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 ;)