A week in review

4th of July
-Invisible Children hosted a large party for all IC staff, volunteers, and anyone connected with the organization. The party included dinner, dancing, and many drinks! I now know that alcohol has the same effects on Ugandans that it does Americans- it makes them dance, flirt, and turn totally silly. The party was a great success with well over 100 Americans and Ugandans celebrating.

Moving
-During my first week in Gulu I stayed with my group in town at a local hotel. The hotel by Ugandan standards was very nice- it has showers and bathrooms in every room that work at least 20% of the time. We stayed in a hotel the first week rather than the invisible children compound on the outskirts of town because there was 20+ high school students staying at the compound and we would not have all fit.

-There are both perks and downfalls to living in the IC compound.

Perks:
-Hot running water
-Doreen, the most amazing cook who can turn almost nothing into a gourmet meal
-Large outside area to sit, exercise, have meetings, etc.
-Luxuries like an ironing board, fans, couches, and electricity (most of the time)
-My boda boda (motorcycle taxi) to work is only 2000 shillings ($1) from the IC house where it would have been 2500 shillings ($1.25) from town.

Downfall:
-It is about a half a mile from town- not a long walk but a walk nonetheless
-Six girls in one room!!!! Two sets of bunk beds stacked three beds high
-Living with almost 30 people
-The 4:30 am rooster

Coffee and Brownies
I found a small Internet café in town. The café serves real coffee, not instant, and fresh brownies- oh how the small things in life can become so amazing. I have been trying to make it there every few days. The owner told be to think of a fun name for a brownie and regular coffee combination and he will name it after me. Any suggestions?


Teaching
I stated observing my teacher at school this week and will begin co-teaching next week. Day one was frustrating, a cultural conflict, day two was promising, and day three was hopeful. In Uganda, education is very different with vastly different roles and expectations for both teachers and students. I guess that is why I am here, to share my pedagogy and teaching methods. Our director was very explicit that we (the teachers) would defiantly not change the Ugandan education system by teaching for 6 week, nor would we have any real impact on the specific school where we were teaching. She further expressed that we can only hope to begin to plant the seeds of change and nothing more. To some this many seem like a negative stance but it is a real stance and taking real logical steps is what is needed.

Bathroom Talk
Africa = lots of conversation about the butt. If you are not comfortable openly discussing what is either coming out or not coming out of your body, I recommend that you NEVER travel to a developing nation. It is inevitable that something will go horribly wrong with the butt of everyone who comes to Africa, inevitable. There are a few things that may occur: 1) to much “movement,” 2) not enough “movement,” and 3) left over “movement” in the toilet because the water ran out. The topic of poop is not only acceptable but also welcomed. I love this place! Most places have two distinct bathrooms, one for a short call and one for a long call, so when asking where the bathroom it is often necessary to literally state your business before locating the correct restroom. Have I said I love this place!

P.S. When you purchase food from a street vendor on a dirty village street, expect a long somewhat painful trip to the latrine. I probably have not learned my lesson and will continue to eat questionable food.

More on the Acholi people

-On a daily basis I say hello and shake hands with at minimum of 100 people. They are so friendly and inviting.
-Rather than saying yes or nodding, the Acholi simply lift their eyebrows to indicate a positive response. I’m still getting accustomed to the lack of a verbal response.
-The Acholi have very little concept of time, it is very difficult to find an Acholi who can “keep time.”
-The Acholi believe very strongly in forgiveness. I asked my partner teacher what she would like to see happen to Joseph Kony (the leader of the LRA), who has killed and kidnapped thousands over twenty years and she, like many Acholi believe that he should receive amnesty (if he surrenders) and be allowed to live amongst the people in the village. I pushed her asking her why and she said, “We must forgive or we will never be able to move forward, without forgiveness we will continue tied to conflict so we must forgive.” I don’t necessarily agree with the standpoint but I do respect the logic.

Acclimated
How long does it take for Uganda to feel like home? Two weeks. I no longer feel like a mazungu (foreigner/white person) in a strange land. My life has quickly fallen into a pattern very similar to that of my life in San Diego. I get up around 7:00, take breakfast and head to work. Some days I go out for lunch while others I eat at school. After work I go for a run, do yoga, or use my resistance bands to exercise. Some nights I read, others I play games with my friends, and I even go out to the local bars. My Ugandan life is remarkably similar to my San Diego life.