where to begin.
work has started and its down to business. im working with various youth groups and vocational students setting up a youth forum and leadership workshop as well as providing sustainable follow-up. it might not sound like the most daunting of tasks, but its not all shits and giggles. not even close.
i owed so much to the amazing people im here with (the other students). everybody is so supportive and level-headed and just all together refreshing. its only been about 3 weeks ish but lifelong friendships are being formed as we speak.
im getting much more comfortable being out and about in gulu on my own. at first i was extremely conscious of how much we stuck out, but now, as people are starting to recognize us and after having some wonderful conversations with the locals, im loving it.
the thought of leaving is heartbreaking.
i have so many details. so many stories. anecdotes. laughs and cries to share. but somehow, doing so electronically doesn't seem to do it justice. at least not for now.
(so get ready for some amazing conversations when i get back)
being back is delayed by about a week.
i am going (with a couple others) to rwanda for a bit.
im out.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
so much has happened since my last post.
so many amazing things, and difficult things and all that jazz.
last night i received some really bad news about somebody at home which has definitely put a damper in my outlook these past couple hours, but thankfully today is a day off so i can sulk and relax. fun.
anyways.....
last monday, bright and early, we left Kampala (in the south) for Gulu (in the north). 7 hours, 25 people crammed into 2 matatu's and not enough water to make it through the trip. all in all it was still rather enjoyable, minus the spider bites from squating in the bush (yea, that was fun). Driving through the countryside was so far disconected from what we had become accustomed to in terms of lifestyle in kampala. poverty to an extent i have never seen. constantly being called "Mazungu" (white people).
on tuesday we had a quasi-scavenger hunt of the town, which had us going around and finding local businesses and various locations off the beaten trail. the entire group was shocked at truly how large gulu really is. we walked around for hours in a heat that i have never experienced in my life. and the lack of trees did not help. but it was still quite fabulous (3 liters of water later of course..).
the past couple of days we've visited the SOS village here in Gulu as well as its medical clinic and have had many many presentations by various ngo and local organization workers, including an intensive Community Development training program which was led by one of the most dynamic and inspiring individuals, danny, that i have ever met. he truly changed my outlook on so many development-related issues.
ill update soon with more of my own experiences and feelings (yay for cheese), but for now im going to go eat a mango and then lie outside under a tree and take a little nap!
so many amazing things, and difficult things and all that jazz.
last night i received some really bad news about somebody at home which has definitely put a damper in my outlook these past couple hours, but thankfully today is a day off so i can sulk and relax. fun.
anyways.....
last monday, bright and early, we left Kampala (in the south) for Gulu (in the north). 7 hours, 25 people crammed into 2 matatu's and not enough water to make it through the trip. all in all it was still rather enjoyable, minus the spider bites from squating in the bush (yea, that was fun). Driving through the countryside was so far disconected from what we had become accustomed to in terms of lifestyle in kampala. poverty to an extent i have never seen. constantly being called "Mazungu" (white people).
on tuesday we had a quasi-scavenger hunt of the town, which had us going around and finding local businesses and various locations off the beaten trail. the entire group was shocked at truly how large gulu really is. we walked around for hours in a heat that i have never experienced in my life. and the lack of trees did not help. but it was still quite fabulous (3 liters of water later of course..).
the past couple of days we've visited the SOS village here in Gulu as well as its medical clinic and have had many many presentations by various ngo and local organization workers, including an intensive Community Development training program which was led by one of the most dynamic and inspiring individuals, danny, that i have ever met. he truly changed my outlook on so many development-related issues.
ill update soon with more of my own experiences and feelings (yay for cheese), but for now im going to go eat a mango and then lie outside under a tree and take a little nap!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
its been 3 days now that ive been in kampala.
its absolutely gorgeous weather and we've been taking it easy in order to acclimatize. its odd, but i havent felt this relaxed in what seems like forever.
living with this many people all at once is a bit much at time, but so far the dynamic is really positive and everyone gets along. we're a bunch with quite a good sense of humor, so there is already a ridiculous amount of inside jokes and the like.
yesterday, after a little trip downtown we went to the SOS Children's Village in Kakiri (about 45 minutes outside of kampala). it was a total blast to get out there and play with the kids. kim and i spent a good hour and a half talking to one of the adoptive mother's there about everything about the program and organization. it was really interesting to see how such a village could work, and will make for an interesting and hopefully very instrumental contrast with the SOS village in Gulu, where we will be going to tomorrow morning, and staying for 2 months.
last night was our first black-out (with many more to come im sure). it was actually kind of exciting.
today we went to the baha'i temple here in kampala, which is the only one on the african continent (there are only 9 in the world, each on a separate continent). truly amazing (even the non-religious dorks like me and katherine loved it!)
it really has been more of a "vacation" these past couple of days, which truthfully has been amazing. its enabled us as a group to figure each other out more as well as given us a bit of time to get acclimatized. none of us have gotten sick (other than from taking the doxy (malaria)). peter says that's a first! we'll see though when we get to gulu...im sure that will be a bit more rough on our systems.
i was having trouble with the doxy for the past few days but have figured out a great system to not feel sick. three cheers for no malaria!
there is so much more to say. so much experienced, felt, etc. but in all honesty, im not sure writing it in blog form would do all that much.
but i will say that the pineapples......OH THE PINEAPPLES!
once we get into gulu tomorrow, the "vacation" ends, and work begins. but im really excited. i want to get my hands dirty in it and get to it. im sure everything will start going by so fast once that happens.
oh and for those of you who are wondering..."africa hot" is not actually all that hot. the sun is something you've probably never experienced before, but its truly very manageable with water, a bit of shade and some high spf!
im off. till next time.
its absolutely gorgeous weather and we've been taking it easy in order to acclimatize. its odd, but i havent felt this relaxed in what seems like forever.
living with this many people all at once is a bit much at time, but so far the dynamic is really positive and everyone gets along. we're a bunch with quite a good sense of humor, so there is already a ridiculous amount of inside jokes and the like.
yesterday, after a little trip downtown we went to the SOS Children's Village in Kakiri (about 45 minutes outside of kampala). it was a total blast to get out there and play with the kids. kim and i spent a good hour and a half talking to one of the adoptive mother's there about everything about the program and organization. it was really interesting to see how such a village could work, and will make for an interesting and hopefully very instrumental contrast with the SOS village in Gulu, where we will be going to tomorrow morning, and staying for 2 months.
last night was our first black-out (with many more to come im sure). it was actually kind of exciting.
today we went to the baha'i temple here in kampala, which is the only one on the african continent (there are only 9 in the world, each on a separate continent). truly amazing (even the non-religious dorks like me and katherine loved it!)
it really has been more of a "vacation" these past couple of days, which truthfully has been amazing. its enabled us as a group to figure each other out more as well as given us a bit of time to get acclimatized. none of us have gotten sick (other than from taking the doxy (malaria)). peter says that's a first! we'll see though when we get to gulu...im sure that will be a bit more rough on our systems.
i was having trouble with the doxy for the past few days but have figured out a great system to not feel sick. three cheers for no malaria!
there is so much more to say. so much experienced, felt, etc. but in all honesty, im not sure writing it in blog form would do all that much.
but i will say that the pineapples......OH THE PINEAPPLES!
once we get into gulu tomorrow, the "vacation" ends, and work begins. but im really excited. i want to get my hands dirty in it and get to it. im sure everything will start going by so fast once that happens.
oh and for those of you who are wondering..."africa hot" is not actually all that hot. the sun is something you've probably never experienced before, but its truly very manageable with water, a bit of shade and some high spf!
im off. till next time.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
got into london this morning super early (10 am london time, 5 am my body's time!).
but still went into london with katherine, jen and yessica. we took this 4 and a half hour tour of the city on one of those double decker tour buses. as much as i would of loved to jump off the bus every 2 seconds and explore by foot, but it was still a great way to explore.
plane to uganda boards in an hour and i have 20 seconds of internet left!
a bientot!!!
but still went into london with katherine, jen and yessica. we took this 4 and a half hour tour of the city on one of those double decker tour buses. as much as i would of loved to jump off the bus every 2 seconds and explore by foot, but it was still a great way to explore.
plane to uganda boards in an hour and i have 20 seconds of internet left!
a bientot!!!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
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