Sick of Uganda? No. . . just sick.

7/7/08

So. . .here I am. . . typing on my friend, Adam’s, computer. I think my computer caught some few malaria and is on a quick and rapid decent to the grave. I’m sorry to report that although I take my malarone everyday, there is not a version available to my computer. Alas, that leaves me borrowing computers for the next 3 weeks or so whenever I want to blog. Since everyone here is so nice though, its not really a big deal.

So last night I was typing a blog and the power went out. I guess its something that just happens here occasionally and really no big deal. Of course, everything was pitch black, but that’s ok because Mr. Boy Scout “be prepared” had his head lamp readily available. I took my contacts out, brushed my teeth and was just on my way to bed when I heard a truck pull up. I thought to myself, “Huh, I wonder who that could be pulling up at one o’clock in the morning?” Immediately after that, I heard some yelling and the sound of someone getting punched. This is when my mind kicked into overdrive and I had enough thoughts to fill a book instantaneously. During the next three seconds I tried to evaluate the situation and whether to wake everyone up or not. I recalled the report issued by the US embassy about the LRA activity here in northern Uganda and was positive that they were now at our doorstep. They had cut the power to the monastery and were now ready to kill all the white people that had come from the Great Oppressor (United States).

Sister Apolonia woke up and saw me standing in the middle of the room, silent as death, still deciding whether to wake anyone up to pray or fight. . . one or the other. Sister told me that it was probably just some drunk people and that I should go back to bed. I thought for a minute and decided that she was probably right. I figured that if we were all going to die, then at least everyone else was sleeping peacefully and would just wake up in Heaven. Ignorance is bliss. As I lay paralyzed in my bed praying I drifted off to sleep. I awoke in the morning to David Crowder playing on my ipod and realized that the world was right. I guess the LRA doesn’t have time for 10 muzungus staying at a monastery teaching at the local schools. Maybe I’m a little self-centered to think myself so important. Just maybe Sister Apolonia knows what she is talking about.

Tonight while we were sitting on the couch, watching the seconds tick off Adam’s watch (literally), we were contemplating how we were never going to have that time back. It was a little sad how we were here in Africa and not doing anything at all. At that very instant, I saw a green blur fly past my face. I thought little of it, but eventually found the destination of blur and realized that it was a frog that jumped through the window. Two leaps later, the frog had arrived on Kyle’s keyboard. A half a second after that, the dilemma of whether to hurl the computer across the room or tolerate the frog that close to his person was presented to Kyle. The consternation on his face was apparent as he tried to stand, hold on to the computer, yet mimic a throwing motion in hopes the frog would be distanced from himself.

Everyone in the house was jumping and yelling now as the green blur was bouncing all around the walls and on the furniture. An Acholi woman was at the window in tears laughing so hard at the spectacle caused by 10 muzungus all afraid of what could potentially be a light snack. Eventually Kyle overcame his initial terror and nudged the frog out the window when it finally jumped back on the window sill from which it appeared.

Also today we went to the internet and Kope café. Casey and I had some bags made to bring home (so if you’re one of the lucky ones to get a super fashionable hand-made, personalized bag, then this is when I bought them). We had to pick the fabric and find the tailor. Trying to describe the bags to the tailor was a whole different adventure. Eventually, we were finished and had lunch. At Kope Café, we had a western omelet and yogurt. It was so nice to have “real” food again. There was another white person who said he worked for “Aid Africa,” another NGO that works here. He seems pretty legitimate. Ken told us that he mostly just picks up babies that a year old and have malaria or diarrhea and takes them to the hospital. Babies only cost 1000 shillings (about 60 cents) to be admitted and then the hospital takes care of the rest of the costs. Usually, the babies are only there for 2 or 3 days while they are nourished and vaccinated before returning to IDP camps with their parents.

By the way, if anyone has any specific questions for me to answer about my time here, its ok to comment on my blog and ask, but I will more likely see it if you email me. Philcompton at gmail.com will be checked usually once a week. There will also be several links posted soon to other blogs. If you don’t want to read them, that’s fine, but they are probably better writers than me, not to mention, they upload many more higher quality pictures.

7/9/08

I think my computer is contagious. Fortunately, no one else’s computer has gotten sick, but I think the bond between myself and it was closer than I thought. Last night, I had some stomach cramps when I went to bed and just figured I would sleep it off. After only 2 hours of sleep it became very apparent that I would not get much sleep that night. As my body was ridding itself of whatever it could, I was trying to decide if this was worse than my Peru venture into salmonella poisoning. Despite the facts there was no electricity and I was vomiting by headlamp light AND there is no toilet seat at all here, I finally decided that this is not as bad. This morning when people asked how I was feeling, I could honestly say that I’ve been worse. Now if this develops into malaria, then I’ll really have a story.

Yesterday, after talking with my teacher, we decided that we would not teach on Thursday, but rather let the English dept. give their midterm exam on that day. Since I have Mondays and Wednesdays off and we are giving our midterm exam on Friday, I only taught one day this week. At home, I would probably be pretty excited to have so much time off, but here, I kind of want to be in the classroom so that I can share my knowledge with my cooperating teacher. I think I am down to only 6 days of teaching in the classroom left on my trip. That also means that I’ll have done a total of 8 days of actual teaching; kinda lame.

I am developing other relationships during my off time though. I met Brian the other day who came by last night to play some volleyball with us. He said he was going to take me to play some basketball on Thursday. I’m a little nervous because he said his friends were pretty good, but that they would not really compare to my skills. Many people think that Americans are amazing at everything here.

Along those lines, its also amazing how the same kids might see you every day, walking down the street and still be so amazed that there are white people walking right in front of them, they feel the need to yell loud enough to bring the entire the village. Even when we are just taking a boda boda (a small motorcycle) home, we become the center of attention. Yesterday, when we had a meeting out in the courtyard of our school, it was staggering to see how the entire student population stopped eating, playing, studying, etc to watch us play a rhythm game. I now feel some empathy for the monkeys at the zoo. From now on, I’m just going to keep walking by the cages and just glace at them from the corner of my eye.

I was invited over to Sophie’s house today for lunch, but will not be attending. I’m kind of sad because this was going to be my first home visit here in Uganda (other than Charlie). The other teachers from my school are going, but alas, I will be at home trying not to vomit on Adam’s computer.

One last note for the day: Jimmy (Adam’s teacher) was telling us about Ugandan culture yesterday. He informed us that it was legal and regularly practiced for men to have more than wife and that the women always wait until the men are done eating before they themselves eat. This way, if the man needs more water or salt, he can just yell at the woman (who is patiently waiting outside the door) for more of whatever is required. He also mentioned that it was unwise to have only two children. “You don’t go on a road trip without a spare tire. What if the LRA takes two kids, then what do you have?” Yes, I know some of you are upset right now with Jimmy, but he was laughing the whole time. He told us that he does not practice any of the old ways, but they are quite common still. He’s kind of hard to read most of the time, if he’s joking or not. If anyone went to Adams Central High School, imagine Mr. Glass as tall black man and then put him in a Ugandan English class; that is Jimmy.