Since my last installment, I have been to Kampala twice and visited Nebbi, in northwestern Uganda (AKA the West Nile). I am very excited to be in some part of Nebbi – it is a beautiful area eerily reminiscent of Bend, Oregon. Basically, it is a very lush, brown, desert-ish looking area. It is very green and brown at the same time!!! We saw a few elephants on the way and a couple of hippos yawning in the water. It’s not a big deal.
The ride to Nebbi (on the morning of the 20th) was nearly detrimental, but I made it without a hitch. The near-catastrophe was a result of the previous day. On Saturday, we spent time in Kampala, going on our first tour of the forbidden city. (We need special clearance to enter it.) It was very hectic and it was unnerving at times catching mutates (moo-tah-too-s AKA taxis) and walking between cars hoping not to get squished. But there is most everything you need in the city for fairly cheap. Sadly, all imported musical instruments and electronics are insanely expensive here. I believe that to buy an iPhone in country you would be hard pressed to find one under $900US. But you can talk the dealers down and get a djembe for $15! I am totally going to learn me some drums.
So, for dinner I had my first ever Ethiopian food. We had to walk down an inconspicuous alleyway in the middle of town, through a little “market”/courtyard, up some stairs that went up the side of the building into a woman’s living room. We ate on couches and coffee tables. (Apparently, we walked through a brothel to get there, but it was the middle of the day so I wouldn’t have noticed anyway.) She cooked the food for us and brought is out. IT WAS SOOOO GOOD! And only 3,500/= (shillings) – less than $2! Mmmmm.
Sadly, I believe this is what lead to my demise/first time getting sick. I think. But I still want to go eat there again. I was…pressed for time as I Ron Queasily waited to leave the house Sunday morning. The drugs I took helped me get to Nebbi (8ish hours of total travel time). So I made it. Oh, and we crossed the Nile twice on the way there, unbeknownst to me. I saw it both times on the way back.
Life is good. I am getting plenty of time to play guitar, hang with my host family, spend time with other PCTs and get my 9-5 training/work/language done. I have gotten more comfortable(/dare I say better?) at guitar in the past month than I did in the past 6 months before coming here. Also, I have been setting up a lot of tech/computer stuff (getting my nerd on!) since getting here and am starting to play with Linux. Oh, and my host dad, Pastor Stephen, has been in the states since I got here and will hopefully get to have a meal with my parents before I even get the chance to meet him.
What’s next for me: I will be receiving my site placement Monday and visit my site and the secondary school I will be teaching at on Thursday.
Alur Lesson: “Nyanya nya ngic ngic” which literally means “The tomatoes are sort of cold.”
To say “Are you well this morning?” “Yes, I am good!” you say “I ai maberi?” “Eyo, I ai maber!”
(To learn this and speak it, you only need to remember that “I AM A BEAR!” and make hand motions of having your bear paws in the air.)
Until next time!
I am glad you're enjoying yourself with your newfound family in Uganda.
ReplyDeleteI finally got connected with the SPU EWB Student chapter during the Social Venture Plan Competition at SPU yesterday. I met Heather Garcia, who happened to be one of the team leaders of the bio-sand filter/water wheel project. Their entry won a consolation prize. I am trying to set up through Heather if I can give a pitch to their chapter membership about EWB USA in general and how they can benefit if they become active again. Since I do not have more than 3 years bio-sand filter project experience, I still can provide them with help to rejuvenate their chapter by being engage with them through other means.
That's great to hear, Dino! I'm glad to hear of some of the things happening back at SPU. It's funny to think of people back in Seattle setting up water filtration systems when I am about to move to my house where I will be needing to treat my water.
ReplyDeleteHow is guitar going, now that you're not living with a band?
ReplyDeleteI was walking around a couple weeks ago saying, "I am a bear." There weren't really any people around to hear it, but it got me thinking why I thought I was a bear. AND THEN I re-read the title of this blog and it dawned on me - I didn't think I was a bear, I was just doing good. True story.
ReplyDeleteHope all is well! -Andrea
You just made my day! And considering that the day is just starting for me, I can tell it is going to be a good day.
ReplyDelete