Tick...tick....tick....

"Time flies when you're having fun"... or something like that. Haha. I can't believe I've been on this continent for 3 months now. Craziness! In just a couple of weeks I'll be back to the land of schedules and snow, which is a little bittersweet. I can't honestly say that this experience has been enjoyable every step of the way, but has it been worth it? Absolutely.

It would seem that my camera has picked up a virus on one of the computers I've used somewhere along the way, so it looks as though I won't be able to upload photos after all. Let's hope my memory card hasn't been affected. Hmm.

The main project I've been focusing on this week has been trying to connect power at the small clinic I've been working at (it's not exactly in the patient's best interest to receive an injection while the nurse is trying to work by flashlight or candlelight). This, like everything else, seems to be a bit of a process. Well, a lot, actually. Yesterday the electrician and surveyor came by to assess the situation and start wiring a few things, which looked promising. Today, however, we spent all day waiting for a guy from the electrical company to bring us the agreement that we then have to sign and then take to the office in town for processing, before they proceed further. He ended up never showing up, as the man he was supposed to consult prior to coming to us was away from the office, in the field (all too typical, I'm afraid). And so, the plan is to meet with him tomorrow morning....but, of course, this could all change. In my mind it's not a very complex issue to resolve - you pay for a service, the responsible individual carries out whatever necessary task, and the job is done. But such is not the case here. It's a process, always. Negotiate, talk some more, renegociate... Time is certainly not held is such high esteem as I'm used to, and for an impatient individual like myself it can be a bit...umm..challenging :-) Ah well. I'm hoping to see the lights come on before I leave, but time will tell.

I don't think I've written much about the food on this blog, so perhaps it's about time I did. The typical Ugandan diet is basically entirely comprised of starches; filling, but not exactly a balanced diet. The kids eat a lot of beans and posho (which looks like mashed potatoes, but is made of maize flour and is very bland in flavour), mainly because they're the cheapest foods to prepare in large quantities. Most people survive off either matoke (a certain variety of green bananas that are boiled and served in a similar manner to pototoes), posho, beans, rice, sweet potatoes, or(occasionally) Irish potatoes, and sometimes accompanied by a bit of kale/cabbage or meat of some variety or another (which, if you've ever visited a butchery around here, you may choose to pass on. Haha).

Not too much other news, I suppose. I keep myself pretty busy most days, which is sometimes challenging as I can't seem to get a solid night's sleep (partly due to the antimalarials I'm taking, partly due to the fact that I'm a pathetically light sleeper at the best of times). Meh. I'll try to update again with a bit more interesting news in the coming days...

Back to the southern hemisphere...just for a couple of days, though

I'm currently in Nyendo, which is just outside of Masaka, visiting Jenny and seeing what she's been up to these past few weeks. It was nice to get away for a few days and just catch up (while doing nothing related to volunteering, which was a necessary break for us both). That said, it's been great to be surrounded by laughing children again, even though the ones at this children's home speak VERY little english, so that always poses a bit of a challenge :-)

I was hoping to post a few pictures, but it looks as though that will have to wait another couple of days, probably when I'm heading back through Kampala to Jinja...but who knows. The whole uploading situation has been pretty unpredictable, so...no promises!

I can hardly believe that there are now less than three weeks before flying home. A couple of days ago I would have said that was forever, but now it seems too short. This trip has had its share of challenges, to be sure. But I wouldn't change it for the world.

Ugh...so many thoughts bouncing around in my head tonight. But I'll have to save them for another time, probably in a couple of days....(to be continued :-) ...... )

Entebbe...green, traquil...Brilliant!

After spending a couple of days in a very noisy part of Kampala (the perks of budget travel), we made our way to Entebbe, which is a quiet little city just off Lake Victoria. It used to be the capital years ago, so is clean and organized, but doesn't have the chaotic, crowded feel that Kampala does, so escaping there for a couple of days has been really nice. It being rainy season, the vegetation is particularly green and beautiful. We even got to camp outside in a tent for a couple of nights - what a treat! :) (and remarkably, we stayed dry despite the torrential downpours!!)

Sadly, we're now back in noisy Kampala, where we'll stay the night, and from here head out to Masaka tomorrow. The plan is to spend a couple of days with Jenny at her project, before heading back to STAO until the end of November. These past few days have been a wonderful escape from the sometimes chaotic pace of volunteering, but I do miss the kids and am looking forward to spending a couple more weeks with them.

Anywho, I hope to post a few photos in the next couple of days, if at all possible. Here's hoping! Until next time...

Ahhhh, Kampala

We (Jenny and I have found each other once again, which has been really nice) are spending the week in the Kampala area, and a few days with a friend we met in Tanzania. Before making our way here, Jenny came to STAO to see what it was all about, for 3 days. It has been really nice to spend time together again, and share our experiences and frustrations. There's a lot we seem to share....even ringworm. Haha (strangely, we've discovered we both have it, but must've acquired it independently, at our respective projects. Odd. But not really that odd. The odd thing will be if we walk away only having picked up a little ringworm). Haha.

After our time in the Kampala area, I'll be joining Jenny for a couple of days near Masaka, after which time I'll be heading back to STAO until the end of November. I'll update again within the next week, I hope, if I think of anything exciting to report :-) Thanks again to everyone who has sent emails - so good to hear news from home. Strange to think that there's snow in some parts of the world right now. Hmm.

'Just keep swimming, just keeping swimming'...

Well, there's not really much to add from last week's entry, I'm afraid. My duties haven't really changed a whole lot, and so my days have been filled with most of the same things. And so I've been trudging along. Jenny is coming to visit in a few days, and she'll stay for a couple of days here, after which we're going to Kampala to spend the week together. Following that time I'm planning on joining her at her project for a couple of days before returning here. I spoke with her briefly on the phone this morning, and we're both looking forward to spending time together and catching up after these few weeks. Things are challenging. I love these kids and wish I could somehow guarantee each and every one a happy and successful future, or at the very least a loving home, but I am only one small person...Ugh. I get discouraged sometimes.

Yesterday, the big event of the evening was hair-cutting for many of the kids. There are certain standards at many of the schools, and if your hair is even a few millimeters too long, the headmaster chases you away and refuses for you to attend. This has occurred a number of times over the past three weeks (I find it rather ridiculous) and so I thought it would be wise to purchase a clipper for the childrens' home to keep and use, rather than spend money each time for the kids to get their heads shaved. This afternoon, once school was out for the primary kids, the hair-cutting has resumed.

This afternoon I am going to try to complete a lesson plan for a health & hygiene talk I want to do with the kids tomorrow morning (basics, such as covering one's mouth when coughing, etc). Getting the message across might be a challenge, but I'm hoping a few visual aids I'm going to draw up will help a bit.

Well, not much else in terms of exciting news, I guess. I'll post again, perhaps next week. By the way, how is it the end of October already? Crazy, how the time flies!

Hello.
I thought maybe I should update again, seeing as a few days have passed since I posted last. Things here are busy, and fairly exhausting, but being surrounded by children nearly every moment of the day helps to distract me from this fact :)

I continue to divide my time between the clinic and the childrens' home. Having had no previous experience in tropical medicine, the learning curve has been steep, but I'm grateful for it. I've seen several cases of malaria (some really serious...scary. Here, people get it so frequently they don't make a big deal about it. Most adults I've spoken to have had malaria at least twice). The conditions at the clinic are certainly nowhere near sterile, but we're doing our best to provide appropriate medical care to these people who need it so desperately (and most of whom cannot afford to seek such services at the nearby hospitals or larger clinics).

Although it's rainy season, it seems to pour every couple of days and then be ridiculously hot the next (today is another scorcher). Although the rains produce ridiculous amounts of mud, I enjoy it, probably because listening the the sounds of the raindrops bouncing off the tin roof at night is somehow soothing.

Well, not too much news to report, really. Just keeping busy, mostly (sometimes too much so. I'm so tired!). I'll update if I think of anything noteworthy :D

Here in Mafubira (Uganda)

Hey everyone.
Thanks to all who've sent emails - great to hear from everyone! (Alas, I don't have the time to respond to them all). I'm now in Uganda, in a small community outside of Jinja, at STAO (standing from Save the Aids Orphans). I am constantly surrounded by children, which ensures there is never a dull moment :D I'm further outside of the city centre than I had initially expected, but it's turning out to be an ongoing adventure (in virtually every sense of the word). Things I had been spoiled with even a couple of weeks ago while traveling are no longer available (such as showers, flushable toilets...etc). Also, I ran out of shampoo some time ago, so I've resorted to using bar soap on the mane...which has produced mediocre results. Meh. It's all good. I am reminded, daily, of all that I have been blessed with and all that I still take for granted. These orphans have nothing in terms of possessions, but they teach me every day what it means to be happy, truly happy. I am certain they will end up helping me more than I would even hope to help them.

Every day is a little different here, and there's no strict routine, so mostly I jump from this to that (time spent in the clinic treating kids or members from the community) and play A LOT in between. The good news is that I've been tired enough to sleep fairly soundly (only waking up two or three times per night, which is an improvement), due to being tuckered out from playing so hard. Haha. The language barrier is an issue, and one that frustrates me a lot (hopefully enough to pick up a bit of Lugandan in the next few weeks) but luckily smiles and laughter are universal...and frequent here :) Being here, living with the kids and spending so much time with them makes me wish I had more to offer (funds, mostly. There is SO much need!!), other than just time and some medical knowledge. But I hope that, in some small way, I will be helpful to some along the way.

I should keep my time online brief, as there are others waiting to use this computer. I will update again when I can. Hope you're all doing well (and to those in Canada...Happy Thanksgiving!)