"Home?"

It is Friday morning and I have been home for less than 2 whole days. I knew I had to type a "final" blog about this experience but feel as if the experience will live on in many ways...I thought that my own bed, my own room, toilets, hot showers, and sleeping in silence would be a blessing upon return. I arrived exhausted- mentally, physically, and emotionally. It was good to see my parents walking through the airport towards me, welcomed with hugs and tears. I was not at ease, comfortable, or "happy" to be back in Chicago though.

My last days in Gulu were happy days. Andy and I took one last boda ride Saturday morning as we made a stop at the bank. It was rather early and the streets were less congested than normal. Reflecting on it now I can vividly remember his arms outstretched behind me on the boda saying, "Gulu bye" (reminiscent of the children who followed us in the streets for 6 weeks shouting, "munu bye" until we left their sight). As we said our good-byes we took "family" photos, and latrine videos. We stood in the back yard as Jennifer (our cook) sang us 2 songs. The first song was a good-bye song where she called each of our names one by one to stand in a line and clap. We had fun and slapped each other's hands as we went down the line, seemed like a nice way to close up our house. The next song was more of a "safe journey" song and as we all stood around in a group it began to sink in that our time has ended. Jennifer sang softly with her hands over her face and we looked around our circle to see tears welling in each other's eyes. She said, "I'm so sorry but I cannot finish", as she uncovered her face of tears. She hugged us one by one and ran into the kitchen weeping softly. Such a beautiful woman who worked so hard to take care of us for 6 weeks, again, I was baffled by her thanking us. We hung our heads out of the metatu and waved good-bye to group 2. As we neared the end of our street we saw the most beautiful sight and memory to leave Gulu with- Big John Magee stood on the corner surrounded by Ugandan children who held up the Ugandan flag and saluted us. Again, we wiped the tears from our eyes in realization that this was "good-bye".

The drive actually went quicker than expected and our spirits truly were high. We wandered the market and marveled at the items for sale....Another interesting shopping experience in Uganda. We had about an hour and ten minutes to get our shopping done and we were back in the metatu for our journey to our rafting trip. All of us were piled in 1 room, some bunk beds 6 high. The bar area overlooked the Nile and the wicked bungee jump spot. The night was relaxing as we had some drinks and had real conversations about our lives. We feel asleep to the sound of the small rapid that was below our room and woke up to monkeys running across the tin roof. The first group bungee jumped before rafting and we took pictures of them and laughed at their form, or lack there of.

Rafting on the Nile was a truly amazing experience! Swassers, Julie, Andy, Nathan, Amanda, Kristin, and I were in a raft with our fearless leader, TuTu. We dubbed ourselves "Team TuTu" instantly. We got in the raft and learned the basics- paddle forward, backward, get down, and how to "properly" fall out of the raft. We then had to learn how to get our from under the raft if it landed on top of us (Now is the point when I became nervous) and how to help each other back into the raft. And Kappow, within minutes we were headed down the Nile. We rafted rapids that ranged from category 2.5 to 5...At a category 3 TuTu said it would be the easiest rapid to capsize in. We approached in anticipation and before we had time to really brace ourselves we were out of the raft. At some point all of us were stuck under the raft and I think we got out just before sheer panic set in. After each rapid we banged our helmets against one another and put our paddles in the middle of the raft to yell, "Team TuTu". "Big Brother" was the name of our category 5 rapid and he let us have it. Miraculously we only lost Kristin and Amanda from the raft and Nathan notified me afterwards that, "Sister, you had the most terrified look on your face". Well, imagine that brother, duh.

Our drive back to Kampala was slower than expected as we hit traffic most likely caused by the A.U. We saw numerous motorcades pass by us and the streets of the city were lined with officers holding guns. We passed the U.S. Embassy and eerily enough the Ethiopian restaurant where the bombings occurred. We got to our hotel partnered up in double rooms and quickly put down our luggage to leave for "our last supper". Catherine took us to a Mexican restaurant where we had ritas and took pictures. I couldn't believe my eyes when my watermelon and feta salad arrived at the table. We returned to the hotel and packed our stuff for what would be the final departure. 4:00 a.m. came too fast and we said our good-byes to Catherine and Danielle in the lobby as we headed for the airport in the dark. Of course "The system was not there" when we got to the airport and we knew that our manual check-ins by British Airways would only end poorly as far as our luggage went....And our assumptions were correct...We looked like the family from Home Alone as we ran through the London airport with less than an hour to get boarding passes and pass through security in an attempt to make our flight. Miraculously we all made the gate as boarding began with swack and swass due to our workout.

Arrival in NYC was also no surprise as no one, not a single one of us, got luggage. Our good-byes were tired and we waved each other on our separate ways. I must say, the biggest surprise was ending up in a nicely air-conditioned NYC hotel room welcomed with white roses. It went something like this: Andy-"Oh look, the room has flowers."

Me-"Yeah, those are pretty."

Andy-"Looks like there is a note, why don't you read it."

Note read- "Because there were no flowers in Gulu..."

He called NYC from Africa and had flowers delivered to the room; I am at a loss for words. We spent the next day roaming Central Park commenting on the lack of bodas in NYC. We were lucky enough to catch The Black Keys sound check and ended the evening passing out from exhaustion.

Flash forward to now...I do not feel at "home". I have ended up with the exact flu symptoms that I started with in week 1 and I miss Africa terribly. I miss the latrines, I miss sleeping in a room with 5 other girls, I miss SSB, I miss waking to the sounds of many people in a small space. I miss all of the things that I didn't think I would. I miss my new "family" and the support and friendship that we created together. I have read that upon arrival back into the country after a trip like this adapting may be difficult. This is an understatement....It is also all the more reason to stay "in touch" with my new family, with my new students and Elizabeth, and to work hard to be a part of Gulu from here. I haven't figured out exactly how this will happen but have learned from this experience that I am more than capable of accomplishing my goals...

SSB Love

I would like to start off today with some amazing news...Invisible Children has decided to track our Teacher Exchange stories on the blog of the home page...Visit Invisiblechildren.com and scroll down to the blogs on that home page to see my story, it will be one of which is listed on July 21. To add to the excitement I am thrilled to say that there is much love for the necklaces being shown by those who have read it...I do not have the details yet, but I will be selling them somehow through either the I.C. website or my own personal page!!!

The weekend was rather slow in comparison to others, which was nice. On Saturday some of the teachers came to the house for a party. It was a laid back afternoon of tossing the football, playing bags (Gulu style), and learning Ugandan games. Andy has started me on “How I Met Your Mother” in the evenings (bootleg versions of course, which are unreliable and don’t always work for us), and I am hooked. We had some relaxing time around the house which was bittersweet as we realized it would be the last Saturday and Sunday at “home”. There was some Acholi Inn pool action (actually the pool was emptied so we would just refresh under the cold bathroom showers) including playing speed (cards) poolside while drinking ice cold Clubs.

We decided to call some people to invite them to dinner when we were given yet more haunting news. Group 2 had been at their St. Jude’s orphanage tour when a tragedy occurred. A young boy fell into a well in the back of the orphanage and drown. John, Colleen, and Min were the 3 main people who pulled Samuel out of the well, went to the hospital, and performed CPR. They returned to the house shaken and a small group of us sat outside and listened to John tell the whole story. It was heart wrenching to watch him choke up when he described pulling the boy’s feet from the filthy water. It was a natural reaction for us to listen, cry, and hug each other while the story unfolded; we seemed like a real family. The funeral was the next day and Samuel’s body was driven to a village where some of his relatives were. St Jude’s is a beautiful place although I must admit it is very difficult for me to experience. While I know these children are lucky to have a place to stay it leaves a throbbing in my stomach to witness some of the conditions. I feel both inspired and comforted to watch fellow housemates attend more regularly playing football, reading, and running with the children. I am thankful for the few opportunities I have spent there and joined in prayer with the house in Samuel’s passing.

I should mention that Freedrick the mouse and two of his relatives were caught by Andy and brother Nathan, who “catch mice”. The catching spree lasted 2 nights and included video recordings, live interviews with the mice catchers, and bonus footage of the first 2 releases outside. The next night I was on camera duty in the tiny, crowded, overheating pantry and they spent over 20 minutes being outrun by the mouse who ran over all of our feet many times. This video included an interview with Pablo who was outside looking in the window (“This mouse has outsmarted them for over 3 weeks now...”, says Pablo), more interviews with the catchers which were interrupted with a loud scream by Allison (I was able to capture a duel shot of Andy describing his “training for this event” followed by Nathan lifting up one of the cups for the mouse to jump out at Allison’s face). Priceless.

Tuesday marked the most successful day in the classroom thus far. I was able to give the students their paper to write the corrected versions of their letters on as well as a blank sheet of white paper to write their names on. I have seen their creativity so I opted to tell them to write their names “artistically”. I got many blank stares so I asked if they would like an example. “Of course Madam”. I drew my name on the board in old school bubble letters and listened as behind me they were making traditional Ugandan sounds (tisk tisk noises may mean many things....In this case it was a good noise, meaning they like what they see), also “Oh, very smart Mandy, very smart” (meaning it looks nice). WIthin seconds their hands were shooting up for me to draw their names for them. Within minutes they were surrounding me and throwing their papers to me...And after I would do the outline their rulers came out and they began to add their own flair. Elizabeth asked for a camera lesson and luckily got some shots of this. I told them I would be collecting them this week to take home to my students. I also received a gift that day after class. A young boy followed us out and said something to Elizabeth in Luo...In his hands were 2 Michael Jackson notebooks (2 weeks ago I asked them in class where they could be found because all of the stationary stores were sold out....I have already mentioned how popular the late M.J. is). He handed them to me shyly and I thanked him excitedly followed by the Acholi handshake, “pounding it out”, and a good ol’ American hug. I asked how much I should pay him...He again said something in Luo, which Elizabeth told me meant he wanted to give to me as gift. I was so taken back it gave me the chills. I gave him 1000 schillings which I knew would cover the cost with a bit of spare change (1000 schillings = 50 cents).

Wednesday got even better as I walked into the classes to see the students with elaborate name cards and neatly written letters. I had them each stand in front of the board with their cards for their photos. After each class I walked out of there would be a group of students from other grades with beautiful name cards and neatly written letters waiting to ask me if they too could have a pen pal from America. Elizabeth is elated and said that this will help them all so much with their English and understanding other cultures. She said the whole school knows about it now as they must be talking about it in the dorms. I am thinking this project is also going to turn into something “really big” and look forward to finding students at home to commit to the exchange of letters, friendship, and culture. After that I walked around to catch some candid shots which welcomed an amazing interaction with them. We took group pictures outside and they began making signs that read, “I now like American students.”, “One Uganda and One America, thank you.”, “Bye Bye Mandy, safe journey, please greet your students for us and tell them stories about us.” That day closed with an awesome trip to Andy’s school, Gulu High to watch him teach a K.O.B.S. lesson (Knowledge of Behavior and Self, topic of this year’s conference). It was amazing to see the difference in class size and atmosphere, he was teaching to about 80 or so. Also a nice change of pace to see boys and girls together again in class. A fun trip that ended with him catching some sweet shots of me on the boda in front of him.

As I am sitting in the staff room on my last day of school typing this I keep thinking six weeks was just not enough. I have said good-bye to 2 out of my 3 classes so far which has been terribly sad. I have given them my email address to stay in touch and have promised to send them a letter and pictures when I send Elizabeth her first box. They are giving me letters written and addressed to me, thanking me for “teaching them well”. I am so blessed to have gotten the chance to participate in this experience and I truly believe that it is only the beginning (of what....I’m not sure yet....). It has reminded me of the remarkable simplicities in life that make it worthwhile; I would have never dreamed that a stack of handwritten Acholi names would be so close to my heart. These kids long for opportunity, in fact most have written that they would like to be doctors and finish their studies in the U.S. They have included drawings of both the Ugandan and U.S. flags on their names. I am eager to “get” home, with time ending the voyage of buses, metatus, and planes has me on edge yet again.... The students at Sir Samuel Baker accepted me, and although there were days when cultural time differences drown me in frustration, they have presented true heart for their education. Although my teaching time is ending and I would have liked to establish this rapport earlier, I am more than grateful for this week at school as it has made me feel both “at home” and complete.

A new perspective

The morning after the bombing Julie woke me up around 6 a.m. to say that her friends had called to tell her there was a terrorist attack. I struggled to get out from under the comfort of the mosquito net as my stomach instantly came to my throat. Everyone was strangely calm and I couldn’t seem to get a grasp on what was happening. I was in a state of shock that I have never experienced before. The directors went to the office to get news and Andy called his friend from home who shared some information off of the internet. Catherine (director) returned and gave us the first wave of horrifying news, an I.C. roadie who came early to visit friends in Kampala was killed...About 5 of us who were home sat in the living room while she relayed what she knew....The office was devastated, this is the first time I.C. has ever experienced this, and this is the first attack of this kind in the country. We sat in silence with tears running down our faces as Danielle closed the small meeting with a prayer. The silence after the prayer was also a feeling that I had never felt as the situation was not fully registering. Ugandan media is much different so as we approached Cafe Larem to update emails and check for articles online we were alos exposed instantly to the graphic front pages of newspapers that showed blood covered dead bodies still sitting in the plastic chairs that littered the outdoor area of the Ethiopian restaraunt. I waited until I knew it was 5 a.m. to call home...I did my best to sound calm and confident in my surroundings which was not a total lie beacause still, after hours, the intensity had not hit me. Elizabeth sent me a text message that night reading, “Mandy, I’m very very sorry for the sad incidence. Take heart!”

Tuesday when I woke up for school I began to feel uneasy about much of what had happened. Upon walking to catch a boda many people that morning greeted Julie and I by saying, “Good morning sister”. My boda driver talked the whole way to SSB and apologized over and over for the “stupid people”. He told me he wanted me in this country, he wanted me to know that the country wanted us here...After we got to school he began to drive away turning around and saying, “Again, Madam, I am very sorry”. This was difficult for me for many reasons; it made me realize how scared I really was, and it was heartwrenching to think that these beautiful, welcoming people felt the need to apologize for this tragedy. Elizabeth was surprised to see me at school but spent the day talking to me about the political and religious conflicts that she was aware of regarding Somalia. In the staff room the other teachers also apologized to me, though 2 of them had lost relatives in the attack. By Tuesday night I was able to release my feelings which basically menat I had my only mini meltdown since I’ve been here. I think we were all dealing with the situation in our own way and once I put my feelings on the table I felt as if I could move on and be grateful for the rest of my time here.

We have also been dealing with a new roommate in our room, a mouse. He stole my scarf a few weeks ago, brought it under my drawer in the closet (which has since been removed), chewed holes in it, and urinated on it...Nathan was perplexed at my reaction after he held it up and said, “You can still wear it...just wash it first.” Since then he has been waking us up in the middle of the night by scurrying across the floor and jumping on top of our bags. We reached our breaking point the other night...Julie flails around in her bed, “I hear the little bastard, he’s right by my bed.” All 6 of us shoot up in our beds armed with headlamps and start the search, of course he is nowhere to be seen. Twenty minutes later I saw my mosquito net moving slightly in the breeze (there is no breeze at all in our stale room, the air hangs heavy....But with sleep deprivation it was totally understandable to imagine the breeze)....Seconds later I felt him run across my legs, I kicked them fast enough to see him fly into the top of my net...I jumped/fell/tumbled through my sheets and mosquito net onto the floor yelling, “Oh my God, Oh my God, he’s on me”, followed by Julie letting out an obnoxious girl scream...Trisha, Kristen, Sarah, and Jenni got their lamps on quickly and within seconds we were all laughing hysterically. (It was 5:45 a.m.) Needless to say we realized he must go. He has stolen the biscuit bait, is not heavy enough for the trap, so we resorted to poison (As you all know this would normally be completely against my will....But he tried to sleep with me.)

Wednesday at school was amazing, by far the most fulfilling teaching day yet. Elizabeth and I taught “some/any” to the classes. I began with one of the active straegies ideas; I wrote the word English on the board and had them give me words beginning with each letter that reminded them of school. They loved it, and were amazing, listing, “education, novels, liturature, interogative”... We used American money as a visual aid when Elizabeth asked me if I had “some” money. I walked around the room with the bill as they asked questions such as, “Can I touch it? That is where Obama lives? How many schillings is that like?” I then assigned sentences for then to copy, changing “some” to “any”. I walked around and marked their books and began a new tradition, the high five. They had no idea what it was...I stuck my hand up to the first student who got all of the answers correct and he looked at me blankly. I said, “high five?” A student in the back said, “Touch her hand”. He did, and they laughed uncontrollably. For the rest of the time they ran up to me with their assignments waiting for their marks and high fives, they had it mastered by the end of class. We then worked on thumbs up, pound it, and of course the Acholi handshake. They finished quickly as the end of the class was devoted to their “American penpal letter assignemnt”. They are so eager to “make new friends” and “talk about Chicago”. They were told to write a practice letter for homework and bring it Thursday to have it marked for corrections, from then we would write the official letters. I couldn’t have dreamed that I would have been able to connect with them so well.

Thursday the students all brought their letters in....They blew me away...Many of them asked about Chicago, they described their family lives, and were thankful for being given the opportunity to "make pen pals with American students". The plan for next week: I am purchasing lined paper from the stationary store, they will make corrections and rewrite the letters officially. They will then use markers to creatively draw their names on a piece of paper. I will take a photo of each of them holding up their numbered name papers so that we can place a name to a face. As I was leaving school many of them ran after me and asked, "Madam Mandy, when will we see letters from Chicago?" Smiled the whole way home.

Thursday also marked my first date in Uganda...Ahhh, need I say more ?!?! The restaurant was called Bomah, kind of inside, kind of outside...Super cute, ambiance included a nice African rain followed by a full sky of stars...

The pictures shown are: The family+ patches Swasser (me, Andy, Julie, Nathan) after the matatu trip home looking real fresh....giraffe (obviously)...One of my classrooms+ Elizabeth...Acholi dancers...

Ugandan Time

The week here has been quick as usual and we have less than 2 weeks before returning home now. School this week was quiet; Elizabeth and I spent some time planning lessons. I will work to incorporate some of the active strategies activities that we learned in a recent meeting. Our plan is to write the word “Communication” on the board and have the students list words that relate to their personal definitions of the word. She gave me the freedom to create a lesson plan from the speech book I use to teach. I am excited to relay why effective communication skills are important to everyone everywhere, Acholi or Mezungu. The students have started to really open up more in class and upon reading their mock letters to their parents I found that they are excited to talk about “the munu teaching who helps them with English called Madam Mandy”. They are still receptive to the pen pal idea and I have worked hard to relate the discussions back to that idea. During our weekly roundtable meeting Elizabeth told me that they will “yearn for me after I’m gone and miss me very much”. Although teaching here has been a very different experience; I do believe I have had an impact. I am not surprised however to feel that I have been impacted and learned much more from this experience than I could ever give.

Our weekend was full of preparation for the teaching conference focusing on the newly implemented KOBS (Knowledge of Behavior and Self) program. Friday was a long day and we all struggled with small conflicts such as the difference in Ugandan time vs. Munu time. I believe as a group of American teachers we have all learned to accept that everything here is slower, sometimes making the days drag on. The research regarding the process of creating the program was interesting to me and I found that although much was related to war-affected children I found many connections to other forms of trauma that students in the states may face. I am hopeful in incorporating some of the activities in the classroom as they are built around the concept of communication. I am also excited to share the idea of the program with my students in order to discuss the differences in communication barriers that students in different cultures face.

After the conference, Andy, Julie, and I got stranded at the bank while an African rain came through. This turned into a comedy as we watched the river form in the street and the garbage being washed away past us. We rewarded ourselves with cheese sandwiches and cold wine from the Acholi Inn for dinner. Dinner also became a mock business meeting as we collaborated on the necklace business that is “going to be big”. I named Andy artistic director for obvious reasons, he should be creating a schmancy logo as I am typing this. After much pondering and a bottle of wine, we named Julie D.O.M.S. (director of moral support). So, I guess the big news is that the necklace creation that started for the sole purpose of fundraising gets to live on. I plan on coming home and setting up major production....Ya know, websites and real solid stuff like that.

We were invited to Jolie’s home Friday night (she was a vital role in the organization and documentary), and also inspired Andy to learn how to open a bottle with his teeth.) We sat around a fire and listened to her and her husband tell stories about coming to America, the war, and life in Uganda since with I.C. We got home early and went to bed in preparation for the second day of the conference and Safari!

We set out at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday for the Safari in a stacked metatu with Nathan (who is now my brother), Jenni, Andy, Julie, Lindsey, Lisa, and of course, the Swassers. We were warned about the 4 hour ride on non-roads, but nothing could have prepared us for what we encountered. It seemed like we were climbing in and out of pot holes that were as big as my house. It seemed funny at first, Patches Swasser said, “Spirits are high now, but I can feel them fading fast...My stomach is rumbling”. Luckily for me the dramamine held everyone together and the last hour was spent driving through the park siting D.L.T.s (deer like things), wart hogs, and buffalo. We ate a lovely dinner of pasta and vegetables overlooking the Nile from above. The sleeping quarters were delightful, huge tents filled with twin beds and real pillows, and FLUSHING TOILETS WITH SEATS. We woke up and picked up our sack breakfast (cheese sandwich, watermelon, banana, chapati) and headed to the ferry to watch the sun rise over the Nile. We got to sit on top of the matatu and begin our safari adventure seeing giraffes, elephants, hundreds of d.l.t.s, and giant termite hills. It seemed like we were in The Lion King; the sun was coming up, it was slightly cool outside and as you may be able to imagine the scenery was breathtaking. In between the safari and river safari we had the luxury of stopping at a posh hotel and using real toilets...As for the river safari to the falls...We saw many hippos, eagles, crocs, and monkeys. We approached the falls and tied off on a picturesque rock to take group pictures. The falls were also amazing and after the photo-op we climbed on top of the roof of the boat to finish the ride back. Lucky timing in our switch decision as we were able to sunbathe and came across about 14 elephants on the shoreline. We were able to get close enough to get great pictures and to make Nathan’s day, see them “trumpet” ( ya know, trunks in the air with the loud noises).....

The ride home went by quickly as Andy and I shared earbuds of his ipod, we ate g-nuts, and listened to Patches narrate a movie trivia game in which every question began with, "In this movie...." (comical after hours) The windows were open and the smell of burning garbage and rain on the horizon was rushing in, along with red Ugandan clay. Nathan (now brother/rat whisperer) kept turning around saying, "Oh my God sister, your face is so dirty"...Then Jenni took a picture of my neck because apparently that too was brownish red. Andy's hair turned strawberry burnt umberish...When we arrived back home we took family pictures to show off our new skin colors, hot!!! We were classy as expected and did wet wipe bathes in the hallway before trekking out for our new favorite spot for pizza dinner, The Mandy Special (bell peppers, garlic, bbq sauce, and stuffed crust)...Enjoyed while admiring the remnants of red that shimmered in the candlelight on our skin, candlelit not for ambience of course but because the power went out.

More update and pictures (hopefully) to come this weekend.

Somber State of Mind

I hope to update with last week's fill tomorrow or Thursday....Until then, the mood here in Gulu is sad. What happened here was probably one the most unnerving situations that could have taken place while we were here. We were all saddened to know that an I.C. Roadie was lost; we had a meeting and expressed the need for us to stay passionate about our experience in his honor. We are safe in Gulu, 6 hours away from Kampala. We are uneasy about our travels back through on the way home however we know we must wait for more information as time passes. We are no longer traveling after dark and never alone....

Detoxing (In a real life kind of way)

The internet in Gulu has been less than efficient this past week. There have been power outages everyday, most happen to come when I get out of school and to Cafe Larem to update my blog...Big weekend for the World Cup so we all figure Gulu was saving the power...

Tuesday at school Elizabeth helped me plan “my” first lesson. She informed me that we would be discussing informal letter writing, somehow aquariums were still included in this discussion. She had the typist type the lesson from the book since there are not enough books for all of the children. We talked about how to present the letter and it’s ideas. After the students read the letter I was to reread it to them, so they could hear my “accent”. My lesson plan seemed incomplete upon first glance but I had faith that I could engage them. I spent the rest of a very long day “marking” their exercise representing plural forms of words. Their notebooks are covered with pictures of the Obama family and my favorite-the cover of Michael Jackson’s “Bad” album-my personal favorite...I was elated and gathered them to ask Elizabeth about it, she said they mourned for days upon his death....The similarities between students across the world are simply amazing...And affirmed is my belief that music can bring people together, even on different continents.

Wednesday was the big day....And it truly was “lesson”...Elizabeth walked in and said, “Today you will listen to Mandy and learn from her.” She then sat down. We discussed the differences in letter writing between here and there, but I had the most fun talking about phrases such as “feeling at home” or “mountains of work”...The students are quick to get out their dictionaries when they do not understand something. I have realized that much like U.S. students they thrive off of interaction and their eyes light up with a high-five or verbal praise. They were in awe of the powerpoint pictures of Chicago and the Shedd Aquarium. I moved around the room and used many hand gestures which had them both engaged and laughing. I taught 3 classes like this that day, each one seemed to go better than the last. I ended the day with a gift from Elizabeth, home-made sim-sim balls for Andy and I, delicious. (She roasts sim-sim, sesame seeds, and rolls them into balls with melted sugar.)

As I waited for Elizabeth to get to school Thursday I decided I could plan a way to engage these students with pen pals from my own classes...Within minutes I had a lesson plan for my students back home which will require a letter to a Ugandan student after receiving one. Elizabeth was elated with the idea and I taught classes that day by discussing what they should tell their “American pen pal”. By the end of Thursday the long 3 teaching days set in and I was exhausted. En route to the latrines I was attacked by “safari ants”...Elizabeth tried to brush them off of my skirt but within seconds I was being bitten all over...”You will have to take your clothes and shake them in the latrine, Mandy”...

Thursday nights have marked a tradition for Bamboo trivia night...Since group 2 has arrived we had an extra large group in competition. (Have I mentioned that I am now in a house with about 30 people and 2 bathrooms???) Trying at times, but all in all a really positive experience...My only child syndrome is slipping away right before my very eyes. We split into 2 teams of munus and answered random questions about soccer, Einstein, and The Rolling Stones. After trivia we started a a large dance party in the grass. John from group 2 was the ringleader, he asks, “Mandy, can you get low?”...I said, “um, duh John!”...(Before I describe the event that took place let me introduce you to John...One of our first encounters was when I walked up beside him and literally had to bend my head all the way up to look at him. He asks if I’m shy, I say no, he picks me up with one arm and lifts me over his head so I can “see what it’s like up here”. He’s close to 7 feet tall, has been a part of the program since the beginning, and has a magnificent appetite for beer.)...So, I “get low” and before I knew it John’s huge legs were swinging over my head. Absolutely hilarious and thankfully Andy’s amazing photographer instincts caught a shot or 2 on camera.

Friday morning was extremely relaxing; we drank coffee in the back yard, listened to music, and embraced Gulu time. After an awesome morning the day got even better as Andy surprised me with a “half way to my birthday” gift, an incredible scarf that he had made in the market with my favorite fabric....This is incredible for my than one reason; I thought the fabric was gone, and they did not understand the concept of a scarf so he had to draw it...Not an easy feat in the depths of the market which is dark, extremely hot, and incredibly crowded with people, bodas, garbage, and unidentified liquids. We were able to watch the 2 big soccer games, both ending sadly. Luckily Julie and Pablo kept their cool when Brazil lost and Ugandans stayed calm when Ghana lost. There was something magical about roaming the streets on the way home and hearing screams and horns from every direction...So, Africa unites for soccer...

Saturday was our big 4th of July party...Andy and I headed out early Saturday for an unsuccessful skype attempt (no internet). We were on “snack crew” for our party and began scouring the market for our groceries. Again, a hilarious adventure as we shuffled through aisles of dried fish, fruits, shoes, and other random things to search for ingredients for guac and mango salsa. Upon prepping for the party Andy, Lisa, and I worked diligently in the tiny pantry preparing possibly the best guac and salsa I have ever tasted with extremely limited resources (example: cutting avocados with a meat clever and mincing garlic with a butter knife). I am learning the true definition of being resourceful. Before the party started we got to watch traditional African dancers in the front yard. It was absolutely beautiful...Before long there was a crowd of Acholi around the chain link fence and it was more of a community viewing. The party was a combination of other I.C. staff, our 2 groups, and many Ugandans. We ate, drank, and stayed very merry. By the end of the night D.J. Billie stood on the porch and played us an outstanding mix of Michael Jackson’s “Will You Be There” 3 times in a row. There are some songs that will forever bring Africa back to my memory and thankfully this is one of them. All of us united in the front yard and sang the lyrics louder each time. Priceless.

Sunday marked another historic event as we celebrated the real 4th of July with a delicious pizza dinner at “our new spot”...It happens to be owned by munus and the menu boasts veggie trays, hamburgers,and yes, pizza!!! I can’t say that I missed being at home for this one, maybe I could have used a sparkler or bottle rocket but I think my Africa holiday was better than any I’ve had.

It was a week of great teaching experiences, more hilarious memories with my new “family”, and a continued fairytale journey into the unknown with someone I feel like I’ve known forever. Hard to believe we are more than half way through our time here; 6 weeks no longer seems long enough.

Today is Monday and I had my meeting with a mentor. The mentors work for I.C. and travel to families’ homes to keep them updated on their children's’ progress and happenings at their schools. We met at I.C. headquarters around the corner from the house where Richard told me I needed to wear pants (I knew something was up because it was the first time in Africa that I was not only told to wear pants but also that I should sit “like a man” on our boda ride.) After changing I was welcomed to the boda by Richard with a helmet in his hand for me, “It will be safer”, he says. To be honest I was a bit weary of where we could be traveling to. It was a long boda ride, about 45 minutes where most of the time was spent on extremely bumpy roads and narrow paths. The scenery was amazing; we passed empty idp camps, oxen “plowing” fields, and a forest preserve. The home we were visiting was alone surrounded by tobacco crops. The hut we approached was just that, a hut with a grass roof. There were 5 small children sitting on the ground surrounded by many chickens, a pig, and a dog. Two of them were only wearing shirts and one was completely unclothed. Richard said they were a bit scared because they had never seen a motorbike. Richard spoke to the student’s sister and asked to meet his older brother (considered guardian) and mother. She rode her bike into the fields to get him while Richard explained the ways of life here. There were no latrines, no holes in the ground, it just wasn’t economically possible here yet. He explained the faith in God that these people had as they prayed for good rain. Their crops marked their success, and without rain, there were no crops. He explained their loss in faith when sometimes they wondered if such suffering could occur with a God. He traveled to the U.S. on I.C.’s last tour and although marveled with our “simplicities”, said he would have it no other way. He admitted that Africa had a long way to come but felt the “communal” attitude of the country would pull them through. He was saddened to know that many Americans do not know who lives around them, let alone right next store to them.

After a while the student’s brother appeared and Richard began the meeting. He knew how to speak some English and Richard did a good job of translating what was being said. The student attended my school, Sir Samuel Baker, and unfortunately was not performing well academically. During the last term he had gotten malaria....There was no excuses though, there were many students fighting for these scholarships from I.C. and Richard wanted to be sure everyone understood the academic responsibilities to the program.

The meeting got more difficult as I learned that their father was killed by the rebels. He was brutally beaten to death with a stick in front of both of them. The brother looked into the distance with blank stare as he shared the details. Richard told me that the reason the rebels killed parents in front of their children was to ensure the children had no hope left of going home. I tried to control the warm tears that slid down my face when he shared how proud of his brother he was, as he shared how thankful he was for I.C., for making his brother the smartest one in their family (he had to drop out of school to take care of other siblings). The mother arrived shortly after and did not speak any English although she could read it. She began to cry when she read the report card that Richard had brought. She held my hands and told me many times that she was thankful for me, and that I was very welcome. She was proud to show me into her home and laid a small blanket on the floor for me to sit on. I learned how the hut was built, that the grass roof lasts for 5 years, and how she makes peanut butter. The one phrase in English that she did know she repeated many times, “God bless you”. I don’t know that I have ever said that to someone in person, but I repeated it back to her every single time. The entire day lent me the reward of a true cultural experience and once again of knowing I was right where I was supposed to be. Richard will meet me at school tomorrow when he meets with the student for the first time...

The Real Schedule

Since the last update a lot has gone on...I will begin by explaining the big illness scare and the amount of guilt I felt missing my second day of school. I woke up Wednesday morning freezing cold (chills is an understatement). It took me a moment to remember that even though it is winter here it is never cold sleeping in my cramped bottom bunk surrounded with mosquito net. My whole body hurt and my throat was definitely swollen. Catherine and Danielle took my temperature, a little over 100..."So, then it's not malaria?!" Suddenly all of our references to eating malaria, getting bit by malaria, or snorting malaria weren't so funny. Thankfully Andy came home from school with biscuits (cookies), tea, extra sheets, and African airborne. I slept the entire day on and off, still managing to go to bed early. Thursday morning I felt much better and headed out for school.

Elizabeth knew I didn't feel well (she was the 4th person to tell me "you don't look well", and you know what that means in the states). Our first class of the day began with impromptu speeches. I was immediately thankful I made the effort. I showed Elizabeth our section on impromptu speeches which she read thoroughly and excitedly pointed out what looked familiar. She wrote out topics before hand- much different than our choices- we had "mending a puncture (a bike tire), washing clothes, and playing football (soccer)". Much like I would do in class she asked the students the reasoning behind why an impromptu speech would be important. Surprisingly similar answers, "to help us talk in front of people, think on our feet", and a unique answer for me to hear, "to speak her language better". The students took their time and looked at me for head nods as they pronounced certain words (Elizabeth does a great job helping them with annunciation). They thanked me for my help and clapped for me...They also plugged their noses and said "byyyyyyeeee" in a very high pitched tone as I left ( "that is what munus sound like to them" Elizabeth said....I thought- "great, so I sound like a congested valley girl"...

Elizabeth then took me to the "sick bay" (nurse)...VERY interesting. She did not ask me how I felt or what my symptoms were; she scooped out a number of pills from an unmarked plastic container and said, "ummm, you take 3, 2 times day". I asked if they were penicillin... She said, "ummm, no, I think, no"...Obviously I gave the pills to Elizabeth and explained yet another one of my allergies to her. She is like a Uganda mom...She asks when I will have a family (I say hopefully soon, when I finish school), she asks about my family and thinks it's good I have enough cousins, and she has now hopped on the hair bandwagon ('They giggle at you because they want to know how a munu has so much hair and how it is so dark....Is it real?...And what about these white pieces in the front....Did you forget to color those?") I explained the coloring/highlighting process and she thinks she will find me "chemicals" to make her hair this color too. I left for the weekend with instructions to find pictures of aquariums...We will be covering aquariums and letter writing this week (lesson plans here are very spontaneous)...The children here do not know what aquariums are; I decided to make a powerpoint presentation to show them. We got on separate bodas to town and during my lunch she called to make sure "I arrived home safe"...Like I said, a Uganda mom.

Friday was a day off...Andy, Nathan, Julie, and I ran some errands and made it to the Acholi Inn by 11:30 am. That's right, we laid out by the pool! We did get in the pool, which seemed more like a lake, murky, a bit slimy, and filled with bugs...Still extremely refreshing in the heat near the equator. By the time we got back to the house we remembered that yes, we were just about on the equator, hence our wicked burns....No need to worry, we were savagely tan by the next morning.

I woke up in the middle of the night to Jenni's face in my mosquito net, "Mandy, can you wake up, there's a mouse in the toilet"...I got up to assess the situation....I stood outside the door contemplating what I could use to scoop it out and thought I should take a look at it...It was not a mouse, it was definitely a rat...A huge gray, furry, long-tailed rat in a toilet filled with pee (we let it "mellow" to save water), scampering on the side in an attempt to escape. After asking her if she was blind we starting asking like huge girls. Within minutes Catherine and Danielle came to see what was going on...I suggested the obvious solution, "We need to get Nathan, he'll touch it". And of course it went like a script. "Nathan, get up, we need you." Out of his mosquito net and bounding off the top bunk like something in Baywatch he came flying down the hall. He ran to get a cup and went to work...The rat was excited too, and I would estimate a weight of a few pounds as I heard it hit the bathroom floor..."Get another cup", Nathan says...By this point I'm on the chair in the hall while the other girls are curled on top of each other...I could only say, "Don't put the cups back after this"...Really intelligent comment in the state of urgency... So, with 2 cups Nathan had the rat trapped and on it's way out (except for the 6 inches of tail that was sticking out), back to bed we went.

Saturday we woke up and packed for our rhino expedition. I was unaware that the metatu ride there would be an adventure in itself. It was about a 3 hour drive, through small villages, through beautiful scenery, and back over the rushing Nile. The accommodations were amazing, it seemed like a small resort. AND flushing toilets?!?!....5 star for sure! We went out into the bush and found 3 rhinos...They seem to be chill animals and didn't move much as we all stood around taking pictures...We fought "swass, swack, and swalls" (imagine sweaty body parts) as we were in the direct sunlight for our journey. We got an amazing dinner of pasta with a cream sauce (with mushrooms that I accidentally ate), and REAL parmesan cheese that we all ate out of the bowl with our hands. We sat around a tiki hut bar and drank Clubs (favorite Uganda beer hands down) and had a relaxing night away. There were random rescued animals on site (African greys, and "deer-like things with horns", that took a liking to Andy)...Our ride home seemed much quicker as our metatus seemed to be weaving in and out of traffic, chimps, long-horned cows, and people averaging what seemed a very unsafe speed....Needless to say that even after one of the metatus pulled kind of over for a spontaneous short-call in a very public place (right on the street), we made it home safe...At this point the house is passing around what seems to be "a bit of a bug", and looking back I am thankful for my sore throat and runny nose in comparison to the beating that the pit latrines are taking outside.