culture shock

well that last post was a little depressing - sorry but i want people to know what's been going on here. plus it's been a rough couple of days when i finally realized how far i am from home and how long i'm going to be here. it's funny in our training we were told about how culture shock goes in waves, there's the honeymoon stage where everything is new and cool then comes the rejection phase where you really just want things to be like they are at home and get annoyed/upset with all the differences etc and then there's acceptance but i figured it wouldn't be that dramatic. wow i was wrong!!! Last night did the whole cry in your room alone thing for the first time since i arrived here, i've been avoiding eye contact with people on the street, i really don't want any more matooke, spent a unholy amount of money on imported junk food (ok like 5 bucks on chips and some candies), didn't go to the market b/c i didn't want to deal with it and i swear if those guys in the brickyard down the driveway yell mzungu!!mzungu!!! and make kissy noises at me again I'll freak!!!
So since I obviously can't keep feeling like this (too sad and too much of a bitch) I have to come up with a game plan.

• I have to go out and get on with life so I'll force myself to go out by not buying all the groceries I need for the next day, I have to go out or else I go hungry
• I will accept that I stand out (there is no way for me to blend in) and that things are almost completely different here.
• I don't like being a bitch on the street so I will smile while I say no or shake my head at the boda guys and the beggars (many of them are kids anyways).
• I will take at least 45 minutes a day to chill out, watch a movie/tv show or listen to music - something from home.
• I will go shopping this weekend and get stuff I can only get here to decorate my place - local art and that sort of stuff. I already have pictures from home all over my fridge.
• I will try to spend more time with my coworkers because they are a super support network. We already laugh a ton so I'll continue that... Naomi only lasted 3 hours without laughing today and she was trying hard!
• I will go explore my neighbourhood more. I think there are some really cool places around here.
• I will harrass my friends via internet - I'm back on msn now so sign in people, I want to talk to you!!!
• I will continue to believe that the peace talks will result in a real end to the war upcountry although everyone (myself included) is reluctant to get too excited because they have been let down in the past.

I think that should work. I always feel better with a game plan and I think I can deal with this. It won't be easy but since when is anything worthwhile easy?

Rainy season

So apparently rainy season just hit. Poured with rain on Saturday evening, a light shower yesterday and today it’s been pouring on and off all morning. I’m actually cold – sitting here in long pants, and a cardigan. I’m going to have to go into town and buy one of those shawl things all the women here wear – kinda like a pashmina scarf only a little thicker – to use as a blankie as it can be almost cold and damp now. Maybe I’m just adjusting to the weather and it’s not actually cold as I think it’s still well over 15 possibly like 20 degrees. Since it’s a kinda miserable day I might as well share the most miserable thing I’ve heard in a while. Apparently up country there have been a number of returnees (young ppl or kids who were abducted by the rebels but managed to escape or were released) who have realized that the giant seeds they were given to plant while in captivity which they were told would grow into huge trees that could feed everyone were actually landmines. They went all over planting these seeds and only just learned what they actually were from a mine risk education session in their community. Needless to say these young people were very upset – they thought that was one good thing they had done while in captivity. Now their ‘seeds’ are scattered around the countryside waiting for people to return home from the camps.

Crocodiles, Birds and Mzungus

First thing's first - there should be new photos in the album link over on the side there. So Jess found this nature club and she talked me into joining too. I know we're pretty dorky but it seemed like a really good idea. Paid the equivilant of 10bucks for the year and twice a month they put on nature walks where we meet at their office at 7am (that means up at 5 something and leave at 6 to matautu and boda to the office!!!yikes that's early it's still dark!!!) then they drive us somewhere and we go on a nature walk. Plus they're mostly students from one of the universities who go so it's lots of people our age. Today was the first walk we went on, it was at Buwana (or something like that) Crocodile Farm. They raise crocodiles there for their skins and meat... odd choice of location for a conservation organization but ah well - the environmental studies students had a field day. Most of the crocodiles were litle because their skin is best before they grow too old - in crocodile world you become a purse when you turn five. It was pretty cool though - there was a man-eating crocodile there that the wildlife authority had asked the farm to look after once it was captured - the thing was HUGE!!! Then we got to walk around - wander along the shores of Lake Victoria. Pretty funny we were walking in from this odd little penisula when from the beach we hear mzungu mzungo - a bunch of kids had spotted us and were running over to see us. It was pretty strange but amusing especially because some of the other girls on the walk had been trying to teach us some of the local language so this was a very good opportunity for practice. What was really sad is farther along there were two little kids (like really really little 6 and 3 or 4) gathering water from the lake now we're told you can't even swim in that water b/c it can give you parasites and things but those kids were drinking that water!!! It seems most of the people in the club are avid birdwatchers so that was a little odd - not a big fan of staring at birds but the scenery was nice. Got back into town at like 2 then had to matautu downtown, went to the big grocery store Shoprite (bought my own pots and pans finally super cheap ones though - did you know they make aluminum pots???) then walk back to the taxi park and back home. The usual ten to 15 in the taxi took closer to forty minutes because for some reason it was gridlock the whole way home, bumper to bumper....brutal!!!
Now it may be only 830 on a Saturday night but I'm about ready for bed...... brutally tired - don't recommend getting up at five very often! Have to get up early-ish tomorrow too (ok like 7 or 8) b/c Jess is coming over to see the place and use the free internet and I need to clean massively - I don't own a broom or a mop at the moment- before going in to town to get her - she's never been to the taxi park before or up here so I figured it was best to meet somewhere we both know and then come back here together.
Good night!!!

Meetings and deadlines

Finally got a second to write something. It's been a bit hectic around here for sure. We're trying to get the Mine Action Protfolio ready to be sent to New York. It's kinda like a catalog for donors we write a one page proposal, they all go in this huge book for the entire world (well every country that has mine action activities) and we hope some donor decides from that one page they want to fund us or at least ask for a whole project proposal. We started last Wednesday and it has to go to NY on Friday!!! I'm really happy with the stuff we got in today though, really cool projects. So this portfolio thing is why I've had so many meetings, last week with UNDP at the Mine Action Centre, yesterday at the Mine Action Centre, then a working dinner at Jane's, today meeting at the Mine Action Centre, then Ministry of Health then back at the Mine Action Centre. There might have been another one in there some where I can't remember........ Finally got the four or five sheets done and sent off so I can relax until tomorrow when I'm talking to a guy from one of the newspapers about something. It's just like school - that really unpleasant part where you are constantly writing papers just before they are due! I thought I had escaped that but apparently not.
On the plus side I harrassed the IT guy into giving me the password to the adminstrator account for this computer (I think the phrase was wouldn't it just be easier to give me the password so I don't harrass you constantly for the next 5 months??) so I am able to download stuff now though it's taking forever b/c I couldn't get the programme I usually use and this one I have sucks. We're going on two days for half a season of a tv show and that's leaving my computer on over night downloading.... ugh! If you have any suggestions please let me know.
I don't have a tv (plus there's only like 4 channels here) so internet/dvds on the laptop are my only hope.
So I learned something kinda odd the other day - our housekeeper (yes my office has a housekeeper - she cooks our meals (breakfast/lunch) - we also have two guards, two drivers and one guy who I don't really know what he is but he appears to clean/maintain the building and bring water/tea to my office - it's crazy and I've heard we don't actually have that big a staff compared to others) has a maid. It's really strange though everyone has a maid or a lady of the house etc. There was an article in the paper a while ago about how working women should be wary b/c their maids spend more time with their children and their husband then they do and people think this leads to some maids and husbands having affairs. I find it all kinda odd.
Starting to get really excited b/c it looks like I'm having guests in September and then the end of October/early November. Christa (my Ottawa supervisor) is coming on her way home from the 7th meeting of states parties - the meeting of all the countries who have signed the mine ban treaty -(see link More about Landmines) and we're going up to the field and everything and then my Dad is looking at flights at the end of October for a week or two and then we could do all the touristy stuff I haven't done yet!!!! Yay!

life here is exhausting

have had a super busy couple of days. thursday was the meeting at the office of the prime minister with UNDP (at the new mine action centre) - it was good met jane and jess was there too nice little three person meeting - so now i have a ton of project proposals to write for this mine action portfolio that has to be sent to new york like next friday or something.... i have meetings like everyday next week with the ministry of health other ngos etc trying to get it put together... feeling pretty official and pretty glad i'm not jane who has to edit it all.
Friday went out with jess and her new roomies - we went to the house where she's moving hung out there then then went to bubble's (the only irish pub) b/c on friday's it like muzungo (whites/europeans though used for all foreigners - Auki who went out with us is japanese but a muzungo) central. it was fun and kinda like being at home and at the penny/irish times/the wicket with an african twist, went home early though b/c jess wasn't feeling well and i was a little nervous about transport but i now have the numbers of some good special hire taxis from jess/jane and others. i'm learning how to be an expat.
yesterday jane took jess and i out to show us around, where are good places and where we can find things. we went to one of the craft markets and a touristy craft store - wow i'm going to be bringing home so much cool stuff, didn't buy much though (candles for when there's no power/scarf (for less than $5) and a cool pillow for sitting at my vanity, will be doing the craft shopping closer to going home/when christa is here/when anyone else is here -come visit you know you want to. if anyone wants baskets, art, scuptures, drums, masks, fabrics, jewlry let me know, i'll bring it home with me or mail it to you. went and bought some household stuff i needed - i finally have a decent pillow!!!!!!! went to this cosemtics store that jane had heard about - you can find l'oreal, pantene pro-v, gillette, axe anything there including lays potato chips!! I bought a little bag and am hording it... went to this amazing indian place for lunch - so good and no mashed food!!!!!! so glad i met jane - she's from the mid-west USA but been living overseas for most of the past 20 years been here since january sort of our parents age and she's helped jess out so much and me quite a bit, figuring out how to live here and how to be an westerner living in africa.
when i got back at like 6 i was so tired - life here is exhausting b/c you have to learn how to do everything, there's so many people/cars/bodas/matautus, and it's tiring to stand out and have to put up a bit of a defense to the staring/begging etc plus there's the heat, at least i haven't been really sick at all - knock on wood - b/c that would make it so much worse, i'd never get out of bed
then last night - alfred our IT guy showed up and told me he was taking me out with him and his friend miriam (girlfriend possibly - wasn't sure), went down the street to kabalagala (this area never sleeps, the bar was probably like a ten minute walk from my place) to one of the many bars there. if i was at muzungo central on friday night then saturday night was the opposite besides the mines awareness trust truck that drove by i didn't see another expat the whole night - only stayed out til like 9 though b/c so tired.
this morning i did my laundry - like everything - apparently sheets are ridiculously heavy when wet. then walked all the way to this supermarket across the street from the americn embassy (called embassy supermarket - how original) b/c it looked interesting/familiar from the matautu window. then to the butcher for some meat b/c i have power therefore can freeze something for tomorrow night then it'll be defrosted by the time i want to cook it, went to the european bakery by the butcher and bought two tiny baguettes, also bought some gouda from the butcher - kinda a splurge grocery shopping experience but i figure that tomorrow is my 4 weeks in the country (or a month) annivesary so i should celebrate (still spent less than 25 bucks total), on the way back stopped and bought some glasses (6 for less than $3!!) and cutlery - so excited to be able to eat with my own stuff! i think next time i get that many groceries though i'll matautu or boda back b/c i was so hot and gross by the time i walked back up the hill home. was done all that by 1230 so it's been chill out afternoon since then. think i'm going to have a nap now.....

ps - getting pretty good at taking the matautus into to town and ok with the bodas b/c i know my way around a bit better so i'd know if they went the wrong way though i tried to get a ride from a guy who wasn't a boda driver yesterday on the way to jane's place - so embarrassing!! guy sitting at the side of the road on a boda so i go and ask if he knows the un compound by the grand imperial, he says yes so i ask how much and then he's kind enough to inform me that he's not a boda driver and i should probably talk to the guys a little farther down. he wasn't upset and i apologized so many times but man that was embarrassing. in hindsight he looked a little too neat and professional to be a boda driver but i've gotta figure out how to id them better... b/c i don't like the ones who see me walking say something like muzungo or mama/sister/auntie to try to get me to ride with them even though i'm just walking by - if i want a ride i'll ask or find one...

Dinner guest

Added some a couple of photos to the album, including a couple of my dinner guest tonight. Things are good, interesting meeting with UNDP with more meetings coming up. I feel so official, I had to get a visitor tag to enter the building etc.

Expat dinner

Finally met up with Jess. We had dinner last night at this Italian place at one of the really famous hotels in town. I was so proud of myself I took a matautu into town all by myself and navigated my way out of the taxi park which is a major accomplishment all on its own (next time I'm down that way I'll take a picture of the park for you all it's insane!!!!). Then I realized I had no idea where I was, I knew that if I got to the main road I'd be able to find the restaurant no problem so I set off in the direction I thought the road was. As I'm walking up the road I start to doubt myself so I decide to go into a store to ask what street I was on in the hopes of figuring out the map I had with me. Wow that wasn't a good idea, they were super nice but it seems like the map confused them and caused a number of rather heated debates on where I should go. The next thing I know I'm outside the store and one of the store guys had hailed a bodaboda (crazy motorcycle taxis that are everywhere - actually a good way to get around because they don't get stuck in traffic though they definitely raise the life-risking factor) for me. All I could do was get on - (I ride like a man as most western women do, women here usually ride sidesaddle but that's kinda crazy I think) and hope for the best. Wasn't that bad actually though I ended up there half an hour early because I had allowed time for the walk and it turned out that if I had just waited half a block to ask for directions I would have known exactly where I was. So that was two new forms of transportation for me in under an hour.
Dinner was good. Jess seems to be as culture shocked as I am, we both can't believe how different everything is. We were joined at dinner by a girl, Sam, who Jess was going to live with originally before that fell through. Neither of us had met Sam before but it turned out well, she's lived here every summer for the past 3 years so we got the inside scoop on what to do as an expat here. Apparently it's the Irish pub on Fridays, and Dad you'll be happy to know that for mondays hashing is really popular and we are thinking of going one week, (that's hash running people - it's not BC!). To add to the expat-ness of dinner, it turns out that pretty much only tourists and expats eat at that restaurant because by local standards it's pretty expensive (like 9 bucks for a pizza when a place down the street from me is less than 2 for a big plate of rice, and/or porsho and/or chips and your chosen meat eg beef, fish, chicken, or goat). Then it was decided that I should splurge on a special hire taxi to get home rather than walking or boda-ing to the taxi park to take a shared taxi because I don't know the city very well. Wasn't too keen on the special hire even though it was probably the smartest choice because they are less official feeling than the shared taxis, it's not like a Bluebird or anything - feels like you're just getting into some stranger's car. It was fine and the driver was really nice even pulling into a gas station b/c he knew he no change and rather than just over charging me, he stopped so I could break a 10000 shilling note. Was really good to talk to people who completely understood what it's like to arrive here and have to learn everything again because as great and understanding as my co-workers are, only a few of them know what it's like to leave everything you know behind and have to learn a entirely different culture while blatently standing out as a foreigner. Plus hanging out with someone who feels like an old friend (remember we lived together in a tiny dorm room for a week) was really conforting. Anways I've gotta go figure out my outfit for tomorrow - have a meeting with the UNDP and I have to make a good first impression especially because apparently we're not doing too well on the keeping the UNDP in the loop and not losing the forms they send to the office (nothing to do with me, they were lost before I got back from G-Town though I am the one trying to fill out the forms before next week's deadline).
PS - Made shortbread tonight - African style with margarine and cane sugar. Surprisingly they turned out ok to good just a little grainy au cause de la sucre

Content

I have power until like 6 pm tomorrow (at least that's what is expected - apparently it's on a pattern), I have internet in my room (sitting on my bed typing now), I made myself something decent for dinner, got a lot of work done today, have talked to three other YPs in the past 24 hours (Geneva, here and Azerbaijan), have tentative dinner plans for tomorrow night, found KMPS online so I'm listening to country music radio and the lizard that was on my (kitchen!!!) wall last night who made a repeat visit today appears to have finally left the building. I still don't have a stove, anywhere to put my non-refridgerated food or dishes and I didn't make it to the bank today and I may have to write a project proposal in the next 6 days but I'm still contented.

PS

So I forgot to mention that in G-town most of the staff called me Erina not Erin. That's right pronounce my name with an ah sound on the end. I didn't have the heart to constantly correct people so i just sort of gave up. I now respond to Erin, Erina, (and accented variations on those two), Mouno and Muzungo!

Moving In

So I left G-town on Friday. I took the bus back with Grace who was coming down to see her family. Most of my co-workers who work up-country leave their families down here or in their actual homes. I enjoyed my time up in G-town though at times it was pretty intense. I didn't really realize the scope of the war until I spent like two hours read the bio data of our beneficiaries which included their war injuries. I wasn't finished reading them but I had to stop it was too horrible to read any more - not looking forward to coming up with a database for that info. The bus down was interesting it was sort of crowded, people sitting on stools on the aisles then someone decided to buy some chickens from the people who hold up food and things to buy when the bus stops in their town for a minute or two. The chickens sat under the seat across the aisle from me. The whole way down the tv played music videos either local or an odd assortment of R&B (slow jam type stuff), celine dion and the occasional hip/hop song. it was incredibly loud - to the point that when people called me i couldn't hear them. My friend Jess is here now but she's living on the opposite side of the city and we haven't managed to meet up yet though we've talked a lot. I've moved into my apartment down here. So nice to unpack and not have guard dogs and a guard with a gun outside all night. There's still a guard either Julius or Charles but they aren't armed and the last couple of nights I've sat around and chatted with them b/c there aren't as many mosquitoes down here....
Yesterday I was taken to a grocery store - like a normal western style grocery store. it was pretty funny haven't seen that many other expats since i left dubai airport. the first time in a couple of weeks I instantly knew what to do. I'll be happy once I have some dishes so I can cook here at the moment I have to go to the kitchen in the office (it takes less than 30 seconds but still), dishes etc come on Monday. I'll be trying to post some photos and put a link to some photos on the side there. Enjoying having my own space (with Internet!!!!) and having my music and wardrobe back. Though not enjoying the traffice here, it is unreal - sitting in traffic is a way of life i think. Anyways heading down to get some meat from a butcher.... should be interesting to say the least.

Odd Realization

Had an odd realization last night – sitting talking at dinner about pets. Pets aren’t really done here unless you’re really rich b/c the food etc is rather expensive. I then realized that Oliver (my cat) is probably better fed than the kids I was talking to that afternoon in one of the camps. Now I’m not saying stop feeding Oliver but at the same time there must be something a little wrong here if we in Canada can feed cats and dogs a well-balanced (for them) diet while here there are tons of kids who can’t get enough to eat let alone a well-balanced diet. Sometimes I just don’t know what to say.
The trip to the field yesterday was pretty interesting because after meeting the local chairman myself and a few others weren’t really needed anymore so we went for a walk through the camp. I know I’ve said it before but I really can’t describe what that is like. As usual I was what has been referred to as a children magnet. Though my Acholi vocabulary is now about 5 words, so I am able to greet people. We bought some maize and sugar cane from the camp. I think it was a little shocking to some of the kids that the mauno (white in Acholi though spelling may be a little off – yah they just call me the colour up here) was eating maize. Don’t worry it was BBQ’d so won’t make me ill. Ended up under this tree to wait for the car and everyone else who was meeting the people they needed to meet. This tree was on the road from the school and school just got out. After a few minutes there were like 15 kids gathered around. It appears as though they were a little scared of me/shy so even though I waved and greeted them in Acholi a bunch would run away. Douglas and Richard thought it would be funny to tell them that we were there to steal a kid for me to eat. That resulted in more running away. Pretty funny experience….
By the time we left there were probably about 20 or 25 kids gathered around, my coworkers had finally managed to convince them that I wasn’t scary and then I was able to greet (in Acholi) a bunch of them. On the ride home I learned how to ride in the back of a pick up truck – a necessary skill here and I figured it was better to learn with Alfred driving than with some random – because there were too many of us. It’s not that bad – I actually quite enjoyed the ride. Though it started to rain so we all had to fit into the truck cab…. Yeah there were nine of us in a five seat (including the driver) land rover/truck thing. Pretty funny and very uncomfortable. Thankfully the rain stopped quickly though we had to wait for a safe stretch of road to stop to rearrange. Things are going pretty well up here and I’ve had my two week anniversary. I’ll be heading back down in a couple of days and I know there’s a huge pile of work down there for me so it’s back behind a desk soon for a while. Though you guys might be happy to hear that – less scary than field work.

A frog in the washwater

I made a new friend this morning. last night i had put some pants in a basin to soak over night before washing them this morning then when i went back into the bathroom this morning there was a little tiny frog sitting on the edge of the basin. so cute but so confusing - how did he get in there and was this tiny thing the frog that keeps me up at night with it's excessively loud croaking???? left the bathroom to get something to put him outside with and when i came back he was gone......
Went to the market with Robinah yesterday for the first time. it's not as intimidating as it looks from the outside. Then went back to where she stays and learned how to cook over charcoal. well sort of. though i now know how to make passionfruit juice from scratch.

Field time again

Had another visit to the field today. Went out to meet the leadership of one of the IDP camps in which we work. I’ll be going to the other camps on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week before heading back down south. Though I’m going to try to get a ride down with a generator from one of the other field offices that is going back for repairs so we’ll try to organize that. It’s interesting being out there. The amount of suffering is almost overwhelming but at the same time I’m reminded how much of life is a common human experience. Things are the same but so different. People still have their stores, their farm fields and their schools. Things really were not good in that camp as some of the huts have been burning and they don’t know why. Also some of the children are starting to show the stress of the years of conflict by becoming ‘possessed.’ The camp leaders aren’t sure what is actually going on but they think that it may be related to the stress of growing up in the middle of a war. Some of the people here have been living in IDP camps for twenty years. So if I was from here I would have been in an IDP camp since the age of two; my sister would have been born there.
As usual I was a bit a curiosity for the people there especially the kids. The country director was with us as well and he’s Ethiopian so he also stands out. There was a rather large group of kids that gathered around – they are too shy to come to me but will respond when I talk to them. I didn’t realize that at first but Robinah clued me in – I thought it was weird that they were all gathered around and staring but wouldn’t come any closer, one or two even ran away when I waved. Later as we were preparing to leave they came up to the car to say bye to us except one little boy was pretty scared of me or us though probably the weird looking girl who didn’t speak the language. The adults are another story. The people we are coming to meet are incredibly welcoming and warm – you shake hands with everyone when you meet them/enter the room/leaving, but often there are other people around who just look at us, though smiles are almost always returned.
I am working on learning a little of the language but it’s pretty hard. I can respond when someone greets me and I can sort of say thank you, but my cheat sheet should come in handy.
I managed to take some pictures on Gizaw’s camera which hopefully will be emailed to me and then I’ll work on posting them either actually on here or I’ll post them on facebook and post the link so if you aren’t on facebook you can access them. I’ll have to see which is easier. But I should be able to get them up soonish especially if they are emailed to me this weekend as Grace and Mercie went back down to Kampala for the weekend to see their families so it’s only me and Emma left living at base camp. Well me Emma, the rats, the cockroaches and the dogs……Since Emma seems to work a lot even though it’s not work time (wow that’s some crappy grammar there) meaning he tends to find things to do to fill time better than I do, I anticipate having a lot of time this weekend. Hopefully I’ll have power or else I’ll be really bored though I have a lot of laundry to do – it’s only pride that keeps me from getting one of the women out back to do my washing for me. Phil (one of the other YPs) told me I would be getting someone to clean my house, cook for me and do my laundry and I assured him I would be looking after myself so now I’m washing my clothes by hand in the backyard….

Lovely Day

So had such a lovely day. Well this morning we talked about radio procedures and what to do if ambushed etc - I guess that wasn't that lovely but I had already read most of the procedures. This afternoon there was no power and the photocopying took too long so instead of doing report writing training we sat out in the yard under a tree until the rain came then we all sat on the veranda watching the storm and chatting. Definitely think of that cheesy 80s song by Toto about the rains down in Africa when it rains. Even with the rain it was good team bonding. Dad you would have loved it - debates about the world cup and the premiership - apparently I'm working with Arsenal supporters (I know I spelled that wrong). Even when the football talk got too technical for me I was still entertained because you can see the road and the swamp out back through the bamboo fence just a little bit so you can watch as people walk by - the kids coming home from school in their bright uniforms, women carrying their babies, the occasional truck (I have no idea how they drive on that road it's not much more than a dirt path) and of course the ever present scooters...
I'm trying to learn the language well I got Susan to write out greetings and a few key words but you don't really say things how they are spelled though hopefully it will help. I wish I understood because occasionally people switch and I'm completely left out of the conversation. I should get off here and go for a walk - I haven't left the compound since like yesterday morning because now they are having dinner brought in so there's no reason to leave but it's not good for me to stay in here. It's too sheltered, I need to learn how to be out in the real G-Town not just behind my huge metal gates...

More of the same

So the power is incredibly unreliable but I’ve managed to type this out – hopefully I can get it on line. Apparently I’m a real African now that I spent an evening or two under a mosquito net reading by the light of a kerosene lamp. Definitely have Miranda Lambert stuck in my head after that, too bad I didn’t bring the charger for my music and the battery symbol is already in the red.
I did the whole cold shower thing to wash my hair it’s actually not as bad as I thought it would be. Rather excited since my backpack was brought up from home so I have a much larger wardrobe and all my toiletries (Shampoo!!!!!!!!!) plus they brought the laptop I brought from Ottawa so I now have photos (mainly Europe not home – home are on the iPod which has little batteries) to keep me entertained. Tried to make friends with the night security guard but I don’t think he speaks English very well or else he just really didn’t want to talk to me. There are at least four different kinds of lizards in the camp and a number of really big rats which I try to avoid. Though the other two ladies living at base camp have instructed me not to scream when I encounter rats, cockroaches etc. because it will worry them and the guard that the rebels are around.... I wasn’t sure if they were joking or not so I better not scream when I meet the other residents of base camp. It’s really too bad the guard dogs don’t eat rats – makes them pretty much useless to me, they only are let out at night, they bark like crazy and are a little on the scary side. I hope there are no dogs at the base camp back down at home because then I’m stuck with them every night for the next five months.
Being in a war zone is very odd….The stories some of my coworkers have are absolutely unbelievable at least two have lived through ambushes and others have had family members abducted by the rebels. I really don’t know what to say when they tell me their stories.
It isn’t all in the past though. Apparently, on Friday the director of another NGO was abducted (not in this district but the next one), his car looted and all his clothing taken. He was released unharmed, naked but unharmed. Don’t worry I’ve heard that the rebels have been instructed not to hurt white people because we are ‘ghosts’ or spirits. My co-workers find this really really funny. I guess it’s a bit reassuring. Black humour is a common coping mechanism here I think. I just can’t participate and sometimes I find it shocking which others pick up on and then reassure me they are just kidding or it really isn’t that bad which I totally believe.
On the plus side I have managed to go out alone a couple of times so I think I'm getting more comfortable here - though once a kid decided that I should give him some money. Only I didn’t understand and thought he was just like the other kids that just want to touch the odd coloured girl, the 'muzungo' or something like that – so I shook his hand and then he wouldn’t let go much to the amusement of the bodaboda drivers waiting near by and the women walking behind me. I guess watching a 22 year old try to detach a ten year old’s hand and then practically run away might be pretty funny if you’re not that 22 year old….
Anyways, I better get going. Talk to you all soon!!!

Still in Gulu

No worries I'm still in Gulu but haven't been back in the field since Friday. I've been in training all week and the power is incredibly unreliable so hopefully I can write something tonight but we'll see. Apparently my computer is on it's way up here so that may help. I have not yet made friends with the guard dogs or the rats but the cochroaches and I are on speaking terms.....