My how time flies!

Two months have passed by in the blink of an eye! This won't be a formal post--I'm still trying to figure out how to put down the highlights of the last 2 months--but I wanted to let you know I'm still alive and doing well. I returned to Uganda on Wednesday after an incredible 2 week vacation. I visited Turkey and Egypt for 1 week each and now it's time to get back to work again. The transition to Uganda has been eased by a brief stay at the Jinja Nile Resort for our Mid-Service Training. Today marks the beginning of my final year in Peace Corps. 365 days left until I finish service (if I don't extend) and I know this year is going to fly by. Already I have my hands full with so many projects! I hope to have an update posted before I leave Kampala on Tuesday so keep checking to see my activities of the last 2 months and details of my vacation :)

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!!

July is slipping away

This is my house! and if you look at the photos in the Flickr link you will see the back, the inside, the outdoor kitchen and the pit latrine! I kind of went crazy taking the pictures because I wanted it to be like a virtual tour. So now you can imagine what it's like to live in Uganda!

Well, the past month has been very eventful. So much so that I hardly know where to begin. Let's start with the sad news. My best friend in Peace Corps Uganda just went home on the 12th of July due to medical reasons. I totally miss hanging out with her at site; life just isn't the same without her around. But I'm a trooper and I'm hanging in there. I'm just really jealous that she gets to eat really good food whenever she wants!!

Also this month I have presented HIV information to boda drivers in our town (they carry people on the back of their mopeds rather than cramming in a taxi). It was a great sensitization and they seemed excited to carry on the conversation. I hope to move it to a peer educator model because they don't like to take time away from the stage (that's where they wait for customers) but they have plenty of downtime to discuss HIV and risk reduction behavior while waiting for customers to come and get a lift.

Then I went with my counterpart and another local volunteer to a primary school called Alpha and Omega to teach P5-7 students about "Life Skills". Which basically tells students about how to make good decisions, form good relationships in positive peer groups, etc. Basically, the program is meant to help youth avoid things like HIV/AIDS and early pregnancy by giving them more than just knowledge. While the kids have a lot knowledge about STIs they don't really have the skills to say no to sex and make the right decisions so that's what Life Skills is all about!

Plus we recorded our radio program on the local radio station and I had a training with Peace Corps this last week. So, I've been quite busy this month. Which is nice so that I don't stop and think about Carrie! I also made an oven so I could bake a cake...it was chocolate with gooey chocolate icing...and banana bread. So, I guess you all in America aren't the only ones eating good food!! :)