So, a bunch has happened since my last online contact, which I am told, has been over two months ago. Let me offer my most sincere of half apologies to those 5 people who actually read this…you know who you are.
I’ll start off with what I’ve been doing for the last 6 weeks. The Peace Corps asked me to be a Peace Corps Volunteer Trainer (PCVT) at the most recent training of the fresh meat from America. I was living in Wakiso Town (see “crap-hole” in dictionary) in a compound with the Ugandan trainers, going to training every day, and doing a plethora of un-active activities. I was there to answer questions, give advice, dispel rumors, teach sessions, attend meetings, and acquire per-diem. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it at first, but as soon as the newbies got off the plane I was surprised to find that I was enjoying myself quite a bit. I not only learned that per-diem adds up to a ton of money, but that I actually have some cool projects going on at site. When you explain what you do with your organization 46 times to 46 different people, you start to think…huh…I’m actually doing Peace Corps-y type stuff. Way to go, me! I really am lucky to have the work that I have.
While at training, I:
- Was charged by a cow
- Yelled FIRE at a bar
- Ate street food every day
- Sold a quilt to a PC staffer
- Made some new friends, both from the new training group, and from the Ugandan training staff
- Pet a camel
It was tough being away from site for so long, but this was a great opportunity for me to help out with training and to change things with training to make it better in the future.
Moving on…
At one point in the past 2 + months, I was riding shotgun in a taxi with another person. Yes, we were both in the front seat, him half sitting on top of me. With limited room in the seat area, his arms had nowhere to go but right in my face. This person decided that crammed next to me would be the best time for him to compose a text message. With the phone literally 8 inches from my face, I couldn’t help but notice the message that he was typing up to send.
“To God be da groly!”
This is just a prime example of how l’s and r’s are reversed, switched, and interchanged in the languages of Uganda.
Baseball Weekend with JICA
Peace Corps organized a weekend of softball games with JICA, the Japanese equivalent of the Peace Corps. The event was held at the Ugandan Little League Baseball facility. Our being there was a fundraiser, of sorts, to buy mosquito nets for all the bunks in the facility…baseball and softball was a perk. This was so much fun! The facility has 2 fields. Instead of a fence in the outfield, there’s a nice little drop off into banana tree oblivion, that none dare pass. Should a fateful ball bounce its way down into the abyss, one of the local kids spectating would take the challenge upon himself to find and retrieve the ball. There were 3 teams, essentially. Peace Corps, JICA, and the Ugandan little league coaches. We all played one another, as well as played mixed games, getting to know people from the other teams. We feasted every night, watched a documentary of the Little League Team presented to us by the filmmaker, and envied the cargo short stylings of our new JICA friends. The weekend was a success, complete with an oversized polo shirt to prove it!
Weekend Getaway – Destination: Jinja
Apparently, Ryan and I were not the only people to have this idea. Once we arrived in Jinja at our lodgings at Nile River Explorers (on the River Nile), we found that we were not the only Peace Corps volunteers to have this bright idea. We ran into about 8 people from our training group. Doing our own thing by day, Ryan and I met up with everyone at the casino by night…where I won UGX 100,000. I’m not going to convert that to dollars, because it’s way less impressive. We ate good food, relaxed, and had a great time. One day for lunch I had a Greek salad with Thai chicken soup. I love Jinja.
Christmas….Listen Up!
My flight has officially been booked! There’s no turning back. Barring any major political issues with good ‘ol Yoweri (president) and/or Kizza (wishes he was president), I will be available from December 22 through the New Year. I am now officially accepting invitations for New Years parties, so get yours in early for due consideration.
ATTN: Accidental boyfriend will be accompanying me home for Christmas. He will be available for prodding, judgment, and intrusive personal questions from Noon to 1pm on December 23rd. In the words of Jack Dawson, "Make it count". We’ll be at Ernie’s for lunch. Meet us there…and pay our tab.
I can’t wait to see what will set off my very first reverse culture shock breakdown. Cereal isle? Drinking from the tap? Paved roads? Only time will tell…
I’m finally back at my site
It feels great to be back in my village and in my house, even though the mice have left their mark everywhere. Nothing a little sweeping and my house girl can’t fix.
Upon return, I have discovered an important discovery worth discovering: My neighbor, Shakira, is preggers. Shakira, who I didn’t know was pregnant before I left a month and a half ago, is, in fact, almost 9 months in. How this could have gone unknown to me for so long, is a mystery, but one I don’t care to solve. The important thing to note out of all this is recognizing an opportunity when it presents itself. So, I have officially solicited my first bribe. I have told Shakira that if she names her baby “Jenny”, “Scott”, or “Everett”, that I will buy her baby clothes. This has made me feel even more integrated into Uganda, where bribes are part of the culture. This is just one more way (if any) in which my influence (if any) and legacy will live on in Uganda and in my village after I leave. Sustainability, ya’ll…dig it!
My future work at my organization for the next few months will now consist of Microsoft Excel training, so that we can eventually build a small database for the office. We also hope to train the farming groups on quilting so that they can make their own blankets and save money. This will be a big success if executed correctly. Now, it is just a matter of raising money for scissors and sewing needles for each of the 64 groups.
On a completely unrelated note, thank you so much to those who have sent me packages!
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