Well hello again my lovelies. I hope all is well with you, and I suppose it's time for yet another blog. I've been teaching for a couple of weeks now, and getting to know my students. Bright-eyed and straight from primary school, they have a terrible time deciphering what I'm talking about with my crazy American accent, but they're coming around. By the end of the term they'll have it down, and then I'll be going back to America and they'll have to get used to a Ugandan math teacher again! Oh well, I think it'll be good for them. We're beginning midterms this week and we'll see how much of what I've been saying has sunk in when I grade the papers. Could be interesting.
Other than that, my group had our final farewell COS (close of service) party a few weekends ago, and what a time it was. We rented out a place in Old Kampala and had Ethiopian food, which was of course delicious. Some of our number put together a slide show of pictures of the group from our arrival in Philly up to the present. Two years! I can hardly believe it. No tears yet, although I've still got a few months to go, so we'll see when the time comes. And after the slide show the real fun began, and we danced the night away. The Dance Triumverate, (me, Thomas, and Zach, shoutout to you I know you're reading this) showed everybody up with our stellar dance moves. I'm of course the leader of our trio, but that goes without saying considering how good I am at shaking it. Mackenzie, Holly and I even performed our dance to Lady Gaga's Just Dance for a very delighted audience, to rave reviews. All in all, I think the night was very successful, despite being very sad to say goodbye to many people.
On a happier note, two training volunteers are going to come visit me for some instruction, I'm very wise you know, and will stay with me for two weeks learning the ways of the Jedi (and by that I mean secondary education, Megan style). While I feel my tutelage will be a very important part of these new volunteers training, who knows how they'll feel. I guess we'll wait and see, mwahahahahahahahaha
cheers
Monday, March 8, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Poker Face
Well hello again friends. How's life? It's getting better for me, as I have just recovered from some sort of respiratory infection, could have been bronchitis, but whatever it was, it's finally over. Or almost, I'm still hacking up phlegm on occasion, but at least I can speak whole sentences without the interruption of a cough every other word, and my lungs no longer feel like they are already half full of some strange semi-solid/semi-liquid concoction that doesn't allow for breathing. So this lovely little distraction stopped me from teaching the first week my first year students were finally here, and extended my vacation (although not in a pleasant way) by one more week. But I finally got to teach them this week, and it was more enjoyable than I remembered. I think I really just enjoy hearing myself speak, but then most of us do. Maybe I have a future in teaching, although what I'm qualified to teach, I couldn't tell you.
I enjoyed a visit from two volunteers to my house last weekend. It was interesting at times due to the lack of water coming from my tap, but we made it work. We even made hummus and bruschetta for dinner one of the days, and let me tell you I rarely eat that well at my own house, unless I have visitors (for example while Dan my brother visited, I ate risotto, pasta carbonera, and anther delicious dish that I can't remember the Italian name for and enjoyed every minute of his cooking). So now it's back to simple things, like eggs and bread, but what can you do. I might try some beans and rice again, although beans seem to be very difficult for me. I think I've made every possible mistake you can make in trying to cook beans, first I would let them cook too long without adding more water and get a layer of carbon an inch thick cooked onto the bottom of my pan, then I didn't cook them long enough and ate crunchy beans which result in incredible amounts of painful gas, and last I soaked the beans for too long in advance and they got moldy before I even brought them to the stove for cooking. I may have the technique down now, but we'll have to see.
Other than my culinary excapades, not much else is new, besides the fact that I got into graduate school! Whoo hooo! Marquette University accepted me to their Civil and Environmental Engineering/ Water Resources Engineering program, and I have a recommendation for acception to University of California - Berkeley in the Global Health and Environment program. So now it looks like I still have some decisions to make. I haven't heard back yet from UW Madison, but hopefully they'll let me know soon. Ugh, life decisions. Very difficult they are. Anyway, that's all the latest, so peace out for now, and wish me luck with teaching and training. Casey, you'll be here in about 3 weeks, so I hope you are prepared for the intensity of hurricane Megan in Uganda.
I enjoyed a visit from two volunteers to my house last weekend. It was interesting at times due to the lack of water coming from my tap, but we made it work. We even made hummus and bruschetta for dinner one of the days, and let me tell you I rarely eat that well at my own house, unless I have visitors (for example while Dan my brother visited, I ate risotto, pasta carbonera, and anther delicious dish that I can't remember the Italian name for and enjoyed every minute of his cooking). So now it's back to simple things, like eggs and bread, but what can you do. I might try some beans and rice again, although beans seem to be very difficult for me. I think I've made every possible mistake you can make in trying to cook beans, first I would let them cook too long without adding more water and get a layer of carbon an inch thick cooked onto the bottom of my pan, then I didn't cook them long enough and ate crunchy beans which result in incredible amounts of painful gas, and last I soaked the beans for too long in advance and they got moldy before I even brought them to the stove for cooking. I may have the technique down now, but we'll have to see.
Other than my culinary excapades, not much else is new, besides the fact that I got into graduate school! Whoo hooo! Marquette University accepted me to their Civil and Environmental Engineering/ Water Resources Engineering program, and I have a recommendation for acception to University of California - Berkeley in the Global Health and Environment program. So now it looks like I still have some decisions to make. I haven't heard back yet from UW Madison, but hopefully they'll let me know soon. Ugh, life decisions. Very difficult they are. Anyway, that's all the latest, so peace out for now, and wish me luck with teaching and training. Casey, you'll be here in about 3 weeks, so I hope you are prepared for the intensity of hurricane Megan in Uganda.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Back in the Saddle
Well, it's that time of year again, the start of school. The students are returning slowly slowly, and teaching has begun. The senior ones won't arrive until the 15th of February, which means I have another week to prepare all of my lessons and get the math club (that's right, we're cool here at Kantare, and we're starting a math club, jealous much?) started and ready to compete. I've made my teaching timetable, color-coded it for ease of use, and hung it on my door. Now all I need are minds for molding.
This will be my last term here at Kantare S.S., so I want to make it a good one. I'm going out with a bang. Or the usual end of term exams, but either way you look at it, I'm nearing the end. I've got a lot to do though, lots of paperwork for administration and I've still got to figure out what I'm doing once I get back. I guess I'm just waiting on responses from grad schools, so not much work there for me, but still, the waiting can be tough. And I get to train some of the incoming volunteers, which should be a good time. I think I'm even hosting one for two weeks, maybe more than one, and that could be interesting. I'll let them teach my classes and see how they do.
Well, I guess that's all for now. Sorry this one is short, but I haven't got a whole lot to say, so peace out and keep on truckin.
This will be my last term here at Kantare S.S., so I want to make it a good one. I'm going out with a bang. Or the usual end of term exams, but either way you look at it, I'm nearing the end. I've got a lot to do though, lots of paperwork for administration and I've still got to figure out what I'm doing once I get back. I guess I'm just waiting on responses from grad schools, so not much work there for me, but still, the waiting can be tough. And I get to train some of the incoming volunteers, which should be a good time. I think I'm even hosting one for two weeks, maybe more than one, and that could be interesting. I'll let them teach my classes and see how they do.
Well, I guess that's all for now. Sorry this one is short, but I haven't got a whole lot to say, so peace out and keep on truckin.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Lamu or Bust!
So we did it, we made it all the way to the coast of Kenya, up to Lamu, and back to my site. It took about 50 hours of busing, but we accomplished our goal. Lamu is an island off the coast of Kenya, and is one of the last Swahili cultures left in the country. The island is somewhat small, and the roads are really more like alley ways, and since they are so small no motorized traffic is allowed on the island. The main form of transportation is the donkey, and everyone has one. They wander about here and there, sometimes carrying goods or a person, but most of the time free of any burdens. It was very interesting to see, and fun to pet them. I didn't get the opportunity to ride one anywhere, which was somewhat of a disappointment, but I'll survive. I did get to swim in the Indian ocean where white sand beaches abound, and that was quite joyful. We even went snorkeling and I got bit by some coral. Or I kicked it not realizing I was too close, but either way you look at it, I was bleeding from the foot and attracting sharks. Except there were no sharks, but I like to add a little excitement to my day. On the snorkeling trip they took us to an island where they grilled fresh lobster and jumbo shrimp and fed us coconut curry and fillet of kingfish, so needless to say we went home hungry:). The Italians who were with us kept giving Dan their halves of lobster, so I think he ended up eating 3 of them. It was kind of like being in paradise.
After that we headed back down to where I live, in the southwestern corner of Uganda, and the exact opposite side of the country from Kenya. We made it though, and I think he enjoyed the time spent there. He got to meet Spencer, who made friends immediately, and also got to meet some of the teachers from my school and a few of the village characters that are around. We walked to Kisiizi hospital to see the falls there, and after all the bus riding, the 3 hour walk was kind of nice. Even if my knees and hips are still sore and I feel like a little old lady from it, it was beautiful and sunny all along the way. And I have the sunburn to prove it.
But Dan is gone now, so it's back to just lonely old me. But I have plenty to do in my remaining four months, including helping train the new batch of secondary education volunteers, which should be fun and interesting. Then Casey arrives to do her rotation at the hospital, and sit around bored out of her gourd at my house while I teach. Then my official ending date is on April 30th, after which Casey and I will head to Egypt, which is going to be AWESOME!!! And Dave arrives on the 11th of May, so I've got plenty to occupy my time until I head back to the land of the free and the home of the brave. I know y'all need my presence in your lives, so until that day, keep on keepin on.
peace
After that we headed back down to where I live, in the southwestern corner of Uganda, and the exact opposite side of the country from Kenya. We made it though, and I think he enjoyed the time spent there. He got to meet Spencer, who made friends immediately, and also got to meet some of the teachers from my school and a few of the village characters that are around. We walked to Kisiizi hospital to see the falls there, and after all the bus riding, the 3 hour walk was kind of nice. Even if my knees and hips are still sore and I feel like a little old lady from it, it was beautiful and sunny all along the way. And I have the sunburn to prove it.
But Dan is gone now, so it's back to just lonely old me. But I have plenty to do in my remaining four months, including helping train the new batch of secondary education volunteers, which should be fun and interesting. Then Casey arrives to do her rotation at the hospital, and sit around bored out of her gourd at my house while I teach. Then my official ending date is on April 30th, after which Casey and I will head to Egypt, which is going to be AWESOME!!! And Dave arrives on the 11th of May, so I've got plenty to occupy my time until I head back to the land of the free and the home of the brave. I know y'all need my presence in your lives, so until that day, keep on keepin on.
peace
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Kenya Here We Come
So I'm sure all of you are very concerned, and my brother Dan arrived safe and sound here in Uganda, despite the threat of delays and cancellations all along the way. We've been enjoying the central region of Uganda, and I got to show Dan a bit around Kampala. I've been stuck in my Close of Service Conference in Jinja, but luckily he's had other volunteer siblings to spend some time with, and they even went white water rafting on the Nile yesterday. He survived that too, and came back hale and whole, so no worries for you mom. He loved it, and apparently they flipped their boat on every rapid, so I guess he got his money's worth.
Staying here at the Jinja Nile Resort for 4 days has been tough, but somebody's gotta do it. The rooms are cottage style and have hot water showers which we don't even have to turn on the hot water heater for! It's miraculous. The pool is amazing and I got to see Dan's boat float away down the Nile from the balcony upstairs. I fed the monkeys some chips from my room yesterday, and some of the brave ones even took them right from my hand! The food is incredible, I think I've gained 5 pounds in the past 2 days. Free internet doesn't hurt the charm of the place either. But this is the last of the lap of luxury for awhile, so I should appreciate what I've got while I've got it.
Well, I've got to sign off now because I have to go attend sessions today, but know that I'm starting the preparations for coming home in approximately 4 months, and y'all will see me soon enough. I get to host a secondary education trainee in March, so just know that my knowledge and wisdom will be imparted to the next generation of volunteers in Uganda. I know you were worried that it would leave with me, but how wrong you were to fret! So peace for now, and start those party preparations now.
Staying here at the Jinja Nile Resort for 4 days has been tough, but somebody's gotta do it. The rooms are cottage style and have hot water showers which we don't even have to turn on the hot water heater for! It's miraculous. The pool is amazing and I got to see Dan's boat float away down the Nile from the balcony upstairs. I fed the monkeys some chips from my room yesterday, and some of the brave ones even took them right from my hand! The food is incredible, I think I've gained 5 pounds in the past 2 days. Free internet doesn't hurt the charm of the place either. But this is the last of the lap of luxury for awhile, so I should appreciate what I've got while I've got it.
Well, I've got to sign off now because I have to go attend sessions today, but know that I'm starting the preparations for coming home in approximately 4 months, and y'all will see me soon enough. I get to host a secondary education trainee in March, so just know that my knowledge and wisdom will be imparted to the next generation of volunteers in Uganda. I know you were worried that it would leave with me, but how wrong you were to fret! So peace for now, and start those party preparations now.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
A Very Merry Christmas To You
Yep, it's that time of the year again. Time for snow days, egg nog, long nights by the fire... oh wait, none of those things exist in my Ugandan style Christmas. Oh well, we'll make do, like we did last year. This time I'm going to be spending my holiday at Kabulasoke Primary Teacher's College, where another volunteer in my group works. There's going to be lots of Holiday cheer involved, as well as a Christmas day soccer match, I believe. It should be a good time, and like the good southwesterner I am, I'm bringing the cheese (good midwesterner as well). If nothing else, at least we've got cheese.
I'm a little nervous about leaving my dog for the holidays, despite the fact that he's survived multiple times without me there, including when he was a little guy and much more vulnerable to whatever it is I fear is going to happen to him. But after I attended the Japan vs. America sports extravaganza in Ndegya, I returned to find him not eating and then he slept for two straight days. He's back to his old self now, so don't you worry your pretty little faces, but I don't know what caused the lapse. This morning he shied away from a furry caterpillar, so perhaps that was what happened to him. They might look and seem innocent enough, but the furry caterpillars here will break off their hairs in your skin if you touch them, and it doesn't feel good. They may even be poisonous, I don't know. Spencer really likes hunting crickets, probably because they are the only things he can actually catch, so I fear he may have tried hunting a caterpillar with adverse results. At least he now knows not to do it again.
Other than that, not a whole lot else going on around these parts. Just waiting for my younger brother to arrive here in the UG so I can cart him off to Kenya. That should be a fun vacation, several other volunteers are going to come with us so we will have a good time. Laying on the beach beside the ocean is a good time no matter who you're with, so we really can't go wrong. Let's just hope I remember my sunscreen:). I got burned the other day just sitting outside and playing soccer, on a very overcast day, so fortune is not on my side. I'll just go prepared.
Well, I guess that's enough for now, despite the lapse in entries, there just isn't much to talk about during the breaks from school. I'm off to make some chocolate chip cookies now, so eat your hearts out.
Peace
I'm a little nervous about leaving my dog for the holidays, despite the fact that he's survived multiple times without me there, including when he was a little guy and much more vulnerable to whatever it is I fear is going to happen to him. But after I attended the Japan vs. America sports extravaganza in Ndegya, I returned to find him not eating and then he slept for two straight days. He's back to his old self now, so don't you worry your pretty little faces, but I don't know what caused the lapse. This morning he shied away from a furry caterpillar, so perhaps that was what happened to him. They might look and seem innocent enough, but the furry caterpillars here will break off their hairs in your skin if you touch them, and it doesn't feel good. They may even be poisonous, I don't know. Spencer really likes hunting crickets, probably because they are the only things he can actually catch, so I fear he may have tried hunting a caterpillar with adverse results. At least he now knows not to do it again.
Other than that, not a whole lot else going on around these parts. Just waiting for my younger brother to arrive here in the UG so I can cart him off to Kenya. That should be a fun vacation, several other volunteers are going to come with us so we will have a good time. Laying on the beach beside the ocean is a good time no matter who you're with, so we really can't go wrong. Let's just hope I remember my sunscreen:). I got burned the other day just sitting outside and playing soccer, on a very overcast day, so fortune is not on my side. I'll just go prepared.
Well, I guess that's enough for now, despite the lapse in entries, there just isn't much to talk about during the breaks from school. I'm off to make some chocolate chip cookies now, so eat your hearts out.
Peace
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Used to be Commander in Chief of my Pimp Ship Flying High...
Ok so I really just like that lyric, I think Neyo is brilliant and should probably get an award for that one. So rap lyrics aside, I should update you on my life. Since the title has nothing to do with the content, which is terrible weather, here you go. It's getting to be the heavy part of the rainy season, and the roads by me are paying a high toll. I could hear from my house last night the bus that goes by me struggling through the mud and muck, and that was around 10pm. It usually goes by at about 8 or 8:30, but the rain was heavy yesterday and apparently it had to be pushed by the passengers for about 5 miles or so because it could not get through it on it's own.
I say pave the roads. I know it's not an incredibly well traveled traffic artery or anything, but there is bus service and plenty of taxis venture down that way, and it would just be safer. Sure, we'd lose some of the bucolic charm the dirt roads provide to the area, but the safety of paved roads in the rainy season and the lack of dust during the dry season would more than make up for the loss in atmosphere. I'm sure it will not happen for many years, however, because we are so far away from the capital and the workings of government, I sometimes think those in charge forget we're here. Oh well, at least they give us a tractor that looks like a giant snow plow (I'm from Wisconsin, after all) to try to rid the roads of the quagmire. When it is in use, it works, but the rains do not care about the travel needs of us villagers, and so whether or not the plow is in use the rains come again and re-muck up the roads.
The vehicles still attempt passage, however and it makes for a hair-raising ride. We fishtailed through it for the couple of miles of boggy road from yesterday's rains, and I did not enjoy my front row seat. I would have preferred to have been located in the 2nd or 3rd row of the taxi, exactly in the middle, pinned between multiple bodies with no view whatsoever of the outside world. It used to make me claustrophobic, now however it makes me feel safe, wedged in with plenty of cushion in case anything happens. Oh well. We made it through with no dire consequences. Let's hope my lucky streak continues.
Peace
I say pave the roads. I know it's not an incredibly well traveled traffic artery or anything, but there is bus service and plenty of taxis venture down that way, and it would just be safer. Sure, we'd lose some of the bucolic charm the dirt roads provide to the area, but the safety of paved roads in the rainy season and the lack of dust during the dry season would more than make up for the loss in atmosphere. I'm sure it will not happen for many years, however, because we are so far away from the capital and the workings of government, I sometimes think those in charge forget we're here. Oh well, at least they give us a tractor that looks like a giant snow plow (I'm from Wisconsin, after all) to try to rid the roads of the quagmire. When it is in use, it works, but the rains do not care about the travel needs of us villagers, and so whether or not the plow is in use the rains come again and re-muck up the roads.
The vehicles still attempt passage, however and it makes for a hair-raising ride. We fishtailed through it for the couple of miles of boggy road from yesterday's rains, and I did not enjoy my front row seat. I would have preferred to have been located in the 2nd or 3rd row of the taxi, exactly in the middle, pinned between multiple bodies with no view whatsoever of the outside world. It used to make me claustrophobic, now however it makes me feel safe, wedged in with plenty of cushion in case anything happens. Oh well. We made it through with no dire consequences. Let's hope my lucky streak continues.
Peace
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