Friday, July 21, 2006
Am I still in Africa?? (erin)
So I am a little bit confused...I think this heatwave we are having in BC is delaying the culture shock I am supposed to be experiencing. I was never this hot in Uganda on any day. Africans are smart to build their houses with cool bricks, clay and cement. What are we thinking using wood and living up high closer to the sun???
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Home time (erin)
I am not experiencing any traumatic culture shock yet. I am enjoying being home and I'm amazed at how the same everything seems. The only thing I notice is that there are SO many white people here!
I got a full physical at the doctors and am taking worm medication just as a precaution. So far, so good...nothing unusual is happening. I've had my massage therapy and chiropractic treatment and so I am feeling pretty good. I am a bit tired in the afternoons but overall am sleeping ok. My left ear is still plugged from the plane descent though, I hope it's not broken.
I am loving my overhead showerhead!
I am loving my fridge that has power 24 hours.
I am loving my television that magically has cable...not sure how that happened but I'm not complaining.
I am loving internet in my home.
I am missing the girls' company (yes Chandra, you were right, I miss you guys).
I am missing the fresh mangoes.
I am missing text messaging.
I am missing our friends (that includes you Jen ;)
I guess I have to find a job now...the fun is over!
I got a full physical at the doctors and am taking worm medication just as a precaution. So far, so good...nothing unusual is happening. I've had my massage therapy and chiropractic treatment and so I am feeling pretty good. I am a bit tired in the afternoons but overall am sleeping ok. My left ear is still plugged from the plane descent though, I hope it's not broken.
I am loving my overhead showerhead!
I am loving my fridge that has power 24 hours.
I am loving my television that magically has cable...not sure how that happened but I'm not complaining.
I am loving internet in my home.
I am missing the girls' company (yes Chandra, you were right, I miss you guys).
I am missing the fresh mangoes.
I am missing text messaging.
I am missing our friends (that includes you Jen ;)
I guess I have to find a job now...the fun is over!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
We are on Canadian soil!
Yes, we made it home after a very long 2 flights. By the way JENNIFER, I tried calling you when I got home but you didn't answer your phone...did you notice the missed call???? Gee whiz, I can tell she misses us, can't you?
So just to keep everything updated, Sunday morning 5 of us and Charles' little girl squashed into Nasser's car for the last time and headed to Kampala. We went shopping for last minute gifts for people and then with Chandra and Taddeo we all headed out to Entebbe. Well, contrary to what I had been told, there were no rooms available in the city and to top it off, there had been no power there for 3 days. We checked out some different guest houses and finally settled on two that could house all of us.
The house that Jen and I stayed at had a restaurant so I had my last Ugandan meal there...matooke to keep me strong, rice and beef. It was a typical Ugandan meal. First we asked what there was because it was obvious they didn't have everything on the menu. The choices were fish and beef, matooke and rice. I asked, "You don't have chicken?" "No."
We weren't ready to order so a few minutes later another server came and I asked what they had for snacks. One of the options was chicken! It's all so confusing. So Jen and I ordered chicken...then 5 minutes later we were told there was only one plate of chicken left, so I ended up with beef.
The lady at the guest house assured us that we'd have breakfast ready for us at 6am. And we were thankful that power came on that evening when we got back from dinner. BUT when we woke up, no power. Boo hoo! We got up and walked around to the front of the house...no lights, no sounds, no movement. We knocked on the door..nothing. Louise arrived outside the gate but it was locked and no sign of the guard. So she called the lady and she finally woke up and let Louise in and gave us money back for not having breakfast ready.
Then our van pulls up to take us to the airport, only in typical Uganda fashion, it was not the van we had yesterday as we had arranged, it was a car. For 8 of us and 4 suitcases to travel in. Of course this would happen! I texted Chandra the news and according to Carli (she told me later on) they had a good laugh together when they read my text and said, "Yep that sounds like a typical morning for Erin!"
Then we drove to the airport (we called another car for Carli and Chandra). The taxi driver tried to charge us 15,000 shillings for a 10 minute drive! Charles managed to bargain him down to 10,000 thank goodness cuz that's all I had...and that had been borrowed from Jen already!
Then I had my last samosas that I will ever have...I am samosa'd out. We said our goodbyes to our friends including Jen, who has been crowned the winner of Survivor Uganda...(but she doesn't win any money, too bad).
The first flight was fairly uneventful. We were lucky that two seats across the aisle from us were free so Carli was able to sit near us and I ended up sitting next to her cuz my TV broke. It was stuck on a really bad radio station and I couldn't change the channel or turn down the volume. Of course I would get the broken TV.
We panicked a bit getting to the next plane because our flight was a bit late and we only had an hour in between, but we made it in good time. In good time to sit and wait and die of heat exhaustion. Don't let anyone tell you Africa is hot...London is soooo much hotter. And as we sat on the plane waiting for the plane traffic to clear, the air conditioning breaks. And because I had the window seat my legs started to burn because of the heat flowing through the vent in the wall. I think we sat there for an hour with our pants rolled up, fanning each other with our safety manuals, until they managed to fix it. That was rough.
Another fairly uneventful plane ride after that though. No turbulance, it was very nice. Then we had to wait in a really long line up at customs which made us really restless especially considering our flight was delayed by almost 2 hours. Luckily we got our bags really quickly and made it out to our families. My parents and best friend were there to meet me and we went for Thai food.
So just to keep everything updated, Sunday morning 5 of us and Charles' little girl squashed into Nasser's car for the last time and headed to Kampala. We went shopping for last minute gifts for people and then with Chandra and Taddeo we all headed out to Entebbe. Well, contrary to what I had been told, there were no rooms available in the city and to top it off, there had been no power there for 3 days. We checked out some different guest houses and finally settled on two that could house all of us.
The house that Jen and I stayed at had a restaurant so I had my last Ugandan meal there...matooke to keep me strong, rice and beef. It was a typical Ugandan meal. First we asked what there was because it was obvious they didn't have everything on the menu. The choices were fish and beef, matooke and rice. I asked, "You don't have chicken?" "No."
We weren't ready to order so a few minutes later another server came and I asked what they had for snacks. One of the options was chicken! It's all so confusing. So Jen and I ordered chicken...then 5 minutes later we were told there was only one plate of chicken left, so I ended up with beef.
The lady at the guest house assured us that we'd have breakfast ready for us at 6am. And we were thankful that power came on that evening when we got back from dinner. BUT when we woke up, no power. Boo hoo! We got up and walked around to the front of the house...no lights, no sounds, no movement. We knocked on the door..nothing. Louise arrived outside the gate but it was locked and no sign of the guard. So she called the lady and she finally woke up and let Louise in and gave us money back for not having breakfast ready.
Then our van pulls up to take us to the airport, only in typical Uganda fashion, it was not the van we had yesterday as we had arranged, it was a car. For 8 of us and 4 suitcases to travel in. Of course this would happen! I texted Chandra the news and according to Carli (she told me later on) they had a good laugh together when they read my text and said, "Yep that sounds like a typical morning for Erin!"
Then we drove to the airport (we called another car for Carli and Chandra). The taxi driver tried to charge us 15,000 shillings for a 10 minute drive! Charles managed to bargain him down to 10,000 thank goodness cuz that's all I had...and that had been borrowed from Jen already!
Then I had my last samosas that I will ever have...I am samosa'd out. We said our goodbyes to our friends including Jen, who has been crowned the winner of Survivor Uganda...(but she doesn't win any money, too bad).
The first flight was fairly uneventful. We were lucky that two seats across the aisle from us were free so Carli was able to sit near us and I ended up sitting next to her cuz my TV broke. It was stuck on a really bad radio station and I couldn't change the channel or turn down the volume. Of course I would get the broken TV.
We panicked a bit getting to the next plane because our flight was a bit late and we only had an hour in between, but we made it in good time. In good time to sit and wait and die of heat exhaustion. Don't let anyone tell you Africa is hot...London is soooo much hotter. And as we sat on the plane waiting for the plane traffic to clear, the air conditioning breaks. And because I had the window seat my legs started to burn because of the heat flowing through the vent in the wall. I think we sat there for an hour with our pants rolled up, fanning each other with our safety manuals, until they managed to fix it. That was rough.
Another fairly uneventful plane ride after that though. No turbulance, it was very nice. Then we had to wait in a really long line up at customs which made us really restless especially considering our flight was delayed by almost 2 hours. Luckily we got our bags really quickly and made it out to our families. My parents and best friend were there to meet me and we went for Thai food.
:O Well, day one by myself.....
Finally arrived home from taking Carli, Chandra and Erin to the airport in Entebbe at 10:30 PM.
I have learned from Charles that they made it home safely. Wasn't that nice of them to send me a message or an email to let me know they made it home safely! Thank God for Charles! Ok enough of that, you would think I would be use to them forgetting about me.... remember when you guys went to Kampala .... yeah... make me feel like that again!
Tuesday all by myself... what ever did I do to fill the day! lol Well I would like to thank Erin once again.... MY THROAT HURTS. So I have pretty much been laying low and out of trouble. Now I have managed to make it to the internet cafe and who did I run into.... well I'll just have to fill you in on that later!
As to what I will be doing the rest of the week.... you will just have to stay tunded!
Well..... Just so you ALL know I am moving to a new place in the morning. We should have stayed there instead! To bad it wasn't open when Leigh set it up for us. Which we are all thankful for. No worries to the new students for next year. I'll see what I can do for you guys. I have managed to get myself a fridge, two burner hotplate and dishes. No I didn't buy it myself the hotel is supplying it for me.
I have learned from Charles that they made it home safely. Wasn't that nice of them to send me a message or an email to let me know they made it home safely! Thank God for Charles! Ok enough of that, you would think I would be use to them forgetting about me.... remember when you guys went to Kampala .... yeah... make me feel like that again!
Tuesday all by myself... what ever did I do to fill the day! lol Well I would like to thank Erin once again.... MY THROAT HURTS. So I have pretty much been laying low and out of trouble. Now I have managed to make it to the internet cafe and who did I run into.... well I'll just have to fill you in on that later!
As to what I will be doing the rest of the week.... you will just have to stay tunded!
Well..... Just so you ALL know I am moving to a new place in the morning. We should have stayed there instead! To bad it wasn't open when Leigh set it up for us. Which we are all thankful for. No worries to the new students for next year. I'll see what I can do for you guys. I have managed to get myself a fridge, two burner hotplate and dishes. No I didn't buy it myself the hotel is supplying it for me.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Last week! July 9 - 14 (erin)
Sunday afternoon I went to Berna’s house to visit her twins. They are very cute, Paula and Prima. We went to the supermarket together and then we took the twins back home and she walked me to my place. We picked up Chandra and had a snack and drink at the Brovad.
That evening we had Chris and Nora, Sister Prossy and her daughter Favour over for dinner. We made spaghetti (of course) with sausage, garlic bread and Szechwan green beans. It was a good evening. Sister Prossy brought us all souvenirs as gifts. Then we went to the Brovad to watch the last football game but I only lasted about 20 minutes and I needed sleep.
Monday, Chandra and I went to Kampala with Nora. We caught a coaster bus and I was all settled in my own one-seater thinking it would for once be a comfortable ride. Well right next to me was placed a duffel bag with one live chicken in one end and a second in the other end. Then the seat was folded down onto them and a lady in her Gomez (traditional dress) sat on the seat and luckily for me the chickens were covered. Part way through the trip I swore I felt a chicken peck at my leg and I panicked but when the lady checked under her dress the chicken was nowhere near me so I guess it was my imagination going wild again.
The drama continues. As soon as we started pulling away I saw three little wee spiders coming down from the window right into my face. I swatted them away. Less than 5 minutes later, another 4 little spiders came down their webs and looked at me. Then there were two on my arm, one on my sweater, one on my bag and one in my hair! So I used Chandra’s newspaper to swat them away. And then I started looking around for where they were coming from and noticed that just to the left of my head was a huge web filled with these little spiders!! So I used the newspaper to scoop them all up and dropped it on the floor. Then I continued swiping away little spiders coming down from the window and hoping that they weren’t all crawling up my legs. There have been many times on this trip where I have felt like I am on Fear Factor and this was one of them…how long can you sit on a bus with tiny spiders crawling all over you? Apparently 2 hours, but I didn’t win any money.
Kampala was its usual crazy self and we nearly got hit a number of times. Nora is a fast walker and at one point her and Chandra were like a block away as people kept budding in front of me. I thought I’d be lost forever, but I managed to catch up before they even knew I was missing. Chandra got material and took it to a seamstress to get outfits made for some of her family. I got material for curtains. It is imported from the Congo. For the ride home we had to wait on the coaster in the taxipark for a long time for it to be full. Vendors would come by the window and try to sell all sorts of things. Children’s toys, bread, candy, sunglasses, clothing, mosquito nets, drinks, you name it. Some guys even sang to us, crooning love songs. I caved and bought a lollipop. He tried to sell it to me for 2000 shillings but I laughed at him and he said, oh okay, 200.
That evening Chandra went to Nora’s to make chapatti and Charles came over and we had spaghetti leftovers with Jen and watched a Luganda movie. Charles and Jen (the Aries’) found it pretty funny but I guess I wasn’t in the mood, or I just don’t get their humour.
Tuesday morning Fred came by to visit and then we went shopping for our party the next night. Jen and I met an American at the bakery that is doing some work with USDC. And we took pictures around town.
We invited Bruce and Brigitte for dinner at the Brovad to thank them for the use of their kitchen. We invited an Irish boy over to our table who kept us entertained. Then I went to meet Charles’ family. They were very nice. They had a wee little kitten, probably 6 weeks old. Someone had hit it with a big stick and its back legs were broken. So it walked around dragging the two legs behind it. It was the cutest cat ever, but so sad! As soon as I touched it, it started purring so loudly. Then it followed me over to my seat and sat between my feet. When I picked it up it just cuddled on my lap. It was really enjoying the attention, poor little thing. I want to take it home!
Wednesday, the three of us went to Tekera to say goodbye to everyone there. We had to ride in the back of the pickup truck (sorry Mom, I broke the rules again!). It was not very comfortable because the truck was filled to the brim with solar power equipment. The cab of the truck had 7 people in it so we had no choice really. But we were kind of upset about it all because we had asked if there was room and they said yes…we easily could have found another way out there. Anyway we got banged around pretty good and Jen nearly fell out of the truck a few times, but we made it alive.
We watched the boys work for awhile and then said our goodbyes. Got some good pictures. We gave Senior a Canadian flag and Junior a Canadian flag hat. Then we went to the hospital so we could take more pictures and do some paperwork. Jen and I went into town to say goodbye to our friend Jack at the bank and go to the internet. Then we prepared our rooms for the goodbye party we were having that evening. We dressed up and then went to the Brovad for dinner and met up with Jack there. Then we went home and everyone started arriving. There was Charles, Jack, Louise, Jeff, Tony, Favour, Phionah and a couple others. Fred, Sam, Becky, Sarah and Richard came later on. They played a game called The Fun Box and it was fun but I didn’t play cuz of my stupid head again.
Thursday, Jen and Chandra went to internet café while I slept off my headache drugs from night before. Then Jen and I went looking for a craft store that the American told us about but didn’t find it. We visited the liquor store to buy gifts and I bought a shawl thing I had wanted in the clothing alley. The rest of the evening was non-exciting, at least for me.
This morning Chandra left for Kampala with Favour. She had gotten the impression that someone was driving them but when they arrived, they had 4 boda bodas to pick her and her suitcases up to take them to the taxipark! Haha! Luckily, Nasser arrived to pick me up to go to Kitengeesa, so he took them to Kampala and he called his friend to get Jen and I. This afternoon we have been playing around with our pictures, cropping and enhancing them. Jen and I have also been negotiating room rates at different nearby hotels for Jen’s last month here. We are getting good at it! The owner of the new hotel across the street said that Canadians are rich and have funds so we can afford their offer…we had to laugh and explain that not every Canadian is rich!
Tomorrow we are going to a drama put on by the nursing students. Fred is the organizer and writer so it should be really fun. Then Sunday we head to Kampala with Charles, Louise and Fred. We meet up with Chandra and do last minute shopping and then that evening we go to Entebbe. And that leaves us with…Monday, our flight home! We leave at 9am. We arrive the same day in the evening Vancouver time.
So I guess that’s it!
That evening we had Chris and Nora, Sister Prossy and her daughter Favour over for dinner. We made spaghetti (of course) with sausage, garlic bread and Szechwan green beans. It was a good evening. Sister Prossy brought us all souvenirs as gifts. Then we went to the Brovad to watch the last football game but I only lasted about 20 minutes and I needed sleep.
Monday, Chandra and I went to Kampala with Nora. We caught a coaster bus and I was all settled in my own one-seater thinking it would for once be a comfortable ride. Well right next to me was placed a duffel bag with one live chicken in one end and a second in the other end. Then the seat was folded down onto them and a lady in her Gomez (traditional dress) sat on the seat and luckily for me the chickens were covered. Part way through the trip I swore I felt a chicken peck at my leg and I panicked but when the lady checked under her dress the chicken was nowhere near me so I guess it was my imagination going wild again.
The drama continues. As soon as we started pulling away I saw three little wee spiders coming down from the window right into my face. I swatted them away. Less than 5 minutes later, another 4 little spiders came down their webs and looked at me. Then there were two on my arm, one on my sweater, one on my bag and one in my hair! So I used Chandra’s newspaper to swat them away. And then I started looking around for where they were coming from and noticed that just to the left of my head was a huge web filled with these little spiders!! So I used the newspaper to scoop them all up and dropped it on the floor. Then I continued swiping away little spiders coming down from the window and hoping that they weren’t all crawling up my legs. There have been many times on this trip where I have felt like I am on Fear Factor and this was one of them…how long can you sit on a bus with tiny spiders crawling all over you? Apparently 2 hours, but I didn’t win any money.
Kampala was its usual crazy self and we nearly got hit a number of times. Nora is a fast walker and at one point her and Chandra were like a block away as people kept budding in front of me. I thought I’d be lost forever, but I managed to catch up before they even knew I was missing. Chandra got material and took it to a seamstress to get outfits made for some of her family. I got material for curtains. It is imported from the Congo. For the ride home we had to wait on the coaster in the taxipark for a long time for it to be full. Vendors would come by the window and try to sell all sorts of things. Children’s toys, bread, candy, sunglasses, clothing, mosquito nets, drinks, you name it. Some guys even sang to us, crooning love songs. I caved and bought a lollipop. He tried to sell it to me for 2000 shillings but I laughed at him and he said, oh okay, 200.
That evening Chandra went to Nora’s to make chapatti and Charles came over and we had spaghetti leftovers with Jen and watched a Luganda movie. Charles and Jen (the Aries’) found it pretty funny but I guess I wasn’t in the mood, or I just don’t get their humour.
Tuesday morning Fred came by to visit and then we went shopping for our party the next night. Jen and I met an American at the bakery that is doing some work with USDC. And we took pictures around town.
We invited Bruce and Brigitte for dinner at the Brovad to thank them for the use of their kitchen. We invited an Irish boy over to our table who kept us entertained. Then I went to meet Charles’ family. They were very nice. They had a wee little kitten, probably 6 weeks old. Someone had hit it with a big stick and its back legs were broken. So it walked around dragging the two legs behind it. It was the cutest cat ever, but so sad! As soon as I touched it, it started purring so loudly. Then it followed me over to my seat and sat between my feet. When I picked it up it just cuddled on my lap. It was really enjoying the attention, poor little thing. I want to take it home!
Wednesday, the three of us went to Tekera to say goodbye to everyone there. We had to ride in the back of the pickup truck (sorry Mom, I broke the rules again!). It was not very comfortable because the truck was filled to the brim with solar power equipment. The cab of the truck had 7 people in it so we had no choice really. But we were kind of upset about it all because we had asked if there was room and they said yes…we easily could have found another way out there. Anyway we got banged around pretty good and Jen nearly fell out of the truck a few times, but we made it alive.
We watched the boys work for awhile and then said our goodbyes. Got some good pictures. We gave Senior a Canadian flag and Junior a Canadian flag hat. Then we went to the hospital so we could take more pictures and do some paperwork. Jen and I went into town to say goodbye to our friend Jack at the bank and go to the internet. Then we prepared our rooms for the goodbye party we were having that evening. We dressed up and then went to the Brovad for dinner and met up with Jack there. Then we went home and everyone started arriving. There was Charles, Jack, Louise, Jeff, Tony, Favour, Phionah and a couple others. Fred, Sam, Becky, Sarah and Richard came later on. They played a game called The Fun Box and it was fun but I didn’t play cuz of my stupid head again.
Thursday, Jen and Chandra went to internet café while I slept off my headache drugs from night before. Then Jen and I went looking for a craft store that the American told us about but didn’t find it. We visited the liquor store to buy gifts and I bought a shawl thing I had wanted in the clothing alley. The rest of the evening was non-exciting, at least for me.
This morning Chandra left for Kampala with Favour. She had gotten the impression that someone was driving them but when they arrived, they had 4 boda bodas to pick her and her suitcases up to take them to the taxipark! Haha! Luckily, Nasser arrived to pick me up to go to Kitengeesa, so he took them to Kampala and he called his friend to get Jen and I. This afternoon we have been playing around with our pictures, cropping and enhancing them. Jen and I have also been negotiating room rates at different nearby hotels for Jen’s last month here. We are getting good at it! The owner of the new hotel across the street said that Canadians are rich and have funds so we can afford their offer…we had to laugh and explain that not every Canadian is rich!
Tomorrow we are going to a drama put on by the nursing students. Fred is the organizer and writer so it should be really fun. Then Sunday we head to Kampala with Charles, Louise and Fred. We meet up with Chandra and do last minute shopping and then that evening we go to Entebbe. And that leaves us with…Monday, our flight home! We leave at 9am. We arrive the same day in the evening Vancouver time.
So I guess that’s it!
Just a few pics ;)
The picture of us relaxing is how we felt after our first few weeks here. EXAUSTED :)
The picture of the group of us was taken when we all went to Jinja. This was taken at the Source of the Nile River. For those of you who do not know the 'boys' in the picture, well maybe you should just ask... ;P
Oh and the Equator, yes water does drain in opposite directions depending on what hemisphere you are standing in. But I would have to say the best part is right on the line the water drains straight through.... ohhh and if you stand directly on the line you weigh 3 yes THREE pounds lighter.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
FINALLY SOMETHING FROM JEN
Hello ;)
Wow only one week.... less than a week and I am suppose to be home! Yes, you read that correctly SUPPOSE to be home. I have decided to extend my stay here in Uganda.
I feel in my heart that I am not yet suppose to leave. I do not know why just feel it. Something has drawn me here and has a hold on me. I know you may be disappointed but believe me when I tell you it is harder for me to have to tell you over the net. But what can I do, fly home and tell you then come back. That would just be tooo much for me.
You may have heard about this baby that was abandond at the hospital where I work, well I would be more than happy to take the little guy home with me. Seems it is a long process and you can only take one step at a time. We .... I mean I will just have to wait to see what happens. I will keep you posted as I know what is happening.
I miss, love you and hope you will understand......
Yours truly,
Jen
"We have so much work to do, so much 'healing' is required...and whether we know it or not all our lives are interlinked."
Wow only one week.... less than a week and I am suppose to be home! Yes, you read that correctly SUPPOSE to be home. I have decided to extend my stay here in Uganda.
I feel in my heart that I am not yet suppose to leave. I do not know why just feel it. Something has drawn me here and has a hold on me. I know you may be disappointed but believe me when I tell you it is harder for me to have to tell you over the net. But what can I do, fly home and tell you then come back. That would just be tooo much for me.
You may have heard about this baby that was abandond at the hospital where I work, well I would be more than happy to take the little guy home with me. Seems it is a long process and you can only take one step at a time. We .... I mean I will just have to wait to see what happens. I will keep you posted as I know what is happening.
I miss, love you and hope you will understand......
Yours truly,
Jen
"We have so much work to do, so much 'healing' is required...and whether we know it or not all our lives are interlinked."
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
July 3 - 9 (erin)
There is not too much news to update you on as we are on holidays now! We spend a lot of time at the internet café and just hanging out. It is really hot this week, like I mean REALLY hot. I am so thankful it has not been like this the entire time. My goodness we never would have lasted. No energy…
On Monday we went to Louise’s place and watched a couple of movies and then went home and made spaghetti. On Tuesday I went into town and made a CD at a video store. You can choose what songs you want and they will burn to a CD. Unfortunately I didn’t realize that he had burned me a video CD so I cannot play it on my stereo at home. I will have to go back and make another one. It is all local Ugandan music that we have enjoyed here. The videos are funny though so will be fun to play on computer at home to show people.
On Tuesday for dinner, we used the leftover spaghetti and added egg and fried it. It was good. A new invention…an attempt to be creative with the same old food. Wednesday we walked into town just for something to do and did a big shop at the market and visited our favourite (and the only) bakery. We then spent 3 hours unbraiding Chandra’s hair. And then we met two UBC midwife students at the Brovad for dinner.
And now I am attempting to post pictures on the blog and it is taking FOR-EVER!!!!
Today Jen went to Kampala and Chandra and I met with Berna and some of her friends and colleagues for dinner at the Zebra Hotel. Two of them were seed researchers and kept Chandra entertained. I talked mostly to Berna and Eddy who are both social workers. Eddy is going to Toronto next month for an HIV/AIDS conference so wanted to meet some Canadians. It was a fun night. Not often we have been able to talk to people in our field or that are older and they thought it was funny that we had both been given clan names so they called us Namatovu and Namanda all night. They are going to meet us Friday night for our last night of dancing in Masaka.
We are relieved that we didn’t go away on any trips these last two weeks because it just seems like there is so much left to do to tie up loose ends and do local things we’ve missed. It’s nice to be relaxed and just enjoy the day.
Friday, July 7
Today Chandra and I went to Tekera to help at the project. But first we had bacon! There is a new meat shoppe next to the internet café and they are selling real meat. So I bought some bacon and I cooked it up this morning. It was good, probably the freshest bacon I’ve ever had. (I’m serious about becoming a vegetarian when I get home, I swear…really…you don’t believe me do you?)
Today Chandra and I went to Tekera to help out at the project and see our Josephs. We tried a hand at laying bricks but quickly realized Scorpio women should not be builders…too perfectionist! So instead we sanded and painted all the door frames inside the community centre. It was a fun day but long and we got tired pretty quickly. Then we went to the Tropic Inn for a final Friday night of dancing. We met up with Charles, Berna, the friends from last night and others. It was lots of fun.
Saturday was fairly uneventful. Nothing exciting to report.
Sunday morning Thomas came by in the morning to deliver presents to Jen from a member of Uganda Schizophrenia Fellowship (USF). The gifts were an entire tree of matooke (the bananas), a huge bag of white beans and….a LIVE chicken. Actually we were corrected, it’s a cock and supposedly a very tasty one! So he handed it over to Jen wrapped up in a black plastic bag with its wee head poking out. She put it in the back with all the other stuff. After a while we got worried about it lying out in the back so we (I should say, SHE, as I myself have a fear of chickens) took it out of the bag and lay it in the shower basin. I thought it might be hungry and to be honest it looked like it was dying so I gave it some beans and crackers. I think it was appreciative of its last supper.
Later I got really concerned about it. We had been hoping to give it to Joseph Sr. but he never arrived and there was no way we were going to eat it after Jen so conveniently named it Charles! So Jen ran up to the Brovad and got our friend and regular server, Juliet to come and take it. She was very happy and just picked it up by the wings like it was normal! Well I guess it is normal, just not for us.
On Monday we went to Louise’s place and watched a couple of movies and then went home and made spaghetti. On Tuesday I went into town and made a CD at a video store. You can choose what songs you want and they will burn to a CD. Unfortunately I didn’t realize that he had burned me a video CD so I cannot play it on my stereo at home. I will have to go back and make another one. It is all local Ugandan music that we have enjoyed here. The videos are funny though so will be fun to play on computer at home to show people.
On Tuesday for dinner, we used the leftover spaghetti and added egg and fried it. It was good. A new invention…an attempt to be creative with the same old food. Wednesday we walked into town just for something to do and did a big shop at the market and visited our favourite (and the only) bakery. We then spent 3 hours unbraiding Chandra’s hair. And then we met two UBC midwife students at the Brovad for dinner.
And now I am attempting to post pictures on the blog and it is taking FOR-EVER!!!!
Today Jen went to Kampala and Chandra and I met with Berna and some of her friends and colleagues for dinner at the Zebra Hotel. Two of them were seed researchers and kept Chandra entertained. I talked mostly to Berna and Eddy who are both social workers. Eddy is going to Toronto next month for an HIV/AIDS conference so wanted to meet some Canadians. It was a fun night. Not often we have been able to talk to people in our field or that are older and they thought it was funny that we had both been given clan names so they called us Namatovu and Namanda all night. They are going to meet us Friday night for our last night of dancing in Masaka.
We are relieved that we didn’t go away on any trips these last two weeks because it just seems like there is so much left to do to tie up loose ends and do local things we’ve missed. It’s nice to be relaxed and just enjoy the day.
Friday, July 7
Today Chandra and I went to Tekera to help at the project. But first we had bacon! There is a new meat shoppe next to the internet café and they are selling real meat. So I bought some bacon and I cooked it up this morning. It was good, probably the freshest bacon I’ve ever had. (I’m serious about becoming a vegetarian when I get home, I swear…really…you don’t believe me do you?)
Today Chandra and I went to Tekera to help out at the project and see our Josephs. We tried a hand at laying bricks but quickly realized Scorpio women should not be builders…too perfectionist! So instead we sanded and painted all the door frames inside the community centre. It was a fun day but long and we got tired pretty quickly. Then we went to the Tropic Inn for a final Friday night of dancing. We met up with Charles, Berna, the friends from last night and others. It was lots of fun.
Saturday was fairly uneventful. Nothing exciting to report.
Sunday morning Thomas came by in the morning to deliver presents to Jen from a member of Uganda Schizophrenia Fellowship (USF). The gifts were an entire tree of matooke (the bananas), a huge bag of white beans and….a LIVE chicken. Actually we were corrected, it’s a cock and supposedly a very tasty one! So he handed it over to Jen wrapped up in a black plastic bag with its wee head poking out. She put it in the back with all the other stuff. After a while we got worried about it lying out in the back so we (I should say, SHE, as I myself have a fear of chickens) took it out of the bag and lay it in the shower basin. I thought it might be hungry and to be honest it looked like it was dying so I gave it some beans and crackers. I think it was appreciative of its last supper.
Later I got really concerned about it. We had been hoping to give it to Joseph Sr. but he never arrived and there was no way we were going to eat it after Jen so conveniently named it Charles! So Jen ran up to the Brovad and got our friend and regular server, Juliet to come and take it. She was very happy and just picked it up by the wings like it was normal! Well I guess it is normal, just not for us.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Description of pictures
1. Our street - walking home from Brovad.
2. Jen and child.
3. Class Erin taught at Kitengeesa school.
4. Jen counselling Bonnie (hospital social worker) in Mental Health department.
5. Lunch at Brovad with Lawrence.
6. The room that Carli, Chandra and Erin have been sharing for 3 long months.
7. John and Carli with the donkeys at Lake Nabugabo.
8. Erin pretending to cook at the restaurant in Tekera.
9. Children we met when touring hospital staff living quarters. Vincent (15), the boy in the middle has been living by himself since his parents died.
10. Masaka town.
2. Jen and child.
3. Class Erin taught at Kitengeesa school.
4. Jen counselling Bonnie (hospital social worker) in Mental Health department.
5. Lunch at Brovad with Lawrence.
6. The room that Carli, Chandra and Erin have been sharing for 3 long months.
7. John and Carli with the donkeys at Lake Nabugabo.
8. Erin pretending to cook at the restaurant in Tekera.
9. Children we met when touring hospital staff living quarters. Vincent (15), the boy in the middle has been living by himself since his parents died.
10. Masaka town.
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