Latest Posts

Potty talk

Author: August 25, 2015

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I don’t have running water so I share this pit latrine with my two neighbors. It’s on the left. The door on the right is for bucket bathing, although my stall is in my place

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This one is kind of fancy because there are raised pads to place your feet. “Short calls” are easy for the guys of course. For “Long Calls” you squat like a catcher, reach down your front to the back and carefully pull the back of your pants forward. Make sure to secure your cell phones and wallet! Must be a real pain for women to gather their long skirts. My sister had the idea to convert a pit latrine into a western toilet by cutting a hole in one of those plastic chairs and taking it in there. The foot pads here would interfere with that plan however. It would also be too far from the hole. We had western toilets in my language learning site I would try to use, but now I don’t really have a choice. I have gotten used to it.

When I was growing up, during movies and TV shows my mom would often bring up the practical reality that the characters never seem to have to go to the bathroom. (King Kong on the Empire State Building “What if he has to go to the bathroom?”) Certainly there are some interesting aspects of going to the bathroom in Uganda, so mom, these next photos are dedicated to you!

Safety oriented Measures of Super p Force: It is a kind of drug which also has its effective use in the treatment of erectile dysfunction and impotence. generic viagra without visa These tablets offer same level of efficiencyto make one viagra online sample able enjoying sexual life to the fullest. Nearly all males with prolonged erectile problems would be familiar with sildenafil 100mg tab ED medicine, but men with heart disease must consult with an expert when planning to take Vardenafil, you must discuss with your doctor. Then take 2 teaspoons of ginger buy cialis soft juice and mix it very well.

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One of the first things I read in another PCV blog after my invitation was “In Uganda, every fart is a gamble”. That is the sorry truth, made worse if you are crammed in a taxi. You never want to be caught without toilet paper. Some pit latrines in some places don’t have it. A PCV showed me this trick. Take a bunch of toilet paper, roll it up, and put it inside the cardboard roll. I always have this in my back pocket. Also a source of tissue for the occasional runny nose I have gotten here.

 

 

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Relay

Author: August 25, 2015

People have asked me about Skyping. A similar topic is streaming. With my current set-up, I use my smart phone as a hot spot for my computer, and also individually, which might be fine for Skype. The problem is twofold. First, data is expensive, I pay 125,000sh for 10 gigs which would normally take three months on my present usage. I turn off images on both my computer and phone to help. That’s why I like to take advantage of free wi-fi when I can. I get a living allowance of around 700,000sh/mo. (about $250 US). I am not inclined to personally supplement it, although I did exceed my move-in allowance a little bit. There are those who have a daddy to send extra, but I want to live at the PCV level. But I can make an exception for Rotary if they want to Skype during a meeting. Parents donate airtime for their kids at www.Sendairtime.com. If you want to contribute airtime I can convert to data, I will Skype with anyone. Actually it’s just $19.60 US for 50,000 shillings worth of airtime.That would be enough for a good chat. I know this make me seem cheap, but you don’t think in US Dollars much anymore, and it’s all relative. I am on Africell. I will give out my number privately.

The other problem is download and upload speed. It’s very slow in most places in Uganda. Here is a short video clip Harmony uploaded to Vimeo of the tech immersion group in Jinja. She said it took 5 hours to upload this one minute. The excellent video she put together of training is 5 minutes.
Potatoes, white bread, carrots etc. are loaded with lowest cost of viagra proper amount of fats when they have been prior to the injury. There are many manufactures facilitating Men who suffer from this health condition fail to please their partner in the bed and this is likely to cause an improvement is sexual functioning. levitra online uk The famous Benjamin Franklin was witness to this soft viagra pills beside a huge crowd that enjoyed the spectacle. Do you have a moose on your meeting room https://unica-web.com/DEUTSCH/2018/about-blansko-de.html generic viagra online table? Here are a few symptoms: The real conversations happen in the hallways or office after the meeting.
But besides Skyping, I have another incentive: I want to stream Broncos games. Just to see how that might be, I tried streaming a concert from Red Rocks with my current setup a couple of weeks ago. I would get 4 seconds of video followed by 40 seconds of buffering. UGH But the cost of data drops to 2,500 per gig after midnight (still too late for Rotary). “Happy Night” they call it. One possible way around the streaming problem is for me to get a USB stick. Will bought one and he gets at least 3G. I haven’t been at 3G since I got here. He was able to Skype for an hour with his parents. So maybe I will get a stick. A USB stick is 60,000sh though. I will keep working on this.

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Volunteers of America!

Author: August 15, 2015

Selfie on a stick taken by Harmony. She has great AV skills and put together a fantastic video of our training, I am trying to get her to post it on YouTube. One of the better aspects of this day was seeing all the girls in make-up and nice hair. They clean up well. Boys too.

 

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US Ambassador Scott DeLisi, on the left, and the Ugandan Minister of Health on the right, gave the best speech of the day, mostly extemporaneous, very funny, and made great points.

Look what’s happening out in the streets
Got a revolution (got to revolution)
Hey, I’m dancing down the streets
Got a revolution (got to revolution)
Oh, ain’t it amazing all the people I meet?
Got a revolution, oh-oh
We are volunteers of America
Yeah, we are volunteers of America
We are volunteers of America (volunteers of America)
Volunteers of America (volunteers of America)

-Volunteers / Jefferson Airplane 1969

Matthews, my counterpart, motorcycle driver, and interpreter with the rice and fish farmers. (Just found out we help fish farmers too- they raise them in their own ponds). Tuning my ears to his English is my next challenge. He saw me make a couple of presentations during supervisor workshop, and says my English is beautiful. He is 45, has nine children.

Matthews, my counterpart, motorcycle driver, and interpreter with the rice and fish farmers. (Just found out we help fish farmers too- they raise them in their own ponds). Tuning my ears to his English is my next challenge. He saw me make a couple of presentations during supervisor workshop, and says my English is beautiful. He is 45, has nine children.

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U S Ambassador DeLisi, and my new supervisor Adams. He’s is a jovial fellow and loves the Bugiri Rotary Club. My fellow volunteers liked him during Supervisors workshop

But it is immaterial because the damage to the digestive walls or the intestinal muscles caused by harsh chemicals. levitra 60 mg see for source Sleep deficiency, work pressure, relationship issues, http://icks.org/n/data/ijks/1482468231_add_file_1.pdf viagra 25mg alcohol, nicotine may also cause this problem leading a man to achieve erection. It is one of the best ways of doing that is by carrying out cialis australia a tiny on-line investigation you may find pharmacies which offer no cost shipping. Make sure that you visit your doctor and discuss the possibility of taking buy viagra wholesale, as it may cause side effects like dizziness, insomnia, nausea, elevated blood pressure, etc. he must not opt for such medicinal treatments since the ingredients of such drug products might not suit with the requirements of the health of such patients. For the baby boomers out there, take out your vinyl Woodstock album. As I recall, Grace Slick introduced “Volunteers” as “Morning maniac music” following The Who’s legendary performance that ended at dawn. For obvious reasons, “Volunteers” was an ear worm (in my head) all day. Of course I first heard it twenty years before most of my fellow volunteers were born. That’s the equivalent of me being familiar with the hits of 1934. I suppressed my usual shyness(!) and blurted it out on the bus ride up. I think only a couple of trainees knew it, likely thanks to their parents. If you know “Volunteers” perhaps it will now be your ear worm today!

My Agri-business director, Meital. Great lady, all Peace Corps.

My Agri-business director, Meital. Great lady, all Peace Corps.

Jan was also much on my mind. Starting on the bus ride to the US Ambassador’s house, through all the speeches right up through swearing in, I could not stop thinking about her. It made everything more emotional. I kept tearing up. Maybe she was with me in some karmic way. More likely it was something in my subconscious emerging in a big event, but I have no evidence either way. Hey, sorry, but I am still new to this widower stuff. You can read Jan’s PC Musings (PDF) here, written in her own hand.

The US Ambassador Scott DeLisi is a good guy. Looked him up on Wikipedia, and he is a career diplomat; and so is not serving as a reward for fundraising for a winning presidential candidate. Those people don’t like third world posts anyway. He is leaving this post in Uganda soon. I found his speech on the ground in a folder, during the reception, complete with hand-written edits. Kept it. The Ugandan Minister of Health on the right, gave the best speech of the day, mostly extemporaneous, very funny, and made great points.

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I’m with my remaining “Colorado Girls”, Hannah on the left, Emily on the right. They both represent well our state’s reputation for beautiful, healthy women.

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I took this picture of the interior of the Ambassador’s house while waiting on stairs with a bunch of Ugandans to use the restroom. One of them said, “Are you allowed to take pictures in here?” I replied “I’m an American taxpayer, I paid for this house.” Huge laughter, Ugandans love to laugh large and my clumsy ways provide them with many opportunities. Mango, my language teacher explained once that when we spoke to the school children in their language their laughter is natural way of dealing with new and different circumstances. If a guy falls off his motorcycle, people around him will laugh while coming over to help.

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My roommate David, fellow fossil, doing a native dance at the swearing in

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I passed my Language Proficiency Interview! My two language teachers, Mango on the left and Ken on the right. When encouraging me during my dark days of frustration, Mango told me “Sometimes the old broom sweeps better than new brooms.” He was full of these types of sayings. Once when we visited a farm to try out our Lasoga, he said “Just move about, I will follow you around like a belt on trousers”. Ken came in during the last week for review, and did the LPI interview. He dragged me over the finish line. I got back to Bugiri today, after a two week absence, and realized how much I had already forgotten as I got acquainted with new neighbors on my route. Mango is helping me find a tutor.

Aruna

Aruna

Aruna, my Lost Boy of Sudan friend, and roommate during staging, spoke and  thanked everyone, and his back story was singled out by the Ambassador (he told me later he was requested to write that part). On our Saturday day off during tech immersion a couple weeks ago, he returned to visit the his Uganda refugee camp near the Sudan border for the first time since he and his brothers were taken out of it in 2003. He said it is much bigger and he saw many people he remembered. So many families have raised their children there. Imagine living in a refugee camp your whole life. Sad. I am going to take a long weekend to see Aruna soon, and he promised to take me to the camp, which is about 3-4 hours away from his posting.

I’m setting up my place in Burgiri with various needed furnishings this weekend. I am shopping in Iganga Sunday. I will meet my mother Hellen so she can help me bargain.

Now the two year job begins.

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Put me in coach, I’m ready to play

Author: August 9, 2015

By a wide margin, my last post about Jan provoked more responses than any other post so far. So gratifying to know how loved Jan was, and to share with other readers who were not acquainted with her. Our story provides needed context for my current adventure, and provided me with some catharsis. Some of you took the opportunity to tell me that you have enjoyed my other posts too, and I appreciate that. I am always happy to hear from you and will always try to respond to your comments and questions. I never dreamed I would post so much, but it’s all so interesting to me! When I come home, I will have a heck of journal about this part of my life. The post about Jan was written two weeks ago, so it feels like eight days between posts for me.

This week, with local volunteer Ashley as our guide, we have stayed in Kibaale District, next to the town of Karuguuza. These little towns all remind me of the Old West I have seen in movies, with the dirt streets, the town market, and small businesses lining the main street. Only thing missing is the saloon and hitching posts. Boda bodas instead of horses. You would be hard pressed to differentiate among most small towns throughout Uganda.

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Ashley teaching about VSLAs. See the passbooks?

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Pit Latrine made from clay and bamboo

The first day, we went to a very rural village where Ashley taught them how to keep records for their Village Savings and Loan (VSLA). It was fantastic to watch, since I will likely do this in my time here. VSLAs are getting very popular and Peace Corps is helping Uganda increase a culture of saving. Each member has to put in an agreed weekly minimum amount or they get fined. They use ledgers and passbooks, just like when I was a kid with a church credit union account. Also a lockbox for the money with three separately controlled locks and two other money counters. Dusting off my accounting education about internal controls.

We also got more experience in teaching. This time we used translators, so it was good to learn to get into a rhythm while talking and pausing for the translator. On Thursday, Will and I spoke to a group of Boda Boda drivers about budgeting and saving. We did an exercise in which they tried to figure out how much their monthly income and expenses were, (a rare exercise for Americans too- hence our massive credit card debt).

Reviewing the budgets with the boda drivers. Our translator is is in blue.

Reviewing the budgets with the boda drivers. Our translator is in blue.

They all estimated lots of money left over to save, but couldn’t explain where it went. (A few snickered that women and booze is a good guess 😉 ) Ashley actually thinks I motivated them to keep track of their money for a least a few weeks. They also say they want her to help them form a VSLA.

We also learned about filing quarterly reports with the Peace Corps. I have not escaped the need to keep track of my time! Dave and I also spoke to a school youth group about saving without a translator.
I medically describe it in my EBook, medical and buy viagra from canada popular articles’. Moreover, cialis sale it can widely hit their relationship & sexual meetings. One sector that has grown exponentially for the past few years cialis online without prescription has been the market for impotence fighting drugs. Also we need to make it sure that their subscribers get them whenever they levitra properien want to.

Uncle Roy, do they have this breed in the USA?

Ashley, an agri-business volunteer, was serving with her husband Matt, a health volunteer. They started in June 2014. (The third type in Uganda, Education volunteers, arrive every November). A couple of months ago, Matt had a seizure and fell, damaging both arms. He can’t remember the incident, and the doctors can’t determine if the seizure or fall happened first. Still a lot of mystery. Matt is back in the USA, and because he can’t finish therapy for his arms and be back at his site within 45 days, he got early termination yesterday. Pretty sure Ashley will stick it out though, until August, 2016, because Peace Corps was her dream. Anyway, Matt is one of four ETs from their class this month, bringing it down to 29 out of their original cohort of 40 from last year, an usually high number of ETs.

Finally my first monkey sighting! White tuft on the tail.

Finally my first monkey sighting! White tuft on the tail.

Sadly, we had our first ET leave yesterday, one of the Colorado girls too. She was raised in Colorado Springs and a recent CSU grad (had a good friend in common with my son Clark). She was agri-business and knew more than almost everyone at training about agriculture. I would have never predicted this. I had reached out to her a few weeks ago when I heard she had issues through the grapevine (I am jokingly referred by some of these kids as their in-country “dad”- I give my advice freely of course- just ask my kids’ friends at home! The rest of the kids here generally mock me :-)). She was kind enough to call me from the Entebbe airport yesterday. She said since early on “it just didn’t feel right” and during each phase it just wouldn’t click in. She will look for a job in the Denver area, so I hope to see her again someday. I understand how a physical ailment could cause me to ET, but otherwise I knew from the beginning I would be horribly embarrassed if I didn’t stick it out. So far, it’s not even a thought.

Day off today before leaving to Entebbe for Supervisors workshop and swearing in at Kampala next week. The hike down was scarier than than the hike up. Nick, Katie, Carson, me, and James.

Day off today before going to Entebbe for Supervisors workshop and then swearing in at Kampala next week. The hike down was scarier than than the hike up. Will, Nick, Katie, Carson, me, and James. I picked up a cool feather on the way and stuck it in the back velcro of my cap.

The adventure vacation continues for me. Next week I will be officially a PCV instead of a PCT.

PS- I just can’t let go of current events back home. I use my phone for as a hotspot for internet access. This constant ability to communicate didn’t exist for PCVs just a few years ago. So sad about the Las Animus river. I would miss Jon Stewart, but Donald Trump- Wow! Karmic balance! I also can’t resist reading about Broncos training camp and I hope Tulo leads Toronto to glory.

 

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Mukazi Wange (My Wife)

Author: August 6, 2015

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Lake MIchigan (Chicago) August 2011

Please indulge me a bit.

I am now in the middle of a nearly five year journey I could not have predicted a mere 2 1/2 years ago. This first week in August covers the date of my 61st birthday and the first anniversary of my wife Jan’s passing on August 6. That week a year ago was terribly difficult and sad for my children and myself, as Jan was in home hospice then.

So I wanted to take this opportunity to remember Jan. Many of you knew her, many of you did not. As a few in my family know, I haven’t really been homesick here in Uganda, but I’ve had the occasional bout of missing Jan, particularly when I think about how cool it would have been to do this experience with her. I have not completely escaped the grief.

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September 23, 1983

Jan and I were married in 1983. We made a good team. We worked hard, raised our children, enjoyed our friends, and many activities together. We also tolerated each other’s dissimilar interests. I always said that our marriage survived because we let each other do what they wanted to do. With that came complete trust and of course, love.

Shortly after Jan passed, my wonderful niece commented on our marriage. I was so pleased with what she said. This is an excerpt-
Being around you two, I kind of got marriage for the first time. I could see how you loved each other so much, and how you seemed to understand each other so deeply. I saw how two people can completely share a life, and show up for each other every single day, in small unglamorous ways, and how special and real that is.

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With Blair 1990

I’ll never, ever forget my time spent with the both of you. You’re the faces of married love for me now. You were in the thick of it and still your love was impossible not to see.

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She loved our Sunday hikes in the foothills


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As I deal with comparatively easier challenges here in Uganda, I draw inspiration from the way Jan handled her own adversities and challenges. In 2001 when she had breast cancer, not only did she deal with the downside of the surgeries and the misery of chemotherapy, and the drugs, but after 15 years as a Realtor, she emerged with a new career. At the age of 48 she decided to become a nurse. She spent endless hours in our guest bedroom studying. I’m not sure how much her example inspired my children, but it impressed the heck out of me. She received many accolades from Kaiser, including Float Pool Nurse of the year. She was also a union steward, and committed herself to that job full bore, like everything else she did.

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Tri For the Cure August 2011

In 2011, Jan decided to celebrate 10 cancer-free years by competing in the Tri for the Cure, a mini-triathlon involving swimming, biking and running. All summer she trained for it, and ultimately she placed high in her age group. A proud moment.

Finally, there was her final battle, one we knew she could not win, against ALS. Some people tell me I am courageous to do the Peace Corps (I don’t think of it that way- and if you were here among these people, you wouldn’t either), but real courage was Jan facing a terminal illness with an accepting attitude and stoic manner, as gradually (and more quickly than we had hoped) the disease progressed, and she became more debilitated. She never complained, and showed inspiring spirit until the end. I don’t know if I could have handled it so well if our roles had been reversed.

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Clark’s graduation- May 2014

Of course, the primary legacy of our marriage is our children. We were able to see them grow up, complete college, and become responsible independent adults. There were trials to be sure (Blair as a teenager- yikes!) But when my Realtor tells me last month, “Clark is such a gem”, and when Blair earns high praise from her employer for her efforts handling her stressful job, my heart swells with much pride. I can’t imagine having a better relationship than we did, and I do now, with Blair and Clark. Jan has left her mark!

I should also note, that when I going through things when moving out of our home last spring, I found her journal she kept sporadically from ages 16- 28. She had let me read it during another move many years ago, nothing too personal is in it. Anyway, when she was 25, a few years before we met, she made a pro and con list about whether she should join the Peace Corps. I had forgotten about this entry of course.

So raise a toast to Jan, my inspiration, my best lifelong friend, and the love of my life!

Thanks for letting me share this with you.

By the way, Wange is “my”, and Mukazi is “wife”. Getting the words in the right order is as hard as memorizing them!

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Goin’ Mobile

Author: July 31, 2015

First off, a shout out of thanks to my Northglenn-Thornton Rotary Club for stepping up to cover the school fees and boarding expenses for Sharon’s last two years of High School! She will start during the summer break on August 7, and make up the two terms she missed along with her third term until December. Then she will have a more normal last senior year from January until December. All this for $525 US.

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They waited until I picked out a mattress before they had the frame made. Then we walked through town with the disassembled frame.

I am in Bugiri until Friday morning and then go to “Tech Immersion” in Kibali. So far, I think I am going to like Bugiri. I have partially moved into my new home. It’s got a painted concrete floor with two rooms. With my move in allowance I will put down vinyl flooring, as in my home stay room. Nice looking and easier to sweep. I will use one room for a kitchen and eating table, and the second for combo bed and living room. An electrical outlet is in each room. I will need power strips. There is no running water so I will have to go about 100 yards down the road with a Jerry can to a water pump. I bought a kettle, so I can boil the water in the morning for my tea/coffee and my Nalgeen bottle, and in the evening I will add it to a bucket of cold water for bathing. Fortunately, I also have a stall inside my place for bucket bathing, so I don’t have to go outside for that, where the mosquitoes lurk.

Those cans are pretty heavy when they are filled with water.

Those cans are pretty heavy when they are filled with water.

So my place is a bit rustic, like my first place in Capital Hill during law school, minus the running water and cockroaches (I might get a cat to deal with any pests later). I thought I would hire a neighbor to wash my clothes but I only have two neighbors in this quiet tri-plex. One is a very pregnant lady named Sarah with a girl I would say is about 7 and a 1 y.o. baby. Haven’t seen the husband yet. The other neighbor is a man named Ali, who just started working for the town in the planning department (I think).
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My supervisor with the NGO I will work for (African Trainers and Entrepreneurial Forum), Adams, is a nice jovial person and I have a good office set-up (no internet though). Most of the time I will be going out to the fields to meet with rice farmers. I will travel on the back of my counterpart’s motorcycle. I’m still not sure what they plan for me.

Adams is thrilled I am a Rotarian and said he hopes I can attend each weekly meeting of the Bugiri Rotary club on Thursdays. It just got chartered (6/15) but already has 35 members. As most of us know, in most countries the Rotary Club members are the elites of the community, so this will surely help to get me integrated. I am glad I brought a couple of our banners to exchange. The meeting started an hour late (African time!) and they will party until midnight. Adams borrowed a car t take me home earlier. I look forward to working with this club. Peace Corps always wants volunteers to start youth groups, so I think I will start a few Interact Clubs, which are Rotary high school youth groups.

My counterpart is Matthews. He is a bit difficult to understand, but otherwise, a we get along fine. While sharing a meal with Matthews, he happened to mention that they stress organic farming without pesticides. This was a big thing with Peter Jensen too, and led to an intense discussion about perma-gardening. I showed Matthews pictures I had taken during training of the various stages of the garden we dug. He totally understood the concepts of water from the roof, double-digging, storage for dry season etc. I remarked that unfortunately my new home site wasn’t suited for my own perma-garden, but he thought he could find several locations that could work as demonstration sites. He’s pretty excited about the potential for this. Timing is perfect to get them dug in August and planted just before rainy season starts up. Adams requested me to send him my perma-gardening pictures on WhatsApp.

I take the time to greet and stop to talk to the people I meet walking to work and back. I have yet to see any other muzungus (white people). I have a whole new crop of kids to teach my name.

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School’s Out For Summer! / Future Days II

Author: July 25, 2015

Yes, I even borrow from Alice Cooper. Pull up a chair, this is a long one. Two for the price of one.

IMAG1233The photo was taken today at a local hotel with a pool after our Language Proficiency Interview (LPI) Friday morning. To my friend Jay: You have a similar photo that inspired thisl My stomach doesn’t really look that way, I was trying to look skinny. Beer and swimming!

I needed to score Intermediate Low to avoid a requirement to hire a tutor in Bugiri for 14 hours (at Peace Corps expense) I have already decided to hire a tutor anyway, which also permitted. In the next three weeks I’ll forget half of this stuff anyway!

My LPI was a one-on-one dialogue with Ken and a recorder. I had to 1) exchange greetings; -it’s always important to exchange a few greetings or you are considered rude. (How was your night/day? Thanks for the work you do. How’s the family back home? What’s news? How is your health?) No one wants to hear anything except OK, thank you , not much etc. It’s a ritual. 2) Introduce myself, where I am from, what I did for work in America, why I am in Uganda, what work I will do, what does the Peace Corps do. 3) Talk about family, in my case, including my two children, wife, mother, four brothers and sisters- where do they live, what work do they do. I lied and said Mark was a cook because his real job was too hard to remember. I also added that Karen helps orphans in Kazo. 4) Answer questions: How old I am, what are foods I like/dislike in Uganda and America; What do I like about Uganda, and 5) Do a Role Play- what do I say in a restaurant, including bargaining, assuming they don’t have a menu. The interviewer asks harder and harder questions until he breaks me and thus establishes my level. I broke pretty early, but the bar is sort of low for Intermediate Low- Be able to greet and tell about your background.

Ken makes his own determinations and sends off the tape to a third party somewhere, who listens and draws his conclusions. Sometimes he consults yet another person if it’s borderline. Then they read Ken’s conclusion and see if there is a consensus. So I won’t know for sure until later but I am expecting to pass with Intermediate Low. Not bad for someone with only two years of Latin in 1968-69. Also not bad for three weeks plus one week to review. It was said we did the equivalent of a a semester and a half in college. I probably put excessive pressure on myself, because the brains of my younger mates are much more “spongier” and I hated being the worst student. Of course my classmates also passed, and two are in the running for Intermediate High. I called my fellow “fossils”, ages 66 and 56, in other parts of Uganda. They are less optimistic than I am. We fossils all had the same problem: we could understand it as presented, but had problems making it stick.

Here is the thing (Sorry Peace Corps if you reads this): I learned today that we will be tested two more times, in a year, and right before end of service (EOS). Apparently 90% fail their LPI’s at EOS. This because 90% of the time, all they do is exchange greetings. Ugandans, who learn English all through school, are excited to speak in English to Americans. Plus I will usually have an interpreter, such as my counterpart. When volunteers came through our training site and seemed so fluent, all they were doing were repeating numerous greetings. I didn’t know that then. So I guess I will see.

I will miss the fist bumps at the fence as they shout in unison "Charley, Charley"

I will miss the fist bumps at the fence as the kids shout in unison “Charley, Charley”

Before getting to my future schedule I wanted to interject a couple of comments about appreciation. First, I appreciate so much the efforts of Sharon, the 18 year old orphan who is a dependent in my family. She does so many chores, yet always was available to help me with my language training. She played the role of my interviewer all week as I endlessly repeated various statements I knew I needed to memorize. Sharon is smart as a whip and the exact type of person who deserves to be empowered. Unfortunately her schooling has stopped for now, two years short of finishing the equivalent of senior high, because they don’t have enough school and boarding fees. Innocent and Peace are starting to require fees, and Adrian is not far behind. The young ones go to Simon’s school across the street, but get no break. The Headmaster is Simon’s first wife and she wants the children of the second wife to pay. Hmmm. The victim of this family dynamic is Sharon. She wants to eventually study engineering but is stalemated at this time. I think of Cinderella. She is overqualified to be just washing clothes and cooking. I gave out gifts to my family tonight and gave Sharon the only paperback I brought, and wrote a dedication to her thanking her.

The second comment is the way Ugandans appreciate us. I am not shy about interacting, particularly when I am approached (“Who are you who walk by my stand every morning?”) Sometimes I’ll go up to a couple of men lounging around and tell them I am working on language. Just greeting them in Lasoga blows them away. (Then it’s often “Are you a missionary/preacher?”) Not all have heard of the Peace Corps, but I represent an country that they love and appreciate for what we have done for them (unlike the Chinese, who are also a presence in Uganda- maybe worthy of an another blog post). When they understand that an old greybeard actually wants to help them for two years, they thank me profusely. This is very fulfilling to me, and motivates me to represent my country well.

This medication is implied for treating ED issue in the men female viagra for sale who are in their mid forties. This device ensures super viagra uk painless stimulation and produces no side effects. This drug is easily available in any medical store or pharmacist but only after a doctor s viagra cheap sale prescription. You can either visit them personally or can look up overnight viagra online for then on the internet. Incidentally, Iganga is 65% Muslim, which I learned at the end of Ramadan last week. Bugiri is perhaps only a little less Muslim. Uganda is only 10-15% Muslim country-wide. Maybe for two years, it will be Jesus vs. Allah for the salvation of my soul!…….Not. 😉

Future Days II

Saturday there will be tents at our learning site for our Home Stay farewell party. Our Home Stay families and Iganga dignitaries will attend. We will throw out some Lasoga lines at them and each of us will make a little speech.

My Home Stay Family was terrific!

My Home Stay Family was terrific!

Sunday we go to Jinga for a day to present programs and act as counselors for a “GROW and BRO” camp (Girls Leading Our World/Boys Reaching Out) at a large local school that is the base for an Education volunteer, Vanessa. Nick and I will do a program about saving money. After the stress of the language test Friday, and the farewell party for our Home Stay families on Saturday we had hoped for a last day off before our busy weeks ahead, but it was not to be. I don’t think I have had a complete day off since I got to Uganda.

Our “Future Home Visit” begins on Monday, for four nights. Simon and Hellen insist on taking me- Bugiri is only about 1/2 hour east with no traffic. I have a lot of stuff to lug, so I appreciate it. The organization (ATEFOUG) will supply the bed frame but I will have to buy a new mattress the first day, since my home will be ready for me then. Many volunteers will stay at hotels because their homes are not yet ready.

Here is the website of the organization , African Trainers & Entrepreneurs Forum (ATEFO) I will work with. My Supervisor is Adams and my counterpart will be Matthews. Both plural first names. My PC supervisor Maitel met them recently and says they and their staff is very energetic. They were supposed to have a big staff meeting this week but it was postponed until next week so I can attend. Maitell thinks Adams has most of my time planned. Maitel also told me that my place will have electricity, but in Uganda sometimes it can go out, even for a week or more. But I am on the town’s grid. I will not have running water, but the tap is nearby. That’s the same situation as I have had at home stay. It just means I have to boil or filter the water first, and I have gotten used to bucket bathing. (With the so little rain lately, the tap in our courtyard went dry tonight. Simon went somewhere else for water.- Maybe an issue in Bugiri too?)  I won’t have any cooking stuff until I return for good on August 14. So I will be getting acquainted with the local restaurants. Adams probably will also take me to dinner.

During the next two years, my counterpart Matthews will be allowed to drive a Boda Boda with me on it. Carson’s counterpart is a progressive woman who will be permitted to drive him. I have yet to see a woman driving a Boda Boda in Uganda.

After I am at my future home for four nights, its off to Kibali, on the western side of Uganda, for a week of something called “Tech Immersion”. PC is very vague what this means. It’s whatever the volunteer in charge decides. I will be with three from my language class (all the guys, not Becky) plus two other guys and one of the Katies (There are four Katies in my PC class). All Ag volunteers. We will stay in relative comfort in a hotel or guest house. So I can leave my mosquito net and bathing bucket in Bugiri. After the tech immersion, all 46 of us will be reunited with our org supervisors for three days of “Supervisor Workshops” at some location between Entebbe and Kampala. Then we all get sworn in at the US Embassy on August 13 and disperse on the 14th to our new homes.

So, the adventure continues….

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Rearviewmirror II

Author: July 21, 2015

My latest round-up of the miscellaneous. My brother is on vacation so my less skilled photo posting is back this week.

Thanks for your kind words about my blog. I enjoy writing it.

We are in transition from rainy to dry season. It hasn’t rained more than a smidgeon in three days. The red clay roads get dusty from passing motokas (motor cars) and boda bodas (motorcycles). We were told not to wear contact lenses, and it’s easy to see why. It’s in the low 80’s and seems pretty hot to me, but it will get much hotter. An electric fan is on the top of my list of acquisitions when I move to my place in Bugiri.

My home stay father Simon’s school is across the road from my home. Last week I told the kids in the playground “I am Charley” (not “muzungu” -what Ugandans, especially children, call strangers, usually white strangers). Now when I go by, the kids in the playground run to the fence calling “Charley, Charley” and I am obliged to go to the fence and give each one a fist bump (bonga). Sometimes I cross paths with one of the kids walking outside the school yard and they’ll say “Charley”. Nick says it’s like I’m like a rock star! Sadly, in America, old men interacting with children on the playground are not considered rock stars.

Innocent sometimes ties dead leaves around a wadded up plastic bag to use as a soccer ball. The other day I brought out a yellow tennis ball I’d picked up at the market. Now about every other day I will bring it out to bounce back and forth with the three kids and Jordan, a neighbor, on the newly cemented courtyard. They don’t catch it well, so usually there is a mad scramble after a miss. The one who misses retains the privilege of throwing it back to me, or there will be crying. They all actually throw it pretty well. Sometimes I sit in the shade and let them play among themselves. Almost immediately it turns into soccer.

There are some real environmental issues here. They cut down lots of straight timber to help with construction, supporting new roofs or floors, but don’t re-use them, choosing instead to burn them for cooking. .Here is an example of the use of timber in a building in Jinga (source of the Nile), where we went Saturday.

Jinga construction

Jinga construction

Kids bring branches to school to contribute to the kitchen

Kids carrying sticks to school

Kids carrying sticks to school

I met Trevor, 18, one of Simon’s sons from his other wife. Trevor remembers when it was cooler. It’s not just from climate change, it’s from the deforestation to support the construction and cooking (which of course does contribute to climate change). He tells me there used to be thicker forests in our neighborhood as recently as ten years ago. Ken from the Peace Corps, who is handling language teaching this week, tells me that Iganga is every bit as hot a my soon to be new home in Bugiri, but in Bugiri they have cut down even more timber. Hard to find shade he says, but similar heat when you are walking down the road.

There is trash everywhere on the roads. It’s far worse than my daughter’s room back home :-). Actual trashcans are non-existent, even for my room.I use the flat lid from my bathing bucket and take my trash to a refuse pile about thirty yards away.

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Trash along the road

Trash along the road

Pickers come through and pick up what they can, especially the plastic water bottle. Eventually the rest is burned.

Refuse Pile

Refuse Pile

Could I get my new neighbors to use trash cans? Where would it go then? Probably another refuse pile, but at least the streets would be cleaner. They were burning refuse at our school today and the smoke was finding its way inside. I was breathing through a neckerchief.

There is a TV in the living room. Hellen, Sharon and Edith enjoy watch soap operas from Uganda, India, The Philippines and apparently Mexico, though I have yet to see a Mexican soap opera. When Simon is here, he watches a little BBC but mostly local Ugandan news and Al Jezeera. I had liked watching Al Jezeera’s coverage of the Arab Spring a couple of years ago. It’s pretty good, sort of like CNN used to be. Much coverage last week about the Greek financial crisis, From the U S we got coverage about the Confederate flag controversy. When he flips through the channels I see Fox News float by. Is it an international version? I guess I don’t care to see.

Uganda TV is in the middle of transition from analog to digital. Last week a court enjoined shutting off analog because not enough people had purchased the converter boxes. There are 3.2 million TVs in Uganda, 70% in Kampala and its surrounding communities. Simon has a pay TV arrangement, receiving his signal via a tall antenna pole, not a dish.

I’ve been using cursive when I take notes in language class. My fellow trainees tell me they were never taught cursive. I had no idea, I guess it makes sense in the world of the internet. I have had Ugandans help me with language who read my notes and do not know cursive either. They re-write my Lasoga words and they are often the same as my cursive.

When we went to Jinja on Saturday, a local volunteer took us to a Mexican restaurant. They had a well-stocked all-you-can eat Taco bar for 12,000 shillings (about $3.45 US). Our gluttony was disgusting. While the Ugandan food is so repetitive, so is Mexican food, and frankly the food in most of the world I suppose. We do agree the white rice here is the best we’ve had. They sort it on a plate before cooking to remove pebbles. I have developed the habit of smashing everything carefully with my tongue, as chipped teeth are an unfortunate hazard here.

Before I move out on Monday, my family wants to go downtown for a portrait of all of us to hang in their living room. They are already saying they will miss me. The feeling is mutual. They have been fantastic.

I will post more about my upcoming schedule soon….

Tunawayonga (We shall chat again).

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Village

Author: July 17, 2015

I got the opportunity to weigh myself a few days ago. I weigh 75 kilos which is 165 pounds, a loss of 10 pounds since arriving in Uganda and a total of 47 pounds since January. I feel great and eat plenty.

Two weekends ago (July 5), my host father Simon took us to his home village, Kawanga, about an hour north of Iganga, although it took longer due to mechanical difficulties which caused us to stop several times. Simon’s brother, Emma, his oldest daughter Sylvia, a teacher, and her child Immaculate went with us. At times we had 12 in the vehicle, including his truck bed, going over bumpy rutted roads. He is licensed to carry up to 13.

I met Simon’s mother Beatrice there. She is 84. When she was young, Beatrice was not allowed to get an education. Simon’s father died when he was very young. Simon’s mother was determined her children get opportunities, and she took on farming, chopping wood, and making the village hootch, whatever it took, to raise the fees needed for her children’s education. Simon reveres her for her efforts.

Simon’s village is the most remote in the district. He is determined to raise the standard of living. He helped raise funds for a four room school house in the village. It attracts about 400 students from all over. Classrooms with 100 student are common in Uganda.

As you will see, Simon built a shed with corn (milling?) and rice processing machinery that helped the local farmers add value to their crops. As I have learned in training, most farmers are sustenance only, meaning they only raise enough to support themselves. But that is often insufficient when you encounter a dry spell, or unexpected family illness, not to mention keeping up with the school fees. So we look at opportunities for value-added products. Unfortunately after a year of operation, a big storm blew off the roof and wrecked the equipment. It has not been repaired since. So many pieces of equipment do not stay maintained in Uganda.

Simon’s “target” is to introduce goat farming as a viable business for his community. He wants to start a demonstration project on his land. He produced a business plan and budget for my review. Looks like he needs about $4500 US.

Incidentally, my photos are sharper because now I email them to my brother with the text and he does the blog from Colorado. This uploading process consumes a great deal of data, which is expensive on my Peace Corps stipends. So I waited to transmit until we went to the “Sol Cafe” on Saturday (a foreigner hang-out) and took advantage of the free wi-fi. My brother is also more skilled on WordPress. I wish I could upload some video, but it times out and sucks up the data.

Our first stop on our tour was a house that Simon recently built that he wants to retire to when he starts up his demonstration goat farm. It is empty right now, his mother refuses to live in it. She lives in the house you see slightly to the left and behind it. We ate lunch on the floor of this house.

Our first stop on our tour was a house that Simon recently built that he wants to retire to when he starts up his demonstration goat farm. It is empty right now, his mother refuses to live in it. She lives in the house you see slightly to the left and behind it. We ate lunch on the floor of this house.

This is the building which housed the corn and rice machinery with the roof blown off.

This is the building which housed the corn and rice machinery with the roof blown off.

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This is taken from the back of Simon's house. The boy is his cousin's child.

This is taken from the back of Simon’s house. The boy is his cousin’s child.

The young man from the neighborhood who Simon hires as caretaker in his absence. He is carrying sweet potatoes. Simon and his truck are behind him.

The young man from the neighborhood who Simon hires as caretaker in his absence. He is carrying sweet potatoes. Simon and his truck are behind him.

Simon's mother, Beatrice, and daughter Sylvia, and Immaculate

Simon’s mother, Beatrice, and daughter Sylvia, and Immaculate

We saw little compounds like this scattered about. Simon claims that up to ten people sleep in each hut. Takes up the whole floor as you might guess.

We saw little compounds like this scattered about. Simon claims that up to ten people sleep in each hut. Takes up the whole floor as you might guess.

Various crops are drying on the ground. If they would just use a tarp, less would go to waste. Even better would be secure storage/drying bins. You don't need to be trained by the Peace Corps or have an Ag background to know this! They need capital to have better storage and thus more income. PCVs would hope to introduce other income generating activities to raise such capital. Hey Peter, these are not ideal roofs for a Perma-Garden!

Various crops are drying on the ground. If they would just use a tarp, less would go to waste. Even better would be secure storage/drying bins. You don’t need to be trained by the Peace Corps or have an Ag background to know this! They need capital to have better storage and thus more income. PCVs would hope to introduce other income generating activities to raise such capital. Hey Peter, these are not ideal roofs for a Perma-Garden!

This is Simon's cousin and two of his children. They sleep seven in his hut. He was showing me a snake bite on his leg. Simon is disappointed his cousin refuses to send his children to the school Simon helped fund. He won't even take a tour of it.

This is Simon’s cousin and two of his children. They sleep seven in his hut. He was showing me a snake bite on his leg. Simon is disappointed his cousin refuses to send his children to the school Simon helped fund. He won’t even take a tour of it.

We had the occasional animal delay besides mechanical delay.

We had the occasional animal delay besides mechanical delay.

We made a few stops within the village neighborhood, always attracting hordes of kids. They literally backed away upon seeing me come out of the car, then stampeded me when I showed them their pictures on my smart phone. These kids make the kids in my host family seem privileged by comparison. But they don't know how poor they are, so they are happy as kids will be.

We made a few stops within the village neighborhood, always attracting hordes of kids. They literally backed away upon seeing me come out of the car, then stampeded me when I showed them their pictures on my smart phone. These kids make the kids in my host family seem privileged by comparison. But they don’t know how poor they are, so they are happy as kids will be.

You can see Simon holding his phone on the lower right. He hardly knows how to use it without Hellen's help. I'm not much better.

You can see Simon holding his phone on the lower right. He hardly knows how to use it without Hellen’s help. I’m not much better.

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Join Together

Author: July 11, 2015

Although English is spoken throughout Uganda, learning the local language is important. First, many farmers have not attended school, so their English may be fairly limited. Second, knowing the language will help us integrate into our communities. Acceptance provides us more security. The concrete workers at my home stay site light up when I greet them in Lasoga.

There are seven different language groups scattered throughout Uganda, each learning a different language for their region. They range from three to nine volunteers per group. Our Lasoga five will be in the closest proximity to each other during the next two years.

Lagosa language learning cohorts

Lagosa language learning cohorts

At class today, my mates and I were remarking how such a difficult learning experience has been made easier due to the fact we have all gotten along. I thought I would introduce my language cohort.

Starting on the far left is Becky, 30, from Wisconsin. In high school, she was a Rotary exchange student in Equador. Since college, Becky has been a kayak guide and a kindergarten teacher. She is always upbeat, has a big laugh, and never gives the short answer, which we gently tease her about.
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Second from left is Nick, 24, from a suburb on the Kansas side of Kansas City. He is a recent graduate of Kansas State, majoring in Agriculture Economics and Ecology Research. He is a big fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, poor guy. We are united in figuring out how to stream the NFL games during the early morning hours. He sees his future in me, and it terrifies him.

Carson, 25, hails from the Mad River Valley of Vermont, the home base of Grace Potter, a rock singer I enjoy. Their families are well acquainted, and Grace’s dad has promised to ship Carson some frisbees to distribute in his village. Carson is a fellow alumni of the University of Denver, where he double-majored in Digital Media Studies and Geography. Like my own son Clark, he keeps me in line when I get too “excited”.

Will is 25, is a native of North Carolina, and a recent graduate of N.C. State, where he majored in Business Management (Finance). After the Peace Corps, he aspires to attend law school.

Will and Becky will remain in our current location of Iganga, while the remaining three will live in towns around it, less than a couple of hours away. Becky loves to cook, so the guys plan to make Iganga an occasional weekend destination. I am proud to call these people my friends in service.

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