Or, watch the official music video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZjosn2u1gA
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Confession
The Colorado/cow boy boot wearing/country music listenin girl side of me tends to show itself more in the summer... and I cant stop listening to this song!
Friday, July 8, 2011
And my next adventure: The Fourth Estate!
My passion for Uganda began four years ago when I watched the Invisible Children Documentary at a student council conference. It was then that I knew I was called to Uganda, to stand up for a country suffering from the longest running war in Africa. Since that fateful day I watched the video, I have continually supported this organization and all the work they do. I have also participated in different events Invisible Children has hosted to raise awareness of the cause to the public, as well as meet with my U.S. Representatives and Senators to sign The LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act which President Obama signed May 24, 2010. This past spring I was able to live and study in Uganda for four months and my love for East Africa and its people have just grown stronger.
And now.... I am a member of The Fourth Estate
There are 4 educational tracks we can choose/be placed in and I am officially in the Developers track. My group will be lead by the Adam Fink, the Invisible Children's Missions Director so we will be talking about what nonprofits look like on the ground. We will be focusing on sustainability, working with local and international governments, and the whole programming side of nonprofits - which is exactly what I want to do with my the rest of my life!
As followers of my blog, I am asking for your support (again!).
The most important way you can support me is through prayer. Pray that fruitful decisions and great knowledge will be gained from this conference. Also if you would join me in praying for Uganda and East Africa as they are still being tormented by rebel forces and child abductions.
The second way you can support me is financially. The cost of the trip is $425 (includes 3 nights at USD, 3 meals a day, and resource materials) plus a plane ticket around $500. Any contribution you can make is greatly appreciated! You can send checks payable to me, at my home address (11 Sunset rd, Ashland, MA 01721), to help fray the cost of this unique opportunity.
Thank you so much for your all of your support past and present, and I can't wait to tell you all about it when I get home!
2.5
Well friends, I failed at the 3 posts in 3 days purely because yesterday was pretty rough. Little sleep, a freezing bus ride from Philly to Boston, 2 hours stuck in traffic on 5 hours of sleep. No excuse but I want to present my next big adventure in a better way than unhappily trying to scramble some words down... so while i give myself time for that today here is an in between:
Have you ever questioned the education system? Regardless, here is a really interesting documentary to get you thinking! I highly recommend it.
and here is their website: www.waitingforsuperman.com
check back for my big adventure tonight!
Have you ever questioned the education system? Regardless, here is a really interesting documentary to get you thinking! I highly recommend it.
and here is their website: www.waitingforsuperman.com
check back for my big adventure tonight!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
#2: The 4th of July
So on this rollercoaster of life post Uganda, I have often questioned what it means to be a proud American. I feel like this word has a lot of baggage. Proud can mean feeling honored, a positive thing, something that is great and inspires greatness. Proud is also one of the 7 Deadly Sins in which pride seems more arrogant, self-assured in a more negative way. So what do Americans mean when they sing and exclaim "I'm proud to be an American...."?
This 4th of July I seriously questioned this. Is it ok if I'm a proud American? Can I completely celebrate this holiday exactly like I used to before Uganda?
I was fortunate to tag along with Logan and his family to Virginia Beach this year, full of proud Americans with red, white, and blue nail polish and eye shadow, American Flag bathing suits, and all intentions of fireworks (which didnt happen because of a thunder storm). However, I had a great deal of confusion the entire day. This is what I wrote to my Uganda friends the next day:
I hope you are all doing well! For me, I'm doing mostly good, but every now and then I have a few days of rollercoaster and deeply missing Uganda and you all. Yesterday, July 4th was one of those days. Yesterday was just a constant state of confusion for me. On one hand, I do love America and love what this country is and has done for me and my family and all of the opportunity it has created for us to bring opportunity to other people. However, there is also the Mere Discipleship/Mirror to the Church attitude side that feels like it should completely disregard our Independence Day because its not God Bless America its God Bless America, Uganda, the rest of the world, etc. This side has partnered with the side that gives reason for the Declaration of Sentiments and Frederick Douglass' speech, "What 4th of July Means to the Negro" which I just finishsed reading and comparing to the Declaration of Independence for my American Lit summer class. Basically those documents are saying "yes, the Declaration of Independence is awesome and I'm so proud that we broke from the tyranny of Britain...but HEY! wake up America, look at those areas where you are doing the exact same thing Britain was doing to you and do something about it...". And then, I was driving down the East Coast seeing all of these towns and cities named for Native American tribes that were decimated by our country and the Belgian Memorial in Rwanda just keeps ringing in my head...
What the heck.
Luckily, while praying "Lord make me an instrument of thy peace" over and over again to avoid looking mad and frustrated at the tourists (in every sense of the word, particularly from that article we read during orientation)... the Lord brought me relief. There were huge storms starting around dusk on Virginia Beach, which clouded the sky, brought a lot of rain, and cancelled the fireworks. Instead, I was able to delight in the presence of the Lord through the most amazing lightning flashes across the entire sky over the ocean from our hotel balcony.
So...what are your thoughts? How did you feel? Any ideas of what is ok to feel without forgetting all of the lessons we learned?
And then my friend Cody replied with this:
at first i definitely felt like things were odd... i mean, how much do we celebrate a country that does have it's fair share of problems? but then i thought to myself... we're not celebrating the problems of america. we're celebrating the fact that we are a free country, and honestly i'm thankful for that. religious freedom is something that a lot of people don't get to experience, and having that makes life a LOT BETTER. i know, i sound so academic. so i guess i just thought differently about WHAT i was celebrating so that i was truly celebrating alongside the people there.
So, with a lot of contemplation and help from Cody, this is where I am. America is great, wonderful, and a place to truly be loved. Without the opportunity our amazing country has provided, my mom would not have been able to grow up here after arriving by boat in 1960 with my Dutch grandparents. She would have never met my father, a grandson to Italian immigrants. With hard work and hope they came to this country and worked hard and successfully gained the American Dream. Because of that, thank you America! And I am honored to say that I am a citizen to a country in which my right to freedom will never be taken away.
I do think the word proud often comes accross as arrogrant, especially in foreign relations politically and socially. In this case, in the general sense, I wouldnt say I'm a proud American. I however will always be thankful, because I have more opportunities than the majority of the people in this world even though as a 20 year old, in debt, college student I feel insignificant and useless most of the time. I can now use my resources to help those people and to not be arrogant but to be humble. So thank you America, thank you to our founding fathers, the men and women who have and will continue to uphold our countries' standards, and for my fellow Americans - may we continue to be humbled by our opportunities and let this wonderful country inspire us to achieve greatness in our own lives.
This 4th of July I seriously questioned this. Is it ok if I'm a proud American? Can I completely celebrate this holiday exactly like I used to before Uganda?
I was fortunate to tag along with Logan and his family to Virginia Beach this year, full of proud Americans with red, white, and blue nail polish and eye shadow, American Flag bathing suits, and all intentions of fireworks (which didnt happen because of a thunder storm). However, I had a great deal of confusion the entire day. This is what I wrote to my Uganda friends the next day:
I hope you are all doing well! For me, I'm doing mostly good, but every now and then I have a few days of rollercoaster and deeply missing Uganda and you all. Yesterday, July 4th was one of those days. Yesterday was just a constant state of confusion for me. On one hand, I do love America and love what this country is and has done for me and my family and all of the opportunity it has created for us to bring opportunity to other people. However, there is also the Mere Discipleship/Mirror to the Church attitude side that feels like it should completely disregard our Independence Day because its not God Bless America its God Bless America, Uganda, the rest of the world, etc. This side has partnered with the side that gives reason for the Declaration of Sentiments and Frederick Douglass' speech, "What 4th of July Means to the Negro" which I just finishsed reading and comparing to the Declaration of Independence for my American Lit summer class. Basically those documents are saying "yes, the Declaration of Independence is awesome and I'm so proud that we broke from the tyranny of Britain...but HEY! wake up America, look at those areas where you are doing the exact same thing Britain was doing to you and do something about it...". And then, I was driving down the East Coast seeing all of these towns and cities named for Native American tribes that were decimated by our country and the Belgian Memorial in Rwanda just keeps ringing in my head...
What the heck.
Luckily, while praying "Lord make me an instrument of thy peace" over and over again to avoid looking mad and frustrated at the tourists (in every sense of the word, particularly from that article we read during orientation)... the Lord brought me relief. There were huge storms starting around dusk on Virginia Beach, which clouded the sky, brought a lot of rain, and cancelled the fireworks. Instead, I was able to delight in the presence of the Lord through the most amazing lightning flashes across the entire sky over the ocean from our hotel balcony.
So...what are your thoughts? How did you feel? Any ideas of what is ok to feel without forgetting all of the lessons we learned?
And then my friend Cody replied with this:
at first i definitely felt like things were odd... i mean, how much do we celebrate a country that does have it's fair share of problems? but then i thought to myself... we're not celebrating the problems of america. we're celebrating the fact that we are a free country, and honestly i'm thankful for that. religious freedom is something that a lot of people don't get to experience, and having that makes life a LOT BETTER. i know, i sound so academic. so i guess i just thought differently about WHAT i was celebrating so that i was truly celebrating alongside the people there.
So, with a lot of contemplation and help from Cody, this is where I am. America is great, wonderful, and a place to truly be loved. Without the opportunity our amazing country has provided, my mom would not have been able to grow up here after arriving by boat in 1960 with my Dutch grandparents. She would have never met my father, a grandson to Italian immigrants. With hard work and hope they came to this country and worked hard and successfully gained the American Dream. Because of that, thank you America! And I am honored to say that I am a citizen to a country in which my right to freedom will never be taken away.
I do think the word proud often comes accross as arrogrant, especially in foreign relations politically and socially. In this case, in the general sense, I wouldnt say I'm a proud American. I however will always be thankful, because I have more opportunities than the majority of the people in this world even though as a 20 year old, in debt, college student I feel insignificant and useless most of the time. I can now use my resources to help those people and to not be arrogant but to be humble. So thank you America, thank you to our founding fathers, the men and women who have and will continue to uphold our countries' standards, and for my fellow Americans - may we continue to be humbled by our opportunities and let this wonderful country inspire us to achieve greatness in our own lives.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Goal: 3 Posts in 3 Days!
Friends,
sorry it has been too long since i have updated you...if you are still following because my life is still full of adventures, with the biggest one being announced in 3 days from today!
Quick Update:
Now, what I really wanted to post about: Summer Reading List
I've already just re-read my favorite book and summer read, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers on our trip to Rwanda, and I'm currently working on finish Loved Walked In by Maria de los Santos (not too exciting), and have anxiously awaiting Irrisistable Revolution by Shaine Clainborne on deck.
but, it looks like I will have a lot more down time from here on out, so any suggestions?
And if you are looking for some thought provoking great reads this summer, I would highly suggest:
sorry it has been too long since i have updated you...if you are still following because my life is still full of adventures, with the biggest one being announced in 3 days from today!
Quick Update:
- life can still be a rollercoaster, like yesterday had a lot of me missing Uganda in it, but for the most part Ive had the opportunity to enjoy life with my best friend and boyfriend Logan, my family, the beach, and many awesome friends (Colleen, MB, and Julia just to name a few).
- Also, I was so blessed to join in the celebration of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Matt and Lindsay Forstrom! Congratulations! The ceremony and reception were wonderful and you both looked stunning!
- I enjoyed a long weeked with Logan, his parents, and his brother Riley on the beach and in the ocean for 3 long days in Virginia. It was wonderful.
Now, what I really wanted to post about: Summer Reading List
I've already just re-read my favorite book and summer read, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers on our trip to Rwanda, and I'm currently working on finish Loved Walked In by Maria de los Santos (not too exciting), and have anxiously awaiting Irrisistable Revolution by Shaine Clainborne on deck.
but, it looks like I will have a lot more down time from here on out, so any suggestions?
And if you are looking for some thought provoking great reads this summer, I would highly suggest:
Mere Discipleship, Lee Camp - Mirror to the Church, Emannuel Katongale - Compassion, Henri Nouwen - Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
(reviews/brief summaries available upon request)
:)
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The Honeymoon Is Over
So being home has been absolutely wonderful for the past week and a half... but they warned us that this day would come.
The honeymoon phase of being home has officially ended and it hit me hard this morning standing in front of the yogurt selection at the grocery store this morning. I couldn't make a decision of which kind, size, flavor, price to pick so I just had to walk away. It was busy this morning too and I just felt so overwhelmed by the amount of mzungus I didnt know all in one place not paying attention to each other but just coexisting in that place in that moment while they focus on what they need to buy out of necessity and want. Luckily I had Logan there or I think I would have had a complete mental breakdown in the middle of the store.
This is just a small example of my overall feelings of today, and since I've been home really but that I've just ignored. I feel physically and mentally incapable. I cant make decisions because the choices are too many. I can drive and physically live at home and at Gordon without thinking because Im letting years of habit dictate my actions, but when it comes down to it I really feel like I have lost the mental capacity to consciously act. There is a huge disconnect between my brain and my body. We went out to dinner before senior formal last night and I knew how to be seated, read my menu, enjoy the bread and oil they give you before your meal but then when it came down to order and ask for ketchup I really struggled to find the right words and just felt embarrassed that I couldnt coherently say "could I please have some ketchup?".
And I guess this is what I asked for, I asked for the honeymoon phase to eventually come to an end so I should enjoy this moment but I didnt realize I would be more frustrated with myself than I would affluent and materialistic American society.
So basically, with the end of this honeymoon phase comes the culmination of all of the hard stuff I've learned about myself these past four months - what the Bible would call desires of the flesh. I have really felt and understood how ungodly of a human being I am despite having a relationship with the Lord for 9ish years. I am now able to see how stubborn and selfish I am, the areas of bitterness in my life towards people and situations, and how incredibly incapable I am to do anything about it. So here I am, in desperate need of the Lord's grace and mercy, which I know he will faithfully provide and hopefully I will be able to faithfully accept.
The honeymoon phase of being home has officially ended and it hit me hard this morning standing in front of the yogurt selection at the grocery store this morning. I couldn't make a decision of which kind, size, flavor, price to pick so I just had to walk away. It was busy this morning too and I just felt so overwhelmed by the amount of mzungus I didnt know all in one place not paying attention to each other but just coexisting in that place in that moment while they focus on what they need to buy out of necessity and want. Luckily I had Logan there or I think I would have had a complete mental breakdown in the middle of the store.
This is just a small example of my overall feelings of today, and since I've been home really but that I've just ignored. I feel physically and mentally incapable. I cant make decisions because the choices are too many. I can drive and physically live at home and at Gordon without thinking because Im letting years of habit dictate my actions, but when it comes down to it I really feel like I have lost the mental capacity to consciously act. There is a huge disconnect between my brain and my body. We went out to dinner before senior formal last night and I knew how to be seated, read my menu, enjoy the bread and oil they give you before your meal but then when it came down to order and ask for ketchup I really struggled to find the right words and just felt embarrassed that I couldnt coherently say "could I please have some ketchup?".
And I guess this is what I asked for, I asked for the honeymoon phase to eventually come to an end so I should enjoy this moment but I didnt realize I would be more frustrated with myself than I would affluent and materialistic American society.
So basically, with the end of this honeymoon phase comes the culmination of all of the hard stuff I've learned about myself these past four months - what the Bible would call desires of the flesh. I have really felt and understood how ungodly of a human being I am despite having a relationship with the Lord for 9ish years. I am now able to see how stubborn and selfish I am, the areas of bitterness in my life towards people and situations, and how incredibly incapable I am to do anything about it. So here I am, in desperate need of the Lord's grace and mercy, which I know he will faithfully provide and hopefully I will be able to faithfully accept.
Congratulations!
Happy 22nd birthday Logan! And congratulations on graduating, I am so proud of you!
This picture was taken last night before senior formal, which was lots of fun! We basically spent 4 hours dancing... Logan had fun, but I loved it because dancing is my favorite no matter what kind :)
Congratulations Kerry and Joel on your engagement!
Kerry and Joel, engaged May 14, 2011
Thanx for letting me share life with you all! Your life adventures are my joys as well. :)
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Home - as in Ashland/Gordon Home
So Im home. I've been home for a week as of today. I'm not sure what to say about it except that its been weird. Weird that it wasnt as hard as I was expecting. I was expecting to be super frustrated with people, with affluence, with the weather. And only the weather part is true... so far any way.
For the most part I've really enjoyed my week. Except for being freezing in this "nice" New England weather, I have loved spending time with my wonderful boyfriend Logan, getting to see family on Mother's Day, getting to know our new puppy, and watching my sister play lacrosse and enjoying some great conversations with friends.
So, maybe this is just the honeymoon phase...in a way I kind of hope so. I dont want my past four months to be a waste. In debrief we talked about the different responses we could have coming home about our semester. One of them was compartmentalization, putting my past four months into a box and opening it just like I would past vacations. Or I could alienate myself from everyone, writing everyone off as never understanding (which in all honesty you probably wont), and becoming frustrated and bitter when no one wants to keep talking about my time in Uganda. The third, and best response is integration. This is what I want and I'm striving for. I want to take all of my lessons about living faithfully and living simply and integrate into my life here. I want to change, not like 180 degrees, but even if I just change a little, in the future I will still be far from the course I was on before I even left.
So for now, my adventure is continuing in the sense that I have no idea what my next week, let alone my summer is going to be like. For now, I'm living day by day. Hopefully I'll get a job, hopefully I'll have something to do, but hopefully I'll be content with just being.
Prayers for this summer would be greatly appreciated.
And, I cant not mention how much I miss Uganda and my Ugandan family and I really cant wait to go back!
For the most part I've really enjoyed my week. Except for being freezing in this "nice" New England weather, I have loved spending time with my wonderful boyfriend Logan, getting to see family on Mother's Day, getting to know our new puppy, and watching my sister play lacrosse and enjoying some great conversations with friends.
So, maybe this is just the honeymoon phase...in a way I kind of hope so. I dont want my past four months to be a waste. In debrief we talked about the different responses we could have coming home about our semester. One of them was compartmentalization, putting my past four months into a box and opening it just like I would past vacations. Or I could alienate myself from everyone, writing everyone off as never understanding (which in all honesty you probably wont), and becoming frustrated and bitter when no one wants to keep talking about my time in Uganda. The third, and best response is integration. This is what I want and I'm striving for. I want to take all of my lessons about living faithfully and living simply and integrate into my life here. I want to change, not like 180 degrees, but even if I just change a little, in the future I will still be far from the course I was on before I even left.
So for now, my adventure is continuing in the sense that I have no idea what my next week, let alone my summer is going to be like. For now, I'm living day by day. Hopefully I'll get a job, hopefully I'll have something to do, but hopefully I'll be content with just being.
Prayers for this summer would be greatly appreciated.
And, I cant not mention how much I miss Uganda and my Ugandan family and I really cant wait to go back!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Last Blog Post In Africa
Wow. I can't believe I'm actually at this point. I knew I was going to study abroad in Uganda since about senior year of high school and it actually happened and now its basically over.
I have had an amazing time here and I've learned so many things and had my eyes open to perspectives I never would have thought about. I have formed amazing relationships with new American friends and with Ugandans, especially my family, that will never end or be broken.
So after four months in this amazing country, I'm ready to go back home. I'm excited to see my family, Logan, my friends and youth group people that I have been missing for this semester. I'm excited to sleep in my own bed, use American toilets with toilet paper every time, and drive my car - but im scared I'll end up driving on the wrong side of the road! Its a little hard to picture driving right now actually...
BUT, even though I'm excited, I think it will be way harder to adjust back to American life more than it was adjusting to Uganda. For one, I wont encounter poverty on a daily basis. I will have a million more choices to make every day, every hour even. And everything will be easy, and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.
So, it would really help me if would please avoid saying:
- How Was Africa? Because, if you knew me at all you would know I'm in Uganda and its a completely different country than all other African countries. If you ask me this I'll just say great, and nothing else...
- I'm glad your back safe. Because, I can't really think of a time when I felt unsafe.
- Please don't make any comments about you being glad I'm not in a third world country. Because yes, I'm in a developing country that has a lot of things holding it back, like corruption of government, etc. But this place is amazing and there is so much beauty amidst the things like poverty that Americans could really learn from. See blog post about presence!
Those are the three things I can think of off the top of my head, but I'm sure there is more. All I am asking is to please be patient with me and realize that when I don't want to spend money doing certain things or I try and take a more simple approach to doing life that its just what I have been personally convicted about and I'm not trying to change all of you. I know that no matter how hard I try you wont be able to fully understand my experience here, and thats totally fine.
So if you like to hear more about my experience, there will be a lot more processing and understanding of my experience, plus hopefully some more summer adventures! So thanks for sticking with me these past four months and sharing my journey with me. Also, if you have any specific questions or things you have been wondering just let me know, I'll have a lot more time to answer questions and put up pictures, etc.
Webale nyo bassebo ne bannyabo. Weraba!
P.S. Rwanda for the next 10 days, Mukono for a night (hopefully at home!), Entebbe for four days, and then I'm back on American soil May 4th - 2 weeks from today!
I have had an amazing time here and I've learned so many things and had my eyes open to perspectives I never would have thought about. I have formed amazing relationships with new American friends and with Ugandans, especially my family, that will never end or be broken.
So after four months in this amazing country, I'm ready to go back home. I'm excited to see my family, Logan, my friends and youth group people that I have been missing for this semester. I'm excited to sleep in my own bed, use American toilets with toilet paper every time, and drive my car - but im scared I'll end up driving on the wrong side of the road! Its a little hard to picture driving right now actually...
BUT, even though I'm excited, I think it will be way harder to adjust back to American life more than it was adjusting to Uganda. For one, I wont encounter poverty on a daily basis. I will have a million more choices to make every day, every hour even. And everything will be easy, and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.
So, it would really help me if would please avoid saying:
- How Was Africa? Because, if you knew me at all you would know I'm in Uganda and its a completely different country than all other African countries. If you ask me this I'll just say great, and nothing else...
- I'm glad your back safe. Because, I can't really think of a time when I felt unsafe.
- Please don't make any comments about you being glad I'm not in a third world country. Because yes, I'm in a developing country that has a lot of things holding it back, like corruption of government, etc. But this place is amazing and there is so much beauty amidst the things like poverty that Americans could really learn from. See blog post about presence!
Those are the three things I can think of off the top of my head, but I'm sure there is more. All I am asking is to please be patient with me and realize that when I don't want to spend money doing certain things or I try and take a more simple approach to doing life that its just what I have been personally convicted about and I'm not trying to change all of you. I know that no matter how hard I try you wont be able to fully understand my experience here, and thats totally fine.
So if you like to hear more about my experience, there will be a lot more processing and understanding of my experience, plus hopefully some more summer adventures! So thanks for sticking with me these past four months and sharing my journey with me. Also, if you have any specific questions or things you have been wondering just let me know, I'll have a lot more time to answer questions and put up pictures, etc.
Webale nyo bassebo ne bannyabo. Weraba!
P.S. Rwanda for the next 10 days, Mukono for a night (hopefully at home!), Entebbe for four days, and then I'm back on American soil May 4th - 2 weeks from today!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Time Flies
How is it April already? Time goes by so fast here I really lose track of the days...sorry its been forever since a blog post, to me I thought it had been about a week. So, quick picture update:
1) The weekend after rural homestays we went to visit Bridget at her boarding school because they had a visitation day. It was a fun 4 hour drive there and back riding in the back with Alex and Megan. I was really excited to see Jja Jja again. I dont know if I have introduced her or not, but she is my grandmother who still lives in the village but was at our house because she was sick and needed to be close to Kampala. She is about 86 and a little ball of fire. I wish we spoke the same language because I'm sure I would have pee-ed my pants laughing with her. It was great to see Bridget too! She is definitely growing up fast too.
1) The weekend after rural homestays we went to visit Bridget at her boarding school because they had a visitation day. It was a fun 4 hour drive there and back riding in the back with Alex and Megan. I was really excited to see Jja Jja again. I dont know if I have introduced her or not, but she is my grandmother who still lives in the village but was at our house because she was sick and needed to be close to Kampala. She is about 86 and a little ball of fire. I wish we spoke the same language because I'm sure I would have pee-ed my pants laughing with her. It was great to see Bridget too! She is definitely growing up fast too.
Me and Jja Jja
Sisters!
2) So that was on a Saturday and then on Sunday, Rogers wanted to host all of the USP students for a "tea party". Little did Megan and I know he meant like fried chicken and samosas, aka a big deal. But it turned out great and everyone enjoyed it. Kinda funny seeing that many people at my house though!
22 Mzungus + 10 Ugandans = 1 Big Party
3) I just love Saturdays, because things like this happen:
The Boys and Their Girls
:)
4) Last Thursday the USP students lead community worship which was kind of hilarious because most of us really dislike community worship but it was actually great to have a comm. worship American style. So we did all of these great songs and then Cody, who was leading asked Caitlyn Black and I to choreograph a dance to one of them... and I said yes, which right after, I wasnt sure why the heck I agreed. But it turned out GREAT! Caitlyn and I were expecting it to take us hours to come up with something but we finished the whole dance in an hour. And then, we never even had time to actually practice it and so we just did it up on stage and it was awesome. I mean Ugandans dont really know/do anything close to ballet or contemporary but it was still awesome and I'm kind of proud of myself for doing it. Then I was interviewed by the school newspaper but I havent seen it come out yet...
4) IMME had weekend travel to Luwero March 25-27. Luwero is where the current President Museveni started his bush war to overthrow Obote II. Basically it was just a place of death for years, and even though its been 26 years since it happened, it is very fresh in everyones minds. The first place we went was a memorial site for all of the civilians who died in the midst of the guerrilla warfare. It was just a big mass grave with almost 3000 people, and it was just one of 15 in Luwero.
We also spent a day at a Compassion site (which I'll have a separate blog post about) and talked to and Anglican Bishop and Catholic Priest about the work they are doing in the area, especially in regards to HIV/AIDS because it is 7% higher than the national average (13%) in Luwero.
Here is a picture of us with Father Gerrie: such an amazing man!
Hes also a gentile giant. The people who look the same height are standing on a step. This is at his church that we went to on Sunday.
5) We went on safari last weekend and it was awesome! Ill do a whole blog post about that one too hopefully, but here is a preview:
He was just hanging out on the side of the road on the way into the park. Nbd.
As for me, I have 2 hours of class left, an 8 page religion paper, a Luganda final and an discussion on simple living and then my time at UCU is donzo!
Craziness. At least I get a lot more down time before Rwanda....
Monday, March 21, 2011
Life is Unfair
So walking home yesterday I passed a boy on the street wearing a Boston Bruins shirt and I got so excited I really just wanted a picture to show all you Bostonians but I thought it would be way to weird to whip out my camera, so I didn’t. But then as I was drinking my daily afternoon tea on the front porch, he came over to see Daniel (they must be friends from school or something), so I ran to get my camera to take their picture.
He was just a normal, growing and healthy boy like my little brothers… or so I thought. My mom went on to tell me that he was born with HIV and that his mom has “the disease”. WHAT? Maama just told me like she was telling me how to eat matooke. What am I supposed to do with this? I just want to scream sometimes when I see things like this! It just shows how much this world needs a redeemer. This world is so broken and sometimes I just can’t process or deal with it.
I’m a fixer, if there is a problem I spend my time thinking of solutions and I don’t stop until the problem is done. But what can I do about this? Nothing. And its painful every time I think about it.
Bag of Nasty & 3 Gallons of Milk: Rural Homestays.
From March 4-13th I lived in the district of Kapchorwa, which is considered rural/village life. It was great to see how 80% of the Ugandan population lives, but at the same time I hated it. There is so much I could talk about that this post could potentially be really long, I’ll try to keep it short and you can ask more questions if you’d like.
This is my house from the front, and Jona...right on the main road.
My host parents were Justine and Isaac Chelibei and I had an 18 year old sister and 15 year old brother (Naster and Phillip) who were both at boarding school so I never met them, then Benja (short for Benjamin) who was 8, Jona (short for Johnson) who was 6 (my mom’s nephew who’s mom couldn’t take care of him b/c she had him in high school), and Queen Esther (named Queen because she was born in 2007 when the Queen of England came to Uganda) who was 3.5. We lived in a small mud and timber house with a cow dung & ash floor (that you re-smear every week), then there was a mud and timber kitchen as well as Philip’s room. Then we also had a cow who just gave birth, a goat, a dog, and chickens. There was no electricity and I prayed everytime I went to the pit latrine b/c it was a nailed wood floor and I was scared I was going to fall through every time (I’ve heard some horror stories). I was just banking on the fact that my host mom was a very large woman…success.
My fam... except the 2 girls in the middle just showed up for the picture, they are neighbors.
Overall, my entire time there was really frustrating for many reasons:
Their questions were just really strange and about things so basic I don’t really even think about. But I guess it just shows how much we have been globalized and they haven’t even really even reached modernity in a sense. It was hard for them to understand that we all don’t have our own individual gardens/farms to sustain ourselves, but that we buy most all our food from stores.
So while I was viewed as physically incapable of anything, I was also treated like royalty. I heard many times that people were so thankful I came to visit and said that they were very honored that I would humble myself/lower myself to come to an African village. They way I was talked to was like it was still during colonial times/white man’s burden. They seemed to think that they were not worth as much, like I was superior to them – which I hated! Ive never felt so awkward, and not wanting to be white.
These kids just followed us/accompanied us to the cave. Also, rural homestays = dressing like grandmas.
There were some great things:
Finally: A Bag of Nasty and 3 Gallons of Milk
It is common when we go to the village that we have chicken for at least one meal, and most of the time the Americans are the ones who get to slaughter the chicken. I never got that chance, but we did have chicken at Amy’s house the night I slept over and the gizzard is considered a delicacy and always given to the guest of honor. Well, Amy and I ate some gizzard together… the taste wasn’t too bad but the texture was awful/impossible to chew. I call it the bag of nasty b/c when my apartment mates and I made Thanksgiving dinner together we labled the bag of turkey parts that you have to take of out the turkey the bag of nasty. Well I got to eat it – chicken style.
In Uganda, tea is very important. Everyone has tea at least twice a day, for breakfast and before bed, but then there is also break tea (b/w breakfast and lunch) and evening tea (b/w lunch and dinner). In Kapchorwa its all about the milk tea because everyone has cows. It tasted sooo good! Literally straight from the cow to the stove to your cup. I loved it, but having tea really means having 3 cups of tea or until the flask is empty. And if anyone visits, or you visit someone (which is alllllll the time), then you all stop and sit and have tea. So Amy and I calculated that in the span of 7 days, we each had about 3 gallons of milk to drink…. That’s disgusting! 3 gallons of milk all by myself in 7 days. By the end I felt like I was a cow needing to be milked.
Anyways, that was my rural homestay in a nut shell. I’m just so glad its done.
This is my house from the front, and Jona...right on the main road.
My host parents were Justine and Isaac Chelibei and I had an 18 year old sister and 15 year old brother (Naster and Phillip) who were both at boarding school so I never met them, then Benja (short for Benjamin) who was 8, Jona (short for Johnson) who was 6 (my mom’s nephew who’s mom couldn’t take care of him b/c she had him in high school), and Queen Esther (named Queen because she was born in 2007 when the Queen of England came to Uganda) who was 3.5. We lived in a small mud and timber house with a cow dung & ash floor (that you re-smear every week), then there was a mud and timber kitchen as well as Philip’s room. Then we also had a cow who just gave birth, a goat, a dog, and chickens. There was no electricity and I prayed everytime I went to the pit latrine b/c it was a nailed wood floor and I was scared I was going to fall through every time (I’ve heard some horror stories). I was just banking on the fact that my host mom was a very large woman…success.
My fam... except the 2 girls in the middle just showed up for the picture, they are neighbors.
Overall, my entire time there was really frustrating for many reasons:
- I was homesick for my Mukono family and Logan the entire time.
- I hated wearing long skirts the whole time, not being able to cross my legs, and sitting in the most uncomfortable, worst chairs ever made.
- Communication was impossible. The don’t speak Luganda, they speak Kupsabiny which is a completely different style of language, I don’t know what you call it but its more similar to some tribes in Kenya than anywhere else, but because its not a Bantu language, not only could I not understand but I had to get used to all new sounds and another whole way of speaking English. When I would ask questions they would answer something completely different and when they asked me questions I usually had no idea what they meant or they had no idea what I was saying in my answers.
- Mzungu. I thought it was hard to be white in Mukono but its impossible to just live in Kapchorwa as a mzungu unless you have an agenda. In one sense they thought I was completely incapable of anything, yet they treated me like royalty and they were ignorant animals. All they know about America is that Obama is our president (and they couldn’t understand why some people didn’t vote for him – policy means nothing, but his dad being Kenyan means everything) and that we have machines for everything. Every morning I would wash the dishes, and every morning my Baba (dad) asked if it was hard even though every morning I would tell him no, I wash dishes like this in America too. They also would only let me carry a 10L jerry can of water – which is usually reserved for kids. But I did carry it on my head (and its harder than you’d think).
Their questions were just really strange and about things so basic I don’t really even think about. But I guess it just shows how much we have been globalized and they haven’t even really even reached modernity in a sense. It was hard for them to understand that we all don’t have our own individual gardens/farms to sustain ourselves, but that we buy most all our food from stores.
So while I was viewed as physically incapable of anything, I was also treated like royalty. I heard many times that people were so thankful I came to visit and said that they were very honored that I would humble myself/lower myself to come to an African village. They way I was talked to was like it was still during colonial times/white man’s burden. They seemed to think that they were not worth as much, like I was superior to them – which I hated! Ive never felt so awkward, and not wanting to be white.
These kids just followed us/accompanied us to the cave. Also, rural homestays = dressing like grandmas.
There were some great things:
- I got to be at a Compassion International center all day Saturday because my mom taught cognitive lessons and both Benja and Jona are sponsored children… more on Compassion later because I’m going to another site this weekend with IMME. But, it was awesome.
- My friend Amy’s house was close so we got to see each other a bunch, I even slept over at her house on Wednesday night which was so needed because we were both struggling with homestays and just needed to vent and have some solidarity.
- We went on some hikes and I saw 2 caves and a waterfall/ the Kapchorwa scenery was gorgeous, hills/mountains and lots of green!
- Everyone there was very nice and hospitable
- I learned how to milk a cow and cook
- I wasn’t in school
Finally: A Bag of Nasty and 3 Gallons of Milk
It is common when we go to the village that we have chicken for at least one meal, and most of the time the Americans are the ones who get to slaughter the chicken. I never got that chance, but we did have chicken at Amy’s house the night I slept over and the gizzard is considered a delicacy and always given to the guest of honor. Well, Amy and I ate some gizzard together… the taste wasn’t too bad but the texture was awful/impossible to chew. I call it the bag of nasty b/c when my apartment mates and I made Thanksgiving dinner together we labled the bag of turkey parts that you have to take of out the turkey the bag of nasty. Well I got to eat it – chicken style.
In Uganda, tea is very important. Everyone has tea at least twice a day, for breakfast and before bed, but then there is also break tea (b/w breakfast and lunch) and evening tea (b/w lunch and dinner). In Kapchorwa its all about the milk tea because everyone has cows. It tasted sooo good! Literally straight from the cow to the stove to your cup. I loved it, but having tea really means having 3 cups of tea or until the flask is empty. And if anyone visits, or you visit someone (which is alllllll the time), then you all stop and sit and have tea. So Amy and I calculated that in the span of 7 days, we each had about 3 gallons of milk to drink…. That’s disgusting! 3 gallons of milk all by myself in 7 days. By the end I felt like I was a cow needing to be milked.
Anyways, that was my rural homestay in a nut shell. I’m just so glad its done.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
When Things Just Click
The greatest moments in life, especially here, are the ones that you connect with people. One of the biggest lessons we are learning here is what it means to be present. Life here is about community, its not what you get done in a day, how many trophies you have, how you are distinguished or you at all, its about how you relate to those around you. Like the saying you hear around Christmas, “its not about presents but about Jesus’ presence” it rings true here too.
An easy way to communicate your presence here is in greeting people. Greetings in Luganda and very important – there are many greetings and can be quite long. You can spend five minutes talking with someone and all you’ve said is hello! People expect that you can only speak English because you’re a muzungu but if you greet someone here in Luganda their whole demeanor changes and they are very appreciative of your humility to learn their language.
The best example of this happened to me Sunday afternoon as I was walking back home after our rafting trip. There is a woman I have greeted a few times as she has come to fetch water at our house, she is older and doesn’t speak any English so we have never had a conversation. But she was walking the opposite direction on the road I take home, saw me and had a giant grin on her face. Her whole face smiled, with her beautifully aged wrinkles emphasizing her joy. When we got close she stretched out her arms and gave me a giant embrace as I greeted her and then we went our separate ways.
Why would an older Ugandan women take time to acknowledge a young mzungu who could never understand fully her culture? Its all about presence. It has to be or there would be no other reason for me to receive a comforting embrace from an almost stranger on a lonely walk home.
An easy way to communicate your presence here is in greeting people. Greetings in Luganda and very important – there are many greetings and can be quite long. You can spend five minutes talking with someone and all you’ve said is hello! People expect that you can only speak English because you’re a muzungu but if you greet someone here in Luganda their whole demeanor changes and they are very appreciative of your humility to learn their language.
The best example of this happened to me Sunday afternoon as I was walking back home after our rafting trip. There is a woman I have greeted a few times as she has come to fetch water at our house, she is older and doesn’t speak any English so we have never had a conversation. But she was walking the opposite direction on the road I take home, saw me and had a giant grin on her face. Her whole face smiled, with her beautifully aged wrinkles emphasizing her joy. When we got close she stretched out her arms and gave me a giant embrace as I greeted her and then we went our separate ways.
Why would an older Ugandan women take time to acknowledge a young mzungu who could never understand fully her culture? Its all about presence. It has to be or there would be no other reason for me to receive a comforting embrace from an almost stranger on a lonely walk home.
Recognized By The World For What It Is. Special.
This past weekend we got to go on a little get-away to Jinga, home of the source of the Nile. We were hosted by Adrift, an awesome rafting and bungee jumping company that really made the weekend. They came to pick us up on Saturday morning, set us up with our accommodations for the night and then gave us a brief rafting intro, we separated into groups of 9, strapped on helmets and life jackets and hit the water. I had the best raft, if I do say so myself, with our fearless leader from Canada, Josh. At the beginning of our rafting trip we learned all of the commands we would need to know for the rest of the day and we practiced falling out, flipping over, and getting back in the raft. In the calm we also enjoyed swimming and floating in the middle of the NILE.
So the Nile is something you start learning about in Sunday school when you are like, 5 when you learn about Moses. Not to mention learning about the amount of life it has provided for people since the beginning of history. How intricately it supplied life when it would flood and then leave rich and nutritious silt to nourish crops and feed the Egyptians consistently over time (thank you Ms. Daly!). Therefore, the whole day was basically filled with awe, not just because of the rapids but because of the fact that we were on the Nile.
Anyways, we enjoyed some nice and big rapids in the morning, experienced our first flip in one of the rapids, which ended up being a little scary because I didn’t even think about the fact that I should probably hold my breath if I’m going into the water and I got a nice mouthful. We then stopped for lunch at Lunch Island, where Adrift provided all the ingredients for the first, delicious, sandwich I’ve had since being in Uganda. It was wonderful. We then continued rafting and had 4 more rapids along with a couple hours of just rowing, floating, swimming, and getting to know each other and Josh a little more in the “down time”.
The biggest action of the day was the last rapid, a class 5 called “50/50”. 50% chance you will flip, 50% you wont. We flipped, big time. The first part of the rapid we all went flying and I was under the water for what seemed like a really long time as the rapid churned me until I was out. Kaylin, Megan and I were rescued by the safety kayaks and brought to another raft because ours had made it through the second part of the rapid. That guide was crazy, and with 12 people on his raft he sent us in the perfect position to go out with a bang and the entire raft went flying. I had hairy polish men in speedos land on me and use me as a ladder to get back to the surface of the water and keep me stuck under the raft for a little longer than I would have liked... but we made it back to our raft and finished the day nice and smoothly. Overall, rafting on the Nile was ah-mazing and I would definitely recommend adding it to your bucket list!
That night we all spent time together, took nice hot SHOWERS, and had a fun dance party.
The next morning we woke up, ate breakfast, and climbed 144 ft to the top of the bungee jump tower! I was terrified, but I was glad I was going tandem with Megan. As I watched a couple of other people go first it didn’t seem so bad either.
When it came to our turn, we walked out to the end, sat down while the guys strapped our feet together, clipped us to the rope and gave us a little demo of what would happen. We then stood up and had to inch together towards the end of the platform. That was the scariest part of the whole experience because after a certain point we weren’t allowed to look down so we were basically trusting this guy with our life to stop us before we shuffled off the platform. We wrapped our arms around each other, listened to everyone countdown 3, 2, 1...and leaned forward to fall 144ft! We both screamed the entire way down and during the whole 6 bounces up and down. After we stopped they lowered us down to a raft where two Ugandans unstrapped us and towed us to the shore. That was definitely one of the scariest experiences of my life but also very exhilarating… bridge jumping at home will be nothing now J
Africa is so great and I wish I could share my experience with you in more than just words!
p.s. Tried to up load the video but internet is obviously not working.... soon!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Quick Updates before the weekend!
1. A few weekends ago IMME went to Lira, which is a district up North affected by the war, including one of the IDP camps. What surprised me the most was now that everyone has been moved back to their homes and the IDP camps are completely are gone is that the war is basically unmentioned now. There are still visible and deep rooted consequences of the war, like many orphans, etc. However, we saw 3 awesome ministries that were completely different and talked with peace corps volunteers. It was awesome and I would love to talk about it more i just havnt had time to blog all my thoughts.
2. I LOVE my family. Especially Alex, we are now in the process of recording our own version of Chasing Cars, by Snow Patrol. Maybe I'll share it with you all since being here has made me used to not being embarrassed.
3. We have started playing volleyball on sundays with our ugandan siblings and its been super fun.
4. Today is election day! It will be really interesting to see how things play out. This is looking like it will be the first free and fair election Uganda has ever had... but then again, who knows. Lots of people arnt voting and are fine with Museveni, but in my personal opinion, I think they need a change of leadership or Egypt is going to happen in another 5 years.
I have lots more to say but if you want to know more about these just comment and ask questions! Also, what are people interested in hearing about... let me know so i dont bore you!
2. I LOVE my family. Especially Alex, we are now in the process of recording our own version of Chasing Cars, by Snow Patrol. Maybe I'll share it with you all since being here has made me used to not being embarrassed.
3. We have started playing volleyball on sundays with our ugandan siblings and its been super fun.
4. Today is election day! It will be really interesting to see how things play out. This is looking like it will be the first free and fair election Uganda has ever had... but then again, who knows. Lots of people arnt voting and are fine with Museveni, but in my personal opinion, I think they need a change of leadership or Egypt is going to happen in another 5 years.
I have lots more to say but if you want to know more about these just comment and ask questions! Also, what are people interested in hearing about... let me know so i dont bore you!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Its Destiny
Part of me feels like I am doomed, I mean destined to be in the food business. Not only has my American family been involved for basically ever, my host family here does outside catering on the side for some extra income.
I didnt get to go because the event was far away and my brothers stayed over night, but I got to help wash all of the dishes the next day! Some neighborhood women and the little boys helped too.
I didnt get to go because the event was far away and my brothers stayed over night, but I got to help wash all of the dishes the next day! Some neighborhood women and the little boys helped too.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Its not easy being Mzungu
I really had no idea how white I was. It doesnt matter if I'm one of the tanner people at home, here I am a mzungu (ma-zune-goo). Mzungu just means white person, and its not a derogatory thing at all, just a statement, something to call the random white person to their face or just in conversation.
Its interesting though, all the different reactions you get from people wherever you go. I think there are three main camps when it comes to opinions on mzungus and then a special category.
1. There are the people who think you are funny and something to make fun of when you pass them on the street (usually a group of guys my age or a little older). Its easy to make fun of you because you obviously have absolutely no idea whats really going on even when you are getting used to things. So the interaction looks something like this: they you see you coming and start smiling, then when you pass they start laughing and talking, sometimes you catch the word mzungu and you definitely know they are laughing at you. But really, its normal and nbd.
2. Then there are the people who think mzungus are the coolest people in the world. Their mindset is that if you are white you must have money and connections to visas in the US. This group includes the boda-boda drivers who shout "mzungu I love you!" "mzungu, marry me!" (decoy rings are great!) to the girls who come up to you and say "Hi, I'm Betty, I've always wanted a mzungu friend, can I have your number?" Out of all people, this is the most annoying group because its actually great not knowing what people say when they make fun of you.
3. Then there is the group of people, mostly children or at least age 16 and under who are just in shock that there is a mzungu in their community that I basically have celebrity status. Let me tell you, its such a great ego boost walking to school hearing "mzungu bye!" over and over again from all of the cute kids I pass in the morning.
Then there is the special category of people, mostly older, but this group is only discovered when you start to speak Luganda. People don't really expect much of you until you greet them in Luganda. It feels like magic when that happens because their faces instantly light up and are so excited and appreciative that you are willing to learn their language. Its great.
I now greet two older women (who are friends of my maama's) on my way too and from school everyday as they are sitting out by the road selling their produce and charcoal. There is also a little girl, probably almost 2 who sits with her dad/grandfather? everyday while he is selling his produce. She has the cutest voice and its fun to great her in Luganda because she is totally not expecting it.
So at first, being a mzungu was a little awkward - I had never felt so different in my entire life. But there is also such a freedom in the fact that I dont have to try and fit in because no matter how hard I try I never will.
p.s. its the weirdest thing when you are in town and you see another mzungu and your thought process is "what? a mzungu? what are they doing here?"
Its interesting though, all the different reactions you get from people wherever you go. I think there are three main camps when it comes to opinions on mzungus and then a special category.
1. There are the people who think you are funny and something to make fun of when you pass them on the street (usually a group of guys my age or a little older). Its easy to make fun of you because you obviously have absolutely no idea whats really going on even when you are getting used to things. So the interaction looks something like this: they you see you coming and start smiling, then when you pass they start laughing and talking, sometimes you catch the word mzungu and you definitely know they are laughing at you. But really, its normal and nbd.
2. Then there are the people who think mzungus are the coolest people in the world. Their mindset is that if you are white you must have money and connections to visas in the US. This group includes the boda-boda drivers who shout "mzungu I love you!" "mzungu, marry me!" (decoy rings are great!) to the girls who come up to you and say "Hi, I'm Betty, I've always wanted a mzungu friend, can I have your number?" Out of all people, this is the most annoying group because its actually great not knowing what people say when they make fun of you.
Then there is the special category of people, mostly older, but this group is only discovered when you start to speak Luganda. People don't really expect much of you until you greet them in Luganda. It feels like magic when that happens because their faces instantly light up and are so excited and appreciative that you are willing to learn their language. Its great.
I now greet two older women (who are friends of my maama's) on my way too and from school everyday as they are sitting out by the road selling their produce and charcoal. There is also a little girl, probably almost 2 who sits with her dad/grandfather? everyday while he is selling his produce. She has the cutest voice and its fun to great her in Luganda because she is totally not expecting it.
So at first, being a mzungu was a little awkward - I had never felt so different in my entire life. But there is also such a freedom in the fact that I dont have to try and fit in because no matter how hard I try I never will.
p.s. its the weirdest thing when you are in town and you see another mzungu and your thought process is "what? a mzungu? what are they doing here?"
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
I'm a Ugandan Woman!
Last week, Alex sat Megan and I down and explained to us that the family had given him the responsibility of giving us our Ugandan names, which is normally reserved for the father. He explained to us the whole history of our tribe, called Buganda, which is the largest tribe in Uganda. There are 4 origins of our tribe, which all happened and its a long story....
But within our tribe we are a part of a clan (the father's side). Luganda names dont have meaning but they identify people with their clan. Within your clan there is a list of names for boys and girls which can be used (which I'm sure dates back to the original members of the tribe, keeping the ancestors as part of the family is VERY important here!... but there is no ancestor worship, contrary to popular belief).
So, my Luganda name is: Omumbejja (Princess - yep, I'm royalty!) Ndagire Mawanda.
To cement this, my mom made us try on the traditional dress, worn to all ceremonies and even church sometimes!
But within our tribe we are a part of a clan (the father's side). Luganda names dont have meaning but they identify people with their clan. Within your clan there is a list of names for boys and girls which can be used (which I'm sure dates back to the original members of the tribe, keeping the ancestors as part of the family is VERY important here!... but there is no ancestor worship, contrary to popular belief).
So, my Luganda name is: Omumbejja (Princess - yep, I'm royalty!) Ndagire Mawanda.
To cement this, my mom made us try on the traditional dress, worn to all ceremonies and even church sometimes!
Please note: these dresses are great on large African women... but not so much any American body
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Fun with Alex
Here are some pictures of my brother Alex that I didnt have before, which were taken amidst lots of laughs and fun...
This is maama "beating" Alex for doing pushups, but her favorite thing to say is: Yakukuba ("Im going to beat you")
He was doing push ups because he asked me out he can be stronger for when he plays soccer, so we all did some
This is also my sister Megan, who is a USE student who joined our family for her two week homestay
And, I also chopped off my hair.... waay nicer in this climate and washing in a basin!
He was doing push ups because he asked me out he can be stronger for when he plays soccer, so we all did some
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Frogger
Driving...well any type of transportation here is absolutely crazy. Any time I'm on a road all I can think of is frogger... and how most of the time when you play that game, you end up smashed by many vehicles.
First of all, there are no lights, stop signs, cross walks, lines one the road or any traffic laws. There are traffic police that stand on the side of the road in white uniforms and whistles, but I really havent seen them doing anything. On the roads that are not paved (which is most of them) there are so many really deep pot holes to maneuver as well. Most of the time there are not really sidewalks either and most people travel on foot. Then there are boda-bodas which is small motorcyles-taxis that drive really fast, wherever they want, sometimes with 3 people on the back including the driver, or women sitting side-saddle in a skirt or anything that needs to be taken. For example, a women sitting side-saddle holding multiple chickens, or a small cow with its legs tied sitting perpendicular on the bike with the driver behind it leaning forward to reach the handle bars (I really wish I got a picture of that one).
Then there are mutatus, which are like our taxis except they are big vans which pick you up and drop you off wherever. They have specific routes too so if your destination is on the way then you hop in and when you are getting close you pay, then say "conductor, stage" and he drops you off on the side of the road. Most vans have seats for about 15 people but during rush hour its however many people can squish. There are no seat belts either so it doesnt really matter.
Then there are also people driving in personal cars and private hires, as well as huge mercedes-benz semi trucks.
Put them all together with no sense of organization, laws or rules, and throw a ton of people on the sides of the roads and trying to cross the street at any given moment because they just go when they think they can get across fast enough without the cars hitting them.
There are plenty of bikes carrying way too many jerry cans or giant bags of charcoal too.
Basically, it is a fun time when you "move" which is what they say when you are traveling anywhere.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Family!
Kisakye (pronounced: chi-sa-chi), Junior, and Daniel (I dont know what the kind of peace sign thing is, I've tried to ask but I cant really get an answer)
Nansu
Classic picture of Samuel, whose 20th birthday is today
Maama laughing about something and eating the brownies i brought home for Bridget's birthday
Rogers, or Rojaz as he likes to say
I dont have a good picture of Alex yet, but I'll put one up soon! (when the internet isnt taking a billion years to do anything)
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