So I ate a grasshopper this week. It was pretty good, as Blythe puts it, it tastes like popcorn but with eyes. I also got to ride a boda boda...twice. unfortunately I am expected to ride side saddle-this is nerve-wracking as I've never ridden anything side saddle before but you know a first for everything. we also built adobe stoves. this involved a lot of furious mud throwing for the foundation-this was fun, but very messy. I also was kicked out of the mud throwing job, apparently my throwing skills were inadequate. I think my supervisor was just mad because I kept splattering him.
I hopefully start teaching on Tuesday, so we'll see how that goes. Today I will be learning how to wash my laundry by hand. I have to go I only have two minutes, but yay Uganda. Mom thanks for doubling my followers. For a shout out I will tell you that I ate three samosas yesterday-so delicious.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Mazungo Mazungo!
That is what is shouted as we walk down the streets. Usually by small children, sometimes by their parents. It pretty much means white person. So far Uganda is hugely successful as I have not yet been hit by a boda boda (motorbike taxis).
Yesterday we spent the day "helping" one of our partners. I was first in the garden. Or small farm as I would more accurately describe it. I began work with the hoe. I did about three holes and then the poor teenager boy who was assigned to help us took it from me and handed me the bag of seeds. I planted seeds in the holes he made and then did hole covering duty. This is the bottom rung on the totem pole of garden tasks as you essentially just kick dirt into the hole filled with seeds. I also helped sort rocks for a clinic. They were using them for the floor. I didn't ask questions. I also helped pour water to mix cement. At one point the rocks I was standing on gave out and I slipped in cement. Graceful. The crowd of 10 boys aged 5-9ish laughed as though I was the Arrested Development Episode where Buster gets his hand bitten off by a sea lion (Kerstin I noted that you were my only official follower so that reference is for you).
The drive to the farm where we were working was gorgeous. Uganda is literally a jungle. The people are so kind and not as used to seeing mazungos as the people in Mukono are. We usually get one of three reactions. 1) Shy waving and smiling. 2) Frantic waving with shouts of mazungos mazungos! 3) Jaw dropped frozen in place staring. When we were at the farm one of our group members wanted to take pictures of some children playing. He was afraid the three elderly women would be annoyed with him taking the kids picture. The old women proceeded to wave the children out of the way so they could have their picture taken. It was funny.
Today we are having meetings with partners that I'll be working more with. In 15 minutes I'm leaving to meet with the headmaster of a vocational school where I'll be teaching business courses. We just had a meeting with a prep school where we'll be doing after school activities. They said we'll play basketball against their strongest team (12-15 year olds) so I'm getting excited for that match-up. I would bet 10,000 Ugandan shillings ($5) that they've never seen a mazungo girl play basketball-so the shock factor should give us an advantage at first. Also, I apologize for the lack of attention paid to grammar or spelling.
Yesterday we spent the day "helping" one of our partners. I was first in the garden. Or small farm as I would more accurately describe it. I began work with the hoe. I did about three holes and then the poor teenager boy who was assigned to help us took it from me and handed me the bag of seeds. I planted seeds in the holes he made and then did hole covering duty. This is the bottom rung on the totem pole of garden tasks as you essentially just kick dirt into the hole filled with seeds. I also helped sort rocks for a clinic. They were using them for the floor. I didn't ask questions. I also helped pour water to mix cement. At one point the rocks I was standing on gave out and I slipped in cement. Graceful. The crowd of 10 boys aged 5-9ish laughed as though I was the Arrested Development Episode where Buster gets his hand bitten off by a sea lion (Kerstin I noted that you were my only official follower so that reference is for you).
The drive to the farm where we were working was gorgeous. Uganda is literally a jungle. The people are so kind and not as used to seeing mazungos as the people in Mukono are. We usually get one of three reactions. 1) Shy waving and smiling. 2) Frantic waving with shouts of mazungos mazungos! 3) Jaw dropped frozen in place staring. When we were at the farm one of our group members wanted to take pictures of some children playing. He was afraid the three elderly women would be annoyed with him taking the kids picture. The old women proceeded to wave the children out of the way so they could have their picture taken. It was funny.
Today we are having meetings with partners that I'll be working more with. In 15 minutes I'm leaving to meet with the headmaster of a vocational school where I'll be teaching business courses. We just had a meeting with a prep school where we'll be doing after school activities. They said we'll play basketball against their strongest team (12-15 year olds) so I'm getting excited for that match-up. I would bet 10,000 Ugandan shillings ($5) that they've never seen a mazungo girl play basketball-so the shock factor should give us an advantage at first. Also, I apologize for the lack of attention paid to grammar or spelling.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Packing packing packing
I am about to start the packing process. Of course it is beautiful weather outside and I have zero interest in packing at present. Also, the only reason I am putting this worthless post up is because I felt like my blog should have at least one post if it is in existence. Sorry this one is fairly uninteresting. Hopefully the Uganda ones will be much more exciting.
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