Thoughts from the past few days

My counterpart showed up at site the other day, to tell me he'd be gone till next week. I think he has now been in Nakyenyi 3 times in December, and never for more than 12 hours. That is fine, if things actually get moving in the new year that will be huge, nothing is going to be won or lost in the last two weeks of December.

This morning as I walked outside with my coffee and laptop to check email/stocks; I found only one rainbow sandal outside my door. As I scratched my head I figured one of the cute puppies that has been around my site the past week ran off with it. Then one of the Ugandans that watches the livestock walked up to me with it, leaving me with the idea that he had taken it to smack around the cattle and goats. I wasn't happy about this at first, but then I remembered the goats are the bane of my existence. Regardless, no more leaving my sandals outside.

I am loving the quiet week. I am tearing through The Big Short right now while also reading East of Eden. Will finish The Big Short today and then proceed with Moneyball.

Have had a bit of sinus pressure the past few days, but considering how good my health has been in the breeding ground for super germs that is sub-Sahara Africa, no complaints.

One story not yet told (at least on this blog) from Christmas is how Christmas morning Amanda lost one of her sandals down the pit latrine.  Upon getting the announcement I about fell out of bed laughing.  That evening we wrote a letter to "Mr. Chaco" asking for a replacement.

Christmas in Nakyenyi

This year 6 friends and I spent Christmas in my village, Nakyenyi. It was great to get everyone together; some of us had not seen one another since training ended in October.

On December 23^rd guests made their way to my village from cities across the south side of Uganda. We mostly spent the day recalling the nightmares associated with their travels that day.

Michaela and Amanda had sent me a text message the night before asking if they could bring a baby kitten they had found that day. Upon their arrival the kitten was gone and we got the story of their trip and how the kitten went from being the newest member of our Uganda family to being given away in Mbarara. I was delighted they had given it away as I was also informed that they had intended to leave the kitten at my place.

A few days before we received a security alert from the US Embassy and Peace Corps that terrorists had attacked a Ugandan bus in Nairobi and that they had received intelligence that attacks could be targeting Kampala over the Christmas rush. Drew & Christy avoided Kampala, traveling by a Lake Victoria ferry to a cluster of Islands and then taking another ferry to Masaka.

Nick was the group hero, traveling to Kampala and the Peace Corps, office to check on packages for the group and pick up some basic supplies only available in Kampala. He got out later than the group and didn’t make it in until a little after dark.

Once the group was in we made some pasta and white sauce with vegetables and worked on the menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in preparation for our shopping trip to Masaka the next day. I had an 8 seat car pick us up in the village the next morning and take us the 40k to Masaka. We hit the bank and an American style restaurant for lunch and then made our way to the produce market and then supermarkets. (in Uganda a supermarket is any store where items have prices on them and negotiating isn’t the main system of price determination)

We headed back to Nakyenyi with everything we would need for the next 3 days. Including a collection of a few pots we would use to make a Dutch oven. Christmas Eve we made deviled eggs, scalloped potatoes, green beans, and carrots in brown sugar for dinner and then the girls made cookies and decorated the tree as the boys washed dishes. Afterwards we had a Glee marathon as we caught everyone up on Season 2 and concluded with the Christmas episode.

Christmas morning Nick made coffee as we listened to Christmas music and shrieks of horror from the goats as my organization had them inoculated in the barn outside my home. Afterwards I made pancakes and French toast, we had a gift swap, and then played Yatzee until it was time to get started on Christmas dinner. The Dutch oven came through once again as we prepared a Christmas dinner of meatloaf, bread made from scratch, mac and cheese, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans. The meatloaf was simply incredible, and we all sported puzzled looks as we sat down to dinner and the movie ‘Love Actually’ wondering how we were able to prepare such a delicious feast with nothing but a few pots and a two burner gas stove.

Afterwards we did dishes, my organization’s director stopped by and tried some of the food we had prepared, and put the Dutch oven to a final test as we made an Apple Pie. We closed out the night putting my 7 foot kitchen counter to use.

The next morning we discovered the Dutch Oven had sustained a fatal wound in the cooling after making the apple pie. A hole had formed in the bottom pot of the oven and I made a mess as I lifted it off the burner and the dirt inside poured out over my stove and kitchen floor. Folks packed up, we made some breakfast, and did some quick cleanup before everyone headed out. The holiday could not have been better spent. While I think we all certainly missed being home, I’m starting to believe when I go home I will miss spending the holidays in African villages.

Running Thoughts

I love running. It is my therapy. I don't speak to people, I don't smile, I don't wave. I don't have headphones and I still hear all the people, but when I run I block em out. I keep my eyes forward and let myself be alone. And it is excellent... yesterday's run involved the following thoughts.

I rarely get greeted by a Ugandan until I am at least even with them on the road. Not that we greet everyone we see in America but we would usually do it at about 10 -15 feet out, usually around first eye contact, you know... so someone could respond before they have passed you. I am seriously considering a complete boycott on responding to people who do not give me the opportunity to respond with eye contact.

Some days I am likable, will hold a kids hand, tell them my name and work with them on how to pronounce it, and teach them things like high 5s and fist bumps. Other days I enjoy ignoring children. Yesterday, and usually when I am running, I was in ignoring mode. I love ignoring the children here because I don't think they have ever been ignored in their lives. When I pass them they yell, "See You", I don't flinch, 10 feet later, louder, "See You;" I don't react, then with obvious frustration, anger and, perhaps even personal insult in their voice they scream at the top of their lungs, "SEE YOU". I love when they get all worked up.

There is no word for exercise in Luganda and the concept has no place in their culture. People do not understand what I am doing or why I am doing it. People are getting used to me on my route now but early on was routinely approached by people thinking I was in some type of emergency or was running away from something, all offering to help. I still get motorcycle taxis driving up to me while I run saying they can take me.

I don't mind when children join me running for a kilometer or two, but am not very fond of when adults do it, especially after I've run 10k and am struggling to get up a hill and they are fresh.

Really didn't like it yesterday when some wise guy decided to ride his bike along side me for a few kilometers. Wasn't impressed.

On my 9k route the last k is downhill, but the 2k prior to that is about a 300 foot climb in elevation. Often the women sitting outside of their homes on that uphill stretch say, "Okooye" as I pass by, meaning, "You tire." Thank you so much for that. About a week ago they said as I went down the hill at the start of my run, "You will be tired." That is kind of the point.

I don't like the kids who say "See You, Muznung." I really don't like the kids who imitate my running movements while standing in place. They lift their knees and make rotational movements with their arms and giggle to themselves. I understand they have probably never seen anyone running their entire lives, except when playing soccer, still, I really don't like them.

I really really don't like the adults who do it, much rarer and usually bar patrons.

As I passed someone going the other way on a bicycle they shouted at me, at the top of their lungs, "YOU ARE PHYSICALLY FIT." This one admittedly made me laugh a little.

I ate the grasshoppers this past week. This doesn't have anything to do with running but wanted to get it on the blog. Kind of tasted like a potato chip, but less crisp.

Expecting running headphones and an iPhone armband for Christmas. Am awfully excited. I am noting landmarks and what time I pass them on the run so I can put together a playlist that has the best running music at the tough parts of the route. The 300 foot climb will be Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' and Tears for Fear's 'Who Killed Tangerine.'

It would be cool to get...

So one of the things I got for Christmas this year was a DVD drive for my netbook. I've got more access to electricity than I ever expected and after Christmas will be able to watch movies on my computer which will be nice. So if you wanted to be cool, instead of just being your usual not-as-cool-selves, you can always do one or both of the following*:

*If you don't want to send em to Uganda you could always hand it to my parents or mail it to my home address and I will just have it squeezed in the next care package.

Burn Me A Mix Tape!!!

Remember the good old days of mix tapes and CDs? Some of you iPod generation kids don't, but whatever. Regardless, I have no idea what is going on in music back home, in fact, I really didn't have much exposure to new music the past 5 years. Here I have tons of time and always enjoy the chance to get a little exposure to anything American. So if you have some time burn me a mix tape (obviously on a cd). The more random the better, the more music I don't recognize the better. Heck, I'd even listen to Pedro the Lion if someone sent that whinny emo junk. (sadly I don't even think the friend that dig was meant for reads the blog)

See a good movie lately... I haven't!

Very soon the movies that were in the theater when I left will be out on DVD. Now I'm not usually a proponent of piracy, but if you were to burn me a new movie, and send it to me, well... that would be more like letting a friend 5000 miles away borrow it than piracy.

The point is that if you see a good movie, and it is new, I haven't seen it. So think of me, and burn me a copy.

Extend Extend!!!!

One of the greatest challenges encountered by Peace Corps volunteers here, and Ugandan's for that matter, is transportation. Transportation is the biggest challenge I encounter and is what I complain about on Facebook the most. So since most people back home don't understand the transportation system here, and my griping, I thought I would do a post on it.

The roads are bad, with even major routes having sections of dirt, heavy construction, and speed bumps placed in seemingly meaningless places. There are no real traffic laws. Cars swerve all over the road, often flirting with oncoming traffic to avoid pot holes. The fluency with which the drivers execute these maneuvers is as impressive as the ride is terrifying. Means of transportation generally include the following, each with it's advantages and challenges.

Small Car Taxi's

A small car taxi is usually a Toyota Corolla (or similar Toyota Corona) from the early 90s. These generally depart from a taxi park with 4-5 people in the back seat and the driver and a passenger in the front. Masaka is the closest real city which has a taxi park, when I travel to my village this is the main means of transport. It costs 3000 Ugandan Shillings or about $1.40 for the 35k ride. I said earlier that we depart from the taxi park with about 7 people in the car. One of the mysteries of the Ugandan transportation system is that no matter how crowded a car is, they will stop to pick up anyone who waves them down on the way. This is both good and bad for me. Good because my village does not have a taxi stop in it and I have to wave cars down to get a ride to a major city. It is bad because on my way into Masaka this morning we had 10 adults in a Toyota Corolla. It is also annoying because it doesn't change the price you paid for the ride. I used to think the practice was simply about greed, with the drivers trying to make an extra buck, but after being here a while I really believe the practice is about community. Ugandans honestly believe that it is wrong to leave someone standing by the side of the road, no matter how full the car is. Ugandans in the taxis do not gripe and complain as the driver pulls over to pick up a 10th passenger, because they don't think of that person as cramming the vehicle, they think of all 10 of them as being in the same situation. In a small car taxi you generally average around 40-60 km / hr.

Mutatu

A Mutatu is a 15 passenger van taxi. These make up the largest aspect of the public transportation system in Uganda. Major cities operate taxi parks filled with these things going all over the country. See the pic of the Kampala taxi park bellow. Depending on the route and driver a Mutatu may operate like a bus and go non stop, or may operate like a small car taxi and pick up and drop off tons of folks along the way. If you are in the middle two rows of a Mutatu you are extremely susceptible of being told "extend extend!!!" by the conductor, meaning move over and make room for someone else. I haven't yet had the energy to attempt to explain that such action is really more like contracting... the opposite of extending, but a day will come when I boldly take up that fool's errand. A Mutatu will average anywhere from 40-75 km/hr depending on how many stops they make and for how long.

Often a Mutatu will stop and pick up a branch of Matoke or bag of potatoes and drop it off at a nearby market. One of my least comfortable Mutatu rides ever was a 4 hour journey with my fully loaded 50 lb backpack on my lap and my knees up in the air because my feet were resting on a potato sack.

The Infamous Kampala Taxi Park

Buses

I have only been on one bus in country but it remains the most comfortable means of public transport yet, despite the Ugandan woman who squeezed up beside me to watch Juno on my laptop. In the middle of the movie (which I was using headphones on so she could not hear) she leans up to me and says "they are playing as if that one is a young girl." I guess I'm glad she enjoyed it. Regardless, you have a nice seat, to yourself and are not in danger of losing it. Buses generally travel between 50 and 80 km / hr; they only stop in certain villages and will not pick up people beside the road.

The drawback of buses is having to wait for them to fill up. Last time I was in Mbarara and told em I was headed to my home they brought me over to a bus. As I approached they said, "hurry hurry" the bus is about to leave. I whipped out my wallet, bought a ticket, and skipped over to the bus delighted that we'd be cruising through the 100k trip and I'd be home before 7:00. The bus was owned and operated by Honesty Bus Lines and I was about to be smacked in the face by the cold hand of irony. As I boarded I saw that there were maybe 20 people on board. Four hours later we departed, around 8:30 at night. As expected the bus traveled quickly and I was home by 10:30, but not without having learned a lesson that cost about 4 hours of my life.

Boda Boda

A major form of travel in Uganda is Boda-Boda, motor cycle taxis named because the drivers will go anywhere, border to border. Peace Corps strictly forbids use of Bodas because they are just slightly less dangerous than playing Russian roulette. We have been told that 60% of hospital admissions in Kampala are from Boda accident victims. In many villages (including mine) this is the only means of motorized transportation available. Recently I saw a family of 6 all on one Boda Boda.

Hitch Hiking

Hitch hiking is one of the fastest and safest forms of travel available. Remember here in Uganda very few people own private cars, and the ones who do are generally well off professionals. They typically drive much safer than public transportation drivers, speak better English, and have safer, better maintained vehicles. Hitch Hiking is my preferred means of travel, especially whenever I am leaving a village and don't have the convenience of a taxi park. The problem is you don't know whether it is a private vehicle or a small car taxi until has pulled over, and I am not patient enough to wait, so I generally flag down whatever will stop for me, Mutatu, small car taxi, or private vehicle and take the first available. But I am always excited when the car pulls over and I see 4 empty leather seats inside and a driver in a dress shirt and slacks. In a private vehicle I have found 40-50 k per hour is about standard, but it is a very comfortable 40-50 k.

So that is the situation. Now you'll understand my next transportation related rant.

The Advantages of Pit Latrines

I'm in an upbeat mood this morning, despite now having only gotten 3 hours sleep the past two nights. This morning in the pit latrine I just decided to think positive thoughts, and these are the ones I came up with. The top 5 advantages of pit latrines:

5) Pit latrines improve balance. Having to defecate standing up is not easy, requires practice, improves your balance, and I'm going to make the assumption it develops your leg muscles.

4) There is just something rewarding about it taking 2 seconds to hear the plop at the bottom of the pit latrine after you drop one. I love the delay.

3) You don't have to scrub a pit latrine to clean it, just dump a bucket of water on the floor and let it wash down the hole.

2) You can't clog a pit latrine.

1) The seat is never cold.

Belated Thanksgiving Post & My Home

Either my internet is getting shakier at site, or I just no longer have the patience to blog. Honestly not a whole lot to report. Good times, good people, but I've said that all before. Right now things are a lot of the same. During the week I struggle to find productive things to do, and settle for spending time in the community, introducing myself to people, visiting my favorite store owners, etc. I am ready to post pictures of my home, and of course there is the promised but not yet delivered Thanksgiving day post. So...

My Home

I feel a little embarrassed posting these pictures. I'm not going to have much street cred left in the states once these get out. I, like many Peace Corps volunteers, envisioned a mud hut, sleeping bag, and cooking fire when I came here. I packed solar chargers, flashlights that get 30 hours of battery life, even the watch I picked out uses solar power. So as it turns out the Peace Corps has certain requirements that generally are better than many expect, and even then many organizations go above and beyond requirements to provide what they feel is a suitable accommodation for a distinguished guest. I can't emphasize enough how blessed I am. I have so much more than I need, in fact, I am able to live quite comfortably.So here is my place... mostly furnished now, with just a few purchases remaining.

Here is the front of my living room. It is small, but notice the Texas star in the window courtesy of the Jack II team at Fluor.

My living room is much too nice. All this furniture was made by my carpenter I found in the village.

My kitchen corner inside my living room. Dishes are cleaned in the basin under the stove unit, the gas stove provides for all my cooking needs, and the 20 liter water jugs on the right are hauled from a pump well about 200 yards from my door. Green jug is chlorinated drinking water, yellow jug is for cooking / cleaning.

This is my extra long kitchen counter unit. I'm getting used to keeping things that don't spoil and provide for basic cooking needs.

Here is the desk/chair in my room and bed. This was the only furniture that came with the place, although the extra bed shown in the next picture was provided by my organization a few weeks after I moved in.

Here is the wardrobe that is on the wall opposite my bed. Once again made by my awesome carpenter. It is certainly nice to have all my clothing out of suitcases after 3 months.

A view of my room from my desk area.

This is my bathing area. A small closet in my bedroom with a drain in the corner. I heat water on my stove and mix with the cool water in that jug to prepare my bucket baths. Eventually, I hope to build a gravity shower in here. The room was painted, but with water based paint, so it is quickly coming off the walls.

So that is pretty much my home. There is a stall and hole in the ground outside for ... well ... you know... but who wants to see that.

Thanksgiving

One of the greatest blessings I have had in Africa, so far, was being able to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with friends from my training class. Mrs. Prouty, I know you read the blog, and just want to say thank you for your daughter. If the Rountree family is also reading... eh, you could have done worse, at least he has good taste in women.

To catch others up, two friends hosted the meal for about 13 volunteers from our training class. The meal was complete with amazing chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, enough stuffing to feed a small army, gravy, and for desert... APPLE PIE soup. We were all pretty spent after the meal but still got a game of baseball going in the front yard using a tubular piece of cardboard and a baseball made of duct tape.

It was simply an amazing day. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I had always believed the two Thanksgivings away from home would be the hardest days to be in the Peace Corps. I was shocked and overjoyed to find that it was one of the easiest days yet.