Q & A

I received some emails with a bunch of questions, and I decided instead of just responding back to that one person, I’ll do the occasional Q & A blog because maybe you all would like to know the answers too.  :)  So here we go.

What are Ugandan people like?  What is their view of Americans?

It’s a difficult question to answer, because it varies by region/tribe.  During training in Wakiso, the people saw us ‘Muzungus’ (white people) as 'money.'  We noticed that during our first week in town, the prices went up in almost all of the stores.  Random people would even walk up to us on the street and say, “You give me money.” 

I cannot say that I felt welcome there.  People would mock us, glare at us, and occasionally try to hit us with a boda-boda (motorcycle taxi).  (*Obviously this was not everybody – my homestay family was fantastic.  This was just a general feeling when walking around town.)  But then I also understand that we were the 6^th group of Peace Corps Volunteers to stay in Wakiso and not work on development there.  The people are kind of fed up that the Peace Corps will come for training but won't stay to help.

Now I'm in Arua and it’s completely different.  I can feel a stronger sense of community here – more interacting and helping each other.  At the hospital/school compound, it’s the norm to say “Hello, how are you?” to everyone you pass and shake hands frequently with the people you know.  Even in Arua town, I feel more accepted – on the street I get called “Sister” instead of “Muzungu.”

And the few Lugbara phrases I know go a long way in bridging the cultures.  When I go to local market stands to buy eggs or veggies, I greet the women with "Mi ngoni?"  They laugh hysterically and say "AH!  You are speaking Lugbara!!!"  I may not know much, but the effort is very much appreciated.

*I feel I will revisit this question later in my service too.

What is the religion of the people in your area?  Do you go to church with them? 

The major religions are Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim.  My school is Catholic and there are prayers every morning from 8:00am-8:30am.  I went a few times while I was staying with Sister Anne but haven’t really gone since then.  It’s difficult to go to the Ugandan church services on Sundays because it’s all in Lugbara.  But the other PCVs in the area have invited me to their bible study group and I think I might check it out.  I feel like I’m missing out on something by not being a part of the religious community here.  It’s a BIG part of their lives.

Why does the power go out so much in Uganda?

I’ve asked this question myself and never really got a definite answer . . . so I Googled it.  “Uganda faces power cuts lasting 12 hours daily due to government's failure to pay power subsidies amounting to Ush200 billion (US$76.9 million).” 

What kind of meals do you make for yourself?

As I wrote in the last blog entry, meals are kind of difficult.  So far I’ve eaten: scrambled eggs and omelets, sautéed greens, boiled sweet potatoes, French toast w/ honey (no maple syrup in Uganda), peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, spaghetti w/ some not-so-great sauce, and fruit (apples, bananas, pineapple, avocado, tomato slices, and mango season should be coming soon!)  I bought some rice but just haven’t cooked it yet.  I’ve also been living off of the wonderful American food I received in my care packages – instant oatmeal, granola bars, protein bars, trail mix, and cookies.  :)

What do you do at night?

After school, I’ll cook a little something and go on the internet/computer, read, or journal.  My neighbor Jimmy has been coming over a lot to use the internet and he’ll stay and visit for a couple of hours.  The sun sets between 6:30pm-7:00pm and I’m usually in bed by 8:30pm.  But before bed, I have to boil enough water for a hot bucket bath and drinking water the next day.  (I have a giant thermos to keep the bathing water hot.)  And I desperately need to start a yoga routine after school.  These hardwood chairs are killing my back!

Do you think you'd like a Kindle?  Do you have enough reading material?  What can you get there?

So far, I have not experienced the boredom that other PCVs have blogged about.  Maybe it’s because I have electricity and internet pretty much all day.  But on the rare occasion when the power does go out, reading is the #1 activity.  Right now, I don’t need a Kindle.  I brought a few books and Mom is sending a few more.  That should keep me busy for a while.  But the so-called Peace Corps Library is a joke – there’s nothing good there.  And, it’s in Kampala (8 hours away), which I’m not allowed to go to unless I have special permission.  But I hear that there is frequent book trading among the volunteers – I guess that’s where all the good books are.

Have you used your duct tape for anything yet?

Yes.  The first time was to patch a hole in the mosquito net over my bed in Banana Village.  The second time was a few weeks ago . . . I needed it to fix my house – here’s the story.  I woke up one Saturday morning to find a massive ant infestation all over my living room, bathroom, and kitchen.  They were everywhere – on the floors and on the walls.  (My house is less than perfect, with huge cracks in the walls, termite damage, and major gaps between the outside doors and the floors.)  As I was spraying Doom and sweeping ants out of my house, there were just so many that they started crawling up my legs and biting me.  It was a rough morning.  Eventually, I got rid of them all and tried to think of how to fix the cracks/holes in my walls.  There’s no Home Depot in Uganda and looking for some kind of sealant is futile.  Then I remembered my duct tape!!!  (Yes Dad, duct tape is holding my house together.  Ha ha.)  I have silver streams of duct tape on the walls in my kitchen to keep the ants out . . . and it works like a charm.

After I posted pictures of my "critters," a family member requested a picture of the spiders.  I sent one picture back in an email, but here’s a few more for everyone to see!  Ha ha.

This is one of the big, freaky African spiders I’ve been talking about.  Ick.

This gem is of a spider killing a cockroach.  I was washing my face before bed one night and wiped the soap from eyes to see this hanging right above my head.  I felt the need to capture the moment.

Ok, this one is a spider at a zoo in Uganda.  Nevertheless, it’s free-roaming and freakin’ HUGE!