We hope he can join the SAS team because he is such a great researcher and he really cares about social issues. After he left, we went over our recommendations with everyone. We had lunch at this really great Indian place in Bugulobi called “Pavement.” The restaurant has a glass window looking into the kitchen. There was not a single Indian person there, but the food was delicious. I never thought I would eat so much Indian food in Africa.
After lunch we had a meeting with the mentors. I went over the results of the pilot test with them, and then, we all say goodbye. Echiba sang a song for us and both he and Mary gave great speeches on our behalf. The whole time we were there, the resident black cat (who always shows up on time for lunch) was lying at Echiba’s feet, listening to him speak. People joked that the cat came for our final meeting too. Haha. After everyone spoke, it was our turn to say goodbye. I choked up and Ginger had to finish for me. She is so collected and eloquent when she speaks. I am really going to miss everyone here, and Ginger, too.
Saturday July 31
Today we worked, and I started to organize my things. It’s going to be difficult to fit everything in my suitcase. I am already saying goodbye to some people who I won’t see again. (Until next year of course)
Sunday August 1st
We went to buy coffee from 1000 Cups today, and we wanted to get some additional shopping done. We are attending a SAS Fundraiser in Baton Rouge in October, so we are bringing home Ugandan crafts to sell in the silent auction. All the proceeds from the crafts we put in the auction will go toward funding our trip next summer. We also had lunch in town, and did some writing.
Monday August 2nd
Happy Birthday MOM!!!
Today was a great day. We accompanied Moses and Sonja to the Aweno Market to see his mother. We’ve been in different markets, but never very deep into them. And the Aweno Market is the biggest market here. Moses’ mother sells fruits there, and has since he was a child. The market is like a gargantuan maze. And it is jam-packed. I was glad Moses was leading us, because I would never be able to find my way out by myself.
People are going in every direction, carrying large bags and wooden crates full of items on their heads. Sometimes you have to duck out of the way so you do not get hit in the head. You have to squeeze past people, and it is very loud. People are calling out, “Muzungu!” and pulling on your hands trying to sell you things. At one point, a man came behind us yelling, “Muzungu, I have stamina!” Haha. The market is a pretty intense experience. I would be afraid to go by myself, but I imagine after spending more time here I would feel more at ease there.
You can buy anything you want inside the market, if you know where to look, and how to get there in the first place. As you walk, your senses are overwhelmed with the most wonderful and the most terrible aromas. Fish and flowers, trash and fruits…it’s like a roller coaster of smells. We took tons of photographs so you can see what I mean for yourself. We bought some wonderful spices and Moses mother was very sweet. Moses bought some fruits from her so we could go make juice at his house.
Afterwards, we walked through the slums in Mengo. People were cooking and eating right in front of large open sewers. It was very unsanitary and the smell was overpowering. I can’t imagine eating and smelling that at the same time. Moses talked about hygiene and unsanitary conditions causing health problems in the area. I can see how. Moses is really intent on helping children from the slums with his organization, SASSO. He and Sonja help talented young soccer players by finding bursaries (scholarships) so they can go to school. He and Sonja have made a difference in at least 12 children’s lives (who live in the slums) so far. Their determination is inspiring, and the reason why we wanted to go with them today, to see the area where they’ve been working.
We went into a meeting place for street children, and they swarmed us. Children were grabbing us and pulling on our hands saying hello. One of them firmly planted his hand on my behind, I had to swat him away. The room they sleep in was extremely tiny, and 8 of them sleep there at night. I cannot believe that. Many teenagers came in, showing us bracelets they were trying to sell, or telling us about their plight. One young man showed us an extremely swollen leg, and he said it had started out as a small scratch. It looked like he had a staph infection to me. I wondered if he tried to keep the cut covered up and thought of the open sewage everywhere. After we visited for a while, Moses told them we were going to leave. They asked us for something to help them, and he told them we could not just pull our money out there. There were so many people crowded into the room with us, and piling outside the door. He told them to send one guy to walk with us, and when we got far enough away to feel comfortable, we would give them some money. Moses told us that they were all saying that we should give them money, because other people who came to see them gave them money. They followed us for a long time, all the way to Moses’ house. We decided to give them food instead of money. We gave them posho and UGX 2,500 to buy some sauce to go over it. Moses said that if we gave them money, it would go to drugs or something else, and never make it back to help the children.
We enjoyed some juice at Moses’ childhood home, and met some of his younger siblings. His brother, Peter can really dance. He was about to show us his moves and play music, but the power went out. Instead, he danced to the beat in his head. It was awesome!! Watch the video! Before we left, we played with some puppies that Sonja and Moses’ dogs had and they were so cute.
Next we went to Sonja and Moses’ new office. They had a bad experience with the last office space they rented. This one is in Mengo, and it takes them anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to reach the office from Kyngera. While were there, we met some of the young coaches and soccer players who live in the slums. We visited their homes, and met their relatives. At one house, the mother thrust her newborn infant into my arms, which is an occurrence that keeps happening to me here. People just hand me their babies although I don’t really know how to hold them properly. We also saw the new pitch (soccer field) that SASSO is going to be able to use to train players. It was a long day. Sonja and Moses have their work cut out for them. I hope to travel with them into the areas they work more when I come back next summer.
Tuesday August 3rd
It’s my last day in Kampala. I am sad. Last night I packed most of my things into the suitcase I brought. It does not feel right that I am already leaving.
This morning, Ginger came out of her room and told me she needed to go to the doctor. She showed me her stomach and she had HUGE bites all over her stomach, arms, and legs. She was itching all over and not feeling well. I started itching just looking at her bites! We left a note for Grace to wash her sheets, even if it is not time, because whatever bit her did so while she was sleeping, UNDERNEATH the mosquito net. We got a ride from our friend, and arrived at the SAS clinic before 9 am. The doctor told her it was actually not bug bites, but an allergic reaction to something. We just got a new detergent, so we figured that it must be irritating her. Then we quickly tried to call Grace to tell her NOT to wash Ginger’s sheets unless it was a different type of washing powder. Haha. The nurse gave Ginger a hydrocortisone shot, and I was in the room for the whole thing. The needle was HUGE, and they fashioned a tie-off around her right arm to restrict the blood flow. Then, the nurse stuck the needle directly into her vein, no butterfly needle was used. The process took almost five minutes. I could see Gingers face contorting in pain. All I could think was, “TAKE IT OUT!” The injection took entirely too long, and you could see her arm swelling as the nurse forced the cortisone into her vein. It was insane. Ginger handled the pain well, during the injection process, but It took her a good 10 minutes to recover afterwards. However, after a few hours, the shot seems to be working already so I guess it’s good that she got it over with. Tonight we are going to hang out with all of our friends one last time. This is my last blog from Uganda. At least, it’s my last blog from the 2010 field season. I cannot WAIT to come back.
I wrote all day today, and Ginger compiled the preliminary results we developed yesterday into a document so we can take them with us to the foundation tomorrow. We went out with some friends to “Rock Night” at a local hang out. The music was only “rock” music half the time, but it was still awesome. I saw a famous Ugandan musician there. His name is Jamal and he sings a song I LOVE called, “Anavawa.” I walked right up to him and shook his hand. You can’t do that in America! Afterwards, we went and bought an “eggroll.” If you remember, about a month ago we realized that eggrolls are an entirely different substance here. See the pictures to appreciate the initial hilarity of this discovery.
Friday July 30th
Moses came with us to the foundation today. We introduced him to the administrators. We hope he can join the SAS team because he is such a great researcher and he really cares about social issues. After he left, we went over our recommendations with everyone. We had lunch at this really great Indian place in Bugulobi called “Pavement.” The restaurant has a glass window looking into the kitchen. There was not a single Indian person there, but the food was delicious. I never thought I would eat so much Indian food in Africa.
After lunch we had a meeting with the mentors. I went over the results of the pilot test with them, and then, we all say goodbye. Echiba sang a song for us and both he and Mary gave great speeches on our behalf. The whole time we were there, the resident black cat (who always shows up on time for lunch) was lying at Echiba’s feet, listening to him speak. People joked that the cat came for our final meeting too. Haha. After everyone spoke, it was our turn to say goodbye. I choked up and Ginger had to finish for me. She is so collected and eloquent when she speaks. I am really going to miss everyone here, and Ginger, too.
Saturday July 31
Today we worked, and I started to organize my things. It’s going to be difficult to fit everything in my suitcase. I am already saying goodbye to some people who I won’t see again. (Until next year of course)
Sunday August 1st
We went to buy coffee from 1000 Cups today, and we wanted to get some additional shopping done. We are attending a SAS Fundraiser in Baton Rouge in October, so we are bringing home Ugandan crafts to sell in the silent auction. All the proceeds from the crafts we put in the auction will go toward funding our trip next summer. We also had lunch in town, and did some writing.
Monday August 2nd
Happy Birthday MOM!!!
Today was a great day. We accompanied Moses and Sonja to the Aweno Market to see his mother. We’ve been in different markets, but never very deep into them. And the Aweno Market is the biggest market here. Moses’ mother sells fruits there, and has since he was a child. The market is like a gargantuan maze. And it is jam-packed. I was glad Moses was leading us, because I would never be able to find my way out by myself.
People are going in every direction, carrying large bags and wooden crates full of items on their heads. Sometimes you have to duck out of the way so you do not get hit in the head. You have to squeeze past people, and it is very loud. People are calling out, “Muzungu!” and pulling on your hands trying to sell you things. At one point, a man came behind us yelling, “Muzungu, I have stamina!” Haha. The market is a pretty intense experience. I would be afraid to go by myself, but I imagine after spending more time here I would feel more at ease there.
You can buy anything you want inside the market, if you know where to look, and how to get there in the first place. As you walk, your senses are overwhelmed with the most wonderful and the most terrible aromas. Fish and flowers, trash and fruits…it’s like a roller coaster of smells. We took tons of photographs so you can see what I mean for yourself. We bought some wonderful spices and Moses mother was very sweet. Moses bought some fruits from her so we could go make juice at his house.
Afterwards, we walked through the slums in Mengo. People were cooking and eating right in front of large open sewers. It was very unsanitary and the smell was overpowering. I can’t imagine eating and smelling that at the same time. Moses talked about hygiene and unsanitary conditions causing health problems in the area. I can see how. Moses is really intent on helping children from the slums with his organization, SASSO. He and Sonja help talented young soccer players by finding bursaries (scholarships) so they can go to school. He and Sonja have made a difference in at least 12 children’s lives (who live in the slums) so far. Their determination is inspiring, and the reason why we wanted to go with them today, to see the area where they’ve been working.
We went into a meeting place for street children, and they swarmed us. Children were grabbing us and pulling on our hands saying hello. One of them firmly planted his hand on my behind, I had to swat him away. The room they sleep in was extremely tiny, and 8 of them sleep there at night. I cannot believe that. Many teenagers came in, showing us bracelets they were trying to sell, or telling us about their plight. One young man showed us an extremely swollen leg, and he said it had started out as a small scratch. It looked like he had a staph infection to me. I wondered if he tried to keep the cut covered up and thought of the open sewage everywhere. After we visited for a while, Moses told them we were going to leave. They asked us for something to help them, and he told them we could not just pull our money out there. There were so many people crowded into the room with us, and piling outside the door. He told them to send one guy to walk with us, and when we got far enough away to feel comfortable, we would give them some money. Moses told us that they were all saying that we should give them money, because other people who came to see them gave them money. They followed us for a long time, all the way to Moses’ house. We decided to give them food instead of money. We gave them posho and UGX 2,500 to buy some sauce to go over it. Moses said that if we gave them money, it would go to drugs or something else, and never make it back to help the children.
We enjoyed some juice at Moses’ childhood home, and met some of his younger siblings. His brother, Peter can really dance. He was about to show us his moves and play music, but the power went out. Instead, he danced to the beat in his head. It was awesome!! Watch the video! Before we left, we played with some puppies that Sonja and Moses’ dogs had and they were so cute.
Next we went to Sonja and Moses’ new office. They had a bad experience with the last office space they rented. This one is in Mengo, and it takes them anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to reach the office from Kyngera. While were there, we met some of the young coaches and soccer players who live in the slums. We visited their homes, and met their relatives. At one house, the mother thrust her newborn infant into my arms, which is an occurrence that keeps happening to me here. People just hand me their babies although I don’t really know how to hold them properly. We also saw the new pitch (soccer field) that SASSO is going to be able to use to train players. It was a long day. Sonja and Moses have their work cut out for them. I hope to travel with them into the areas they work more when I come back next summer.
Tuesday August 3rd
It’s my last day in Kampala. I am sad. Last night I packed most of my things into the suitcase I brought. It does not feel right that I am already leaving.
This morning, Ginger came out of her room and told me she needed to go to the doctor. She showed me her stomach and she had HUGE bites all over her stomach, arms, and legs. She was itching all over and not feeling well. I started itching just looking at her bites! We left a note for Grace to wash her sheets, even if it is not time, because whatever bit her did so while she was sleeping, UNDERNEATH the mosquito net. We got a ride from our friend, and arrived at the SAS clinic before 9 am. The doctor told her it was actually not bug bites, but an allergic reaction to something. We just got a new detergent, so we figured that it must be irritating her. Then we quickly tried to call Grace to tell her NOT to wash Ginger’s sheets unless it was a different type of washing powder. Haha. The nurse gave Ginger a hydrocortisone shot, and I was in the room for the whole thing. The needle was HUGE, and they fashioned a tie-off around her right arm to restrict the blood flow. Then, the nurse stuck the needle directly into her vein, no butterfly needle was used. The process took almost five minutes. I could see Gingers face contorting in pain. All I could think was, “TAKE IT OUT!” The injection took entirely too long, and you could see her arm swelling as the nurse forced the cortisone into her vein. It was insane. Ginger handled the pain well, during the injection process, but It took her a good 10 minutes to recover afterwards. However, after a few hours, the shot seems to be working already so I guess it’s good that she got it over with. Tonight we are going to hang out with all of our friends one last time. This is my last blog from Uganda. At least, it’s my last blog from the 2010 field season. I cannot WAIT to come back.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
July 12th-July 28th
Monday July 12th
Today we tried hard to find out any news about the bombings. Unfortunately, there was a problem with our internet so we had to rely on newspapers (most of which only showed graphic photographs of the deceased) and local news channels on the television. It was difficult to find any information, because people were still being treated at the hospital and officials were really still trying to figure out what happened and why.
We spoke to a few friends, and one friend had a family member, an uncle, who attended the Rugby Club the night before. He never came home and was not answering his phone and the car he drove was still at the Rugby Club. There was no way to know his location or whether he was alive. A few hours later, after searching several hospitals and clinics, he was confirmed dead. Essentially, it was still chaos as families tried desperate to locate loved ones who never came home. At the same time, life resumed as normal throughout the city. We only ventured out to retrieve newspapers from the store.
Tuesday July 13th
We still had no internet today, and people told us one of the bombs disrupted the “Orange” tower. We decided to walk to Mulago Hospital, to use their internet. Unfortunately, it is not an open network so we had to go to an internet café instead. The internet was slow going there too, and it took us an hour to send a few emails to family and to check the BBC/CNN/Embassy websites.
Tonight, we talked to friends many of whom knew someone hospitalized or whose life was cut short on Sunday. I spoke to our friend, whose uncle died in the blast. He was heading to the vigil for his uncle. People bury their dead quickly here, within a day or two. At the vigils, extended families and friends congregate together and celebrate the life of the loved one they lost. They walk through the living room, which has been cleared of furniture to make room for the casket. The family usually has a bonfire, some spirits, porridge or chai, and they laugh as they tell stories and share premonitions they had about the person’s impending death. They stay up all night together. After the funerals, people are not supposed to cry about that person any longer. Someone said people who are truly sad will go to numerous funerals to cry freely about someone they are still mourning whom they are no longer permitted to cry for.
Tuesday July 13th
Friends are still finding out loved ones died in the hospital from injuries and infections resulting from the blasts. I hate terrorism. I made some banana bread to take to Mary, who has cooked for us so many times. She and her housemaid tried a piece while it was still warm and they both loved it. I went to two school observations with Mary, and then a funny thing happened. In America, everyone is familiar with the sound of an ice-cream truck driving through neighborhoods selling treats to children. We’ve heard the music here driving near our house several times, but never saw a truck. We always wondered where the music was coming from. Today, I heard the music as we walked toward a matatu stage, and I saw a man on a bicycle. He had a big wooden crate rigged to the front of his bicycle, with a bright orange cooler inside of it. He was blasting the music and making his way down the crowded street. I asked Mary if he was selling ice-cream, and she said yes. Mystery solved!
Thursday July 15th
There have been numerous hoaxes and false alarms in taxi parks about bombs. People are already making jokes about bombs and I can’t understand the humor in it. I’m afraid of going too deep into the large taxi parks or markets just in case. However, it seems like this was a one-time attack. Today, Ginger was out, and I stayed home to work with Moses. Sonja called to tell us about a bomb in the Nakasero Market. I got nervous because Ginger was near there, and she did not answer the phone when I first called. She came straight home for no reason, though, as the “bomb” was a hoax.
Friday July 16th
We decided if we have to evacuate the country we will go to Kigali Rwanda. We do not even feel threatened at this point, but people keep asking us, so that’s it. Other than that, I worked on our pilot tests, and Ginger went on another observation. The water cut off around 7 pm and did not come back on before bedtime.
Saturday July 17th
Happy Birthday Mike! We walked to Garden City today to buy supplies for our American Meal. We thought it would be fun to do something nice for our friends who lost loved ones because we feel so helpless. When we left the water still was not on.
We bought supplies to make burgers, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato fries with Rosemary, and baked apples. The amount of cheddar cheese we bought cost almost $25 because it was from Ireland. We laughed about how some things are so cheap here that are expensive in America, like fresh produce. Cheddar cheese, however, is exorbitantly expensive. We wondered if the water would be back on when we returned, and what we would do if it wasn’t.
When we came back home, the water was, of course, not on. Gerald helped us fill up jerry cans from the rainwater storage containers in our compound. They are so heavy when they are full of water. We washed dishes, and I showered with one of the jerry cans. Then, as I began to prepare the macaroni, the water came on. Dinner was a success and I think everyone had a great time. They loved the macaroni. They all thought it was bizarre that we eat raw green peppers. They were reticent to try even a bite of one, but with some prodding they finally did. People do not try to hide their displeasure with the taste of unfamiliar foodstuffs here. Haha.
Sunday July 18th
Today I walked to the supermarket for milk and airtime, but I stopped at the DVD stand outside before I went in. They sell movies for 3,000 USh. That’s like $1.25. I cannot resist this temptation, and a few weeks back I purchased two movies. One of them did not work. The saleswoman told me I could return the film, so I came back a while later with it. I was so excited that I was going to get my money’s worth for a movie. Everyone told me there was no way I could exchange it since she was not selling movies in a store. I walked home so happy with myself, and honesty in business transactions. I’d exchanged the exact same movie, too! When I got home, it didn’t work either. I guess the DVD they are copying from has an error. Shtoof.
Later, three friends came over to share their plans to develop an NGO in Katakwi. I’ve come to realize how common it is in Uganda to see social activists and people here uniting to fight for a social cause. Many people want to start social programs and organizations to help others. They want to create one that empowers women, people with disabilities, and generates a functioning economy in impoverished areas. People seem to care about each other immensely in this country. Even strangers.
Joan came over tonight and we played scrabble. It was so much fun. We gave her some leftovers from the American Meal and she seemed to like them. Minus the apple. When we walked her to the road to say goodbye, I recalled the first time I met her. It was also the first time I left the compound at night. My perceptions of my surrounding are radically different now. I remember being so scared with my mace in my hand and constantly looking over my shoulder. Now walking around just feels so normal.
Monday July 19th
Not much. I worked on the tests and read today. Everyone should read The Invisible Cure by Helen Epstein. It’s fantastic.
Tuesday July 20th
Nothing from the UNCST or President’s office. We are not going to be able to conduct focus groups and I want to scream. I cannot believe the bureaucracy here. Ginger and I are considering writing an article about practicing anthropology in Uganda and the loopholes and hoops you have to finagle. Ugh.
We went on an observation today, and it seems the rains are back. The sky fell out right when we arrived. Afterwards we met up with Sonja and Moses to plan our trip to Jinja. We are going horseback riding on the Nile!! We saw Joan and Rose’s family today as well. I love their coffee and their company.
Wednesday July 21st
I completed the pilot test, and compiled the results for the foundation and for each individual mentor. It actually worked, and the results are revealing about the nature of the program. Ginger and I found our way back to a school we had been to once, by ourselves. The entire time we walked a storm was brewing and the electricity in the air made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. By the time we reached, a serious downpour and thunderstorm ensued. It was difficult to conduct an observation while the rain leaked through the schoolhouse roof. The rain and thunder were loud, and the students had to shift around the room to avoid getting wet. Plus the students were unusually rowdy and we couldn’t even see the board. “Things go kerflooey.” Fortunately the mentor had a long session, so after a while the rain settled down and we could hear better. Tonight we invited a few friends over, including a British woman who lives in our compound. I made spaghetti with homemade sauce from scratch. It was only so-so, but the company was great.
Thursday July 22nd
There was no observation for us to go to today, so we went shopping with Sonja. We had lunch at the same Indian place we went to last time. In the craft market, I had two vendors tell me that I am good at bargaining. I got an acrylic painting on canvas that the artist wanted 120,000 USh for. I ended up paying 55,000 USh. I enjoy bargaining, and I have mastered the body language, teeth clicking, head shaking, and looking/walking away that it takes to reduce prices. If only I could bargain in America.
Friday-Sunday July 23-25
It is my birthday. I am somehow 26 years old.
Both the observation and mentor evaluation meeting were cancelled unbeknownst to us. Ginger went to the observation, and we went to the foundation together after lunch. They basically told us that the meeting was rescheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) and that they “didn’t think of you people.” It would have been nice to know, since we were going to Jinja in the afternoon, but nonetheless, I got the chance to interview the administrators about some of the questions I have about the foundation.
We left for Jinja around 5 on Friday for the weekend. See pictures to appreciate how fantastic our weekend was. We went horseback riding on the Nile, visited Bujagali Falls, had a picnic at the source of the Nile, and explored Ssezibwa Falls. I had the best birthday weekend ever.
Monday July 26th
We are so tired. We tried to write but mostly kept laughing and reliving our weekend. I am going to miss Uganda.
Tuesday July 27th
Ginger and I are talking seriously about coming back. We will leave our proposal to do its thing at the president’s office and try to come back next summer. At the very least, I will be more prepared and comfortable doing fieldwork now that I have experience here. It takes almost a month to adjust.
Wednesday July 28th
We are busy coming up with preliminary recommendations for the foundation before we leave next week. Then I worked on transferring files, and uploading pictures and music onto Ginger’s computer. I was going to buy a flash drive here, but a 4G flash drive is 120,000 USh. That’s like 60 dollars. I argued with the salesman, and told him in America it would cost $15. The Indian salesman at the Uchumi Supermarket told me, “In India, it would cost $10. But this is Uganda.” I should have said, “the jerk store called and they’re running out of YOU!”
I am looking for a flash drive, or a way to save my music files because I decided to leave my PC for Moses to use when he starts his NGO with Sonja. His birthday was Monday and it seems like a great present and something he really needs. They came over for dinner, and I made stuffed green peppers. He was so excited when I told him I was giving him my computer. We tried to go bowling afterward, but the lanes were closed by 9pm. I asked they guy if we could at least have a beverage before we left, but he said no. I said, “Do you just not want our money?” And he said, “No, we don’t.” But it wasn’t malicious, he was just being honest.
Instead we went to a Japanese restaurant in Centenary Park, and smoked a melon and apple flavored hookahs. It was so funny to watch Richard smoke it, because he has never smoked tobacco before. He was blowing the smoke out of his nose rapidly like a bull. We had a great time there, and it was actually more fun than we would have had bowling.
Today we tried hard to find out any news about the bombings. Unfortunately, there was a problem with our internet so we had to rely on newspapers (most of which only showed graphic photographs of the deceased) and local news channels on the television. It was difficult to find any information, because people were still being treated at the hospital and officials were really still trying to figure out what happened and why.
We spoke to a few friends, and one friend had a family member, an uncle, who attended the Rugby Club the night before. He never came home and was not answering his phone and the car he drove was still at the Rugby Club. There was no way to know his location or whether he was alive. A few hours later, after searching several hospitals and clinics, he was confirmed dead. Essentially, it was still chaos as families tried desperate to locate loved ones who never came home. At the same time, life resumed as normal throughout the city. We only ventured out to retrieve newspapers from the store.
Tuesday July 13th
We still had no internet today, and people told us one of the bombs disrupted the “Orange” tower. We decided to walk to Mulago Hospital, to use their internet. Unfortunately, it is not an open network so we had to go to an internet café instead. The internet was slow going there too, and it took us an hour to send a few emails to family and to check the BBC/CNN/Embassy websites.
Tonight, we talked to friends many of whom knew someone hospitalized or whose life was cut short on Sunday. I spoke to our friend, whose uncle died in the blast. He was heading to the vigil for his uncle. People bury their dead quickly here, within a day or two. At the vigils, extended families and friends congregate together and celebrate the life of the loved one they lost. They walk through the living room, which has been cleared of furniture to make room for the casket. The family usually has a bonfire, some spirits, porridge or chai, and they laugh as they tell stories and share premonitions they had about the person’s impending death. They stay up all night together. After the funerals, people are not supposed to cry about that person any longer. Someone said people who are truly sad will go to numerous funerals to cry freely about someone they are still mourning whom they are no longer permitted to cry for.
Tuesday July 13th
Friends are still finding out loved ones died in the hospital from injuries and infections resulting from the blasts. I hate terrorism. I made some banana bread to take to Mary, who has cooked for us so many times. She and her housemaid tried a piece while it was still warm and they both loved it. I went to two school observations with Mary, and then a funny thing happened. In America, everyone is familiar with the sound of an ice-cream truck driving through neighborhoods selling treats to children. We’ve heard the music here driving near our house several times, but never saw a truck. We always wondered where the music was coming from. Today, I heard the music as we walked toward a matatu stage, and I saw a man on a bicycle. He had a big wooden crate rigged to the front of his bicycle, with a bright orange cooler inside of it. He was blasting the music and making his way down the crowded street. I asked Mary if he was selling ice-cream, and she said yes. Mystery solved!
Thursday July 15th
There have been numerous hoaxes and false alarms in taxi parks about bombs. People are already making jokes about bombs and I can’t understand the humor in it. I’m afraid of going too deep into the large taxi parks or markets just in case. However, it seems like this was a one-time attack. Today, Ginger was out, and I stayed home to work with Moses. Sonja called to tell us about a bomb in the Nakasero Market. I got nervous because Ginger was near there, and she did not answer the phone when I first called. She came straight home for no reason, though, as the “bomb” was a hoax.
Friday July 16th
We decided if we have to evacuate the country we will go to Kigali Rwanda. We do not even feel threatened at this point, but people keep asking us, so that’s it. Other than that, I worked on our pilot tests, and Ginger went on another observation. The water cut off around 7 pm and did not come back on before bedtime.
Saturday July 17th
Happy Birthday Mike! We walked to Garden City today to buy supplies for our American Meal. We thought it would be fun to do something nice for our friends who lost loved ones because we feel so helpless. When we left the water still was not on.
We bought supplies to make burgers, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato fries with Rosemary, and baked apples. The amount of cheddar cheese we bought cost almost $25 because it was from Ireland. We laughed about how some things are so cheap here that are expensive in America, like fresh produce. Cheddar cheese, however, is exorbitantly expensive. We wondered if the water would be back on when we returned, and what we would do if it wasn’t.
When we came back home, the water was, of course, not on. Gerald helped us fill up jerry cans from the rainwater storage containers in our compound. They are so heavy when they are full of water. We washed dishes, and I showered with one of the jerry cans. Then, as I began to prepare the macaroni, the water came on. Dinner was a success and I think everyone had a great time. They loved the macaroni. They all thought it was bizarre that we eat raw green peppers. They were reticent to try even a bite of one, but with some prodding they finally did. People do not try to hide their displeasure with the taste of unfamiliar foodstuffs here. Haha.
Sunday July 18th
Today I walked to the supermarket for milk and airtime, but I stopped at the DVD stand outside before I went in. They sell movies for 3,000 USh. That’s like $1.25. I cannot resist this temptation, and a few weeks back I purchased two movies. One of them did not work. The saleswoman told me I could return the film, so I came back a while later with it. I was so excited that I was going to get my money’s worth for a movie. Everyone told me there was no way I could exchange it since she was not selling movies in a store. I walked home so happy with myself, and honesty in business transactions. I’d exchanged the exact same movie, too! When I got home, it didn’t work either. I guess the DVD they are copying from has an error. Shtoof.
Later, three friends came over to share their plans to develop an NGO in Katakwi. I’ve come to realize how common it is in Uganda to see social activists and people here uniting to fight for a social cause. Many people want to start social programs and organizations to help others. They want to create one that empowers women, people with disabilities, and generates a functioning economy in impoverished areas. People seem to care about each other immensely in this country. Even strangers.
Joan came over tonight and we played scrabble. It was so much fun. We gave her some leftovers from the American Meal and she seemed to like them. Minus the apple. When we walked her to the road to say goodbye, I recalled the first time I met her. It was also the first time I left the compound at night. My perceptions of my surrounding are radically different now. I remember being so scared with my mace in my hand and constantly looking over my shoulder. Now walking around just feels so normal.
Monday July 19th
Not much. I worked on the tests and read today. Everyone should read The Invisible Cure by Helen Epstein. It’s fantastic.
Tuesday July 20th
Nothing from the UNCST or President’s office. We are not going to be able to conduct focus groups and I want to scream. I cannot believe the bureaucracy here. Ginger and I are considering writing an article about practicing anthropology in Uganda and the loopholes and hoops you have to finagle. Ugh.
We went on an observation today, and it seems the rains are back. The sky fell out right when we arrived. Afterwards we met up with Sonja and Moses to plan our trip to Jinja. We are going horseback riding on the Nile!! We saw Joan and Rose’s family today as well. I love their coffee and their company.
Wednesday July 21st
I completed the pilot test, and compiled the results for the foundation and for each individual mentor. It actually worked, and the results are revealing about the nature of the program. Ginger and I found our way back to a school we had been to once, by ourselves. The entire time we walked a storm was brewing and the electricity in the air made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. By the time we reached, a serious downpour and thunderstorm ensued. It was difficult to conduct an observation while the rain leaked through the schoolhouse roof. The rain and thunder were loud, and the students had to shift around the room to avoid getting wet. Plus the students were unusually rowdy and we couldn’t even see the board. “Things go kerflooey.” Fortunately the mentor had a long session, so after a while the rain settled down and we could hear better. Tonight we invited a few friends over, including a British woman who lives in our compound. I made spaghetti with homemade sauce from scratch. It was only so-so, but the company was great.
Thursday July 22nd
There was no observation for us to go to today, so we went shopping with Sonja. We had lunch at the same Indian place we went to last time. In the craft market, I had two vendors tell me that I am good at bargaining. I got an acrylic painting on canvas that the artist wanted 120,000 USh for. I ended up paying 55,000 USh. I enjoy bargaining, and I have mastered the body language, teeth clicking, head shaking, and looking/walking away that it takes to reduce prices. If only I could bargain in America.
Friday-Sunday July 23-25
It is my birthday. I am somehow 26 years old.
Both the observation and mentor evaluation meeting were cancelled unbeknownst to us. Ginger went to the observation, and we went to the foundation together after lunch. They basically told us that the meeting was rescheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) and that they “didn’t think of you people.” It would have been nice to know, since we were going to Jinja in the afternoon, but nonetheless, I got the chance to interview the administrators about some of the questions I have about the foundation.
We left for Jinja around 5 on Friday for the weekend. See pictures to appreciate how fantastic our weekend was. We went horseback riding on the Nile, visited Bujagali Falls, had a picnic at the source of the Nile, and explored Ssezibwa Falls. I had the best birthday weekend ever.
Monday July 26th
We are so tired. We tried to write but mostly kept laughing and reliving our weekend. I am going to miss Uganda.
Tuesday July 27th
Ginger and I are talking seriously about coming back. We will leave our proposal to do its thing at the president’s office and try to come back next summer. At the very least, I will be more prepared and comfortable doing fieldwork now that I have experience here. It takes almost a month to adjust.
Wednesday July 28th
We are busy coming up with preliminary recommendations for the foundation before we leave next week. Then I worked on transferring files, and uploading pictures and music onto Ginger’s computer. I was going to buy a flash drive here, but a 4G flash drive is 120,000 USh. That’s like 60 dollars. I argued with the salesman, and told him in America it would cost $15. The Indian salesman at the Uchumi Supermarket told me, “In India, it would cost $10. But this is Uganda.” I should have said, “the jerk store called and they’re running out of YOU!”
I am looking for a flash drive, or a way to save my music files because I decided to leave my PC for Moses to use when he starts his NGO with Sonja. His birthday was Monday and it seems like a great present and something he really needs. They came over for dinner, and I made stuffed green peppers. He was so excited when I told him I was giving him my computer. We tried to go bowling afterward, but the lanes were closed by 9pm. I asked they guy if we could at least have a beverage before we left, but he said no. I said, “Do you just not want our money?” And he said, “No, we don’t.” But it wasn’t malicious, he was just being honest.
Instead we went to a Japanese restaurant in Centenary Park, and smoked a melon and apple flavored hookahs. It was so funny to watch Richard smoke it, because he has never smoked tobacco before. He was blowing the smoke out of his nose rapidly like a bull. We had a great time there, and it was actually more fun than we would have had bowling.
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