One year ago tomorrow.......

We landed at Entebbe Airport on 1 Oct 2007.

In some ways it seems a long time since we arrived, but mostly the time has flown by. 1 more year to go.

During the next year....

• We hope to get funding for new computers, proper desks and chairs, and the internet for the college so we can give tutors, staff, and students a good basis for using computers and the internet. This is something I am looking forward to helping with.
• Danny will continue teaching, of course.
• I will finish the Runyankole language manual which I'll share with other volunteers or anyone else who desires to learn the language.
• We will visit my family for christmas this year.
• Two family visits here in Uganda next year.
• Hope to have a year with less cases of food poisoning.
• Hope to have another malaria-free year.
• I will take a few thousand more photos.
  
  
  

More cultural differences....

Ugandans find it hard to believe that not all westerners are rich. Their definition of rich is vastly different from ours. When I explained to someone that there are many very poor people in the US and UK they asked for a description of their living conditions. When asked if they had indoor plumbing and electricity, I replied 'yes'. I was then told that they are not poor.

Mud hut and pit toilet

Someone asked me about transportation in our countries and I told them most people have cars and there is also the option of buses and trains. It was assumed that we also had boda bodas (motorbike taxis) and there was surprise when I said we don't have those.

People are surprised when we inform them that many of the things we see on the roads here would cause the driver to be put in jail in our countries. Things such as completely filling the back of a pickup truck with people, or putting 4 passengers on a motorbike, or putting 25 people in a 15-seater mini-bus taxi, or filling a 5 passenger taxi with 1o people are what is normally seen here.

Except in the capitol and possibly a few other places, mortgages are not something one gets here. One of our neighbours is having a house built on some land he bought in town. He saves his money and when he has enough for the next phase of the house, he buys the materials needed and pays someone to construct it. Many people we know have built their homes with their own hands. It is common to make your own bricks! As for licensing of plumbers, electricians, construction workers to build these houses....not here, no way. People are amazed when we tell them to buy a house in our countries we get a mortgage and then pay for the house for the next 20 or 30 years.

Lady on a boda boda - motorbike taxi

Transfers of College Staff - Go or Quit your Job!

The title of the head of a teaching college is principal. He (they are all men) has two deputy principals.

Every six years many of the principals and deputy principals of the teaching colleges may be transferred to another college, whether they like it or not. If there are vacancies to fill at other times they can be transferred then as well. All deputy principals and acting principals are called in to be interviewed in Kampala at the Ministry of Education for positions of principal. Some deputy principals are women and they go through the process as well even though they won't get the job. Hmmm....

Anyone who has reached these positions and salaries usually owns quite a large farm. The spouse normally lives on the farm with the family and may also have a local job. Children are usually in boarding schools. Most principals and deputy principals live in staff housing on a campus, unless they are lucky enough to be working near their home. Buying another house when one is transferred is not an option.

The problem with this? The family often lives hours away and the principal or deputy principal does not see their spouse and family often - once a month or more. If the husband and wife are both principal/deputy principal they will work at different colleges thus sometimes leaving the farm with no one there except field workers and a housegirl/boy.

The above is the same for tutors (lecturers) at the colleges. They make much less money though which means they can't travel to see their families as often.

Over the last couple of months this process has been taking place. Our principal and one of our deputy principals are being transferred. We are going to miss both of them very much but are happy that our next door neighbour, the other deputy principal, won't be leaving us.

This process for tutors will take place in a year.

Does the Ministry of Education not see that this process is bad for families???

Lake Mburo revisited

Our fourth trip to Lake Mburo was experienced differently from the previous three.

First, we went alone without any other volunteers.

Second, we stayed in the bedded tents instead of a banda.

The bedded tents consist of 2 twin beds, are on a platform with a veranda, and have close access to a hot shower (when the fire is lit) and proper sit down, flushing toilets (!!). The price is higher than the bandas but still quite cheap - 40,000 shillings--about $25. We also liked the tents because they have screens with flaps which can be rolled up so we get more light and more night sounds.

Finally, we tried a place for breakfast which was recommended by another volunteer.

Instead of the restaurant by the lake we ate at the nearby Arcadia Cottages restaurant. For 10,000 shillings--about $6--we had a lovely full breakfast of fresh fruit, eggs of your choice, sausage, bacon, fried potatoes, fried tomato, beans, toast made with good bread and butter, and tea or coffee. This restaurant also has proper toilet facilities.

Pics have been posted here:
http://flickr.com/photos/anniedanny/sets/72157607393324230/

On previous trips we had not ventured up to Lookout Point. We did so this time and the view from the top was simply stunning.

On being a 'celebrity'

As I have mentioned previously, being a mzungu (white person) means being treated like a celebrity and being the centre of attention. When we socialise with Ugandans, especially if we visit their homes, I get the distinct impression that their status in the community increases.

Many people want to be our friend, or at least get our attention. Kids always wave at us and the adults will as well if we wave first. I especially love it when the young kids jump up and down and scream in excitement at seeing us. Their wee faces radiate joy at seeing us especially when we wave back or speak to them.

Danny and I attended a wedding reception today at which there were several hundred people. We were the only mzungus there and we were treated, not surprisingly, as celebrities. Most people wanted to greet us and shake our hands. They were so pleased that we attended a Ugandan wedding reception. The speakers who entertained the guests mentioned us at least a dozen times….we were referred to as guests of honour, a miracle, a blessing, as well as some friendly jokes about us. The entire reception was conducted in Runyankole so we only knew they were talking about us when we’d hear the word mzungu/bazungu and a sea of faces would turn around and look at us.

The village where the reception took place is rather remote and nowhere near a tourist destination so we were recipients of a great deal of attention due to the rarity of a white person in the area.

When I began to take a few photos of some of the kids I was suddenly swarmed by a couple of dozen of them all wanting their pics taken. They screamed in delight when I showed them their photos on the camera screen. Most, if not all, of these kids had likely never seen a white person before. I am sure that every child in the place waved, smiled or stared at us for quite some time.

Photo: thumbs up must be universal as it is also common in Uganda

US Election

Here in Uganda it is difficult to get all the specific coverage of the US presidential election that I want. I am sure people in the US are probably overdosing on it, but I need more. We get CNN International for 2 - 3 hours per weekday. I will miss the debates as they are broadcast on the weekends.

BBC World Service provides quite a bit of coverage. But, alas, it's just the radio.

Our internet connection which is an MTN mobile phone USB modem had been extremely bad for the past month or so. Even when it connects the speed is much too slow to watch video clips.
I chat on internet forums and find out what the public thinks and their opinions on how the campaigning is progressing.

When Ugandans find out I am American they always ask me if I am voting for Obama. The reaction is always a big smile and thumbs up when I say yes.

Kibale Forest Chimps

The college is currently on a term break so we've had plenty of time to travel. We have been bidding farewell to some of our favourite volunteers who are going back home...Fransje and Hilary in Bushenyi, and Barbara and Michael in Fort Portal. Plans have been made for future meetings when all of us are back in the UK/Europe.

Last week we spent a couple of nights at one of our favourites, Kingfisher Lodge, where we said farewell to Fransje who will soon be back in Holland. Then we headed to Fort Portal to spend a couple of delightful days with Barbara and Michael, a married couple who teach at a PTC and will soon be returning to England.

With a wee bit of prompting we decided to stay in Kibale Forest which is in the Fort Portal area. Our accommodation was the Primate Lodge Kibale which is a short walk from the meeting point for the chimp trek. The ambience, comfort, and service was superior. It was a pleasure to wake up to a symphony of birds or watch monkeys in the trees whilst resting on a comfy sofa on a veranda.

The chimp walk took nearly 4 hours to complete. Three groups consisting of 6 each were guided by a ranger and the rangers kept in touch via walkie talkie to increase the chances of all groups viewing the chimps. The walk was rough as we went off-trail and straight through the rainforest for the majority of the walk. The effort was worth it as we came upon a group of chimps after they had been spotted by one of the other groups. We could hear the chimps screeching loudly for some distance prior to our arrival because <<vegetarians: skip the following details>>
they had killed a monkey and were loudly 'discussing' which of the male chimps would be lucky enough to partake of fresh, raw monkey flesh.

The rules for walkers was to keep a distance of 8 metres between us and the chimps. It was very easy to watch them indulging in the meat-eating, plant-eating, or just lying or sitting around or swinging in the trees. With so many people trying to take photos, the ground being rough and uneven, and the chimps not understanding the need for them to 'be still' and pose without a tree leaf or branch in the way, the number of good pics I took was few. But we thoroughly enjoyed being close to the chimps and watching them in spite of the lack of good pics.

Photos are being uploaded here:
http://flickr.com/photos/anniedanny/sets/72157607094665239/