July 23, 2011
It has been a pretty righteous week here in Belgium. I really enjoy most of the people here and the city of Brussels is very entertaining. I have noticed a ton of graffiti everywhere. I don’t think I’ve seen so many varieties and styles before. Many have made me stop and admire for a couple minutes. I have had to get used to calculated dollars into Euro so that’s another adventure in itself. It is difficult really but you just have to remember that you aren’t really spending twenty dollars if you spend twenty Euro. I am certainly thankful for this experience and am trying to soak in as much of this part of the world as I can. Olivie’s parents have been more than generous and it is awesome to have a place to stay while here.
On Thursday it was Belgium day so Bryan and I ventured out into the city and saw a bunch of Belgium day stuff going on. I guess there was a parade and the Belgium King made a presence. Apparently there is no government in place here in Belgium and there hasn’t been one for over a year now. It is the longest time this country has gone without having one stable government. Everyone still pays taxes and stuff but there just isn’t one central power of command. There surprisingly isn’t any sort of heavy turmoil because of this. I can’t imagine the US not having a government for over a year. I mean, everyone gets into a frenzy when the NFL season becomes in jeopardy. I really doubt that we would let the country go for over a year without a government in place. All of this stuff was happening in and near the large park in the middle of the city. After we got of the metro we tried to find it. We found the center square where a lot of tourists go to check out the buildings, but we kept wandering and couldn’t seem to find the park. We did find a carnival that had this really tall ride that swung you around in a large circle. Bryan had the great idea of riding the ride, not only to get the crap flung out of us, but to also see if we could spot the park while we were really high up in the air. This ended up working because we found where we needed to go, and got our stomachs jumbled at the same time. Turns out we were going in the total opposite direction we needed to be going. We found the park and soon after joined up with Olivie and some of his friends.
This is when the night started getting wild. We were introduced to a couple of bars. The first one was called the Toone and they had puppet shows going on there, I think on a regular basis. I drank this large dark beer called a kwak and we continued on our way. The next bar we visited was called Floris. This place had the largest selection of Absinthe ever. Absinthe isn’t allowed in America for some reason, so of course, we had to try some. We heard we could smoke this certain kind so we decided to do that. Bryan went first and oh man, it made me really question if I should go through with it. It looked so painful. Hey, we are in Belgium and there is Absinthe ready to be smoked right if front of me, so what the heck right. I don’t think I got it into my lungs as bad as Bryan did because it was painful but I was still standing. Everyone but me took another shot of some other kind and we decided to head to the disco tech. This was like a bar on the first level and a dance party on the second. We cranked out our sweet dance skills til 3 in the morning or so. To say we went hard is an understatement. Luckily I don’t get hung over so the next day I felt great. Everyone else was hurtin so we all took it pretty easy.
It was awesome to experience all of this and I am certainly excited to see Amsterdam on Sunday. We are planning on taking a train into the city that morning and then going to a concert that evening. We will stay one night at this hostel place then catch a train back Monday morning. I’ve never been to Amsterdam before and am glad we get the chance to go now. Apparently the city is trying to wash itself of its bad rep by changing a ton of rules by next year. Guess we snuck in our visit just in time....
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
July 19th, 2011
July 19th, 2011
It’s been a crazy weekend concluding with an emotional goodbye to the kids. Bryan and TK were able to spend the night with all the boys on saturday, but I wasn’t able to because I was vomiting in the backyard. Pretty fun. More bummed about not getting to spend the night with the kids. Kinda worked out cus the next day was a big improvement. By the evening I think things were back to normal. Thinkin it was maybe the pork from Ling Ling since not a lot of people eat pork, they probably messed it up or my stomach just wasn’t used to it after having mostly beans, rice and potatoes for the past month and a half.....what’s Africa without having something go wrong with you. I’d say if you are on that continent - minus south africa or anywhere super civilized - for more than 3 weeks you will probably at least feel a bit weird at some point.
The finish line is the best place to start - something that is kind of turning out to be true because sitting back in Heathrow waiting for their dumb system to tell us when our flight is sort of deja -vu. We get to chill for an extra 45 minutes because of flights being delayed. Just more time to get to know Heathrow I guess.
It is sort-of weird being back in civilization where you aren’t the odd one standing out. Sure we are American, but the children don’t run up to you calling you Muzungu and Bonga you. We also have to get used to everything being really expensive again (relative that is). It feels fine I guess to have society around you, but I think there is just something peaceful and attractive about being in a part of the world where you are more cut off and secluded from where you came from and people who are similar to you.
I’ve already found many of the kid’s faces floating back into my mind. It’s difficult not to think about them and what they might be doing. Any time of the day now I will look at the clock and probably think about what myself or the kids would have been doing at Musana. It is truly a special place and I hope my travels will bring me back there someday. It’s exciting the form ideas about new places and new children around the world, but there is still that passion of wanting to embrace all those smiling kids in your arms, at least once more......
It’s been a crazy weekend concluding with an emotional goodbye to the kids. Bryan and TK were able to spend the night with all the boys on saturday, but I wasn’t able to because I was vomiting in the backyard. Pretty fun. More bummed about not getting to spend the night with the kids. Kinda worked out cus the next day was a big improvement. By the evening I think things were back to normal. Thinkin it was maybe the pork from Ling Ling since not a lot of people eat pork, they probably messed it up or my stomach just wasn’t used to it after having mostly beans, rice and potatoes for the past month and a half.....what’s Africa without having something go wrong with you. I’d say if you are on that continent - minus south africa or anywhere super civilized - for more than 3 weeks you will probably at least feel a bit weird at some point.
The finish line is the best place to start - something that is kind of turning out to be true because sitting back in Heathrow waiting for their dumb system to tell us when our flight is sort of deja -vu. We get to chill for an extra 45 minutes because of flights being delayed. Just more time to get to know Heathrow I guess.
It is sort-of weird being back in civilization where you aren’t the odd one standing out. Sure we are American, but the children don’t run up to you calling you Muzungu and Bonga you. We also have to get used to everything being really expensive again (relative that is). It feels fine I guess to have society around you, but I think there is just something peaceful and attractive about being in a part of the world where you are more cut off and secluded from where you came from and people who are similar to you.
I’ve already found many of the kid’s faces floating back into my mind. It’s difficult not to think about them and what they might be doing. Any time of the day now I will look at the clock and probably think about what myself or the kids would have been doing at Musana. It is truly a special place and I hope my travels will bring me back there someday. It’s exciting the form ideas about new places and new children around the world, but there is still that passion of wanting to embrace all those smiling kids in your arms, at least once more......
Saturday, July 16, 2011
July 15th, 2011
July 15th, 2011
We left this morning for our last trip to Kampala. It was another long day and the market we were in search for wasn’t around today. This really bummed us out cus it’s one of the reason we traveled that fun distance in a taxi. I was still able to experience more of this crazy city, which was pretty fun. There were certainly places that threw me for a loop. We saw Kadaphi mosque or however you say that guys name. It was really massive and looked out of place among all the other decaying buildings down below it. There is certainly still a huge gap between the rich and the poor. The middle class isn’t as common, but i think it is slowly growing.
After sitting next to the biggest Ugandan I’ve seen in awhile on the coaster, we made it back to Jinja and found a couple things we needed to pick up. After some shopping I finally experienced Ling Ling, which is an authentic chinese food restaurant. I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast so you would say it was quite the long day. This meal definitely made up for the lack of food in me. It’s not the big things here that you miss, it ends up being all the small things you don’t think about on a day to day basis. I’ve only really been here for 50 days or so and I’ve noticed it. I know if this became a lifestyle you would really start adapting to all the change. Those little things would still eat at you, but as I said, it doesn’t seem to hit you everyday. A subtle layer of numbness floats over you and gradually builds. Once this callous get tough enough I think anyone could survive in any part of the world. It’s just a matter of time.....
We paid a visit to our friend Abagail before leaving Jinja then finally made it home. It was an intensely long day and I never thought a 5 inch foam mattress would feel so good.....
We left this morning for our last trip to Kampala. It was another long day and the market we were in search for wasn’t around today. This really bummed us out cus it’s one of the reason we traveled that fun distance in a taxi. I was still able to experience more of this crazy city, which was pretty fun. There were certainly places that threw me for a loop. We saw Kadaphi mosque or however you say that guys name. It was really massive and looked out of place among all the other decaying buildings down below it. There is certainly still a huge gap between the rich and the poor. The middle class isn’t as common, but i think it is slowly growing.
After sitting next to the biggest Ugandan I’ve seen in awhile on the coaster, we made it back to Jinja and found a couple things we needed to pick up. After some shopping I finally experienced Ling Ling, which is an authentic chinese food restaurant. I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast so you would say it was quite the long day. This meal definitely made up for the lack of food in me. It’s not the big things here that you miss, it ends up being all the small things you don’t think about on a day to day basis. I’ve only really been here for 50 days or so and I’ve noticed it. I know if this became a lifestyle you would really start adapting to all the change. Those little things would still eat at you, but as I said, it doesn’t seem to hit you everyday. A subtle layer of numbness floats over you and gradually builds. Once this callous get tough enough I think anyone could survive in any part of the world. It’s just a matter of time.....
We paid a visit to our friend Abagail before leaving Jinja then finally made it home. It was an intensely long day and I never thought a 5 inch foam mattress would feel so good.....
July 14th, 2011
July 14th, 2011
Today was full of more new experiences. It’s about a mile to Musana and I walked it by myself this morning. It is sometimes peaceful to just wonder off on your own. There is a true sense of being out in this vast world completely alone, completely free. The kids were roaming around again today so we hung out with em for a while before they had to get back to class. Nahia, the most darling little girl of all time, let me try some of these weird little beans that are apparently some sort of snack food. The taste wasn’t bad but it lingered in my mouth for quite awhile. It was soon time for the kids to return to their classroom so I started walking with a boy named Samuel as he lead me to his P3 classroom. Sam is an amazing kid and him and I always go after each other while playing capture the flag. He’s that really fast kid who will actually come close to outrunning you. Anyway, he then told me the P3 teacher had left for the day, which was odd because the kids still had class. I assumed whoever the teacher was that they were involved with the choir, since they were practicing - and have been - non stop. Sam and a few others then grabbed my hands and asked me to teach their class. I said I wasn’t sure if I could and was rather hesitant. Really, what was the harm? I mean, they would have just sat in a classroom without a teacher for over an hour if I decided to not teach them. I literally had no idea what I was doing.....at least with the teaching part. I thought of all the stuff I learned in Elementary school and decided to just look through one of the kid’s books to get a feel for what they have been learning. It ended up going better than I thought. I showed them nouns, proper nouns, adverbs and adjectives, similes, metaphors, opposites, then some sentence structure, punctuation, spelling and vocab, and even had many of them come up to the board and fix sentences that I wrote wrong. I now see why teachers use lesson plans. Teaching off the top of your head at a whim is pretty chaotic. I am glad I experienced this though, and I think the kids were ok with my performance. I decided to let them out for lunch break early anyway so they had to love that.
We started painted more in the afternoon and then Brenda and I went to the village with Dennis. He is the craft room coordinator/manager. This village is sort-of near where the farm is located and Musana employs women that live out there to make things so we can sell them which helps support the orphanage. Turns out, making paper beads it much more difficult that it looks. After the first few my fingers started cramping. I was impressed with the ladies that continuously made beads all day. They also make bags and laptop cases. It is so awesome to see women getting to work and learn skills so they can provide for themselves and their family through Musana. It is just another way Musana is reaching out and helping within the community. Not only this, but this project also helps lead Musana to a self sustaining orphanage. The goal is to have enough businesses developed so that Musana doesn’t have to have donations to function. They of course will still accept them, but they won’t be the primary income for the employees and the children.
For dinner Gala (another volunteer) had brought home some chili oil stuff she bought on the street somewhere in town. Ugandans usually don’t like spicy stuff so this was a pleasant surprise. Though it added flavor, the surprise turned out to be not as pleasant as intended. This was probably the hottest chile oil sauce I have ever eaten. Literally a couple drops of it sent your mouth straight to the fires of hell. My lips were tingling for the next hour. The reason it turned unpleasant was because this incredible crazy burn didn’t just stay in my mouth. I was stupid enough to touch my nose after handling the container it was in and then touch my eyes. There was a huge increase of miserableness in my life after I did this. Immediately my nose caught fire and then I booked it to my room to take out my contacts and douse my eyes in solution. The burning wouldn’t quite unless I held my face in front of the fan. After it subsided a bit I returned to the group to eat dinner. It was interesting eating and not being able to see the remaining food on my plate or anyone’s face. The contacts that I had in are certainly contaminated, maybe for good, because trying to put them back in a bit later brought back the intense burning. I’m not saying this was like being pepper sprayed in the eyes, but it is the only thing I can think of comparing it to......so overall it really sucked and I don’t wanna ever experience that again.
The lessons that you wish you never learned probably stick with you the longest.
Today was full of more new experiences. It’s about a mile to Musana and I walked it by myself this morning. It is sometimes peaceful to just wonder off on your own. There is a true sense of being out in this vast world completely alone, completely free. The kids were roaming around again today so we hung out with em for a while before they had to get back to class. Nahia, the most darling little girl of all time, let me try some of these weird little beans that are apparently some sort of snack food. The taste wasn’t bad but it lingered in my mouth for quite awhile. It was soon time for the kids to return to their classroom so I started walking with a boy named Samuel as he lead me to his P3 classroom. Sam is an amazing kid and him and I always go after each other while playing capture the flag. He’s that really fast kid who will actually come close to outrunning you. Anyway, he then told me the P3 teacher had left for the day, which was odd because the kids still had class. I assumed whoever the teacher was that they were involved with the choir, since they were practicing - and have been - non stop. Sam and a few others then grabbed my hands and asked me to teach their class. I said I wasn’t sure if I could and was rather hesitant. Really, what was the harm? I mean, they would have just sat in a classroom without a teacher for over an hour if I decided to not teach them. I literally had no idea what I was doing.....at least with the teaching part. I thought of all the stuff I learned in Elementary school and decided to just look through one of the kid’s books to get a feel for what they have been learning. It ended up going better than I thought. I showed them nouns, proper nouns, adverbs and adjectives, similes, metaphors, opposites, then some sentence structure, punctuation, spelling and vocab, and even had many of them come up to the board and fix sentences that I wrote wrong. I now see why teachers use lesson plans. Teaching off the top of your head at a whim is pretty chaotic. I am glad I experienced this though, and I think the kids were ok with my performance. I decided to let them out for lunch break early anyway so they had to love that.
We started painted more in the afternoon and then Brenda and I went to the village with Dennis. He is the craft room coordinator/manager. This village is sort-of near where the farm is located and Musana employs women that live out there to make things so we can sell them which helps support the orphanage. Turns out, making paper beads it much more difficult that it looks. After the first few my fingers started cramping. I was impressed with the ladies that continuously made beads all day. They also make bags and laptop cases. It is so awesome to see women getting to work and learn skills so they can provide for themselves and their family through Musana. It is just another way Musana is reaching out and helping within the community. Not only this, but this project also helps lead Musana to a self sustaining orphanage. The goal is to have enough businesses developed so that Musana doesn’t have to have donations to function. They of course will still accept them, but they won’t be the primary income for the employees and the children.
For dinner Gala (another volunteer) had brought home some chili oil stuff she bought on the street somewhere in town. Ugandans usually don’t like spicy stuff so this was a pleasant surprise. Though it added flavor, the surprise turned out to be not as pleasant as intended. This was probably the hottest chile oil sauce I have ever eaten. Literally a couple drops of it sent your mouth straight to the fires of hell. My lips were tingling for the next hour. The reason it turned unpleasant was because this incredible crazy burn didn’t just stay in my mouth. I was stupid enough to touch my nose after handling the container it was in and then touch my eyes. There was a huge increase of miserableness in my life after I did this. Immediately my nose caught fire and then I booked it to my room to take out my contacts and douse my eyes in solution. The burning wouldn’t quite unless I held my face in front of the fan. After it subsided a bit I returned to the group to eat dinner. It was interesting eating and not being able to see the remaining food on my plate or anyone’s face. The contacts that I had in are certainly contaminated, maybe for good, because trying to put them back in a bit later brought back the intense burning. I’m not saying this was like being pepper sprayed in the eyes, but it is the only thing I can think of comparing it to......so overall it really sucked and I don’t wanna ever experience that again.
The lessons that you wish you never learned probably stick with you the longest.
July 13th, 2011
July 13th, 2011
Another days work under the belt. The closer the end comes the more I fall in love with the idea of traveling. Learning about people and how they live is pretty interesting, especially when they are so different from yourself. I can only pray that the chance to explore another world comes my way.
Not only do you learn to love the people here, but there is a sense of love for people back home as well. It is a weird feeling but along with the newfound sense of the world and wanting to explore it, there is also a new feeling that attaches you to people at home. I think not matter how far you travel or how many places you see, that it is important to come back home after awhile to see the ones you love. Someone home keeps you grounded amidst the bustling world. It doesn’t have to be super often that you return and see where you came from, cus frankly it’s where you came from, you know it like the back of your hand. If it’s been quite a few years, then yea, coming back to where you learned to become the person you are is important. I guess you just realize who you depend on and who you care about....
On that note, there is no telling who you will meet on new adventures. I feel that there will always be a spot in your mind where you keep memories of ones you’ve encountered, no matter how brief. I’ve always been apprehensive of meeting new faces cus let be truthful, there are many more surface level contacts we make that ones that run deep. Most of the time you get to a point of not even trying.....but now, even if it is only for a brief moment, I think it’s awesome meeting someone new. There is only hope that you run into them again someday.....
Another days work under the belt. The closer the end comes the more I fall in love with the idea of traveling. Learning about people and how they live is pretty interesting, especially when they are so different from yourself. I can only pray that the chance to explore another world comes my way.
Not only do you learn to love the people here, but there is a sense of love for people back home as well. It is a weird feeling but along with the newfound sense of the world and wanting to explore it, there is also a new feeling that attaches you to people at home. I think not matter how far you travel or how many places you see, that it is important to come back home after awhile to see the ones you love. Someone home keeps you grounded amidst the bustling world. It doesn’t have to be super often that you return and see where you came from, cus frankly it’s where you came from, you know it like the back of your hand. If it’s been quite a few years, then yea, coming back to where you learned to become the person you are is important. I guess you just realize who you depend on and who you care about....
On that note, there is no telling who you will meet on new adventures. I feel that there will always be a spot in your mind where you keep memories of ones you’ve encountered, no matter how brief. I’ve always been apprehensive of meeting new faces cus let be truthful, there are many more surface level contacts we make that ones that run deep. Most of the time you get to a point of not even trying.....but now, even if it is only for a brief moment, I think it’s awesome meeting someone new. There is only hope that you run into them again someday.....
July 12th, 2011
July 12th, 2011
Back at it today, worked on some more barb wire and finished another roll so that was cool. The weather here is so perfect, at least most days, today being one of those. It started off being super hot and so we got some sun while workin on the fence. It then turned to a nice drizzle with some clouds lingering overhead as the rain fell lightly. By afternoon it turned back to being sunny and pleasant. I hope Colorado has some good weather for the remainder of the summer. It is hard not to think about what life will be like when this trip is over. There are so many things to share and so many things you want to tell people. It’ll be hard to fully capture everything about this place.
I was worried about my eye hurting for another day, but when I put in the contact this morning it’s like nothing was bothering it at all. Refreshed and ready to play with all the kids, the day as a whole turned out to be much better. I notice more now that how you feel really affects your attitude of being in a different country. While things are going wrong, there is nothing more you want than to be back home getting the issue fixed with expert technology and comforting food. Trust me, there are some foods you do miss, despite the awesome stuff here. An awesome sub sandwich with fresh lettuce and tomato and olives and beautiful mayonnaise and mustard would be killer right now. Also a giant burrito with some juicy steak, soft rice, spicy salsa, guacamole and chewy tortillas wrapped around it. I certainly have gotten used to the posho and beans though. Still manage to finish the entire plate every time. You definitely gotta power through the rocks and random dirt taste sometimes. When I travel to other places, I think I will be bringing gallons of Sri Rotcha, cus there is only a little bit left in my last bottle, and I brought 3. Of course, the other two were shared with a bunch of people, so they went kinda fast. You always should keep that reserve bottle for yourself though. Ever so essential.
A bunch of the kids were practicing for the choir competition that is on friday so I guess most of the other kids that weren’t practicing just got to hang out. The little little kids had to still go learn, but really we all know learning stuff at that age is way fun. Singing songs about how you are my sunshine is the best. Since everyone was out of class a bunch we just hung out with them after the morning session of work. I happened to stroll into the kitchen today and got to see the food is made for the 90 + kids that eat there for lunch. There is around 74 children who live at Musana so dinner isn’t as hectic, but not by much. Grandma Sophia is the head chef and boy does she work hard. I am still extremely impressed with all the tough work she does at her age. Being old in Uganda already warrants respect and praise. Being old and working you ass off for a bunch of children is like top notch awesomeness! Stirring the giant pot of posho really wares you out. There are also beans to be made and rice to be sorted, which is extremely tedious. The wood splitting also takes a long time and a lot of effort. The ladies that are laboring over the food all day certainly have my respect. They not only work hard, but are continuously happy, greeting us with a smile every day.
It all makes me think, what’s not to be happy about...??? No matter who you are or where you are at.......there is something to be happy and thankful for, no matter how small. I know the days will continue on, their ups and downs coming in waves we can’t control....it’s all part of discovery
Back at it today, worked on some more barb wire and finished another roll so that was cool. The weather here is so perfect, at least most days, today being one of those. It started off being super hot and so we got some sun while workin on the fence. It then turned to a nice drizzle with some clouds lingering overhead as the rain fell lightly. By afternoon it turned back to being sunny and pleasant. I hope Colorado has some good weather for the remainder of the summer. It is hard not to think about what life will be like when this trip is over. There are so many things to share and so many things you want to tell people. It’ll be hard to fully capture everything about this place.
I was worried about my eye hurting for another day, but when I put in the contact this morning it’s like nothing was bothering it at all. Refreshed and ready to play with all the kids, the day as a whole turned out to be much better. I notice more now that how you feel really affects your attitude of being in a different country. While things are going wrong, there is nothing more you want than to be back home getting the issue fixed with expert technology and comforting food. Trust me, there are some foods you do miss, despite the awesome stuff here. An awesome sub sandwich with fresh lettuce and tomato and olives and beautiful mayonnaise and mustard would be killer right now. Also a giant burrito with some juicy steak, soft rice, spicy salsa, guacamole and chewy tortillas wrapped around it. I certainly have gotten used to the posho and beans though. Still manage to finish the entire plate every time. You definitely gotta power through the rocks and random dirt taste sometimes. When I travel to other places, I think I will be bringing gallons of Sri Rotcha, cus there is only a little bit left in my last bottle, and I brought 3. Of course, the other two were shared with a bunch of people, so they went kinda fast. You always should keep that reserve bottle for yourself though. Ever so essential.
A bunch of the kids were practicing for the choir competition that is on friday so I guess most of the other kids that weren’t practicing just got to hang out. The little little kids had to still go learn, but really we all know learning stuff at that age is way fun. Singing songs about how you are my sunshine is the best. Since everyone was out of class a bunch we just hung out with them after the morning session of work. I happened to stroll into the kitchen today and got to see the food is made for the 90 + kids that eat there for lunch. There is around 74 children who live at Musana so dinner isn’t as hectic, but not by much. Grandma Sophia is the head chef and boy does she work hard. I am still extremely impressed with all the tough work she does at her age. Being old in Uganda already warrants respect and praise. Being old and working you ass off for a bunch of children is like top notch awesomeness! Stirring the giant pot of posho really wares you out. There are also beans to be made and rice to be sorted, which is extremely tedious. The wood splitting also takes a long time and a lot of effort. The ladies that are laboring over the food all day certainly have my respect. They not only work hard, but are continuously happy, greeting us with a smile every day.
It all makes me think, what’s not to be happy about...??? No matter who you are or where you are at.......there is something to be happy and thankful for, no matter how small. I know the days will continue on, their ups and downs coming in waves we can’t control....it’s all part of discovery
Monday, July 11, 2011
July 11th, 2011
July 11th, 2011
Today was one of those days, where I didn’t wanna do much but lay around.....so kinda did that. Not being able to see much out of my right eye is the source of this, and it sucks cus I only have a limited time left with the kids. We did play red rover with a lot of them, which is a great idea for kids here cus they are all much more tough than the kids in america. Saw some little children get laid out! But they always get back up with a big ol smile, ready for more. Wish I was that tough when I was younger. Puts me to shame.
Not super eventful but hope I’ll be able to see soon. Still got the left eye so still in business for now. Every day that goes by makes me more and more excited for exploring other parts of the world.....
Today was one of those days, where I didn’t wanna do much but lay around.....so kinda did that. Not being able to see much out of my right eye is the source of this, and it sucks cus I only have a limited time left with the kids. We did play red rover with a lot of them, which is a great idea for kids here cus they are all much more tough than the kids in america. Saw some little children get laid out! But they always get back up with a big ol smile, ready for more. Wish I was that tough when I was younger. Puts me to shame.
Not super eventful but hope I’ll be able to see soon. Still got the left eye so still in business for now. Every day that goes by makes me more and more excited for exploring other parts of the world.....
Sunday, July 10, 2011
July 10th, 2011
July 10th, 2011
The last few days have been pretty fun and crazy. As my time starts winding down here, I am trying to participate in fun things while I can. Friday I worked on the fence more and put up three more rows. Bryan was in Kampala all day so I thought it would be difficult handling all the barb wire by myself. Turns out it wasn’t too bad. You find different ways of doing it when you don’t have that extra set of hands. I think it worked out. It was a relatively chill night with watching movies and stuff. Nuttin too wild.
Yesterday we went to the pool in Jinja again to continue celebrating Julie’s birthday. She has been apart of/ involved with Musana since the beginning. She just turned 18 and Ugandans can start drinking then so after the pool we all went out to a club in Jinja. Bryan and I weren’t expecting to go out with everyone so we didn’t have any of our stuff. It was still semi early when Andrea and Leiha convinced us to come out with everyone. We took a taxi all the way back to Iganga, showered and cleaned up, got Brenda to come with us, and then took a taxi back to Jinja. I don’t think I will miss the taxi rides here. Like, at all. It ended up being really worth it though. We all pre-gamed and stuff at this guy Angelo’s house. He is a pretty well known artist in Jinja and is actually really talented. Some of his paintings are mind blowing, though he sells them at American prices so I wasn’t about to pay 300,000 for one. Definitely a tourist price....so screw that. I was able to pick up one of his shirts that he puts a pretty cool painted graphic on. It wasn’t even extra to customize it a bit, which was cool. Anyway, Angelo has a sweet house, especially by Ugandan standards. There were a ton of other white people there too so that was different to see. When 12:30 rolled around we all decided it was time to hit the club. I didn’t know how packed it usually got, but I felt pretty crammed in there. People that have been there said it was a busy night. Makes sense, because it is high traffic season here in Jinja. Tourism is at a peak. We all had a blast despite some creepy things that went down, and some dude trying to jack my wallet, while it was still in my front pocket. He had balls I’ll give em that, but kinda wanted to kill him after that. It was just another reminder that you gotta be street smart while you’re here. Which seems important any time you travel.
Sleeping at someone else’s pad is never a good night’s sleep, especially when it’s hot as balls and there isn’t a mosquito net over the couch you’re sleepin on. All part of the experience right? Luckily today is Sunday and so we can all relax, at least, that’s what I be doin for awhile. I guess you can say here is like anywhere else, if you work hard you can play hard. I hope my right eye figures its stuff out, cus it has been hurting like no one’s business lately. It’s a good day to only put on contact in. Figure you only need to see half the world anyway when you’re restin ha. Haven’t seen the kids in a day or so. It’ll be nice kickin it with em for a bit later this afternoon. Gotta take in all the children love I can get before it’s time to catch another plane....
The last few days have been pretty fun and crazy. As my time starts winding down here, I am trying to participate in fun things while I can. Friday I worked on the fence more and put up three more rows. Bryan was in Kampala all day so I thought it would be difficult handling all the barb wire by myself. Turns out it wasn’t too bad. You find different ways of doing it when you don’t have that extra set of hands. I think it worked out. It was a relatively chill night with watching movies and stuff. Nuttin too wild.
Yesterday we went to the pool in Jinja again to continue celebrating Julie’s birthday. She has been apart of/ involved with Musana since the beginning. She just turned 18 and Ugandans can start drinking then so after the pool we all went out to a club in Jinja. Bryan and I weren’t expecting to go out with everyone so we didn’t have any of our stuff. It was still semi early when Andrea and Leiha convinced us to come out with everyone. We took a taxi all the way back to Iganga, showered and cleaned up, got Brenda to come with us, and then took a taxi back to Jinja. I don’t think I will miss the taxi rides here. Like, at all. It ended up being really worth it though. We all pre-gamed and stuff at this guy Angelo’s house. He is a pretty well known artist in Jinja and is actually really talented. Some of his paintings are mind blowing, though he sells them at American prices so I wasn’t about to pay 300,000 for one. Definitely a tourist price....so screw that. I was able to pick up one of his shirts that he puts a pretty cool painted graphic on. It wasn’t even extra to customize it a bit, which was cool. Anyway, Angelo has a sweet house, especially by Ugandan standards. There were a ton of other white people there too so that was different to see. When 12:30 rolled around we all decided it was time to hit the club. I didn’t know how packed it usually got, but I felt pretty crammed in there. People that have been there said it was a busy night. Makes sense, because it is high traffic season here in Jinja. Tourism is at a peak. We all had a blast despite some creepy things that went down, and some dude trying to jack my wallet, while it was still in my front pocket. He had balls I’ll give em that, but kinda wanted to kill him after that. It was just another reminder that you gotta be street smart while you’re here. Which seems important any time you travel.
Sleeping at someone else’s pad is never a good night’s sleep, especially when it’s hot as balls and there isn’t a mosquito net over the couch you’re sleepin on. All part of the experience right? Luckily today is Sunday and so we can all relax, at least, that’s what I be doin for awhile. I guess you can say here is like anywhere else, if you work hard you can play hard. I hope my right eye figures its stuff out, cus it has been hurting like no one’s business lately. It’s a good day to only put on contact in. Figure you only need to see half the world anyway when you’re restin ha. Haven’t seen the kids in a day or so. It’ll be nice kickin it with em for a bit later this afternoon. Gotta take in all the children love I can get before it’s time to catch another plane....
Thursday, July 7, 2011
July 7th, 2011
July 7th, 2011
Today was the fun day. Literally, the day to have fun, for the kids at least. We took them to this place called Tjeko. It is a basically a traveling fun center which came from Jinja. A guy from the Netherlands started it but they don’t have one secure location they want to set it all at yet. It is a great idea because kids in Uganda rarely get to just have a complete day of havin fun. They are always dealing with school or life or whatever else comes at them. Everything was set up outside in the same field that the boys were suppose to play their first soccer game, but they had a bunch of large tents and pavilions set up so we didn’t bake in the sun as much. There were some trampolines at one station, then a big party bouncer obstacle course, then some soccer place, and pedal go-carts, swinging hammocks, an imagination station, and a large tent where the stage was and Tjeko the crazy monkey. It was so much fun to see all the kids goin crazy everywhere. I doubt they would of ever gotten to even see some of the things that were at this place if they weren’t a part of Musana. I know they will all sleep really well tonight. By the end of the day you could tell they were super drained. One kid even fell asleep on a pile of shoes. Overall it was a wonderful time, not only taking a break from our normal routines, but gettin to spend time with the kids while they experienced something new.
I got into a discussion today about other societal differences between America and Uganda. It started with how much better dancers there are here. Everyone pretty much knows how to dance, at least a little bit. I feel like people grow up with rhythm built into them. Everyone here isn’t afraid to touch one another, as in, everyone holds hands, hugs, wrestles, or whatever with everyone. Guys hold hands with guys, girls with girls, and yes, even the adults do this. It was strange to see at first, but it is something that is totally different from the western culture we have been raised in. I feel like everyone in America is either trying to blend into a crowd so they don’t get picked on, or they are so focused on what they are doing personally and what they themselves have to accomplish, that nobody gives a second thought about people as a whole. There is a huge pride in community here. People help people on a daily basis. Sure it is still kill or be killed, but I think everyone has figured out that it is harder to kill a large community, than an individual. There are some awkward and bad things about this society as well, but it certainly seems to support the loving of one another more.
A little over a week left here. It’ll be impossible to forget this place. I also think it’ll be impossible to stay away from children now......turns out there are so many more across the world that are in need.
Today was the fun day. Literally, the day to have fun, for the kids at least. We took them to this place called Tjeko. It is a basically a traveling fun center which came from Jinja. A guy from the Netherlands started it but they don’t have one secure location they want to set it all at yet. It is a great idea because kids in Uganda rarely get to just have a complete day of havin fun. They are always dealing with school or life or whatever else comes at them. Everything was set up outside in the same field that the boys were suppose to play their first soccer game, but they had a bunch of large tents and pavilions set up so we didn’t bake in the sun as much. There were some trampolines at one station, then a big party bouncer obstacle course, then some soccer place, and pedal go-carts, swinging hammocks, an imagination station, and a large tent where the stage was and Tjeko the crazy monkey. It was so much fun to see all the kids goin crazy everywhere. I doubt they would of ever gotten to even see some of the things that were at this place if they weren’t a part of Musana. I know they will all sleep really well tonight. By the end of the day you could tell they were super drained. One kid even fell asleep on a pile of shoes. Overall it was a wonderful time, not only taking a break from our normal routines, but gettin to spend time with the kids while they experienced something new.
I got into a discussion today about other societal differences between America and Uganda. It started with how much better dancers there are here. Everyone pretty much knows how to dance, at least a little bit. I feel like people grow up with rhythm built into them. Everyone here isn’t afraid to touch one another, as in, everyone holds hands, hugs, wrestles, or whatever with everyone. Guys hold hands with guys, girls with girls, and yes, even the adults do this. It was strange to see at first, but it is something that is totally different from the western culture we have been raised in. I feel like everyone in America is either trying to blend into a crowd so they don’t get picked on, or they are so focused on what they are doing personally and what they themselves have to accomplish, that nobody gives a second thought about people as a whole. There is a huge pride in community here. People help people on a daily basis. Sure it is still kill or be killed, but I think everyone has figured out that it is harder to kill a large community, than an individual. There are some awkward and bad things about this society as well, but it certainly seems to support the loving of one another more.
A little over a week left here. It’ll be impossible to forget this place. I also think it’ll be impossible to stay away from children now......turns out there are so many more across the world that are in need.
July 6th, 2011
July 6th, 2011
The internet has been down here in Iganga so I haven’t been able to get on for a bit. But it’s just internet right? Just a connection to the entire world at your fingertips. It’s hard to image a world without it now.
You ever judge someone based on their appearance? Based on their body size? Their clothes? The way they walk? The way they stand or interact? Yea all of us have right? New plan.....how bout that all goes out the window.....how bout we get to know one another before we bang that gavel? I personally am a failure at this and I know it is wrong. I might possibly be the worst.....just because it’s true, the way someone looks can tell a lot about them...but not all. When it happens to you, a jury judging before they know a testimony, you’ll wish they’d listen.
There has been a lot of painting going on at Musana for the past week or so. We got back to the fence today so it was a nice break from painting, despite the fact that it is more physically demanding. We got to another large patch of trees so we decided to stop there. Going around them and onto the next few posts seems more practical than clearing all of em out of the way. I don’t think anyone will try and get through the mess of vines and branches to get over the fence at that point. It’s security in itself. We did shatter a concrete post today though, which was a first. Turns out you can crank the wire too tight. Hopefully it will be ok and still serve the purpose.
I was able to help a little more with the primer and paint today. It seems all the clothes I brought are starting to get speckled with paint and primer, which sucks. I am thinkin it will all come out with a good ol machine wash back in the states. I am certainly thankful someone decided to invent a machine to wash clothes. I’m gettin short on underwear, so I’ll be gettin to participate in washing them by hand soon. It isn’t difficult, just rather time consuming. Not having a dish washer isn’t as bad, I got used to that this past year.
The other day my lungs were hurting around sunset. There was also a strange orange glow to everything. Bryan pointed it out to me and I noticed it was true. I think it was somehow a more polluted day than usual, which is a lot because I think the air is pretty dirty here. The farther you get away from town the better the air seems. Musana is a treck away so it isn’t bad there. Walking around town I can definitely feel (and smell) all the things in the air. There aren’t any emissions requirements here. I have seen cars and bodas emitting a ton of crappy exhaust on several occasions. Luckily we aren’t terribly high above sea level so getting enough oxygen isn’t a problem, it’s what’s mixed with the oxygen that is. On the other hand, maybe it’s just me.
The internet has been down here in Iganga so I haven’t been able to get on for a bit. But it’s just internet right? Just a connection to the entire world at your fingertips. It’s hard to image a world without it now.
You ever judge someone based on their appearance? Based on their body size? Their clothes? The way they walk? The way they stand or interact? Yea all of us have right? New plan.....how bout that all goes out the window.....how bout we get to know one another before we bang that gavel? I personally am a failure at this and I know it is wrong. I might possibly be the worst.....just because it’s true, the way someone looks can tell a lot about them...but not all. When it happens to you, a jury judging before they know a testimony, you’ll wish they’d listen.
There has been a lot of painting going on at Musana for the past week or so. We got back to the fence today so it was a nice break from painting, despite the fact that it is more physically demanding. We got to another large patch of trees so we decided to stop there. Going around them and onto the next few posts seems more practical than clearing all of em out of the way. I don’t think anyone will try and get through the mess of vines and branches to get over the fence at that point. It’s security in itself. We did shatter a concrete post today though, which was a first. Turns out you can crank the wire too tight. Hopefully it will be ok and still serve the purpose.
I was able to help a little more with the primer and paint today. It seems all the clothes I brought are starting to get speckled with paint and primer, which sucks. I am thinkin it will all come out with a good ol machine wash back in the states. I am certainly thankful someone decided to invent a machine to wash clothes. I’m gettin short on underwear, so I’ll be gettin to participate in washing them by hand soon. It isn’t difficult, just rather time consuming. Not having a dish washer isn’t as bad, I got used to that this past year.
The other day my lungs were hurting around sunset. There was also a strange orange glow to everything. Bryan pointed it out to me and I noticed it was true. I think it was somehow a more polluted day than usual, which is a lot because I think the air is pretty dirty here. The farther you get away from town the better the air seems. Musana is a treck away so it isn’t bad there. Walking around town I can definitely feel (and smell) all the things in the air. There aren’t any emissions requirements here. I have seen cars and bodas emitting a ton of crappy exhaust on several occasions. Luckily we aren’t terribly high above sea level so getting enough oxygen isn’t a problem, it’s what’s mixed with the oxygen that is. On the other hand, maybe it’s just me.
July 4th, 2011
July 4th, 2011
Happy birthday America! It is the first time I am not in the U.S. for the 4th and honestly, it is a bit strange. We did happen to figure out how to have our own little party though. We boiled corn, had mashed potatoes, hot dogs, chicken, guacamole, and some good fried bread stuff, and of course was able to celebrate with some alcohol and homemade fireworks. The fireworks part was probably the highlight of the night for me. Bryan and I tried to make a bomb out of birthday candles they have here, which are really like big sparklers/ sparkle fountains, but fatter and cooler. We took out all the flammable powder if these candle things and then put it in a small bottle with a wick sticking out. The first attempt didn’t go as planned, as in nothing blew up. There was just a mega version of the candle things which was cool for what we were provided. Then we decided to try again. I took out all my gummie vitamins and we filled that bottle up with the powder. We both expected to not see much again. This time there was no ducktape or wick. There was just a hole in the cap of the bottle. Bryan went over and put the last candle flame thing in front of this hole and a lot more happened than expected. The whole bomb thing worked this time without us expecting it and Bryan was engulfed in a big ass fireball! I have never seen hime run this fast in my entire life. I really thought his hands and face were blown off because of how loud the bomb was. Luckily he was safe and there was not a scratch on him. It turned out to be hilarious and a successful night. Everyone watching was immediately laughing at everything that happened. Haril and a few of his friends were over and they were amazed at the bomb we just made. Eventually everyone settled in to play this cup game, which was also a good time, because at least everyone in the house was embarrassed once.
Though, the 4th here can’t compare to being in America, we made it work and still had fun. Tomorrow a bunch of the volunteers leave so the number of people in the house will go down by a lot. Emma (Emmanuel) is a boy Musana supports and he also leaves with the group to America so he can get surgery on his hips. He is getting a double hip replacement. Not only will he be going through a major physical surgery, I believe his whole world will be rebuilt by what he sees during his stay. He is staying at a doctor’s house so he will certainly see the nicer side of living in the U.S. I’m really excited for him, but I know he is pretty nervous and a bit scared. Hope it goes well for him.
There are only two weeks left in this adventure then it’s off to Belgium and Amsterdam. I know there is another adventure awaiting there, but for now I’ll be soaking up the time I have here. Hope everyone was safe on the 4th, but still got nice and shwasted - always necessary wherever you are for this holiday.
Happy birthday America! It is the first time I am not in the U.S. for the 4th and honestly, it is a bit strange. We did happen to figure out how to have our own little party though. We boiled corn, had mashed potatoes, hot dogs, chicken, guacamole, and some good fried bread stuff, and of course was able to celebrate with some alcohol and homemade fireworks. The fireworks part was probably the highlight of the night for me. Bryan and I tried to make a bomb out of birthday candles they have here, which are really like big sparklers/ sparkle fountains, but fatter and cooler. We took out all the flammable powder if these candle things and then put it in a small bottle with a wick sticking out. The first attempt didn’t go as planned, as in nothing blew up. There was just a mega version of the candle things which was cool for what we were provided. Then we decided to try again. I took out all my gummie vitamins and we filled that bottle up with the powder. We both expected to not see much again. This time there was no ducktape or wick. There was just a hole in the cap of the bottle. Bryan went over and put the last candle flame thing in front of this hole and a lot more happened than expected. The whole bomb thing worked this time without us expecting it and Bryan was engulfed in a big ass fireball! I have never seen hime run this fast in my entire life. I really thought his hands and face were blown off because of how loud the bomb was. Luckily he was safe and there was not a scratch on him. It turned out to be hilarious and a successful night. Everyone watching was immediately laughing at everything that happened. Haril and a few of his friends were over and they were amazed at the bomb we just made. Eventually everyone settled in to play this cup game, which was also a good time, because at least everyone in the house was embarrassed once.
Though, the 4th here can’t compare to being in America, we made it work and still had fun. Tomorrow a bunch of the volunteers leave so the number of people in the house will go down by a lot. Emma (Emmanuel) is a boy Musana supports and he also leaves with the group to America so he can get surgery on his hips. He is getting a double hip replacement. Not only will he be going through a major physical surgery, I believe his whole world will be rebuilt by what he sees during his stay. He is staying at a doctor’s house so he will certainly see the nicer side of living in the U.S. I’m really excited for him, but I know he is pretty nervous and a bit scared. Hope it goes well for him.
There are only two weeks left in this adventure then it’s off to Belgium and Amsterdam. I know there is another adventure awaiting there, but for now I’ll be soaking up the time I have here. Hope everyone was safe on the 4th, but still got nice and shwasted - always necessary wherever you are for this holiday.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
July 3rd, 2011
July 3rd, 2011
Today is a great day. A lot of things happened today, but it is also my step-mother’s birthday. I would like to give a huge shout-out to Sue wishing her a very happy birthday. I am pretty lucky to have such an awesome family that supports me through all the crazy things that I choose to do.
It was a peaceful morning with a nice breakfast and African tea to top it off. I decided imma start everyday with a cup of African tea. It is too good to pass up. Plus, coffee just makes me jittery. Started reading The Hunger Games yesterday and it isn’t too bad. Finished Matterhorn which I started when I got here. Took awhile, but that was one thick book. Glad to be moving on, despite how good it was.
So the monkeys had to be released into the wild today. Bryan brought home a basket and we managed to wrestle them into it with help from Emma. We then drove em out to a village that was quite the ways off. After driving up a sketchy path off the dirt road we found a beautiful place to release them. I hope Baby Gino and Momma G make it. People around here don’t take kindly to monkeys because they destroy crops. If they are caught or even seen by people around there, their chances of survival go down drastically. This land we stumbled on was awesome though. It looked like someone regularly mowed the vegetation and trees were cleared so there was a lot of open space. They left just the right amount of trees to provide a nice layer of shade. If this land was owned by Musana we would have the most epic capture the flag games ever! Bryan and I decided to hang out a bit at this place because it was so peaceful. It is definitely used for cattle grazing by someone, but other than that we didn’t see anyone out there. It was sad to see the monkeys go, but maybe being free is better for em. Ill definitely miss brushing my teeth with them every morning.
The village is a unique thing to see. People live similar to how others live like near the farm, which is in a different village. There are a few nicer buildings (nice is relative of course) but I saw a lot of mud huts and houses. I don’t think many village people see to many Mzungus (white people) everyday. One lady near where we dropped off the monkeys was actually even frightened of us. Or they were all just messin around. Pretty sure she was scared though. It’s pretty crazy that we alter people’s day by just showing up to a less traveled place out in the forest.
We got a call from Santongo while we were out releasing the monkeys that Umaru decided to run away from Musana. This is his second time I guess. He came from Mbale and hasn’t been here very long. Musana is certainly not a prison, but I feel like other kids would kill to be living, or attending school at this place. I am surprised this kid is so persistent on leaving. Not sure if Musana will even keep him around now. All I know is that our home is much better than the place he came from. Guess we’ll see...
Today is a great day. A lot of things happened today, but it is also my step-mother’s birthday. I would like to give a huge shout-out to Sue wishing her a very happy birthday. I am pretty lucky to have such an awesome family that supports me through all the crazy things that I choose to do.
It was a peaceful morning with a nice breakfast and African tea to top it off. I decided imma start everyday with a cup of African tea. It is too good to pass up. Plus, coffee just makes me jittery. Started reading The Hunger Games yesterday and it isn’t too bad. Finished Matterhorn which I started when I got here. Took awhile, but that was one thick book. Glad to be moving on, despite how good it was.
So the monkeys had to be released into the wild today. Bryan brought home a basket and we managed to wrestle them into it with help from Emma. We then drove em out to a village that was quite the ways off. After driving up a sketchy path off the dirt road we found a beautiful place to release them. I hope Baby Gino and Momma G make it. People around here don’t take kindly to monkeys because they destroy crops. If they are caught or even seen by people around there, their chances of survival go down drastically. This land we stumbled on was awesome though. It looked like someone regularly mowed the vegetation and trees were cleared so there was a lot of open space. They left just the right amount of trees to provide a nice layer of shade. If this land was owned by Musana we would have the most epic capture the flag games ever! Bryan and I decided to hang out a bit at this place because it was so peaceful. It is definitely used for cattle grazing by someone, but other than that we didn’t see anyone out there. It was sad to see the monkeys go, but maybe being free is better for em. Ill definitely miss brushing my teeth with them every morning.
The village is a unique thing to see. People live similar to how others live like near the farm, which is in a different village. There are a few nicer buildings (nice is relative of course) but I saw a lot of mud huts and houses. I don’t think many village people see to many Mzungus (white people) everyday. One lady near where we dropped off the monkeys was actually even frightened of us. Or they were all just messin around. Pretty sure she was scared though. It’s pretty crazy that we alter people’s day by just showing up to a less traveled place out in the forest.
We got a call from Santongo while we were out releasing the monkeys that Umaru decided to run away from Musana. This is his second time I guess. He came from Mbale and hasn’t been here very long. Musana is certainly not a prison, but I feel like other kids would kill to be living, or attending school at this place. I am surprised this kid is so persistent on leaving. Not sure if Musana will even keep him around now. All I know is that our home is much better than the place he came from. Guess we’ll see...
July 2nd, 2011
July 2nd, 2011
Yesterday was the boys first soccer match and man were they lookin good in their cleats and new uniforms. Turns out, the other team decided not to show up so we got the forfeit win and a couple goals that counted for us. A huge rainstorm came in while we were all waiting for the other team so we had to run to find shelter. I am down with being out in the rain but I have learned here that it is always better to find shelter. I guess a group of like 18 people ended up getting killed because of lightning. That to me is a ton! Apparently whenever there is a big storm like that is is almost guaranteed that someone died because they got struck by lightning. The kids at Musana are actually taught lightning evasion techniques, almost like how kids in California do earthquake drills, or like us doing fire drills. Idk how much I will be going out into a big storm here now. Death by lightning doesn’t sound too pleasant. I am glad our team still ended up with the win, they were all celebrating despite not having to play for it.
Sittin here at night, I see, dayum we live the good life. Today was a day that doesn’t come around too often. It was just Bryan and I at Musana today with the kids. Everyone else went to some village that lets people see some true African culture. It was peaceful with just us and the kids though. Everyone was just hangin out and havin fun. I ate like a true African for the first time. There were no utensils so we got to eat rice and meat with our hands. I now understand why the kids get so messy while eating - using your hands makes staying clean difficult. Towards the evening we played this game called Pickel. Two people stand across from each and a big groups stands in between them. The people on the end have a hackie sac that they try and throw at the people in the middle. The last one standing wins. So it’s like an intense game of dodgeball. Turns out, weekends are pretty fun. Working for the kids is a good feeling, but sometimes you just need to kick it with all of em to remind you of why you are doing the work. If that makes sense.
This little girl, Nahia, and I got in like an hour tickle war today and it was a blast. She made me laugh so hard with this ridiculous game where I always won and she always came back for more. I wish I could of recorded all her laughing because it seriously sounded like it belonged to a looney toon character. Laughter is really a good medicine. If you haven’t laughed in awhile, I would highly suggest it. It makes everything else float away, and the world seems ok.
Yesterday was the boys first soccer match and man were they lookin good in their cleats and new uniforms. Turns out, the other team decided not to show up so we got the forfeit win and a couple goals that counted for us. A huge rainstorm came in while we were all waiting for the other team so we had to run to find shelter. I am down with being out in the rain but I have learned here that it is always better to find shelter. I guess a group of like 18 people ended up getting killed because of lightning. That to me is a ton! Apparently whenever there is a big storm like that is is almost guaranteed that someone died because they got struck by lightning. The kids at Musana are actually taught lightning evasion techniques, almost like how kids in California do earthquake drills, or like us doing fire drills. Idk how much I will be going out into a big storm here now. Death by lightning doesn’t sound too pleasant. I am glad our team still ended up with the win, they were all celebrating despite not having to play for it.
Sittin here at night, I see, dayum we live the good life. Today was a day that doesn’t come around too often. It was just Bryan and I at Musana today with the kids. Everyone else went to some village that lets people see some true African culture. It was peaceful with just us and the kids though. Everyone was just hangin out and havin fun. I ate like a true African for the first time. There were no utensils so we got to eat rice and meat with our hands. I now understand why the kids get so messy while eating - using your hands makes staying clean difficult. Towards the evening we played this game called Pickel. Two people stand across from each and a big groups stands in between them. The people on the end have a hackie sac that they try and throw at the people in the middle. The last one standing wins. So it’s like an intense game of dodgeball. Turns out, weekends are pretty fun. Working for the kids is a good feeling, but sometimes you just need to kick it with all of em to remind you of why you are doing the work. If that makes sense.
This little girl, Nahia, and I got in like an hour tickle war today and it was a blast. She made me laugh so hard with this ridiculous game where I always won and she always came back for more. I wish I could of recorded all her laughing because it seriously sounded like it belonged to a looney toon character. Laughter is really a good medicine. If you haven’t laughed in awhile, I would highly suggest it. It makes everything else float away, and the world seems ok.
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