The Great East Adventure...

Clearly I understand how much I have been slacking on my blog until this week. I’ve got a page full of reasonably acceptable excuses but will save those for a rainy day. Since my last, more informative, post I have hit a few milestones: a year since I swore in as a long awaited Peace Corps Volunteer, the one year anniversary of me living in my own little self-contained ‘house,’ my second attendance of an All Volunteer Conference. I’ve witnessed the full cycles of the wet and dry season here in the Southwest of Uganda which includes surviving the spikes and lowes of the prices of tomatoes, onions, and every other fruit and vegetable available to me here. The last time I’ve lived in a single place for over a year was my senior year in high school. For nearly 6 years I have bounced back and forth between my parent’s house, college living quarters, and work in Oregon. Less than a year left here in Uganda and who knows where I will end up next and for how long. Wherever it is… it will never compare to my lifestyle here in Uganda. It’s a unique experience and I am trying to embrace it while it lasts. That being said just because I’ve been living in the same small shack for the past year doesn’t mean I have always BEEN there. One of my favorite perks of Peace Corps other than living in a new environment is exploring that environment. I left home with little international travel experience so now I’m just trying to experience things I’ve been missing the past 24 years of my life through this experience and that includes… traveling!

Although public transport in Uganda is far from ideal it is quite convenient (most of the time) to get from Point A to Point B, C, D, E... or wherever your body may desire to travel. It may be frustrating at times waiting for hours on end to get from one destination to another but from being in this country for so long you just learn to bring a book, enjoy the scenery, and just go with the flow. I generally don’t pay attention to anything in order to prevent frustration and anxiety and I call this state of unconscious consciousness ‘Zombie-ing Out.’

I believe I left off with the month of March before gushing about Sipi and complaining about mice (with good reason). That’s almost a year ago. Oops. Things happen, people get busy, and others like me just simply lose track of the time, days, and months. I’ve been living one day at a time… which generally means I either don’t plan what happens next or I forget what just happened. Either way I’m about to catch you up so give me another moment to collect my thoughts… go grab some Jiffy Pop and settle down. (For those of you who are unaware what Jiffy Pop is… it’s delicious so you should Google it and educate yourselves.)

One. Two. Three. March. The third month of the year and one of my most eventful and meaningful adventures so far. On a whim I decided to venture out East for a few reasons: explore, visit other volunteers, and gather Re-Usable Menstrual Pads (RUMPS) materials. I live approximately 9 hours from Kampala where I transfer to another mode of transportation of sorts to continue East. First stop: Jinja. On the 1.5 hour – 2 hour coaster ride to Jinja the front windshield of the coaster I am in shatters with about 30 minutes left in the journey. Due to this unfortunate event we stop… get out of the coaster… glass cuts are bandaged…and 10 minutes later all pile back into the coaster and begin our journey again… at about 20mph slower than we were once moving. Luckily It wasn’t raining and I enjoyed the strong breeze unlike I know most of the passengers. Jinja. Finally. After the long journey I went out to get a delicious PB and Chocolate milkshake. Wish I had one now. Walked around a bit and went out for a few drinks with the nearly departed education volunteers. Later in the night I remember the temperature dropping and the rain pouring down. When we got back I wasn’t quite ready to go to bed so I stayed up on the awning on the roof talking with another volunteer for a while. In the morning the weather was beautiful so I went back up to the roof for a quiet yoga session then headed down the street to browse around a few craft stores for things that I don’t need but got because they were cute anyways. I packed my bag and headed off to my next destination: Tororo. (Aprox 2.5 hours from Jinja)….

In the dusty town of Tororo, located a few kilometers from the Kenyan boarder, I stayed with a married couple who were newly sworn in Peace Corps Volunteers. I’ve traveled plenty of places around Uganda but I must say… The first stretch of road after Tororo is the worst I have been on so far in Uganda. I haven’t had the opportunity to meet them until I arrived and their hospitality was most appreciated. They made potato soup and had a spare bedroom ready for me. It was refreshing to meet new people and hear new stories. 

To Be Continued….

Jinja

The menstruation cycle

Mt. Elgon resort

cow eating a spud

Top floor

The Dog Days

I would start to write. Then my mind would suddenly get side tracked. Until I stopped writing blogging for the past few months because I could never be patient enough to sit down and write. I also ran into a few computer problems. As usual.

I just finished with the most enjoyable bucket bath. I had a glass of wine (in a coffee mug), burned some incense, and had a few candles lit on the wall (since my solar lights don’t work). I needed something like that after the past few weeks. Sometimes you win. Other times you don’t. I’ve been re-adjusting and unmotivated. When another one of your projects don’t work out you lose confidence in your ability to do what THEY expected you to come here and do. This is not a post about failure. I’m not done yet and in order to be successful sometimes you have to fail. I actually have quite a bit to look forward to in the next few months! I’ve had enough rambling about my current situation.

Upon request from a few individuals I am here to write the infamous story of how I obtained my little fuzz ball (who isn’t so little anymore). I just finished spending nearly 3 weeks preparing and directing a camp (all of this will be in another post… pinky promise). Once the fun was over I was required to attend our annual All Volunteer Conference. This is where we get together, socialize, share ideas, and get re-motivated. Those few days I was EXHAUSTED beyond belief and spent most of my day lying on my bed watching movies with my eyes closed. After three days of being a zombie and trying to participate, a few of the volunteers from the newest group were heading to see waterfalls in the East. I’ve never been to Sipi falls. I figured I could use a ‘vacation’ after camp and… why not go East? I’m already half way between the East and West of the country I might as well keep going. We leave the next morning and hop on the first available bus to Mbale town. Due to ‘road construction’ we are delayed and arrive in Mbale not long before dusk. It was between staying in town at a hotel or hiring a car to drive us to the falls so we could sleep there. Clearly we all chose option two. Just after dusk we arrive at our destination: a quiet little place built on a slope with multiple dorm and other rooms. The manager hands 3 of us lamps and he leads us down a rocky stone path. After a minute of being blinded by the torch light and feeling my way down these ‘steps’ we reach a long building with an equally long front porch. Out of the four dorm rooms the 7 of us occupied two of them.

After a day on the bus and no food in our stomachs we try to order food but the only thing we could order at that hour was beer. Luckily another volunteer bought bread and peanut butter at the store in Kampala. Good thinking. We sat on the porch listening to music and enjoying the comforts of being able to stretch out fully. If you were quiet enough you could hear the waterfall crashing in the distance. With the moon out you could even see the faint flow of water sweeping over the top of the cliff. In the past few weeks I was so stressed and unrested that I finally felt a clear moment of peace. The night before my life here changed.

The next morning we woke bright and early to enjoy a cup of coffee and the view on the porch before our hike. We started the hike by walking down to the base and biggest section of the 3 connecting falls. As you get closer the roaring sound of the water crashing into the rocks gets louder and louder until you get a chill as the mist slowly falls around you. The air gets cooler and all of your senses are awakened. It was almost magical. This isn’t the first waterfall I have seen but it has been the first waterfall I could really experience up close. This close. I remember standing on a boulder at the bottom. Just in front of where the water spilled over the edge. The power I felt was natural. The gusts of wind blowing the cold mist through me. It was an experience that words can’t fully describe. A rare and breathless moment.  We climbed up a rickety log ladder and followed a path through the villages that would lead us to the top waterfall.

While walking along a narrow path we meet this woman carrying a small plastic bag with two puppy heads sticking out. Another volunteer asked if we could hold them. The others reached for the cute on who looks like he’s been dripped in caramel while I grab the big-eared brown and black fuzz ball . I asked where the woman was going and she said she was walking to the market to sell the dogs. I was curious so I asked how much a dog goes for. ((Now this may have seen spontaneous and irresponsible. In reality it probably was one or both but I have been thinking about getting a dog for a while. I even had one ready to take home at the school where the camp was held. The thing is… this one is here… right now in front of me… and no matter which one I choose…. I have to transport it home on a 2 day, 15 hour trip.) The nyabo (lady) told me 20,000… so I asked if she would take 10,000. After some expert bargaining I reduced the price to 16,000 for a puppy of my choosing (just over $6). I was kind and gave her 20,000 anyways for being such a good sport. When it came to choosing I couldn’t resist the caramel fuzzball with floppy ears. Honestly how could anybody?

I’ve been thinking of names for a dog but I think it’s important to meet something before you name it. As I was going through names a fellow volunteer suggested the name Sipi. Perfect J That way I will never forget where he comes from. I was worried for a bit by his lack of energy and a small gash he had on his foot but after all he was only about four weeks and with a little care his wound healed up in no time.

I carried him for nearly five hours on the hike. When we got close to the falls he was so small that I would wrap him up in my bandanna to keep him warm. The rest of the hike we climbed rocks, sat on the edge of the top of a waterfall, and washed up under another one. I was prepared and made sure to bring my shampoo and body lotion just in case the opportunity to shower came up.  Sipi slept in a pile of rain jackets while we played around in the water, but made sure he stepped in Sipi Falls before I took him to his new home .

In town I bought a small plastic basket generally used for carrying food. For the next few days I fed him milk and had him sleep on the bed with me so he wouldn’t get stepped on while I was sharing a dorm room with others. I took my time taking him home with multiple bus rides and hotel stays. On public transport he would be in the basket on my lap. I once even asked the driver to stop so my dog could short call (pee). Luckily I was able to read the signs when he needed to pee. When I was at a hotel I would carry him downstairs nearly every hour to prevent him from making puddles and mud pies everywhere and it worked. I got him home and had him trained to do his business outside in no time.

For the first month I didn't spend more than a few hours away from him. If I went on a trip that was close enough I would take him with me and have him sit on my lap. Luckily at this age he just falls asleep for most of the ride or stares out the window. When I left to visit home for a month I was fortunate enough to find a volunteer and another friend take turn watching him. When I left he was a puppy with razor sharp teeth and disproportionate paws. When I came back I saw a small dog. It amazes me how fast things grow.

I feed him rice, fish, and meat (that I have to cut up and cook myself/ yuck). I walk him at least once a day whether it’s with a purpose to get a few things from town or just ambling through the villages (if its not to rainy or hot out). He is even up to date on shots (ordered a shot from Kampala and had it shipped on a bus). Side note: when you buy shots here usually you purchase your own solvent, syringe, and administer the shot yourself... which I wasn't about to do so I had some help. Unfortunately the fleas here are on a mission and I have to spray him down with repellent and bathe him more often than most dogs. He is a lot of work but the company and security he provides me is nice.

I’m still undecided if I should take him home or find him a new and good one here for him. After all he is Ugandan and this is his home but it is an unfortunate place to be a dog.  I need to do some research still. In the end everything will work itself out.

View from the porch

All grown up... half way

6.5 months old

Do I look fat today?

Afri-dog.

I wrote a very detailed post about how I got my puppy... Unfortunately it never posted. But when I can get a charger for my computer (mine got destroyed) I will try to recreate the experience again. Until then enjoy some adorable pictures....

His name is Sipi... For I got him at Sipi Falls in Mbale (about a 15 hour bus trip from my house). 

The lady I bought Sipi from
First family photo
At the hostel... With his grumpy face on
Twins!

I hiked four hours with this guy in my arms.
Sipi Falls

The Slumber Games

For a change my schedule has been filled with work. I spent nearly the last four weeks in Kampala prepping for the upcoming National Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) where I am one of the Co-Directors this year… more on that later. The week before I left I had not seen my cat and figured he was roaming around the village munching on avocados . I’ve been gone for almost a month and have been home for about 5 days meow with no sign of him. Bummer. He was a cool cat but I can get by just fine without him… or that’s what I thought until the sun went down that first night.

 I was exhausted from traveling only 100 km that took nearly 7 hours due to an unfortunate event on the way home. A dump truck decided to back up into my moving bus and tear a few metal panels off the side. It looked like a T-Rex got ahold of my bus. Packages in the storage containers were sliced open and all passengers were forced to wait an hour and a half until we could continue. The plus side is that the tires were fine so we were still able to drive… we were just a bit less aerodynamic. I get back to site and its eerily quiet. Not a child in site. I sit down on my stoop and take in the stars when all of a sudden I hear running. 20 seconds later I am surrounded by children and held hostage by their grip. It felt so good to feel so missed and finally be in my own home! I unlock the padlock and open the door... BOOM my house is a disaster! I swore there was another earthquake and my house was ground zero.

(PAUSE: I just ran out of A-1 sauce for my omelet. bummer)

Only one way to fix this before I pass out from exhaustion… MUSIC! So I had an impromptu dance party with the kids while I cleaned like a banshee for the next few hours.

My house is clean… I am clean… time for bed. FINALLY! I am so excited to sleep in my own bed again with my green force field of a mosquito net protecting me.

1:00 am …. Silence.

2:15am…. Silence.

2:48am… Silence.

3:05am…  SQUEEK! SQUEEK! Munch nibble munch munch…

Ugh. Not again!

For those of you who haven’t been reading my blog from the beginning, when I first arrived at my new site back in July 2012 this is how I lived for MONTHS until I got a cat. Not happy. I would wake up and ‘meow’ a couple of times until the mice would scamper away and bug someone else. These suckers can be LOUD! Don’t ever believe anyone when they use the expression ‘quiet as a mouse’ because it’s a lie. They may be clever and but these mice/ rat-beasts know how to party. Maybe it’s a special Uganda breed… party time till the rooster starts crowing at dawn.

Back to 3:05am:

I get out of bed with my nearly-dead flashlight in one hand and my machete in the other. I’m playing ‘hot lava’ and jumping from chair to chair to avoid any contact with the squeekers.  I’m not quite sure what I was thinking at this point but I didn’t find anything so I stepped back onto the floor and headed around the corner to my bed when the little bumper car runs into my foot and runs away! I once had a mole run into my boot when I worked in Oregon and thought it was hilarious… but this?! No. My feet are vulnerable and unprotected! Plus rodents should be able to see, at least the mole had a pretty good excuse! Mouse 1. Meish 0.

In the morning I thought the events of last night were too ridiculous that I didn't want to tell anyone because I thought it was a dream… until I was disturbed from my sleep once again at 3:00am. Ugh. This time I am extra cautious. I hear where the little guy is hiding and I try and startle him by banging on my table with the end of the broomstick. No response. Okay… where did he go? I let my guard down for 8 seconds and the thing flies out from the shelf and bumps into my foot yet again! Once… okay I’m over it… Twice… I’m a little annoyed by the lack of space he is giving my bare feet. This time I chase after him with my flashlight and find him huddled in a corner. I hesitate with the broom in my hand. ZOOM. He flies past me and heads for the wires that lead up to the ceiling. He’s about shoulder height and I go to swing my broom but I hesitate again because I’m fascinated by the way he is climbing. Dumb. Mouse 2. Meish 0.

By the third night I’m exhausted. The rooster, who wasn’t here four weeks ago, woke me up at 6:00am then the kids came yelling shortly after at 7:00am to ask if we were going to watch Spider-Man today. I just need some solid sleep so I can dream about anything but mice. 3:00am arrives and I’m still sleeping. Yessss. 3:15am strikes the clock and I’m woken up by a can falling off the shelf. Great. I bang on the wall and I can hear a mouse climb back to the ceiling… glad that worked. 4:30am I wake up to the noise of something else falling off my shelves. With my flashlight and broom (mind you this is a village broom and consists of twigs tied together) in hand I head for the noise. Standing on my couch I hear a slight shuffle on the shelves in front of me. I quietly slide to the ground and step closer to the noise. This time I am ready for whatever comes at me. Batter up. Now before you say anything I want to let you know I spent a whole 20 minutes deciding which object in my house would help me get rid of this mouse more efficiently and here is what I came up with and why I decided to go with the broom…

Shovel (too ‘Grave Digger’)

Olive Oil Bottle (too classy and not enough reach)

Poison (too unclean and horrible)

Trapping it under a pot (too risky)

Shoe (too lame)

Village Broom (good weight and long reach)

Well I never actually got to use any of those but not for the reason you may be thinking. If you haven’t gotten the hint already I killed Micky Mouse in my house. That wasn’t supposed to be a rhyme by the way, sometimes things like this just happen. I heard the noise.  I KNEW where it was coming from. The problem was when I cleared the shelf there was nothing left. At this point you could only hear a faint vibration like he was shaking. I could hardly hear the noise. I would put my face near one shelf and listen… hear it faintly… then move down a shelf and hear it a little bit clearer. The shelf it was coming from was now completely empty… weird. Before giving up again I got the bright idea to look behind the bookshelf. There he was… looking like a rock climber wedged about half way up the back side of the shelf. We stared at each other for at least a minute. I was admiring his big ears, beady eyes, and little pink nose when he was probably plotting how he could bump into my foot again even though I was standing on a chair. If I could share one… two pieces of advice from my adventures last night it would be: Don’t look something you are about to kill in the eyes and always remember to be creative. My broom wasn’t going to work and I was tired. By this point in the night I just wanted to get back in bed and cuddle with my blankets. It was 5:45am and my mind and body were about to go back to sleep without my permission. I remember pacing back and forth while having an internal conversation with myself; ‘you have to do it.’ ‘Just do it and get it over with.’ ‘It’s heavy enough.’ ‘No. You can’t keep him as a pet.’ ‘I know he’s cute but there are still plenty more living in your ceiling.’ ‘Just push it already.’

It was a quick death. I stood in front of the shelf and put my shoulder into it... double tap for good luck. I killed a mouse with a 6x4ft bookshelf. That’s correct. 6:00am strikes and the rooster starts crowing so I can’t even enjoy the silence that I worked so hard for. Who the heck does that?! If this was a new version of the movie ‘Zombiland’ I think this qualifies for at least an honorable mention for kill of the week.

Sometimes the things I do in the Peace Corps still surprise me. Now I will ALWAYS have a story to tell about the time when I killed a mouse with a bookshelf. Only in Uganda.

Mouse: 2 Meish: win by default

(This is my life)

Why my bus trip took so long

First Class

Just missed the tire!

The cat who made me 'kind of' accept cats

What have I been up to? Here you go...

July. The 7^th month out of 12 which means we have passed the halfway mark of 2013! Crazy right?! So far it has been a crazy adventure for me. Today I am celebrating the ‘birthday’ of good old America with some fellow volunteers. We spent the afternoon making onion rings, potato salad, and cheese burgers… not too shabby. No fireworks though but… with the new laws in Michigan I’m sure people are enjoying that. It’s weird for me to say this has been my second 4^th of July celebration in Uganda. Just over a year ago I left my homestay family and finished language training… time flies. Only one more 4^th of July in country to go?! Possible.

I started the year off by watching the sun rise over the Indian Ocean while enjoying the island of Zanzibar with my brother and fellow Peace Corps Volunteers. Not long after arriving back in Uganda I finally had a chance to celebrate my birthday in Africa. Wait. Hold on… a January birthday in Africa?! My thought process goes straight to ‘no snow or freezing temperatures!’ This means I can FINALLY eat outside on my birthday and actually enjoy it! Oh the little things in life. Naturally that’s what I did… for two bites until it started raining at least. But I can check that off my list of things I always wanted to do! That weekend I went to a fellow volunteer’s site near Queen Elizabeth National Park for some great company, scenery, and (of course) an adventure. Check. I arrived at Jim’s site and am warmly greeted by the children from House of Love (orphanage). Jim is a fellow volunteer in my group who also arrived just over a year ago in Uganda. He is an INCREDIBLE photographer and anyone can easily get lost in his ice-blue eyes. He enjoys micro brews, being extremely chill, and as you can tell by what I just said…is a pretty cool dude. Sorry ladies, he’s taken. Let us continue shall we? Jim’s birthday present to me was that I could take two of the girls from House of Love and pick seeds in the forest for crafts. Big trees, uneven terrain, leaping monkeys, strange birdcalls… I was in my element. Thanks Jim! Best birthday present EVER! After a few hours of romping in the forest we collect a few more Peace Corps volunteers and went on a nature hike to explore the elephant problem. Many of the elephants are destroying crops on the edge of the park so there is a group of individuals working on developing new methods to keep the elephants away from the crops. Some of these methods include making loud and obnoxious noises at night, digging a trench, putting thorn bushes along the trench, and bees. By connecting a series of hives together with a ‘trip wire’ when the elephants disturb the bees, the bees get angry and chase the elephants away (we hope). They are still working on this issue but in time they will find a good solution. Later in the evening we headed over to a friend’s for some brick fire pizza and fun times.

 When we got back to Jims we walked around the rim of a crater so that we could watch a fire blazing in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The stars above our heads and glow of the fire were the only sources of light we had to guide us around the crater’s rim. We found a log to sit against and just took it all in. I’m pretty sure it was controlled but you never know. When we finally moseyed back to Jims where I set up camp on the floor. I brought out the tent and doubled it as my mosquito net. Check. I always wanted to go camping on my birthday and eat outside. I think I somehow accomplished both.

Homemade Pizza crust pro. Boom.

Brick pizza oven made with lava rocks!

My epic birthday weekend wasn’t over just yet. The next morning Aaron and I took Jims advice and went to go look at the twin crater lakes. The plan was to find the viewpoint… check it out… and head somewhere for food. Oops… I mean we found the ‘viewpoint’ but as soon as we saw the crater lakes we couldn’t just look at them. We had to explore! Standing at the top of a hill looking down a walking path where you hope just goes around the crater but you will never actually know for sure unless you check it out. Tempting, eh?  With our hydration bottles in hand and cliff bars in our pockets we were pretty unprepared for what was to come. The adventure started off calm with nobody else around but the birds and the bees. We were walking along the ridge between the two crater lakes… eventually we took a split… started going around a second crater lake to get to the top of the first one…. Walk up and down… this way and that… and eventually hit a village on the other side of the crater about 4 miles into our journey. We picked up a little tour guide about 8 years old and all of his little pals on the way. He led us along a cliff that you couldn’t see the edge of because the grass was so tall then down the side of this said cliff. Most of the kids stayed near the top and once we got a certain distance away our little guide went back up. Then the kids started walking along the edge at the top and started pelting rocks at us. Aaron and I booked it and started running along the narrow trail we were on while the kids followed on the cliff above. We escaped with our nearly empty water bottles and still had quite a hike to go. We take a short break and I go to check the time on my phone… ummm… crap. Somewhere in all the madness I managed to lose my phone AND… this loss still hurts me... my Leatherman. Ouch. Good news is I somehow survived 6 months without it. After our what seems like an 8 mile adventure, we head to a resort for some lunch and R&R. My phone was discovered the next day and I had to pay 20,000 shillings to get it back. My Leatherman on the other hand was never recovered and I hope it’s living a useful and respected life.

The Twin lakes.

Walking along elephant paths with my bird book

Crater lakes

Quick Birthday safari... okay! Thanks for the present Clair!

why... hello there

Salt plots in the water

February is a blur. I started an after school fitness program for the community and students. This usually involved me blasting music and dancing while all the kids follow what I do. Somedays would be more organized than other with Zumba and Yoga but for the most part I just wanted to keep the kids moving and being physically active for more than 30 minutes. Once in a while I even got an adult from the community to join. I also started showing the students Planet Earth videos and explaining related content (Ex: earths rotation, how mountains form, what some of the key words meant) . Mainly because I wante to watch the films but I also really enjoy teaching the kids how things work with our planet.

Yoga cool down!

Then comes March… where shall I even begin...? Let me think on that one.

Moo.

Happy Birthday America. I will admit I miss you at times… and hopefully will see you someday soon.

365 Days Down!

One year ago today my flight landed in Uganda. It was late and I was exhausted. To be honest it was a bit terrifying and overwhelming but I was also extremely excited that I was finally living such a big adventurous life. This is a short short summary of my Peace Corps life over the past year…

In one year I…

…Moved to a country in Africa (Uganda more specifically)

…Met some A-mazing individuals

…Lived with a host family

…Tried to learn a new language

…Immersed myself into an unfamiliar culture

…Milked a cow

…Got tricked into watching a chicken being murdered (for dinner)

…Swore in as a Peace Corps Volunteer

…Moved into my own ‘house’

…Painted my house whatever color I wanted

…Got a cat

…Got stitches

…Traveled to Tanzania with my brother

…Spent Christmas on a tropical island

…Swam with dolphins

…Snorkeled through a coral reef

…Cooked on charcoal for 3 months

…Heard my voice on the radio (I was interviewed for my school)

…Got my house broken into

…Went on a safari (a few actually)

…Avoided getting a serious illness

…Got my phone stolen

…Caught sight of some incredible birds

…Discovered my like for teaching

...Pet a rhino

…Instructed a fitness class

…Was a camp counselor
...Got jammed in a car with 13 adults

…Became a pro at using a pit latrine

…Rafted on the Nile River

…Ate a grasshopper
...Got lost in a traditional canoe on a lake full of islands

…Started new relationships

…Head-butted a baby goat

…Adapted living without running water or electricity

…Integrated into a community

…Started reading Harry Potter

…Felt like I was making a difference in someone’s life.

The good, the bad, and the in-between. I have had so many experiences in just one year’s time… what experiences will another year hold for me??

Time to find out!

 

S/SW Camp BUILD and GLOW staff

Going for a hike during language training

watching a cow eat a sac of potatoes...

enjojo

I'm such a pro at cooking on coal

How I decorate the back of my house

Homestay family (Tata wange, Gloria, Me, Mama wange, Vicky)

Why yes, That is a rhinoceros.

Nile Rafting. Done.

Back to Zanzibar...

The camps I attended the past two weeks have been incredible… and exhausting. Felt sick for a few days in the North but after a lot of rest and getting my feet back in the Southwest where I belong… I felt better. Recovery time for camp is slow but my energy will return with time. The students are still on break till next Monday so I have some time to relax and enjoy the quiet till then.

One year ago today I left Michigan to attend staging for my Peace Corps service in Philadelphia. I remember loading my luggage into the car that morning, hugging my parents goodbye, and getting on an airplane by myself. When I arrived at the hotel I was already making a great impression by showing up just as things were starting. I had my first Chipotle experience on my last day in the states for the next 27 months, remember my first roommate in my PC experience (Kat), and will never forget how I felt when they ‘couldn’t find’ my passport. Just think about leaping off of a very tall building with a bungee cord attached to you and your eyes are closed. You have no idea what the other end of the cord is anchored to or if there is even a safety net below. Even if you were wearing protective gear it’s doubtful that it would help in the event something happens. This is Peace Corps. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into until you jump and figure it all out through the experience.

(I would have used ‘it’s like jumping out of a plane’ but I think I already exhausted that one)

Now back to Zanzibar….

****December 26th****

After harassing dolphins and getting stung by micro jelly fish, we hired a private vehicle and headed to Paje town. Paje was the ‘spring break’ destination for beach-goers (from my understanding). Although I’ve never gone on a beach spring break trip before in the states this is a bit what I always imagined it would be like except with more people. There were young adults touring from all over the world with a few parents and their children scattered about. Sunburns and booze here and there… with tons of beach in-between! Even with my constant application of sunscreen and living 8 month on the equator I started peeling the second day. Lame. Nice mental photo. 

*Side note: The last place my brother and I stayed was nice… but the beach was non-existent and replaced with sharp rocks and a 10 foot drop. If I mentioned sand in my last post at the lodge I hope I didn’t make it sound like a beach because that would be an overstatement. It was always either under water or hanging over the water due to a small cliff. Pictures I promised from last post:

The view from the room

the 'beach'

WARNING: This is not my plate... I would not waste my precious stomach space on a samosa or banana.

The staircase I would always attempt not to fall down

Full of crabs under the cliff!

no words could describe the beauty. 

My brother and I arrived at Demani lodge around noon when everyone else was already on the beach. We changed into our suits and headed down the beach to find a familiar face…. in the wrong direction.  We started walking one way where the ‘nicer’ more excluded resorts were then headed in the opposite direction for a few more miles. On the way we saw kite boarders, local sailboats, and even a few guys throwing a Frisbee which I happily joined in on for a few minutes. I was a bit bummed because I gave the only Frisbee I brought on the trip to a few kids on the main land of Tanzania but… I found one temporarily at least! We continued walking for a good 2 hours and after being extremely burnt and feeling like I should be in an episode of ‘Survivor.’ We stopped at a beach resort for a Pina Coladas and a plate full of flavorful food (which I was not used to). With our bellies full we headed back to Demani lodge to find the PCVs we were looking for the past few hours. Go figure.

That night we ended up taking it easy and stayed at Demani lodge (or should I say most of us). We took over the music and stayed up for a few hours catching up with one another. After one drink and a few good conversations I headed to my dorm style room that I was sharing with 2 other PCVs and my brother. I could tell I was on a tropical island because no my floor was  a giant sandpit and I thought I’d wake up with gritty particles of sand everywhere in my bed but to my surprise it was relatively clean. In the morning the housekeeping staff came in and dressed our beds so they would continue to remain sand free!  Each morning we got a ‘free’ breakfast consisting of an egg done in whatever style, fresh juice, and fruit. Yum.  

December 27^th through the 2^nd of January all blurs together. Most days were spent on the beach relaxing in the sun, eating great food, and enjoying the company of other PCVs. Most nights were filled with casual conversations, good drinks, and (of course) the beach.  We attended a Full Moon party on the beach consisting of expensive drinks and loud music that nobody was feeling… especially after a few of the Uganda PCVs got robbed at machete point (quite scary but theft is very common in Zanzibar so if you ever plan on going be smart, be careful, and stay in a group.) The next day 6 of us boarded a taxi and head over to Stone Town on the Western side of the island. We found an awesome local tour guide and walked through the fish market, everything market, explored an old bath house, discovered a delicious homemade yogurt shop, visited the old island fort, wondered around the back alleys of town like a pro, and lastly ended up at the seafood street food market (that’s a mouthful). You could find any seafood available from the local area skewered on a stick and ready to be grilled. I’d explain in better detail but I have a confession to make… I don’t like seafood. I tried some but I don’t really like it so I couldn’t even begin to tell you what they had. Although seafood is not my ‘thing’ I did taste a few of the items and heavily enjoy eating dafu, fresh coconut split open and ready to drink, and wish I could have just been a squirrel to store some for a rainy day in Uganda. The texture of the coconut meat was almost like a jello and strange at first but fantastic!

The next day (I believe) a large group of us planned an all-day snorkeling trip consisting of a stop to 3 different reef areas and a seafood lunch (octopus, squid, shrimp, lobster, and fries). I remember the first stop we landed on a small island and the crew pitched a tent for shade and started splitting fruit. Most people didn’t venture far from shore but I wanted to find the ‘good spot’ so I swam to the other side of the island with Aaron. After about 15 minutes of swimming Aaron wanted to head back to the group because we weren’t having any ‘luck’ finding the reef. He takes off and I keep on coasting along… by myself… in an ocean full of strange creatures I will never understand. Not even 2 minutes later… JACKPOT! I find a big reef filled with plenty of cool and bright colored looking coral and fish. The best part? I had it all to myself! Don’t get me wrong… I love to share but this?! Incredible! The water was so blue it looked like someone put food coloring in it. For those of you who need more of a visual the color reminded me of a blue raspberry kool-aid jammer. Remember those? And Dunkaroos? Oh such precious childhood taste bud memories. Sometimes I feel my taste buds weep when I think of Dunkaroos…. but I guess that’s normal because I find my taste buds do that about a lot of things now a days while I’m living in Uganda…

Back to reality now….

On New Years eve I went all out on my last meal of 2012 and got… drumroll…. street food with Aaron! Haha. I need to laugh at myself for that one. I’m cheap and I may as well act like a local and be cool to finish off the year. I also found it… symbolic somehow (wrong word? Oh well). By the time we finished our ‘meal’ we were ready to head to the New Years beach party! Unfortunately it was dark and with the previous night’s theft we felt a tad uneasy. Luckily we found some Masaai warriors and paid them to escort us to the beach party. Yea… we really did that and it was AWESOME! I felt pretty important for those next 20 minutes. Once again it was full of loud music and expensive drinks… good thing I am a cheap PCV and bought my drinks before attending the party for ¼ of the price. At midnight, which I’m pretty sure we had more than one countdown, they lit the beach on fire and it spelled out ‘WELCOME 2013.’ I’m pretty sure Mike loved that because he has an obsession with fire. At around 3ish the tide starts creeping in and everyone is dispersing. A few of us stay around so we can travel back together. While we were waiting on the beach I start walking towards a small group of PCVs near the water and all of a sudden one of the takes off onto shore and starts yelling about her wallet. I notice nobody else is following here so I run after her down a dark alley next to the lodge… I remember her yelling oh so politely ‘Excuse me sir but I believe you have my wallet’… ‘Excuse me sir….’ Over and over and over and over again as we run after this guy. Finally we reach an opening and we stop at the edge. I try telling her it’s unsafe to continue and I’m sorry that her wallet was stolen. So we start walking back and she trips on something. She bends down to pick something up and it’s her wallet! Surprisingly nothing was missing! We figured the thief either felt really sorry that he stole from such a polite person or he saw the Ugandan shillings and realized it wasn’t worth anything. After we get back none of the other PCVs really noticed us missing so we tell the story and head back to the lodge. Most of the other PCVs head to bed but I stay up with Kristina, Aaron, and other people from our lodge.

By 6am we are all exhausted but figured we would stay up and watch the first sunrise of the new year rise over the ocean so we headed down to the beach and waited. In those moments when the sun of the new year was rising up over the horizon I felt… at peace. We sat in silence and just drank in the beauty of the moment until the temptation became too great and people started swimming. I was too exhausted and ill prepared for swimming/ proper footwear and what what and am so glad I did not get in because one guy ended up cutting his hand and left to get stitches because of a sharp rock. I’m glad I thought things through and decided to go to bed before all of that even happened. By the time I went to bed, breakfast was moments away from being served but I decided to eat in my dreams instead. That day was reserved for lounging and enjoying the last full day of sunshine and white sandy beaches. I was going to take it all in. After 3 hours of sleep I was up and moving again with a slow but steady pace. I wanted the last day to just keep going on and on and on…. I felt like I would just wake up and be right back in Uganda. Well after a rocky Faerie ride, Subway sandwich in Dar Es Salaam, and two plane rides later… I was back.

Once we reached Uganda after 2 delayed flights we spent the night in a hostel and the next morning boarded a 9 hour bus to my home district of Rukungiri. For my brothers last few days in Uganda I got to show him my house! He was my first real visitor and I was so excited to share my house with someone from my family. I taught him how to hand-wash laundry, let him experience bucket bathing, and showed him how I generally live on a day to day basis. I will never forget when he told me I was doing ‘very well for myself’ and that he was impressed and proud of me. This was all coming from my oldest brother who I have always look up to and want to out-compete (at nobody knows what) and impress. I think I have finally succeeded. J

The whole trip was incredible! It felt good to take a break from Uganda and add another visa to my passport since I have never had many opportunities to travel outside of my home country before joining the Peace Corps. Tanzania was a BLAST and most of the reasoning behind that was the great company that I had the pleasure to be around throughout my trip. I’m so glad I got to share my brother’s first experience of African and hope he has many more because it has so much to offer.

Although I was glad to get out of Uganda for a week or two… I was also very relieved to come back to the familiarity of Uganda. Around this point it started feeling more like a home to me and I was very comfortable with my lifestyle and living situation.

Sometimes I may complain or point out things I dislike… but I could do the same thing about America and probably will when I return next year.

Now that I FINALLY was able to sit down and finish my post about something that happened over 5 months ago… I have a huge task ahead of me to update you on my life in Uganda since then. I would kick myself in the butt if I could but I already know I can’t do it successfully so I won’t even try.  I won’t lie… time has flown by and at times I can close my eyes and still picture the vivid memories of Tanzania and Zanzibar that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. It is a great feeling… the first country I needed a visa for to travel in and not work or live in. I may be a newborn when it comes to traveling still but… look out world! This chick has some big dreams and distant destination to explore! Bring. It. On.

Dafu!

I think my brother beat me every time... but I had dafu!

beach bums

On the stage... somewhere in Stone Town

seafood

fish/ meat market

**celebrating my one year mark in country this weekend!!**