Rain Flippin' Tastic!

The past week has been a blur. I believe it has rained every day since my last post and I feel… soggy. It took three days for my laundry to dry but at least I know they got a good rinse! Usually when it rains I don’t do much and I wait for a break to either walk to town or do something else outside. I’ve been able to finish the second season of Game of Thrones at the internet café when it wasn’t busy and organize some of my many lists and notes.  On Wednesday I was checking the PO Box and stopped in to the fabric store next door to talk to my friend Alice. I sat down like usual and Alice asked some questions about America then Is get up to leave and she tells me I should stay because its going to rain. Not 5 minutes later after helping her bring some clothes in from outside it starts pouring. She tells me about her TV and how it hasn’t been working properly so I turn it on, adjust the rabbit ear antenna, and smack it around a few times. No use. So I ask if she has a screwdriver. Her tailor grabs me a flathead and I figured it wouldn’t hurt opening up the TV to see if anything was disconnected or looked ‘off’.’ The entire time I’m looking inside with my cell phone torch (flashlight) they are so happy and keep mumbling that I must be an engineer and that I am so smart. I have NO idea what I’m doing or what I’m looking for and I kept reassuring them I am no engineer but… they seemed excited and hopeful still. Sorry for the false hope I obviously couldn’t and did not fix it. I get up to leave and Alice tells me I should pick out my dress. As a friend she kindly gave me 6 yards of fabric (about 20-30,000 Shillings maybe more) and hands me a few rolled up sheets with some ‘Ugandan Fashion’ designs on them.  It was a good think I had nothing to do that day. I looked through the selection of fabric and chose what color? Green of course! Its not a crazy or busy pattern but I think it will look good on the skirt and top I picked out. I hope I like it because there weren’t many fashions I liked on the sheets. I’ve seen a lot of styles I like but I haven’t had time to draw one out because usually they are worn by women passing me on the streets and I don’t think about it at the time. But this will be my first article of clothing bought in Uganda so I’m pretty excited about it. It was so kind of Alice to give me the fabric even after she told me her shop doesn’t make much money except for the holidays and I even offered to pay for it… multiple times! She is a very kind women and one of the first Ugandans I’ve made a friendship with in Rukungiri town. Hopefully many more friendships to come.

Sophie (another PCV) came to Rukungiri this weekend all the way from the East to work on a Pre Service Training (PST) presentation with Candace who I call Candy so try not to get confused. There will be a new group of Education volunteers coming to Uganda in the middle of November. It should be exciting not to be the ‘freshmen’ anymore. I just applied to do a training session on homestay living but turned in the application late since its hard that I don’t have my own computer. I feel as though I haven’t been able to do nearly enough work/ organizing and its harder for me to apply for positions and respond to e-mails. But all that worry will be over on Tuesday! YAY! All the PCVs that came with me in my group (back in May) are attending In Service Training (IST) for the next two weeks. The first week is a Language training and the second week is more of a technical training where our counterparts will be attending with us. I’m really excited to see everyone again and hear all about their sites. The language IST locations are based on region/ language but for the technical IST we will all be together again. Then right after IST a bunch of us are going rafting on the Nile river followed by a booze cruise/ Halloween party the night after. I must say my costume is not very unique but I refuse to spend money on dressing up like a fool for a night. *spoiler alert * I’m thinking about dressing up as an Orange store representative (cell phone service in Uganda) since my organization has everything I could use and I don’t have to pay for it! Plus I already got a free Orange T-shirt for being awesome. Its nothing special but at least I’ll have a costume. I might as well get some Orange Airtime and sell it :p but then it wouldn’t be a costume anymore.

While Sophie has been staying with Candy in Rukungiri I’ve been fed well when we all meet and cook dinner. Two nights ago we made tacos with homemade tortillas (which I made the night before), guacamole, slaw, and passion fruit salsa. Last night Candy invited some of the volunteers from the hospital for a fancy peanut butter mixed with a bunch of things pasta sauce and cooked green beans. Since dinner lasted so late last night and it was raining I decided to stay the night and in the morning after I did most of the dishes Sophie and I made hashbrowns and eggs.  Everything was so yummy! Tonight is ‘Pumpkinpalooza’ where every dish made has to contain pumpkin. Should be interesting. We will have 2 more PCVs join us tonight for the fun times. Apparently these meals will happen once a month where there is a ‘star’ vegetable that is featured in each dish including desert. I think carrot may have been already done. rumor has it that egg plant will be in January for my birthday month... eggplant in a desert shall be interesting. It’s a good idea but sometimes I’m sure traveling will get the best of me and make me not want to attend. It’s a pain to travel around sometimes. I should say most of the time. I’m running out of books to read on long, boring rides and came to the conclusion that I need to invest in a Kindle!

Short story. Yesterday I was walking to the supermarket and saw a big black bird sitting in a tree… I walk up closer and it’s a big black hawk with a Mohawk! I just looked up for a few minutes in amazement, kicked myself for not having a camera, then walked into the supermarket to buy some yogurt. The entire time I was in the store I was thinking to myself ‘please don’t fly away.’ When I came out it was still up in the same tree. I walked behind the supermarket, took out my yogurt, and punctured a hole in the top of the container with my straw. I wasn’t in a hurry to do anything so I just plopped a seat on the ground and slurped my yogurt while staring at this beautiful bird. Did I mention it was also by the police station? They must have thought I was crazy! When I get my computer I can finally order my bird book and know what I’m looking at next time. 

Happy days ahead! I get my computer. I’ll be traveling. I get to be reunited with my PC group. White water rafting on the Nile river. And on my way home I get to pick up my gas tank so I can boil water in 10 minutes instead of 40 minutes! So excited!

Now I just have to figure out how to feed my cat for 2 weeks without me being there. Challenge accepted. I don't want my cat to starve to death. I may not like Elend at times but the little bugger is growing on me and I'm not that cruel.