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
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
A Little Frayed Around the Edges
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....
Monday, March 10, 2008
Finding Peace
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
February Group
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.
Monday, December 3, 2007
The Long Awaited Entry
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.
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.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
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
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
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