I'm home :)

I owe you all a novel. Truth is, it's been a hectic month- finishing training, moving out of our host families' houses, transitioning and swearing-in in Kampala and, finally, moving to site.

Let me begin two weeks ago.

A fellow trainee, Renee, and I were chosen to MC the 'host family thank-you ceremony.' We both had traditional clothing made for the event (as did many other trainees) and spent the ceremony introducing groups of trainees doing traditional dances and songs they'd learned the last ten weeks. As you might imagine, it was a little challenging to be MC's for an event in another country, without a native-English speaking audience. Let's just say that the typical humor we like to use didn't translate as well as we'd hoped. Nevertheless, our host families seemed thoroughly entertained-- perhaps at our sad attempt to sing and dance as they do. Or maybe it was our training group's performance of the song, "Fifty Nifty United States." The event was followed by a meal blended with both Ugandan and American dishes. Two days later we packed our bags, said goodbye to the families who had so graciously taken us in for the last ten weeks, and left Luweero for Kampala. Our five days in Kampala were a blur--complete with a pool party at the American ambassador's house, a visit to the US embassy, a workshop with our supervisors, shopping for household items only available in the nation's capital, bike shopping, and our very official, symbolic, and emotional "swearing-in ceremony." As or Thursday, October 18th, I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer (prior I was only a 'trainee'). Amidst the chaos of our days in Kampala we were also saying goodbye to the fantastic training staff who taught us the language, cultural norms, technical knowledge, and countless other things we'll be utilizing for the next two years (and beyond). Even more difficult was saying goodbye to one another- the twenty people I spent 60-70 hours a week with. It will be three months before we're all together again. We're now spread all over the country, with some as close to the Kenyan border in the East as I am to the Congo border in the West. Luckily we all have cell phones and are able to share our successes and challenges with one another via that technology.

On the 19th of October, the six of us heading West hired a taxi van, loaded everything we had and travelled to our sites (and stopped to take pictures at the equator!). That evening I ended in Rukungiri.

It's now been a week since I arrived-- a week full of unpacking, cleaning, finding my way around town, buying odds and ends to make my house more 'homey', experimenting with cooking for myself with limited amenities, starting work, acclimating to the much cooler climate, adjusting to living alone... My house has both power and running water (not drinkable, but at least running). It's nice and comfortable and boasts a gorgeous view of the mountains. Each evening I sit on my balcony with a cup of tea and watch the sunset into green mountains, full of vegetation and spotted with the occasional farmhouse. The elevation here is that of Denver, making my walk to and from the office a bit of a trek. The area is fairly fertile, meaning the market is full of a variety of fresh produce. There I can find tomatoes, onions, potatoes, garlic, eggplant, green pepper, avocado, passion fruit, pineapple, oranges, papaya, mangoes (when in season), and, of course, bananas of all types. A typical trip to the market to buy 2-3 days worth of produce costs less than a dollar, with my favorite deal being fresh avocados for 6 cents a piece (or two for 6 cents if the woman who sells them likes you :) )

I'm excited to get working now. For some time I'll be mostly just observing my organization's activities- trying to get the hang of things. RUGADA is involved in a plethora of activities--from organizing farmer groups to benefit from national agriculture services, working on sustainable energy projects, teaching girls how to sew and tailor, implementing HIV prevention programs, assisting with legal aid for children...the list goes on. Lots of potential for great work!

Oh yeah, and I almost forgot! My host mother gave me a Runyankore name (quite the honor) just a few days before I departed Luweero. The name is Kobusingye (koh-bu-sin-jay), and it means 'peacemaker' or 'peaceful one.' I've been teaching the kids who live near me so that they now yell "Kobusingye!" instead of "Muzungu!" from their yards. It's a nice improvement.

Must get going. It is, yet again, laundry day (as long as the weather holds out), and I need to buy a clothesline! Hope you're all doing well wherever you are!

much love,
kobusingye megan