Training

Hello and greetings from Uganda!! :D

I have SO much to say I don't even know where to begin! First I suppose I would like to say that I am missing you all tons and I apologize for my lack of communication. The power/internet is very spacey here and I just haven't had the opportunity to get on it very much. It's not that I don't want to talk to you, because I really would love to!

TRAINING
Ok so let's see here. Three weeks ago we left the states, had a layover in Brussels and arrived in Uganda late Wednesday (Nov 13th) night. The place we were staying at was kind of like a summer camp feeling. We went to sessions every day to learn about what life would be like for us for the next 27 months and training for our job assignments. The staff as well as other current PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) were there to teach us everything. They have been absolutely great and super super helpful with everything! We left that place that we were at two days ago and are now in a new location at a PTC (Primary Teacher's College) for Teacher Bootcamp (practice teaching). We will be here for two weeks and then go to our home stay until swearing in at the end of January.

SITE/JOB
We got our site placements! This is where we will be working and living for the next two years after training is done at the end of January. I will be working at a Primary School as a Literacy Specialist in the Ibanda district which is right on the equator! I am super excited! I will be working with younger children to improve their reading abilities :D The area I will be in is also cooler and more mountainous than the rest of the country and has a lot of parks nearby!

LIVING CONDITIONS
So far they haven't been that bad. The first place we were at had running water, electricity about half the time, and we were kind of secluded from everyone else so we didn't get stared at very much because the people working there are used to seeing Mzungus (foreigners/white people). But here at this new place, the water runs out. They fetch water and bring it in Jerry cans. We use it to take bucket baths. They have Turkish toilets, but if there's no water then that means pit latrine time! We do our wash (laundry) by hand in buckets and then hang them on the line to dry as well. I'm not able to blow dry to straighten my hair which is something that I will really have to get used to. Embrace the waves! :O 

WEATHER
The days do get very hot. The sun is directly over head and very very hot coming down on you. I put on sunscreen, but I still burn :P The evenings and nights get cool though and they are very nice feeling... until the mosquitoes and other bugs come out that want to kill you. The sun rises around 6:30am and it sets around 6:30pm. It definitely does NOT feel like it's December! I'm sweating all the time ;P

FOOD
Everyone complains about it and I guess it's understandable. We have rice, noodles, matooke (plantains), beans, a fruit/veggie, and a meat type thing every meal. But I like it. For now :P hahhahaa! Oh, and hard boiled eggs for breakfast with bread ;)

PEOPLE
Super friendly! Super dark. I DEFINITELY stick out haha! They have a much simpler life than we do back in the states. They are very hard working and appreciative of things. The kids have fun so easily! We haven't gotten to be *really* out there yet, but I have made some friends with a few of them. 

TRANSPORTATION
The roads here are TERRIBLE. The country is only the size of Oregon, but it takes FOREVER to travel the shortest distance. There are no highways. Lots of dirt, bumpy roads. With buses and cars and motorcycles weaving in and out all over the road. It's very dangerous. You need two days to get from one end of the country to the other. Insane.

EDUCATION SYSTEM
Very bad. Disorganized and so far behind. So many people are illiterate here and the subject material they learn is not taught very well or on time. Students often  miss class and are passed even though they fail their exams. I taught my first lesson to a Primary 2 class (like 2nd grade) and it could've gone better. Could've gone worse too I suppose. Their English was very impressive for how young they were.

SICKNESS
I somehow have no been sick yet, but it seems like everyone else has. You really have to be cautious here. Everything can make you sick it seems. We have had lots of medical sessions to tell us all of this :P We have medical kits provided to us and have been getting all of our shots up to date. We also have to take our malaria pills! I hope my lucky-ness stays and I don't get sick for a long time. We'll see about that :P

OTHER VOLUNTEERS
Oh Em Gee I love these guys! There are about 45 of us in my group and then the other PCVs who are here to help train us and they are all so great! I feel like I've known them for a long time! I have lots of laughs with them and we have a lot of really fun times together :) I'm lucky to have such a wonderful group of people. They are making this transition very easy! It's going to be VERY sad when we have to split up to go to our own sites :/ 

There is SOOOOO much more I would like to say! But the electric just went out and my laptop battery doesn't last very long. Also it's dinner time ;) I wish I could upload pix, but that would take FOREVER so sorry 'bout that. Maybe one day :)

I LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL SOOOOOO MUCH! Thank you so very very much for being so supportive!!! Wouldn't be here without you :) 

<3