Living in Gulu

Living in Gulu is a culture shock, but so far, I am handling it pretty well. The roads are terrible; riding on a boda boda is like going through an obstacle course. The driver has to find the smoothest route around pot holes, crevices that are 1-2 feet deep and huge rocks. There are a few paved roads in Gulu, but they are not paved really well. The edges on either side of the road are breaking away and along with the huge potholes makes the paved roads not much of a better option.
The showers are cold, but after my morning runs, it actually feels good and cools me down quicker. The water pressure is so-so, and I am not really sure that I get my hair completely clean. Shaving legs is impossible; I finally just filled a bucket of water and shaved in the courtyard the other day. When using the bathroom, you either make a short call or a long call. A short call is just peeing, and a long call is… well, you can figure it out. We have designated pit latrines for short calls and long calls, which cuts down on the smell. We have become one big happy family in Group 2. There is nothing that does not get talked about.
We have been without electricity for two days. It really is not a big deal as the courtyard is open air and we don’t need light at night. However in terms of charging things, that does put a little damper on it. It’s amazing what you learn to live without. I know when I return that I will be very grateful for toilets that have seats and showers with water pressure.
I am a novelty here. Not only am I white, but I have blond hair. Children love shouting “muno” or “mzungo” as I walk by, and they love to just stare. By the end of this trip, I will have the best self esteem or the thickest skin from being an oddity.
I rode on a bicycle today side saddle, which was very awkward and uncomfortable. Quickly a boda came along, and saved me from this embarrassing situation.