July 23, 2011
It has been a pretty righteous week here in Belgium. I really enjoy most of the people here and the city of Brussels is very entertaining. I have noticed a ton of graffiti everywhere. I don’t think I’ve seen so many varieties and styles before. Many have made me stop and admire for a couple minutes. I have had to get used to calculated dollars into Euro so that’s another adventure in itself. It is difficult really but you just have to remember that you aren’t really spending twenty dollars if you spend twenty Euro. I am certainly thankful for this experience and am trying to soak in as much of this part of the world as I can. Olivie’s parents have been more than generous and it is awesome to have a place to stay while here.
On Thursday it was Belgium day so Bryan and I ventured out into the city and saw a bunch of Belgium day stuff going on. I guess there was a parade and the Belgium King made a presence. Apparently there is no government in place here in Belgium and there hasn’t been one for over a year now. It is the longest time this country has gone without having one stable government. Everyone still pays taxes and stuff but there just isn’t one central power of command. There surprisingly isn’t any sort of heavy turmoil because of this. I can’t imagine the US not having a government for over a year. I mean, everyone gets into a frenzy when the NFL season becomes in jeopardy. I really doubt that we would let the country go for over a year without a government in place. All of this stuff was happening in and near the large park in the middle of the city. After we got of the metro we tried to find it. We found the center square where a lot of tourists go to check out the buildings, but we kept wandering and couldn’t seem to find the park. We did find a carnival that had this really tall ride that swung you around in a large circle. Bryan had the great idea of riding the ride, not only to get the crap flung out of us, but to also see if we could spot the park while we were really high up in the air. This ended up working because we found where we needed to go, and got our stomachs jumbled at the same time. Turns out we were going in the total opposite direction we needed to be going. We found the park and soon after joined up with Olivie and some of his friends.
This is when the night started getting wild. We were introduced to a couple of bars. The first one was called the Toone and they had puppet shows going on there, I think on a regular basis. I drank this large dark beer called a kwak and we continued on our way. The next bar we visited was called Floris. This place had the largest selection of Absinthe ever. Absinthe isn’t allowed in America for some reason, so of course, we had to try some. We heard we could smoke this certain kind so we decided to do that. Bryan went first and oh man, it made me really question if I should go through with it. It looked so painful. Hey, we are in Belgium and there is Absinthe ready to be smoked right if front of me, so what the heck right. I don’t think I got it into my lungs as bad as Bryan did because it was painful but I was still standing. Everyone but me took another shot of some other kind and we decided to head to the disco tech. This was like a bar on the first level and a dance party on the second. We cranked out our sweet dance skills til 3 in the morning or so. To say we went hard is an understatement. Luckily I don’t get hung over so the next day I felt great. Everyone else was hurtin so we all took it pretty easy.
It was awesome to experience all of this and I am certainly excited to see Amsterdam on Sunday. We are planning on taking a train into the city that morning and then going to a concert that evening. We will stay one night at this hostel place then catch a train back Monday morning. I’ve never been to Amsterdam before and am glad we get the chance to go now. Apparently the city is trying to wash itself of its bad rep by changing a ton of rules by next year. Guess we snuck in our visit just in time....
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
July 19th, 2011
July 19th, 2011
It’s been a crazy weekend concluding with an emotional goodbye to the kids. Bryan and TK were able to spend the night with all the boys on saturday, but I wasn’t able to because I was vomiting in the backyard. Pretty fun. More bummed about not getting to spend the night with the kids. Kinda worked out cus the next day was a big improvement. By the evening I think things were back to normal. Thinkin it was maybe the pork from Ling Ling since not a lot of people eat pork, they probably messed it up or my stomach just wasn’t used to it after having mostly beans, rice and potatoes for the past month and a half.....what’s Africa without having something go wrong with you. I’d say if you are on that continent - minus south africa or anywhere super civilized - for more than 3 weeks you will probably at least feel a bit weird at some point.
The finish line is the best place to start - something that is kind of turning out to be true because sitting back in Heathrow waiting for their dumb system to tell us when our flight is sort of deja -vu. We get to chill for an extra 45 minutes because of flights being delayed. Just more time to get to know Heathrow I guess.
It is sort-of weird being back in civilization where you aren’t the odd one standing out. Sure we are American, but the children don’t run up to you calling you Muzungu and Bonga you. We also have to get used to everything being really expensive again (relative that is). It feels fine I guess to have society around you, but I think there is just something peaceful and attractive about being in a part of the world where you are more cut off and secluded from where you came from and people who are similar to you.
I’ve already found many of the kid’s faces floating back into my mind. It’s difficult not to think about them and what they might be doing. Any time of the day now I will look at the clock and probably think about what myself or the kids would have been doing at Musana. It is truly a special place and I hope my travels will bring me back there someday. It’s exciting the form ideas about new places and new children around the world, but there is still that passion of wanting to embrace all those smiling kids in your arms, at least once more......
It’s been a crazy weekend concluding with an emotional goodbye to the kids. Bryan and TK were able to spend the night with all the boys on saturday, but I wasn’t able to because I was vomiting in the backyard. Pretty fun. More bummed about not getting to spend the night with the kids. Kinda worked out cus the next day was a big improvement. By the evening I think things were back to normal. Thinkin it was maybe the pork from Ling Ling since not a lot of people eat pork, they probably messed it up or my stomach just wasn’t used to it after having mostly beans, rice and potatoes for the past month and a half.....what’s Africa without having something go wrong with you. I’d say if you are on that continent - minus south africa or anywhere super civilized - for more than 3 weeks you will probably at least feel a bit weird at some point.
The finish line is the best place to start - something that is kind of turning out to be true because sitting back in Heathrow waiting for their dumb system to tell us when our flight is sort of deja -vu. We get to chill for an extra 45 minutes because of flights being delayed. Just more time to get to know Heathrow I guess.
It is sort-of weird being back in civilization where you aren’t the odd one standing out. Sure we are American, but the children don’t run up to you calling you Muzungu and Bonga you. We also have to get used to everything being really expensive again (relative that is). It feels fine I guess to have society around you, but I think there is just something peaceful and attractive about being in a part of the world where you are more cut off and secluded from where you came from and people who are similar to you.
I’ve already found many of the kid’s faces floating back into my mind. It’s difficult not to think about them and what they might be doing. Any time of the day now I will look at the clock and probably think about what myself or the kids would have been doing at Musana. It is truly a special place and I hope my travels will bring me back there someday. It’s exciting the form ideas about new places and new children around the world, but there is still that passion of wanting to embrace all those smiling kids in your arms, at least once more......
Saturday, July 16, 2011
July 15th, 2011
July 15th, 2011
We left this morning for our last trip to Kampala. It was another long day and the market we were in search for wasn’t around today. This really bummed us out cus it’s one of the reason we traveled that fun distance in a taxi. I was still able to experience more of this crazy city, which was pretty fun. There were certainly places that threw me for a loop. We saw Kadaphi mosque or however you say that guys name. It was really massive and looked out of place among all the other decaying buildings down below it. There is certainly still a huge gap between the rich and the poor. The middle class isn’t as common, but i think it is slowly growing.
After sitting next to the biggest Ugandan I’ve seen in awhile on the coaster, we made it back to Jinja and found a couple things we needed to pick up. After some shopping I finally experienced Ling Ling, which is an authentic chinese food restaurant. I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast so you would say it was quite the long day. This meal definitely made up for the lack of food in me. It’s not the big things here that you miss, it ends up being all the small things you don’t think about on a day to day basis. I’ve only really been here for 50 days or so and I’ve noticed it. I know if this became a lifestyle you would really start adapting to all the change. Those little things would still eat at you, but as I said, it doesn’t seem to hit you everyday. A subtle layer of numbness floats over you and gradually builds. Once this callous get tough enough I think anyone could survive in any part of the world. It’s just a matter of time.....
We paid a visit to our friend Abagail before leaving Jinja then finally made it home. It was an intensely long day and I never thought a 5 inch foam mattress would feel so good.....
We left this morning for our last trip to Kampala. It was another long day and the market we were in search for wasn’t around today. This really bummed us out cus it’s one of the reason we traveled that fun distance in a taxi. I was still able to experience more of this crazy city, which was pretty fun. There were certainly places that threw me for a loop. We saw Kadaphi mosque or however you say that guys name. It was really massive and looked out of place among all the other decaying buildings down below it. There is certainly still a huge gap between the rich and the poor. The middle class isn’t as common, but i think it is slowly growing.
After sitting next to the biggest Ugandan I’ve seen in awhile on the coaster, we made it back to Jinja and found a couple things we needed to pick up. After some shopping I finally experienced Ling Ling, which is an authentic chinese food restaurant. I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast so you would say it was quite the long day. This meal definitely made up for the lack of food in me. It’s not the big things here that you miss, it ends up being all the small things you don’t think about on a day to day basis. I’ve only really been here for 50 days or so and I’ve noticed it. I know if this became a lifestyle you would really start adapting to all the change. Those little things would still eat at you, but as I said, it doesn’t seem to hit you everyday. A subtle layer of numbness floats over you and gradually builds. Once this callous get tough enough I think anyone could survive in any part of the world. It’s just a matter of time.....
We paid a visit to our friend Abagail before leaving Jinja then finally made it home. It was an intensely long day and I never thought a 5 inch foam mattress would feel so good.....
July 14th, 2011
July 14th, 2011
Today was full of more new experiences. It’s about a mile to Musana and I walked it by myself this morning. It is sometimes peaceful to just wonder off on your own. There is a true sense of being out in this vast world completely alone, completely free. The kids were roaming around again today so we hung out with em for a while before they had to get back to class. Nahia, the most darling little girl of all time, let me try some of these weird little beans that are apparently some sort of snack food. The taste wasn’t bad but it lingered in my mouth for quite awhile. It was soon time for the kids to return to their classroom so I started walking with a boy named Samuel as he lead me to his P3 classroom. Sam is an amazing kid and him and I always go after each other while playing capture the flag. He’s that really fast kid who will actually come close to outrunning you. Anyway, he then told me the P3 teacher had left for the day, which was odd because the kids still had class. I assumed whoever the teacher was that they were involved with the choir, since they were practicing - and have been - non stop. Sam and a few others then grabbed my hands and asked me to teach their class. I said I wasn’t sure if I could and was rather hesitant. Really, what was the harm? I mean, they would have just sat in a classroom without a teacher for over an hour if I decided to not teach them. I literally had no idea what I was doing.....at least with the teaching part. I thought of all the stuff I learned in Elementary school and decided to just look through one of the kid’s books to get a feel for what they have been learning. It ended up going better than I thought. I showed them nouns, proper nouns, adverbs and adjectives, similes, metaphors, opposites, then some sentence structure, punctuation, spelling and vocab, and even had many of them come up to the board and fix sentences that I wrote wrong. I now see why teachers use lesson plans. Teaching off the top of your head at a whim is pretty chaotic. I am glad I experienced this though, and I think the kids were ok with my performance. I decided to let them out for lunch break early anyway so they had to love that.
We started painted more in the afternoon and then Brenda and I went to the village with Dennis. He is the craft room coordinator/manager. This village is sort-of near where the farm is located and Musana employs women that live out there to make things so we can sell them which helps support the orphanage. Turns out, making paper beads it much more difficult that it looks. After the first few my fingers started cramping. I was impressed with the ladies that continuously made beads all day. They also make bags and laptop cases. It is so awesome to see women getting to work and learn skills so they can provide for themselves and their family through Musana. It is just another way Musana is reaching out and helping within the community. Not only this, but this project also helps lead Musana to a self sustaining orphanage. The goal is to have enough businesses developed so that Musana doesn’t have to have donations to function. They of course will still accept them, but they won’t be the primary income for the employees and the children.
For dinner Gala (another volunteer) had brought home some chili oil stuff she bought on the street somewhere in town. Ugandans usually don’t like spicy stuff so this was a pleasant surprise. Though it added flavor, the surprise turned out to be not as pleasant as intended. This was probably the hottest chile oil sauce I have ever eaten. Literally a couple drops of it sent your mouth straight to the fires of hell. My lips were tingling for the next hour. The reason it turned unpleasant was because this incredible crazy burn didn’t just stay in my mouth. I was stupid enough to touch my nose after handling the container it was in and then touch my eyes. There was a huge increase of miserableness in my life after I did this. Immediately my nose caught fire and then I booked it to my room to take out my contacts and douse my eyes in solution. The burning wouldn’t quite unless I held my face in front of the fan. After it subsided a bit I returned to the group to eat dinner. It was interesting eating and not being able to see the remaining food on my plate or anyone’s face. The contacts that I had in are certainly contaminated, maybe for good, because trying to put them back in a bit later brought back the intense burning. I’m not saying this was like being pepper sprayed in the eyes, but it is the only thing I can think of comparing it to......so overall it really sucked and I don’t wanna ever experience that again.
The lessons that you wish you never learned probably stick with you the longest.
Today was full of more new experiences. It’s about a mile to Musana and I walked it by myself this morning. It is sometimes peaceful to just wonder off on your own. There is a true sense of being out in this vast world completely alone, completely free. The kids were roaming around again today so we hung out with em for a while before they had to get back to class. Nahia, the most darling little girl of all time, let me try some of these weird little beans that are apparently some sort of snack food. The taste wasn’t bad but it lingered in my mouth for quite awhile. It was soon time for the kids to return to their classroom so I started walking with a boy named Samuel as he lead me to his P3 classroom. Sam is an amazing kid and him and I always go after each other while playing capture the flag. He’s that really fast kid who will actually come close to outrunning you. Anyway, he then told me the P3 teacher had left for the day, which was odd because the kids still had class. I assumed whoever the teacher was that they were involved with the choir, since they were practicing - and have been - non stop. Sam and a few others then grabbed my hands and asked me to teach their class. I said I wasn’t sure if I could and was rather hesitant. Really, what was the harm? I mean, they would have just sat in a classroom without a teacher for over an hour if I decided to not teach them. I literally had no idea what I was doing.....at least with the teaching part. I thought of all the stuff I learned in Elementary school and decided to just look through one of the kid’s books to get a feel for what they have been learning. It ended up going better than I thought. I showed them nouns, proper nouns, adverbs and adjectives, similes, metaphors, opposites, then some sentence structure, punctuation, spelling and vocab, and even had many of them come up to the board and fix sentences that I wrote wrong. I now see why teachers use lesson plans. Teaching off the top of your head at a whim is pretty chaotic. I am glad I experienced this though, and I think the kids were ok with my performance. I decided to let them out for lunch break early anyway so they had to love that.
We started painted more in the afternoon and then Brenda and I went to the village with Dennis. He is the craft room coordinator/manager. This village is sort-of near where the farm is located and Musana employs women that live out there to make things so we can sell them which helps support the orphanage. Turns out, making paper beads it much more difficult that it looks. After the first few my fingers started cramping. I was impressed with the ladies that continuously made beads all day. They also make bags and laptop cases. It is so awesome to see women getting to work and learn skills so they can provide for themselves and their family through Musana. It is just another way Musana is reaching out and helping within the community. Not only this, but this project also helps lead Musana to a self sustaining orphanage. The goal is to have enough businesses developed so that Musana doesn’t have to have donations to function. They of course will still accept them, but they won’t be the primary income for the employees and the children.
For dinner Gala (another volunteer) had brought home some chili oil stuff she bought on the street somewhere in town. Ugandans usually don’t like spicy stuff so this was a pleasant surprise. Though it added flavor, the surprise turned out to be not as pleasant as intended. This was probably the hottest chile oil sauce I have ever eaten. Literally a couple drops of it sent your mouth straight to the fires of hell. My lips were tingling for the next hour. The reason it turned unpleasant was because this incredible crazy burn didn’t just stay in my mouth. I was stupid enough to touch my nose after handling the container it was in and then touch my eyes. There was a huge increase of miserableness in my life after I did this. Immediately my nose caught fire and then I booked it to my room to take out my contacts and douse my eyes in solution. The burning wouldn’t quite unless I held my face in front of the fan. After it subsided a bit I returned to the group to eat dinner. It was interesting eating and not being able to see the remaining food on my plate or anyone’s face. The contacts that I had in are certainly contaminated, maybe for good, because trying to put them back in a bit later brought back the intense burning. I’m not saying this was like being pepper sprayed in the eyes, but it is the only thing I can think of comparing it to......so overall it really sucked and I don’t wanna ever experience that again.
The lessons that you wish you never learned probably stick with you the longest.
July 13th, 2011
July 13th, 2011
Another days work under the belt. The closer the end comes the more I fall in love with the idea of traveling. Learning about people and how they live is pretty interesting, especially when they are so different from yourself. I can only pray that the chance to explore another world comes my way.
Not only do you learn to love the people here, but there is a sense of love for people back home as well. It is a weird feeling but along with the newfound sense of the world and wanting to explore it, there is also a new feeling that attaches you to people at home. I think not matter how far you travel or how many places you see, that it is important to come back home after awhile to see the ones you love. Someone home keeps you grounded amidst the bustling world. It doesn’t have to be super often that you return and see where you came from, cus frankly it’s where you came from, you know it like the back of your hand. If it’s been quite a few years, then yea, coming back to where you learned to become the person you are is important. I guess you just realize who you depend on and who you care about....
On that note, there is no telling who you will meet on new adventures. I feel that there will always be a spot in your mind where you keep memories of ones you’ve encountered, no matter how brief. I’ve always been apprehensive of meeting new faces cus let be truthful, there are many more surface level contacts we make that ones that run deep. Most of the time you get to a point of not even trying.....but now, even if it is only for a brief moment, I think it’s awesome meeting someone new. There is only hope that you run into them again someday.....
Another days work under the belt. The closer the end comes the more I fall in love with the idea of traveling. Learning about people and how they live is pretty interesting, especially when they are so different from yourself. I can only pray that the chance to explore another world comes my way.
Not only do you learn to love the people here, but there is a sense of love for people back home as well. It is a weird feeling but along with the newfound sense of the world and wanting to explore it, there is also a new feeling that attaches you to people at home. I think not matter how far you travel or how many places you see, that it is important to come back home after awhile to see the ones you love. Someone home keeps you grounded amidst the bustling world. It doesn’t have to be super often that you return and see where you came from, cus frankly it’s where you came from, you know it like the back of your hand. If it’s been quite a few years, then yea, coming back to where you learned to become the person you are is important. I guess you just realize who you depend on and who you care about....
On that note, there is no telling who you will meet on new adventures. I feel that there will always be a spot in your mind where you keep memories of ones you’ve encountered, no matter how brief. I’ve always been apprehensive of meeting new faces cus let be truthful, there are many more surface level contacts we make that ones that run deep. Most of the time you get to a point of not even trying.....but now, even if it is only for a brief moment, I think it’s awesome meeting someone new. There is only hope that you run into them again someday.....
July 12th, 2011
July 12th, 2011
Back at it today, worked on some more barb wire and finished another roll so that was cool. The weather here is so perfect, at least most days, today being one of those. It started off being super hot and so we got some sun while workin on the fence. It then turned to a nice drizzle with some clouds lingering overhead as the rain fell lightly. By afternoon it turned back to being sunny and pleasant. I hope Colorado has some good weather for the remainder of the summer. It is hard not to think about what life will be like when this trip is over. There are so many things to share and so many things you want to tell people. It’ll be hard to fully capture everything about this place.
I was worried about my eye hurting for another day, but when I put in the contact this morning it’s like nothing was bothering it at all. Refreshed and ready to play with all the kids, the day as a whole turned out to be much better. I notice more now that how you feel really affects your attitude of being in a different country. While things are going wrong, there is nothing more you want than to be back home getting the issue fixed with expert technology and comforting food. Trust me, there are some foods you do miss, despite the awesome stuff here. An awesome sub sandwich with fresh lettuce and tomato and olives and beautiful mayonnaise and mustard would be killer right now. Also a giant burrito with some juicy steak, soft rice, spicy salsa, guacamole and chewy tortillas wrapped around it. I certainly have gotten used to the posho and beans though. Still manage to finish the entire plate every time. You definitely gotta power through the rocks and random dirt taste sometimes. When I travel to other places, I think I will be bringing gallons of Sri Rotcha, cus there is only a little bit left in my last bottle, and I brought 3. Of course, the other two were shared with a bunch of people, so they went kinda fast. You always should keep that reserve bottle for yourself though. Ever so essential.
A bunch of the kids were practicing for the choir competition that is on friday so I guess most of the other kids that weren’t practicing just got to hang out. The little little kids had to still go learn, but really we all know learning stuff at that age is way fun. Singing songs about how you are my sunshine is the best. Since everyone was out of class a bunch we just hung out with them after the morning session of work. I happened to stroll into the kitchen today and got to see the food is made for the 90 + kids that eat there for lunch. There is around 74 children who live at Musana so dinner isn’t as hectic, but not by much. Grandma Sophia is the head chef and boy does she work hard. I am still extremely impressed with all the tough work she does at her age. Being old in Uganda already warrants respect and praise. Being old and working you ass off for a bunch of children is like top notch awesomeness! Stirring the giant pot of posho really wares you out. There are also beans to be made and rice to be sorted, which is extremely tedious. The wood splitting also takes a long time and a lot of effort. The ladies that are laboring over the food all day certainly have my respect. They not only work hard, but are continuously happy, greeting us with a smile every day.
It all makes me think, what’s not to be happy about...??? No matter who you are or where you are at.......there is something to be happy and thankful for, no matter how small. I know the days will continue on, their ups and downs coming in waves we can’t control....it’s all part of discovery
Back at it today, worked on some more barb wire and finished another roll so that was cool. The weather here is so perfect, at least most days, today being one of those. It started off being super hot and so we got some sun while workin on the fence. It then turned to a nice drizzle with some clouds lingering overhead as the rain fell lightly. By afternoon it turned back to being sunny and pleasant. I hope Colorado has some good weather for the remainder of the summer. It is hard not to think about what life will be like when this trip is over. There are so many things to share and so many things you want to tell people. It’ll be hard to fully capture everything about this place.
I was worried about my eye hurting for another day, but when I put in the contact this morning it’s like nothing was bothering it at all. Refreshed and ready to play with all the kids, the day as a whole turned out to be much better. I notice more now that how you feel really affects your attitude of being in a different country. While things are going wrong, there is nothing more you want than to be back home getting the issue fixed with expert technology and comforting food. Trust me, there are some foods you do miss, despite the awesome stuff here. An awesome sub sandwich with fresh lettuce and tomato and olives and beautiful mayonnaise and mustard would be killer right now. Also a giant burrito with some juicy steak, soft rice, spicy salsa, guacamole and chewy tortillas wrapped around it. I certainly have gotten used to the posho and beans though. Still manage to finish the entire plate every time. You definitely gotta power through the rocks and random dirt taste sometimes. When I travel to other places, I think I will be bringing gallons of Sri Rotcha, cus there is only a little bit left in my last bottle, and I brought 3. Of course, the other two were shared with a bunch of people, so they went kinda fast. You always should keep that reserve bottle for yourself though. Ever so essential.
A bunch of the kids were practicing for the choir competition that is on friday so I guess most of the other kids that weren’t practicing just got to hang out. The little little kids had to still go learn, but really we all know learning stuff at that age is way fun. Singing songs about how you are my sunshine is the best. Since everyone was out of class a bunch we just hung out with them after the morning session of work. I happened to stroll into the kitchen today and got to see the food is made for the 90 + kids that eat there for lunch. There is around 74 children who live at Musana so dinner isn’t as hectic, but not by much. Grandma Sophia is the head chef and boy does she work hard. I am still extremely impressed with all the tough work she does at her age. Being old in Uganda already warrants respect and praise. Being old and working you ass off for a bunch of children is like top notch awesomeness! Stirring the giant pot of posho really wares you out. There are also beans to be made and rice to be sorted, which is extremely tedious. The wood splitting also takes a long time and a lot of effort. The ladies that are laboring over the food all day certainly have my respect. They not only work hard, but are continuously happy, greeting us with a smile every day.
It all makes me think, what’s not to be happy about...??? No matter who you are or where you are at.......there is something to be happy and thankful for, no matter how small. I know the days will continue on, their ups and downs coming in waves we can’t control....it’s all part of discovery
Monday, July 11, 2011
July 11th, 2011
July 11th, 2011
Today was one of those days, where I didn’t wanna do much but lay around.....so kinda did that. Not being able to see much out of my right eye is the source of this, and it sucks cus I only have a limited time left with the kids. We did play red rover with a lot of them, which is a great idea for kids here cus they are all much more tough than the kids in america. Saw some little children get laid out! But they always get back up with a big ol smile, ready for more. Wish I was that tough when I was younger. Puts me to shame.
Not super eventful but hope I’ll be able to see soon. Still got the left eye so still in business for now. Every day that goes by makes me more and more excited for exploring other parts of the world.....
Today was one of those days, where I didn’t wanna do much but lay around.....so kinda did that. Not being able to see much out of my right eye is the source of this, and it sucks cus I only have a limited time left with the kids. We did play red rover with a lot of them, which is a great idea for kids here cus they are all much more tough than the kids in america. Saw some little children get laid out! But they always get back up with a big ol smile, ready for more. Wish I was that tough when I was younger. Puts me to shame.
Not super eventful but hope I’ll be able to see soon. Still got the left eye so still in business for now. Every day that goes by makes me more and more excited for exploring other parts of the world.....
Sunday, July 10, 2011
July 10th, 2011
July 10th, 2011
The last few days have been pretty fun and crazy. As my time starts winding down here, I am trying to participate in fun things while I can. Friday I worked on the fence more and put up three more rows. Bryan was in Kampala all day so I thought it would be difficult handling all the barb wire by myself. Turns out it wasn’t too bad. You find different ways of doing it when you don’t have that extra set of hands. I think it worked out. It was a relatively chill night with watching movies and stuff. Nuttin too wild.
Yesterday we went to the pool in Jinja again to continue celebrating Julie’s birthday. She has been apart of/ involved with Musana since the beginning. She just turned 18 and Ugandans can start drinking then so after the pool we all went out to a club in Jinja. Bryan and I weren’t expecting to go out with everyone so we didn’t have any of our stuff. It was still semi early when Andrea and Leiha convinced us to come out with everyone. We took a taxi all the way back to Iganga, showered and cleaned up, got Brenda to come with us, and then took a taxi back to Jinja. I don’t think I will miss the taxi rides here. Like, at all. It ended up being really worth it though. We all pre-gamed and stuff at this guy Angelo’s house. He is a pretty well known artist in Jinja and is actually really talented. Some of his paintings are mind blowing, though he sells them at American prices so I wasn’t about to pay 300,000 for one. Definitely a tourist price....so screw that. I was able to pick up one of his shirts that he puts a pretty cool painted graphic on. It wasn’t even extra to customize it a bit, which was cool. Anyway, Angelo has a sweet house, especially by Ugandan standards. There were a ton of other white people there too so that was different to see. When 12:30 rolled around we all decided it was time to hit the club. I didn’t know how packed it usually got, but I felt pretty crammed in there. People that have been there said it was a busy night. Makes sense, because it is high traffic season here in Jinja. Tourism is at a peak. We all had a blast despite some creepy things that went down, and some dude trying to jack my wallet, while it was still in my front pocket. He had balls I’ll give em that, but kinda wanted to kill him after that. It was just another reminder that you gotta be street smart while you’re here. Which seems important any time you travel.
Sleeping at someone else’s pad is never a good night’s sleep, especially when it’s hot as balls and there isn’t a mosquito net over the couch you’re sleepin on. All part of the experience right? Luckily today is Sunday and so we can all relax, at least, that’s what I be doin for awhile. I guess you can say here is like anywhere else, if you work hard you can play hard. I hope my right eye figures its stuff out, cus it has been hurting like no one’s business lately. It’s a good day to only put on contact in. Figure you only need to see half the world anyway when you’re restin ha. Haven’t seen the kids in a day or so. It’ll be nice kickin it with em for a bit later this afternoon. Gotta take in all the children love I can get before it’s time to catch another plane....
The last few days have been pretty fun and crazy. As my time starts winding down here, I am trying to participate in fun things while I can. Friday I worked on the fence more and put up three more rows. Bryan was in Kampala all day so I thought it would be difficult handling all the barb wire by myself. Turns out it wasn’t too bad. You find different ways of doing it when you don’t have that extra set of hands. I think it worked out. It was a relatively chill night with watching movies and stuff. Nuttin too wild.
Yesterday we went to the pool in Jinja again to continue celebrating Julie’s birthday. She has been apart of/ involved with Musana since the beginning. She just turned 18 and Ugandans can start drinking then so after the pool we all went out to a club in Jinja. Bryan and I weren’t expecting to go out with everyone so we didn’t have any of our stuff. It was still semi early when Andrea and Leiha convinced us to come out with everyone. We took a taxi all the way back to Iganga, showered and cleaned up, got Brenda to come with us, and then took a taxi back to Jinja. I don’t think I will miss the taxi rides here. Like, at all. It ended up being really worth it though. We all pre-gamed and stuff at this guy Angelo’s house. He is a pretty well known artist in Jinja and is actually really talented. Some of his paintings are mind blowing, though he sells them at American prices so I wasn’t about to pay 300,000 for one. Definitely a tourist price....so screw that. I was able to pick up one of his shirts that he puts a pretty cool painted graphic on. It wasn’t even extra to customize it a bit, which was cool. Anyway, Angelo has a sweet house, especially by Ugandan standards. There were a ton of other white people there too so that was different to see. When 12:30 rolled around we all decided it was time to hit the club. I didn’t know how packed it usually got, but I felt pretty crammed in there. People that have been there said it was a busy night. Makes sense, because it is high traffic season here in Jinja. Tourism is at a peak. We all had a blast despite some creepy things that went down, and some dude trying to jack my wallet, while it was still in my front pocket. He had balls I’ll give em that, but kinda wanted to kill him after that. It was just another reminder that you gotta be street smart while you’re here. Which seems important any time you travel.
Sleeping at someone else’s pad is never a good night’s sleep, especially when it’s hot as balls and there isn’t a mosquito net over the couch you’re sleepin on. All part of the experience right? Luckily today is Sunday and so we can all relax, at least, that’s what I be doin for awhile. I guess you can say here is like anywhere else, if you work hard you can play hard. I hope my right eye figures its stuff out, cus it has been hurting like no one’s business lately. It’s a good day to only put on contact in. Figure you only need to see half the world anyway when you’re restin ha. Haven’t seen the kids in a day or so. It’ll be nice kickin it with em for a bit later this afternoon. Gotta take in all the children love I can get before it’s time to catch another plane....
Thursday, July 7, 2011
July 7th, 2011
July 7th, 2011
Today was the fun day. Literally, the day to have fun, for the kids at least. We took them to this place called Tjeko. It is a basically a traveling fun center which came from Jinja. A guy from the Netherlands started it but they don’t have one secure location they want to set it all at yet. It is a great idea because kids in Uganda rarely get to just have a complete day of havin fun. They are always dealing with school or life or whatever else comes at them. Everything was set up outside in the same field that the boys were suppose to play their first soccer game, but they had a bunch of large tents and pavilions set up so we didn’t bake in the sun as much. There were some trampolines at one station, then a big party bouncer obstacle course, then some soccer place, and pedal go-carts, swinging hammocks, an imagination station, and a large tent where the stage was and Tjeko the crazy monkey. It was so much fun to see all the kids goin crazy everywhere. I doubt they would of ever gotten to even see some of the things that were at this place if they weren’t a part of Musana. I know they will all sleep really well tonight. By the end of the day you could tell they were super drained. One kid even fell asleep on a pile of shoes. Overall it was a wonderful time, not only taking a break from our normal routines, but gettin to spend time with the kids while they experienced something new.
I got into a discussion today about other societal differences between America and Uganda. It started with how much better dancers there are here. Everyone pretty much knows how to dance, at least a little bit. I feel like people grow up with rhythm built into them. Everyone here isn’t afraid to touch one another, as in, everyone holds hands, hugs, wrestles, or whatever with everyone. Guys hold hands with guys, girls with girls, and yes, even the adults do this. It was strange to see at first, but it is something that is totally different from the western culture we have been raised in. I feel like everyone in America is either trying to blend into a crowd so they don’t get picked on, or they are so focused on what they are doing personally and what they themselves have to accomplish, that nobody gives a second thought about people as a whole. There is a huge pride in community here. People help people on a daily basis. Sure it is still kill or be killed, but I think everyone has figured out that it is harder to kill a large community, than an individual. There are some awkward and bad things about this society as well, but it certainly seems to support the loving of one another more.
A little over a week left here. It’ll be impossible to forget this place. I also think it’ll be impossible to stay away from children now......turns out there are so many more across the world that are in need.
Today was the fun day. Literally, the day to have fun, for the kids at least. We took them to this place called Tjeko. It is a basically a traveling fun center which came from Jinja. A guy from the Netherlands started it but they don’t have one secure location they want to set it all at yet. It is a great idea because kids in Uganda rarely get to just have a complete day of havin fun. They are always dealing with school or life or whatever else comes at them. Everything was set up outside in the same field that the boys were suppose to play their first soccer game, but they had a bunch of large tents and pavilions set up so we didn’t bake in the sun as much. There were some trampolines at one station, then a big party bouncer obstacle course, then some soccer place, and pedal go-carts, swinging hammocks, an imagination station, and a large tent where the stage was and Tjeko the crazy monkey. It was so much fun to see all the kids goin crazy everywhere. I doubt they would of ever gotten to even see some of the things that were at this place if they weren’t a part of Musana. I know they will all sleep really well tonight. By the end of the day you could tell they were super drained. One kid even fell asleep on a pile of shoes. Overall it was a wonderful time, not only taking a break from our normal routines, but gettin to spend time with the kids while they experienced something new.
I got into a discussion today about other societal differences between America and Uganda. It started with how much better dancers there are here. Everyone pretty much knows how to dance, at least a little bit. I feel like people grow up with rhythm built into them. Everyone here isn’t afraid to touch one another, as in, everyone holds hands, hugs, wrestles, or whatever with everyone. Guys hold hands with guys, girls with girls, and yes, even the adults do this. It was strange to see at first, but it is something that is totally different from the western culture we have been raised in. I feel like everyone in America is either trying to blend into a crowd so they don’t get picked on, or they are so focused on what they are doing personally and what they themselves have to accomplish, that nobody gives a second thought about people as a whole. There is a huge pride in community here. People help people on a daily basis. Sure it is still kill or be killed, but I think everyone has figured out that it is harder to kill a large community, than an individual. There are some awkward and bad things about this society as well, but it certainly seems to support the loving of one another more.
A little over a week left here. It’ll be impossible to forget this place. I also think it’ll be impossible to stay away from children now......turns out there are so many more across the world that are in need.
July 6th, 2011
July 6th, 2011
The internet has been down here in Iganga so I haven’t been able to get on for a bit. But it’s just internet right? Just a connection to the entire world at your fingertips. It’s hard to image a world without it now.
You ever judge someone based on their appearance? Based on their body size? Their clothes? The way they walk? The way they stand or interact? Yea all of us have right? New plan.....how bout that all goes out the window.....how bout we get to know one another before we bang that gavel? I personally am a failure at this and I know it is wrong. I might possibly be the worst.....just because it’s true, the way someone looks can tell a lot about them...but not all. When it happens to you, a jury judging before they know a testimony, you’ll wish they’d listen.
There has been a lot of painting going on at Musana for the past week or so. We got back to the fence today so it was a nice break from painting, despite the fact that it is more physically demanding. We got to another large patch of trees so we decided to stop there. Going around them and onto the next few posts seems more practical than clearing all of em out of the way. I don’t think anyone will try and get through the mess of vines and branches to get over the fence at that point. It’s security in itself. We did shatter a concrete post today though, which was a first. Turns out you can crank the wire too tight. Hopefully it will be ok and still serve the purpose.
I was able to help a little more with the primer and paint today. It seems all the clothes I brought are starting to get speckled with paint and primer, which sucks. I am thinkin it will all come out with a good ol machine wash back in the states. I am certainly thankful someone decided to invent a machine to wash clothes. I’m gettin short on underwear, so I’ll be gettin to participate in washing them by hand soon. It isn’t difficult, just rather time consuming. Not having a dish washer isn’t as bad, I got used to that this past year.
The other day my lungs were hurting around sunset. There was also a strange orange glow to everything. Bryan pointed it out to me and I noticed it was true. I think it was somehow a more polluted day than usual, which is a lot because I think the air is pretty dirty here. The farther you get away from town the better the air seems. Musana is a treck away so it isn’t bad there. Walking around town I can definitely feel (and smell) all the things in the air. There aren’t any emissions requirements here. I have seen cars and bodas emitting a ton of crappy exhaust on several occasions. Luckily we aren’t terribly high above sea level so getting enough oxygen isn’t a problem, it’s what’s mixed with the oxygen that is. On the other hand, maybe it’s just me.
The internet has been down here in Iganga so I haven’t been able to get on for a bit. But it’s just internet right? Just a connection to the entire world at your fingertips. It’s hard to image a world without it now.
You ever judge someone based on their appearance? Based on their body size? Their clothes? The way they walk? The way they stand or interact? Yea all of us have right? New plan.....how bout that all goes out the window.....how bout we get to know one another before we bang that gavel? I personally am a failure at this and I know it is wrong. I might possibly be the worst.....just because it’s true, the way someone looks can tell a lot about them...but not all. When it happens to you, a jury judging before they know a testimony, you’ll wish they’d listen.
There has been a lot of painting going on at Musana for the past week or so. We got back to the fence today so it was a nice break from painting, despite the fact that it is more physically demanding. We got to another large patch of trees so we decided to stop there. Going around them and onto the next few posts seems more practical than clearing all of em out of the way. I don’t think anyone will try and get through the mess of vines and branches to get over the fence at that point. It’s security in itself. We did shatter a concrete post today though, which was a first. Turns out you can crank the wire too tight. Hopefully it will be ok and still serve the purpose.
I was able to help a little more with the primer and paint today. It seems all the clothes I brought are starting to get speckled with paint and primer, which sucks. I am thinkin it will all come out with a good ol machine wash back in the states. I am certainly thankful someone decided to invent a machine to wash clothes. I’m gettin short on underwear, so I’ll be gettin to participate in washing them by hand soon. It isn’t difficult, just rather time consuming. Not having a dish washer isn’t as bad, I got used to that this past year.
The other day my lungs were hurting around sunset. There was also a strange orange glow to everything. Bryan pointed it out to me and I noticed it was true. I think it was somehow a more polluted day than usual, which is a lot because I think the air is pretty dirty here. The farther you get away from town the better the air seems. Musana is a treck away so it isn’t bad there. Walking around town I can definitely feel (and smell) all the things in the air. There aren’t any emissions requirements here. I have seen cars and bodas emitting a ton of crappy exhaust on several occasions. Luckily we aren’t terribly high above sea level so getting enough oxygen isn’t a problem, it’s what’s mixed with the oxygen that is. On the other hand, maybe it’s just me.
July 4th, 2011
July 4th, 2011
Happy birthday America! It is the first time I am not in the U.S. for the 4th and honestly, it is a bit strange. We did happen to figure out how to have our own little party though. We boiled corn, had mashed potatoes, hot dogs, chicken, guacamole, and some good fried bread stuff, and of course was able to celebrate with some alcohol and homemade fireworks. The fireworks part was probably the highlight of the night for me. Bryan and I tried to make a bomb out of birthday candles they have here, which are really like big sparklers/ sparkle fountains, but fatter and cooler. We took out all the flammable powder if these candle things and then put it in a small bottle with a wick sticking out. The first attempt didn’t go as planned, as in nothing blew up. There was just a mega version of the candle things which was cool for what we were provided. Then we decided to try again. I took out all my gummie vitamins and we filled that bottle up with the powder. We both expected to not see much again. This time there was no ducktape or wick. There was just a hole in the cap of the bottle. Bryan went over and put the last candle flame thing in front of this hole and a lot more happened than expected. The whole bomb thing worked this time without us expecting it and Bryan was engulfed in a big ass fireball! I have never seen hime run this fast in my entire life. I really thought his hands and face were blown off because of how loud the bomb was. Luckily he was safe and there was not a scratch on him. It turned out to be hilarious and a successful night. Everyone watching was immediately laughing at everything that happened. Haril and a few of his friends were over and they were amazed at the bomb we just made. Eventually everyone settled in to play this cup game, which was also a good time, because at least everyone in the house was embarrassed once.
Though, the 4th here can’t compare to being in America, we made it work and still had fun. Tomorrow a bunch of the volunteers leave so the number of people in the house will go down by a lot. Emma (Emmanuel) is a boy Musana supports and he also leaves with the group to America so he can get surgery on his hips. He is getting a double hip replacement. Not only will he be going through a major physical surgery, I believe his whole world will be rebuilt by what he sees during his stay. He is staying at a doctor’s house so he will certainly see the nicer side of living in the U.S. I’m really excited for him, but I know he is pretty nervous and a bit scared. Hope it goes well for him.
There are only two weeks left in this adventure then it’s off to Belgium and Amsterdam. I know there is another adventure awaiting there, but for now I’ll be soaking up the time I have here. Hope everyone was safe on the 4th, but still got nice and shwasted - always necessary wherever you are for this holiday.
Happy birthday America! It is the first time I am not in the U.S. for the 4th and honestly, it is a bit strange. We did happen to figure out how to have our own little party though. We boiled corn, had mashed potatoes, hot dogs, chicken, guacamole, and some good fried bread stuff, and of course was able to celebrate with some alcohol and homemade fireworks. The fireworks part was probably the highlight of the night for me. Bryan and I tried to make a bomb out of birthday candles they have here, which are really like big sparklers/ sparkle fountains, but fatter and cooler. We took out all the flammable powder if these candle things and then put it in a small bottle with a wick sticking out. The first attempt didn’t go as planned, as in nothing blew up. There was just a mega version of the candle things which was cool for what we were provided. Then we decided to try again. I took out all my gummie vitamins and we filled that bottle up with the powder. We both expected to not see much again. This time there was no ducktape or wick. There was just a hole in the cap of the bottle. Bryan went over and put the last candle flame thing in front of this hole and a lot more happened than expected. The whole bomb thing worked this time without us expecting it and Bryan was engulfed in a big ass fireball! I have never seen hime run this fast in my entire life. I really thought his hands and face were blown off because of how loud the bomb was. Luckily he was safe and there was not a scratch on him. It turned out to be hilarious and a successful night. Everyone watching was immediately laughing at everything that happened. Haril and a few of his friends were over and they were amazed at the bomb we just made. Eventually everyone settled in to play this cup game, which was also a good time, because at least everyone in the house was embarrassed once.
Though, the 4th here can’t compare to being in America, we made it work and still had fun. Tomorrow a bunch of the volunteers leave so the number of people in the house will go down by a lot. Emma (Emmanuel) is a boy Musana supports and he also leaves with the group to America so he can get surgery on his hips. He is getting a double hip replacement. Not only will he be going through a major physical surgery, I believe his whole world will be rebuilt by what he sees during his stay. He is staying at a doctor’s house so he will certainly see the nicer side of living in the U.S. I’m really excited for him, but I know he is pretty nervous and a bit scared. Hope it goes well for him.
There are only two weeks left in this adventure then it’s off to Belgium and Amsterdam. I know there is another adventure awaiting there, but for now I’ll be soaking up the time I have here. Hope everyone was safe on the 4th, but still got nice and shwasted - always necessary wherever you are for this holiday.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
July 3rd, 2011
July 3rd, 2011
Today is a great day. A lot of things happened today, but it is also my step-mother’s birthday. I would like to give a huge shout-out to Sue wishing her a very happy birthday. I am pretty lucky to have such an awesome family that supports me through all the crazy things that I choose to do.
It was a peaceful morning with a nice breakfast and African tea to top it off. I decided imma start everyday with a cup of African tea. It is too good to pass up. Plus, coffee just makes me jittery. Started reading The Hunger Games yesterday and it isn’t too bad. Finished Matterhorn which I started when I got here. Took awhile, but that was one thick book. Glad to be moving on, despite how good it was.
So the monkeys had to be released into the wild today. Bryan brought home a basket and we managed to wrestle them into it with help from Emma. We then drove em out to a village that was quite the ways off. After driving up a sketchy path off the dirt road we found a beautiful place to release them. I hope Baby Gino and Momma G make it. People around here don’t take kindly to monkeys because they destroy crops. If they are caught or even seen by people around there, their chances of survival go down drastically. This land we stumbled on was awesome though. It looked like someone regularly mowed the vegetation and trees were cleared so there was a lot of open space. They left just the right amount of trees to provide a nice layer of shade. If this land was owned by Musana we would have the most epic capture the flag games ever! Bryan and I decided to hang out a bit at this place because it was so peaceful. It is definitely used for cattle grazing by someone, but other than that we didn’t see anyone out there. It was sad to see the monkeys go, but maybe being free is better for em. Ill definitely miss brushing my teeth with them every morning.
The village is a unique thing to see. People live similar to how others live like near the farm, which is in a different village. There are a few nicer buildings (nice is relative of course) but I saw a lot of mud huts and houses. I don’t think many village people see to many Mzungus (white people) everyday. One lady near where we dropped off the monkeys was actually even frightened of us. Or they were all just messin around. Pretty sure she was scared though. It’s pretty crazy that we alter people’s day by just showing up to a less traveled place out in the forest.
We got a call from Santongo while we were out releasing the monkeys that Umaru decided to run away from Musana. This is his second time I guess. He came from Mbale and hasn’t been here very long. Musana is certainly not a prison, but I feel like other kids would kill to be living, or attending school at this place. I am surprised this kid is so persistent on leaving. Not sure if Musana will even keep him around now. All I know is that our home is much better than the place he came from. Guess we’ll see...
Today is a great day. A lot of things happened today, but it is also my step-mother’s birthday. I would like to give a huge shout-out to Sue wishing her a very happy birthday. I am pretty lucky to have such an awesome family that supports me through all the crazy things that I choose to do.
It was a peaceful morning with a nice breakfast and African tea to top it off. I decided imma start everyday with a cup of African tea. It is too good to pass up. Plus, coffee just makes me jittery. Started reading The Hunger Games yesterday and it isn’t too bad. Finished Matterhorn which I started when I got here. Took awhile, but that was one thick book. Glad to be moving on, despite how good it was.
So the monkeys had to be released into the wild today. Bryan brought home a basket and we managed to wrestle them into it with help from Emma. We then drove em out to a village that was quite the ways off. After driving up a sketchy path off the dirt road we found a beautiful place to release them. I hope Baby Gino and Momma G make it. People around here don’t take kindly to monkeys because they destroy crops. If they are caught or even seen by people around there, their chances of survival go down drastically. This land we stumbled on was awesome though. It looked like someone regularly mowed the vegetation and trees were cleared so there was a lot of open space. They left just the right amount of trees to provide a nice layer of shade. If this land was owned by Musana we would have the most epic capture the flag games ever! Bryan and I decided to hang out a bit at this place because it was so peaceful. It is definitely used for cattle grazing by someone, but other than that we didn’t see anyone out there. It was sad to see the monkeys go, but maybe being free is better for em. Ill definitely miss brushing my teeth with them every morning.
The village is a unique thing to see. People live similar to how others live like near the farm, which is in a different village. There are a few nicer buildings (nice is relative of course) but I saw a lot of mud huts and houses. I don’t think many village people see to many Mzungus (white people) everyday. One lady near where we dropped off the monkeys was actually even frightened of us. Or they were all just messin around. Pretty sure she was scared though. It’s pretty crazy that we alter people’s day by just showing up to a less traveled place out in the forest.
We got a call from Santongo while we were out releasing the monkeys that Umaru decided to run away from Musana. This is his second time I guess. He came from Mbale and hasn’t been here very long. Musana is certainly not a prison, but I feel like other kids would kill to be living, or attending school at this place. I am surprised this kid is so persistent on leaving. Not sure if Musana will even keep him around now. All I know is that our home is much better than the place he came from. Guess we’ll see...
July 2nd, 2011
July 2nd, 2011
Yesterday was the boys first soccer match and man were they lookin good in their cleats and new uniforms. Turns out, the other team decided not to show up so we got the forfeit win and a couple goals that counted for us. A huge rainstorm came in while we were all waiting for the other team so we had to run to find shelter. I am down with being out in the rain but I have learned here that it is always better to find shelter. I guess a group of like 18 people ended up getting killed because of lightning. That to me is a ton! Apparently whenever there is a big storm like that is is almost guaranteed that someone died because they got struck by lightning. The kids at Musana are actually taught lightning evasion techniques, almost like how kids in California do earthquake drills, or like us doing fire drills. Idk how much I will be going out into a big storm here now. Death by lightning doesn’t sound too pleasant. I am glad our team still ended up with the win, they were all celebrating despite not having to play for it.
Sittin here at night, I see, dayum we live the good life. Today was a day that doesn’t come around too often. It was just Bryan and I at Musana today with the kids. Everyone else went to some village that lets people see some true African culture. It was peaceful with just us and the kids though. Everyone was just hangin out and havin fun. I ate like a true African for the first time. There were no utensils so we got to eat rice and meat with our hands. I now understand why the kids get so messy while eating - using your hands makes staying clean difficult. Towards the evening we played this game called Pickel. Two people stand across from each and a big groups stands in between them. The people on the end have a hackie sac that they try and throw at the people in the middle. The last one standing wins. So it’s like an intense game of dodgeball. Turns out, weekends are pretty fun. Working for the kids is a good feeling, but sometimes you just need to kick it with all of em to remind you of why you are doing the work. If that makes sense.
This little girl, Nahia, and I got in like an hour tickle war today and it was a blast. She made me laugh so hard with this ridiculous game where I always won and she always came back for more. I wish I could of recorded all her laughing because it seriously sounded like it belonged to a looney toon character. Laughter is really a good medicine. If you haven’t laughed in awhile, I would highly suggest it. It makes everything else float away, and the world seems ok.
Yesterday was the boys first soccer match and man were they lookin good in their cleats and new uniforms. Turns out, the other team decided not to show up so we got the forfeit win and a couple goals that counted for us. A huge rainstorm came in while we were all waiting for the other team so we had to run to find shelter. I am down with being out in the rain but I have learned here that it is always better to find shelter. I guess a group of like 18 people ended up getting killed because of lightning. That to me is a ton! Apparently whenever there is a big storm like that is is almost guaranteed that someone died because they got struck by lightning. The kids at Musana are actually taught lightning evasion techniques, almost like how kids in California do earthquake drills, or like us doing fire drills. Idk how much I will be going out into a big storm here now. Death by lightning doesn’t sound too pleasant. I am glad our team still ended up with the win, they were all celebrating despite not having to play for it.
Sittin here at night, I see, dayum we live the good life. Today was a day that doesn’t come around too often. It was just Bryan and I at Musana today with the kids. Everyone else went to some village that lets people see some true African culture. It was peaceful with just us and the kids though. Everyone was just hangin out and havin fun. I ate like a true African for the first time. There were no utensils so we got to eat rice and meat with our hands. I now understand why the kids get so messy while eating - using your hands makes staying clean difficult. Towards the evening we played this game called Pickel. Two people stand across from each and a big groups stands in between them. The people on the end have a hackie sac that they try and throw at the people in the middle. The last one standing wins. So it’s like an intense game of dodgeball. Turns out, weekends are pretty fun. Working for the kids is a good feeling, but sometimes you just need to kick it with all of em to remind you of why you are doing the work. If that makes sense.
This little girl, Nahia, and I got in like an hour tickle war today and it was a blast. She made me laugh so hard with this ridiculous game where I always won and she always came back for more. I wish I could of recorded all her laughing because it seriously sounded like it belonged to a looney toon character. Laughter is really a good medicine. If you haven’t laughed in awhile, I would highly suggest it. It makes everything else float away, and the world seems ok.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
June 30th, 2011
June 30th, 2011
“Label the shit out of them, but who they are and who you are is as much about luck as anything else.”
Today actually didn’t involve workin on the fence, probably for the first time in a week or so. Instead, I was recruited to help prime and paint the administration building at Musana. This is turning out to be another large project which will take quite awhile. Luckily we have a ton of volunteers here now, so hopefully it gets done or close to done. The fence will have to take a back seat for awhile.
There was another downpour today, but this time there didn’t seem to be any large clouds overhead that were producing all the rain. It was really a unique sight. The sun was shining with intensity while the rain rolled through the sky and littered the earth with a million sweet kisses. It is so peaceful when it rains here because everyone stops everything they are doing and just rushes inside to wait for it all to pass. It ends up being a nice break from the work we do, which does get tiring believe it or not. Even playing with the children can take a toll on you by the end of the day. It is still wonderful getting to hang out with them all the time. This trip has certainly helped me learn to love and deal with large amounts of crazy children. It doesn’t seem like as difficult of a task when they are all awesome children that are extremely cute. Apparently I look like a punching bag to most of them, cus I am always getting slugged in the arm, which does get old after awhile.
It was weird to think that just two days ago was only the halfway point of my trip. I feel like so much has happened already and it was only three weeks in. I don’t want to think about leaving and am excited to see what comes into my life these next few weeks.
“Label the shit out of them, but who they are and who you are is as much about luck as anything else.”
Today actually didn’t involve workin on the fence, probably for the first time in a week or so. Instead, I was recruited to help prime and paint the administration building at Musana. This is turning out to be another large project which will take quite awhile. Luckily we have a ton of volunteers here now, so hopefully it gets done or close to done. The fence will have to take a back seat for awhile.
There was another downpour today, but this time there didn’t seem to be any large clouds overhead that were producing all the rain. It was really a unique sight. The sun was shining with intensity while the rain rolled through the sky and littered the earth with a million sweet kisses. It is so peaceful when it rains here because everyone stops everything they are doing and just rushes inside to wait for it all to pass. It ends up being a nice break from the work we do, which does get tiring believe it or not. Even playing with the children can take a toll on you by the end of the day. It is still wonderful getting to hang out with them all the time. This trip has certainly helped me learn to love and deal with large amounts of crazy children. It doesn’t seem like as difficult of a task when they are all awesome children that are extremely cute. Apparently I look like a punching bag to most of them, cus I am always getting slugged in the arm, which does get old after awhile.
It was weird to think that just two days ago was only the halfway point of my trip. I feel like so much has happened already and it was only three weeks in. I don’t want to think about leaving and am excited to see what comes into my life these next few weeks.
June, 29th, 2011
June 29th, 2011
Yesterday we spent most of the day cutting down trees with machetes. It was interesting. I think people here would benefit from a lot from a chain saw, but thats just me. We had to cut them down so we could have enough room to run the barb wire along a certain section of the fence. These trees were no ordinary trees though. I’m not sure what they are scientifically called, but I am calling them glue trees because they literally oozed this glue like substance every time you cut the bark. This white stuff turned out to be pretty dangerous to deal with. Not only was it sticky and annoying, but also could make you go blind if you got it in your eye. Not something I’m really down to experience. Sunglasses here not only make you look cool, but they double as safety goggles as well, so that’s what we used. Luckily the stuff only stuck to your skin. It only provided a burning sensation if it got in your eyes or you ingested it. And of course, Bryan wanted to try it because everyone told us not to. He took a little drop and placed it on his tongue. Apparently it was identical tasting to Elmer’s Glue but it also provided the spicy feeling of a super hot pepper. Overall the day went well with a lot of chopping with machetes and a new blister to show for it. Lucky blindness wasn’t another thing I had to show for the days work.
Today we got to run the two rows of wire which weren’t very long, but it still took awhile. After lunch I wanted to take a nap but got recruited to paint primer on the doors and windows of the volunteer and office building. No one could reach the top of the windows and Brenda was too scared to go very high on the ladder (which was kind of valid because of the way they make ladders here and for the fact that she nailed her tail bone falling off a chair earlier, which I thought was hilarious). I ended up standing on the window sill with one food and used the other to stand on the ladder, which was too big and awkward to allow for any easy painting. Once I found a smaller one things went a lot smoother.
After painting I had a chance to tutor this girl named Prossy. She is in P 4 which is basically similar to 4th grade in American schools. She struggled most with English so I got to go through her last exam and work through some of the things she got wrong. It took a little while for her to warm up to me but eventually she did and I think we made some progress. After helping her a little she started catching on. I feel it is difficult for the kids to learn English, especially when the teachers are speaking it as their second language as well. I actually noticed a few mistakes that the test even had in it. It didn’t seem fare to mark a kid wrong for something that wasn’t right in the first place, but at least they are getting the basic concepts down for a start. If I were an English teacher here I would certainly give weekly spelling tests and reading quizzes. Taking English tests seem to go better when the kid can actually read the questions on the test. Again, just my opinion ha. Maybe someday I will be teaching kids English in a far away country. Spending years of my life doing that doesn’t seem too bad at all......someday.....someday
Yesterday we spent most of the day cutting down trees with machetes. It was interesting. I think people here would benefit from a lot from a chain saw, but thats just me. We had to cut them down so we could have enough room to run the barb wire along a certain section of the fence. These trees were no ordinary trees though. I’m not sure what they are scientifically called, but I am calling them glue trees because they literally oozed this glue like substance every time you cut the bark. This white stuff turned out to be pretty dangerous to deal with. Not only was it sticky and annoying, but also could make you go blind if you got it in your eye. Not something I’m really down to experience. Sunglasses here not only make you look cool, but they double as safety goggles as well, so that’s what we used. Luckily the stuff only stuck to your skin. It only provided a burning sensation if it got in your eyes or you ingested it. And of course, Bryan wanted to try it because everyone told us not to. He took a little drop and placed it on his tongue. Apparently it was identical tasting to Elmer’s Glue but it also provided the spicy feeling of a super hot pepper. Overall the day went well with a lot of chopping with machetes and a new blister to show for it. Lucky blindness wasn’t another thing I had to show for the days work.
Today we got to run the two rows of wire which weren’t very long, but it still took awhile. After lunch I wanted to take a nap but got recruited to paint primer on the doors and windows of the volunteer and office building. No one could reach the top of the windows and Brenda was too scared to go very high on the ladder (which was kind of valid because of the way they make ladders here and for the fact that she nailed her tail bone falling off a chair earlier, which I thought was hilarious). I ended up standing on the window sill with one food and used the other to stand on the ladder, which was too big and awkward to allow for any easy painting. Once I found a smaller one things went a lot smoother.
After painting I had a chance to tutor this girl named Prossy. She is in P 4 which is basically similar to 4th grade in American schools. She struggled most with English so I got to go through her last exam and work through some of the things she got wrong. It took a little while for her to warm up to me but eventually she did and I think we made some progress. After helping her a little she started catching on. I feel it is difficult for the kids to learn English, especially when the teachers are speaking it as their second language as well. I actually noticed a few mistakes that the test even had in it. It didn’t seem fare to mark a kid wrong for something that wasn’t right in the first place, but at least they are getting the basic concepts down for a start. If I were an English teacher here I would certainly give weekly spelling tests and reading quizzes. Taking English tests seem to go better when the kid can actually read the questions on the test. Again, just my opinion ha. Maybe someday I will be teaching kids English in a far away country. Spending years of my life doing that doesn’t seem too bad at all......someday.....someday
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
June 27th, 2011
June 27th, 2011
Last night was miserable. At least one giant mosquito got stuck inside my net that is suppose to keep them out, probably because of the hole in it. The power also went out in the middle of the night so my fan stopped workin for awhile. It was a free for all for the mosquito and I woke up with at least ten more bites. If it was my choice, I would exterminate every god damn mosquito on this earth. If that happens to eliminate whatever animal happens to feed on them as well, then so be it; they don’t deserve to be alive either because they chose the worst freakin bug to feed on. I hate those stupid things and they really have no purpose other than to make your life miserable.
The day ended up feelin like a long one because I hardly slept. Bryan and I finished of the front row of barb wire on the fence. The last little piece was a pain in the ass though. The last piece of the roll wasn’t long enough so we had to get a whole new roll and cut a piece to tie off the rest. The final strand, for some reason, also had little pieces tied to it that we didn’t do, or notice how bad they were. When we were cinching up the wire it broke because the people who tied it together didn’t know what they were doing. To say the least, this final piece of barb wire took us while, but we finished it off and the three rows ended up looking pretty nice. I’m not sure when putting up barb wire will come in handy again, but I can say I’ve done a lot of it.
Two more volunteers came today and they seem chill. They are older girls with one coming straight from a 27 month peace core expedition. That is intense. They will both be here for 6 months so and it sounds like they have a lot to offer Musana. This whole week I think we will be workin on the fence everyday. It is nice to have something consistent to do. Hangin out with the kids on our breaks makes it easier as well.
I really thought I would be losing a ton of weight while I was here, which I’m sure I have lost some, but I feel like I won’t be as small as I thought. The little things are certainly missed once in awhile, but overall, I feel like this sort of lifestyle wouldn’t be to hard to live with for the rest of your life. I guess your priorities begin to change a bit. Things that were once important are no longer even thought about. Though, moments like having a mosquito stuck in your net all night without a fan get to you, the days continue on and you learn to deal with annoying things. The American lifestyle certainly seems kush in comparison.
Last night was miserable. At least one giant mosquito got stuck inside my net that is suppose to keep them out, probably because of the hole in it. The power also went out in the middle of the night so my fan stopped workin for awhile. It was a free for all for the mosquito and I woke up with at least ten more bites. If it was my choice, I would exterminate every god damn mosquito on this earth. If that happens to eliminate whatever animal happens to feed on them as well, then so be it; they don’t deserve to be alive either because they chose the worst freakin bug to feed on. I hate those stupid things and they really have no purpose other than to make your life miserable.
The day ended up feelin like a long one because I hardly slept. Bryan and I finished of the front row of barb wire on the fence. The last little piece was a pain in the ass though. The last piece of the roll wasn’t long enough so we had to get a whole new roll and cut a piece to tie off the rest. The final strand, for some reason, also had little pieces tied to it that we didn’t do, or notice how bad they were. When we were cinching up the wire it broke because the people who tied it together didn’t know what they were doing. To say the least, this final piece of barb wire took us while, but we finished it off and the three rows ended up looking pretty nice. I’m not sure when putting up barb wire will come in handy again, but I can say I’ve done a lot of it.
Two more volunteers came today and they seem chill. They are older girls with one coming straight from a 27 month peace core expedition. That is intense. They will both be here for 6 months so and it sounds like they have a lot to offer Musana. This whole week I think we will be workin on the fence everyday. It is nice to have something consistent to do. Hangin out with the kids on our breaks makes it easier as well.
I really thought I would be losing a ton of weight while I was here, which I’m sure I have lost some, but I feel like I won’t be as small as I thought. The little things are certainly missed once in awhile, but overall, I feel like this sort of lifestyle wouldn’t be to hard to live with for the rest of your life. I guess your priorities begin to change a bit. Things that were once important are no longer even thought about. Though, moments like having a mosquito stuck in your net all night without a fan get to you, the days continue on and you learn to deal with annoying things. The American lifestyle certainly seems kush in comparison.
June 26th, 2011
June 26th, 2011
It was another trip to Jinja today, but instead it was a time to relax and have a good time because a large group of the volunteers went. Bryan got to be apart of a music video today that his friend was shooting in Jinja so that is pretty cool. I definitely want to see that when it is done. The rest of us had ate at Flavours, which was pretty good food, but certainly overpriced for the service and what you actually. Still, a nice change from our daily meals. I am pretty sure I would survive ok here though, just because I enjoy eating most things they have here. It is nothing like going out and getting a Qdoba or Chipotle burrito (which I do miss dearly) but there are still decent tasting meals. I am excited to try this chinese food place that is right outside of Jinja. Apparently it is pretty good, but we all know good is relative.
After eating we took a trip to the source of the Nile. This is a very touristy place and as weird as it sounds, I felt uncomfortable taking a bunch of pictures because I didn’t want to feel that tourist feeling. I am all for going to visit places, but I now want to go on more trips and see the behind the scenes action, if that makes sense. Being a tourist just doesn’t appeal to me. Traveling does. Don’t know if you can have one without the other, but I will try. I did find it pretty cool to get to stand in the Nile River. It definitely was another first for me. I think it would be a good time to get some guy to row you out on a boat somewhere along the Nile and go fishing. They have to have some interesting fish in this massive body of water. It was cool to see how wide it was at some places. Probably the biggest river I will be in for awhile.
After seeing the Nile, we took a little trip to a hotel that had a pool outside. It was really nice to get to sit out in the sun and swim around a bit. It made me miss the pools in Fort Collins. I hope it stays warm at the end of the summer so I can join everybody for more cliff jumping when I get home. Overall today was a fun time with everyone and I feel we all got to know each other a little bit better. Each group has so many things to offer African and Uganda. I can’t wait to explore more of this world and see what other crazy things are out there. If there is any chance of traveling abroad later on, I certainly will jump on it. I feel like life isn’t long enough for one to see what this planet has to offer. Just seeing the things in this this small country has opened up everything. Somehow my minds image of the world seems to fit a little bit better to what it actually is, a giant freaking planet with endless adventure.
It was another trip to Jinja today, but instead it was a time to relax and have a good time because a large group of the volunteers went. Bryan got to be apart of a music video today that his friend was shooting in Jinja so that is pretty cool. I definitely want to see that when it is done. The rest of us had ate at Flavours, which was pretty good food, but certainly overpriced for the service and what you actually. Still, a nice change from our daily meals. I am pretty sure I would survive ok here though, just because I enjoy eating most things they have here. It is nothing like going out and getting a Qdoba or Chipotle burrito (which I do miss dearly) but there are still decent tasting meals. I am excited to try this chinese food place that is right outside of Jinja. Apparently it is pretty good, but we all know good is relative.
After eating we took a trip to the source of the Nile. This is a very touristy place and as weird as it sounds, I felt uncomfortable taking a bunch of pictures because I didn’t want to feel that tourist feeling. I am all for going to visit places, but I now want to go on more trips and see the behind the scenes action, if that makes sense. Being a tourist just doesn’t appeal to me. Traveling does. Don’t know if you can have one without the other, but I will try. I did find it pretty cool to get to stand in the Nile River. It definitely was another first for me. I think it would be a good time to get some guy to row you out on a boat somewhere along the Nile and go fishing. They have to have some interesting fish in this massive body of water. It was cool to see how wide it was at some places. Probably the biggest river I will be in for awhile.
After seeing the Nile, we took a little trip to a hotel that had a pool outside. It was really nice to get to sit out in the sun and swim around a bit. It made me miss the pools in Fort Collins. I hope it stays warm at the end of the summer so I can join everybody for more cliff jumping when I get home. Overall today was a fun time with everyone and I feel we all got to know each other a little bit better. Each group has so many things to offer African and Uganda. I can’t wait to explore more of this world and see what other crazy things are out there. If there is any chance of traveling abroad later on, I certainly will jump on it. I feel like life isn’t long enough for one to see what this planet has to offer. Just seeing the things in this this small country has opened up everything. Somehow my minds image of the world seems to fit a little bit better to what it actually is, a giant freaking planet with endless adventure.
June 25th, 2011
June 25th, 2011
The weekends never really feel like weekends here. Sure, we get to sleep in and stuff then head to Musana and just goof off with the kids, but it still doesn’t feel like a saturday back in the states. Time here seems, not irrelevant, but almost less important. All I notice is day and night and morning and evening. It is so peaceful not being tied down to time and materials so much. One thing I do miss would be driving. Definitely will love that when I return.
At Musana today we created something I wouldn’t think many people see here during their life time. It was a slip-n-slide. Such a wonderful idea and all the kids had a blast. A long black thin piece of plastic was laid on the ground and we just dumped countless buckets of soapy water down it. Not having a water source other than the well made this project a bit difficult, but it still worked out ok. Bryan had the great idea of us two flinging the children down the tarp from the top. We both stood on either side and had all the children line up. We each grabbed an arm and a leg and tossed em all the way down. It was wicked and funny to see the kids go flying. Hopefully we get to pull that bad boy out again for them soon.
Another game of capture the flag was played today and my team lost. I blame it on me quitting because the game was lasting forever and also on this boy named Samuel, who is insanely fast, but never stayed in jail after I tagged him. Plus we had really crappy jail guards. It was still a fun time. I also got to give this hemp bracelet I made to my friend Joel. He was stoked on it and I taught him how to make another one if he wanted to. I am really going to miss that kid and hope he never forgets who I am. He wants to go to medical school and become a doctor some day. I am sure he will reach his goal and become a great doctor, which in reality, Uganda really needs. This kid deserves a bright future for sure.
The weekends never really feel like weekends here. Sure, we get to sleep in and stuff then head to Musana and just goof off with the kids, but it still doesn’t feel like a saturday back in the states. Time here seems, not irrelevant, but almost less important. All I notice is day and night and morning and evening. It is so peaceful not being tied down to time and materials so much. One thing I do miss would be driving. Definitely will love that when I return.
At Musana today we created something I wouldn’t think many people see here during their life time. It was a slip-n-slide. Such a wonderful idea and all the kids had a blast. A long black thin piece of plastic was laid on the ground and we just dumped countless buckets of soapy water down it. Not having a water source other than the well made this project a bit difficult, but it still worked out ok. Bryan had the great idea of us two flinging the children down the tarp from the top. We both stood on either side and had all the children line up. We each grabbed an arm and a leg and tossed em all the way down. It was wicked and funny to see the kids go flying. Hopefully we get to pull that bad boy out again for them soon.
Another game of capture the flag was played today and my team lost. I blame it on me quitting because the game was lasting forever and also on this boy named Samuel, who is insanely fast, but never stayed in jail after I tagged him. Plus we had really crappy jail guards. It was still a fun time. I also got to give this hemp bracelet I made to my friend Joel. He was stoked on it and I taught him how to make another one if he wanted to. I am really going to miss that kid and hope he never forgets who I am. He wants to go to medical school and become a doctor some day. I am sure he will reach his goal and become a great doctor, which in reality, Uganda really needs. This kid deserves a bright future for sure.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
June 24th, 2011
June 24th, 2011
Today Bryan and I went to Kampala.....which is the most crazy city i’ve been to hands down....American cities don’t have nuttin on this....no way. I’ve never been to NY but I’m still pretty sure the traffic in Kampala is more crazy. I wish I woulda filmed by Boda ride cus I thought I was close to death at some points. My driver even ran a red light. Guess we had some place to be, and quick. Even though Kampala is awesome and crazy, I don’t think I will go back soon just cus the taxi rides there and back are absolutely miserable. Being confined in a hot taxi with a two-by-two-by-four foot area for four hours isn’t the best time.
So I was able to kick it in a mall, like an actual legit mall, while Bryan visited his friend. It was certainly a taste of America. After that we headed into another world basically that was totally opposite of America. First the Boda ride took me for a loop, but then we arrived at the biggest, most gnarly market. The Awinno (not sure how to spell it but that is how it sounds to me). This place had to be a multiple acres in size and was completely covered by makeshift roofs. You have to keep track of all your things, especially valuables because people just grab you out of know where and you could easily get stuff stolen. Pretty sketchy. The whole time you are walking on dirty paths that twist and turn in every direction. It felt like an underground city with nothing but clothes and materials for sale. If there is a specific piece of clothing that you want, and you can’t find it in this Awinno market then it doesn’t exist. There has to be over a billion pairs of shoes in this place and even more t-shirts and hats. You can easily get turned around in this place and if you don’t have someone who knows where they are going then you will certainly be in for an adventure. It is a pretty elaborate maze of what looks like a lot of the same things. I ended up buying a couple pairs of jeans for a pretty good price. Their changing rooms consist of a person holding up a piece of cloth for you while you change in a corner. Ha, and you must take off your shoes before you step on their dirty benches, cus I got yelled at for not doing so. I really feel like one would have to see this place to believe it.
Kampala really blew my mind and I certainly am impressed with anyone who can live a good life in the downtown part of this city. I don’t think I have ever been around that many people at once. If there is one thing I am realizing more and more, it is that I am a very small piece of the world’s puzzle. Really nobody at all.
Today Bryan and I went to Kampala.....which is the most crazy city i’ve been to hands down....American cities don’t have nuttin on this....no way. I’ve never been to NY but I’m still pretty sure the traffic in Kampala is more crazy. I wish I woulda filmed by Boda ride cus I thought I was close to death at some points. My driver even ran a red light. Guess we had some place to be, and quick. Even though Kampala is awesome and crazy, I don’t think I will go back soon just cus the taxi rides there and back are absolutely miserable. Being confined in a hot taxi with a two-by-two-by-four foot area for four hours isn’t the best time.
So I was able to kick it in a mall, like an actual legit mall, while Bryan visited his friend. It was certainly a taste of America. After that we headed into another world basically that was totally opposite of America. First the Boda ride took me for a loop, but then we arrived at the biggest, most gnarly market. The Awinno (not sure how to spell it but that is how it sounds to me). This place had to be a multiple acres in size and was completely covered by makeshift roofs. You have to keep track of all your things, especially valuables because people just grab you out of know where and you could easily get stuff stolen. Pretty sketchy. The whole time you are walking on dirty paths that twist and turn in every direction. It felt like an underground city with nothing but clothes and materials for sale. If there is a specific piece of clothing that you want, and you can’t find it in this Awinno market then it doesn’t exist. There has to be over a billion pairs of shoes in this place and even more t-shirts and hats. You can easily get turned around in this place and if you don’t have someone who knows where they are going then you will certainly be in for an adventure. It is a pretty elaborate maze of what looks like a lot of the same things. I ended up buying a couple pairs of jeans for a pretty good price. Their changing rooms consist of a person holding up a piece of cloth for you while you change in a corner. Ha, and you must take off your shoes before you step on their dirty benches, cus I got yelled at for not doing so. I really feel like one would have to see this place to believe it.
Kampala really blew my mind and I certainly am impressed with anyone who can live a good life in the downtown part of this city. I don’t think I have ever been around that many people at once. If there is one thing I am realizing more and more, it is that I am a very small piece of the world’s puzzle. Really nobody at all.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
CHILDREN
the sight shoves you
face down
breathe
in exhaustion knuckles bleed
red flows under eyes thinkin’ fix me
fix who, the view rests
it’s head against warm earth
twitching muscles seep their light
just so
the walking, the working, the worst
day swallows, on down
fallowed by please, oh please
hold on
faces and knives
carving, revealing
minds will not forget - no
fueling every smile just wait
tomorrow is alive
topping life off at the brim
you are safe - sshhh
home is here
face down
breathe
in exhaustion knuckles bleed
red flows under eyes thinkin’ fix me
fix who, the view rests
it’s head against warm earth
twitching muscles seep their light
just so
the walking, the working, the worst
day swallows, on down
fallowed by please, oh please
hold on
faces and knives
carving, revealing
minds will not forget - no
fueling every smile just wait
tomorrow is alive
topping life off at the brim
you are safe - sshhh
home is here
CHILDREN
the sight shoves you
face down
breathe
in exhaustion knuckles bleed
red flows under eyes thinkin’ fix me
fix who, the view rests
it’s head against warm earth
twitching muscles seep their light
just so
the walking, the working, the worst
day swallows, on down
fallowed by please, oh please
hold on
faces and knives
carving, revealing
minds will not forget - no
fueling every smile just wait
tomorrow is alive
topping life off at the brim
you are safe - sshhh
home is here
face down
breathe
in exhaustion knuckles bleed
red flows under eyes thinkin’ fix me
fix who, the view rests
it’s head against warm earth
twitching muscles seep their light
just so
the walking, the working, the worst
day swallows, on down
fallowed by please, oh please
hold on
faces and knives
carving, revealing
minds will not forget - no
fueling every smile just wait
tomorrow is alive
topping life off at the brim
you are safe - sshhh
home is here
June 23rd, 2011
June 23rd, 2011
When you pray....do you hold your hands together? Do you close your eyes? Does your mouth move? Does your mind move? Is it Amen after? During? Even before? Do you kneel? Head bowed? Do you ask for forgiveness? Praying for others? For your family? For yourself?
Does He hear you?
I pray He does...
Today was another day of putting up barb wire. It rained a ton in the middle of our efforts so we took a long break. Turns out it is actually the wet season here now. The dry season gets way hotter, which I’m not sure if I wanna experience. It was nice getting to hang out with everyone because I haven’t been able to chill with the kids that much the past couple days. I introduced some of them to Sri Rrotcha today and they were all about it. Glad I could spice up their posho and beans for them. I’m sure it gets old if you eat it everyday, for every meal, pretty much guaranteed. I have learned though, if you are hungry, it still tastes all right. Always being hungry has certainly taken some getting used to. Especially for me....I love food.
The barb wire project is turning out to be pretty extensive. Three rows surrounding the entire perimeter of Musana will be a lengthy project. I doubt we will even finish it before we leave. I’m sure Bryan will get to when he returns, if it’s not done already. I know we will be able to get a large chuck of it knocked out. I am really glad we get to work on this because I feel it is pretty important to keep all these wonderful children safe. There is a saying here in Uganda that many white people have to live by....”Love many, trust one.” We all love the people of Uganda, but we certainly want to keep ourselves, and definitely the children, safe from anything dangerous. I hope I can make the children feel safe in their home. They definitely deserve some peace in their lives because all of them have already been through so much. I can still hardly bare the thought of leaving these kids. It will certainly be the hardest task I will face while here.
When you pray....do you hold your hands together? Do you close your eyes? Does your mouth move? Does your mind move? Is it Amen after? During? Even before? Do you kneel? Head bowed? Do you ask for forgiveness? Praying for others? For your family? For yourself?
Does He hear you?
I pray He does...
Today was another day of putting up barb wire. It rained a ton in the middle of our efforts so we took a long break. Turns out it is actually the wet season here now. The dry season gets way hotter, which I’m not sure if I wanna experience. It was nice getting to hang out with everyone because I haven’t been able to chill with the kids that much the past couple days. I introduced some of them to Sri Rrotcha today and they were all about it. Glad I could spice up their posho and beans for them. I’m sure it gets old if you eat it everyday, for every meal, pretty much guaranteed. I have learned though, if you are hungry, it still tastes all right. Always being hungry has certainly taken some getting used to. Especially for me....I love food.
The barb wire project is turning out to be pretty extensive. Three rows surrounding the entire perimeter of Musana will be a lengthy project. I doubt we will even finish it before we leave. I’m sure Bryan will get to when he returns, if it’s not done already. I know we will be able to get a large chuck of it knocked out. I am really glad we get to work on this because I feel it is pretty important to keep all these wonderful children safe. There is a saying here in Uganda that many white people have to live by....”Love many, trust one.” We all love the people of Uganda, but we certainly want to keep ourselves, and definitely the children, safe from anything dangerous. I hope I can make the children feel safe in their home. They definitely deserve some peace in their lives because all of them have already been through so much. I can still hardly bare the thought of leaving these kids. It will certainly be the hardest task I will face while here.
June 22nd, 2011
June 22nd, 2011
Those days you feel like you’re in prison....yea that was yesterday. We joke that our rooms are little prison cells, minus the part about us being able to leave, it is almost true. We hammered more rock yesterday at it really did look like we were prisoners. It all works out though cus a little manual labor never hurt anyone. Plus the old blisters were going away, figured it was time to get some new ones. Kids always make the goin easier. They not only provide you with a good laugh once in awhile, but they also are willing to pick up the sledge hammer, that weighs as much as them, to start hammering rock themselves. It is awesome.
Today was another brutal day but it was certainly not prison. That is an exaggeration for sure. Here is nothing like prison and I am thankful to be doing the work for the kids. Bryan and I put up barb wire today around Musana. It is a slow process but certainly better than hammering rocks. The fence tightening tool has worked really well and I am glad Bryan’s mom had me bring it. Despite having gloves on the whole time, I still managed to come away with a nice cut on my leg and a few holds in my head......turns out barb wire is sharp....who knew???
Along with some solid work, morning to night, a ton of new volunteers came today. When I say a ton, I’m talking we pretty much doubled our current volunteer house population. Which is cool and all for Musana and the children, but I for one feel bad for Sarah (our house mother) cus she has a bunch more laundry to do now, and second showers are gonna have to be taken sparingly....oh joy. They all seem like chill people (kinda) and I am sure I will get to know some of them as the days go on. It is cool to see so many people willing to give their time to Musana and these kids.
This country is certainly a wild place and I really respect Bryan for coming out here and starting a life for himself. Everyday I see how this is truly his home and how much he loves Musana. It almost seems like he has found his place in life and honestly, I’m pretty jealous. I can only hope I can go on a journey of my own sometime and find my place in the world. Guess we’ll see....
Those days you feel like you’re in prison....yea that was yesterday. We joke that our rooms are little prison cells, minus the part about us being able to leave, it is almost true. We hammered more rock yesterday at it really did look like we were prisoners. It all works out though cus a little manual labor never hurt anyone. Plus the old blisters were going away, figured it was time to get some new ones. Kids always make the goin easier. They not only provide you with a good laugh once in awhile, but they also are willing to pick up the sledge hammer, that weighs as much as them, to start hammering rock themselves. It is awesome.
Today was another brutal day but it was certainly not prison. That is an exaggeration for sure. Here is nothing like prison and I am thankful to be doing the work for the kids. Bryan and I put up barb wire today around Musana. It is a slow process but certainly better than hammering rocks. The fence tightening tool has worked really well and I am glad Bryan’s mom had me bring it. Despite having gloves on the whole time, I still managed to come away with a nice cut on my leg and a few holds in my head......turns out barb wire is sharp....who knew???
Along with some solid work, morning to night, a ton of new volunteers came today. When I say a ton, I’m talking we pretty much doubled our current volunteer house population. Which is cool and all for Musana and the children, but I for one feel bad for Sarah (our house mother) cus she has a bunch more laundry to do now, and second showers are gonna have to be taken sparingly....oh joy. They all seem like chill people (kinda) and I am sure I will get to know some of them as the days go on. It is cool to see so many people willing to give their time to Musana and these kids.
This country is certainly a wild place and I really respect Bryan for coming out here and starting a life for himself. Everyday I see how this is truly his home and how much he loves Musana. It almost seems like he has found his place in life and honestly, I’m pretty jealous. I can only hope I can go on a journey of my own sometime and find my place in the world. Guess we’ll see....
Monday, June 20, 2011
June 20th, 2001
June 20th, 2011
How do you fix the broken? How do you heal the sick? Where do you start if you can’t seem to see the end?
Today we went to visit one of our kids who got hurt playing soccer yesterday at the government hospital in Iganga. This place took me for another trip down unbelievable alley. I was blown away by the people needing help and by how they were being treated. Our boy had broken his foot during a scrimmage yesterday and today had finally gotten the cast on. Hopefully he will be released tonight because this place was something out of WW2. Apparently it could have been way more crowded, which was true because there were some extra beds available in the men’s ward. I still thought there was a good amount of people there for the type of facility.
As soon as you walk into the ward, you are greeted with a stale air of sickness. There was absolutely no privacy for anyone. Just looking around you could see how sick, injured, or close to dead, some people were. There were no dividing rooms or even curtains that kept patients separate from each other. Each bed was only a few feet from the next. Patients only get a sheet to cover them unless family members give them more. If the patient doesn’t have any family, then they were certainly suffer because your family is suppose to keep you fed while you wait for the doctors and nurses to take care of you. These people are also on African time.....so you may have to lay in the bed with your injury for quite awhile. American hospitals easily outdue the situation I saw today. If I were born here in Uganda, I would certainly try my hardest, to first, earn a living so I could eat, but in a close second, take extreme care that I don’t severely injure myself. Your life would certainly get much harder as soon as you got hurt. The gov’t hospitals here are free, but once again there is much corruption within even the health system. If you have money, and are willing to pay, you will definitely get better and faster treatment. Seeing all of this made me want to become a doctor just so I could treat and help everyone, but we all no an English degree is a far cry for a PHD in medicine.
As I asked before, how do you fix the broken? How do you heal the sick?
The end still seems so far away. I hope the little I am doing for the Musana kids actually impacts them in some way. The world seems a lot larger when I think of all the people in need....
How do you fix the broken? How do you heal the sick? Where do you start if you can’t seem to see the end?
Today we went to visit one of our kids who got hurt playing soccer yesterday at the government hospital in Iganga. This place took me for another trip down unbelievable alley. I was blown away by the people needing help and by how they were being treated. Our boy had broken his foot during a scrimmage yesterday and today had finally gotten the cast on. Hopefully he will be released tonight because this place was something out of WW2. Apparently it could have been way more crowded, which was true because there were some extra beds available in the men’s ward. I still thought there was a good amount of people there for the type of facility.
As soon as you walk into the ward, you are greeted with a stale air of sickness. There was absolutely no privacy for anyone. Just looking around you could see how sick, injured, or close to dead, some people were. There were no dividing rooms or even curtains that kept patients separate from each other. Each bed was only a few feet from the next. Patients only get a sheet to cover them unless family members give them more. If the patient doesn’t have any family, then they were certainly suffer because your family is suppose to keep you fed while you wait for the doctors and nurses to take care of you. These people are also on African time.....so you may have to lay in the bed with your injury for quite awhile. American hospitals easily outdue the situation I saw today. If I were born here in Uganda, I would certainly try my hardest, to first, earn a living so I could eat, but in a close second, take extreme care that I don’t severely injure myself. Your life would certainly get much harder as soon as you got hurt. The gov’t hospitals here are free, but once again there is much corruption within even the health system. If you have money, and are willing to pay, you will definitely get better and faster treatment. Seeing all of this made me want to become a doctor just so I could treat and help everyone, but we all no an English degree is a far cry for a PHD in medicine.
As I asked before, how do you fix the broken? How do you heal the sick?
The end still seems so far away. I hope the little I am doing for the Musana kids actually impacts them in some way. The world seems a lot larger when I think of all the people in need....
June 19th, 2011
June 19th, 2011
It was a casual Sunday with church this morning and just kickin it with the kids most of the day. It happens to be Father’s Day in America today. I am most incredibly thankful for what my dad has contributed to my life. I couldn’t of asked for a better father and am so grateful for him being the role model in my life that lets me know how a true man should be.
On a different note, the volunteer coordinator, Sally, came today so the kids welcomed her with a few awesome songs. This next week is going to be a lot different because Jill, another volunteer, left today and a few more new ones will be coming on wednesday. I have loved the group we have had for the past week and this new crew will take some getting used to. It is weird to think I have only really been here two weeks myself. It feels like it has been so much longer just because of all the things I have learned and all the new experiences that have come my way. It has always been said that the days here are long, but the weeks feel short. Somehow I agree with that. Everyday feels like it takes forever and I am able to experience so much at once. Looking back on these two weeks they have really gone by fast. It is safe to say that the saying is true.
Iganga is becoming easier to manage on a day to day basis. I can casually walk into town and up to Musana without worrying about getting lost. The money has become easier to deal with and the town has become a lot more familiar. I think even the people here are even becoming more used to my presence, despite the continual stares I get. I don’t think walking through town will ever be ordinary. No matter how long you have been here, everyone still eyeballs you all the time and you are certainly somewhat of a celebrity among all these people.
Traveling here has made me want to purchase a motorcycle of my own. I love riding on the back of the Boda and it just seems a lot more practical and easier to get around most places. It is a bit dangerous at times, but the only major accident I have heard about so far was two large buses colliding in a totally different city. Really, the motorcycles here seem to be on of the best ways to get around if you are by yourself or have only one other person with you. It is nice how the taxi rides are relatively cheap too. A trip to Jinja usually only costs 2000 shillings. I am certainly willing to pay a dollar for a 30 to 40 min ride. I think a lot about how wealthy most white people are compared to the people here. I can’t imagine how a celebrity in America would feel if they came here. All there money would like double. It is pretty ridiculous sometimes. I definitely enjoy bartering with people too. I don’t think asking to pay a lower price for something at king soopers or walmart would ever fly. People would think you were crazy.
Again hope all dads had a great father’s day.....especially mine, cus he wins against all other dads.....I love him dearly and can’t wait to do some traveling with him.....aight lates
It was a casual Sunday with church this morning and just kickin it with the kids most of the day. It happens to be Father’s Day in America today. I am most incredibly thankful for what my dad has contributed to my life. I couldn’t of asked for a better father and am so grateful for him being the role model in my life that lets me know how a true man should be.
On a different note, the volunteer coordinator, Sally, came today so the kids welcomed her with a few awesome songs. This next week is going to be a lot different because Jill, another volunteer, left today and a few more new ones will be coming on wednesday. I have loved the group we have had for the past week and this new crew will take some getting used to. It is weird to think I have only really been here two weeks myself. It feels like it has been so much longer just because of all the things I have learned and all the new experiences that have come my way. It has always been said that the days here are long, but the weeks feel short. Somehow I agree with that. Everyday feels like it takes forever and I am able to experience so much at once. Looking back on these two weeks they have really gone by fast. It is safe to say that the saying is true.
Iganga is becoming easier to manage on a day to day basis. I can casually walk into town and up to Musana without worrying about getting lost. The money has become easier to deal with and the town has become a lot more familiar. I think even the people here are even becoming more used to my presence, despite the continual stares I get. I don’t think walking through town will ever be ordinary. No matter how long you have been here, everyone still eyeballs you all the time and you are certainly somewhat of a celebrity among all these people.
Traveling here has made me want to purchase a motorcycle of my own. I love riding on the back of the Boda and it just seems a lot more practical and easier to get around most places. It is a bit dangerous at times, but the only major accident I have heard about so far was two large buses colliding in a totally different city. Really, the motorcycles here seem to be on of the best ways to get around if you are by yourself or have only one other person with you. It is nice how the taxi rides are relatively cheap too. A trip to Jinja usually only costs 2000 shillings. I am certainly willing to pay a dollar for a 30 to 40 min ride. I think a lot about how wealthy most white people are compared to the people here. I can’t imagine how a celebrity in America would feel if they came here. All there money would like double. It is pretty ridiculous sometimes. I definitely enjoy bartering with people too. I don’t think asking to pay a lower price for something at king soopers or walmart would ever fly. People would think you were crazy.
Again hope all dads had a great father’s day.....especially mine, cus he wins against all other dads.....I love him dearly and can’t wait to do some traveling with him.....aight lates
June 18th, 2011
June 18th, 2011
Friday morning we left for Mbale and Sibi Falls. I didn’t know I was in store for such a magical place when I was leaving. But now, after the long drive back home I know I will miss that place.
Mbale is a pretty big town about 45 minutes or so away from the Sipi falls resort we stayed at. It is a town roughly the size of Jinja, which I couldn’t even begin to know the population of either. Not sure if they keep track of that accurately here. Arriving at Sipi instantly took my breathe away. No kidding, it is like straight out of a movie or something. I only saw the one water fall but I heard there were more above it and the biggest one was below our resort. This was a smaller place with only one dormatory, a few Bandos (basically the perfect little room if you were on a honeymoon) and a cottage to stay in. These were all located right next to the river that ran off the water fall. The sound alone certainly hums you right to sleep. Compared to anything else I have experienced so far, this place definitely sends you straight into paradise. The little huts were extremely cozy and well kept and we actually got to take a hot shower! It never felt so good.
The dining service they provide in the main building is exquisite. Every meal was wonderful. We got there around lunch time and had some delicious cheese and crackers to start and then topped it off with some sort of thin crust pizza. Didn’t know pizza could ever be so inviting. In late afternoon they get you tea or coffee and also some sort of delicious cake. I really don’t know why America doesn’t do tea time! We are all totally missing out. Dinner was almost like a five course meal with some bread and soup to start and other delightful things to drink. All the girls decided to buy their own bottles of wine before we came up so that came in handy for them. The scallop potatoes and beef was to die for. It might not of all tasted as good in America, but here, it was soooo perfect.
The rest of the night was filled with a good time and lots of laughs. I am really thankful for the cool group that we got to go with. I would really love to stay more than one night next time just so we could hike all of the falls more. I definitely want to take another trip to this paradise land in the future.
Friday morning we left for Mbale and Sibi Falls. I didn’t know I was in store for such a magical place when I was leaving. But now, after the long drive back home I know I will miss that place.
Mbale is a pretty big town about 45 minutes or so away from the Sipi falls resort we stayed at. It is a town roughly the size of Jinja, which I couldn’t even begin to know the population of either. Not sure if they keep track of that accurately here. Arriving at Sipi instantly took my breathe away. No kidding, it is like straight out of a movie or something. I only saw the one water fall but I heard there were more above it and the biggest one was below our resort. This was a smaller place with only one dormatory, a few Bandos (basically the perfect little room if you were on a honeymoon) and a cottage to stay in. These were all located right next to the river that ran off the water fall. The sound alone certainly hums you right to sleep. Compared to anything else I have experienced so far, this place definitely sends you straight into paradise. The little huts were extremely cozy and well kept and we actually got to take a hot shower! It never felt so good.
The dining service they provide in the main building is exquisite. Every meal was wonderful. We got there around lunch time and had some delicious cheese and crackers to start and then topped it off with some sort of thin crust pizza. Didn’t know pizza could ever be so inviting. In late afternoon they get you tea or coffee and also some sort of delicious cake. I really don’t know why America doesn’t do tea time! We are all totally missing out. Dinner was almost like a five course meal with some bread and soup to start and other delightful things to drink. All the girls decided to buy their own bottles of wine before we came up so that came in handy for them. The scallop potatoes and beef was to die for. It might not of all tasted as good in America, but here, it was soooo perfect.
The rest of the night was filled with a good time and lots of laughs. I am really thankful for the cool group that we got to go with. I would really love to stay more than one night next time just so we could hike all of the falls more. I definitely want to take another trip to this paradise land in the future.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
June 16th, 2011
June 16, 2011
Yesterday was a wicked hot day as was today. I hope I can get used to the heat here more. The day started off fairly lazy but we soon got to start putting up barb wire around Musana. We only made it to the second post when Haril called and we had to take another trip to Jinja. This time we actually got cleats for the kids but only half of the ones that are required for all the kids. It’s a start. We did get to pick some paint up so we could paint the jerseys. We tried doing that today but the paint doesn’t stick very well to the material. The Musana letter template took forever to cut out because we only had a tiny little razor. Everything does take twice as long here it seems. The two jerseys we did get painted look ok but I am sure they would look better with another layer on em. Maybe we can get them done before the games next week, but we will see.
Today was African Child day and it was interesting. Basically a bunch of different schools and orphanages got together to present a bunch of songs and poems about street children getting left behind by parents. It was an awareness of all the children being neglected here in Iganga. It was a really long presentation so I decided to get a chapter knocked out in my book. Musana kids performed last and it was great to see all of them get to sing in front of everyone.
The poverty of people here is starting to sink in. Riding around behind Bryan as he drives us on the Boda is a fun time and I try to concentrate on us not dying. Once I take my eyes off the crazy traffic and driving that goes on around here I notice the brutal living conditions of most people. Sure there are some that are ok and living comfortably but most are in pretty bad poverty. It is becoming apparent that this country needs a major overhaul to come even close to starting to modernize. There are a ton of homes that don’t have indoor plumbing and only some have electricity running to them. I picture everyone here living as if they are out camping, but permanently. Even the way they do build larger buildings here takes time and a lot more effort than in America. Concrete must be shoveled up a set of what looks like large stairs or landings then put into a wheel barrow to get it to where it needs to be once it has reached the second floor. I know concrete work in America is difficult, but here, it seems close to impossible. Somehow the people here get it done. It is a very hard working country, but to me, not a very smart working country. Even the government has a bunch of corruption which doesn’t help the situation of the people.
There are people who are doing good for this place and it is awesome to see. There is still a long way to go and a lot of work to be done. Helping the children at Musana feels good, but I can’t help thinking of all the other things that need to be done for the people of Uganda. It really makes me appreciate what is in America.
Yesterday was a wicked hot day as was today. I hope I can get used to the heat here more. The day started off fairly lazy but we soon got to start putting up barb wire around Musana. We only made it to the second post when Haril called and we had to take another trip to Jinja. This time we actually got cleats for the kids but only half of the ones that are required for all the kids. It’s a start. We did get to pick some paint up so we could paint the jerseys. We tried doing that today but the paint doesn’t stick very well to the material. The Musana letter template took forever to cut out because we only had a tiny little razor. Everything does take twice as long here it seems. The two jerseys we did get painted look ok but I am sure they would look better with another layer on em. Maybe we can get them done before the games next week, but we will see.
Today was African Child day and it was interesting. Basically a bunch of different schools and orphanages got together to present a bunch of songs and poems about street children getting left behind by parents. It was an awareness of all the children being neglected here in Iganga. It was a really long presentation so I decided to get a chapter knocked out in my book. Musana kids performed last and it was great to see all of them get to sing in front of everyone.
The poverty of people here is starting to sink in. Riding around behind Bryan as he drives us on the Boda is a fun time and I try to concentrate on us not dying. Once I take my eyes off the crazy traffic and driving that goes on around here I notice the brutal living conditions of most people. Sure there are some that are ok and living comfortably but most are in pretty bad poverty. It is becoming apparent that this country needs a major overhaul to come even close to starting to modernize. There are a ton of homes that don’t have indoor plumbing and only some have electricity running to them. I picture everyone here living as if they are out camping, but permanently. Even the way they do build larger buildings here takes time and a lot more effort than in America. Concrete must be shoveled up a set of what looks like large stairs or landings then put into a wheel barrow to get it to where it needs to be once it has reached the second floor. I know concrete work in America is difficult, but here, it seems close to impossible. Somehow the people here get it done. It is a very hard working country, but to me, not a very smart working country. Even the government has a bunch of corruption which doesn’t help the situation of the people.
There are people who are doing good for this place and it is awesome to see. There is still a long way to go and a lot of work to be done. Helping the children at Musana feels good, but I can’t help thinking of all the other things that need to be done for the people of Uganda. It really makes me appreciate what is in America.
June 14th, 2011
June 14, 2011
Most of today was a day of some good ol’ fashioned labor at Musana. We started the day off slow but soon got into smashing rocks with sledge hammers. There is this road in front of the kids dorms that had a bunch of of large rocks just piled up. Our goal was to smash these rocks so that they become smaller and evened out the road better. The hammers that we had weren’t really workin out. They were small and had tiny wooden handles that ended up leavin their mark on our hands. Bryan and I decided to head to town to see if we could purchase a better and larger hammer.
Here in Iganga there isn’t a Walmart where you can go and find everything you need. A good sledge hammer wasn’t easy to find at first. There were a few little shops that had the heads but of course the price on a 10 lb head was outrageous. When the shop owners see two white people trying to buy something they automatically hike the price up because they assume we have a ton of money, which is true compared to most living here, but like everyone else we didn’t want to pay 70,000 shillings for just the hammer head. That’s more than in America so we had a little problem to solve.
Luckily we ran into a shop that had wooden handles that we could of used for the hammer. The owner was a unique individual though. He was Ugandan but when we explained to him what we wanted he ended up helping us out instead of hiking his prices up, which is rare. He told us we should be able to purchase a hammer’s head for around 25 to 30 K and would be able to weld a handle onto it which would make it much stronger. He ended up having his assistant find us a 10 lb head for 45, which was no 25 but better than any white kids could do. Then his assistant went over and got a handle which could be welded to it. We were grateful for this guy helping us out so at the end of it all we had a pretty legit hammer and kicked him an extra 5 K for all the trouble and work him and his assistant went through for us.
We were able to crush up a bunch of rocks by the end of the day, but we still have some to go. Figured we would let our hands rest the next day and get all the numbers painted on the new jerseys for the futbol team. The evening brought much needed rest but as all the volunteers sat in the living room we got to talking about some pretty interesting things. You could say we all know a little bit more about each other, in an odd sort of way. I really like the group we have had while I have been here. I am sure I will get to know everyone quite well. Living with them while in Africa certainly lets you talk about this experience with people that are seeing and going through the same thing. It makes all of this that much better of an experience, despite the rough moments.
Most of today was a day of some good ol’ fashioned labor at Musana. We started the day off slow but soon got into smashing rocks with sledge hammers. There is this road in front of the kids dorms that had a bunch of of large rocks just piled up. Our goal was to smash these rocks so that they become smaller and evened out the road better. The hammers that we had weren’t really workin out. They were small and had tiny wooden handles that ended up leavin their mark on our hands. Bryan and I decided to head to town to see if we could purchase a better and larger hammer.
Here in Iganga there isn’t a Walmart where you can go and find everything you need. A good sledge hammer wasn’t easy to find at first. There were a few little shops that had the heads but of course the price on a 10 lb head was outrageous. When the shop owners see two white people trying to buy something they automatically hike the price up because they assume we have a ton of money, which is true compared to most living here, but like everyone else we didn’t want to pay 70,000 shillings for just the hammer head. That’s more than in America so we had a little problem to solve.
Luckily we ran into a shop that had wooden handles that we could of used for the hammer. The owner was a unique individual though. He was Ugandan but when we explained to him what we wanted he ended up helping us out instead of hiking his prices up, which is rare. He told us we should be able to purchase a hammer’s head for around 25 to 30 K and would be able to weld a handle onto it which would make it much stronger. He ended up having his assistant find us a 10 lb head for 45, which was no 25 but better than any white kids could do. Then his assistant went over and got a handle which could be welded to it. We were grateful for this guy helping us out so at the end of it all we had a pretty legit hammer and kicked him an extra 5 K for all the trouble and work him and his assistant went through for us.
We were able to crush up a bunch of rocks by the end of the day, but we still have some to go. Figured we would let our hands rest the next day and get all the numbers painted on the new jerseys for the futbol team. The evening brought much needed rest but as all the volunteers sat in the living room we got to talking about some pretty interesting things. You could say we all know a little bit more about each other, in an odd sort of way. I really like the group we have had while I have been here. I am sure I will get to know everyone quite well. Living with them while in Africa certainly lets you talk about this experience with people that are seeing and going through the same thing. It makes all of this that much better of an experience, despite the rough moments.
Monday, June 13, 2011
June 13th, 2011
June 13, 2011
Another trip to Jinja today and we actually were productive this time. Sorry for the confusing misspellings, I am still learning words around here. We were able to get the kids uniforms for their soccer team along with some socks. They are going to look super sharp for their games and by friday we are hoping to have all their shoes in. Jinja was long and the taxi rides are becoming long as well. Cramming into a vehicle with a ton of other people really lets your nose experience everyone up close. Smells here are definitely still boggling my mind.
Bryan and I were hungry so he asked a guy at the taxi park in Jinja for a place that sold Rolexes. He led us to a little tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant that was actually quite amazing and only cost us 3500 shillings for a full meal and a soda. We didn’t find Rolexes but discovered a great new place to eat for cheap. I also tried to hustle this guy on some sunglasses but only brought the price down 3000 shillings, I am gonna have to learn to low-ball everyone here cus apparently I coulda done better.
Once we returned the uniforms to Musana we got to see how excited the kids were to see them. Now all we have to do is paint some numbers on the back of them and put a cool sun on the front. I know once the team is decked out in their cleats and uniforms on game day they will be rockin the field in style.
Turns out taking a shower mid day, while the sun is blazing, is much better than in the morning. The water is closer to warm and didn’t feel like it was giving me hypothermia. I went into our back latrine at night for the first time this evening and what a sight. If you ever wanna see a ton of cockroaches in one area, I know the place. You learn to piss and get outta there as fast as you can. I also got to meet my first animal roommate today. He is a little tiny lizard that decided to wander in and check me out for himself. I have embraced him and hope he grows bigger so he can eat more mosquitos.
I am still amazed at the way people manage to survive here. I don’t think you will ever see a bigger outty belly button on any other child than out in the villages just outside of Iganga. This is definitely from the women just having their children out in the bush and not having the proper tools, or knowledge of how to cut the umbilical cord. I feel bad for all the children that are disfigured or any other person that has a handicap here because I know it is already hard enough to survive.
Bryan and I came across a bum today in Jinja. This was quite the sight as he strolled along in front of us with nothing but ratty and tattered pants that kept falling off every few seconds. When I say falling off I’m talkin basically to his ankles and of course, bums can’t afford underwear. It was interesting seeing him stroll down a busy street with all of himself hanging out for good portions of his journey. I can only hope he finds some better pants someday.
There is so much more I can describe about this place but I know I have time later. Keepin it real here in Iganga, always sweaty, and always on the look out for another boggling experience
Another trip to Jinja today and we actually were productive this time. Sorry for the confusing misspellings, I am still learning words around here. We were able to get the kids uniforms for their soccer team along with some socks. They are going to look super sharp for their games and by friday we are hoping to have all their shoes in. Jinja was long and the taxi rides are becoming long as well. Cramming into a vehicle with a ton of other people really lets your nose experience everyone up close. Smells here are definitely still boggling my mind.
Bryan and I were hungry so he asked a guy at the taxi park in Jinja for a place that sold Rolexes. He led us to a little tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant that was actually quite amazing and only cost us 3500 shillings for a full meal and a soda. We didn’t find Rolexes but discovered a great new place to eat for cheap. I also tried to hustle this guy on some sunglasses but only brought the price down 3000 shillings, I am gonna have to learn to low-ball everyone here cus apparently I coulda done better.
Once we returned the uniforms to Musana we got to see how excited the kids were to see them. Now all we have to do is paint some numbers on the back of them and put a cool sun on the front. I know once the team is decked out in their cleats and uniforms on game day they will be rockin the field in style.
Turns out taking a shower mid day, while the sun is blazing, is much better than in the morning. The water is closer to warm and didn’t feel like it was giving me hypothermia. I went into our back latrine at night for the first time this evening and what a sight. If you ever wanna see a ton of cockroaches in one area, I know the place. You learn to piss and get outta there as fast as you can. I also got to meet my first animal roommate today. He is a little tiny lizard that decided to wander in and check me out for himself. I have embraced him and hope he grows bigger so he can eat more mosquitos.
I am still amazed at the way people manage to survive here. I don’t think you will ever see a bigger outty belly button on any other child than out in the villages just outside of Iganga. This is definitely from the women just having their children out in the bush and not having the proper tools, or knowledge of how to cut the umbilical cord. I feel bad for all the children that are disfigured or any other person that has a handicap here because I know it is already hard enough to survive.
Bryan and I came across a bum today in Jinja. This was quite the sight as he strolled along in front of us with nothing but ratty and tattered pants that kept falling off every few seconds. When I say falling off I’m talkin basically to his ankles and of course, bums can’t afford underwear. It was interesting seeing him stroll down a busy street with all of himself hanging out for good portions of his journey. I can only hope he finds some better pants someday.
There is so much more I can describe about this place but I know I have time later. Keepin it real here in Iganga, always sweaty, and always on the look out for another boggling experience
June 12th, 2011
June 12, 2011
Sunday brought some much needed rest and I was able to start a book, Matterhorn, which is turning out to be pretty good. I decided not to attend church this morning but will probably go next week.
I did say that there is not a boring day here, but today was touching that line. I am not saying I was bored but I don’t think anything epic happened. It was rather a cold day and I am actually wearing a long sleeve and pants now. Crazy I know, this place has been everything but cold up until now.
I talked to this boy, Emma, today about him getting a visa to get into America so he could get surgery on both of his hips. This kid is a champion for the pain he has and still is enduring. It isn’t a very easy process for men from Uganda to get visas into America. Hopefully he will have one by Tuesday though and he can get into our country to get the much needed operation done and over with. Emma is a very awesome individual and I hope all goes as smooth as possible for him.
Another boy I am becoming better friends with one named Joe. He is actually a little older than most of the kids but I certainly enjoy his company. He is pretty quiet but seems to always be dressing very nice. I let him keep my sunglasses safe today while I played futbol. He rocked em pretty well.
I am feeling that this upcoming week will bring a lot of hard labor either on the farm or at Musana so hopefully that all goes well. I am getting more and more comfortable in this extravagant country. The dirt and funny smells everywhere aren’t bothering me as much.
Cheers to the upcoming week, hope all at home are well.
Sunday brought some much needed rest and I was able to start a book, Matterhorn, which is turning out to be pretty good. I decided not to attend church this morning but will probably go next week.
I did say that there is not a boring day here, but today was touching that line. I am not saying I was bored but I don’t think anything epic happened. It was rather a cold day and I am actually wearing a long sleeve and pants now. Crazy I know, this place has been everything but cold up until now.
I talked to this boy, Emma, today about him getting a visa to get into America so he could get surgery on both of his hips. This kid is a champion for the pain he has and still is enduring. It isn’t a very easy process for men from Uganda to get visas into America. Hopefully he will have one by Tuesday though and he can get into our country to get the much needed operation done and over with. Emma is a very awesome individual and I hope all goes as smooth as possible for him.
Another boy I am becoming better friends with one named Joe. He is actually a little older than most of the kids but I certainly enjoy his company. He is pretty quiet but seems to always be dressing very nice. I let him keep my sunglasses safe today while I played futbol. He rocked em pretty well.
I am feeling that this upcoming week will bring a lot of hard labor either on the farm or at Musana so hopefully that all goes well. I am getting more and more comfortable in this extravagant country. The dirt and funny smells everywhere aren’t bothering me as much.
Cheers to the upcoming week, hope all at home are well.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
June 11th, 2011
June 11, 2011
After waking up from a late night out at the club I felt pretty groggy. We had toast bananas and peanut butter for breakfast, same as every morning. I like to add a granola bar or something to this because I’ve learned a large breakfast is important. It isn’t likely you will get to eat another solid meal until the evening. If I do get another meal it is posho and beans which is what the kids eat. Posho is like a more solid form of grits but a little smoother texture. The beans make the taste much better but you still need a bunch of sri rotcha or hot sauce on it.
It was the first day I walked from the volunteer house to town by myself and then on to Musana, I was nervous but it worked out. Turns out, I didn’t die. I actually liked exploring the area a bit.
I am learning that there is usually never a slow day here at Musana. There was a massive rain storm today, which I ever never seen it rain so hard, and the floor of the dining hall was pretty slippery. Kids started sliding on it and of course it led to this one boy, John Jackson, bustin his chin clean open after slipping and falling on it. I saw it happen and was the first one to get to him. First thing I thought was dayum this kid just wacked himself but he will be alright, but then I saw a bunch of blood seep onto the concrete so I picked him up and took him to the nurses office. Unfortunately today was saturday so the nurse wasn’t in. Claire, Bryan, and I tried to clean the wound and close it up with some tape stuff. This didn’t work so Bryan ended up taking JJ to the clinic so he could get it stitched up completely. This was one tough kid. After the initial session of crying he didn’t really show any signs of weakness. He literally hadn’t this giant cut on his chin like a champ, no doubt much tougher than I was as a kid. I was impressed.
Once back at home we ate and then played a couple rounds of pictionary telephone which brings some good laughs. It was the first time though that I actually dreaded the cold shower, probably because it wasn’t a scorching hot day. I can say I am doing my part in conserving water here. These have been the shortest showers I have ever taken.
Despite a few injuries today was a good chill day with the kids. I also got to eat two Rolexes today so that was pretty titties. We will see what tomorrow holds. I am sure it will be anything but boring.
After waking up from a late night out at the club I felt pretty groggy. We had toast bananas and peanut butter for breakfast, same as every morning. I like to add a granola bar or something to this because I’ve learned a large breakfast is important. It isn’t likely you will get to eat another solid meal until the evening. If I do get another meal it is posho and beans which is what the kids eat. Posho is like a more solid form of grits but a little smoother texture. The beans make the taste much better but you still need a bunch of sri rotcha or hot sauce on it.
It was the first day I walked from the volunteer house to town by myself and then on to Musana, I was nervous but it worked out. Turns out, I didn’t die. I actually liked exploring the area a bit.
I am learning that there is usually never a slow day here at Musana. There was a massive rain storm today, which I ever never seen it rain so hard, and the floor of the dining hall was pretty slippery. Kids started sliding on it and of course it led to this one boy, John Jackson, bustin his chin clean open after slipping and falling on it. I saw it happen and was the first one to get to him. First thing I thought was dayum this kid just wacked himself but he will be alright, but then I saw a bunch of blood seep onto the concrete so I picked him up and took him to the nurses office. Unfortunately today was saturday so the nurse wasn’t in. Claire, Bryan, and I tried to clean the wound and close it up with some tape stuff. This didn’t work so Bryan ended up taking JJ to the clinic so he could get it stitched up completely. This was one tough kid. After the initial session of crying he didn’t really show any signs of weakness. He literally hadn’t this giant cut on his chin like a champ, no doubt much tougher than I was as a kid. I was impressed.
Once back at home we ate and then played a couple rounds of pictionary telephone which brings some good laughs. It was the first time though that I actually dreaded the cold shower, probably because it wasn’t a scorching hot day. I can say I am doing my part in conserving water here. These have been the shortest showers I have ever taken.
Despite a few injuries today was a good chill day with the kids. I also got to eat two Rolexes today so that was pretty titties. We will see what tomorrow holds. I am sure it will be anything but boring.
June 10th, 2011
June 10, 2011
So yesterday Bryan and I made an excellent trip to Ginga, pronounced like ginger so it can be assumed that it is full of white albino people, but no it’s like opposite of that. This place is where a majority of volunteers go if they come to Uganda. There were many more white people walking the streets and there are tons of markets there to buy pretty awesome things unique to Africa. We stopped at a place called The Keep which provided some decent internet access and food that reminded me of America. I had a smoothie called The Island and it was fantastic.
Ginga is a cool place hustlin and bustlin with many people on the grind pretty much like anywhere else here in Uganda. It can be considered and escape away from Iganga when you want a little taste of home. The reason we were there was to search for soccer cleats for the Musana soccer team. Turns out they were pricy and so were team jerseys so we decided to wait for Hareal who could probably get us better deals on everything.
Now today both of us went to the farm to do some bean pickin. It was an experience to see some actual mud huts near the backbone of Uganda. There are roughly 15 acres of farm land that Musana owns. Today Bryan and I got to pick beans for the children’s food. It was basically like pulling weeds across a large stretch of land. We did a lot of work but at the same time we didn’t because there were many more beans to pick when we left. The usual work ends around noon because it gets too hot then everyone picks back up when it cools off around 5 or 6. I had a good time, well as good of a time you can have bending over for a couple hours pulling little weed like things out of the ground. I almost made it to the end of the little stretch of land but ended up cutting the living crap out of my pointer finger on a vine while pulling it up. Never really been cut that deep with that much dirt on my hand. It was interesting the way the blood solidified so fast. I expected a lot more blood to come out. The thing about here is you can’t really clean or treat any wound until you get back to a more civilized place. It worked out cus upon arriving home we all got to take cold showers which have never felt so good.
I am learning more and more the harsh way of life here in Uganda. The thing is that picking beans is the easy work out at the farm. Apparently it gets much harder. You truly get to see the crazy way of life in this part of the world. It is certainly a humbling experience that makes you ever so thankful for being born into a family and country that is much better off than most here.
I have also been thinking that life here compared to life in America is all relative. Natives here don’t know any different. They are born here, raised here, and rarely get to leave here to experience any other kind of life. So to them, everything is fine because this is just the way it is. You deal with minimum electricity, water that you have to pump from a well and carry back to your home, and an average salary of 2 to 6 thousand shillings a day. Life is difficult here but I guess to everyone around here, it’s just the way it is.
To top the night off a bunch of us went to “Desire” which is a club here in Iganga. What an experience. I got in free with my college I.D. somehow, but then had to buy a beer anyway so it was 100% free. It seemed like a similar club to what we have in America with loud music and tons of people. There were only a few white people there at the start but by the time I left I was the only white person in there so that was different. I feel like I fit in ok with my “American” dance moves. Over all I had a pretty excellent time. Still not sure if I will be going back anytime soon.
So yesterday Bryan and I made an excellent trip to Ginga, pronounced like ginger so it can be assumed that it is full of white albino people, but no it’s like opposite of that. This place is where a majority of volunteers go if they come to Uganda. There were many more white people walking the streets and there are tons of markets there to buy pretty awesome things unique to Africa. We stopped at a place called The Keep which provided some decent internet access and food that reminded me of America. I had a smoothie called The Island and it was fantastic.
Ginga is a cool place hustlin and bustlin with many people on the grind pretty much like anywhere else here in Uganda. It can be considered and escape away from Iganga when you want a little taste of home. The reason we were there was to search for soccer cleats for the Musana soccer team. Turns out they were pricy and so were team jerseys so we decided to wait for Hareal who could probably get us better deals on everything.
Now today both of us went to the farm to do some bean pickin. It was an experience to see some actual mud huts near the backbone of Uganda. There are roughly 15 acres of farm land that Musana owns. Today Bryan and I got to pick beans for the children’s food. It was basically like pulling weeds across a large stretch of land. We did a lot of work but at the same time we didn’t because there were many more beans to pick when we left. The usual work ends around noon because it gets too hot then everyone picks back up when it cools off around 5 or 6. I had a good time, well as good of a time you can have bending over for a couple hours pulling little weed like things out of the ground. I almost made it to the end of the little stretch of land but ended up cutting the living crap out of my pointer finger on a vine while pulling it up. Never really been cut that deep with that much dirt on my hand. It was interesting the way the blood solidified so fast. I expected a lot more blood to come out. The thing about here is you can’t really clean or treat any wound until you get back to a more civilized place. It worked out cus upon arriving home we all got to take cold showers which have never felt so good.
I am learning more and more the harsh way of life here in Uganda. The thing is that picking beans is the easy work out at the farm. Apparently it gets much harder. You truly get to see the crazy way of life in this part of the world. It is certainly a humbling experience that makes you ever so thankful for being born into a family and country that is much better off than most here.
I have also been thinking that life here compared to life in America is all relative. Natives here don’t know any different. They are born here, raised here, and rarely get to leave here to experience any other kind of life. So to them, everything is fine because this is just the way it is. You deal with minimum electricity, water that you have to pump from a well and carry back to your home, and an average salary of 2 to 6 thousand shillings a day. Life is difficult here but I guess to everyone around here, it’s just the way it is.
To top the night off a bunch of us went to “Desire” which is a club here in Iganga. What an experience. I got in free with my college I.D. somehow, but then had to buy a beer anyway so it was 100% free. It seemed like a similar club to what we have in America with loud music and tons of people. There were only a few white people there at the start but by the time I left I was the only white person in there so that was different. I feel like I fit in ok with my “American” dance moves. Over all I had a pretty excellent time. Still not sure if I will be going back anytime soon.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
June 8, 2011
June 8, 2011
So it was another eventful day. Bryan and I took some of the new kids that were recently brought to live in Musana to the clinic so they could be tested for HIV and a couple needed X-rays. Everyone thankfully checked out well with all negative results for HIV and no one had any broken limbs. It was a trek to the clinic but well worth it.
That is another thing about Iganga, you pretty much walk everywhere. If Bryan didn’t have the hook ups with the Boda Boda I would be exhausted by noon. Not complaining, but I will certainly be used to walking in flip flops by the end of the trip.
After the kids returned from the trip to the clinic we pretty much hung out for awhile then Bryan drove me to the Sol Cafe. It is a cafe that Musana owns and operates to bring in revenue for the children. It is a cool place with some wicked food. I ordered coconut chicken curry with naan bread, which was super dank! When we get homesick we can go to the cafe and catch up with the world by watching the tv which has a bunch of channels.
Guess this is all for now, I really gotta post these journals I know its been too long, internet is just a hard thing to come by sometimes. Til tomorrow....or when I can upload everything.....peace
So it was another eventful day. Bryan and I took some of the new kids that were recently brought to live in Musana to the clinic so they could be tested for HIV and a couple needed X-rays. Everyone thankfully checked out well with all negative results for HIV and no one had any broken limbs. It was a trek to the clinic but well worth it.
That is another thing about Iganga, you pretty much walk everywhere. If Bryan didn’t have the hook ups with the Boda Boda I would be exhausted by noon. Not complaining, but I will certainly be used to walking in flip flops by the end of the trip.
After the kids returned from the trip to the clinic we pretty much hung out for awhile then Bryan drove me to the Sol Cafe. It is a cafe that Musana owns and operates to bring in revenue for the children. It is a cool place with some wicked food. I ordered coconut chicken curry with naan bread, which was super dank! When we get homesick we can go to the cafe and catch up with the world by watching the tv which has a bunch of channels.
Guess this is all for now, I really gotta post these journals I know its been too long, internet is just a hard thing to come by sometimes. Til tomorrow....or when I can upload everything.....peace
June 7, 2011
I arrived in Entebbe after another long and grueling plane flight. Just some advice for those traveling that far, sit in an isle seat if possible, and always order the beef, never the chicken! I made that mistake while heading to London on the first flight. I learned some Lusoga from a native guy from Kampala who sat next to me the whole way. Oliotia which means hello and Bulungi which means im fine. Apparently greetings are very important here so knowing how to greet someone in their language can help you. There hasn’t been much jet lag, I was just tired I think because after two days of travel and seeing London I only slept for 4 hours or so. Once I found Bryan and headed through Uganda to Iganga I perked back up.
This country is completely different from America. It doesn’t even feel like I am on the same planet as before. Literally everything you do here is different. From taking a shower and going to the bathroom to eating and cooking and sleeping and even buying things. Apparently it is extremely rude to walk and eat at the same time. So after buying my first Rolex yesterday (a form of burrito looking thing with egg and other things inside) I had to stand still with Bryan while we ate our delicious afternoon snack which only cost 1000 Uganda shillings which equals about 50 cents.
Traveling anywhere here seems like a good way to die. If the roads are not busy it is ok to walk down them, especially less traveled dirt roads. Most paved roads are always bustling with Boda Bodas, which are their versions of street motorcycle, and cars driving all sorts of crazy. I have never seen such lax driving rules anywhere else, and I thought Mexico was crazy.
Once I arrived at Musana where all the kids were I was immediately greeted by tons of little singing children. Once they were all done singing to me they bum rushed me and clung to me like little pieces of ceran wrap. Seriously I didn’t have a hand or even arm space to do anything. Walking through all of them to the little church took awhile. I felt like a celebrity with a possie of poperatzie or whatever fallowing me. That is how it is here though, eerywhere you go every little kid calls you Mazoongoo which means white person or ghost or foreigner, depending on where you are at and then comes up to you and fist bumps you a million times.
There is so much more to being here but ill try to explain more in the next post. A page is long enough I think.
Til next time - peace out
This country is completely different from America. It doesn’t even feel like I am on the same planet as before. Literally everything you do here is different. From taking a shower and going to the bathroom to eating and cooking and sleeping and even buying things. Apparently it is extremely rude to walk and eat at the same time. So after buying my first Rolex yesterday (a form of burrito looking thing with egg and other things inside) I had to stand still with Bryan while we ate our delicious afternoon snack which only cost 1000 Uganda shillings which equals about 50 cents.
Traveling anywhere here seems like a good way to die. If the roads are not busy it is ok to walk down them, especially less traveled dirt roads. Most paved roads are always bustling with Boda Bodas, which are their versions of street motorcycle, and cars driving all sorts of crazy. I have never seen such lax driving rules anywhere else, and I thought Mexico was crazy.
Once I arrived at Musana where all the kids were I was immediately greeted by tons of little singing children. Once they were all done singing to me they bum rushed me and clung to me like little pieces of ceran wrap. Seriously I didn’t have a hand or even arm space to do anything. Walking through all of them to the little church took awhile. I felt like a celebrity with a possie of poperatzie or whatever fallowing me. That is how it is here though, eerywhere you go every little kid calls you Mazoongoo which means white person or ghost or foreigner, depending on where you are at and then comes up to you and fist bumps you a million times.
There is so much more to being here but ill try to explain more in the next post. A page is long enough I think.
Til next time - peace out
June 7, 2011
I arrived in Entebbe after another long and grueling plane flight. Just some advice for those traveling that far, sit in an isle seat if possible, and always order the beef, never the chicken! I made that mistake while heading to London on the first flight. I learned some Lusoga from a native guy from Kampala who sat next to me the whole way. Oliotia which means hello and Bulungi which means im fine. Apparently greetings are very important here so knowing how to greet someone in their language can help you. There hasn’t been much jet lag, I was just tired I think because after two days of travel and seeing London I only slept for 4 hours or so. Once I found Bryan and headed through Uganda to Iganga I perked back up.
This country is completely different from America. It doesn’t even feel like I am on the same planet as before. Literally everything you do here is different. From taking a shower and going to the bathroom to eating and cooking and sleeping and even buying things. Apparently it is extremely rude to walk and eat at the same time. So after buying my first Rolex yesterday (a form of burrito looking thing with egg and other things inside) I had to stand still with Bryan while we ate our delicious afternoon snack which only cost 1000 Uganda shillings which equals about 50 cents.
Traveling anywhere here seems like a good way to die. If the roads are not busy it is ok to walk down them, especially less traveled dirt roads. Most paved roads are always bustling with Boda Bodas, which are their versions of street motorcycle, and cars driving all sorts of crazy. I have never seen such lax driving rules anywhere else, and I thought Mexico was crazy.
Once I arrived at Musana where all the kids were I was immediately greeted by tons of little singing children. Once they were all done singing to me they bum rushed me and clung to me like little pieces of ceran wrap. Seriously I didn’t have a hand or even arm space to do anything. Walking through all of them to the little church took awhile. I felt like a celebrity with a possie of poperatzie or whatever fallowing me. That is how it is here though, eerywhere you go every little kid calls you Mazoongoo which means white person or ghost or foreigner, depending on where you are at and then comes up to you and fist bumps you a million times.
There is so much more to being here but ill try to explain more in the next post. A page is long enough I think.
Til next time - peace out
This country is completely different from America. It doesn’t even feel like I am on the same planet as before. Literally everything you do here is different. From taking a shower and going to the bathroom to eating and cooking and sleeping and even buying things. Apparently it is extremely rude to walk and eat at the same time. So after buying my first Rolex yesterday (a form of burrito looking thing with egg and other things inside) I had to stand still with Bryan while we ate our delicious afternoon snack which only cost 1000 Uganda shillings which equals about 50 cents.
Traveling anywhere here seems like a good way to die. If the roads are not busy it is ok to walk down them, especially less traveled dirt roads. Most paved roads are always bustling with Boda Bodas, which are their versions of street motorcycle, and cars driving all sorts of crazy. I have never seen such lax driving rules anywhere else, and I thought Mexico was crazy.
Once I arrived at Musana where all the kids were I was immediately greeted by tons of little singing children. Once they were all done singing to me they bum rushed me and clung to me like little pieces of ceran wrap. Seriously I didn’t have a hand or even arm space to do anything. Walking through all of them to the little church took awhile. I felt like a celebrity with a possie of poperatzie or whatever fallowing me. That is how it is here though, eerywhere you go every little kid calls you Mazoongoo which means white person or ghost or foreigner, depending on where you are at and then comes up to you and fist bumps you a million times.
There is so much more to being here but ill try to explain more in the next post. A page is long enough I think.
Til next time - peace out
June 6, 2011
Today was London....what a crazy awesome city! The “Underground” as they call it is the subway that runs underneath what seemed to be most of the city. First arriving in Heathrow I got to know the place pretty well, walking around the huge place and discovering many different types of people from all over the world. I think English people really love cologne and alcohol because there were only a few stores that actually had useful things that I needed. Everything else was cologne, alcohol, and next came the restaurants and expensive clothes and sunglasses stores. Pretty sure I still smell good just from walking around so much cologne, despite the fact that I haven’t bathed in over a day.
Enough about the airport. London on the other hand is pretty wicked. There are tons of old goddy buildings that require you to continually look up to see them. There are people everywhere driving on the wrong side of the street in weird looking taxis, double decker buses, and mopeds or motorcycles. The streets are in all sorts of directions and though I eventually figured the place out, I still don’t understand the reason for the awkward layout. The grid systems at home seem to still be the more practical way to set stuff up.
Though this city was awesome to walk around and see all the old buildings blending with the bustle of modern society, I also noticed there was trash pretty much everywhere. Other than that, no complaints. I kind of wanted to hop into one of the cars they drive here and take it for a spin. The other side of the road just seems wreckless, but Im down with that. The historical painting museum thing was pretty sweet, mostly cus it was completely free for everyone to walk in and tour. The paintings were old and all epic queen and king stuff mixed with religion.
Since my phone hasn’t been working at all and I had to pay to use the internet, I haven’t known what time it is all freakin day! Plus they use the 24 hour clock system instead of the 12 hour thing we’ve got goin on in the states. Along with not knowing the time, I got completely lost on the Underground on my way back to the airport. Naturally I thought I was going to be late because the overcast day didn’t help my time sense. It worked out though cus turns out there are other people that get lost on the trains and everyone is pretty helpful....even if their help is wrong, which I feel is the reason I got lost. But hey, its all and adventure and I still made to to my gate in time to write all this and still charge my iPod that has been my saving grace through the long plane ride here, sitting next to a woman who held the barf bag to her face for over half the way. Luckily no vomit. That’d suck.
Anyway it has already been an adventure and the real part hasn’t even started. As one lady taught me to say to absorb the situation at hand......
“Oh Yes!”
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Africa - The Adventure
We all spend time waiting......waiting to get into school, to middle, to high, to college, waiting for that first kiss, waiting to get our license, waiting to turn 21, waiting for that someone to marry, waiting to figure out what this life means and what our "purpose" is.
What happens when we aren't waiting anymore?
This question pops into my mind most likely because I sit here in DIA waiting.....for that plane to lift off and carry me to a far away land few get to set foot in. This adventure to Africa starts with many questions of the unknown. I don't know how many answers I will return with. I know it will open my eyes to something bigger than myself.
There are many people that currently surround me as I sit and wait in front of Gate A37. It's amazing the things we have come up with to get to distant places only pictured in movies and magazines. These planes will be my gateway to a world filled with an immense amount of people. I can only think this life of mine is to live for all those people, whoever they may be. What else are we suppose to do here? Where else are we suppose to go?
Is it not about others?
Here starts an adventure, just waiting to begin...
Monday, January 17, 2011
A Little Light Peeks Through
eyelashes reach for skies traveled by many imaginations
a slight flicker, they glisten as water settles at their tips
green kindly grows from light and deepens near the eye’s edge
a sunflower’s golden yellow bursts around beauty’s black
there isn’t enough time to spend trapped in their gaze
a breeze soon lifts a smile, like a sickness it spreads, only welcomed
for it has already been absorbed by your own needs
fingers dance through hair fallowing music you’ve never heard
hands give way to a past littered with laughter between hardship’s grasp
every sophisticated crease illuminates emotions locked away
warm rays tickle every muscle and you feel the earth’s intentions
the subtle spin slows beneath confident feet excited to walk next to Him
no words are needed, what’s within filters to the surface
a single glance tells the only story you want to hear
dreams hold tight to the only ride you want to take
life begins to replay, pause buttons should have been installed
ears that listen begin to guide better than mouths that tell
soon emerging from beneath every rock, crawling away from the fight
walls that shut out all peeking in fall beneath the fine print
and there aren’t anymore questions
what you’ve always asked has been answered in a slight whisper
every image crumples, unfolding into new thoughts
beauty starts to open up like a gift unwrapping itself
reaching out to hold it back, a simple “thank you” slips out
this sort of thing doesn’t stick around for long
getting to witness takes every last ounce of breathe
and lies it neatly over your mind, a veil of ease, fighting in your corner
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