"This is Africa"

2008-12-17T06:49:00.002-05:00

Melissa leaves on Sunday, or thereabouts, like I said. I wonder what it says about me... the fact that I'm thinking of leaving of my own volition, whereas Melissa is being forced to leave and wants to stay. It's seems so selfish, somehow. And I feel guilty for having the option to stay, whereas she doesn't.

It's been a rough couple of days. We've both been trying to keep it together and stay strong. Naturally we've had our bad moments. Luckily, we had other PCVs around to get us through the first couple of days. I can't imagine if it were just the two of us. What a pity-party that would be! I'm trying to stay upbeat and look at the positive things. I'm wonering how long I'll be able to keep it up.

Oh Uganda!

2008-12-17T01:49:00.002-05:00

December 17, 2008

Chaos

So it's been a crazy week so far. Car accident on Saturday. Christina leaving yesterday night. Courtney leaves on Thursday. Melissa has to pack up on Friday and flies out on Sunday. Me. I don't know what the hell I'm doing. lol Maybe I'll go back to site Friday, maybe not! It all depends on my stupid arm. *sigh* All I know that it'll be tough going back to site for so many different reasons. And it totally blows that Christina's gone for good now, and Melissa will also be gone. So now it's just me and the villagers. Yikes!

I'm not quite sure what the future holds for me right now. How I'll react once I get back to my lovely village. Maybe everything will be great. Or maybe I'll have a complete meltdown and beg Peace Corps to come back and get me. Maybe I'll think transport is easy and actually get to enjoy the holidays. Who knows. It'll be...interesting.

I know that the best way to get over a fear is to just face it head on. And I'm sure that's what I need to do. Putting it off isn't going to help, just make it even harder. But it's much easier said than done.

2008-07-18T04:13:00.001-04:00

June 19, 2008

So, I've decided to finally break out the laptop once more and be a good girl and type out the events of the past, umm, 3 months? Oops. First things first, I made it to my new site in one whole piece.

I almost cried today. My dvd player wouldn't work. But, I've discovered that I'm good at fixing laptops! All you have to do is bang it and, presto! Everything works beautifully. I think I missed my calling to work for Apple. :D

The Grand Feast

June 24, 2008

Holy crap. I just took valium for the first time and my head is fucking swimming. If only the valium would actually do what I want it to and relieve my back spasm. I could do without that swimmy head. I don't think I ever want to feel this way again. Just like when I was prescribed codeine, I really don't like the side effects. Unless my back spasms stop, I'm never taking this shit again.
Oh man. So, for the past week I've been craving samosas. I used to be able to find them all over Luweero during training, and then in Mbarara at various food places. But they're nowhere in site in Kibaale District, let alone my small trading center. But, alas, Yasin has found me people who make them. And I have finally got samosas. I've already brushed my teeth (it's close to 9pm now), but I'm eating them, and they're the most delicious things I've ever had. Especially with my head all swimmy It's quite interesting stumbling around in the pitch dark, looking for the people selling the samosas. Good job valium! And now… I plan on watching the first Pirates on my lovely laptop. Nothing like watching Johnny Depp as a pirate while you're head's all fuzzy. ;)

July 1, 2008

Today, I was annoyed. Really annoyed. Spent half the day at the district headquarters waiting for people to show up so I could pick up condoms for distribution and try and get my hands on VCT kits. That turned out to be a complete bust. Naturally, I was in a pissy mood after having wasted 4 ½ hrs of my life (kind of how I felt after watching Eyes Wide Shut- if you haven't seen it yet, don't bother!) Then, I get into a taxi, whose driver has the absolute nerve to ask me "if I've produced"! Translation: he thinks I'm going to marry him. Fat chance! It was such a relief to just get back to my place and vent to the people around me.

July 2, 2008

Time has a different meaning in different cultures. This is what I have learned since moving to Uganda. Well, actually, I kind of knew this back in the States, too. There's Jamaican time (but I forget what that means). Here, Ugandan time means showing up anywhere between 1-3 hours after the arranged meeting time. If you show up anywhere in that time period, then you are "on time". How this is acceptable to people, I have no clue. But, that's the way things roll here. Yasin and I were supposed to hold and outreach starting at 2p.m. There were signs posted in the trading center, and we had a mobilizer go to the T/C in order to make sure people were informed of the session. However, our session ended up starting at 4:30ish. Right on time.

July 3, 2008

A perfect day, all in all, I'd have to say. Went out into the field, helped built a fuel-efficient stove and got fed chicken at the end of the day. J Nothing better in my book. Started off the day nice and early. Made the bike road out early in the morning , so the ride was pleasant. I wish I could describe the scenery out here, paint it with words the way it deserves to be, just I just don't have them. The path is a bitch to ride, but the scenery makes it worth it. And the serenity that comes with being out in the middle of nowhere. The best word I have in my diction to use in regards to the way I feel when I make that trip out to K---- is content. And at peace. On the morning ride out, I was thinking about my blog and how I would describe what I saw and what I felt at the time. And I came to the conclusion that I felt content, kind of like the way I see the people around me at my organization. Not the ones who run it, but rather the workers. They seem to me as if they're not lacking anything in their lives. There's no want. Despite the fact that other people might see that there's a lack of "things", I feel as if we have all we need. (Except maybe some more protein.) The people here, they laugh, they joke, they smile, it's as if there's not a care in the world. It amazes me, and it also makes me feel right at home. I picture Agondezi, dancing with that signature smile of his, Mary and Kaguta making fun of each other, Abwoli weaving her mat, and all in all a happy family. This is exactly where I'm supposed to be. And exactly where I want to be. People other than the ones in my organization are also starting to greet me by name, which feels really good. A helluva lot better than being called muchina or simply being shouted at with the phrase "Sista', I want to marry you!"

The field session itself was a lot of fun. It was actually my first time making one of those stoves. I've seen the finished product before, but never knew what went into making those things. It really is an all-day event and not easy to do. I got to grind up leaves with the huge mortar n' pestle devices they have here (lots of fun, but REALLY tiring and causes blisters, as was evidenced by the first time I tried to grind g-nuts), squish the leaves in water and make a gooey paste, and play in the mud. All the things my mom would have balked at when I was younger, especially considering how dirty I became in the end. (Some of the goo was accidentally spilled on me and I got splattered with mud several times. I'm not looking forward to doing laundry this weekend…) I think the Ugandans were also pretty amazed that I was willing to get so dirty, but hell, it's a lot of fun. Like being 5 years old again and there's an actual end product to it all. How can you beat that!? Vincent was a total rock star when it came to building the stove. I don't know how he managed to do it, but the man didn't stop moving for about 5 hrs! In the end, he complained of back pain, so I offered him the rest of my valium. ;) The only thing I have to complain about is that the ride back was more brutal than I remember (I've made the trip out to K---- three times before) and my legs were screaming when I got back. I think I'd have simply fallen off my bike if there weren't other people around me and didn't want more attention than I normally get.

In other awesome news, but non-work related, I'm going to Rwanda! Christina n' I are going to tour the place for a week at the end of this month, which I'm super-psyched labout! (Of course, I should probably double check with PC and see if my leave was actually approved…) But, there's a definite plan of eating lots of cheese and French baked goods! Croissants, here I come!!! And of lying on the beach. Ahhhh, water. That you won't get schisto from. Love it. I absolutely can't wait. As long as PC let's me go.

July 4, 2008

Finally, a day off from the field! But, then again, there's always need to type of lovely reports. So that's just what I did. And right in time for our evening meeting, which started at 9pm and went on until just before 11pm. I won't bore you with all the details, but there was one point up brought up, which was about having a "balanced diet". Lately, there's been a lot of ebihimba and matookye (beans and mushed bananas), the Ugandan staples. I can live with the beans. I like beans. Just not every day. And when the Ugandans start complaining, you know you've gone overkill! It reminds me of that one fateful day my mom made me go into the pantry to get more rice to cook. When I got down there, I thought maybe she had made a mistake and the rice was actually upstairs. Then, I found out that we're not really Chinese, because we'd run out. Certain things just should never happen. One, Chinese people should never run out of rice, and two, Ugandans should never feel as if they've had too much ebihimba and matookye. Once that happens, something's gone horribly wrong.

Out With the Old, In With the New

2008-06-08T06:00:00.004-04:00

June 8, 2008

Site

I've been at my new site for just over 2 mos now and I LOVE it. :) It was a much needed and much appreciated move. My new site is in Kibaale District, and the area is just as beautiful as the Southwest. And just as cool, thank the gods. I think it rains here a lot more than in Mbarara, but that's fine by me. The rainstorms are actually pretty crazy out here. Crazy awesome. Until one of my rooms ends up semi-flooding. Then I'm just the crazy muzungu who squeegies out her room. lol It's great crazy entertainment for the Ugandans.

Sometimes I think that I was meant to be at my new site. Funnily enough, I went out to Kibaale District for my PCV visit during training. I now live 15 minutes away from where I spent my visit. So, it's kind of like a full-cirlce. Or something. But, I know I'm in the right place for now.

Anyways, in short, things are looking up and up.

Digestion

Sadly, my stomach is acting up again. I thought I had Giardia, but I was wrong. Then, I thought I had amoebas (much cooler than Giardia), but, again, I was wrong. Apparently there's nothing wrong with me. Except for the fact that my intenstines don't like me very much right now. And I don't like them. Sadness.

Big Fire

One of my favourite things to do now is cook with my new Ugandan friends. I've started cooking on the sigiri (charcoal stoves) and also just using wood. Somehow it's just more fun than using a gas stove. The best part, I get to burn things! It's especially fun when I get a huge fire going under the sauce pan. hehe So much fun that, in fact, I'm thinking of figuring out a way to bring home a sigiri. :D

A Little Frayed Around the Edges

2008-03-26T02:49:00.002-04:00

Though I've done this before.... quite recently, actually, in the grand scheme of things, I'm quite nervous about moving to my new site. I'm trying to hold it together as best I can. I know it'll be hard at first. That's a given. But I'm really hoping it won't be as difficult as the first time around and that this new site works out well. Here goes nothing....

Finding Peace

2008-03-10T13:13:00.002-04:00

March 10, 2008

It's been a crazy ride so far, to say the least. I'm going to try and explain the things that I'm feeling and thoughts that I've been having for the past couple of weeks, but don't know if I will succeed. Especially since this blog is totally last minute and un-pretyped. If you asked me about two or three weeks ago how I was feeling, I would have told you that I was completely at peace with myself and what I was doing. I felt as if I was exactly where I needed to be at the right time. I wouldn't have changed anything (except maybe having running hot water...But even that's not a big deal to me anymore.) But, the last couple of weeks, I've been extremely stressed, anxious, nervous, frustrated, angry, and a bit depressed. And I had a lot of regrets. Although, the word "regret" might not exactly be the right word. Or maybe it is. (I think I should look it up in a dictionary just to be sure, but I don't have one handy.) Basically, I've been thinking a lot about things that I could have done differently. I've had an "ideal" picture in my mind about how certain events could have played out, but didn't. About how I should have said or done something at a particular point in time, but didn't. And about how great and "perfect" my life would have been if I'd done or said something differently. I have these images in my mind about how I want things to be, and keep grasping and dreaming about them, hoping that they'll somehow come true. And I know it's not good for me. It's not healthy. I feel that I should learn to be content and accept what is, what is happening now, but can't quite get there. There's always that "what if". I keep scheming in my head how I can maybe manipulate things so they are the way I want them to be. But it's totally unrealistic. And very selfish, perhaps.

My friend asked me just the other day what was in my heart. What I told her was this: I wish I could be content with what I have. That I could find peace with myself and with what was going on around me. That I would have no regrets. Hopefully I will find that place again soon.

2008-01-30T02:30:00.000-05:00

January 27, 2008

Owaino Market

I finally made it to Owaino Market during IST. I've been hearing about how great it is since I arrived in Uganda. No exaggeration. It's a huge second-hand clothing market that also sells suitcases, radios, and, umm, not sure what else. But it's big and has tons of stuff for cheap. The only way I know how to really describe it is like the markets in Taiwan, but with much narrower aisles-wide enough to fit only half a person. But I don't think that really helps a lot of people, since they might not have been to Taiwan… People are constantly shouting at you and grabbing you while you pass their stations. For me, it's the usual uchina, Japan, Korea, etc. Fun. And completely overwhelming. The best thing to do if you're headed to Owaino is to have a game plan. Either know exactly what you want to get while you're there, or go in with no plan to buy anything at all. Otherwise, you're screwed. You'll be looking from side to side, front to back with no idea what to do or where to go. And it's always good to go with other people-preferably a really large (white) guy. Luckily for me, my first time going I had two large white guys with me. The drawback being I was either their wife or mistress. Not sure how I feel about that… And despite multiple explanations and protests from my friends, the Ugandans still believed that I was one or the other. Oh well. Better that than being asked if I want a Ugandan husband. It was also "interesting" (for lack of a better word) to walk through a second time with just my friend Zach. Now, it should be said that Zach is a really tall white boy. Over 6 ft. For him, he lives in the village, so everyone knows him and calls him by his name. (Kind of like Cheers.) And while walking around Owaino with me, he was basically invisible. People didn't really harass him, but focused on me, the Asian standing next to him. Fun. When he did get noticed, it was easy for him to explain that he was from the US. They believed him, no arguments made. Me? That was an entirely different story. It took the both of us to try and explain that I'm from NY and not some Asian country. And more often than not, the Ugandans still didn’t believe us. sigh What're you gonna' do? It didn't take Zach very long to catch on to the fact that I was incessantly being harassed (unlike him) and take pity on me (not that he could do anything about it.) As Karine, who often walked around with me during training in L___, put it "Man, it's intense walking around with her. It never stops." Which is all too true, sadly. Sometimes, I wish I could just disappear. Stealth mode. Nice.

The Illnesses Return

During training, Anni and Liz, our amazing PCMOs, once told us that we were "the sickest group they ever had". And they meant this in the nicest way possible, of course. I can only recall 2 people out of our group of 21 who didn't get sick. They told us that we'd get better once we were at site, which turned out to be true, for the most part. (There were, of course, several cases of "stomach problems" among our group. But that was to be expected.) However, for some strange reason, as soon as we all got back together for another training, we started dropping like flies. (I, luckily, did not succumb to whatever curse was put on us.) Out of the 20 of us that were there (Reva, from a previous group, joined us), 13 were either sick and/or had some weird rash on their body. Very odd indeed. There were cases of dysentery (oh, what joy), conjunctivitis, worms (yes, worms!), and god knows what else. Sarah B. managed to lose her voice after only 2 days of being at training. And lord only knows what was causing the rash-like thing that was on Caitlin, Nicole, and Jon's arms. (Neither Anni nor Liz could figure out what caused them.) But, let me tell you… it was nasty looking. Personally, I think it's a sign that we shouldn't be together. Because every time we do, we start dropping like flies. And it ain't a pretty sight. That, or the hotel we stayed at is harboring lots of bacteria, mold, and what-not. And we should never stay there again for trainings, etc. Which would be sad for me, since I didn't get sick. And it has a pool. The latter being the most important. Though, one could argue that the former would be more important, since I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the pool if I did get sick… hmmm

The Perils of Running Water

Now, don't get me wrong…I consider myself blessed that I have running water at my site. I love having a porcelain choo and not having to worry about peeing in a bucket late at night. It's awesome. But, there are some times when having running water is not so much fun. i.e.-When it's 8:30 at night, your toilet starts to overflow like it's Niagara Falls, you have no idea how to make the water stop coming out, there's no plumber around, and you have to leave the next day at the butt-crack of dawn for training for the next two weeks. What did I do, you ask? I did what any sensible girl would do in such a situation. I stood by the toilet for a good 5 minutes, flushing every time the toilet filled up and threatened to overflow again. Yup. That was my quick-fix solution. Until I realized that I couldn't do this all night, let alone while I was in K'la for training. (Although, once I clone myself I might just do that the next time it happens.) Luckily, my neighbors are awesome and came over and helped me devise something a bit better that slowed down the water flow. Still, when I got back from training, the tank was once again full and there was an entire water-basin full of water below the tank. Nice.

February Group

2008-01-08T06:24:00.000-05:00

January 7, 2008

This is for the newbies coming in February…First off, welcome to the Peace Corps! Now, off to business.

Packing. Girls, pack skirts that hit the knee or longer. But, also pack 2-3 pairs of pants that you like and are comfy. This can include jeans (though they're a bitch to wash.) You can wear them when you're hanging out with friends, in Kampala, or if you get placed in a town. Tank tops are okay for hanging out and the like, too. For the guys, you're a bunch of lucky bastards. Pack nice khakis and shirts. Polos will do. How much clothes you do or don't bring is truly up to you. If you're like my friend Caitlin, you'll bring your entire wardrobe with you. If you're like me, you'll bring practically nothing, just enough to get by. (There're plenty of good clothing markets to add to your wardrobe when the time comes.) But, definitely bring enough so that you can kind of change your wardrobe up and not be the smelly trainee/volunteer. No one likes a smelly trainee/volunteer.

Here are the essentials for all:

day pack (for lugging to training every day and mini-trips)

small duffel (empty) to fill after training (you'll get tons of books and a med kit)

2-3 sets of sheets and pillow cases

TSA locks

wallet of some sort

headlamp (2 in case you're unclucky enough to drop yours down a latrine)

sleeping bag

quick dry/pack towel (anything quick dry is good!)

Nalgene or the like

adapter

3 mos. worth of hygiene products (shampoo, toothpaste, etc.)

rain jacket

sweater

good walking/hiking shoes (look into Chacos-we get a discount)

(we also get a discount on Tevas!) (some EMS stores give a humanitarian discount, too…definitely the one in Philly for some last min. shopping)

iPod and laptop (if you don't mind if they don't make it back after 2 years)

jump drive

camera

Leatherman/Swiss Army/Gerber/etc.

books (and dvds if your laptop has a dvd player)

hand sanitizer

favourite portable entertainment (playing cards, scrabble, Frisbee, Sudoku, etc.)

good supply of favourite snack foods and/or granola bars

drink packets (Gatorade, Crystal Light, etc.)

Ziploc bags (various sizes)

batteries (rechargeable are the best, until you get placed where there is no electricity)

Non-essentials:

gift for Homestay family (can be bought in-country)

pens/pencils (if you're picky)

post-its

1-2 padded envelopes (for mailing gifts home)

markers/crayons/colouring pencils

pictures (good ice-breaker for Homestay)

map (US and world) (also helpful during Homestay)

measuring cups/spoons

good peeler

blank cds (for burning pictures to send home)

travel guide (though, plenty of other volunteers will inevitably bring one, and you can just borrow theirs!)

On top of all these things (I probably forgot some stuff, sorry), bring whatever you think you can't live without for 2 years. Remember… Uganda will be your home for the next 27 mos!!! If you want to bring it, and it'll fit in your luggage, BRING IT!!! Or, bring it as one of your check-ins/carry-ons. The only things you don't need to bring are drugs (unless they're prescription.) Peace Corps provides the best medical you'll ever have in your life. Live it up.

A good idea would be to mail some stuff off to yourself (if doesn't all fit into your check-ins) before you leave. Especially snack foods and reading material. Here's the mailing address:

Your Name, PCT

P.O. Box 29348

Kampala, Uganda

East Africa

Do NOT send it off to the 7007 address!!! It'll get to you, but it'll take a lot longer.

Good luck! Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions (Ms.JenYang@gmail.com). And bring me trail mix. Please.

The Long Awaited Entry

2007-12-03T05:59:00.000-05:00

okay...sorry I've been absent forever. As my dad rightly says, I'm lazy. Well, that's not the only reason. But it's one of them. My bad. Anywho, on to some important news...

I got a mini-foosball table!!! To go in my mini-abode! Yup. You read right. If you want, you can re-read the line, but it'll still hold true. As Pervis said, I"m spending my settling-in allowance on the bare necessities. And foosball fits nicely in that category, thank you very much. Now I just have to learn how to play the dam game. And make sure that Tonto doesn't eat the ball. Tricky.

What else..World AIDS Day was this past Saturday. There were many organizations that showed up to do VCT and a bunch of drama/dance skits and such. It was awesome to see a lot of people show up to get the VCT. HOpefully I"ll be able to do a bunch of outreach programs in my 2 years here that include VCT and education/sensitization stuff.

okay. This one is short. Again, my apologies. Presed for time.

2007-10-20T01:37:00.000-04:00

October 11, 2007

Training is starting to wind down really quickly. This week has flown by. At first, I felt as if training would never end. Now, I feel as if there's not enough time to do all the things I need to do to prepare for my LPI and the "Homestay Thank You". We have one more day of official training and that's it. Monday's our language test and we head off for K'la for a couple of days before being shunted out into the real world of a PCV. It's quite scary. It's also hard to think that our group will be split up after next Thursday. We really are a dysfunctional family, and I'll be very sad to say goodbye to everyone. It's especially hard knowing that a lot of my good friends will be on the opposite side of the country.

More Tragedy
We found out today that our APCD is leaving us at the end of the month, pretty much right after we swear in. It's hard to describe what a big impact this has on me, individually, and us, as a group. Jeffrey has been our advocate from the beginning, and he's American, so he understands "where we're coming from", more than an HCN can. That's not to say that the HCNs haven't been awesome, because they have. But, as far as admins go, Jeffrey's the bomb. And now he's leaving us, right at the beginning of our service. It's a hard blow.

October 16, 2007

Training. Is. Over. I moved all of my crap out of the Homestay house, took my LPI, and am now chilling in a pretty decent hotel in K'la. It has running water and a porcelain choo. Plus, I just gorged myself on a ton of awesome food. What more could a girl ask for?

You know you're on US soil when you're freezing your ass off in an obscenely air conditioned room.
We visited the US Embassy today. We met the ambassador's deputy chief, a political officer of the embassy, the program coordinator for USAID, and the cultural attaché. Unfortunately, the deputy director of the CDC-Ug wasn't able to come talk to us. Got to shoot off some e-mails very quickly in their resource room. Pretty sure all those e-mails were somehow secretly read by the government. Good thing they were completely innocuous.

Got to do some shopping in K'la today, too. We're all busy picking up things we think we'll need for our site. It was completely overwhelming and stressful. It's so strange to walk into a big supermarket/super-center after being in a small town like L'wero for so long. I don't really know how to explain the shock of it. It was difficult deciding whether or not to buy the little tablets that clean your toilet bowl! I hate just thinking about it right now. And it pissed me off that a travel-size bottle of Listerine cost the equivalent of US $10. That's messed up. Oral hygiene should not cost that much.

I just can't seem to escape…
Celine Dion's song from Titanic
teaching

2007-10-09T08:55:00.000-04:00

September 25, 2007

It's so much easier to remember all the bad things that have happened, rather than the good. (I'm trying to remember if it was the same in the States or not. I'm thinking yes.) Maybe it's the nature of the event, bad vs. good. And we tend to focus on the bad. Or maybe it's just me. But it's not something I want to get into the habit of. I want to walk away from this experience and be able to recall all the good things. That's not to say that shitty days aren't going to happen. Life doesn't work that way. I know. But there is a lot of good in it, too. Hopefully more good than bad. And a lot of days that just are.

Things I Don't Understand
people who lie/cheat/steal
people who don't believe in modern day medicine
Runyankore/Rukiga

Illnesses
There are many lovely illnesses that a person can experience while here in Uganda. Many of which you wouldn't get to experience in the States unless you tried really hard to. Our training group has suffered more than any of the other recent groups have, according to Anni and Liz. Either way, we're not fairing very well. Between the 21 of us, there have been at least 5 cases of Giardia, 3 cases of food poisoning, 1 case of amoebic dysentery, several jiggers, odd unidentifiable rashes, bites, and bumps, and "upset stomachs". That being said…

Being sick sucks. Being sick in a place where there is no running water sucks big time. You're already feeling miserable. The added stress of not being able to eat the food you want when you want it, or simply sit/kneel by a toilet when you need to does NOT help. I came down with something recently. No clue what it was, though. All I know is that I LOVE modern-day medicine. Cipro, you rock. You are my hero. I don't know who makes you, but they're a great drug company! I don't even care what I had, as long as it's gone.

Unfortunately, some symptoms have remained. And I might have Giardia. I got to send in a stool sample today. Peeing in a cup is easy. I could do it with my eyes closed, using a pit latrine. Poo-ing in a cup, however, is a pain. It takes a long time, for several reasons. I'm sure you can figure them out on your own. Just know that it's not a pleasant experience.

Jinja
Thanks to the miracle that is Cipro, I was able to make it to Jinja last Saturday (22/09) and enjoy myself. And eat pizza! But I'm getting ahead of myself. I woke up before the roosters on Saturday. I was not happy about it, but I did it. And we headed to Jinja and the source of the Nile at the butt crack of dawn (awesome phrase, btw). On our way to the Nile, we stopped to see Sazibwa Falls and Mabira Rainforest. I also managed to witness the slaughtering of a goat from the bus on the ride to the Falls. Apparently Mabira Rainforest is the only rainforest within Uganda. The Falls were pretty. Very waterfall like. But the most important thing is that we got pizza after the hike!!! (Don't judge until you've been in my shoes.) My stomach was very angry with me afterwards, but it was totally worth it. I ate two slices of spicy, chicken pizza and loved every bite of it. The best part of the day trip was definitely the source of the Nile. GORGEOUS. Absolutely breathtaking. And not as crowded as I thought it would be. There were definitely a lot of other mzungus there. And a really cute senior citizen group tour was there at the same time as us.

September 28, 2007

I leave for my "Future Site Visit" next Tuesday!!! I'm super-excited and super-nervous at the same time. We get back Saturday night, have one more week of full-on training, take our final LPI Monday, the 15th, and then head off for K'la for our swearing in on the 18th. Everything is happening really fast right now, but at the same time, couldn't happen fast enough. I'm SO ready to be out in the field working and living life like a "normal" person.

I woke up this morning not feeling like a real human being. I think it's a combination of constantly being stared at like a freak of nature (which I am, but that's not the point), told when to eat, sleep, and go to class, and called mzungu/mchina/Japan/India/etc on a daily basis. Yes, I am referred to as entire countries on occasion. It's actually kind of amusing. Sometimes.

I Could've Been a Ballerina
I am so graceful, it pains me. Every morning I rinse out my bucket with water, either from a jerry-can (sp?) or the large tin drum out front. On this particular morning, I used a jerry-can. It always amazes me how little children and women, people in general, can carry more than one jerry-can at a time. They are HEAVY. To clean out my bucket, I simply had to carry the jerry-can a whole 3 ft. outside. I, being the graceful person that I am, managed to trip on my own feet, and then over a piece of wood, while trying to carry the water. I managed to spill water all over the floor (luckily the floor's concrete). I think there were a couple of people outside who witnessed this wonderful display of grace and poise. I rock.

September 30, 2007

Ode to the Pup
My puppy died last night. Well, technically, she died this past Tuesday. But I only found out last night. And she also wasn't really a puppy anymore. My pup, Camile, died at the ripe old age of 15. She would have been 16 November 22nd. Or maybe she was 14 turning 15. Either way, she lived a really good, long, happy life. At least, as far as I know she did. She didn't seem to have too many complaints while I was around. And if she did, she didn't say anything to me. I'm sure she would have appreciated more walks and human food. Man could she beg! Cutest face EVER when she begged. Well, she was the bestest dog ever, and I'll really miss her. Just not her stinky, stealthy farts (which she herself walked away from without warning any of us) and sleeping next to her after having been attacked by a skunk.

Things That I Miss
bathing without having to smell the pit latrine
sitting on a toilet while reading a book, or is it reading a book while sitting on a toilet?
a nice, big bowl of cereal with ice cold fat free milk
shorts and a tee/tank top; pants
not being noticed whenever I walk down the street
not being sick
lying around in a park, doing nothing/reading/listening to music
my dog

2007-10-09T08:50:00.000-04:00

October 8, 2007

This morning, as I was walking to training, I saw a man herding a cow…by pushing it.

Wild Animals
The only wild animals I've seen around so far are chickens, goats, pigs, and cows. That's not to say that some of these don't scare me. A chicken actually attempting to kill me yesterday. Flew straight at my head. Screamed like a girl and ran away. And I almost got run over by a cow at one point somewhere around week 5. I just hope I never encounter a snake.

Future Site
Last week was pretty crazy. Got up super early on Tuesday to head out to K'la and on to Mbarara. As usual, the matatu drivers are crazy. But the buses out to Mbarara are even crazier, especially since the roads are actually paved and decent. I have to say, Mbarara is BEAUTIFUL. There are hills, mountains, and trees galore. And a bit less dust than L'wero. I can definitely see myself living in Mbarara. It doesn't hurt that Mbarara is also a bigger town than L'wero. Makes me feel a bit more at home. And there are plenty of hills around for me to pitch my tent on.

Goat Stock
…is the equivalent of Halloween in Uganda. I'm not quite sure if it's a PC thing or not. I want to say yes. Apparently it's a big thing in PC, but we don't get to attend this year since we're newbies and still in training. L Luckily, I still have two years to experience this wonder of a holiday. There are costumes involved, but I'm not sure about the candy. I can live without the candy, but a Twix would be damn good right about now.

Tomorrow is the Ugandan Independence Day. And I still have to go to class. Life blows. My Homestay family is surprised, as are the families of some of my friends. Who works on Independence Day? NO ONE, that's who! I tried to make the argument that by having the day off I would be assimilating into the Ugandan culture and that if I went to "work" on the national holiday, I would be offending the people of Uganda. The trainers didn't buy it.

On that note, I should go to bed so that I'm bright and cheery for my first class of the day. yay.

Genius on Board

2007-09-18T11:03:00.000-04:00

September 12, 2007

Nibanyeta Jen. Ninduga NY omuri America. Kwonka hati, ninntuura (…) omuri Uganda. Nyine emyaka babiri n'itaano. Ninkunda kurya na kubyama. Tinkukunda kwega.

I'm supposed to be studying for my first mock LPI that's tomorrow afternoon. But, instead, I'm being a master procrastinator and typing up this post. J At least I have the key phrase down: "Tinkumanya."= "I don't know." hehe Oh, and "Garukamu, mpora mpora". That's important too. "Repeat, slowly." With those two phrases, you can't go wrong!

Mosquitoes
I have been a mosquito magnet all my life. Whenever I went back to Taiwan, I'd come home with a minimum of 12 mosquito bites. My mom, on the other hand, would only come back with about a handful. (Maybe that's why she always brought me with her…?) She said it was b/c I was so sweet. Riiight. We all know that's a bunch of bull. As I'm sitting on my bed, inside my mosquito net, I've come to a brilliant conclusion. I've decided that the mosquito net does NOT help if you've trapped a mosquito in it with you. I'm good, aren't I? Told you. I could've/should've been a Fulbright Scholar, damn it. (That'll be my next venture. Just you wait and see.) My problem now is-how do I get it out without letting another one in? oh well. Good thing I'm still taking my Mefloquine. Sadly, no vivid dreams yet. Good thing-no insomnia. And, of course, no malaria. Although, Anni thinks I might have Giardia. But it's not likely. Thank God for that. I've run out of chocolate. (Giardia meds makes everything taste metallic.)

September 16, 2007

Pretty good week all around! I passed my LPI, received mail, went to K'la, annnnd…I found out my site!

Pig on the Road
On the way back from K'la, we witnessed something fall off the back of an open truck, traveling in the opposite direction. What I originally thought was a sack of grains or some such thing ended up being a pig, whose legs were tied together. The poor thing was squealing its head off, while the owners tried to move it back onto the truck. I have to give the pig credit; even after falling off the truck at a high speed, knocking its head on the ground, and rolling around a bit, it still put up quite the fight! According to my friend, that pig will be all the more juicy/tender after having bounced off the ground. Nice.

Future Site
Not a lot of details to give (for security reasons). I can say that I will be living in the Mbarara District for the next two years, working in a hospital. And I'm super-psyched for my assignment! Mbarara is the second largest city in Uganda, kind of like a mini K'la.

2007-09-11T10:18:00.000-04:00

September 8, 2007

Late Night Visit
I spent the night at my friend Caitlin's. As I was leaving her room to visit the pit latrine before bed, she mentioned that there would be cockroaches hanging about. I bravely stated that I didn't mind the cockroaches. It's all part of "the experience". The first cockroach didn't faze me. The second cockroach didn't faze me, either. The third one annoyed me. But as I went to close the door, I found about six cockroaches just hanging out, having a good time. I screamed like a girl and bemoaned my situation. Cockroaches are GROSS. Their little antennas were moving, but they didn't seem to want to leave the latrine. No matter how much I tried to cajole them into going down the hole that is the pit latrine, the more adamant they were to stay put. The sight of their antennas moving is what did me in. I just stood there, with my headlamp aimed at the party of roaches, watching them. They couldn't care less about my presence. It. was. GROSS. I HATE COCKROACHES!!! And I hate the latrine!

September 9, 2007

Today was a good day. I ran for 30 minutes this morning, without wanting to die, and I did my own laundry.

Washers and Dryers
I was in college when my parents bought a new washer/dryer set. My sister called me and told me that on the day they were installed, they sat in front of the machines, watching the clothes spin round, discussing/arguing about the speed at which it spun and how quiet the machines were. They were very happy with their new purchase.

When I go back to the states, I will spend days on end watching the wonder that is the modern-day washer/dryer. I love electricity and running water. Love it. I hate doing laundry by hand. It was "relaxing" in the beginning. But after about the 4th article of clothing, my arms were ready for a break. I don't mind the scrubbing and soaking. Hell, the soaking part's easy! But wringing out the damn clothes…forget it. It's a pain. Literally. Unfortunately, it's the second most important part in washing clothes by hand. If you don't do a good job of wringing out the water, your clothes won't be dry for at least two days. Considering how little underwear I brought with me, that's not an option. I was ready for a nap at the end. But there were still my flips and Chacos to scrub, and my room to sweep and "mop" out. By mopping, I mean getting on my hands and knees and wiping with a rag. That being said, I might devote one day to vacuuming and Swiffering when I get back home. My mother's dream has finally come true…

2007-09-07T10:48:00.000-04:00

August 26, 2007
I have learned that some things are not sacred in PC, body functions being one of them. Whether or not someone has pooped non-stop or the opposite is a topic in passing. In some cases, it is a rite of passage as a volunteer. Getting a disease is just part of the job.

Your Body is Your Temple
If you have an aversion to bodily functions, skip this part of the post. If not, read on!

I. am. Constipated. Note the capital c. It's there for a reason. I have been constipated since Banana Village. For those of you who don't know, that's since August 7th. Okay. Wait. I've gone once since then. But that's it. Life. Is. Awesome. Anni, our PCMO, suggested that I start taking Metamucil 3 times a day, religiously, until I go. AND, I have to get a suppository. Even more awesome. I'm very excited about this, because I get to do it to myself. According to my friend, this is a lot less traumatic than having a family member do it for you. Definitely a plus. Unfortunately for another one of my friends, she has already come down with Giardia. Note to self: just say no to juice from a bag. It is NOT good for you. So, I count my blessings that I am merely stopped up. I think I'd rather be constipated than have diarrhea and bloating and burps and gas that reek of sulfur. :D

On to non-bodily functioned news…we got to visit current PCVs at their sites this past Thursday through Sunday. I visited Jackie, who is a 3rd year educational PCV.
This included our first "trip" to Kampala. Not that we really got to hang out there. It was more "go to Kampala, try and find the matatu that gets you to the PCV's site, and don't die along the way. Or get lost." Kampala was completely overwhelming after being sheltered in Banana Village and Luweero for 2 weeks. I've forgotten what big city life is like…. but I remember loving it. I think.

Transportation
If you value your life, you might want to try and avoid taking public transportation in Uganda. Actually, you might want to avoid transportation of any kind at all. Including walking. The roads are like Swiss cheese here. Driving in Uganda (on a boda-boda, bike, car, whatever) is like a slalom. If you swerve to avoid one pothole, you inevitably hit another. And the potholes are HUGE. There are chunks of road missing, so I don't even know if you can call these things potholes. Half the time you're driving on the "wrong side" of the road in order to avoid the potholes. On the way from Luweero to Kampala, we passed a bus that was upside down on the side of the road. On the way back from Kibaale to Kampala and Kampala to Luweero, we saw two more trucks flipped on their side. Riding in a sedan taxi is the worst. A normal sedan is meant for 5 people, max. The sedan I rode in held 7 adults and 2 children. And, theoretically, the driver could've squeezed one more person up front. With him. In the driver's seat. While driving stick. Don't ask me how that works, cause I just don't see it happening. (Though others in my group have experienced this phenomenon.) All I know is that I sat in the passenger seat up front, with Jackie, and had the hand-rest pressed into my back (I now have a bruise) and the stick shift shoved up my ass the entire trip.

Rural vs. Urban
I have come to the decision that rural does not equal bad. In fact, I prefer rural to urban. It is quiet, somewhat cleaner, and it's like Cheers: everyone knows your name. Plus, it's quite hard to go unnoticed since you're white. After stepping off the matatu in (insert town), all the locals automatically knew that Julie and I were headed to the local muzungu's, and they pointed us in the right direction. Everyone was really friendly, and Jackie seemed pretty well integrated into her community. The view from Jackie's place was really sweet, too. I wish I had brought my tent with me so I could camp outside at night. There was no need for a headlamp at night, because the moon and stars were so bright. Kampala, on the other hand, was crowded, noisy, and a bit stressful. Rural kicks Urban's ass any day of the week. (unless you're NYC)

It was really exciting to go out and see a current PCV at their site. It reminded me that there's life after Training and that life as a PCV can be pretty sweet. Jackie was totally comfortable at her site, was doing amazing work, and had even decided to extend her service for a third year. And it was great to get out of Luweero and be "on my own". Training is great because we're surrounded by fellow PCTs and learning essential skills. But, at the same time, the training staff dictates our daily schedule. Our lives are not our own. After the visit, I can't help but anticipate the day I get to leave for my own site, be on my own, and finally start working.

Bucket Bath
It is amazing how little water a person actually needs to wash their entire body and hair. I have discovered that taking showers is a luxury and complete waste of water. Hot water is also a luxury, but one that I enjoy thoroughly. Not that I have enjoyed it lately. So, despite the knowledge of how much water I'm wasting while taking a shower, I fully intend to indulge in a LONG, HOT shower when I get back to the States.

Idiot Moment of the Week
I locked myself out of my room. Every PCV is told that their room must have a lock on their door and that we should lock it every time we leave our room, even if it's for a short period of time. I have been following this suggestion religiously, knowing that one day I would end up forgetting my key. Today was that day. Go me! Luckily, I had opened my window before leaving my room. After a failed attempt by Jeremiah to squeeze in through the bars on my window (alas, his head was too big), some other boy managed to squeeze through and retrieve my keys that were sitting on my chair. Mind you, I purposely set my keys on the chair (and not my desk) so that they couldn't be reached from the window. Brilliant. What I learned from this experience…keep your window locked at all times, because not everyone has a big head. And maybe to buy a combination lock.

August 31, 2007
Countdowns are bad. They're not good for your psyche or your morale. And time goes by wayyy too slow if you do them. At least, that's what we were advised. And it makes sense. But, I still found myself thinking about the future again these past few days. Not the near future, but about life after PC, two years from now. It struck me that I would be thinking so far ahead when I haven't even started my PC service. But it's such a hard thing not to do; not because I can't wait to get out of here, but rather, because it's in my nature to do so. I like to make plans (and break them on occasion), have a goal, set a timeframe for things to be done... It's what I've always done. When I was in high school, I thought about where I wanted to go to college. When I was in college, I thought about how I was going to support myself. When I was a Fellow, I thought about what I wanted to do afterwards (teaching surely was not it.) And now, I'm thinking ahead again. But am I really doing myself a disservice for doing so? Am I somehow missing out on the here and now?

September 1, 2007
Today was a good day. My friend slaughtered a chicken and I had good food for lunch. As part of our "education", we had a cooking day. I learned how to make chapati, abatoga (matooke w/tomatoes and onions), ground-nut sauce, beans w/tomatoes and onions, dodo (yes, that's actually what it's called, but you can call them greens if you want), eggplant, guacamole (I know it's not Ugandan, but it tasted damn good w/the chapati), fruit salad, and, of course, the poor chicken who lost its life in Diana's hands. I didn't watch the slaughtering or de-feathering of the chicken. Nor did I eat it. I just didn't have the heart after seeing Kabayo (my language trainer) bring it home and watch it sit in his garage, waiting to be slaughtered. Apparently, Lisandro didn't have the heart to slaughter his group's chicken after having ridden with it tied to his bike. He said the chicken squawked every time he hit a bump and realized that the chicken could feel pain. Chicken slaughtering and de-feathering aside, I had an awesome time. It was fun hanging out with my friends and just talking and listening to music. No pressure to hang out with the Homestay fam or pay attention to lectures/speeches. I felt like an actual human being today. A really full and satisfied one at that.

I also learned how to wash my clothes by hand today. This wasn't as much fun as cooking. But, clean clothes and sheets for sleeping on are a plus. So, I won't complain too much. My arms and hands are tired from scrubbing and wringing things dry. And I think I used the last of the water supply in the house. oops.

The Little Things
It's amazing what things bring joy to a PCT. For instance, I'm happy that I was able to do a "long call" today on my own. Just some good ole fiber, veggies, and fruit. I'm also happy that we received 3-month-old copies of Newsweek. Luckily, I never stole my dad's copy to read back in the States. I'll be entertained for at least 2 days. And, I was able to run for the first time today since I left the States. I only ran for about 15 minutes, but it still felt damn good. And you thought I was easy to please and entertain back then…

Lesson of the Week
I can't weave for shit. We visited an NGO on Wed. and Thurs. Part of their IGAs include making their own soap, baskets, mats, pre-fabbed food, and tapestries. Some of the women were demonstrating how to weave baskets and mats. I did my best to try and weave some of the banana leaves together, but, alas, I am not a weaver. C'est la vie. I can, however, make awesome chapati and guac. If you're ever in my neck of the woods, rest assured, you will not go hungry.

Acronyms/Other
Here's a reference of all those pesky acronyms and other terms I keep using. Sorry if they're annoying. I'll keep adding as I keep using.

PCT-Peace Corps Trainee (i.e.-me)
PCV-Peace Corps Volunteer (i.e.-future me)
PCMO- PC medical officer
APCD- associate pc director
CD- country director
ET- early termination
Med Sep- medical separation
Ad Sep- administrative separation
COS- close of service
Med Evac- medical evacuation
HBHC- home based health care
PWA/PLWHA- People Living With HIV/AIDS
NGO- non-governmental organization
CBO- community based organization
IGA- income generating activity
post- country of service
site- where a PCV lives and serves

Reality Check

2007-08-21T10:01:00.001-04:00

The Pit Latrine

The pit latrine is not my friend. And I don't foresee it ever becoming one. Then again, I haven't contracted acute diarrhea yet, the number one disease in Africa. Still, in that case, I think I will merely be using/abusing the latrine at that point. Based on this hatred of mine, I have moved the flushing toilet or "porcelain choo" to the top of my list of best inventions EVER. My new goal in life is to bring these porcelain gods to every household in the world. People in America "pray to the porcelain god" because they're hungover. I pray to it, because I think it is amazing and deserves to be worshipped. It's mere existence is praiseworthy. From now on, I will not celebrate my birthday, but the birth of the modern day toilet.

Muzungu

The spelling is questionable. But I think I'm right. Then again, I always think I'm right. And I usually am. ;) This term holds a very special place in my heart. I am, for all intensive purposes, a muzungu! yeah! For those who don't know, a muzungu is a foreigner, usually a white person. I'm white! Though, sometimes, I get "China", "Japanese", and a couple of times "samurai". Now, it'd be totally sweet if I were a samurai. Don't really fancy the whole "commit suicide" thing if I fail as a samurai, but the whole sword wielding thing is kind of appealing. I guess. But, overall, I'd rather be referred to as a muzungu than any of the other references to being Asian. Not that I'm not happy about being Asian. Nothing beats homemade Chinese food and being able to talk about people in front of their faces and not having them know what you're saying. Plus, I can use the phrase "no speaka English" if I need to. But, somehow, having random countries and nationalities shouted at me while I'm on my way to/from training is not so amusing. The kids who shout "bye muzungu" are pretty cute. So that's okay. The older guys, not so much.

What's there to eat?

Matooke. That's what. Steamed, mashed plantains. Some of my fellow trainees have come to love matooke. Or, at least, appreciate it. I, on the other hand, have developed an acute aversion to the stuff. I can foresee many a hungry day in my future due to this fact. This is where the granola/clif/luna bars come in handy. (Please send me more!!! No, I'm not kidding.) Cassava is pretty big here, too. It's a starch. Doesn't really have any flavour of its own. Can taste good if soaked in yummy meat sauces. But, otherwise, I try and avoid it, too. They also have this ground peanut sauce thing. Again, I'm not a fan. lol I've turned into the world's pickiest eater! I can say, however, that I really like this chickpea sauce type thing that they make. And I love the fruit whenever I get it. I tasted jackfruit for the first time ever. It's the very large, porcupine looking type fruit in the markets. You just whack it open and scoop out what are basically seed pods. It tastes goood. not too sweet. So if you get a chance, go out and get one!

The Technical Stuff

We have class M-F from 8a.m.-5p.m. with two half our breaks (one in the morning, one in the afternoon), and an hour for lunch at 12:30. We also have classes on Saturday from 8am to around 1pm. I wake up tired and go to bed tired, basically. I think I even eat tired. lol Training is…. strange? We're learning language (I'm learning Runyankore/ Rukiga, which is spoken in the southwest region of Uganda). We also have sessions on cross cultural stuff, history/politics in Uganda, HIV/AIDS technical sessions, and NGO/CBO tech stuff. Basically, I'm in school. Only, I'm on an entirely different continent. And I know that I won't be going home anytime soon, unless I don't cut it/decide to go home. I don't know how to describe it, really. It's PC service, but not. I'm with English speakers pretty much all day. I'm fed by PC. I'm taken care of. But after this is all over, come October, I'll be on my own where I will have to rely on my non-existent Runyankore skills. And feed myself. This part of PC is really quite temporary. But it's all we know right now. We don't know what it'll be like to be on our own where we can't rely on our English or each other. I'm eager to be out on my own so that I can cook for myself and get out into the community and do work. But, at the same time, training is very cushy. Yes, I know you're confused after reading this. I am too. I'm sorry I can't explain the training period any better. I think I'm still trying to struggle with it too. Hell, I've only been here a week. I'll have more on it later, I'm sure.

Home

Ideally, Somewhere, Uganda will become my home for two years starting on October 19, 2007. That's the whole idea. I live and work in Uganda. It's my job, duty, etc. as a PCV. It's been my goal to do this for over a year and a half. And I'm on my way to fulfilling it. One trainee ETd basically the moment we touched down in-country. I'm sad that we weren't able to help her more, as a group. I think it was really hard because it was so early in the game. And she was really quiet. We only noticed something was wrong when she started having anxiety attacks on the plane. And even then, a passenger, not in our group, had to point it out to us. I wish we could have comforted her somehow, made her realize that we were all in the same boat as her. Scared shitless and crazy for embarking on this adventure of ours. But in the end, it's an individual thing. And her fears and doubts were her own. And they were enough to make her turn back. And that's more than OK. Maybe even brave.

I had a discussion with another PCT the other day about the length of our service. She was laughing because she had mixed up the length of our stay here. She thought it was 2 yrs, not 27 months. It's not a huge mix-up, but could be. I originally thought she was going to say she thought it was only 12 months. Thank god she wasn't that far off. The most important thing that came out of our discussion, though, was the fact that it's okay if we "don't make it" and find out PC isn't for us. Pride shouldn't be what keeps us here. Nor should fear (of going home). We are here because we want to be. We are here to do a job. We are here to try and make some sort of difference. And if that changes after having put in all our effort, then that's the way it is. As my friend used to say (maybe she still does…) "It is what it is." I know that my goal right now is to make it through training. After that, my goal is to be able to wake up, get out of bed, and face a new day. It was the same in the States. It'll be harder here on many an occasion. But I hope more rewarding on just as many.

Having said that, I'll be honest and say that I cried for the first time today. I didn't even cry when I said goodbye to my family or friends. Mostly because I knew I would never stop if I started. I definitely wanted to. The tears started falling when I said goodbye to my dad and sister in SF and again to my mom in NY. I know I would've looked like an idiot on the plane/train rides, though. And I'm generally not a crier, many of you know. It's bad for my complexion. ;) But, I cried today. In the room provided me by my very nice homestay family. I cried because I miss my family. I cried because I miss my friends. It's not that I would rather be home. But rather, I miss the ability to talk to those I care about how my life is going. What my day was like. The inane things in life. The ordinary things. The general "What's up, how's it going?" type thing. I can live without the Internet. I can live without TV or electricity. I can even live without the porcelain choo. But I can't live without my family and friends. It is by far the hardest thing so far. Knowing that my life is completely separate at this point in time and will be for a long time to come. It is something I will eventually come to terms with. Just not today.

On a happier, funnier note (more for my sake than yours), I managed to get lost one day last week on the way back from training. Those of you who know me well know that I don't pay attention when I walk. Thinking that I was paying close attention to where I was walking, I thought it inconceivable that I had missed my marker for turning off the main road (a large, yellow, MTN sign, which are MANY it's not my fault!!! oh well.... i'm learning to laugh at my idiocy.

Philly

2007-08-06T20:57:00.000-04:00

Since arriving in Philly, I've eaten the requisite cheeseteak (albeit a chicken one-very tasty), bought some forgotten items, taken my first dose of malaria prophylaxis (no vivid dreams yet, but maybe in my next blog...), and enjoyed my own hotel room (only one of two people in the group with their own room)!

AND, I've met the rest of my group. There are a total of 22 of us in the group. We are all health volunteers. PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief), to be more specific. There's one married couple. There are 18 girls and 4 boys in the group. Everyone in the group seems cool so far. I guess it's hard to tell, since we've only been together for less than 48 hrs. I'm sure that we'll turn into a perfectly dysfunctional family in no time.

The process of getting to know each other and getting acquainted with the Peace Corps actually reminds me a lot of the Teaching Fellows-being thrown into a situation where you're totally unpreprared, know no one, but the other people in your group are in the same exact boat as you, and will be your lifeline for the next two years. Only this time, I'll be on an entirely different continent and not speak the local language.

We leave for JFK tomorrow morning at 11. I get to be in charge of other people's passports and tickets! hehehe They obviously don't know me that well if they're letting me be in charge of such things... I arrive in Uganda on August 8th at 10 p.m. , and get bused to a resort called "Banana Village"! We get to hand out there for 4 days there before they ship us off to Luwero for PST (pre-service training) for 9 weeks.

Adieu for now. I'll post again when I'm by a computer with Internet!

Morning of

2007-08-05T06:28:00.000-04:00

I'm really tired, but I'm awake anyways. My train leaves for Philly in 3 hrs. 59 min. and counting.

I'm not ready. I'm not ready to say goodbye to my family. to my dog. to my friends. or to my really comfy bed and soft, not -so-fluffy pillow.

I'm scared shitless right now of what I'm about to do. But I know that the excitement will come once I arrive at Staging and see the rest of the people who will be with me for the next 2 years of my life.

Packing

2007-07-26T19:25:00.000-04:00

I'm all packed!!! okay, well, almost all packed. Just a couple more items need to be collected and shoved into my duffel. :)

For future reference for those of you joining PC-Ug...here's my list: (the rest of you can skip this, unless you're curious how one packs for 2 years)

1 6,250 cu. in. duffel, 1 2,500 cu. in. backpack, and 1 small Timbuktu messenger bag

1 jacket
1 sweater
1 formal dress
4 skirts (below the knee)
1 pair khakis
1 pair track pants
2 button down shirts (short sleeved)
3 plain cotton tees
1 moisture wicking tee
2 sets of pjs (shorts/short sleeves)
2 pairs hiking socks
2 pairs running socks
5 bras
10 pairs underwear
2 bathing suits
1 hat

1 pair nice-ish shoes
1 pair chacos
1 pair flip flops
1 pair sneakers
1 pair hiking boots

2 flat sheets
2 pillow cases
1 regular towel, 1 camping towel, 4 pill towels
1 stuffed animal (go ahead and laugh)

2 pairs glasses
1 pair sunglasses
8 toothbrushes
3 tubes toothpaste (2 regular, 1 travel)
2 things of moisturizer (1 regular, 1 travel)
1 tube of Aquaphor (like petroleum jelly)
1 large jar facial scrub
1 solid thingy of shampoo (Lush)
1 mini bottle conditioner
1 razor with 24 replacements
1 thing of sunscreen
nail clippers
4 tubes of chapstick
1 yr. supply of tampons
1 Nasonex spray
1 eyedrop dispenser
8 tablets Singulair
1 makeup compact
4 pieces of jewelry (earrings, necklaces)
1 watch
3 hair ties
1 travel sized tube of rolaids
1 bottle DEET (100%!)
1 bottle camp suds (all purpose)
1 hairbrush

2 p. tent
0 degree bag
1 duck pack (rain cover for backpack)
booties, snorkel, and mask (for diving/snorkeling)
1 travel wallet (that fits Passport)
Leatherman
travel alarm
shortwave radio (handheld)
SteriPen (water treatment)
laptop
iPod
digital camera, plus spare battery
cell phone (unlocked)
1 roll duct tape
1 travel sewing kit
Solio charger
headlamp
1 pack AAA batteries
4 AA batteries
6 dvds
1 little handheld game
1 deck of cards
chargers for everything electronic
2 gb jump drive

dive log/certification
journal
1 5-subject notebook
2 pens, 1 pencil and refill lead
date/address book
16 pg. book of photos
travel guides (Lonely Planet E. Africa/Trekking in E. Africa)
LP Swahili dictionary
16 envelopes
16 US stamps
1 large book of random puzzles (crossword, word search, etc.)
3 luggage locks
1 locker lock
3 luggage tags
3 D-rings
1 Platypus (1 litre)
1 nalgene (1 litre)

PC Handbook and Staging papers
22 passport photos
2 passports (PC and personal)

1 set measuring cups (collapsible)
3 1-gallon ziploc bags, 12 sandwich ziploc bags, 5 quart-sized ziploc bags
2 packs of gum

$500 cash
credit/atm card

Now that I've written out this list, I find it a miracle that all this crap fit into my bags. I owe you, Sally.

I'm so excited....

2007-07-16T12:31:00.000-04:00

I made reservations today to get to Staging in Philly. I have my train ticket!!! I arrive in Philly at 12:10 on Sunday, August 5th for 2 days and then head back to the city to JFK for one of the longest plane rides in my life. Also very exciting. I figure I won't be able to feel my butt for a good day or so. Which could be a good thing. Who knows where they'll be sticking those damn needles...

And, as a bonus, my PC passport still has the visa for Tanzania! Hurrah for free visas!

Reality is sinking in...

2007-07-13T23:08:00.000-04:00

I think we have reached the end of the PC saga in terms of getting to Africa....I finally received my Staging Kit today! That means I get to book a plane ticket to Philly for Staging. WOOHOO! Staging will be on August 5th and 6th, and I fly out to Uganda on the 7th. (For those of you unfamiliar with PC lingo, "Staging" is another way of saying "waiting", "to fill out paperwork", and "be stuck with multiple needles that hurt like hell".)

Now I just have to figure what (not) to pack. And what "dress shoes" are.