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It has been two official weeks as of today :)I started writing in my blog last week, but then we got very busy and I was unable to complete it.I will make more of an effort to keep my blog updated as I know many of you have lots of questions.Up until last Sunday night the group of us has been extremely busy.It felt that every day and every free moment was taken up by things like work, cooking dinner, washing our clothes by hand, cleaning our rooms from grasshoppers and of course, off exploring the country.Our group started off with 8 people and now we are down to the four of us.For the first 10 days of our time here we were accompanied by three professors from Douglas College and another student.Bob, Diana & Linda had lots to do here in their short amount of time, and of course, the group of us all wanted to explore a couple main places together before the three of them flew back home.Our other student with us, Kim(i) has now been in Kampala since last Sunday working in an orphanage and will return to us in about one month's time.The group of 8 of us kept very busy together and had some great times exploring.So the four remaining students in Masaka town are Leah, Raman, Mitra & I.Kim(i) will come back to us after a month or so.
As I am currently writing in two different BLOGS (my personal one and the project Uganda one) I am going to try and not be repetitive in my entries.So for the full effect please also check out www.ugandaproject2010.blogspot.com to read my other journals.
So currently the four of us have been in our little Annex now for exactly two weeks time.It is very secured where we are.Our Annex is part of the Brovad Hotel (you can find it on google).The Brovad Hotel is known in the community as where the rich and the "muzungo's" stay.Here in Uganda we are all known as "muzungo's" which means white person.So our little Annex is just down the street from this big hotel.We share space with another Canadian couple, Bruce & Bridgette who have been very kind and helpful towards us.We have two large rooms with bathrooms that two people share and then a little room with a small kitchen - stove & fridge. Our rooms face towards a small veranda / shared outside living area that we share with Bruce & Bridgette.The space is just big enough for us to be able to lounge, do our dishes outside and hang up all of our clothes (that we wash by hand in small buckets).In our bathroom we have a small shower like apparatus that only emits cold water.And unfortunately the shower head has no pressure to it so we must shower on our knees under the faucet.It is most definitely a different experience.Not to mention the water comes out light yellow and our hair usually ends up not very clean - but hey, this is Africa (get over it) right?
Let me tell you about the wild life.There is life all around us.That part is ever so beautiful.There are so many different types of birds & insects everywhere.There seem to me hundreds of butterflies and different types of dragonflies.The Birds though are amazing.There are so many different types of Birds.Leah told me that she heard that people come from all over the place to bird watch here in Uganda during certain seasons - and I can believe that.We are constantly being serenaded by bird's morning and night.For the longest time we had a rooster wake us up each morning - but I have not been hearing him lately and I wonder if he made it into someone's kitchen (if you know what I mean).There are also ants everywhere!Luckily for us, the ants that share our living space with us are only the small ones that don't bite - or else we would be in trouble.We have ants in our bathrooms, ants in our rooms and ants all over outside.I think that the four of us have just naturally gotten used to them and they no longer bug us.But it's not only our space that the ants occupy, they are everywhere.Last week at work I looked down at the ground because it looked like it was moving.At closer range I noticed that it was just ants…everywhere.
It is also currently grasshopper season and man are there a lot of grasshoppers. Just down the street from our Annex there is a show of grasshoppers every night.This is because the locals have created this grasshopper catching apparatus.They have these really strong lights (even when the power goes out these lights stay on, they must have a generator as the power usually goes off an on day an night unpredictably).So they have these lights that are held high by a some wood and then right under the lights they have a metal slide like thing that leads into a big metal barrel at the bottom.So basically (I have done a poor job explaining) but the grasshoppers fly into the light, hit the metal and slide down to their death into these barrels.The lucky ones die right away, the un lucky ones stay alive until they are picked apart by the people who prepare them to be cooked for snacks.The grasshoppers are a real delicacy around here and they sell for 5000Ush (Uganda shillings) for a little sandwich bag.The exchange rate is approx $1 for 2000 Ush.So the bag of yummy little critters are about $2.50 / which is a large amount of money around here for some people in Masaka.I am sure your next question will ask me if I have tried one and the answer is: Not Yet.But I will try one tonight.Leah and I have agreed to try some, Raman says that she is a vegetarian and that she can't (good excuse) and Mitra will just not even entertain the idea.Don't worry friends, I will take pictures!I figured I will try as many things as possible that are safe and will not cause any really harm to the insides of my body…. My last note about the little grasshoppers is that you don't even need to cook them up to enjoy them apparently.Some of the youth at CRO (child restoration outreach, where I work 4 days a week) will come into the class with live ones in their hands that they just pick apart and eat.What a culture shock for me to sit in class with the youth as they just pick away and eat these critters.They seem to enjoy them.I have had a couple offer me one, but I told them I will wait to try a cooked one…mmmm grasshopper J
There are a lot of things that run differently here as opposed to back home.For example: time.Kim saw a shirt that said "Time does not exist in Africa".And so far that has been proven from the rooster that can't tell time to the people that are often late.People seem to show up at their leisure.If you have plans with someone for 9am you can expect that the person will show up casually around 10am or so.And that's okay here, its normal, and people do not get upset about it.There is no hustle and bustle around here.Good thing I didn't bring my work agenda from home because that would just get thrown away.There seems to be a sense of calm and leisure like characteristic amongst the local people here.You rarely see people looking like they are in a hurry, everything is just leisurely.A nice example was shared with me last nigh from Leah.Leah is currently working up at Masaka Referral Regional Hospital (you can also find that on Google).She told me last night that the doctors are all really patient with their clients.She explained how they take their time to sit down with the clients, ask questions and show sincerity.The way she explained the doctors that she worked with here made sense when I think about how patient other people that I have met here seem to be.Again, it goes back to the sense of time as I interpret it here in Uganda.There seems to be no rush for anything.People take their time.So different from back home.I will talk more about this subject in another entry.
I have to wrap this entry up because I must get ready to go to work.Today I am going to the hospital with Leah & Raman because the kids at CRO are on a week long camping trip that I decided to stay home from after discussing with Bob (my instructor).I will speak more later about my work and our weekend adventures that we have already had.On my last coupe notes I do want to say that I have been thinking about my friends and family back home and I really love you all.Thank you so much for all the support and encouragement you have provided me over this past year towards this trip.I felt closer to everyone before I left.I feel like this trip strengthened some of my connections and relationships with my friends and family back home - it's strange actually, but its true.And I want to thank all my friends at work who also were incredibly supportive with this trip and allowing me to take this leave and take this journey.Everyone has been so supportive and helpful!
I miss my parents greatly and also my cat!I also have been missing Noah like mad and often wish he was here to experience all of these beautiful things with me.I have you all in my heart and often will see something that reminds me of you - all of you!I also have been dreaming of my family and friends and wake up feeling good that you are all still with me!
I must go now if I want to post this before I leave.I really enjoy the feedback from the people who are following me online.So please ask questions and suggest ideas on what you would like to hear about - feel free to give direction on what you want me to observe and write on.
"Trust in the process….."
Love Adriana
xoxoxoxox
- comments
Sue I remember the grasshoppers in Thailand and I could never get up the nerve to eat them even cooked....Good for you no matter if you eat them or not... Can you dip them in chocolate...he he he Love you lots...
Adriana Hellloooo!!! Adriana your enthusiasm for Uganda is so felt in your writing. I love your enthusiasm and readiness to just take it all in...truth be told I am envious that you are travelling!!!! I am also very happy for you. I think of you often and wonder how life is treating you. I very much look forward to hearing more about your journey. I drove by the NOAH Home not too long ago- this afternoon in fact....I will blow kisses to it for you ;) HUGS TO YOU!!!!!!!!!
Tiff Ants, Yellow Water and Grasshoppers. I am beyond impressed. Thanks for starting this block, it makes it much easier for me to stalk you again. Miss you!