Burning Plastic, French Dreams, and Chocolate Cake for everyone!

Sometimes I forget how hard it is to get people to “change” their ways or make them understand a better way of doing things “differently.” Fabrice and Fabienne came to my house to help me learn how to use my new African stove that takes charcoal. I think it is extremely hard and tedious to get started. Previously I had seen many people start them by burning plastic bags all in the middle of the charcoal – I was not about to try that. All people do here is burn or dump their garbage…the smell of burning plastic is far too common here. Fabrice and Fabienne could not understand why I wanted to burn the paper pieces I had torn up instead of plastic. They kept saying things like “This is Africa” “This is the only way to do it” But I kept insisting that we start it with paper. I know that in Rwanda they have banned nearly all types of plastic bags so I asked them how people in Rwanda got their charcoal to start without charcoal! I tried to explain to them how bad burning plastic was and that the fumes were poisonous but they didn’t seem to understand.

Here is a tour of my house:

On Saturday (18) I went to the Soccer Without Boarders training near the school to play football with the kids from school. Instead I just talked to Bonji (a local who helps out and could possibly be getting a job with SWB). Afterwards some of the boy from the school came over to try to make paper – it was a complete failure. The frames I had made for me were way too big and didn’t fit into the wash bin were the paper was soaking. I searched all day long to try to find a wash bin large enough but it was nowhere to be found! The holes on the screens were too big, and we didn’t press out enough water so the papers came out like soaking wet mushy blobs. We are going to try again in a week or so.

I finally had my first French-speaking dream!! I don’t remember much of what was said, but I was at Richellie Park in Hurley, Wi with Ellysa Aijala, we were talking French together and she knew more French than me (even though she is a Spanish speaker).

When it rains, it pours... and then the electricity goes
out for the rest of the day.

Work never stops for the women (and some men) of Africa. Every morning by 6am the girls near my house they are cooking, washing clothes, bathing their little brothers/sisters, cleaning, etc! Even when it’s torrential down poor – they are still busy doing things while putting out buckets to collect what rainwater they can.

I audited one of Teacher Jacobs science classes for P5 so I could see the teaching style of Uganda. It’s hard to have authority here because the kids are beat by everyone –parents, friends’ parents, relatives, teachers, etc. I won't lay a hand on the kids, so I have no treat to them. When Eddy was walking home, he broke his 1,000ugx ($0.50) sandals. I fixed them with some duct tape when we got to my house and he said, “Thanks, now my mother won’t beat me.” Kind of shocking, and happy I could prevent a beating.

On Tuesday (21) I woke up early so that I could go with Perrine to the Owino Market in Kampala to buy some things for dinners. They cook for me at least 2-4 times a week so I wanted to buy them some food. That market is the most insanely stressful and overwhelming market I have ever been to. It is about 100-200 different venues on about 2 blocks or less or space with people from 20km away coming to buy or sell things in the countries capital. This market makes me NEVER want to live in Kampala – the city is far too crazy. I headed back early and made it in time to teach my 2 Environmental classes (my first day with P7) and my English class. 

I let the neighborhood kids have some fun with my camera
while Daniella played with my hair.

There are two people who work at HOPE school who have malaria right now…guess its pretty common – and one you have it I was told you will always have it. Good things my net is secured around me nightly and I haven’t forgotten a day of my malaria pills!

They had fun posing

Them they found "frames" on my camera.

I left Thursday (23) for Jinja and picked the wrong Matatu/taxi to take me. It was only 4,000ugx (last time the guy ripped me off and made me pay 10,000ugx) but it took over 2 hrs and we stopped all along the way! Matatus are these large 14 passenger vans (usually carrying more like 17 people) that either travel short or long distances – it is like a shared taxi. Ones around town stop as often as every 50-100 meters to pick people off or drop them off. In the taxi park in Kampala you can usually find one that goes right from Kampala to Jinja (about an hour drive) but I got on one that brought people anywhere in between Kampala and Jinja – so the entire ride the money collector (there is 1 drive and 1 money collector) had his head and hands out the window yelling something in Lugandan trying to fill up the seats of the taxi – we were constantly stopping to see if people needed a lift – sometimes we would pick them up and other times drop off people…it was not fun.

Paul had a massive spider bite/infection on his leg when I arrived. He told me it had been getting worse but when I saw it…wow! Looked pretty painful. Jane (his boss) and I finally talked him into going to the doctor (and not listening to the guys at the bar and letting them cut it open) so he could get professional help. I don’t want to go into details but he is on antibiotics now and is doing much better after the minor “surgery” and antiseptic at the visit to the doctors. He can't work for a few days because it’s a huge hole that needs to heal without dirty river water. 

This is a video of a bota ride when I went tubing with Paul's company - Zen Tubing - they are crazy little motor bikes that don't really obey the few traffic law that exist.

I ordered a chocolate cake for my birthday. Paul and I are heading back to Kampala then Ndejje sometime tomorrow (Sunday the 26th). I am going to bring it to Perrine’s house Sunday night and invite Jacques and his family and maybe some boys from school over to celebrate with us. Then on Monday (the date of my real birthday), after classes, Paul and I are going to go into Kampala to find a place to eat. I am very excited, because I think we found a place that serves margaritas… I really miss margaritas.

Next week I am going to introduce a coloring contest to the students in P5-P7 – winner gets their artwork as the logo for HEAL (Healthy Environment and Living) – Uganda. Which is the name of the organization that Jacques, Paul, and I are trying to start in Ndejje. We are also planning to start a compost area behind one of the buildings for the school. The students will help dig/build that as well. We think its important for them to be very involved for the whole process – start to finish – so that they can see the whole project.