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| Going up? Our second rest stop 4 hours into climbing Mt. Muhabura |
The past month was school break between Term 2 and 3. Awwww,
the holidays. A time to relax and refresh… HA! Not this time. It was… how do
you say? “packed full”.
1. ALL VOL
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| Yeah, Prom! |
The all
volunteer conference is exactly what it sounds like: a crazy, drunken mess of
all the 100+ Peace Corps volunteers in Uganda getting together for a week to
discuss serious ideas/projects or to share silly/ridiculous stories since the
last time they were together who knows how long ago. It’s a lot of fun.
Especially the dancing part (duh)
2. BOOOOOOKS
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| Easy to use book label identifier |
My school
received (with the initiative of other PCVs) a shipment of boxes containing
1000+ Books for Africa books. It took awhile to sort through all of them and to
categorize them into different levels, but I did it! And in a very simple way
too. Just look at the identification sticker on the spine of the book to see
where it goes on the shelf and what level it is :D Library time is going to be
very enjoyable this term (I’ve already read quite a few of my favorites)
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| Good thing I gave myself a library card ;) |
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| Interactive kids books! |
3. CAMP
I was
chosen to be a counselor for the 1st ever Conservation Camp in
Uganda started by some amazing PCVs. The camp was held in the most beautiful
part of Uganda down in the southwest part. It’s very far from where I currently
live, but I was able to pass through the area I kind of lived in during the 1st
year of my service for the first time since March. (It still felt like home to
be there again)
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| Go red team! :D |
It was a
day camp and I had 4 secondary school student campers in my group. It was a fun
and informative week where we learned how we can make crafts out of old straws,
how to weave baskets, and also how to construct a bee hive. We also planted trees,
did a street cleaning, dug a permagarden, and discussed how to share these
important lessons with the community.
4. MUHABURA
The
district where I was for camp boarders Rwanda and Congo. There is a mountain
range in this area and this time last year when I had my friend, Gerald visit
me, we hiked the one whose peak is where the three countries meet. This time
after camp, me and another PCV friend/counselor decided to hike up the tallest
one in Uganda. It was a tuff trek up the slippery rocks and rickety ladders,
but we made it and had beautiful weather and views the whole way (which is very
rare!) We even went “swimming” in the crater lake at the top- COLD AS KNIVES!
We started up at 8 and made it back down at 5. (my legs=so much jello)
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| I look so disgruntled, but I promise I'm happy we did it! |
5. COS
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| #bestie bathroom selfie |
This… this
was the most emotionally exhausting conference of my service. Even now I still
can’t believe it’s over. When I first arrived almost two years ago now, my
Close of Service conference felt like light years away. This was the last time
my Peace Corps group, Cohort 2-the education group of November 2013, would all
be together. The last time I’ll probably see most of them, because even though
we still have some months remaining, everyone lives so far away that we hardly
see each other, other than at conferences.
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| The most beautiful rendition of "Don't Stop Believing" ever played ever. |
It was so insane to me to spend our
last week together reflecting on our service and memories. Of course we had informative
sessions like “Resume Tips”, “Mock Interviews”, and “What To Get Done Before
COSing”, but there were also a lot of emotions stirred by making a diagram of
our highs and lows, sitting in a circle and saying 1st or best
memories of each other, and the slideshow. Especially the slideshow. (Thank you
Ravi and Marvin for holding my hands during the whole 40 minutes <3) Some
PCVs also made a year book for our cohort that everyone was signing :)
It was simply beautiful looking and
thinking back to the beginning when I didn’t know who any of these people were
or any idea what I was getting myself into and now seeing how everyone has
grown and the huge impact they have had on my life. I love these people so much
and I’m so sad to be leaving them so soon, but I’m so so blessed to have been
part of such a solid group. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better one <3
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| delicious desserts at every meal! |
All sappy emotions aside, there
were also a lot of really exciting emotions because we got to stay in a super
swank hotel and actually looked and felt like a real hotel from the states! Hot
showers every night, staff who actually had fast and friendly customer service,
a TV, refrigerator, and kettle in every room, real mattresses, three pools, a
full gym and sauna, a legit conference room, air conditioning, and such amazing
amazing food (cheesecake, lunch meats, cream cheese, lettuce, blue cheese,
honey ribs, poached eggs, bacon, steak, chicken tikka masala, coconut tilapia, croissants,
and all the fruits). I never wanted to leave (in fact I wrote that on their
comment card).
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| On my comment card I wrote "never want to leave" |
6. VIEWER DISGRESSION IS ADVISED
After
climbing the mountain, the bottom part of my big toe nail was a little loose.
As I was saying goodbye to a friend at the hotel, my nail was accidentally
ripped (mostly) off. Blood is coming out and everyone comes to my rescue. My
PCV friends help me to a room where the manager has told me to go for the
doctor to fix me up. Firstly, the fact that the manager came running like that
was so unlike typical Uganda hotel behavior. Secondly, this place has a
doctor??? Thirdly, they brought me a wheelchair XD So I get it cleaned up and
luckily the PC coaster had just arrived so I was able to go to the office where
the PC doctor cut most of the nail off that wasn’t attached. Wrapped it up and
I headed home where I then was able to remove the rest of it.
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| Need some red nail polish to match now |
7. HOME
It feels
amazing to come home after being on the move for two weeks. Especially when
your teachers are all around and greet you with a “Well be back!” Except when
you don’t have a ceiling (like me) and now your house is a dusty, dirty mess
after letting it sit untouched for so long. But it’s times like those that I
like to remember the wise words of Snow White: “Whistle while you work”. Monday
begins not only the last term of the academic year, but also of my Peace Corps
service. EEK! :O
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