Day 32: Progress!

Sunday was pretty boring but I’m so happy because I’m making headway with my thesis (Culminating Experience). One of the TASO staff downloaded SPSS (statistical software) onto the work laptops for me! God Bless him. I have entered all of my data in there and even made like 12 graphs today. I have a couple more analyses to run and then I can get right into discussing the results. I already know many of the point I’m going to be writing and I plan to have a complete draft done in the next few weeks. I feel so great that I know I’ll be getting this damn thing over and done with this summer. J

Also its confirmed that on July 4th (this coming Saturday) I’m going to go to Jinja and go white water rafting on the Nile! I’ve never done anything like this so I’m sure it will be an experience and I’ll have lots of fun! Also another GW student who’s in Jinja wants to have a BBQ to celebrate July 4th even though we’re in Uganda. It should be a good time!

Two random comments:



1. In addition to Nigerian movies we watch Telemundo soap operas that have been dubbed in English and are all the rave in Uganda. My favorite is called El Cuerpo Deseo (Second Chance). They are very funny and actually quite addicting.



2. I want to go to South Africa next year for FIFA 2010 World Cup. They are always showing soccer here and it seems like it would be so much fun to go. Maybe for like a week or so and a couple games sounds good. Imma try and recruit you people to come with me….you’ve been warned… lol

Day 31:Ugandan “Wedding”

So I’m sure you’re wondering what’s the “ ” for? I’ll get to that in a little bit…. So we went to the “wedding” the guys’ sister from the guesthouse had on Saturday. Around 12:15 noon we leave with a driver and a few family members that live at the guest house gave us a ride at about 12:15 noon to the village about 20 mins away. When we get there we are clearly one of the few people that have arrived. Mind you the invitation says that it starts at 12 noon and they were expecting about 300 people. So we’re sitting around kinda just knowing that we will be sitting around for at least a couple more hours. We meet the bride and some other folks there and just kinda sit there. Here a few photos of the place:

There were at least 500 people there! See...we were the first people there lol

So here are the lovely restrooms. lol Its funny becasue there's not even a hole behind there. Its literally just grass behind them...I will never complain about a porta potty or public bathroom again!

So we’re waiting, waiting and waiting some more. Just chillin. Not getting mad or frustrated bc if you’ve read my previous entries you know that I have found it pointless to even get mad at stuff like that here. So around 2:30 I’m getting really hunry bc I only ate around 10 that morning (I knew I shoulda brought a granola bar or something). Still waiting. At about 4:30 the place is looking more packed people are waiting around (patiently might I add) for the ceremony to start. Most of the ceremony was in Luganda so I couldn’t understand some things. But long story short the whole thing was more like a play than weddings I’m used to. In fact, we found out by the end that it wasn’t even the wedding, this was just the introduction of the couple to the village. So it started off with the grrom’s family standing by the entrance and one of the bride’s family members (who was the MC on the mic) was giving him a hard time and asking him why it took so long for him to get there. Then there were several (and by several I mean at least 8 ) skits that were acted out that revolved around the man acting like he was going to pick from a group of girls who the bride should be to one of the bride’s aunt’s looking in the crowd for who the groom would be. It was cool because when the women came out they were dancing in a line and it reminded me of strolling lol. Imma try to post the video that I took of it at some point. So it was like a whole play acted out for the marrying couple. It was really interesting from what I could actually understand. But it was dragging on and on and on and I was getting hungrier and more lightheaded by the second.

These are the bride's maids coming through...strolling!

Another skit....They strollin it out...hard! Thats the bride towards the back in the teal outfit

So by the time the real bride and groom eventually “picked” each other out it was around 6:30 or so. Then the groom’s family presented the other family with gifts. Which was so cool. I have a video of that too. It was mad stuff!!

This was then followed by several other things like them introducing some people from each side of the family, exchanging engagement rings, feeding each other cake and taking bites from an apple. We ended up getting to eat at about 8 and I wish I wasn’t so hungry otherwise I woulda been able to enjoy the tail end of every thing better. But 10 hrs of not eating kinda got to me :-/

So we ended up eating in the house with the groom and he goes “You are most welcome and please come to the wedding. Its August 8th.” In my mind I was thinking I think I’ve had enough Ugandan weddings for a summer with this experience. I would love to go but I can’t sit through a 7 hr ceremony knowing I’m going to be starving. I’m glad to got to see the introduction ceremony though.


**DAMMIT THE VIDEOS WON'T LOAD :-( ...files are too big

Day 30: RIP Micheal Jackson :-(

I am in complete and total shock. I CANNOT believe Micheal Jackson is dead. When I was 9 years old I would always tell my mom that he was going to be my husband. I loved him. He is the greatest artist of our lifetime and has inspired countless of artists around the world. This totally came out of nowhere. My roommate’s husband told us at 7am our time (about 12 midnight Eastern US time) that he was dead. I am still in disbelief.

When I listen to anyone of his songs it reminds me of an event in my life. "Man in the Mirror" is my favorite song of all time and the entire Thriller and Dangerous albums are in my mp3 player. I feel like sudden deaths like these of people we look at as legends show us how precious life is. Live life to the fullest because you never know when it will be your time to go!

There will never be another artist like him in our lifetime...RIP MJ :-(

Day 29: Creepy Crawlies

Now there are very few things that I hate in this world. But bugs and other nasty little creatures are on my hate list. Anyone that’s been around me when a roach, centipede, or mouse is in the vicinity, has seen me freak out and scream the highest pitched scream you’ve ever heard in your life. So y’all know I am going through it in Africa!! lol

Here is a list of the nasty little bastards that have decided to leave nature and come into my bedroom, hotel room or TASO office since I’ve been here in Uganda:
- Cockroach/Water bugs
- Moths
- Grasshopper (screamed my head off)
- Mosquitoes (of course)
- Daddy Long Leg spiders
- Other spiders
- Chameleons
- Lizards

A Lizard outside/in nature where its supposed to be…

To me the Chameleons are the nastiest of them all. They are so ugly looking and they wiggle along the wall when they move (side to side…like a snake with legs) and stare at you with their beedy eyes. I just hate them! Last night I was screaming so loud when I saw one in the bathroom when I was showering. My roommate just laughed and said I sounded like someone was attacking me. Ugh!

Here’s one that was in our hotel room like the first night we were in Mbale. (it looks just like the one in our bathroom last night) Ewww…go back outside with the rest of nature!! >:-{

I know there are many more of these encounters to come so I gotta get it together and stop complaining :-/

Day 28:The Grand Tour

The title of this post is total sarcasm by the way. lol But I just realized I haven’t posted any pictures on where I’m living. So we are living in a guesthouse. Since we’ve gotten the whole money issue squared away they have been nothing but sweet to us. Rogers (one of the guys who runs the place) even invited us to his sister’s wedding on Saturday. You’ll definitely be seeing pics of that.

So its just one room that we share and a bathroom. We both have mosquito nets and they have been pretty good for us to not get bitten during the night.

That's my bed on the left

Also here is our bathroom. It tripped me out at first how the shower isn’t separate from the toilet area. But the fellow I’m with said its like that in Korea (where she’s from) too. So its not the Waldorf Astoria but I’m glad I have a decent and safe place to lay my head at night.

Our bathroom

Here’s a pic that we took today with other fellows from Nigeria and Sierra Leone who were here for about 4 weeks (Today was their last day). I have no clue why homeboy is not looking at the camera. No one else was taking a picture. LoL…Don’t it look like we’re related tho?…he’s the one from Sierra Leone.

Us Fellows at TASO

Also I apologize in advance for this disgusting random moment but I have to share it with y’all. So why did we see two stray dogs that grabbed wrapped up, used pads from a trash pile and were shredding them to pieces? I mean they were actin like it was sirloin steak….I could see blood (I know TMI) :-/ Yuck.

Day 25: Blasé

For the record: Hand washing numerous loads of clothes sucks ass….and makes my back and legs hurt….the end L

In other news, things are coming along slowly but surely at TASO. Me and the other fellow are getting through the client files and making progress. It’s so crazy sometimes to read through the counseling notes on some of the HIV/AIDS clients here. I mean the issues they face health wise and socially are really sad. From itchy skin, to their spouses refusing to use condoms…I even read about a client who said his wife hired someone to kill him and the guy ended up telling him about it! It’s just crazy. But I am learning so much working here at TASO (The AIDS Support Organization). I think this experience is really going to help me understand my work when I get back to the US. When I start an international development job I’ll be more aware of the challenges that are going on here and I know I’ll be able to do better at whatever job I end up getting.

Emotionally I’m still up and down. Its not anything that I wouldn’t be feeling in the US but I just have more time to think about everything. Most of y’all know it’s the usual…Family/Ex issues. I just wish we could wave a magic wand and get over any issues we had. But of course I know that’s the path of life…..dealing with and learning from our issues and hopefully becoming better people from what we learn. I’m praying that I can get over some of these things much sooner than later.

Tonight I’m supposed to be going to a nightclub called Club Oasis. I gotta see if Im still in the mood around 10. My body hurts and I’m just not feeling in a clubbing type mood. We’ll see though….if not tonight another night I’ll go with some TASO ppl. You’ll hear about the experience if I do go tho…. ;-)

Edited to Add: I ended up getting a major headache after washing all them clothes so I didn’t go out last night. My thighs are killing me too :-/ Maybe I’ll end up losing weight from washing my clothes….

Day 21: Stalled...

So there isn't much to update on b/c I still haven't gotten started on a project at TASO. Its always one thing after the other. It's our third week here and either people aren't at their offices to meet us (b/c they're "out in the field", at "outreach" or "on lunch), we don't get feedack on the next steps we're supposed to take, or someone forgot to tell us a crucial step in getting a certain task and we have more work to do. Don't get me wrong. People here at TASO are very sweet and super helpful. But everyone has so much on their plate that they aren't making enough time to get us started on our project. We are trying to review files of clients to identify instances of gender based violence to compile a report and hopefully help TASO tailor their HIV/AIDS programming more to this issue. BUT, we have have issue after issue after issue and still haven't been able to get any files to start looking through them! Grrrr....its frustrating sometimes. But honestly, I am just gonna go with the flow and if they don't help me help them there's not much else I can do.

The TASO Mbale Building where I work each day!

Yesterday was pretty fun bc we played volley ball with the BC girls and TASO staff...that was fun and definitely a stress reliever. I haven;t played volleyball since I was in High School! But I Still got it!

Other than that I'm trying to keep my spirits up and not think too much about all the things I miss. I have however started a mental list of all the foods I will be pigging out on once I get back. They are as follows:

1. Gladys Kinight's Chicken and Waffles (Specifically a "Midnight Train" with an "Uptown"...and scrambled eggs with cheese...look it up! lol)

2. Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

3. Bottom of the Sea (in Philly)- King Crab Legs with Broccoli, Baked Potato, and Corn on the Cob with lots of garlic butter and Old Bay Seasoning

4. Chipotle Burritto (Baracoa, Black Beans, Rice, Mild Salsa, Corn, Lots of Cheese, Lettuce , and Guacamole)

5. My Homemade Spagetti with Spinach, Zucchini, Onions, Garlic, a touch of sugar, and lots of Cheese on it

There is more to come.....stay tuned...lol

Day 17: Certain Realizations

With so much time to think and reflect on life I have come to a few realizations in the few weeks I have been here in Africa. My family is from Sierra Leone (in West Africa) and even though its quite a ways from Uganda (in East Africa) I am beginning to understand so many things about my family based on the way life is here. Suddenly I get why I never saw my Mom and Dad kiss or be lovey dovey with each other while growing up. I understand why my Aunt tells me to stop crying instead of holding me and letting me cry out my feelings when I talk to her about certain things. I understand why they can be harsh in some of the things they say and even lack emotion at times. Life is hard in Africa….point blank. The simplest things take 10 times the effort that it would in the US. Washing clothes, cooking food, transporting heavy items, travelling, getting clean water…I mean I could go on and on. And to do all this with the sun beating down on you at all times. There is no time to cry and think about your feelings when the physical labor is so tough. There is no time to ask about your emotions when there is so much to get done and its takes so long. I appreciate so much more the fact that my parents busted their asses to grow up in Africa and then come to the US which is so culturally different (and expensive and racist) to them to make a way for their children. I really wish I could tell both of them how proud I am for everything they sacrificed for me. And that I’m finally beginning to understand what it took for them to do so.

This trip is also solidifying the pride I have in being African and Black. There is no other people on the face of this earth that could’ve endured slavery and all that it entailed. African people are so strong and hard working….and can even put a smile on their face when doing so. I am so happy to be here and it makes this trip even more special to me to come to all these understandings while here.

Day 14: Yet another lesson in patience

At first the change of pace in Africa was refreshing but now its getting ridiculous at times. In the US, we are always in a rush and we always have to get things done at warp speed. Well here it doesn’t quite work that way.

So yesterday we decided to have lunch at a restaurant called Oasis of Life, a “British-European Cuisine” place. I really wanted to just have a regular meal and something that was fulfilling and tasted good. So we get there at about 1:30pm…..The other 3 girls ordered spaghetti/pasta dishes and I ordered a chicken/potatoes/vegetable meal. Why did it take an hour and a half for our food to come? And it’s not like we had bread or a salad to munch on in the meantime. I was like did they go out back kill the chicken and then bring it to the table? It was so ridiculous because we had to get back to work…but again there was no point in even being mad. In the US you could complain and maybe they’ll discount your food or even make it free. Here they would probably smile or laugh at you if you got mad for that. And to add insult to injury the food wasn’t even good. The pasta was mad overcooked and sticky and my dish didn’t really have any flavor. Oasis of Life my ass…..Never again.

Just in general the theme here seems to be waiting for someone. Like one time at work a guys told us he’d be back in 5 minutes. 2 hours later he showed up to talk to us about TASO stuff. We told the guy here at the guesthouse that we’d need our breakfast by 8am (latest) so we could get to work by 8:30….here he comes at 8:25 (only after we asked him about breakfast around 8:05) with eggs, fruit and tea….not even a Continental breakfast. It’s clearly a cultural thing and this is why black people have CP time so ingrained in our culture. But this is like another level of CP time. Its gonna take much more time to get used to.

Day 12 and 13: Money Talks and More Beauty

Monday I got an understanding of how no matter what cultural differences there may be…money speaks the same language and changes things. So when we got to this guesthouse we came to an agreement that we would be paying 25,000 shillings per day (a little more than $6 each per day) to stay here these 3 months. Now me and the other fellow are sharing a room so we asked if they could bring another bed into the room for us. They said ‘no problem’…but apparently it was. So they said their boss said bc we needed an extra bed they needed to raise the price to 30,000 per day. Despite the fact that we already agreed to 25, 000 per day. So that would be about $45 extra for each of us each month. Now I know it doesn’t seem like a lot but in Uganda that could be someone’s weekly salary and for 2 broke grad students who are volunteering in Africa that is not chump change! So to make a long story short we decided we didn’t want to pay that amount and we were also afraid that they might try to bring up another reason to increase the price down the line if we agreed to pay more this time. Many people here think just because we are from America that we are rich. If I transferred all my money from the US and chose to live here I would be well off, but I do have to go back to DC where I am far from rich and don’t have a job yet and need to get one…. FAST! So to make a long story short we told the guys that run the house we are students and we really can’t pay extra and they talked to the owner and he says that we can just keep paying the 25,000. Also the guys told the owner that they like us and we have been good guests here. So that possible stress of having to move and find another place has been avoided. I’m glad (and truly hope) that our housing is finally finalized bc I honestly didn’t feel like having to go through the whole process of finding another place and having to resettle and have a new routine. So…. whew!

Yesterday was a public holiday (Hero’s Day) so we had the day off again. We along with the other students from the British Columbia and TASO staff went to Sipi Falls and Kapchorwo (a town outside of Mbale) to take in the sights there.

The Crew of British Columbia Students, TASO staff and I

Again, I am so blown away at the natural beauty I am so privileged to witness here. It’s incredible to see what God has created and has been for the most part undisturbed by man. I swear the pictures don’t even do it justice. The vibrant sight of the trees and birds, the sounds of the waterfall, the clean and pure smell of the air…..I just can’t capture all that in a photo. It is so beautiful in person and truly peaceful to be in the midst of it all. I wish I could magically teleport to these places whenever I felt stressed or sad about anything. Random….I know. But it is really that amazing. All in all a pretty peaceful day. Also I’m pretty sure I’m going to Jinja to go white water rafting on the Nile river this weekend….so that should be fun and more pictures to come!

The Beauty of Sipi Falls is not even fully captured in this pic!

This man made bridge was sturdy yet rickety at the same time and kinda reminded me of that bridge in Indiana Jones (the old one)

I wish I could teleport here whenever I’m stressed!! Uganda is SO beautiful!

Day 11: Slow Pace and a Glimpse at Beauty

So last night I wrote a To Do list for today (Saturday) which I often do back in the US. So why was it only 2 items long? lol One was wash my underwear and the other was work on my CE (aka Culminating Experience- the thesis I have to complete to officially finish my MPH). So hand washing my draws wasn’t too bad but yet again I will appreciate having a washing machine at home so much more! For my CE I am going to analyze data from the internship I worked at in MD. I’m glad I brought all the information I need for that because I didn’t want to wait for TASO to give me data. Things work at a VERY SLOW pace over here! So I have to write up a 30 page paper to finish up my thesis which I feel pretty confident I will get done.

**The Waterfalls on the mountain were beautiful!**

Today I also got a chance to go to Nkokojeru aka Wanale Ridge, a part of the Mount Elgon mountain range. It was so beautiful and helps me appreciate this trip so much more. Yes I miss the comforts of home, but there is nothing like this in DC. I really hope to add some pictures when I get extended time on a computer here. I swear it looked like we were getting a glimpse of heaven at the top of that mountain. It was just so breathtakingly beautiful. I also took some video of it because photos just didn’t do it justice. It was so peaceful and the natural beauty of the landscape just helps me realize just how gorgeous Africa and particularly Uganda is. I am so grateful to be able to see things like this. I was a bit sad before we went here and all my worries just went away when I stood on top of that mountain. I’m also thinking I want to go to Jinja to go rafting on the Nile at some time on this trip. Even though its not in my budget its not too expensive (less than $100), and it a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, so I might as well do it. I’m hoping I get to experience even more of the natural surroundings while I’m here.

**The view was so peaceful and it felt serene**

Day 9: The Authentic experience

OMG! What a nightmare of a day. I was really starting to love this country and then today happened. Don’t get me wrong. I still appreciate all the natural beauty of the country and the nice people and all that but damn there ain’t nothing like the US of A. Now my frat brother Lenny has been basically telling me to stop skatin and suck it up while I’m here. But the Africans here go hard! Too hard for my taste….lol


So anyway today me and the other fellow had to go to the TASO Jinja center (about an hour and a half from Mbale) to attend a workshop. We pretty much got there on our own (with some guidance from TASO staff) through one of the buses that leaves town to head there. The ride was ok even tho the bus was mad rickety and bootleg. I also got a chance to ride a boda-boda (motorbike) when we got to Jinja on our way to the TASO center. It was pretty fun and not as scary as I thought it would be. **


The first part of the workshop was interesting because I got to learn about a study they conducted seeing whether there was any differences between their facility and home based HIV/AIDS care. I also got to learn about how I will be helping with rolling out their Leadership Training course in Mbale, also among their 11 centers around Uganda.


The funniest part of the day was when the managers of TASO Jinja were recognized for all their hard work in the organization. It was so hilarious because instead of a plaque or certificate or a pat on the back they gave each lady a chicken. Like a live chicken still clucking and feathered in a plastic bag! LOL It was so cute and was just so unexpected. **I Have pics I swear I will upload them as soo as possible!!

Hilarious!!

But let me skip real quick to the evening’s events to explain why Africa is hazing the hell outta me. So after the workshop we were trying to figure out how we were going to get back to Mbale. One of the TASO staff from Tororro (a town about 2 hours north of Mbale) was like let’s go to the taxi (mini buses) park to see if you guys can catch one back to Mbale. So we get to the park and there is a taxi waiting there under the Mbale sign. We don’t get on bc the guy from TASO said that they may stop before they reach Mbale so we’d be stranded and the people in whatever random town/village may not speak good English and be able to help us. So then homeboy tries to say we may need to spend the night in Jinja. Um….hell no! I was like I’m sorry we don’t have money for accommodations so we can’t do that. I really didn’t bring enough money for that, clothes for that and just wanted to head back to Mbale. So then he said lets walk up to the main road and see if we can stop a taxi that could be on its way to Mbale. So after about 15 mins of walking a taxi stops and we tell them we’re going to Mbale and they pick us up. So I feel a bit better cuz I’m like yay we’re heading back to our room now. Um….no. So we’re stopping like every 2 minutes to see whether people along the road want to get on because the taxi was only about half way full when we got on. Which is ok bc I understand they are trying to get as many passengers as possible . But then we get to a town called Iganga (about 20 mins from Jinja, still an hour and some change from Mbale) and the taxi stops. The guys (about 3) get out of the taxi (which fits about 15 people comfortably) and start yelling “Mbale! Mbale!” Which I’m like ok go ahead y’all...get ur hustle on for about the first 25 mins. In the meantime I bought some roasted corn and meat (goat I believe) on a stick from some kids selling it around the taxi. Then after about 45 mins I was starting to get restless and my butt was getting numb from sitting in this cramped vehicle. The full blown anger set in after about 1.5 hrs of waiting there. However there was nothing I could do. So I just sat there and was thinking the whole time “Never again… Never again…” Now our full taxi was becoming over full and they were still calling people to get on. By the time we rolled away I counted 25 people/kids in that van altogether. I know they are trying to make their money but goodness gracious God forbid something happened on the road… Anyway that 1.5 hr trip ended up taking 4 hrs, was mad uncomfortable and I will never do it again. I’m really mad TASO made us go on a work related trip like that with no guaranteed mode of transportation back. Imma have to speak my mind to them on that later on. But yeah I am exhausted and just realizing that there are so many things I will appreciate much more back in the states. (Bus schedules (that the drivers stick to), One butt per seat on said buses, and no random detours on a given route). Lord willing I get a good job when I get back and I can buy a car…but on this trip NO MORE TAXIS!!!

Day 7 and 8: Settling in

I have felt so much better these past few days. I owe many thanks to my friends that have kept my spirits up in this first week. J You guys will never know how much the comments and facebook messages meant to me during this adjustment phase. It was rough but I know it will only get better from here. I have felt so much better since starting at TASO on Monday. The 3 things I will be focusing on during these 3 months are: gender based violence programming, post-conflict programming and discordant couple (google it) reporting. The people here at TASO and Uganda in general are SO friendly and helpful. They are quick to help and make sure we feel welcome at all times.

**

Tuesday, one of the program officers Robert Kidando went through what they need us to do in order to help them report on gender based violence among their HIV clients. So we’ll be focusing on that topic during the month of June. I really feel we will be able to contribute to their goal of exposing the fact that some women are having trouble accessing TASO’s services because of pressure and violence from their spouses. I’ve also loved coming into work because our office in TASO is also right next to where the Drama group practices their songs, dances, and plays that are therapeutic for them and also help educate people about HIV/AIDS. I’m going to ask if I can record them one day and post that. They are so talented and I love the traditional music.

**

Today was a national holiday in Uganda (Martyr’s Day), so we didn’t have to work. There are two other girls from the Biritsh Columbia University (in Vancouver, Canada) who are doing a program through their school that brings them to work with TASO for 6 weeks in Mbale. They live with a host family here and so the young guy (Alan) who lives in the house took us around Mbale a bit today. It was pretty fun because we went to the Sports club in town played some pool and chilled out a bit. The view from there was gorgeous (like it is everywhere in this country)

After that we went back to the house and the ladies there cooked for us. It was SO delicious! The best Ugandan food I’ve had since I’ve been here! After watching DVDs of The Secret Life of American Teenagers (an ABC family show that apparently Alan is obsessed with watching) for a couple of hours, Alan took us down to the river that runs through town. It was so so hot but it was beautiful to see more of the town and its natural beauty.

He said he would go to Mt. Elgon with us and take us to the waterfalls that are there..I can’t wait!! It was cool getting to talk to Alan about Ugandan culture and their views about a lot of things. HE also asked me a lot of questions like whether I ever met David Beckham (lol), why Usher, Jay-Z, and Beyonce don’t ever some to perform in Uganda (lol), and why some ignorant people think Africa is one big country instead of continent, I am really starting to feel like I am going to love this place and even miss it when I’m ready to leave. I even think I’m getting used to the cold showers. It feels great after walking in the hot sun during the day. I’m just going to remain positive, relish this experience and grow from it. I know I’m going to return to the US with a whole new perspective on EVERYTHING.

Random thought: Another thing that has been highly entertaining during this time is the Nigerian movies and TV shows they show here in the guesthouse. I mean they are pure comedy. I know everybody has at least one Nigerian friend. You MUST ask them to watch one of these movies. The acting is so extra (like people are always yelling lol), the video and sound quality is terrible, the music is so random (like it doesn’t match the scene going on), and the story lines are hilarious. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching these here. lol

Day 5: More clarity

Yesterday we went out with a counselor from TASO named Peter to look for our housing. This man is a God send! He showed us a couple houses but we didn't feel too comfortable with their security and the fact that we'd have to buy beds, a fridge, and major household stuff like that. So we asked if we could talk to a manager of a guesthouse (like a hostel) and work a deal out to stay for the 3 months. Man....Peter went to bat for us! He got us a deal where we'd be paying 25,000 shillings (about $7) a day each....that's about $190 per month! Also we'd get breakfast 4 days out of the week. I'm gonna be sharing the room with the other fellow I came with but its okay. I can deal with sharing a room for just 3 months. Although it would be nice to just be by myself sometimes. So that is handled and I'm very glad we don't have to worry about that other stuff. The place is also about 1/2 mile from TASO so I can walk to and from work, hopefully contributing to some weight loss lol Anyway things are coming together better and that is taking some anxiety away. I am still having trouble sleeping bc I keep thinking about my issues and also crying alot. I hope its not side effects of any medication I'm taking :-/ Hopefully things will get better once we start working steadily....

Day 4: Ups and Downs

Saturday was good and rough at the same time. We made our way from Kampala the capital to Mbale where we'll be staying. I was kinda scared bc the driver was going 130km/hr! lol But we made it there in one piece. The natural beauty of the country was overwhelming. I had never been around that man y trees and they just seemed so much more vibrantly green than I've seen before (stay tuned for pics!). That night though, I got pretty sad bc of ex and family issues and the fact I didn't have friends or tv/internet to distract me made me face and feel all my emotions head on. After crying it all out I felt relieved and hope I'll feel better as the summer goes on.

That night we also got to talk to Mr Kimera (project manager in TASO Mbale) about our interests ans also what type of projects we might work on. I'm excited because I'll most likely get to visit the refugee camps they have in Gulu (Northern Uganda). He also said they have a psychiatirc unit near the TASO center where I could learn more about the psychosocial programming and other mental health programs.