Catching up

As most of my readers know, I'm actually back in the United States. I miss Uganda everyday and think about my memories of it often. I learned so much from my experience there and am ever grateful for the change it made it me. Now I'm ready to start chatting about my life again. I'll continue to share memories from Africa as well as share updates on my current events. Thanks for reading!

Learning to Read

AAH students work very hard to learn how to read. They love our new library and the opportunity to take books home. Meet Nongola Nimrod, a P4 student. He likes to read out loud. He often came to our house after school to see what we had for him to read. He took on everything from short stories to articles in old issues of The Economist. I'm not sure he really understood much of about the context of current events and world issues, but he does say the words correctly.

Uganda must sees - you don't want to miss them!

A visit to Uganda should include many great attractions. Let me show you what I mean.

Mohingo Lodge at Lake Mburo in Southwest Uganda

Perfect pool at Mohingo Lodge

Now this is Africa.Zebras are so wild.Mohingo dining room and reception.Home sweet home for a night.Elands, gazelles, water buck, etc. everywhere.Uganda's crested crane.

And of course, Pumbas.

Sipi Falls in Central UgandaFirst waterfall. Second Falls.
View from inside the cave.
Above the third falls.
Fourth falls.
Third falls.

Our banda -Katie, Ruth and I loved this place.
Our view.

The Equator

0.00 degrees latitude - I'm an official member of the International Equator Club.

And yes, it's really true that water goes clockwise north of the equator and counter-clockwise south of it. And right on the equator, water funnels right down the middle.

Mountain Gorillas! - Northwestern Uganda

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera (yes, I woke up quite bright that day). As soon as Scott shares his pics with me, I'll have some to share.

Murchison Falls - Western Uganda

Scroll down to see safari photos from Murchison.

Uganda Roadwork

Don't be deceived when you hear someone speak about roadwork in Uganda. Your first impression will entail hopes of large scale construction where groups of six men stand around while one fixes the sea of potholes known as roads. Tone it down a bit! In fact change the tone completely. Uganda's roads are a lost cause at this point and only CHOGM could motivate any improvements. But now that CHOGM passed (CHOGM is the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which was held in Kampala in 2007 - even the Queen came), Uganda's roads are once again going to pot.

Anyway, when one says roadwork, forget the roads and think exercise. Yes, roadwork is synonymous with jogging or running.

Villagers in Uganda aren't too keen on exercise, and rightfully so, considering that most of their daily work is physically exerting. The only time people ever ran was when a car was coming (get off the road completely in that case), when preparing for circumcision, and when training for football (soccer).

I already stand out; there's absolutely nothing I can do about that. But imagine what a sight it is to see muzungu running. The first couple times Ruth and I went for a jog were in the late afternoon. Bad idea - everyone sits in front of their houses after work. We were quite the spectacle.

One time, we had a trail of about 12 children behind us. All the kids wanted to spend time with us, even if it meant running (usually in their bear feet). As soon as they spotted us, they joined in. Here is Ruth's telling of this experience:

"One evening Charlee and I collected a posse of at least eight kids. As we ran down the dusty road, kids just kept joining in from the sides, running down from the banana trees and out from their houses. They effortlessly kept pace with their bare feet, and looked up at us expectantly. “We go to play football?” one asked. “No,” I managed to pant, “just road work.” He shrugged and kept rolling along. The age range was probably six to twelve. It was all a big game to them. The sun set and it was getting darker and darker. The trees were a black outline against the sky. At one point Charlee started humming the Chariots of Fire theme music, and the kids picked up the tune. We cheered and clapped and did high-knees and made sure everyone got out of the road when a matatu roared by. On the downhill approach to the guest house, we decided to do a little sprint. I went for it, all out, as fast as I know how. A little something inside me wanted to beat the kids. Up came eight year old Joshua on my right. He had no shoes, he hadn’t broken a sweat, and his little legs were spinning like a cartoon character. He kept looking right up at me with a giant smile on his face. He didn’t beat me, because he wasn’t aware it was a race. He just stayed beside me and had a good time all the way home. At the entrance to the guest house we did a quick “Gooooooooooo running club!” and went inside to carbo-load. It definitely beat the hell out of a treadmill. "

OK, back to me:

Another time I went running in my short shorts. I never did that again. All the men in the village laughed at me and cracked jokes with each other as I passed by. I realized they probably thought I was running in my underwear! hahaha!

The solution we found was early morning roadwork - like at 6 AM when the sun started to rise. Fewer folks are out and the kids are headed to school. Initially, we definitely got the "what in the world" looks from the villagers. But they quickly grew accustomed to our morning roadwork and it wasn't a big deal any longer.

Now I'm home and I see people running everywhere. They're all geared up and normal looking. I even went for a jog yesterday, but people still stared! Before I left, I gave my running shoes to Jeniffer, our housekeeper. Without running shoes, I opted for my good old Chacos. I wore them EVERYWHERE (you should see the tan lines on my feet) while in Uganda, so I figure they should work fine for running here. I guess it is kinda strange to see folks running in sandals these days.

I'm Back!

Wow! What an experience! I am so proud of myself for making Uganda happen! Going was the most fulfilling, challenging, and revealing experience I've ever had. I learned so much and in just a few months gained more growth and development than I ever could have imagined. I have much much more to say and tell about my experience so please continue to check my postings over the next few weeks as I wrap up a few more stories.

I was so sad to leave, but it's good to be home and I have much to look forward to.

I still have the same phone number and email address so feel free to give me a buzz or drop me a note. I love talking about Uganda so I want to hear from everyone of you!

Thank you! thank you! thank you! to all who lended support, read my blog, kept in touch, donated money, encouraged me, helped to get me there, and did (and do) many other things for me. SO many people had a hand in my journey to Uganda. I can't begin to tell you all how grateful I am and wish for each of you to know that I appreciate your part in my life!

Now I'm off to my next adventure! What ever that might be...

Silly kids!

Often, children would come and play on with us on our doorstep after school while they were on their way to fetch water. These little guys are so funny!

Be sure to scroll down - I added a few posts today

SO SO sad!!

4-25-08

I can't believe it's already the end of April. Today is the last day of term 1 and my last day at the school. My heart is SO sad. I realized that after my first month of being here, I dove in head first. I forgot about myself and my life and focused entirely on gleaning as much out of and giving as much to Uganda as I possibly could. In doing so, I've experienced what seems like a year's worth of discovery, growth, and fulfillment in just a few months. I'm practically Ugandan these days! (Ha! Not really - I'm coming to realize that I don't know anything about this country yet.) I lived it as fully as I could - I'm even dreaming in Uganda - in doing so I developed friendships, bonds, and a love for this country that I never imagined would be so hard to leave.

I cried last week when I said goodbye to some friends at the health center for the last time. After that rush of emotion, I thought I got it over with and leaving the school wouldn't be so bad. I was flat out wrong. This morning as I made my final trek up the hill to the school, tears came - just before I reach the school there is a small gathering of homes where about a dozen little ones race to greet me every day. They often are snot-nosed and dirty, but I can't help shaking their hands, giving high fives, and picking one or two up in my arms. Today was my last time for this daily treat.

How can I leave? I just don't know how to do it and it breaks my heart. Seeing these faces and hearing, "Mzungu, how are you," from the distance has brought me more joy than I can explain.

I keep telling the students that I want to put all of them in my pocket and take them home. I offered to pack them in my suit case, but they said they might die if we did that. They're probably right! They are sad too. They call me Teacher Jolly. Mostly because it's hard to say Charlee and also because they think I'm happy. I received a note from one that opened with, "Dear Teacher Jolly (Charlee)". I love that! But today I heard over and over again, in combination with tight squeezes, "Teacher Jolly, don't go. Please, come back. Please don't forget me."

I sat with the p6 class on the grass for a long time. They are so smart. I asked them to ask me questions. An hour and a half later we had discussed everything from what the weather is like in US to Obama vs. Hillary.

The hardest part of the day was saying goodbye at the assembly. Of course, we were running on African standard time (about 2 hours later than scheduled). My driver was already waiting to take me to Kampala. And any sort of assembly/ceremony in this country is a huge ordeal usually consisting of 'brief' (i.e 20 minutes minimum) impromptu speeches or remarks from everyone in authority or even present. Finally, I insisted that I had to go. Little did I know, but the students prepared special songs and dances for me and the teachers and Thomas, our headteacher, had a plaque to give me. I was so emotional. Even the LC5 (top local councilman) gave remarks of gratitude to me for my service. Now, that, I admit, was kind of weird considering that I never really met him, but the formality was special. Finally I had a moment to address the school. I just started to cry. Dahh!!!! Crying isn't very common in Uganda so I had 600 kids not knowing what to do.

I was so sad. It's so hard to leave these friends who I have done so much for and who have done equally as much for me. I hope I can come back. One day, I will come back.

Yoga on a Rock

People who know me well know that I love to stretch. I take every chance I can to touch my toes, reach for the sky, or practice yoga. Africa offers amazing, calm places for such pleasantries. On a rock. Over a cliff. Facing a lake. Viewing savanna. At sunrise. Ohmmmmm.....

Teacher Grace Needs Surgery - please help!

April 23, 08

Let me introduce you to a woman who I think deserves a teacher of the year award. Teacher Grace is AAH's P-1 teacher. In a nutshell, her teaching philosophy consists of loving, knowing, and guiding students personally. P-1 is probably the hardest class to manage - imagine 50 high energy five to seven year olds together in a classroom for the first time, many of which speak little or no English. Our p-1 class this year is remarkably rambunctious, but Teacher Grace leads them like water in a funnel. The sounds I hear at school are hard to describe, but they are beautiful and often involve chiming voices in unison obeying teacher Grace's commands. Her love for the students and their love and respect for her is readily apparent and worthy of great praise. She knows them each very well and even senses when something is not right. Just the other day, she reported to us that one of our student's mother passed away the night before and he came to school that day - likely to see and be with Teacher Grace. She is amazing.

Unfortunately, Teacher Grace recently started telling us of dizziness, loss of focus in her eyes, and headaches. She saw a few doctors in the area to find out what the problem is, but no one had much advice or even a guess diagnosis. She finally sought out an expensive CT Scan. The results showed shifting in the bones around her right eye that is causing pressure and loss of sight. The recommended treatment is surgery by the country's only surgical opthalmologist in Kampala.

I don't know Teacher Grace's salary; however, I do know that she already spent about 400,000 shillings for the doctors and the scan. I also know that the surgery is 600,000 shillings, she needs the money upfront, and I know she simply can't afford these expenses.

Fortunately for her, we worked it out so she will have the cash on loan (neither Ruth nor I, both volunteers, can afford to just give her the money). She is heading to Kampala to seek the care during term break.

When I crunched the numbers, I was appalled by the extremely menial amount her health care costs in US dollars. If I wasn't volunteering, I would just give it to her.

600,000 shillings is only $400.
400,000 /= is only $250.

Can you help Teacher Grace? I would like to find the money to pay for her surgery and medical expenses. Please let me know if you are interested in giving.

All I can say is the world is unfair and health care is expensive. Being in Uganda has shown me the vast disparity between the developing world and the western world, but also the similarities, including relatively expensive health care. There is SO much that can be done for poverty stricken areas. Often efforts are focused on macrocosmic health promotion projects and economic policy changes that have a trickle down effect. However, helping on the micro level (giving to an individual in need) can be most rewarding and still have far reaching effects. Teacher Grace's healthy eyes will allow her to continue to love and teach these students who have bright futures in store.

Being a Millionaire

April 22, 08

The shilling is the currency in Uganda. Kind of like the dollar sign the Ugandan shilling is indicated by a slanted capital F or /=

$1 equals about 1,650 /=. Where I live, people primarily maintain their existence through subsistence farming, although everyone tends to have something to trade and profit by at the markets from time to time. When people do make a salary, it typically ranges between 70,000-400,000 shillings a month. This is in the village - folks in Kampala and other cities often make much much more. What I've been told is that a Ugandan who is doing well in Kampala makes about 2.5 million /= a month.

Women selling vegetables at the market

I am millionaire for the first time in my life! I often withdraw cash at ridiculously high numbers - the feeling of carrying around two or three million in cash is something else!

Aside from the millions in my pocket, it is weird, I must say, to be SO rich. The contrast between the world I know and the life of one of my P-7 students is drastic. Being in the village has made me think a lot about the chances of being born in a rich country or a poor country. I can't fully fathom the magnitude of opportunity I have because of where I come from. I overwhelmingly feel the burden of where much is given much is required. I see so many solutions and feasible ways to personally contribute, but I'm afraid I will lose this mindset when I am back home. Oh, back home - I don't want to do it. I will be back some time next week. Depending on my weekend plans I might extend and go to Zanzibar. I went to Murchison Falls last weekend for safari. I would venture to say that nearly 98% of Ugandans have never been to Murchison. If only they had the means to go see the beauty of their country.

Modern Amenities Coming Right Up!

I would like to report a few vast modern improvements made in the village in the past few weeks. Our lives have been drastically revolutionized by such modern amenities as a running shower and toilet in the guest house, improved power supply from UMEME, the power company, and most significantly by internet at the school!!!!! Yes, you heard me, I'm writing to you from the comfort of our school's new library. Our service is provided by a fancy cell phone device that gives us slightly better than a dial up stream of access to the world wide web. This afternoon, I showed some students the AAH website. I'm not sure they fully comprehended that the rest of the world could also look at their pictures on computers. But these kids are bright and will catch on in no time. We are working feverishly to set up 8 school computers to the net, and we have a wireless router for all laptops that come this way. Seriously, I feel like this is the first time I've seen internet. It's funny though - my dependence on the net has completely abated. When I finally have the chance to use it, I don't really have much to do. I definitely don't feel like spending too much time blogging, and emailing is a waste of my time. I'd rather read my book, which requires less patience.

So today I took a shower after doing "road work" (running). I enjoyed electrical lights and hot water from our electric kettle, and now I'm on the net. The next thing I hope for is a paved road to the school. It's rained for almost 3 days straight now and the trek up the road this morning was a doozie. I didn't fall today, but I did last week. It was 6 am in Bupoto and I was catching the first matatu out. The steep hill from the clinic to Matuwa proved merciless as I slid, sloshed, and slipped to a stop on my trash!

Murchison Falls Safari

Scott Torres gets the gold star of the month award. His job takes him to Kampala so we've done some adventuring together.

We went on safari in Murchison Falls, which is in western Uganda (You can see Congo). Scott also invited our coolest friends to join us. Meet some of my Ugandan safari friends: Left is our driver, Fred. Then Esaw, Nambi, Me, and Jeffar

Murchison Falls is in the book, 1,000 Things You Should See Before You Die. It truly is incredible! Take a look:

As you can see, I really enjoyed myself!

Take a look!

This is a typical trading center store/home
I'm surrounded by mountains - I love climbing
View from Mt. Nusu
Going up!
View from the top

African Afternoon

4-10-08



I walked from Matuwa to Magale today. I went to Magale on a boda earlier this week. Magale is far. However, Peter asked me to go visit some of his family and he wanted to show me the market. When I asked him about getting there he said, "I know a short short." Haha! Note to self - short short equals totally ambiguous distance which is likely to be long. And long it was. We headed into the countryside on foot trails early in the morning. Little did I know that I was embarking on an adventurous day filled with hours of hiking, meeting family and friends, motivational speaking, pouring rains, smelling flowers, and cultural exchanges.



Shortly along the way we greeted friends at home where I learned about masonry. Most homes in the country side are mud huts with tin roofs and dirt floors and walls that are smeared with a mixture of manure and dirt. The people of this home were building an upgrade and were happy to explain firing and laying bricks. Fascinating, but I'll save the details for now.



Now, I want you to imagine rolling hillsides checkered with fields of matooke trees and beans and occasional dwellings. The soil is reddish and like clay. No power lines or roads. Listen and hear the occasional bhaaa from a goat and mooo from a cow. The place you're imagining is where we were hiking. OK, it's hard to imagine and I'm really sorry that my camera ran out of batteries.



A little further down the hill, we happened upon a primary school in the middle of nowhere - literally. As we approached the dilapidated buildings (the classroom for P-1 and P-2 was a skeleton of a building with corrogated tin siding that reaches only halfway up with a tin roof), I saw children poking and craning their heads to see their unexpected visitors. I wish I could explain the Ugandan child's smile and facial expressions. They're priceless. Now, whenever a visitor comes to a classroom the students stand up and in unison say, "You are most welcome, our visitor, this is P-two" (or whatever class). Then the visitor is expected to give a speach. So I did. In all seven classes, I told the children how special they are and how wonderful it is that they're going to school. I told them they should go everyday and learn as much as they can so their futures will be bright. Those smiling faces are so appreciative - it humbles me to realize that my presense is such a big deal to them.



Have you ever played the Ipod car game? On your next road trip try this. One person listens to the Ipod and is supposed to sing the song as loud as possible. It's hillarious. On our walk, I let Peter take the Ipod. I cracked up several times as he zoned out and started singing outloud to Frau Frau, Regina Spektor, Snow Patrol, Raindeer Section, Usher, Rianna, Immogen Heap, One Republic, Gnarls Barkley and yes, the Mo Tab Choir! Hahahaha!



The first thing I did in the morning was peak out the window to see the weather. Darn it - the clouds hovered low and promised rain. Peter and I were far from everything that is already far from anything when the rains started. We found shelter in a small mud hut home where three children were in the front room.



We visited Alice and Robert's home also. Peter told me Robert is his dad and Alice is his mayi. However, family relations are always confusing - everyone is everyone else's mayi or papa and everyone is everyone's cousin or brother or sister. Ugandans are given two names. Their first name is usually an African name that is from an ancestor or famous person. Their second name is usually their English name. Last names don't exist so siblings all have different names. As you can see, it's hard to tell who belongs to who. Alice and Robert served us soda and glucose bisquits and we were on our way again towards the Magale market.



Unfortunately the market closed down because of the rains. So we turned around and started walking back. We walked for hours already. Africa has taught me the lesson of going with the flow. I might have a plan but the likelyhood of it not working is extremely high. Flexibility is essential. I wanted to catch a matatu to Bubulo rather than go back to the village - I needed to go to Kampala the next day, but the rains guaruntee muddy roads and difficult options for transport. I quickly learned that communicating and executing this plan simply wasn't going work. Oh well, we headed back - I could leave in the morning.



We returned to Alice and Robert's where we were stuck because of rains once again. Initially I was annoyed and tired; however, I started paying attention to something that I'm so glad I was able to experience. That something is the African art of doing nothing. I saw how people spend their time and how they spend time together. It's hard to explain, but it was fascinating to just observe an afternoon of life in Uganda.



They served chicken and rice for lunch, which we ate alone - families wait in the back room while their guests eat - it's kinda awkward really. Then we spent the afternoon hanging out. Before long a few neighbors came by and we started chatting.



Communication is limited. I wasn't sure what to do or say. So I pulled out my computer. For the next hour and a half we watched slideshows of my photos. They saw my family, NYC, holidays and tons of Uganda shots. A few children were around so I made paper airplane and boy oh boy were they a hit. My Ipod was passed around the room with amazement. I also had a Rolling Stone magazine from March. Ha! I loved listening to two men read about Obama from one of the most liberal arts magazine in America. I wish I had more wholesome reading material to share, but this family and their neighbors were completely mesmorized by the things I shared with them. And I had so much fun sharing it!



We finally started back in the early evening. At one point, I smelled the most pleasant flower and Peter stopped to find it for me! I love that we stopped to smell the flowers! We reached back just in time for a beautiful sunset over the broken clouds in the horizon.

This was a cool day! I love my life!

Pictures!

I know everyone likes to see more pictures. Don't worry, I'm taking tons of

snaps; however, they're not easy to upload. Enjoy...

Last night's adventure

Two nights ago, we were stargazing. Last night, we performed surgery. Ruth had a worm in her foot! SICK! But it was taken care of. That's the risk we're willing to take when living here.

Stargazing: Uganda's HUGE sky

I read an article in the New Yorker Magazine a few months ago about light pollution. Quite interesting. I learned all about a non-profit organization in New Mexico that advocates for more efficient use of lighting in cities and neighborhoods. In a rather dramatic way, the article emphasized the scarcity of places in the world where the night sky is uninhibited by the haze of electric lights. The night sky in North America is particularly diminished by this problem.

Then I suppose the sky I see in village I live in is a rarity these days. Let me just say that Africa sky is HUGE! The stars are incredible here – especially when the power is out and out neighbor’s high beam light is not on. The moon cycles catch my attention more vigorously in Uganda. Probably because I wander to the latrine every night and notice how dark or light the night is.

There’s no moon this week and the rains haven’t been too bad, so last night, David, Ruth and I went stargazing. David has a program on his computer that shows us exactly what the night sky should look like on any given day and from any given location. We typed in Kampala (oddly, we had no luck when entering Bumwalukani). Suddenly, our big big and dark dark sky became a game of dot to dot. I was in complete awe! We spotted all sorts of stars, constellations and planets. By finding Mars, we found Gemini. Then we connected to Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. Before I knew it, I saw Taurus, Cannes Major and Minor, the Southern Cross, the Milky Way, Orion, and so much more. Best of all, we found Cancer. It is best because it is my sign. Oh what a lovely evening we had in Africa!

People and Problems

While the western world is debating important topics like should NYs governor go to jail, should prostitution be legal, and when is The Office coming out with new episodes (Nathan updated me on current events) the villagers worry about things like what they're going to eat for breakfast. They usually compensate by eating a huge dinner in case they won't get another meal until dinner the next day. They also worry about paying school fees, which are a joke considering that Universal Primary Education is a program the government boasts of. Education is available to all, but not without cost. Mostly, the "fees" consist of bags of cement and $30,000 shillings per term.

But I like the kids. They bring me the most perspective. They don't worry too much. It's pretty normal to see little ones with no pants on - not a worry. I'm sure they actually have pants, but their one pair is likely hanging on the line to dry. The kids don't really worry much about getting dirty either. Staying clean is not an effortless task in this place, so the kids forget trying all together. It cracks me up. However, one disconcerting picture you'll frequently see is one of these children without pants on carrying a panga about the size of his or her torso. A panga is like a dull machete useful in the fields.

I'm also learning lessons about child rearing here. Kids are treated much like adults. It's not unusual to see a four year old carrying a baby on her back like mothers do or to see a young child carrying a 10 liter jerry can full of water on his or her head. I tried to carry a 20 liter can with my arms and didn't even make it more than 50 yards. These kids also tend to act and talk like adults at very young ages - rarely bashful or fussy and always willing to shake a hand. They have the best carefree smiles! Muna muna - that means smile like when you take pictures. I think the way these kids are treated makes them behave alarmingly well and independent. They don't get spoiled or overly protected so they learn to fend for themselves. There are thousands of them everywhere (most women have 6-12 children) so they learn to get along with others. And they are expected to work as soon as they can walk so they never complain about having to do chores because it's just part of life.

In many ways, life is peaceful here. Villagers seem happy and have a good sense of humor. But I can't help noticing an undercurrent of conflict and violence throughout peaceful daily life. Yesterday, I was in a matatu (a taxi) riding back to the village from Mbale (the nearest town) and the lady next to me, with her son, was not able to pay the conductor for the ride. I was zoned out listening to my Ipod when the next thing I know, she flung her body over the seat at the man and started attacking him. She even ripped the shirt off of his friend. She settled down a bit, but the entire taxi was in uproar regarding the situation. She attempted to get out at the next stop, but the conductor wouldn't let her. So she tried to force her way out while he was slamming the door on her over and over again. Then she tried to get out through the window. I have this image in my mind of a woman's body half way through a van's sliding door window flailing back and forth as the conductor and others from the crowd that had gathered tried to force the door shut while her arm was in the way. It was horrific. As soon as she began to scream and cry I couldn't take it any more. I asked the woman behind me what the problem was and found out she wasn't going to pay the 2,500 shillings she owed. That's like $1.50 and I just went on a souvenir shopping spree and spent $45,000. I felt horrible and reacted without thinking. I suddenly was yelling at the conductor, "I will pay." He saw and heard me, but the violence didn't stop. At this point she was out of the car, but the gathered crowd was dense and didn't allow her escape. She was screaming and crying and everyone was yelling at each other. Her poor boy, 3 years old, was balling. I threw myself half-way out of the matatu between the woman and the conductor and took her face in my hands. In attempt to calm her, I told her to settle down over and over again and that I was going to pay. The conductor then said, "you pay - you give me the money." I grabbed my purse and gave him 5,000 for me and for the woman with her boy. That's all it took. The man drew back and the woman was free. A minute or two later, we're on our way. I was outraged! I can't imagine what was going to happen to that woman if I hadn't intervened. The rest of the ride was rather sober. Sensing a bit of cold shoulder from the rest of the car, especially the driver, I wondered if I did the right thing. Every one of those passengers could have used my assistance legitimately. I'm frustrated that people aren't good to each other. I'm frustrated that clearly that woman has more problems than just a lack of money - if everyone lacks money, what made her react violently? I don't know.

Life seems cheap here (I'm not the first to think that - Bono points it out in his foward to The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs). The fact is people die a lot here. They die from curable and preventable diseases every day and they still kill and hurt each other. I saw 2 men arguing on the road while another lay on the side in immense pain. Would people quit arguing and help the man! Anyway, I'm rambling now and you are lucky we have power because this is turning into a long blog. (Having power is a simple joy in my life these days - when it's around, I'm especially happy.)

Everyone loves pictures

Women at the market

Matooke anyone?

Mbale town - it looks like a bombed out city, but it's actually pretty nice.

Heads are for carrying things.

This is Arlington Academy of Hope.