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.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
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...
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