Back Away From the Chicken and Other Assorted Fairytales

From food poisoning to a chicken incident a lot has happened since I last updated this blog! And I'm coming up on my 1 year anniversary in Uganda!



In August a new group of trainees arrived in Uganda. Amanda and I had the pleasure of co-facilitating--for the second time--a training on HIV facts and how to teach about HIV in your village. (Or for Amanda: your peri-urban area!) We met the bright group of about 20 trainees during their first week in Uganda. (On the 29th my little goup--9 of us remain--will celebrate 1 year in country. My, time flies...) Their level of excitement and mental state were quite different from that of Amanada and me--by now we're hoary (no, the spelling isn't wrong for those of you you with your mud in the gutter; look up the definition in the dictionary and remember my blog is rated SFA--Suitable For All!) PCVs. For those of you curious about what our HIV training is like keep your eyes open because when Amanada and I finish Peace Corps we're taking our act on the road with Amanada's brother's traveling circus!!



Oh, but I've skipped the food poisoning tale, believe me, this is one you don't want to miss! The lesson learned is most important ! But I'll keep the narrative short seeing as most people don't have the stomach for the horrific details. Long story short: I spent 12 hours one Wednesday night attempting to turn my body inside out from both ends and wishing for a swift and painless death. All because I was lazy about reheating leftovers! Definitely won't be making that mistake, again. As they say: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...can't get fooled again :)



Back to the present...after our sojurn out of chronological order. So, after returning from the training and a relaxing weekend celebrating birthdays in Masaka, I had to prepare for 2 trainees who were coming to visit me. Peace corps sends trainees out to visit currrent volunteers before their 3rd week in uganda so that trainees can get an idea of what Peace Corps is really like...'cuz, let's face it, training isn't the Peace Corps experience. My goal for their 2 and 1/2 day visit was to give thema chance to relax, see my town and eat some "American" food. The first meal I prepared for them involved purchase and slaughter of a chicken. Need I say more?...yes! (If killing of feathery animals makes you squeamish, skip the next paragraph and carry on)!



The Thursday my visitors came dawned bright and clear and I had high hopes of finding a tasty chicken (free range, of course). Alas, clouds began to encroach on my optimistic outlook as my friend John returned from teh 4 homes he knew to have chickens for sale empty-handed. (Yeah, there's no, 'I'll just stroll to the supermarket and pick up what I need'; your timing on things here has to be impeccable!) By the time he came to tell me the last place he and others knew of didn't have chicken for sale the clouds on my horizon were leviathans! My excitement was turning to panic as I tried to figure out what I would make in place of chicken. Then, my neighbor, Julie, came to my rescue and let me buy one of her chickens and John came over to slaughter and clean the bird for me. I realized when John came over with the chicken there was no way I could actually carry out the process my self; but I decided that to be worthy of eating the meat I should at least watch. (Gruesome, I know) But while he was sharpening the knife, in front of the chicken, I began feeling guilty. So, as John prepared to kill the chicken I started apologizing to it and told it by giving up its life it was providing us with sustenance. (Anything to allay my guilty conscience.) John thought I was totally crazy at this point. So, when he got to the business of actually killing the chicken I had to keep myself from crying because I didn't want him to think I was a complete lunatic. (Hey, I'm a lover not a fighter) Even when we started cleaning it I was a bit hesitant to touch it. It just seemed so strange, in the end, that the dismembered body had just--30 minutes before we started--been walking around and enjoying life. (Who's to say if a chicken can or cannot understand the value of life!) :)

For those of you too squeamish to read about the chicken incident, you can now open your eyes! Oh, by-the-by, the chicken turned out EXCELLENT!! The trainees that visited me also enjoyed a tasty chocolate cake and quesadillas with real cheese. I've recently learned that I can still enjoy cheese, even without refrigeration! Thank you to the makes of gouda :)

So, that's life in a nutshell. Work continues to move forward at a sluggish pace due to lack of technology in my town. We have started to find more groups to teach to, mostly on HIV/AIDS and life skills. Plus, we are trying to find partners close to home so we don't have to rely on non-existent internet service!!