It's not goodbye, it's tuzongera (see you later)!

So it is coming to the end of my time in East Africa. I know that I have not written a post in quite awhile, which I think means that I have actually been DOING more than I was before. Since we left Rwanda, for example, I have been to Lake Bunyoni (in Uganda) and stayed on a beautiful island (resort/hotel) with no electricity and enjoyed the views (lake, mountains, colorful little birds, and much more) with all the kids from the RW group.

The most interesting and taxing part of the last week was coming to the capitol city of Kampala and meeting up with the rest of the students from this semester that we hadn't seen in a month. It was great to see a lot of people that I had missed, and those I realized I did not enjoy that much I tried to avoid. This sounds bad, but this group is quite large and everyone has realized that there are some people you get along with better than others and we behave accordingly. Thankfully being in Kampala before the program officially ended left some time for Christmas/gift shopping at the many many craft markets and boutiques around the city. While I may not have become a master bargainer after over 3 months in East Africa, it was a fun challenge to try and bargain my way through the markets. When we had finished our time in Kampala and it was getting close to when students would be flying out, the program moved to Entebbe. Entebbe is a small city (or town?) on Lake Victoria where the airport is located. For our last night all together we relaxed on the “beach” of Lake Victoria and had a delicious dinner of pizza before taking our friends to the airport for tearful goodbyes. Saying so many goodbyes in the space of only a few days was tough for me. In fact thinking about them, as well as my own departure in 2 days, is making me quite sad while writing this. So in order to cheer up I will tell you about the most exciting part of my last week.... RAFTING!

Let me preface this by explaining the way I met my best friend on this trip, Taylor. Back in August, when almost all of the SIT students had found each other in the Amsterdam airport prior to our last departure into Africa, I was standing in line next to a cute girl with short brown hair and a flowy pink dress. She started asking me if I would be interested in going white water rafting in the (so-called) “outdoor capitol of East Africa” after the program ended. At the time I was unsure of rafting, but very sure that I liked the way this girl thought. Fast forward to a few months later, Taylor and I lived together (and slept in the same bed) in a Kigali house for a month and still wanted to travel to Jinja once the program was over to raft. It is in Taylor's nature to be adventurous and I think that she has passed that on to me a bit over the course of the last few months together. So two days after the program officially ended Taylor, Nancy (another of our roommates) and I travel to the Eastern part of Uganda (Jinja) to raft at the source of the Nile River. I remember learning about the Nile and it's influential role in African development in Middle School. I never in my life expected to be white water rafting down the Nile for fun. While these trips do cost a pretty penny and are quoted in US $'s (which means you know its expensive) it is a once in a lifetime chance!

Nancy, Taylor and I spent a full beautiful day out on the river going over some large, and some not so large rapids with our Zimbabwean guide Tobano. Since we were the only customers in our raft he said it was “our own private trip”. On this trip we stopped at the end of the rapids at an island called the Fuzzy Lemon. There is an adorable island guesthouse/resort there where travelers come for peace and relaxation. We, however, came to the island because Nile River Explorers (the company) pays for each rafter to have 2 drinks at the island (soda or beer depending on preference). Of course we choose the free beer and took over an hour at the island wading, playing volleyball, chatting and enjoying the company of the quite attractive rafting guides and kayakers. This is not at all the type of traveling I have gotten used to in East Africa, which you know from past posts. It was a very nice end to the semester. And believe it or not, I was not even that scarred on the river. Rafting is definitely catered to foreigners, because you get a barbeque dinner, two more drink tickets, and one free nights accommodation when you pay for the rafting trip. For the three of us this meant spending time with the people who went down the river with us and mingling with the other foreigners (Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, British and more) spending time at the campsite.

I actually kind of wished that I could have flown out when Nancy and Taylor had so that could have been my last experience in East Africa. Now I am traveling/staying in Uganda basically alone. To be honest I am quite ready to come home to America and see the people I have missed for so long. I think that spending so much time with my friends who were leaving made me mentally ready to leave. Currently I have come back North to Gulu were I lived for a month and a half at the beginning of the program. It is nice to see the “family” and people I spent so much time with, but it does not change the fact that Gulu is a very small town and there is not so much to do here. I am just relaxing and frequenting the places I used to enjoy in Gulu before I go back to Kampala tomorrow. My oldest host “sister” had triplets while I was in Rwanda, so tomorrow my “sister” Hilda and I are going to see her and the new ones in the city. Then on Tuesday I will head to Entebbe and fly home!!!! It will be a long trip; Uganda to Amsterdam, then to Detroit, then to DC, and then a few hours drive North to my grandmothers house in Delaware for the holiday. Please cross your fingers, or pray (whichever you do) that I do not get stuck in Detroit snow so I can make it home in time for X-Mas with the family! I know that I will miss East Africa and it will always hold a place in my heart, but I also know that being away for so long has made me very excited and ready to get back to my life in Va and Md. Other than the education and research, the best thing I got out of this trip is good friends and two new families on a different continent. I hope to see all of them again in the near near future. When people ask me about coming back to Rw and Ug, I tell them I will try after I graduate in 2011 so now I HAVE to come back! It is much easier to tell people see you in 2011 then goodbye forever. Who knows, maybe I will work in these countries one day?!

The Times They Are A Changing

So it's been a while since my last post and a lot has happened since then which I will try to catch you up on. Here goes...

So the independent study portion of our program started last Saturday, which means the group split up between Uganda and Rwanda. I am definitely sad that I don't see all of the SITers shining faces each day, but I was also ready to get out on my own and decide when I eat and when I study etc. So in terms of the living situation for the remainder of my time here, I got REALLY luck thanks to a view ingenious friends. My friends Nancy and Thammika were determined to move out of their home stays for the ISP and they posted a wanted add on couchsurfers.com. As it turns out they got an offer to live in a 2-3 bedroom house in Kigali while the owner studied in Canada for two months. Doudou is the house owner, and an adorable Congolese man who works for a youth peace building NGO here in Kigali. The girls went and visited the place and fell in love with it while me and a few other friends were looking around at hostels to shack up in for about a week. Doudou only wanted people to watch over and keep his house in good shape, so he was offering the place for FREE! After all, he has been a poor college student in a foreign country and knows our plight.

So basically, Nancy and Thammika did not want to live alone in this house in order to cut costs on food, power, water and be safer as foreigners in a middle class neighborhood, so they asked me if I (and 1 of my friends) would want to move in with them for the month. Taylor and I jumped at the chance because both of us were planning to travel during the ISP and would not want to pay for a whole month of a hostel when we wouldn't be there. So now I live in a beautiful modest house in the same neighborhood as my host family and only one bus from the city center. Thammika loves to cook and is a fabulous one. For example: I had chocolate pancakes this morning made by our little Thai chef. She was also creative enough to make a stove top pizza twice with no tomato sauce or oven available. I share a double/queen (not sure) bed with Taylor and Nancy and Thammika share a bed in the other room. We have a nice living room decorated with a huge map of Africa and 2 Kenyan tapestries. Doudou is very organized and well traveled so we enjoy reading books from his library, some of which will help me conduct my research, and using the kitchen. We really are spoiled and I never thought this living situation was a possibility. At times I don't leave the house for a day and a half at a time because it is so pleasant. I wish I was going to be able to return to Rwanda after our “evaluation” week in Uganda because Doudou will still be absent and I could stay in the house while exploring the country more.

In terms of the research, I haven't done too too much but I did have an amazing (timing) day at a youth center by coincidence. So I am conducting my research on informal peace education initiatives for youth in Butare and Kigali. I had been told about the Maison des Jeunes de Kimisagara (kimisagara youth center) in Kigali and all the amazing programs they run, and I decided to head there way last Friday. Thammika came with me because we know 2 people that work at the center (one of whom she was interested in 'seeing' again. teehee). When we got there in the afternoon we talked to a few Rwandan teens while we waited for Issa (SIT home stay coordinator) to meet us. They spoke really good English and were excited to talk about the sports they play at the center during school holidays (which it is until January). Once Issa got there we found out that there was the Great Lake Youth Summit going on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It was basically a conference on youth issues and peace building/education programs in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania etc. Man was I lucky. Tham and I were introduced to a few different people who worked at orgs at the center, and watched the live music, speeches, gymnastics, and football forum theater during the “conference/summit”. I am actually going back this Wednesday to meet with one of the really nice guys I met there who facilitates both football (soccer) and karate as peace building efforts with the youth. I'm sure that I will find my “youth” group to interview through the center and that takes a huge weight off of my back!

Well I'm sure I will wish that I had written more but it is time for me to begin working on my ISP for the day. A week of our ISP has already gone by and all I've done is think about it a schedule meetings and interviews. I need to get serious about it now that it's the second week.... sadly. I'll try and keep you all informed on the happenings in Kigali.

A lot more than expected! Rwanda continued.

Rwanda has been my “home” now for almost 3 weeks, and I have become quite comfortable here. Our group has traveled South to Butare (where the National University is), North West to Kibuye at Lake Kivu, and of course spent most of our time in the capitol city of Kigali where we live in homestays. My family is totally amazing and I am getting to know them more and more each day. They are as much the “typical post-genocide Rwandese family” as they could be. After the genocide there were so many widows and orphans that the family unit became something of a mash up of neighbors, distant relatives and people you took in. I have a very full house here in Kicikiru (the neighborhood of Kigali where I live). I live with my Mother, 3 sisters, 3 “cousins”, 1 nephew, 1 “houseboy”/servant, and a dog who doesn’t realy have a name. I love the whole family so much. My sisters are amazing. 2 speak English, all speak French, and 1 (my “buddy” from the school where the rest of the host families have students) speaks really good English… Rosette. Alice has actually gotten really close and comfortable with me.

The photo above is me with all of my home-stay sisters (In order that makes Liberathe, me, Alice, and Rosette).

Most Africans (huge stereotype I know!) are fascinated by the hair and skin of white people because it is so different from their own. Well, when I wear shorts or Capri pants Alice likes to touch/hold my bare skin as a sign of affection. At first it weirded me out, but now I think it’s adorable. Also she and my “cousin” (who is a genocide orphan) Divine get such a kick out of playing with my hair. Alice actually played with my hair for half an hour the other day, which was fine with me because it’s the closest I’ve gotten to a massage in awhile. When Divine plays with my hair it’s a little odd. I think she doesn’t really know how to “play” with white hair, because she ended up scratching my head uncomfortably. Either way I don’t really mind. I actually tried to “braid/cornrow” my sister Rosette’s hair and it didn’t go so well since I don’t know how to do it. Pretty funny actually. They all laugh at me whenever I try things like this, or eat new foods, or try and speak Kinyarwanda, but it’s just something you get used to. I think I will be much more comfortable with people laughing AT me when I’m back in the USA in the future.

The first 2 weeks in Rwanda were all about becoming comfortable in the city, learning Rwandan history and focusing specifically on the genocide and pre-genocide conflicts. In terms of discovering the city, public transit was totally terrifying in the beginning. Not because it’s difficult but because I never knew were I was going, how much things were, what the procedure was, etc. Now it’s all totally easy, and I’ve only gotten lost ONCE. Aren’t you impressed? I have gotten ripped off some, but that’s to be expected because I am white and don’t know what I’m doing a lot of the time. And whenever you get ripped off here it’s by like 40 cents or 2 dollars. Not a big deal if you really think about it.

DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR EXPLICIT DETAILS ABOUT THE GENOCIDE. (Scroll down to read the last section instead)

Our group went to 4 different genocide memorial sites within the first 2 weeks. We visited Murambi, Gisozyi (Kigali), the National University Memorial, and Nyamatta (a church memorial). Each of these were challenging experiences in different ways, and I am very glad I got to visit each of them. For me Murambi was the hardest, as I have said before, because there you actually SEE and SMELL the death, and you are able to picture how they suffered and how many people were killed. Nyamatta was also difficult for me because it was in a region of Rwanda where so many Tutsi’s lived back then. The majority of the Tutsi’s in that community were killed, and many of them had sought refuge at churches which ended up being the last place they saw. At the Nyamatta memorial you walk into the church and see all the clothes of those who died there all over the floor and the pews. There were only 2 survivors there, who were children at the time. They most likely hid among the bodies until the perpetrators left to continue their "work" as it was called by the propoganda. You can still see bullet/shrapnel holes in the roof and blood stains on the clothes. For me the hardest part of that memorial was the mass grave/tomb behind the church. There are 2 of equal size (bigger than classrooms or restaurants in much of America) which are filled with caskets and skulls and bones. Each tomb was open, and you could walk down the stairs inside and go down 2 hallways (one each direction) and see the remains of the people who died there. In Rwanda during the genocide caskets were never filled with just one person. This is because there was often not that much of the bodies remaining, and there were so many people to bury “properly” (in Rwandan terms) that they had to be economical about it. I got quite claustrphobic in these dark narrow tombs and ended up being unable to go down the aisles to view all of the caskets. In one of the tombs the minute you step off the last step you see rows of skulls at your eye level less than a foot away from you. This is a difficult experience, especially the first time, but now it has come to the point ni our trip when I expect to see these types of remains at memorials. Memorialization is actually a quite controversial topic here, because there are so many ways in which memorials can go wrong. By this I mean they can be exclusive (made about or for only the Tutsi's), teach a very politicized history which may further the hatred and revenge in some peoples minds, or perhaps they may retraumatize the victims/survivors. Our program assistant, Apollon, taught us about these elements of memorials recently because he works with rememberance and has built many of the memorials here with different organizations. I am glad that I tried to see these things. I know they will stick with me for a lifetime, and I will never be able to sit by if a genocide or similar killings begin to happen again.

YOU CAN READ AGAIN NOW IF YOU SKIPPED THE EXPLICIT PART.

After the emotionally and physically taxing weeks of learning and seeing Rwandan history up close and personal, our group took a min-vacation to Lake Kivu. Know of us knew what to expect, but it turned out to be so fun and relaxing. We stayed at the Centre Bethanie, a sort of resort hotel right on the Lake. There was a restaurant, bar, boats to rent, all-inclusive rooms (still cold bucket showers), and places for us to meet for lecture and movies. I’m somewhat embarrassed to say that I never left the resort and went into the town of Kibuye. I (and other students) were so focused on relaxing, swimming and spending time outside that I never made it to town in 2 ½ days.

The lake was by far the best part of Kibuye. When you are swimming and you look East you can actually see the mountains of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)! There are 3 islands within the lake that were close to our side. One of these islands is inhabited only by Bats, 500,000 to be exact. Some of my friends rented boats and paddled over to these islands and spent hours exploring them. My friends who are also planning on researching in Rwanda, and I are hoping to go back to Kibuye either to celebrate Taylor’s Birthday or to relax while we write up our research. We shall see…….

Most recently on our trip though, a lot of us have been stressed or freaking out our Independent Study Projects. We had to turn in a rough draft of our research proposal and it was difficult because we had to guess what we were gun do, how, where, when and how much everything would cost. It was also quite difficult to find a cheap place to print our papers near our school. The SIT office is located in Kacyiru, Kigali which is mainly made up of the ministries, embassies, and big NGO’s… but of course there are also some slums and snack shops. Most of Kigali is mixed like this, but where I live and where many of my friends live is poorer than Kacyiru. It is quite mind boggeling to think that in only two weeks I will be living basically on my own, conducting interviews and research in Kigali (and possibly Butare). I am going to have to do a lot of logistical work over the next two weeks. My future roommates and I are already realizing just how expensive Kigali is to live, and the fact that we may go broke is a big possibility here. Hint Hint Parents J

On a different note again, last Sunday me and 6 other students, our director and a translator went to observe the traditional Rwandan court called Gacaca, which literally means grass or grass roots. This justice system used to exist to settle disputes between families and neighbors decades ago. Now it has been adapted to handle the thousands of people accused of committing acts of genocide, being involved in the planning, or destroying property during that time. It is quite controversial in terms of how the court is structured and whether is actually gives Rwandans a fair trial. We have been learning about the justice systems a lot recently, and it is fascinating the disparity that exists between the ICTR (international) justice and the traditional Gacaca justice.

Lastly, I think it is important to share something I learned recently. For those of you that have seen Hotel Rwanda this will be especially interesting. Both my (extremely intelligent and handsome) program director Apollon, and our lecturer Alfred, have informed us that Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle’s real life character in the film) did not do what he said he did during the genocide, and he was not portrayed accurately in the movie at all. Alfred actually wrote a book about this called “Hotel Rwanda: Or the Tutsi Genocide as Seen by Hollywood”, which you should all read!

I am not saying that the things I will repeat here are the absolute truth, but I think if you are interested you should do further research into this topic. And I do feel that what these academics said about Paul holds some truth. I guess I feel that way because they have both talked/interviewed some of the Tutsi’s staying in the Hotel de Mille Colline during that time.

SO BASICALLY: Paul was not married to a Tutsi women, he did not protect Tutsi’s in his home, he was not the manager of the hotel at the time (a Belgian man was). What he did do= disconnect the only phone line in the hotel and their only connection to the rest of the world, asked for payment from the Tutsi’s who sought refuge in the hotel during the genocide (and kicked them out if they could not pay), and they say he even sent lists of the names of all the Tutsi’s hiding in the hotel to the PARMEHutu government.

I know that these are huge claims, but I think everyone should know that the movie Hotel Rwanda is a work of fiction that was made for entertainment, as well as to inform the masses about the Rwandan genocide. In that way it was a great film, but Paul is not a real life hero, and this should be investigated further. In fact our favorite (ahem) President Bush awarded Paul for the humanitarian work he has done with/for Rwanda… how duped I feel right now. I mean there are sooo many people out there who only know about 1994 in the terms spelled out by this movie, and I know a lot of people probably feel like they understand what happened here because of this movie. That is not the case. Anyone whose interested should watch “Sometimes in April” and the documentary “Ghosts of Rwanda” to get a more well rounded view of history. Or you could just come on the SIT program here and meet the amazing people who write books, make movies, and work in President Kagame’s cabinet! Just a thought! Hehe.

Well I feel thoroughly tired from writing this blog, but I feel everyone is more well informed now. My host family is watching the Scooby Doo movie, and so I think I will join them before I go to bed. Tomorrow we will spend all day at our siblings/buddies secondary school doing “cultural presentations”, which for the Americans means dancing to Beyonce and showing our states. Oh and Saturday is Umuganda, which is when the whole country of Rwanda stops their work and does community work/service/clean-up for the betterment of the country. I maybe farming or I may be cooking. I’m not sure yet.

I hope to update again soon. Thanks for reading! Kai Kai in Kigali.

Welcome to Rwanda! Mwaramutse!

I have now officially entered the second part of my study abroad; the Rwanda portion. I was looking forward to this as you all knew, and now it is here! It really is impossible to compare Rwanda to Uganda because they are so completely different. Both have gone through extreme tragedy and are coming out the other side in very different ways. In the case of Rwanda, development has become the main focus. This is why once you enter the Kigali suburbs you see nice sidewalks, internet cafes, electricity, restaurants and hotels as far as the eye can see. In Uganda we had these things, but never consistently; especially the electricity part. Kigali reminds me of pieces of other cities I have visited: Chicago with the wide clean streets with so many trees, Sydney with the cultural and language differences and the influence of Asians on both business and population, and even Richmond, Va at times because of the beautiful rolling hills.

At night, when you are atop one of the mille collines (1,000 hills) you can see the beautiful twinkling city lights. It really is quite a different image than the Ugandan night scenery. In Uganda once the cities electricity went out around 7pm (not always), the only lights were businesses with generators to run their power. Walking around in the city at night was actually somewhat scary. I do miss Uganda however. Mainly the comfort of knowing where the good food is, how to get to and from school, what my family expected of me, etc.

Here in Kigali everyone knows and remembers the genocide, but it is not openly talked about. In fact the city has become so developed it feels like a European city, but there is an air of secrecy or false normalcy everywhere. We have all been told to watch what we say to who about the killings, identity (hutu and tutsi and twa) and the government. I am doing a good job of that so far, but when you ask certain questions you can pick up on the truth and sadness that lies behind the answer that is given.

I moved into my new homestay family tonight at 8ish. I have a lot of sisters, a mother, and a few “nieces and nephews” and/or cousins. This time our academic coordinators found our families by going through a local high school, asking the older students learning English if they wanted to host an American student. I think that was a really great idea because some of our families know each other, all the high school kids can talk about our/their experiences just as we do amongst ourselves and we both are leaning new languages. In terms of languages, Rwanda est beacoup difficile parler (lots harder to talk/speak). Everyone speaks Kinyarwanda (which I am learning for 2 hours a day for 6 days), many people speak French, and not so many speak English. I am really hoping to pick up a good amount of Kinyarwanda because it is the most useful for getting around and interacting with my family, but at the same time my 4-5 years of french education is totally coming in handy! I really wish I had brushed up on my french more, or brought a dictionary or something, but I didn't so I am butchering everything I say and taking forever thinking of what I want to say. I think my french will also get better with time here.

In my family, as far as I can tell, the 18 year old Rosette has the best English and understands some of my french. My two other sisters have spoken English to me briefly, but it seems the language of the household is Kinyarwanda, which is to be expected. Recently my mom has been trying to speak the few English phrases she knows to me when we are together, which is not too often. She owns and runs a small breakfast and milk restaurant. She works all day and doesn't come home until after 8 pm, so we only interact when I stop by her shop which is located at the local bus park. Lets just say the milk, or amata, here is not exactly what I'm used to at home. They poured me a glass which was more like unsweetened yogurt than milk. Yuckky, but I tried it which is what matters to my family. Overall the food here is good, it's just African... which means bland and carb filled. I feel like I am always bloated here. And for those of you that know me, I am not an anti-carb person, but they are in everything you eat here and you begin to notice how unhealthy it feels to be eating this way. We have potatoes and rice at every meal, and bread is served as a snack or breakfast also. As funny as it sounds coming from me, I miss fresh veggies and berries! We aren't aloud to eat salad here because the water the veggies are cooked in is not safe for our system, but it is also just not something they eat. Most people do not have refrigerators, so if you can't boil it, you can't eat it!

Kigali really is such a comfortable place to be for me though. First of all there are so many westerners in the city center all the time. I actually counted 12 white people in cars in the morning traffic today, and that was only along one block. Of course I am still called Muzungu, and there are places (my neighborhood) where I am the only white person as far as the eye can see, but it's less unsettling now that I am used to it.

Overall I would have to say I feel great here, it is hard to adjust to a new family again, but everyone is so welcoming that those apprehensions go away pretty fast. I definitely think I will stay here for awhile, but at the same time I miss Gulu and Uganda a lot too when I think about it. I'd say, at this moment I am not ready to come home at all. I love it here in East Africa and would like to enjoy as much of it as I can. I know I have to come home, but I want to stay for awhile!

Lots of love from Rwanda to all my friends and family.

Mwiriwe.

Finally some pictures... only 6 months after the trip!

Hello readers and fellow travelers.

I decided it was important to "show" everyone what I had been experiencing last semester in East Africa through some of my pictures from my travels. I know it has been quite some time since the semester, let alone since my last post, but I hope to keep this blog going as I know that I will return to East Africa soon (even though I have no exact plans yet)!

I'm going to be taking Swahili next semester at Johns Hopkins University in order to prepare myself for future travel, research, and gain the skills I will need to (crossing fingers) work in East Africa one day.

Alright enough talking. Enjoy the visuals!

An IDP camp we visited in Northern Uganda. Look how close the houses are to each other and you can get a picture of what living there was like for the Acholi people during the height of LRA violence.

Some of the local Gulu high schoolers showing us Acholi dances.

The Acholi Elders (part of the council) and Dr. William on the far right, at a lecture we attended in Gulu about the traditions of Acholi people (where we saw the dances above).

Back in Kampala: This is what the girls dressed "inappropriately" had to wear over their shorts and skirts in order to enter the Kasubi tombs. This is where a few of the Buganda Kings (th Kampala and central Ugandan people) are buried and their wives and children still live in mourning.

This is Kasubi Tombs.

Monkeys on the roof of a lodge/hotel we stayed in toward the end of the Rwanda portion.

Some lovely pics from Akagera National Park in Rwanda. I LOVE zebras and want to ride one so bad!

My sisters Rosette and Alice in the house where I stayed during ISP with some SIT gals!

This was my last night in Kigali so they came over for dinner and some photo ops.

More pictures to come!

Tumultuous times at the end of my stay in Uganda.

Since my last blog post a lot of S*@& has gone down. I don't even know if I can remember it all. I'll start by saying I noticed that the word to describe the events of this week was definitely tumultuous!

So we left Gulu, which means we said a farewell to our families, on Wednesday. We drove the 5 hours to Kampala, stopping only twice. Once for lunch at the same exact restaurant we had visited on the way to Gulu; none of us were excited to say the least. I had plain rice and a soda, thankfully I had chocolate to tie me over on the bus. Our other stop was at Luwero Triangle in the Buganda region of Uganda. There is a mass grave of all the skulls and remains found throughout the “triangle” during the early years of the conflict when Museveni and his soldiers were fighting the then brutal government for Ugandan leadership. While it was quite sad to “see” these human remains, it was not nearly as bad as I had thought it would be. They are covered by some type of tile covering/lid and only a small opening shows what, or who, lies inside. The hardest thing for me was to remember that those skulls had once belonged to people just like you or me. Since we do not know who they were or where they were found and they are literally just piled 6 ft deep into the grave, it is very difficult to think of the site in terms of the personalities and family members lost. (Or maybe that was just me).

When we finally got to Kampala I began to recognize parts of the city and got excited about being back. We stayed in the same hotel as our orientation, the Jeliza Hotel. This I was very thankful for. In fact I ended up with exactly the same room, only this time I roomed with Hanna Newman (my Goucher buddy). It had been a long hard day, and people were ready to eat dinner and head their separate ways. Well.... dinner preparations took almost 2 hours, though (I think) they knew our group was coming. Not too much happened that evening after dinner.

The next day, Thursday, we had 3 lectures scheduled. As usual some were completely interesting topics but horribly disengaging lecturers, and some were quite dynamic. I don't remember the specifics. After classes my friend Danielle and I walked to a cute coffee shop 2 ½ blocks from the Jeliza. It is called 1,000 cups and it is to die for! There were many other whites there (and Africans too), one of which I actually recognized from the Gulu Coffee shop (he's an SIT alum who now has a Fullbright Scholarship to work in Uganda). I wrote a paper, attempted to write the other (more important) paper but failed and enjoyed 2 mocha espressos before deciding to walk home in the dark. I did almost get hit by a Boda-boda on the way home, but that is a common occurrence in the horrific traffic and driving conditions of the city that is Kampala.

The real drama happened that night at the hotel. So my friend Taylor has been feeling horribly sick for about 3 weeks now, almost the whole time we've been here, but she keeps receiving different diagnosis from each doctor. She has been told she had malaria (of course), an upper respiratory infection, food poisoning, a bacterial infection and more. Each of these diagnosis has come with different treatment courses which she had been following. I just have to say, she has been such a trooper about it the whole time. She goes to the clinics or hospitals, gets “check out”, tries the treatment and continues to feel sick.... on and on! Well on this particular night she was NOT feeling too hot, but there was no one to take her to “the surgery” where the good/better doctors are, it was closed and the 24 hour phone line was not picking up. So Taylor suffered through the night with little sleep, waiting for the moment she could go to the doctor who was most likely trained in Europe and could give her a better check up.

All the while this is going on, my other friend Tonia was out with 2 of the guys from our trip at a Salsa dancing class. As Tonia and Jeremey were finishing their dance, he spun her and when she finished spinning her knee popped out of socket! Unfortunately ambulances in Kampala are on “African time”, so the three of them had to wait a LONG time for the ambulance, and none of them had the 60,000 shillings needed to pay for the drive. All of us back at the hotel found out about this during another of our late dinners. Jeremey had called the academic director and then called my friend Alex to inform them of the situation. Alex went around the dinner tables and collected money from us to help pay for Tonia's hospital bill. Our program director, Stella, and Alex had also called a taxi of their own to meet the three in trouble at the hospital, but the taxi never showed up! In the end, our driver Mouna picked the three of them up, paid the ambulance fee with SIT money, and brought them back home. We were all freaking out before they got back, because we really didn't know how bad it was or if she would get taken care of. We learned a few lessons from this that have been MUCH talked about in the last few days. We need to have “emergency money” available for situations like this and dependable drivers.

To get back to Taylor quickly, the next morning (even though she'd been awake all night worrying and in pain) she was taken to “the surgery” to get checked out along with Tonia for a check up. I quickly learned once Tonia got back that Taylor was in trouble. Apparently the medications prescribed to her by her Ugandan doctors could have been fatal if she had continued to take the combination! This scared all of us, especially some of her closer friends (myself, Hanna, Kat, Laura and Alex). We were all emotional and frustrated with the way the medical situations had been handled by both our Ugandan AD and the doctors in Uganda. Taylor was given a sedative so that she could sleep through some of the pain, and then she was headed back to the hotel where the rest of us had been attending lectures even though we were a wreck (myself especially). In the end she is fine now, but it was a terrifying ordeal for her in terms of medical care in this developing country. It really makes you think about the Africans who only know and trust this kind of care. And there are so many people who can not even afford the “better” care Taylor was receiving in Gulu. It's eyeopening and very saddening to think about.

Well that's all for Uganda! I had a great time, even though this post may have not made you think so.
I'll post soon from Kigali, Rwanda with an update. Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to my posts.

So we only have 7 days left in Gulu, Uganda and I know that I will miss it here a lot. I have become comfortable in town, with my family and friends at Peyero Guest House, and with the group and class dynamics. At times I think about conducting my ISP project here in Gulu because of how comfortable I feel here, but I know (as of now) that my academic interests are in Rwanda. When people talk about our upcoming travel to Kigali, Rwanda I get very excited.

I found out this week that Sam, who I originally thought was my brother, is a Rwandan national. His family moved to Uganda when he was 2, I am not sure their reasons. I talked to Sam (mainly) and Sunday for around 3 hours in the evening after school this week. It all started when I was listening to my iPod and joined them in the courtyard between my bedroom and the Guest House (hotel). They were very interested to hear my music and understand how the iPod worked. I taught them how to use it, and they shared the headphones while we chatted.

Sunday had told me prior to that day that one of his friends was a Rwandan whose family was killed in the genocide, but either I didn't catch that it was Sam or he didn't say. When Sam saw the book I was carrying along with my iPod, “We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families”, he told me how he had left Rwanda as a young boy (before 1994). He told me his grandmother still lives on their land among the neighbors who slaughtered her children. He lost 3 uncles because of violence in these regions (1 was killed by LRA, and 2 in the genocide). The most interesting thing he told me is how his cousins do not eat fish to this day because when the dead bodies were flowing in the rivers, the fish were feasting on the dead. Sam doesn't have a problem eating fish.

Sorry if that was not an appropriate story for a blog post, but I think it is important to know that these are the things I am experiencing here and the type of things we talk about. During this week of classes we have been watching a lot of documentaries about the Northern Ugandan conflict, so now there are images in my mind to go along with all of the testimonies and stories I have been hearing. It is both eye-opening, disturbing and fascinating. {For those who are interested, you should check out “Bending Spears” and “War Dance”!} Today's film (yes I am in class right now, but the lecture is UBER boring and if I weren't writing this post I'd fall asleep) is about what is happening in the North now with reintegration of those who have been living in IDP camps, as well as formerly abducted children (both boys-soldiers, and girls-wives of commanders). I am looking forward to it!

Probably the most exciting thing that has happened this week so far (it is only Thursday) is that my friend (from Goucher) Hanna found an amazing little oasis among Gulu. It is called TAKS (through art keep smiling) and it is an amazing place where they sell art made by people out in the villages around Gulu that the owner has discovered, they offer computer classes and internet services, karate and dance classes, there is a restaurant, accommodations in traditional (but pretty decked out) huts and much more.

I think Hanna is going to do her ISP on TAKS and try and live there during her research. The owner, David, was an amazing but quite fast talking Ugandan who wanted to show us every inch of the place. He is a potter (forgot to say they have a wheel and you could probably throw there), painter and overall accepting guy. He reminds me of a lot of the older hippies I grew up around in the states.

The minute we walked onto their compound I felt like it could be transplanted to Asheville, NC. The people at TAKS are just breaking into the area though and not many people know about them. They could do so much good they just need a hand getting the word out. Hopefully Hanna or one of us can help them build a website. The place is literally on the same road as where we all take classes (at Churchill Courts Hotel Ltd.) so I know those who come back to research in Uganda will make it a regular spot. I hope I can find as comforting and inspiring a place in Kigali!

So here is an update on what is coming up for me:
-Friday: potluck/goat roast at Jeremy's home-stay compound
-Sunday: Home-stay Party at Churchill Courts with everyone's families
-Wednesday: we get on the bus and head South to the capitol Kampala
-Saturday: free day in Kampala. I'm hoping to meet the rest of my siblings there: Harriet and Isabella
-Sunday: We leave very early in the AM for Kigali, RWANDA (it could take 14 hours:().
So I don't know when I'll be back on the internet after Sunday? Kigali is mucho developed but it depends on free time and finding the good spots.

Eye opening experiences.

Hello loyal followers.
This last week was filled with both frustrating but eyeopening experiences, and some fun moments as well. I'll start with the fun because well, it's just more fun!

This week I went with my friend Alex, Jules, and our program assistant (the most awesome Ugandan ever) Stella to get a traditional Kitenge outfit made. Alex and I left the group "pool-party" at the (primarily white) Acholi Inn early to go and meet Jules and Stella at the tailor. While I had been to the market before, it was still quite confusing to find the place Stella gets her clothes made. There are literally 5 rows of tailors and dress shops in shacks lining the market. So Stella came out to find us on the street and walked us to her regular spot. When we got there Jules was already being measured for her Kitenge. The Kitenge (probably spelled wrong) is usually a two piece outfit tailored to fit your body out the beautiful patterned fabric you pick out and pay for, which means if there is left over, it is yours! There was one wall of the shop devoted to pictures of the different styles, or "fashions" that can be made. I knew that I wanted a skirt that was shorter than the ones I've seen, but I didn't know about the top. So I watched Jules get measured and asked around to see what she was getting made and what people thought would look good on me.

I ended up being measured for a skirt that hits at my mid-calf and has two slits in the front, because it is somewhat like a pencil skirt. I "kinda" copied Jules idea and got a tank top made for myself. But once we went to pick our outfits up on Friday afternoon I noticed how different our tops looked. I had pointed at one of the "fashions" that went slightly off the shoulder and was rounded, and that's what I got. I absolutely LOVE it! The whole thing fit me perfectly the minute I put it on, while both my friends had to get some adjustments made. Both Alex and I wore our new outfits (though she had 2 made, and is now getting an additional) out Friday night to the Acholi Inn for Kim's (another student) 20th birthday dinner. We got lots of compliments from our director and other students.

The biggest event of the week though was our 3 day excursion to Kitgum, a rather small town in the North. To get to Kitgum we had to drive 3-4 hours on the worst road I've seen yet. While 24-26 ish students were in the massive bus, I chose to ride in the truck. Lets just say the truck makes for a much dirtier, bumpier ride. But it could also be seen as better because there are only 3 students, a driver, and every one's favorite.. Stella. By the end of the trip the 3 of us (Jules, Morgan and I) were as dirty as could be. And we immediately had things to do and no showers for a few hours.

Basically, the excursion to Kitgum was a mystery to everyone. It turns out not even our academic director Dr. William knew what we were "really" doing there. We knew we were going to visit the Kitgum Youth Center, but we had no idea what/who that would entail.

As it turns out the Kitgum Youth Center is not in the town of Kitgum, it is in the countryside an hour away. And the youth are people from the ages of 20-35. When we finally got there, after many delays and absolutely NO time management by the staff, we found out we were expected to meet in small groups with the "youth" to share. What that meant we had no idea. What it turned out to mean was that we sit under a tree, some of us students on one side, a translator in between, and a large group of the "youth" involved in different programs in the area.

We tried to ask them questions about their lives in the North and their experiences with the "program" and center, but of course our questions mostly went unanswered. What I mean by this is, when you ask most Ugandans a question they answer it without really understanding what the question is, so they just talk a lot about what they want. When it was their turn to ask us questions we quickly discovered that all the really had us there for was to "fund" or give them aid. I understand how desperately they need help because they are on the brink of famine in this region and they will have no income with no crops. However, for our group to be mislead as to why we were there, and unprepared for their question and to have our own was SO frustrating!

I think we all learned a lot about the hard life that Ugandans of the North live (1 health clinic with no meds, no secondary school or university, no money, far from towns/cities and amenities, very close to Sudan and other conflicts), but at the same time we all came back to Kitgum frustrated, upset and many of us sick. We ended up having what I would call a town hall meeting in the evening with only the students, and we came up with a lot of things about our program that we are going to see if we can change, or just bring up to our director. In fact a small group of us, me included, are talking to William about it tomorrow after class. I could write a lot more about the Kitgum trip, to be honest I am kind of "over it" and ready to look to a brighter future. Of course I will never forget the story of those people, and I really want to help them in the ways that I can once I get back to the states, but as of now I hate being perceived as only an object of money, or as if I can solve ALL the problems people face.

The last thing I'll include in this post is the tid-bit about going clubbing in Kitgum. Everyone was ready to go out when we were in Kitgum, and this was the 1st time we "all" had gone out together. We had heard of a club called Metro, which turned out to really be called Roxy and was the only club in town. It was large, loud and full of people (not only men) ready to grab/pull any woman they wanted to dance with. I had a good time, but it was quite an experience. I was sooo proud of the guys on our trip who danced around the girls being harassed and blocked potential annoyances. At the same time I had a great time dancing with certain Ugandans and people from our group. For anyone going to Kitgum, I would recommend going to Roxy, probably on a week night unlike us. Part of the problem I'm sure was that it was ladies night.

Well that's all for now folks. I should head home since I left many hours ago. I'm excited for this coming week of classes even though there are many more papers coming up. 13-14 days until RWANDA!

First full week in Gulutown.

Hello all! So I am still in Gulu happily living with the Nyeko family at the Peyero Guest House/Hotel. I live with my two brothers (Sunday and Sam) and one sister (Hilda). I share a room, and a double bed with my sister. The other sister I told you about in a past post, who is married to one of the President's cousins/brothers, lives in Kampala and is very very pregnant. One person told me she is with triplets. Hopefully I can meet her, the husband, and maybe new babies when we go back to the capitol before we head to Rwanda.

So you will never believe how small this world actually is when I tell you this next bit. So I was sitting on the front “porch” of Peyero when a large SUV pulled up with 2 Muzungues women and 1 African woman. I one of the cute little cats in my lap, and one of the white women saw me with it and smiled at me and began to walk onto the porch, when the two with her told her she was headed to the wrong hotel. Oddly enough I felt as though I knew this woman who smiled at me, but I could not place her in my mind, so I let it go. Then not even 10 minutes later she walked back to her vehicle alone, and by that time I had remembered how I knew her and called after her. I said “this is going to sound totally weird but are you Lauren from ASTT in Baltimore?” Her face looked so shocked, it was such a GOOD moment!

We sat together on my porch and discussed how we had met each other for literally 5 minutes in
the ASTT (Advocates for Survivors of Torture and Trauma) office where we both volunteer. We were both amazed I was able to recognize her, and just how small the world is. This turned out to be a very good meeting indeed. Since she and her colleges had been here in Gulutown for around 3 weeks, she was able to tell me about all of the good spots to go. She told me about Cafe Larame (where I am writing this post from currently); a cute little internet cafe/restaurant created by an American man working in Gulu for some NGO. It has a lot of the things I miss from the US. Grilled CHEESE sandwiches, lattes and iced coffee, ice cream, even fair trade gifts! I have already been here 3 times (twice for food, once for internet). And of course I shared the good with the other 27 students, who now love me more and bring the place a lot more business. Also, apparently there is a bakery which makes Samosas, Indian style... not African style (green beans and carrots only in these)!

The best part though is that she told me all about the community media project she was heading here, Sudan and Rwanda. We actually met up for dinner with her other colleagues (Chelsea and a woman from Sudan whose name I sadly can't remember) and talked about my program and their work. I now have some in country contacts through them at the American Refugee Council. I'm not sure if it will help with my ISP but it will definitely help with someones.
This school week we went on two excursions: to meet the Acholi chief and elders, and to the Patiko Samuel Baker's Fort. Both were amazing in their own way. When we talked with the chief I thought it would be much more formal than it was. We sat in chairs in a circle between the “palace” and the business house, under the shade of a large tree. The chief never stood when he talked, though the others (except us) were expected to. Also, the one elder always repeated the questions we asked into the chiefs ear; he may have been hard of hearing, or it was just the procedure. But other than that it was very informal. After they talked, we asked all our questions and they each answered the best they could... we got to watch some teenagers do traditional Achoo dances and songs! There were 3 total, and all were so beautiful. They should us the traditional Bwola dance which is performed primarily by men and tells the story of their people. I took a lot of pictures, but since I have no CD drive in this mini computer, I can't upload them:( You'll just have to wait until I get back to the states for pictures... that's part of deal with me coming to the third world and all.

Patiko Baker's fort is where the Arabs came and collected East Africans for the slave trade. They would bring them to the fort and separate the weak and ugly from the strong and beautiful. Then they would kill those not worthy of taking to Egypt for the trade on the rocks at the fort. We were actually able to see the ax marks in the stone on the top of the rocks. As sad as the history is, the area was very beautiful! Imagine (if your from VA) the granite rocks of the James River, transplanted to the middle of Uganda, surrounded by large peaks and mountains in each direction. The coordinators should have told us what the excursion would entail though, because most of us girls had chosen to wear skirts and dresses that day, not knowing that we would be rock climbing and hopping. It was okay, but at times I thought the local teenagers, who were they to graze their cattle, got a good show by the American girls trying to climb the peaks. I'd rather not think about it that way though.

On a different note, 4 people in our group have been to the hospital already. Nothing too serious, but 2 have Malaria, 1 cut her finger open and the other had something she brought from home diagnosed. Malaria (if your on the preventative drugs) doesn't seem like too horrible a disease. Apparently your whole body hurts a lot when the symptoms start to show, and you are very weak. But if you are diagnosed early and receive the treatment drugs, you can begin to feel better the next day. I'm not saying that I WANT to get it, but that since it is inevitable that a lot of us will, it does not seem too life threatening.

As far as Gulutown goes, I really love it here. The people I have met are so welcoming and genuine. Even on the street (when my first reaction is usually “what are you trying to get from me”) the boda-boda drivers and people walking (most of the time) smile and say hello! I am also beginning to recognize the other Muzungues around town. There are so few (other than our group) that when you see a white person you immediately recognize their face the next time you see them. It is somewhat like Goucher in that way. Also, living at the Guest House I meet many important Ugandans. So far I have met the Executive Director of Caritas- Uganda, some retired Parliamentarians, the minister of ?defense?, and of course my Mama... the chairwomen of Amoro district for the NRM (president's party). It is a little weird to be honest! Last night my friend Morgan (from SIT) hung out around the bar with me and also met a lot of these affluent Ugandans. Afterward we talked about how we have to be careful what we say in their presence and try to get to know them as people personally before we express our political opinions. I have spent only 2 nights with my mother so far, but she says she will be around more once her business at the farm is done. They own a large parcel of land in Amoro, a ways away from town.

Okay so I have written a lot I realize.... thanks for sticking with me if you have! Just a few more things to tell: 1. ground nuts, which are called G-Nuts here, are basically smaller peanuts used in ALL types of sauces and plain and boy are they tasty! 2. I watched (because I couldn't look away) a chicken being butchered/killed outside my room in the courtyard one of my first days at Peyero, and I was unable to eat meat (especially chicken) for 3-4 days. I got over it just last night. 3. We had our last lesson in the local language Acholi, and I am really going to miss our lecturer Opio Washington. He is by far the best we have had so far. He is hilarious and doesn't know it. He reminds me of a dancing singing Mr. Rogers! Of course, my Acholi is horrible, but we only had 6 days to learn greetings, days of the week, how to tell time etc. And my family speaks amazing English, so I am not forced to learn it. 4. there are 2 really adorable German children sitting next to me in the cafe eating ice cream and fighting over a very large teddy bear! After all, this is the renamed, “muzungu cafe” by our group.. and properly so! 5. And finally... in case you haven't heard, there were violent riots in the capitol of Uganda, Kampala this week. We are all fine, obviously since we are in Gulu, but all businesses are closed and fear looting and 7 or so people have been killed. It is all because the Bugandan (tribal group in central Uganda) Kabaka (King) wants to go to the “forgotten territory” of his kingdom, which became independent of Buganda some years ago. Also I am only able to tell you what I have figured out so far.. so don't quote me on it. The President had told the Kabaka that he was not allowed to go to the territory, and his military police blocked his way yesterday (I believe). After the Bugandans heard about the denial of their King, they began to riot all over the areas of Buganda, especially in the capitol (which is a part of his territory). Those people I know who had planned trips to Kampala this weekend have almost all canceled them in order to be safe.

Well... that's all for now folks! Stay tuned! After all, you will get this post late, because the internet in the whole town is down for awhile. We shall see when it comes back.. hopefully by the work week! ..... right after I wrote that, I asked the lady (Maggie) at the cafe if any internet places were UP, and she pointed me one street over so you are actually getting this the day I wrote it! Saturday.. woo first weekend off!

A few days after I wrote this, but still an update! Gulu!!!!

Hello from Gulu, Uganda!
We arrived in Gulu yesterday afternoon after a six hour interesting Matatu ride. We stopped for lunch in a tiny town along the way that I don't even know the name of. I won't go into detail, but let's just say I couldn't eat the chicken I was given even if it was a “leg” and not the “back” like other people got. They really do use all of the meat here. If you don't specify what it is you want, your not sure what part you will be served.
Once we arrived to the (I believe) biggest town/city in the North, Gulu, all 28 of us were split up into 3 hotels on 1 road. It is definitely a lot of Moana's (white people in Acholi) for the town/city to handle! Today was our dreaded “drop-off”, which is basically when we are split into groups and given a task (something to find out or buy) to complete in town by ourselves. I was in a group of 5 whose task was to find out about the local market (what, where, buy something, talk to people about it, etc). As it turns out, the market, or Cuk, is a large stretch of a few roads at one side of town which consist of secondhand clothes, (probably some I've donated to Goodwill or somewhere in the USA that made their way to Africa) local vegetables and other food, cooking supplies, toys, bikes and much more. It was an experience for us all! The market seems to be the place that those who are poorer in the community are able to earn some money. Almost every other stall/tent was selling the same thing and there were so many of them.
One interesting part we noticed is that even though it is expected and the custom to bargain with all merchants, because we were white (which means we inevitably have more money than these merchants) they wouldn't lower the prices when we tried to bargain. We were also approached by two different people asking us for shillings (money) in two very different ways. The first was a poor elderly woman who was not quite “with it” as my grandmother would say. She spoke very little English, but what she did know how to say was “give me shilling?”. It took us all awhile to understand her accent, but once we knew she wanted money we were able to laugh it off and apologize because we couldn't help her. It is very hard to see/experience these types of things, but what good does it do to give one person some money and not everyone in the same situation. Or even give them any money at all and reinforce the idea that the white people can solve their problems with the magic of money. I'd much rather be able to talk to the people and see what has gone on in their lives to get them where they are.
The scariest part of the day was the Boda-Boda (motorcycle taxi) accident we witnessed! Right as we came out of the market onto the main street, we heard some people screaming and turned to see two Boda-Boda's crashing into each other at an intersection knocking over some pedestrians; one of whom was a small boy. We have been told Boda-Boda's are not safe to travel on, and that if we do we can be “released” from the program, but this scary wreck made me never want to try one. As soon as the motorcycles were back upright, the one responsible was off and running, even though the boy was still on the pavement. We tried to get out of the way, so I don't know what ended up happening to those involved. Motorcycles and bikes are the main transportation in Gulu. There is even such a thing as a bicycle taxi. Women are expected to sit sidesaddle on these modes of transportation which seems/looks so dangerous. If they wobble just a bit too much she will fall off. But then again, in terms of risk and risk management, there are a lot of things I wouldn't do that Ugandans do. It makes Americans seem like caution freaks.
Tomorrow is the day we meet our FAMILIES! I am excited and nervous as of now. But then again, I feel ready to be on my own a bit and only see the other Maona's for class and socializing. We really do seem to spend A LOT of time together during orientation. For example, currently this hotel feels like a dorm because I think we are the only people staying here and we all just sat on the balcony drinking Ugandan beer for a few hours joking and laughing about our experiences and each other. It was a great night, but I am now ready for bed, but it is too loud to fall asleep. In fact Gulu in general is extremely loud at night. Maybe it is the street we are on, but the clubs, bars, and restaurants play load music until 4-5am, which is a problem when your windows don't shut.
Don't get the wrong idea though... Gulu is quite a poor and developing area. We have not had electricity for more than 5 hours at a time here. It is difficult to get used to. I don't think of myself as a “prissy” or “girly” girl, but not having running water when you wake up is.. umm.... not the first thing you expect. Thankfully my friend Christian (from VCU actually) let me use his shower this afternoon at the Hotel across the street. It was actually the best shower I have had in Africa so far. Hot water, strong water pressure and a big shower! Not a combination you get often here. I think that Hotel is run by a generator most of the time. You can hear them running all over town in the “nicer” areas. The blackouts here are frequent, which is why it is difficult to get on the internet, hence the blogs slow progression. Assignments here will definitely be difficult to complete, which I am not too excited about.
I don't want to sound like I am complaining though; it really is great here! The people are so genuinely nice! So many people you pass on the street are smiling and happy to know that you are here in their community. I only see another white person once or twice a day (other than our group), but apparently this is the Northern headquarters for NGO's and international involvement. I have seen a dozen UN SUV's already, as well as many signs for Human Rights Org's. I think a lot of our group hopes to stay and do their ISP's (Independent Study Projects) here in Gulu at the end of the trip. Not many of us are planning on staying in Rwanda, and I'm not even sure if I am one of “us” yet. I have to get there before I can decide if I want to take that on (emotionally and mentally).
We had our first Acholi language lesson this morning with Opio Washington, who is the most adorable character I have met yet. He is so enthusiastic about his culture and teaching us his language. I learned how to say come “bin”, home “gang”, and dress “bongo” as well as a few other words. It is a slow process, but I have already been able to use some. When we, the Maona's, speak Acholi language the Acholi people laugh at us and then switch to English and help us out. They seem to appreciate it, even if we do butcher the accent with all our Er er er er's.
Oh, and quickly before I forget, I asked on of our aides/drivers today where Dianne Gardens was (since that is across from where my homestay will be), and he told me,but mainly said “wow” “oh my god, they placed you there”, which after deliberation at dinner was decided to be a good thing. I mean being located near a “gardens” sounds like a good thing, since that is not an often occurrence here (plants not meant to make money or food that is). So as of now I have come to the conclusion that I am in one of the more affluent households, which will of course still not have electricity but will be a little easier to get used to than the huts around town. Of course, I am ready for any living situation, and I will know more tomorrow and be able to fill you in...... after that... some time in the near future!

Well now I should try and get some sleep. Lots of exciting things tomorrow. Acholi class, homestay meeting, last day in the hotel and being spoiled! I'll fill you in again as soon as I can.
Peace, Kai.

Kampala Kampala Kampala, Uganda!

So I am finally here.. in Uganda! It feels like I have been here so long becuase we do so much each day. After we (almost all 28 of us) got off the plane in Entebbe we immediatley put our luggage and ourselves into 3 Matatu's (van taxi's) and drove for an hour to the capitol of Uganda, Kampala, where we are staying for most of the orientation week.

I have talked to a few of the other students, and we all concluded that we are definetly being SPOILED for the first week. We are staying at the Jeliza Hotel on one of Kampala's main streets, Bombo Rd, where they serve us a nice breakfast each morning of boiled eggs, banana's (which I still dont eat), bread and butter/jam, cereal with hot milk (not my cup of tea), and instant coffee. There is no fresh ground coffee here... only instant. We have had lunch and dinner at the Jeliza too, but most of the time they take us out to realy nice restaurants (Indian, Ethiopian, Traditional Ugandan).

As for living situations so far, I paired up with a Midwestern girl named Tonia who is really sweet and genuine. I try and interact with different students each day whether that be by choosing to sit at different tables, or in different vans, even in class. So far it has worked well but there are a few people I dont know very well still. Everyone seems really great. We all come from such different backgrounds: Yale, Williams, Seattle, Photo and Film majors. It was really surprising how few Peace Studies majors there are on the program.. only Hanna and I (I believe)! I think it will make class discussion very interesting.

OK so I only have a few minutes left on the computer at the internet cafe... so It is important for me to tell you all this.....

My homestay family in Gulu (the north where the civil war was/is) is related to President Museveni! Basically my mother's, Rose, eldest daughter married one of the President's cousins. Crazy huh! I will have to feel out her political opinion before I share mine for sure. Today my AD (academic director) Dr. William Komakech said that Rose is, and I quote, "Interesting". I got an interesting feeling that he meant, opinionated, or weird when he said that. I'll update you more once I have moved to Gulu (Tomorrow) and moved in with her (Monday).

I have so muchy more to write.... but no time! Sorry. Ill try and get to a cafe in Gulu soon! They will be much more sparse than here in Kampala. All I can say is I love it here, and I am ready to meet my new Ugandan "family". Keep in touch my friends! I love to hear from you via email or comments.

Peace, the Virginian Mugunzo (white person).
-Kai

Departure time close, closer, closest

It's now crunchtime!
With my flight scheduled for this coming Monday evening, I am realizing more and more how much I have to do. Packing, packing, packing as well as homework, homework, homework are my main agenda. I feel it is also really important to catch up with all the people I won't be seeing for 3 and a half months (and for some a YEAR), which is why I am driving up to Goucher tomorrow for a couple days. While the little vacation will make my to-do list even harder to complete, I know I'll feel a lot more at peace with the trip if I can say some "farewells" to those who are important to me.

SO... Bring on the adventure!
The study-abroad program I am going on is with SIT (the School for International Training) to Uganda and Rwanda for the Fall semester to study "Post-Conflict Transformation", which is fitting since I am a Peace Studies major (for those of you who didn't already know).

Basically, we (all 29 of us) will be learning about the history, culture, language and conflicts of each country. Specifically we will study the civil-war in Northern Uganda which "ended" in 2003, and the Rwandan genocide of 1994. The semester will be full of emotionally charged experiences so I am going to try and use this blog as a way to process and share what I feel is appropriate with those who want to follow my journey. I'd love it if you could "follow" me through blogger so that you can comment on my posts!

If anyone is interested in knowing what exactly my program entails, click on the countries map on the right hand side of the blog and it should link you to the SIT webpage.

The scariest (and probably most rewarding) part of this whole journey is that at the end I will conduct an Independent Study Project. Basically a 30-40 page paper accompanied by a presentation on a detailed topic of my choice in either Uganda or Rwanda. That means I will be living on my own for 4-6 weeks while I conduct interviews and research on my topic.. and of course actually write it! AHHHhh. I'm feeling like it will be impossible now, but I think that is to be expected since I haven't even gotten there or had my first class yet. Obviously I will let you all know how that ends up.

Well, I'm off to read read read and take some breaks to pack of course!
Post again after Monday once I'm in Entebbe, UGANDA!

So close, yet so far....

While my departure is over two weeks away, I can't help thinking about East Africa and my upcoming travels a few, ok many many many times a day. This WILL be the greatest thing I have done in my life so far. I can just feel it!

While I do know what areas I will be living in (Kampala, Gulu, Kigali, and Butare), I have very little idea what I will be doing while I am there (in terms of classes and trips). When people start asking me about my trip I tell them the title of the program is Post-Conflict Transformation and that usually answers some questions, but opens up a bunch of new questions in my mind. I realized this last night when some of my family friends, John and Jan, (who have done fascinating work with HIV/AIDS and children in these countries) came over for dinner. While I could not answer their questions about which NGO's my program would be working with, I did gain a sense of how profound their experiences in Uganda and Rwanda have been.

The main thing, as I learned from Jan, is to be open to anything! If my homestay family doesn't speak english I have to be open to learning their native tongue (which I am very excited for). If the food looks like something I would never eat in the States, give it a try anyway. Afterall, isn't the point of travel to learn new things through first hand experience?

I hope this blog becomes a way for me to sort through and share my emotions and experiences with the ones I love and left back at home. I'm not sure how accessible internet will be while I am "on the move" in East Africa, but I will try to update frequently.

Now only 1 more day of work at AASECT, and about two weeks to catch up with as much of my friends and family as I can before the big day (well 2 days of travel)!