Closing Time

My 1^st school year teaching in Uganda has come to a close! I want to talk about school only in this blog because I feel I’ve briefly mentioned it every now and again and I’d like to have one spot dedicated to only this topic.

The school year is divided into 3 terms. Term 1: Feb-April. Term 2: June-Aug. Term 3: Sept-Nov. I work at a Primary school which is like an elementary school. Classes are from P1-P7.

I spent this year trying to figure out how the academic system works here and what I want to do for next year. In the mean time, I taught my P4 class of about 50 pupils ranging from ages 9-13 English. They begin learning English in P1, but start being taught in it in P4. Since they’ve only really spoke and been spoken to in their local language, it makes it difficult when I know very little of the vernacular and I have a different accent than them. But some of them could pick me very well. Some unfortunately, did not. But they would have help from their friends.

My P4 class with my two co-teachers

During Term 1 and Term 2, student teachers come and teach for about a month. I would observe the ones in P4 during this time. I also gave a reading assessment to all the P4 pupils during term 1 and found out their reading level is VERY low. So I choose 10 that I could work with and did reading intervention groups with them during term 2. Term 3 was a little chaotic with things so I wasn’t able to continue this. But, I still taught letter sounds and how to blend and segment words in English class so everyone could get some tips (they all need it).

A school day looks like this: Assembly at 8, classes from 8:30-10:30, break 10:30-11, classes 11-1, lunch 1-2, classes 2-3:30, games 3:30-4. Some of them come in early and stay late for remedials. This schedule isn’t always so structured. Assembly can go over, maybe the pupils are asked to clean the compound (by slashing grass or picking up debris), staff meeting and going for mass can also interrupt classes. There is a time table for all subjects to be taught to each class (English, Science, Social Studies, Math, Religious Studies, Local Language, PE, Art, Library) but only the 1^st four “core” subjects are taught because those are what’s tested on.

Pupils pay school fees. A lot of them can’t afford it though and are sent home because of this. If they do manage to cough up small amount of shillings (a few dollars) for fees, then they might not be able to buy a uniform or shoes so they come barefoot and in their holey everyday clothes. The schools are also poor so their buildings are old, have holes in the floors and walls, doors and windows that don’t close or are broken, and aren’t able to provide lunch for the pupils. Teachers are sometimes not paid because of corruption in the government and usually they only became primary teachers because they didn’t have enough money to continue to university to get a degree so there is a strong lack in motivation by the primary school teachers. Only some of them really like their job.

It’s hard to get a lot of work or change to happen at schools, but here are some small things I was able to try out this year:

Positive Behavior System (PBS)

P6 student teachers rewarding their
"Pupil of the Week"

            My co teacher and I came up with a list of behaviors we want to see in our pupils. Every time a pupil shows a behavior in class, we gave them a paper to put into a bottle. At the end of the week, the pupils with the most papers was rewarded “Pupil of the Week”. We called it CRANE for Cooperation, Respect, Attentiveness, Nice manners, and Eagerness. Corporal punishment is still a big problem here, so this was to help reduce that happening and make school more enjoyable.

Base Pack Training

            A backpack full of fun games will make any pupil or teacher happy and motivated. So as an incentive to pupils showing good behavior, I taught the teachers how to play some fun games with them as a reward. They really enjoyed it too!

Everyone loves the parachute!

My Language Spelling Bee
            Some other PCVs partnered with the Ministry of Education or hold a Spelling Bee in most districts in Uganda. Since it was the first time this has ever been attempted, it was a bit difficult, but it was somehow managed. We held a spelling bee with the P3 pupils at my school. The top 5 winners got to attend the regional level spelling bee in another district. This was exciting because a lot of people never have the opportunity to leave their district and see other places. They got to meet pupils from other schools and have a nice lunch. The spelling bee was also in the local language so they got to learn how to spell in Runyankore which isn’t really ever written so it helped promote the value of their vernacular!

My school's P3 class
getting the top 5 Spelling Bee winners!

The regional spelling bee finalists! 

ReUsable Menstrual PadS (RUMPS)

            As I’ve mentioned, lack of money is a problem. So girls out in the village sometimes miss school one week every month because they can’t afford to buy pads. I held a workshop at my school with the P5, P6, and some P7 girls to teach them how to make cheap, reusable pads out of local materials. Not only do they save money, but they keep girls in school. Woman already have such a disadvantage over men in this country so this gives them the chance to stay ahead!

P5, P6, & P7 girls making RUMPS

Other Things

            I like to have fun so I also taught my pupils some games to play like Duck, Duck, Goose. I invited some of them over to my place as well and made them pancakes, watched cartoons, and had a dance party. In return, they have shown me their traditional songs and dances, brought me food items, and drew me pictures as a sign of appreciation. I also had a great time talking with the other teachers and getting to know more about them and Uganda. One of them even had me be her bridesmaid in her wedding! (Refer to my previous blog post from May)

Things might be slow going and very frustrating at times working in a school environment in Uganda, but all in all, I’d say I had a good year. It was difficult at first because I’m seen as a white person with a lot of money and was expected to hand it out, but that’s not the point of a Peace Corps Volunteer. Now that I’ve gotten used to things here and they’ve gotten used to me, I’m even more excited for next year. I have so many ideas of things I want to do and I’m much better prepared to make sure they actually happen! Or at least I’ll try ;)

And that’s just it. A lot of things fail for a variety of reasons here. Whether it’s because teachers are unmotivated to cooperate or they disassemble what you’ve done for purposes they deem more important, you definitely will have more failures than successes. But it’s important not to become discouraged, because even in failure, there is success. You’ve now learnt what’s realistic and what’s not possible. You’re not a super human and aren’t expected to change the world All you can do is your best and if you do that, then you should feel accomplished. 

One Year Down- Half Way Home

Nov. 10^th 2013: Left home

Nov. 11^th 2013: Staging

Nov. 12^th 2013: Left America

Nov. 13^th 2013: Arrived in Uganda

Now here I am. One year later. So much has happened in what seems like such a short time. I've learned so much, and consider it good or bad, but I've definitely changed. That’s what I’d like to focus on in this blog. All the good things and all the bad things. Because life is full of both of them and you can’t have one without the other.

***Please don’t think I’m being bitter in the “bad” parts. I just want to be has honest as possible about my time here. And who’s to say its “bad” anyway? Maybe it’s less preferred, but that doesn't always mean negative.

I’d now like to describe a day here.

You wake up to the bright sun shining through your window. When you pull back your curtain, you stand in awe for a moment admiring how beautiful the world around you is. The various hues of green on the trees and grass, the deep red of the soil, the rolling hills off in the distance. This all set to the backdrop of a gorgeous blue sky with big, puffy, white clouds. After going outside, you hear birds of all kinds calling. Again, you’re amazed how a creature could be so diverse in size, color, and sound. While walking, you take a deep breath and feel the clean air filling your lungs. A child runs up and hugs you with the biggest smile on his face. He’s this happy simply because you’re his friend and he’s so excited to have gotten to see you today. He takes your hand and leads to you his home where his family eagerly welcomes you with the most heartfelt greetings. They offer you a seat and tea as you chat about nothing in particular, just enjoying each other’s company. They wish you a safe journey as you ride your bike to the market. On your ride, you wave back to the people smiling and waving to you. Maybe you pass some children playing and laughing. Maybe you pass a monkey jumping through the trees. You’re happy to reach the market and see the lady who always gives you a bit more for your money. She asks how you are and how your family is as she fills up bags of freshly picked fruits and vegetables for very little shillings. At work, your coworkers are excited for you to be there. They are eager to see what fresh new ideas you can show them so that they may improve their situation in the best possible way. At your local shop where you go to pick up other items you may need for the next few days, you see a friend who invites you for lunch. They invite all their family as well because they want you to meet everyone and feel part of the family. They have cooked more than enough food that they have spent all day preparing over a fire with ingredients they picked from their own plantations. You laugh and share stories before thanking them and heading home. You relax outside reading a book as the sun is setting. You once more admire the beautiful array of colors emitting from the sky. Before it becomes too dark, you go to a celebration you were invited to where there is loud music, a lot of dancing, and people dressed up in dazzling outfits. A friend gives you a ride home because they want you to be safe. After washing off, you lay down in bed with a smile on your face, happy to be in such a wonderful place.

You wake up to roosters crowing and children screaming far too early for your taste, but it’s impossible to go back to sleep so you force yourself out of bed. You see that it’s pouring down rain outside which means that the dirt roads have now turned into mud rivers. Not only that, but now you can’t wash and dry your clothes that are covered in dust and sweat from the previous week. So you put on the least smelly outfit you can find and trudge through the muck to get to work. It doesn't surprise you that hardly anyone has shown up for the event you've been planning for the last month. You rush off to a mandatory meeting only to find it starts an hour late. The first three hours are spent discussing last meeting minutes and what should be talked about during this meeting. When you finally free yourself from the uncomfortable wooden desk you’ve been forced to sit in, you struggle to walk 30 minutes on the uneven road with cars coming within inches to hitting you to the nearest market. Turns out there is still a lack in the variety of vegetables you can purchase there and the lady is trying to charge you an outrageous amount for a couple of tomatoes soon going bad. As you’re walking home, a swarm of children with snotty noses, dirty hands, and hardly any clothes on surround you. They are grabbing and yelling ‘MZUNGU!! Give me money!’ You fight them off only to then be harassed by some boda men cat calling you and a taxi driver pulling on your arm because they want you to be their passenger. You’re frustrated and just want to be home, but you have to get some supplies from the shop. The salesclerk fights with you trying to haggle the price which you know to be too much. It takes five or ten minutes of arguing to finally get your bag of rice at the regular price. When you leave the shop, you start coughing on the foul smell of trash burning, pit latrine, or both. Finally you make it home to peace and quiet when your neighbor knocks on your door. He asks if you can lend him some money. Or your computer. Or the food you just bought. You begin to prepare your dinner with what’s available. Some bland, mushy, bland, boiled flour with beans. You pick the roaches and ants out of your food and eat. You want to relax and watch a movie on your computer, but power is out. So you wash off with water you have to fetch from a nearby borehole that may have debris of some sort in it. You’re left to sit alone in the dark accompanied by candle light until it drives you crazy so you get in bed. Your headache is worsened by dogs fighting outside, but you stick in your ear plugs and think how it’s one more day down… Until you’re later awoken by loud music blaring from the nearby bar.

Either of these scenarios is possible. Usually it’s parts of both throughout each day. Maybe one is less desirable to us than the other, but it’s still the way of life for many people in this country and who’s to say its better or worse than ours in the states? It’s just how it is.

Now, I’d like to share how I feel about certain things.

I’m more appreciative for the opportunities I have been given as an American citizen. I can travel almost anywhere I want. I have a right to vote and speak freely. I received a good education and was able to continue that in university if I wanted. Almost anything is possible if I work hard enough for it. I never went hungry. I always had clothes to wear. I can read and write.

My life isn't valued in how many children I produce and how many cows I can give to my father as a bride price. My fate isn't to become a housewife who spends every day cooking and cleaning for her family.

I admire many Ugandans so much because they put up with a lot of crap and still remain very happy and positive. They have very little opportunities, but they make the best of everyday. Some are so motivated. They know what they want and work hard to try to get it, even if the chance is a lot lower of them succeeding than it is for us.

A strong sense of community is good. Everyone knows and works together with everyone here. They all pitch in when there’s a celebration such as a wedding or a tragedy such as a death.

A simple life can be a good life. Most go without running water and electricity. A lot have phones, but a lot also don’t. They spend their time working hard from sun up to sun down. Usually tough, manual labor. They eat the foods they grow and they teach their children how to do those tasks themselves. Children are definitely not lazy and spoiled here.

I feel since I've been here, I've become a bit more numb. Seeing a child getting beat at school doesn’t make me cry anymore. I don’t think twice about a naked baby sitting in the road eating dirt. Pupils come to school without shoes, holes in their clothes, and not enough money to pay school fees? It’s all just another part of the day.

Money and power can be a disgusting thing. Corruption is so ingrained in this country, it’s hard to see how it could ever function without it. Why would it ever be ok to fill a 5 person car with 10 people? The traffic police might stop the taxi, but they let it pass without any trouble if the driver bribes them with a bit of money.

I've began to see how important it is to be here long term. So much stuff is donated or given to the people here, but they aren't properly trained on what to do with it or how to use it effectively so it goes to waste. They don’t know how to maintain it in a sustainable way. Short term volunteers do some good yes, but it makes it difficult for us because we aren't here to give them things. But when they see a ‘white’, that’s what they expect to get. Stuff. Not help and teaching techniques.

It’s hard to live in a developing country. Everyone’s hurting for money. They think you have it. They want it. It’s hard to make true friends here because they might only talk to you to get something out of you. I’m tired of always being harassed anywhere I go. I’m tired of not being able to walk down the road without being noticed. This ‘celebrity’ life is not for me.

I’ve become angry with Americans at times. Thinking about how much we waste and complain. How little education is valued when children here are dying just to get their hands on a book. It makes me sick to think about how much we have and how little we value it.

If I’ve learned anything here, it’s that I’m a conflict of emotions. Sometimes I’m very happy to be here and some days are super awesome. Other days are the exact opposite. I wonder why I’m here and I just want to go home.

Now that a year has passed, I look back and think of the difficult times I had. How I got through them with the support of friends and family. How fast this first half went. And now that I’m becoming more used to the place, I think the second year will go by even faster. I know that there will still be hard times. It’s guaranteed to happen here. I’m going to be depressed. I’m going to get frustrated. I’m going to want to leave. But I’m also going to have great times. I’m going to laugh. I’m going to make good friends. I’m going to have lots of funny stories.

Day to day life may be slow and difficult to get through at times, but life can be this way anywhere you are. We’re all living one day at a time. It might seem rough at the moment, but looking back, usually it’s the good times we remember. Memories get sweeter with age and I’m already finding this to be the case here now. I miss all of my friends back home so so much! But I also miss all the friends I made in Finland. And I’m going to miss all the friends I made here.

It might not have been all sunshine and bubbles here, but I’m glad I came. I've learned a lot and met a lot of really great people. Of course I’m nervous about what’s in store for next year, but

I’m also very excited to see what life brings.

Living abroad definitely comes with its struggles, but it’s worth it in the end to see it through. Usually you’re happier with your decision to do it than your regret of not trying.

last meal in the states!

ready to depart!

How we spent our 1st day!
We look so fresh

Can't believe it's already been a year...

HAPPY ONE YEAR!!!!!! Cheers, Uganda ;)

You are most welcome

I wrote this post about 2 weeks ago and I'd been meaning to post it over a month ago! Nothing has really prevented me from doing it other than pure, straight up, laziness. Whoops :P

Life has been good since my wonderful two week holiday in Taiwan. When we got back, we had an all volunteer conference for a few days. It was so great hanging out with all the Peace Corps Uganda volunteers in one place because it never really happens. Also allowed me to meet the newbies who arrived in June who I still hadn’t met. One night we had a bonfire. One night we even had prom. Everyone looked great and of course, I’m always down for dancing ;)

Then right after All Vol, my friend came to visit for two weeks! We did a lot of stuff all over the place. In case you didn’t know, I hate traveling in this country because of the terrible road conditions, how long it takes, and how cramped the pack you in a car. But it was worth it!

We went to an island in Lake Victoria, rafted the Nile (yes, I did it again), a safari, saw my place, and climbed a mountain. I was exhausted when it was over and was so happy to crash into bed and not move for a long time after I got home.

STORY TIME! On the safari, a leopard attacked our vehicle! Also, at night, a hippo was right outside our tent eating grass. It scared me so much to be that close to a hippo, but it was so cool! The guide had us watch it from behind a tree so it would hit the tree if it charged at us. Then he said “never shine your light on their face” and what does he do? Shine his flashlight at her. I couldn’t sleep for awhile because of how loud the hippo was from being just on the other side of the tent.

Another thing to mention: Climbing a mountain. Wow. What a feat! It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it was also the most rewarding. It’s a very steep climb with a lot of rickety old step ladders made out of sticks. Near the top, there are a lot of narrow paths with sharp drop offs on both sides. It was terrifying! I honestly can’t believe I didn’t fall. Especially coming down when my legs felt like jello. The top is also the boarder points of Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo.

It was a lot of fun to have a visitor to show around. I think more of you should follow the example and also come see me. But maybe not right after I get back from a trip of my own, because I was waaayy too tired at the end of it. Still though ;)

SCHOOL STUFF: Since I’ve been back, term 3 has started. Half way through it now. Can’t believe almost one year (half) of my Peace Corps service is over. Student teachers came to do school practice for a month so I showed them the Positive Behavior System (PBS) I’ve been doing with my P4 class. I also brought a pack of games and showed my teachers some things we can play with pupils as a reward for good behavior doing this PBS. We also had a Spelling Bee in the local language (Runyankore) with the P3 class. The top 5 winners are going to the regional Spelling Bee next Monday. Should be fun for them! They don’t have many opportunities to travel.

HOUSE STUFF: Housing has been a bit of an issue for me. I had to move out of the nun convent and go to a temporary house right before Taiwan. Since then, I am still in this temporary (but very nice!) house waiting for my actual house to be fixed up. They just need to add some more locks to make it a bit safer, but it’ll be nice to finally get moved into a permanent place and get settled. I was worried that I was going to have to get a site change if this didn’t work out. I’m glad it seems to be! Oh, also. My friend who lived at this temporary place before me left all of her things to me. This means I now have a couch and a refrigerator! OMG

PEACE CORPS STUFF: I am Satellite Liaison for the new group of volunteers arriving in November who get placed in the Southwest region (where I live). I’ve very excited for this because that means I get to go to a little bit of their training and meet them! Also that I can show them around and help answer their questions, etc.

In other news, I have been eating far too much candy like items that were brought back from Taiwan. I am genuinely feeling good at the moment. I had a bit of anxiety about things during term 1 and 2, but this term, it seems to have mostly vanished. Maybe it’s because I’m fast approaching my “half way there!” mark and only have a year left. This year’s gone by so fast so I’m sure the next one will as well. I’m considering a possible trip home next summer as a break point and something to refresh myself from here. It’d be good for my sanity I think ;)

Until next time!

<3

at the beach on Lake Victoria

when the leopard jumped out of the bush, growled,
and attacked our vehicle. awesome

Mt. Sibenyo
Nearing the 3rd and final peak
Can see the stair/ladders and the trail we took.
The 1st and 2nd peak look very close together
in the top right

Hard to go back

As you may or may not know, I went to Taiwan for two weeks. We got back last week, but I've been very busy. I had the best time there and loved it so, so much! It was definitely very hard getting on the plane to come back to Uganda. At the same time, it was a little hard to be back in a first world country. There is so much waste from excess packaging. It was hard to go into very rich areas and see a pen selling for more than a Ugandan makes the entire year. It was a bit overwhelming to see how many more options and opportunities are available to people. I definitely saw the developed world differently than I did before I came to live here, but I'm grateful for it. I feel that I won't take as many things for granted or complain as much when my service ends. (I hope so anyway)

Anyway, Taiwan had many exciting adventures waiting for us! I went with a fellow volunteer whose family lives there. I met a lot of them which was so much fun because I got to really experience the real Taiwanese life. They had me at their home, drove us around, told us about Taiwan, and of course, we ate a ton of stuff!

I would say most of my time there consisted of eating... and I loved it! All the noodles, rice, veggies, meat, seafood, desserts, soup, sushi, and seafood were so amazing! Taiwan is a very snack friendly place and you would get a lot for very little money. It wasn't crazy to eat lunch then pick up a snack on your way to dinner and then go to the night market after ;)

The night market was one of my favorite things! Food, clothes, jewelry, arcades, even massages! I got my first massage and we even went to a hot spring. Some of these old people could really take the heat for a long time! I wasn't as good.... We hiked some hills which were beautiful. Taiwan is very mountainous. We went to the capital, saw the 101, attended a random anime convention, and walked the very extensive subway. We also went to Sun Moon Lake and took a ferry around. We visited temples, took back roads through the mountains to the "ancient" railroad (everything is so new in Taiwan that they consider 40 years to be old), went to a place to taste tea, and even ground up our own "tea" drink with nuts. We went to the village on the Tropic of Cancer where his dad grew up. It was a nice sleepy town that had a random guy from Missouri living there! So many rice fields. We also enjoyed 1st world luxuries like Cold Stone, McDonalds, Costco, Imax, rock climbing, air conditioning, washing machines, dryers (hair and clothes), and stairs that were actually equally spaced! We brought back so much food, we had to buy another bag XD

It was great to get away from Uganda for a bit. I wish it could have been for a bit longer, but I feel very refreshed now! I'll definitely be going back.

It's a girl!

A girl mosquito that is… which gave me malaria… cuz only females transmit it… 

Bleed on a stick, know your
results 15 minutes later!
Super simple stuff

Please join us as we dive into this heartwarming story of an unsuspecting PCV and a bite she just couldn’t find. “Captivating!”-New York Times

Twas the night of Sunday and while sitting in my chair,

my muscles felt achy like I’d just fought a bear.

Monday came round and I felt so much better,

I enjoyed the day and its beautiful weather.  

On Tuesday evening I fell in my bed,

shivering cold, teeth chattering in my head.

I piled up blankets to make a heat trap,

and closed my eyes for a very long nap.

Ok enough rhyming for now. It’s getting difficult :P

After the chills, the sisters I live with came to check up on me and brought me dinner and tea. Then the fever came. I put a wet wash cloth on my head and spent the night trying to sleep through the heat. When I woke up Wednesday, I felt much better so I went to school. I felt fine the whole of that day.

Thursday I was fine until lunch. After lunch I was teaching and I started to feel really bad so as soon as class ended I went home and rested for a couple of hours. I was going to meet friends for dinner, but on my walk to their place, I started to get chills. “Oh no” I thought, but I kept going. I knew I couldn’t stay by the time I reached there though so I had her drive me back home. I got in bed again and the sisters once more came to check on me. Since I hadn’t eaten all day, they brought me juice boxes, biscuit cookies, pineapple, watermelon, and bread with peanut butter. After seeing my temperature was 102.5, I took my malaria test.

I don’t like pricking myself, so the sisters got a nurse from the hospital next door to come do it for me. She had never done one of these tests before though, so I had to read the instructions and walk her through it :P But finally, the results were conclusive… I was positive!

I spent the next couple of hours on the phone. Talking to Peace Corps medical about what meds to start taking and how I was going to get to the capital for treatment. Finally agreed they would send a driver to pick me up the next morning.

One of the sisters sat in my room with me to make sure I ate something because I wasn’t. While I ate she updated me on what I’d missed in the episode of the Mexican soap opera we watch every night. After making sure I was ok, she left and I fell asleep. This night’s sleep wasn’t so bad.

On Friday I was so thankful for the private driver instead of taking a public bus. That would have been so terrible! We arrived at the PC office and the doctor did some tests. Before I left to go to the nurse’s house, I used the bathroom. What crazy timing that this should happen, but there was blood in my urine. So I they also did a test on that. Results came back that I had a UTI so I got meds for that too. I knew my “haven’t been sick yet” streak would end with a bang ;)

I spent the weekend at a really nice house of a very sweet, elderly Ugandan nurse who was essentially the role of a grandma. I honestly think the love and care she showed me (also the really good food) is what really helped me get better. It was also in a very quiet neighborhood so I spent all weekend outside reading. I definitely felt like I was on vacation with how relaxed I was. I even took a hot bath while I was there! Wow.

Monday I went back to the doctor to get more tests to see if I was ok and ready to go home. Good news everyone: I was!

I came back last night and the sisters were having a big party. There were lots of guests, food, drink, music, and dancing. A good welcome home! Then today at school, my pupils brought me passion fruits, eggs, and four pineapples since my counterpart had told them I was sick. Some of them helped me carry the things home. It was so sweet <3

Some of my great pupils.
I treated them with dum dums and showed them
pictures from home

A funny point to mention: The reaction you get from an American when you tell them you have malaria is soooo different than the Ugandan one.

           

            American: WHAT!! MALARIA?? OMG, ARE YOU OK? YOU’RE GOING TO DIE!!
            Ugandan: ok

Not even joking, that is how it went. Sometimes, a Ugandan would also say “sorry”. But it happens to everyone all the time here. It’s really not a big deal so they’re just like whatever.

**ATTENTION**FAVORITE MOMENT IN COUNTRY MENTIONED BELOW**

While I was walking with my pupils today, some other kids from a different school shouted “mzungu!” at me and my favorite pupil shouted back at them “She’s not a mzungu! She is Teacher Hannah!” I love these kids so much :)

Best Day(s) Ever!

I have so many things to mention that you don’t even know! But you will after reading this ;)

Let’s start with how one of my good friends returned from her visit back to the states. Not only did she bring me a new camera (to replace my stolen one) but she also brought me Crest toothpaste and 6 packs of my all time favorite gum: Extra Spearmint! :D *Happy Days*

Let’s continue with ‘Murica’s birthday. Spoiler alert: I RAFTED THE NILE! :D

Most of us PCVs went to this town in the eastern part of the country where the source of the Nile starts. I traveled there with some friends and along the way we got to stop in the big capital and eat some tasty lunch (I got Korean) and then we got brownie sundaes. MMM. Anyway, we get to the place and it’s set up dorm style with 8 beds to a room and a common bar area right next to the Nile. So cool. Since it’s such a tourist place, the rolex stands are super legit. (rolex= egg wrapped in a chapti) (chapti=oily, thick flat bread). But you could order these with tomato, onions, cabbage, avocados, potatoes, and even nutella! Let’s just say I *might* have only eaten those all weekend cuz they’re super good and very cheap.

On the 4^th, a bunch of us woke up and got on a bus type thing that took us to a place with rafts to choose. I had some good friends on mine and we had a great day going over the rapids, getting stuck in one and eventually flipping over, making way too many chants for our boat, paddling past an island full of thousands of fruit bats, eating pineapple, doing back flips off the raft into the river, and having a freak out moment when we turned around after a rapid and noticed our guide had fallen off ;) It was seriously tons of fun! That evening everyone dressed up in the good ‘ol red, white, and blue and had a huge party in the bar area. But it wouldn’t be Independence day without grandma, so I had to give her a call of course :)

On the left you'll see my friend who will shortly fall out.
On the right you'll see the foot of our guide who fell out.
One of my favorite snaps from the day <3

The next day, some of us went to town and I got a chocolate peanut butter milkshake… which might have only lasted 2 minutes :P When we got back to the place, we tried out a slack line a friend had brought and then a couple of us went down to the dock and swam quite a distance to the rope swing, which was super fun! But my foot slipped off and hit a root which has since caused my toe to turn a little red and I think my nail is going to fall off soon ;P  Worth it.

This week I got to see what it was like to teach at a Primary Teachers College with older kids, I was on a radio show with some friends talking about gender roles, and I ate way too many baked goods (cookies and cake). I also became a giant ball of dirt on the journey back home. I don’t even want to tell you what color the water was when I finished my bucket bath…

Today it rained. Scratch that, it stormed! A LOT. I forgot my umbrella so I walked home in it after school. No sun and lots of wind made me soooo cold! I had forgotten what it felt like to be so cold. It was amazing! This evening while watching our Mexican soap opera with the sisters I live with, I drank 5 cups of tea to try and warm up! Also, four other sisters (three of which I already knew) have moved in so it’s much more lively here now.

Term 2 of school is quickly coming to an end. Then I’m going for holiday to Taiwan! When I return, there’s an event where I’ll get to see all the volunteers and then my friend is coming here (to Uganda) to visit me for two weeks! I’m very excited for all of these things! Watch out for the blogs to come ;)

Of course everyday life is not always so exciting as this and sometimes I even wonder if I’m supposed to be here, but it’s the little things that make even these average days great. Like getting a letter from a friend back home, having a pupil say “Teacher Hannah, you are good” after a lesson I thought was a flop, or being sincerely welcomed back by some good friends in my community. Lucky me, all of these happened today. It might be hard sometimes, but all you can do is try to make every day better than the last :)

Thanks for reading! <3

PS I left my home 8 months ago. About a third of my time here is over. That’s so weird.

Legit/dedicated rolex stand
"You can't sleep with no money in the pocket"
is what he said to me when I asked him why he had
only slept 1 hour the night before.

America day with some of the besties :)

Did I mention I was at the Nile?

Random Update

I’m not sure where to begin with this blog. It’s been awhile since my last post and I have random things I’d like to share with you.

So Term 2 of school is still going on. Not much to say there really. I’m still teaching English to the P4 class. I have begun doing reading intervention groups with 10 of my 50 pupils to hopefully increase their literacy skills a little. I am also planning for renovating the library at my school, but that won’t be until Term 3 or even Term 1 of next year.

A few weeks ago there was a craft fair that I went to with some friends. They had a lot of African crafts for sale. I bought three paintings and some little ceramic animals that I sent some people back home. It was really cool to look at all the things in the different booths. Bowls, candle holders, jewelry, what. They even had that swing ride that goes in a circle! But def not gonna ride that kind of thing here :P I did want to do the bouncy house but they refused and said children only :/ How unfair

Grasshoppers are considered a delicacy here. Which might sound a little strange, but you wouldn’t say that if you tried them. They’re super good! My shop keeper friend bought a bag of them and invited me to help him prepare them. They were still alive (so they’re fresh with no diseases he said) and you pull off their legs and wings then you fry them in a pot with a little bit of salt til they’re crispy. Some of my pupils were walking by when we were doing it and stopped to help us. We had a lot of fun doing it :)

There’s two Americans in my village! They met a priest who lives here when he visited the States and they came to stay with him and check out the place. One is leaving soon but the other will stay for a couple more months. It’s nice to have them around to talk and hang out with. Makes me feel weird being the one who “knows everything” about the place because it feels like I haven’t been here that long and still don’t know what’s going on half the time. But I guess I do compared to someone who just arrived.

Some sad news. The baby of one of my favorite teachers died a couple of weeks ago. Death is handled so differently here. It happens all the time so it doesn’t seem to have as much of an impact on their lives as it does ours. Of course they are sad, but he was back school teaching the next week. He said there’s nothing that can be done and we have to move on. Which is true, but still… I baked his family some banana bread and you could tell his wife wasn’t handling it very well. It’s just very interesting to see the cultural differences in these situations.

My best friend teacher told me he hasn't been paid in 4 months. Sadly, this is a very common thing to happen to primary school teachers here. He was offered another job in a different district, but he turned it down and is going to stay here. I'm sad because he's not getting paid for all the hard work he does, but I'm happy because I don't know what I would do if he left. He really helps me out a lot.

My days at site are still pretty much the same. School during the day and the majority of my evenings are spent watching tv shows on my computer, messing with my guitar, dancing, or reading. Of course the essentials too: cooking, washing clothes, cleaning, etc. So daily life isn’t all too exciting, but I go see friends sometimes and that makes it pretty interesting. I’ll be doing a fun trip with all the other PCVs for the 4^th of July so I’m pretty excited for that! More info to come later ;)

I’ve been debating if I should cut my hair. It’s the longest it’s been since high school! I’m worried that if I cut it shoulder length again, it’ll look weird since I don’t blow dry or straighten it here. And then would I get bangs again? Those would definitely do some funky curl out thing.

Other than that, I don’t think there’s much to report on. Things are going fine here. The days go slow, but the weeks go fast. Nothing really to complain about but I still miss home and all the people there quite a lot. Don’t worry though, it’s nothing too serious. I’m pretty sleepy now so I think I’m going to watch something and go to bed early tonight. Until next time <3

PS. I got my first package this weekend from a co-worker! It was a box of candy and it made me so happy :) Mail from home is always the best so don’t ever be afraid to drop me a line ;)

Eating our freshly prepared grasshoppers :D

Random baboons on the road

One of the many booths from the craft fair

6 Months in Country

Today is the half year mark since I arrived in Uganda. Wow! Where has the time gone?

On the one hand it doesn’t feel like I’ve already been gone from home for that long. On the other, it feels like I’ve been here much longer than only 6 months. So much has happened in such a short amount of time!

I’ve met so many amazing people and made some great friends. I’ve traveled and seen some cultural differences around the country. I’ve seen life through a different perspective and gained a great appreciation for how lucky mine has been.

After being shoved 12 people into a 5 passenger car and weaving in and out of an almost nonexistent road that takes 3x as long to travel on as that same distance in America, never again will I complain about long car trips.

I don’t consider going four days to a week without washing my hair, finding bugs in my food but still eating it, and wearing the same outfit 5 days in a row gross.

It’s not weird to see police men with AK47s on the street nor do I give a second thought to10 year olds slashing grass with a machete.

These people can make anything fit anywhere no problem. They’re also like McGyver when it comes to fixing things. And carrying things on your head? Forget about it.

Don’t know if I’ll ever understand why no one bats an eye at exposed breasts, but if a woman’s knee is showing everyone loses it. Also how the traffic cops keep their uniforms so white when they’re standing on a dusty road all day when I can’t even keep mud off my ankles for more than a few hours.

A typical day of a villager might be: cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner on a fire in the outside kitchen, sitting in their very small duka (shop) waiting for someone to buy some small item from them, or waking up at dawn to go dig on their plantation and returning home to sleep at dusk.

The highlight of that villager’s day might be: cooking something slightly different than the usual matooke, earning more than a few thousand shillings at the duka, or it being slightly cloudy so they suffer less from the sun.

If there’s a reason to party, a Ugandan knows how to throw a big one.

I’ve learned that privacy is a privilege that you don’t really have when you’re a celebrity or a mzungu. I now know for sure that I do not want to ever be famous.

Whoever said that milk, butter, cheese, eggs, yogurt, or anything for that matter, needed to be refrigerated?

Important rule: Be sure to keep your electronics charged in case of random power outages.

Weird to think about how I’ll be able to drink from the tap without having to boil the water first when I go back. Nice to think about how I won’t have to worry about bargaining on prices when I go back.

Will I buy a washing machine/dryer back home? What about a hair dryer?

Just realized I won’t be able to use “It was raining” as an excuse for being late to work because I’ll have a car and roads are paved instead of walking in the mud.

I feel super behind with what’s happening in the pop/trendy part of the world thanks to lack of Youtube, radio, and fast internet to look up memes.

Living here really can change a person. I definitely think it’s changed me in my short time here and not only by making me look more and more like a tomato from sunburns. There are a lot of things I miss from the states. Certain foods, convinces, cultural norms, etc., but I really have enjoyed these last 6 months and I’m very glad I’ve been placed in this country. I’ve been very lucky to have had such a great first ¼ of my service. I know it won’t always be so easy and challenges will come, but I have a great support system from family and friends, both here and back home. With that I know that every day can be better than the last and I’m looking forward to see how this experience plays out :)

Can’t appreciate the good without a little bad

I arrived home late last night after spending the week at In Service Training. All the volunteers in my group meet and we had a follow up on how the 1^st three months at our sites went. Our counterpart Ugandan teachers were also invited and we had training sessions with them so we could talk about future plans. There were some pretty good sessions and it was so nice for all of us to be together again.

We spent the evenings hanging out in each other’s rooms talking, going out to the nearby club/bar establishment, playing volleyball, or other misc. The last night was so much fun because one of my favorite volunteers arranged a cooking competition set up like Iron Chef. I was on a team with another best friend PCV and we got 2^nd of 4 teams. Lost by only 1 point! I had such a great time using matooke, mangos, and Doritos to make a dish. Then later, two other PCVs arranged a trivia night. My team got last place for this, but it was still a great time :D

Yesterday was a very annoying travel day. I waited in a bus for 3 ½ hours before it left! I took the bus to one town but I still had to get another taxi car to get to my district. Half way home in this taxi, the driver pulls over and we have to get in another car because it turns out the 2 year old next to him was given to him by a man who told him to drop the boy with his mom in this other village, but the phone number for the mom wasn’t real. So the driver went to the Police. I hope he figured it out! Poor kid…

I was so tired when I got home I passed out almost instantly after unpacking and doing some small laundry.

This morning I was still super tired, but I had to hurry to the salon in town because today was the wedding day of the teacher who I agreed to be a bridesmaid for. She was an hour late…but it was fine because it gave me some reading time. They took a long time to style my hair. They weren’t sure how to fix mzungu hair so they tried a few things. Finally settled on putting mine in a bun and then pinning a braid of red and blonde fake hair around it. They put a lot of product in it though that made it feel greasy, but no matter. It was so relaxing having someone mess with my hair that long so I enjoyed it.

We all got dressed. The bride was SO beautiful! I had a bright, lime green, strapless, slightly above the knee dress. I thought I got a lot of stares before… everyone was so fascinated by the fact that a mzungu was a maid :P We then went to the parish and had mass/the wedding ceremony. So different than an American ceremony. There were two wedding parties there. We walked in, sat, listened to mass, the bride and groom stood up and repeated what the priest said (it was all in local language so I was lost), and then they signed the contract and we left.

The reception was at their home. They had tents set up and lots of people waiting, but we had to eat 1^st. They made an announcement over the loud speaker that “the mzungu doesn’t like to eat beans” and everyone laughed. The wedding party danced in and we took our seats. So began the process of speeches. Again, all in local language, but I picked some (mostly mzungu comments). We watched dancers, served cake, and received gifts.

One of my all time favorite quotes!

It was dark when it was time to dance. That’s when I got my bag and found that my camera had been stolen from it… Of course I’m frustrated by this, but honestly it’s not the fact that my camera is gone. It’s that I hadn’t uploaded pix to my comp since nearly a month ago so now all of those are gone :( And what’s worse, I even thought to do it last night when I got home, but I was sooo tired I didn’t. Gah, so mad at myself. But oh well. It could’ve been much worse! Nothing else was taken so that’s good.

Anyway, wish I could show you some pictures, but as mentioned, I can’t. Sorry! I need to do a lot of things, but I think I’m going to eat suckers and watch a movie instead. I got some new ones this past week so that’ll help take my mind off it :P

Home is where the heart is, so your real home’s in your chest

Term 1 has ended! The last day of school practice for the student teachers was soooo much fun. We had a two hour dance party in the classroom before lunch. They brought in a drum and busted out some sweet beats while the room filled up with pupils who could really shake it. I, of course, joined them and we had SUCH an amazing time!

Me with my P4 class, my counterpart,
and our two student teachers

Me with my other teachers
and the student teachers

At lunch, my school wanted to say well done for the student teachers so they made a lot of matooke and meat and we had a really good lunch. Then they played a football game out on the pitch.

Last week was end of term exams so since I finished marking (grading) the English ones, I am on break for the next month until term 2 starts :D

Next week my Peace Corps group has a training that we all must go to. I’m soooo excited to see everyone in the same place again! The last time was when we were sworn in at the end of January. Can’t wait!

Random updates:

*I now officially have chaco tan lines on my feet! I didn’t think it would ever happen :P
*Also, got some new music and been having none stop dance parties in my room since yesterday. Probably the best way anyone could ever spend their time.
*Yesterday I went over to my VSO friend's house and she opened the bag of rice and was pouring it into a bowl and a spoon came out XD I thought I was going to die laughing.

Ok, time to go! I’m sure there’s lots of other things I was meaning to tell ya’ll, but it’s escaping me at the moment soooo…. BYYYEEEEEE! <3

P.S. The title of this post is from a Dr. Horrible song if you didn’t catch that ;) I’m starting to have small episodes of homesickness, but I’m happy to have this place as my new home so it’s somehow working out :)

Village time=Good times!

I know I just wrote a blog not that long ago, but I wanted to share some of the great experiences I’ve enjoyed these past few days…

Starting with what I just got done with!

The sisters I live with told me that today was their annunciation day where they renew their vows and that they were gonna celebrate in the evening time. Celebrations for them always mean good food so I was excited the whole day! Dinner consisted of matooke and millet of course, but also rice, mixed vegetables, chips (fries), sauce, chicken, and fish with cake for dessert! We had some visitors as well. Some other sisters and two fathers so the wine and beer was busted out. After we finished eating, they cranked up the music and pushed the furniture aside in the living room and we started dancing!

They made sure that my glass was topped off and one of the priests said he’d buy me for 7 cows so I should inform Obama. Also, they thought it was so funny to see me dance and were surprised. Us white people get a bad rep even here I guess :P Anyways, it was so much fun! Even now, I’m back in my room, but they are still going strong. I can hear all the laughs from here. Nuns keeping me up on a Tuesday night..... can you believe it? XD

Yesterday when I came home from school, two of them were watching 90's love song music videos. I got so excited and we sang and danced a bit to those as well! Then some other visitors were coming to visit and they joked exclaiming that I was going to be meeting their boyfriends ;) Our regular Mexican soap opera that we watch wasn’t on, but instead a Ugandan drama and they kept laughing about what terrible actors they were and how boring it was haha! Later, the two girls who are hired to help cook and clean here braided my hair. I’m really glad I live with all of them. They make these evenings at site exciting (which I hear doesn’t happen much in the Peace Corps life) and it reminds me of my housemates from back home :)

On Sunday, I meet up with my shop keeper friend. He closed up and we went for a hike up the hill behind my place. It was sooooo beautiful! Finally was able to look over my village in its entirety. See picture below! After heading down, he introduced me to his adorable 97 year old grandmother and then we went back to his shop where we shared some akotogo for lunch.

My village!
Beautifully labeled if I do say so myself
Ok, maybe not, but it's good reference!

My friend outside his shop
and some others

Part of my bustling trading center!
(shops to buy some things)
That's the hill we climbed in the background

In other school related news: This week is midterm exams so I’ve sat in to proctor some and have some English ones to mark, but it’s allowed me to get some serious reading in! Or some really good/funny conversations with the other teachers when we’re not busy. They’ve started serving posho and beans for lunch instead of matooke :/ but my best teacher friend always hooks me up with an avocado. I’m going to meet him in town tomorrow morning for the final district level athletics competition! One of my P4 pupils qualified to compete in it :’) So proud. They've been surrounding me when class is over and talking to me in Runyankore. They're super cute even if they are hoodlums sometimes.

Also it's rainy season which means the temperatures have been very favorable to me, but last night I was actually cold enough to sleep with fuzzy socks! It was wonderful!

So there ya go. Some inside stories to some of the great times I have here. Hope you enjoyed! I know I sure have ;D