First day of school... also elephants

We started school today at Rwentutu Christian Primary School. It was great to meet all of the teachers and students. The kids were so excited meet us it was a great feeling. The school is about a 25 minute drive from our house in Kasese town. The scenery at the school is stunning. Of course more than the scenery, the kids are sooooo cute.

Also.... On the drive home from school we saw elephants! Honest, real, live, wild ELEPHANTS!!!

Driving to Kasese

Feb. 24 Friday Driving to Kasese

                Today we made the over 7 hour drive from Kampala to Kasese. I would like to tell you about the Ugandan country side… but I can’t. There is no photographer, artist, or poet that could do its beauty justice so I certainly cannot. I can say this, through over 7 hours of driving I never took my eyes off the hills. Looking away will make your eyes thirsty for the scenery and you are forced to turn back.

                Beyond that the drive was also fun because we got to wave to nearly every person in Uganda. Being white is like being a celebrity and since everyone stares you might as well wave. They love it! They will wave, blow a kiss, wink, and yell as you go by. It made me happy in a way that I’m sure will damage my ego when I return to the states.

                Once we actually reached Kasese the attention didn’t feel so fun, just overwhelming. Enoch showed us our house and then took us to the local market to show us how to shop. I am thankful for having Janet and Edson here to help us. She is a 19 year old girl that lives with us so we can learn to survive. She helps us buy food, cook, clean, do laundry, and kill things in the house like mice and roaches. Edson also does these things as well as drives us everywhere. Not to mention he is the funniest person I have met here. They are invaluable. Other than that I am just trying to adjust to the house, city, and locals. Here are some pictures of our house since so many of you have asked to see it.

Kampala Quality Primary School

Feb. 23 Thursday 8:45pm

                Last night I hardly slept. I was up all night coughing. I was so tired and worried that I left breakfast to go back to the room and cry. Enoch wanted to take me to the hospital but we decided to wait and see how the morning went. I’m glad I waited for two reasons: one, I had started to feel better and cough less. Two, the school we visited is not something I would’ve wanted to miss.

                We spent the morning visiting classes at Kampala Quality Primary School. Luke and I observed primary 4 and 5 classes while Laura and Emily observed Primary 1 and 3. There were 58 kids in each of the two classes Luke and I saw. The students in the P5 class were discussing the advantages and disadvantages of mountains to humans. The teacher would ask a question and the children would wildly wave their hands. He would call on one and they would stand to say their answer. Then he would say “did you hear her?” The students would reply in unison, “yes we did.” Teacher: “Then what did she say?” The class would repeat the answer together.

                Later Luke and I went outside while the younger kids had recess. This was a truly magical part of the day. I shook one of the kids’ hands which led to a mob of touching. They all came to touch us and giggle. I bent down so they could touch my freckles. Even Enoch and the head teacher had questions about my freckles; they believe them to be an illness caused by being in the sun too long. It is hard for them to understand that I have them all the time, although they do change, and that they are not hurting me. I also removed my sandals so they could touch the pictures on my feet. It was an amazing experience and helped remind me why I came to this place that still feels so strange.

Kampala: Day one

When we woke up in the morning everything felt different than the night before. I started to feel excited again! I took some video of the guest lodge where we are staying and then we ate a small breakfast. Enoch and Edson (our supervisor and guide) greeted us and then Edson took us out to get a router and put minutes on our phone. Ahhhh yes, now I remember why I wanted to come to Africa. The city is stunningly beautiful in the light of day. Since there really are no words for it I will try to post some videos so you can see for yourself. The Ugandan people are so nice, just a joy to be around, and they seem to love Americans.

We came back and a lunch of chicken stew, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, and something new that you will see us tasting in the video. The food was very good for the most part, especially the sweet potatoes. We then took a tour of the Makerere campus where we are staying. I am impressed with the campus in general but more than anything I enjoyed seeing their School of Sculpture and Arts. Beyond that Enoch is a great guide and provided us with a lot of information about the college, the city, and the country. We met with a professor that gave us an overview of Uganda's educational system (more on that later).

I am still ill so I stayed home this evening to write this post and recover. The videos are not working for upload yet but I will try to get them up soon. I hope you enjoy it. More soon.

The trip to Kampala...

Wow, 20 hours of flying is not fun. I mean realllly not fun. Our stop in Brussels was the worst part. We had been delayed leaving Chicago so we had to run through the Brussels air port.The people there were rude and unhelpful to say the least. None the less we got on our next flight and arrived in Uganda around midnight on Tuesday (which was 3pm Tues. WI time).

New sights, sounds, and smells were made only more confusing by the darkness and fatigue that we were working through. To be honest I thought "why am I here? why did I think this was a good idea?" After only a few cough filled hours of sleep those questions were answered...

Thank yous and goodbyes...

With less than 48 hours to go I just wanted to say thanks to the people that helped make this trip possible.

I would like to thank...

Maggie, Kate, and everyone else that put this program together. I'm not always the easiest person to deal with but they both handled all of my questions with grace.

The amazing staff at Hawthorne elementary and MSCR for helping me find my feet as an educator. Above all, Nancy Lanyon, who has been the best cooperating teacher a person could hope for.

My personal trainer Shannon Maguire from Supreme Health and Fitness. She has been such a dedicated and inspiring person to work out with. I am looking forward to working with her again when I get back. If you need to get in shape for any reason Shannon is your lady.

My friends, aka the crew, aka la familia. I'm sure everyone would say this about their friends but I have the best friends on the face of the planet. You guys are my rock. Thank you for supporting me, bringing me joy, and surprising me at every turn.

Last but clearly not least, my family. I am forever grateful to my mom, dad, and brother for the financial and emotional support. Also thank you to my wonderful extended family for everything you have done for me. I love you all so much.

Getting ready

Getting ready has been a long process that started in the spring of 2011 when I was accepted into the program. For the most part that consisted of getting a loan and mental preparation. It was easy because it felt so far away, so not real. In August I started student teaching at Hawthorne with the amazing Nancy Lanyon. Between going to work at Hawthorne, after school with MSCR, meetings for Uganda, shots, working out with a personal trainer, supply shopping, and general worrying, the time has whirred past. With only a week to go I must admit that for the first time it feels very real. The thought of parting with my family, friends, pets, students, home, and comfort in general, is becoming hard to deal with. Fortunately I have a lot to do this week to keep my mind off of goodbyes!