Life as I see it

I love Africa in the morning.


Maybe it's the sunrise, the cocks crowing, or the fact that I finally get to use the latrine after holding it all night (I despise the chamber pot). More likely it's because mist sits amidst lush greenery creating an enchanted effect, I've consumed my morning roll and tea, and the town's children are too groggy to start-up their rythmic "bye muzungu (white person), bye muzungu, bye muzungu" chant from houses, store fronts, or anywhere else within thirty meters of my path to the training center. Instead, the twenty minute walk is a time to relax, reflect, and prepare for another long day of language, cross-cultural, and technical training.

I arrive at the training center at 8:00 each morning and partake in my language lessons for the first two hours. I have a fantastic instructor, Kabayo, and five fellow trainees. We're all progressing pretty well and are both excited and frustrated by our ability and inability to speak the language. Reaizing how important it is to speak to a person in her own language, however, keeps us working hard.

After our morning language session is tea time, then usually some cross-cultural, safety, or medical training. After lunch we return for technical training, specific to the health work we'll being doing here in Uganda. This sometimes involves a field trip to a local health NGO, a visit to a traditional healer or birth attendant, or a tour of the public health facilities. I return home around 5 or 6 to some evening tea, take a 'bucket bath' and eat dinner around 8 or 9. I then read, write a letter, and head to bed so I'm well rested for the next day. It's really quite a busy schedule!

It's time to head back to my house to do laundry (aka three buckets, lots of dirty clothes, and hands which are practically raw by the time I finish scrubbing). Hope you're all doing well!

Megan

Greetings from Luweero District!

I'm here, typing away at the one internet cafe in town- it's actually only been here since March, when the last Peace Corps group who came through initiated the expansion of internet services in this area. There is no electricity today, so a generator hums behind me as I type :)

I arrived in Uganda on Thursday the 9th with an incredible group of 20 other Peace Corps volunteers. We spent the first few days doing some orientation activities and getting acclimated to the climate, time zone, and food. On Sunday we arrived at our training site and met our host families, with whom we'll be living for the next 9 weeks. My host parents are very nice and I have two adorable little host brothers (5 & 7 yrs). This is the fourth time my family has hosted a Peace Corps trainee-- both an plus for me, as well as a testament to their hospitality and reputation.

We spend our days at the training center, learning language, culture, political history, medical information, geographic information, and technical information for our volunteer work. I'll be learning the language, Runyankore, which is spoken in the west and southwest parts of Uganda (this also means that I will most likely be placed in that region for my volunteer assignment!)

I don't have much more time to write, but I hope all is going well for you back home (wherever that may be!). I will continue to update the blog as time allows :)