Friday, August 6, 2010

Returning to America


I have now been back on U.S. soil for a week and a half. 5 days were spent in North Litchfield, one day at the lake, and 4 days in Columbia and back at work. Uganda is never far from my mind. I do not miss the pit latrines, the sporadic electricity (especially once the World Cup ended), the miserable drive to Keyo on the back of a boda boda, and the same 5 meals over and over. However as I write this, I realize those are simply inconveniences. What I do miss is much more important and definitely outweighs these silly complaints. I miss my friends at Keyo SS, listening to Ojok Albert laugh and seeing Komakech Stephen’s smile when I walked into S2B. I miss looking out at the Ugandan landscape and feeling awe over its beauty. I miss the sunrise over Pece Stadium, the only thing that made exercising worth it. I miss visiting with the ladies in the market. I never thought I would say it, but I miss African time because it demonstrated that interacting with people was more important than what the clock said. I miss the complete trust in the idea that what needed to get done would get done. I will always remember that it is important to greet others and ask how they are first before starting your task. I will always remember children staring and when I spoke to them, them erupting into laughter. I will miss the enthusiasm to learn that the students had, and I will miss their smiles when they made a connection. I will miss the engaging talks with my fellow teachers and the support felt from them.
Most importantly, I must remember that no matter how critical others are of the work that educators do, educators are the ones who have the ability to create a future better than the present.

Last Days at Keyo SS


Harriet and I spent our final days in the classroom together collaborating to the end. Our final lesson was filled with team teaching, and I really felt that Harriet saw the advantages of activities that were more student-driven. The teachers in northern Uganda have a tough road ahead; until the government provides enough textbooks for each student to have one, dependence on lecture and note taking will continue. However I have worked with Harriet to supplement the lessons with student activities to enhance the learning. Harriet is big into competition, so I am sure the activities that I made into competitions will definitely continue.
The administration and faculty gave Lindsey, Amanda and me a send off fit for a queen. On Friday, we all rode out to Keyo for the 2:00 pm ceremony. We had asked Calistas, the head teacher, to keep time as we had to be back to Gulu for our final night celebration. To his credit, our ceremony started only 20 minutes late, and that was because we were waiting on the dignitaries, the chairman of the Board of Governors, the chairman of the PTO, and another board member. The ceremony lasted two and a half hours, and did we feel the love. They opened with some remarks about the impact that Invisible Children has had on Keyo and how wonderful the time that we had been there was. We then had lunch, and it was a feast: beans, rice, meat stew, hot cabbage, posho, bo and soft drinks!! After lunch, each of the dignitaries spoke, and they were so great. Each spoke briefly about the past, but they focused on their hope for the future. They also mentioned that we would always have a home at Keyo and they hoped to see us again soon. The Chairman of the PTO kept referring to us as “his daughters.” We were each given a full size heart shaped cake to cut and share with everyone. During the ceremonial “cutting of the cake” one of the board members should up a bottle of Sprite and exploded it like champagne. It was hysterical and so fitting. Lindsey spoke on behalf of the American teachers, and we presented Keyo with 5 fruit trees to plant (one for each of us) around the school. They then gave us gifts to take with us, and boy did they outdo themselves. I loved being at Keyo SS; I think it is one of the best schools that I visited during both summers in northern Uganda.
The camaraderie of the Keyo staff is so amazing. I will never forget sitting in the staff room and listen to the chatter around me, or the boys’ club sitting under the trees outside. I will always remember Mzae inviting us to the Village Savings and Loan meetings and Florence asking us to join it. In an environment of so little and so much to be frustrated about, these teachers work hard every day to make life better for their students. They demonstrate professionalism and class, something that I think American teachers could learn from. I will miss my Keyo family, but hopefully I can take the lessons they taught me and be a better teacher and person.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Sunday, July 11- The Kampala Bombings

On Sunday, July 11, two places were bombed in Kampala, the capitol of Uganda. It was during the World Cup 2010 finals, Spain and the Netherlands. Several of us went to Kope Café in Gulu to watch the game. I stayed through the 90 minute regulation, but decided not to watch the overtime as it was pretty late already, and I had school the next day.
I woke up to Lindsey’s phone ringing the next morning. It was her mother calling, but I still did not know what had happened. Needless to say, I found out pretty quickly, but I did not have all of the information at that point.
Kampala is in the southern part of Uganda, and Gulu is about a six-hour ride north, so we were not in any immediate danger. There were many rumors coming out of Kampala: mzungus were the target, Ethiopians were the target, not all of the bombs went off, etc. It was later in the day that we found out about Nate, one of the IC roadies, who had arrived to Uganda early. He was at the rugby venue, watching with some friends, and he was killed in the explosion. I think that information is what the United States focused on, although I have not had the opportunity to really look at American news feeds.
I felt pretty secure in the fact that my family and friends did not know about it because our local news is pretty terrible, and let’s be honest, few people really are concerned about what occurs in African countries. However, when I called my parents around 2:00 pm Ugandan time (7:00 am EST), they were a little frantic. I assured them that I was safe and pretty far from Kampala. To be honest, I didn’t understand why my parents (as well as others’ family members) were worried. Upon reflection, I realize that it is because in their eyes, I was so close to the bombings. I was only 6 hours away as opposed to half a continent and an enormous ocean. And that is when the impact of the bombings hit me. Nate had come to Uganda because of his belief in Invisible Children and his connection to his Ugandan friends here. I am the same; our only difference is that he was watching the soccer match with friends in Kampala and I was watching it with friends in Gulu.
IC has taken measures to assure our safety while in country, as well as our safe departure coming up. They are working with the American Embassy, and I am certain that everything will be fine. However, it has reminded me of two things: 1) I am so fortunate to live in the US. I feel that terrorism can happen anywhere (as it has), but I also feel that for the most part, Americans have a high level of tolerance of others. If we don’t understand someone or something, we work until we do understand. And our first response is not violent. I am not sure I can say that about other countries, especially those that have such a violent past as in Africa. And 2) Life is short and can end at any minute. I am pledging to myself that I will work to appreciate every day, so at the end of my life, I can look back and smile at the amazing people I encountered and the unforgettable experiences.

Thursday, July 15- Visiting Sir Samuel Baker SS


I finally got the opportunity to return to Sir Samuel Baker SS, the school I taught at last summer with IC Teacher Exchange. Lindsey and I took bodas bodas out there, and it was so nice to just have a 15 minute boda ride as opposed to a 40 minute ride to Keyo SS.
I am amazed at the physical changes at SSB. The Belgian government has partnered with SSB and is building a ton of buildings there. They have renovated most of the building and built several new classroom blocks and dormitories. They have also added a fence around the front part and a brick wall around the back part, separating it from the bush. They have renovated the room where we watched the prefect handover ceremony last year. It has tile floor and wooden and glass doors and is now so beautiful. The students plan to use it for a dining hall and are waiting on the furniture to arrive. They have also built a new kitchen off of the dining hall. Renovations on the administrative offices and the assembly hall are currently happening, and then they will work on the staff room. The school is so beautiful, and it was so nice to be back.
While there, I spoke to a student and asked him about the dormitories. He looked at me and said, “Lisa?” I replied back yes, and he said that he had been in contact with me throughout the year. He turned out to be Ocan Joel, a student that I had email correspondence with throughout the year. Joel gave Lindsey and me a tour of the campus, and it was so great to see that he was doing well. He is on an IC Legacy Scholarship, and he should be sitting for his exams this year.
I also saw Grace, my partner teacher from last year. It was so great to see her, and she was so exited to see me. We had a great reunion. She is doing well, and her children are living closer to her, so she is able to see them often. She reported that her S4 students from last year tested very well, which is a great accomplishment. I also spoke with several other friends as well as the head teacher and the deputy head teacher.
It was a great visit, and I felt like I had come home. I had such a great summer at SSB, and it was so fun to return and see all of the great changes. Hopefully, they can continue to progress and improve the school and guide students to successful lives.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Only in Uganda (or Africa, probably)...


Only in Uganda (or Africa)…
does a 4 year old babysit a 1 year old.
• Can you take a shower and still not be clean.
• Can you ride on top of a mutatu (large passenger van) going 50 kph over bumpy roads and be okay.
• Can you get a sharp cheddar cheese sandwich for breakfast.
• Can you walk into a fancy hotel, pay $2.50 for two cups of coffee and feel ripped off.
• Can you be sitting at a bar, drinking a beer, have a family of warthogs run past you, and not think twice of it.
• Can you go to the “restroom”, see an actual toilet, and wonder what you are supposed to do with it.
• While in a motorized vehicle, do you only honk your horn at people crossing the street and not brake for them.
• Can you dye your hair rustic blond and get a spray tan by riding inside a mutatu.
• Can a van that normally holds 6 passengers, carry 14.
• Do they leave the cars running at all times, even for longs breaks.
• Can you get carpet burn on your butt and knees while riding in the back of a mutatu because you are bracing yourself for impact at all times.
• Can you get excited about less than 5 minutes of paved road.
• Can you see the most beautiful views that you have ever seen in your life.
• Can you live with 30 people and two bathrooms and still be friends.
• Is peanut butter considered “gold” and for crunchy peanut butter, you would sacrifice your first born.
• Does the pedestrian NOT have the right of way.
• Does a boda boda driver spend $0.25 on gas and think that it will be enough for a 40-minute boda boda ride.
• Does Wikipedia the main source for questions at Quiz Night.
• Is OJ Simpson a baseball player.

Murchison Falls National Park Safari


We left Saturday immediately after the conference to take (quite possibly) the most miserable mutatu ride ever to Murchison Falls National Park. Calling it a road would be like calling a double bacon cheeseburger healthy.
The safari was amazing. We did both the land safari and the river safari on Sunday. Even though I did this trip last year while here, it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful it is to see these animals in their habitat. I have decided that my favorite animal is the giraffe; they are so graceful. Francis, our guide, said that giraffes are so peaceful and easy going. They don’t fight; they are just calm. We also saw oribbe, heart of beasts, kobs (the Ugandan animal); these are all DLTs (deer like things); they are pretty cool to watch as well. The elephants were awesome; we saw several babies, which is so great to know that the population is rebuilding. One the river safari, we saw hippos, tons of hippos. I really wanted to see the crocodiles as we did not see very many last year. Ask and you shall receive… as we got closer to Murchison Falls, Anthony, our river guide, took us closer to the shore. We saw a couple of crocodiles laying low in the water. All of a sudden, from a shade tree near the shore of the Nile, crocodiles started emerging. There must have been 15 crocodiles that emerged, and let me tell you, they are scary looking. It was incredible. As we left the viewing of Murchison Falls, we saw a herd of about 15 elephants on the shore. Anthony drove the boat closer for us to take pictures; the elephants heard us, and immediately rounded up to protect the babies. They form these circles, put the babies in the middle and stand guard. It was so great to watch and so beautiful.
I know that in times of great stress when I am back in the States, I simply need to think of the beauty of Murchison Falls and know that everything will be okay. This beauty confirms my belief that God (or whatever you choose to call it) does exist, and that He is so loving. Beauty like that is not just evolutionary chance. There is a higher power at work on this planet.

IC Teacher Exchange Teaching and Learning Conference


On Friday and Saturday morning, we participated in the 4th Annual Invisible Children Teaching and Learning Conference. The theme of the conference was KOBS (Knowledge of Behaviour and Self), a curriculum developed by Invisible Children to work on the emotional wellbeing of secondary students. It is currently taught in the 11 partner schools to S1 and S2 students.
It was a full day of information. Stevan Radoja, the creator of the curriculum, gave a presentation on the evolution of the curriculum. He gave some sobering statistics, and it reminded me that even though the war has moved out of Ugandan borders in the last couple of years, the effects are still very real. He showed us some saddening statistics about the effects of what people had witnessed. It is connected to PTSD, which is what we think of with soldiers in war like situations. However here, we are talking about children. Children who have witnessed events that most of us can’t even fathom. These same children are still expected to attend school, concentrate in school, and be successful in school. Can you imagine seeing a family member killed and then attend school to study math? These are the effects of war that will take much longer to heal, but in fact, it is the most important aspect of rebuilding a war torn country. However it is often overlooked. Organizations come in, rebuild the physical aspects and then leave, and the country is not healed. This KOBS curriculum is one step closer to meeting the needs of the future generations. The Ugandan teachers who are administering the curriculum like it very much. It opens dialogue in a very safe way, and it builds relationships among the students as well as between the teacher and the student. We modeled a couple of lessons; they are student driven, active and engaging. Most importantly, they are personal and reach the student in a way that the Ugandan academic curriculum can’t.
All in all, the conference was successful, and it was a great time to share with our Ugandan colleagues. The Keyo teachers are so wonderful, and we all have a good time together. We come from very different worlds, but at the end of the day, we are not so different. Experiences like this make me realize that hate is simply a lack of understanding.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Friday, July 2, 2010- Shadowing an IC mentor


I had a great day today. I have mentioned before that as part of the IC Legacy Scholarship, each student is partnered with a mentor, who builds a relationship with the student, his/her parents, and his/her school. This allows the students greater success because they receive support from all of those areas; I think it also works to build greater community. Today I got the opportunity to shadow a mentor named Oyella Betty.
Betty is forty years old and has 3 children, two boys who are in S1 and S2 and a girl who is in P1. She is not married, but the father of her children is currently working as a builder in Sudan. She has not seen him in two years. She is the eldest child of 7 and helps her other siblings, and she is amazing. Before she became a mentor for Invisible Children, she was a political education and geography teacher at Sir Samuel Baker.
I met her at 9:00 am at the Invisible Children office. While there, I met several other mentors. Each mentor has a caseload of about 24-25 students; ideally the mentor is assigned to a school instead of a student. So if a student transfers to another school, he/she then is assigned a new mentor. Everyone is really nice, and one of them, Richard, was one of the roadies who visited the United States and was based in the Colorado area. He and I had a conversation about how beautiful that area was and what a great time he had. Betty then suggested that I change into trousers as we would be travelling into the bush. I quickly made the change and returned to the office. Betty gave me a helmet, which is a nice change from riding on a motorcycle without one at high speeds, and we were off.
Our first stop was the gas station to get petrol and some snacks. While there, an older woman on crutches walked into the store. As she passed me, I greeted her in Luo. She stopped to speak to me and to correct me in the greeting that I used. Now let me tell you something about Luo. To greet someone, there are about 10 different sayings you can use, and while most can be used at any time of the day, some depend on whether it is morning or evening. Well, when greeting her, I used the correct saying, but she wanted me to use another one, so she gave me a language lesson. She was a former teacher, so to me, it proves the saying, “once a teacher, always a teacher.”
Once we got the petrol, we headed to our first stop, the Ugandan prison in Gulu. We were there to visit the father of one of the scholarship students. Betty had spent about a week trying to track down the girl’s family and she finally heard that he was in the prison over a land dispute. We arrived at the prison and walked over to a group of benches under a mango tree. There were several others waiting along with a guard taking the visitors’ names down. Betty told me to sit on the bench, and she went to go speak with the guard. As I sat down, I could feel about 10 sets of eyes on me, and I knew what they were thinking: “What is this white woman doing here and who is she visiting?” Once Betty checked in the with guard, she said that she was going to try to find out what the charges were but that I should remain there since “I might scare the people.” So I continued to sit, and Betty returned about 10 minutes later. She said that we were in the wrong area since we were on the female side. We walked down to the newer section of the prison, which houses the male inmates. Betty knocked on the steel door, and we were let inside. This section had a concrete floor and would be big enough to drive a truck through. They closed the steel doors behind us and told us to sit on the bench against the wall. There was a chalk line surrounding the benches. On the opposite side of the steel doors were gates that led through to an open courtyard where some of the inmates were. The inmates were playing soccer, volleyball, running, or just hanging out. The guard rapped on the metal gates, and an inmate came over. He asked the inmate to find the man we were looking for, and shortly thereafter, the man came back. They let him into the “visitation area”, and he came over to us. While we sat on the bench, he kneeled on the other side of the chalk line. And that was how our discussion began. Betty and the man spoke mostly in Luo; but the gist of the conversation was this. Years ago, the man and his family were granted a piece of land by the owner to live on. However in recent years, as the owner’s family has grown, he wanted the land back from this man, who, by the way, is a primary school teacher. And the man has refused. Betty said that it did not sound very fair, and I asked her if it was a “he said, he said” situation to which she replied yes. She and the father feel confident that it will be resolved at the next court date in a week, but I wonder. After he left, Betty told the guards that I had a couple of questions about the prison, which was a little awkward. I asked why the guards do not carry weapons inside the prison; they responded that if a prisoner overtakes a guard, there is no weapon for the prisoner to get. I also asked if the prisoners are separated by the severity of the crime, and the answer is no. So the teacher who is in a land dispute is in the same area as those who have committed violent crimes. The guard asked if it was the same as the prisons in the U.S., and I replied that I had never seen a prison in the U.S except on television. They all seem shocked at that comment. I tried to ask one more question, but I think they became uncomfortable and told us we would have to go through the public relations office. And that was our cue to leave. Betty thanked them graciously, and we headed to our next stop.
We headed out of town to visit the parents of another scholarship recipient named Nancy. Both of Nancy’s parents are HIV positive. Fortunately for Nancy, she is negative. Their home is off of the road to Layibi down a dirt path in the bush. There are two huts and one two-room house. It was this house that we were invited into after removing our shoes. Betty, the father and I sat on furniture; the mother and a friend sat on the floor even though there were plenty of chairs. The father does not look healthy at all; Betty mentioned that not only is he HIV positive, but he is also diabetic and has epileptic seizures. The mother looks very healthy. Again, most of the conversation was in Luo, and every once in a while, all of them would look at me and smile. Not sure what they were saying, but I am going to assume it was friendly. They were very welcoming and offered me some food gifts as is the custom here, but Betty quickly intervened and said it would not be good for my stomach. It was really great to visit a typical home and meet those outside of my circle here. Again, the warmth and hospitality is unparalleled; this family has so little and were still willing to give what they had.
On our way to the final stop of Koro SS to visit Nancy, we stopped at St. Joseph’s Layibi, one of the IC schools that we are teaching in. Catherine, Patrick, and Allison were there, and they gave us a tour of the grounds. The school is four times the size of Keyo; it is a male boarding school that houses 1300 boys. Betty’s two older boys are there, and so I got to meet them and she was able to check up on them. They were so cute, but I think are typical boys as they replied to her questions in monosyllables. I have had the opportunity to see several schools this trip, and it is so great to be able to compare and see the differences.
Our last stop was Koro SS, which is out in the middle of nowhere. It was created after the IDP camp was built in that area. It is very small. We met with the head teacher who then took me to the Staff Room to introduce me around and offered the opportunity for us to ask questions of each other. The teachers had many questions for me about education in America; they ranged from teacher motivation, to daily schedule, to student behavior and discipline, and teacher schedule. They were shocked when I mentioned that American teachers teach all day with the exception of a planning period. Ugandan teachers have long breaks during the day and may have some days that they do not teach at all. Betty said, “you must get exhausted doing all of that teaching.” I responded that American teaching is more student driven. Very rarely does the teacher stand up and lecture all day every day. It was an interesting conversation to have with them. We then met with Justin and Nancy, two of IC Legacy scholarship recipients. Betty asked them how they were doing in school and out of school. I think they were a little shy because I was there, but they were so polite and liked knowing someone cared about them. We talked about favorite foods; Justin’s favorite food is okra, and he hates eggplant. Nancy likes beans and hates mushrooms. Both of them needed to improve their grades, and so Betty offered some strategies to help them do that. The first strategy was to talk to the teacher, which in America would be easy, but I do not think it is so easy in Uganda. The teacher- student relationship here is much more formal; they do not foster the same relationship that we do in the States. I feel the teachers fear that if they are not seen as an authoritative figure, they will not be effective. However I think it is possible to still maintain control and foster a better relationship. That is one of the aspects that the American teachers work on with our partner teachers here.
We headed back to town and stopped at a gas station to grab snacks. While there, a woman selling children’s clothing came over to our table and proceeded to try to sell children’s clothing to Betty. Betty chose an outfit for her 6 year old daughter. The original price was 15,000 shillings; at the end of the haggling, Betty paid 9,000 shillings, or about $4.50 for the skirt, top and belt. I should probably mention that this outfit was a brand new outfit from Gymboree with the tags still on. Only in Africa…
All in all it was a fantastic day. I learned so much about the culture here and I continue to be impressed with the friendliness that is exhibited. The Ugandans truly care about each other and want to make their lives better. I am reminded of the Phoenix rising out of the ashes.

Thursday, July 1, 2010- Visiting Sacred Heart and the Student Government Campaigns at Keyo


Since I do not teach on Thursdays, I decided to go visit Lydia (my Reciprocal Teacher Exchange partner in January) at Sacred Heart SS. I had seen her on Wednesday, and she said that she had class at 7:40 am and then again at noon. I told her I would come out for the noon class.
Her noon class is S4 students and is only 11 students. At Sacred Heart, an all girls’ boarding school, home economics is compulsory for S1 and S2 students, but it is an elective for S3 and S4 students. Her S3 class has 60 students, so she had a hard time trying to do practicals with that many students. Fortunately for me, I was visiting the S4 class. During a previous class, she had given instructions to the students on how to make flaky pastry; for the class that I visited, the students were actually learning how to make the flaky pastry. For two hours, I watched these girls measure, cut butter and fat, roll it into the flour, juice a lemon, and then roll it out. It took them such a long time, and all I kept thinking was in America, all I have to do is go to the grocery store to get flaky pastry. Once they had rolled out and prepared the flaky pastry, they added either cooked ground meat or sausage and folded the pastry over the meat (kind of like pigs in a blanket for the sausage). I was there for 2 hours, and by the time I left to go to Keyo, the recipe was still not ready. The oven they used is a metal square box. They place the heated charcoal into the bottom of the oven and close it to heat the oven. I asked Lydia how she knew when it was the correct baking temperature, and she said that it was years of practice. There is no temperature gauge on the stove, so it is anybody’s guess as to what the actual cooking temperature was. For me it was a frustrating experience because of the amount of time it took to make small pastries. However to Ugandans, it is jus the way it is. I did notice the pride that the girls took in their preparation; when I cook, it is a means to an end. I have never considered being proud of the dishes that I cook. As always, there is a lesson for me to learn about slowing down and acknowledging life around me. These girls, as well as Lydia who is teaching them, appreciate these seemingly insignificant aspects of life, but now I wonder if these insignificant aspects are truly the gems of a life.
Yesterday, during our Keyo round table with Catherine, we discussed the attitude toward time and compared the American attitude with the Ugandan attitude. For Americans (and especially me), keeping time is so important. My students know that “if you are on time, your are late” and that I expect punctuality. However in Ugandan, keeping time is an afterthought. An event that should start at 11:00 am is more than likely not going to start until 12:15 pm; it’s just the way it is. However I think the attitude behind it is fascinating, and it is something that I appreciate. I find when in my day to day life, I am constantly concerned about events that have not happened yet, and therefore I very rarely live truly in the moment. I am so intent on “keeping time.” Here in Uganda, the lifestyle is more about events and people. So if something does not start on time, it is because of a relationship that needed attention or an event that needed to occur first. It makes me see that my attitude of time is forcing me to miss out on what I preach to be important about life. My time should be dictated by events and relationships, not the other way around. Events and relationships shouldn’t be dictated by time.
To continue on the keeping time thread, the Keyo prefect campaign speeches were to start at 2 pm, but I knew they would not start then. I left Sacred Heart at 2 pm (without getting anything to eat because it took so long) forth 30-minute boda ride to Keyo. When I arrived at Keyo, Lindsey and Amanda told me that the speeches were not to start until 3:40 because the teachers did not want the students to miss class.
The speeches were held outside underneath a couple of trees. The students running for office sat to one side, the teachers sat behind the open space where the speeches would be given, and the rest of the student body (those who attended) sat in front of the open space. What time do you think the speeches began??? - 4:00 pm. The offices were announced and then each candidate was given 5 minutes to speak and then 1 additional minute to answer questions. The campaigning was hysterical. The student would be introduced, and they would walk to the open space, most often accompanied by one student holding an umbrella over their head. Some candidates had 3-4 students. Evidently this was to demonstrate power; in actuality it looked funny. One female candidate had three other girls escort her in. One was carrying the umbrella, and the other two carried a rosary and a postcard picture of the Virgin Mary. During her speech, one of her followers took a 1,000 ugx bill and wiped her brown with it. Can you picture this?!?! It was hilarious. There were two candidates running for Prefect for Entertainment; one gave his speech in a rap, and the other did a break dancing routine. One of the candidates for the Prefect for Sports came running into the open space like a sprinter, and one of his followers had a piece of rebar and was pretending to throw it like a javelin. And their campaign promises… they were exactly like a typical politician. Some promised total access to the 18 computers, one stated that it elected, he would make the library big enough to fit every student. Another promised to bring another school truck to the school. After the campaign, we spoke with Calistas, the head teacher. He said that he did not attend the campaign speeches because he wanted to allow the candidates the freedom to speak what they wanted. However he said that once those are elected into office, he lets them know how it is going to be. They are free to campaign openly, but once in office, they have to understand the regulations that make the school effective. So true…
After the speeches, Lindsey, Amanda and I took the school truck home. It is actually a large lorry with roll bars on the back. We stood in the back of the truck with other teachers and students. The ride took 45 minutes, and we laughed the entire way. I am sure we were a spectacle to the people on the road with us. Only in Africa…

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Tuesday, June 29- Crazy Day at Keyo SS


Today was a very interesting day at school. I was not excited to go since yesterday (Monday) was a very frustrating day. The lesson that Harriet and I had planned did not go the way that I expected, and I just began questioning what I was doing here in Uganda and what possible change could I make (yesterday I thought no change was possible). So I left the house at 7:45 am to make my class at 8:20 am (did I mention that I ride a boda boda for 40 minutes to get to school?).
The class did not start until 8:45 am (hello, African time), and mostly it was Harriet lecturing on how to express purpose using “in case, in fear of, etc.”, you know, sayings that we never use in normal conversation, and yet somehow still tested on the Ugandan national exams. As I was listening, a chicken walked into the classroom looking for grubs. It was hysterical to me, although no one else even paid attention. When both classes finished, we headed back to the Staff House, and I finished reading Same Kind of Different As Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Morris. It is an amazing book and such an amazing testament to faith. My favorite quote from it is, “Every man should have the courage to stand up and face the enemy, because every person that looks like an enemy on the outside ain’t necessarily one on the inside. We all have more in common than we think.”
We were supposed to watch the KOBS class, (Knowledge of Behavior and Self), which has been implemented in the 11 Invisible Children schools. However the teacher did not show up. Instead Katherine Sasser, who is a fellow IC teacher and is teaching at St. Joseph’s Layibi, came to Keyo because she is interested in creating a female empowerment group for students, but Layibi is an all boys’ school. We spoke with Calistas, the head teacher, who loved and supported the idea. At lunch, we met with the female teachers, who became excited as well. We plan to implement the first class next Tuesday. I am so excited about this and the opportunity to enrich these students’ lives. I think the girls need it, especially after what they been through connected to the war.
After lunch, Harriet invited me to use the computer lab to play games. There are only 18 computers at the school, and when you consider that the average class size is 60-70 students, then you can see how ineffective a computer lab of 18 computers is. So mostly the faculty use the lab, and most often they use it for entertainment. For about 30 minutes, I played Spider Solitaire, which was pretty fun. Harriet then invited me to a meeting for students on Health and Reproductive Issues. It was led by two people from Windle Trust. The students first completed a survey about self-confidence and health. Then they began to ask the students to respond to statements saying True or False. Most of the statements were about HIV. After this, the students received handouts about “what is normal” for males or females. I have to say, I found these sheets a little embarrassing, and I am an adult. I can’t imagine what these teenagers think of the “fact sheet.” It was an interesting meeting, but it was cut short because we then left to go to the VSLA meeting.
After the VSLA meeting, Amanda and I were waiting to take the school truck back to town when Calistas called us over. He told us we could ride back to Lacor with some of the community members who help with co-curricular activities. So Amanda and I hopped into a car with two nuns and a father. I figured we were the safest we were ever going to be on the roads of Gulu, especially since the radio was tuned to hymns. There were a couple of close calls with big trucks, but we made it safely to Lacor and picked up boda bodas for the rest of the journey into town.
All in all it was one of those days that made coming to Uganda worth it.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Returning to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary


We left Gulu yesterday and headed 3 hours south on the road to Kampala to visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. This was my second time going as we visited last year as well. We arrived, changed clothes, and headed back out in the mutatus into the bush. We were accompanied by one of the guards named Christopher, who explained that we were to walk in a single file line and remain quiet around the rhinos. We saw Bella, her calf Augustu and Taleo feeding in an open area. Once again, it was amazing to stand so close to them.
Over the last year, the sanctuary has had 3 births, thus bringing the population of rhinos up to 9. They named the baby, who was born last year while we were here, Obama because his father is Kenyan and his mother is from Disney’s Animal Kingdom in America. The other calf was named through a fundraising auction and is called Justus. They had pictures of all of them, and they are so cute.
The sanctuary also rehabilitates other animals as well. They have connections throughout the community who will call if they are needed. We saw several DLTs (“deer like thing”) whose mothers had been poached. They nurse them until they are well and then release them back into their habitat. They have done this with monkeys, parrots, and other animals. It really is a great organization, and they subsist solely on donations and visitors.
It was such a relaxing trip and so nice to get to hang out with everyone in Group 1 before Group 2 arrives on Tuesday.

Visiting Pabo SS and Pabo Trading Center


Since I did not teach on Friday, I went with Danielle to pick up Pablo and Jenni, who are teaching at Pabo Secondary School and living in Pabo. Pabo was created as an IDP camp, where the government forced people in the outer villages to move during the war. At one time, there were over 60,000 people living in the Pabo IDP camp. It was meant to be a safe place for the Ugandan people, but the LRA would still attack and kidnap from the outer huts, so people would move into the center of the camp at night. It is about an hour mutatu ride to get to Pabo from Gulu. It is on the same road as Keyo SS, and if you follow the road for another 20 miles after passing through Pabo, you will reach the border of Sudan. The people have been released from the IDP camps, but because many were at Pabo for so many years, they have chosen to make it their home, thus the creation of it as a trading center (not quite a town). Because of its proximity to Sudan and the LRA still being a presence in the surrounding countries, there is a heavy military presence at Pabo. Pablo, who is an avid runner, had to get clearance to go running in the morning from the police and the military, so I think there is still some concern about safety there.
We stopped at Pabo SS first. I met several of the teachers, who were very friendly, and while the Pabo round table was happening, I sat with them and read Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. I was interrupted a couple of times by two male teachers. We discussed soccer, and they revealed that they both were big Brazil fans and were looking forward to the Brazil- Portugal match that night. They mentioned that they were frustrated because Renaldo had not been playing well, and it was on account of a woman. This then launched into a friendly diatribe about how women were the downfall of men. I had to laugh to myself because they did not realize my opinions on how amazing women are. I tried to explain that I did not feel that it was fair to blame women when men in fact have control over their actions, but they did not want to hear it. They then referenced Adam and Eve and the apple; when I mentioned that Adam did not have to accept the apple from Eve, one of the men said, “No, he could not say no to her.” I replied, “Well, it seems to be that is a flaw in men and should not be blamed on the woman.” I do not think they liked my point of view as the subject was quickly dropped.
Once the round table was over, we followed Pablo and Jenni on their bicycles to Pabo Trading Center to pick up their stuff for the weekend. They are staying at a new “hotel.” It has no running water and no electricity, but the rooms are nice and clean. Pabo is right on the road and is full of huts and shanties. It is hard to describe the smells there; I think if you could imagine a combination of close living quarters and lots of people and animals, that would be it. They are very curious though, especially about white people. There is not much to do; Pablo and Jenni said that the town tour took 10 minutes to complete, and there are very strict societal expectations. For example, Pablo, being male, is allowed to be out after dark, but Jenni, who is female, must stay inside. They have been reading a lot of books to pass the time.
It was fascinating to visit and see what one of the IDP camps looked like. However it was also a sad reflection on how this war has affected so many lives and continues to shape the world of the Ugandans even though there has been peace in the country for 3 years.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Raising Children in Uganda

I have noticed some interesting methods in the way children are raised here in Gulu. I am not passing judgment as I feel that sometimes we coddle our children too much in the States, thus denying them the opportunity to learn independence and responsibility. In Gulu, I often see small children (as young as 2-3 years old) riding on the front of a boda boda (type of transportation- it is a dirt bike/motorcycle) in between the driver and the handlebars. Children walk down the street by themselves or with older siblings. Just this morning, two children whom I would guestimate to be about 3 or 4 were walking in front of our compound. I do not know where they were going, but they were not wandering. It's so interesting to me to see the independence these children have. At St. Jude's Orphanage last Sunday, a mother was holding a baby on her hip. The baby was just looking around and holding her head up with no problem. I asked how old the baby was, and she said 2 months old. This child has complete control of her head and neck at two months!!! Children work in the fields to help provide food, and they carry heavy jerry cans of water from the well to their homes. Just today as I was eating lunch at Kope Cafe, a couple with a child who was probably about 2 walked out to get into their car. They put the child in the back seat, and as they were driving off, I noticed the child standing on the back seat with her head out the rolled down window. I had to chuckle to myself... how many of these instances would DSS have been called on in the US?

I think both of our societies could learn from each other. The children here are more self sufficient and independent. They would have to be to survive the country's history. However this is truly reflected in teaching them. They recognize that they are responsible for their success in school and not the teacher. It is up to them whether they succeed or fail. What a novel concept!!

There is still love here. However it is shown rarely in physical affection. But isn't it true love for a child when you prepare them to live without you in the world?

Notes from Keyo


I have been team teaching with Harriet for three days now. We are working with S2, which would be about 8th grade, although it seems as if most of the students are older, some as old as 17 or 18 years. On Monday, I observed her teaching relative clauses. Since teaching English over here is teaching grammar, it is a very dry and boring class filled with many rules. After observing, I told Harriet that I had a warm up exercise that we could try on Tuesday; she was enthusiastic and willing to let me try different activities. I enjoy having the students work in pairs or groups, but the students are not used to that, so it takes a little time to prepare them. I feel we are working together well. She is not afraid to offer comments to me. She told me that the students remarked that my “check mark” was too small on their papers and that I needed to write comments when they do well. My assumption is that they rarely get feedback, so when they do they really want it.
They have a hard time with my southern American English. I find myself speaking so slowly and yet still having to repeat myself. The students laugh, but it is a polite laugh, and they also like to repeat what I say and the way I say it. I think they are also a little caught off guard with how loud I speak; Harriet and the other teachers speak so softly and then I come in with my loud American teacher voice. I often see the students who are not in the class peeking in to see what is going on.
Being at Keyo SS is so much fun. The faculty is really great, and we have great conversations. I had to monitor the lunch line today, which was interesting. The students line up outside of the “kitchen” in front of four openings (similar to windows). They jam into the line and shove up on each other. It looks like dominoes. When they get close to the opening, a prefect marks their food card to make sure they do not get food two times. One of the teachers with whom I was monitoring said it is not a foolproof system because the cards get ratty, become difficult to read, and fall apart. All I did was stand near the students as I was not about to get in between teenage boys and their posho and beans. I told the teacher that I was not too helpful, and he replied that I was a big help as the kids were more interested in looking at me than pushing to get food. I think they were waiting for my “muno” (white) skin to burn in the African sun.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Keyo Secondary School



We met our partner teachers last night at Churchill Courts in Gulu. I am working with Acan Harriet. She has been at Keyo for two years. Teaching for Harriet was a last resort; she originally wanted to be an accountant, but the schooling did not work out for her. I asked her why she chose to teach English and not math, and she said that she thought that English was more marketable. I think that she has gotten to where she enjoys teaching more.
There are three of us teaching at Keyo: Lindsey (a T/Ex participant with me last year), Amanda (from Texas), and me. Lindsey and I made the boda boda trip out to Keyo. The boda boda ride was 35-40 minutes, which is very long on the back of a motorcycle, especially when you are riding sidesaddle. However the trip was beautiful since the landscape is amazing. Once we arrived, we met the head teacher, Carristas (sp), Alex, the horticultural teacher, and Lindsey’s teacher, Grace. Harriet quickly ran over from the athletic games to meet us. The school is on a hillside, and it is very pretty. There are two new classroom blocks that were built by Invisible Children; the S3 and S4 streams are housed in those. The other classroom blocks consist of dirt floors, old desks, and open walls. There is a chalkboard that is propped up against one wall. They also have a library, a small computer lab with about 10 computers, and a staff room.
Once we had our initial meeting and orientation with Amy and Danielle (T/Ex director and asst coordinator), we walked over to the athletic field to watch the athletic events. Keyo is part of Amuru district, and so the schools in that district were competing in a track and field competition. Harriet was one of the team leaders, and so she was very interested in how the students performed. The Keyo boys won the competition last year, and so they were defending the cup. Harriet said that the boys were excellent and that the girls were average. It was so much fun to watch them compete. Almost all of the competitors ran barefoot; some had on track uniforms, some wore shorts only, or cheerleading skirts (on some of the girls). We also watched the shot put, the javelin throw, the triple jump the high jump. Those competing in the triple jump did not jump into a sandpit; they just jumped on the ground. There was no cushion for them to land on in the high jump; they just jumped over the bar and onto the ground. No wonder these athletes are so good in the Olympic games. The winners of the district competition compete in the regional competition, and then the winners will compete at the national level. It was so much fun to watch these events and be a part of it.
It was a great first day at Keyo, and I am looking forward to spending time there and working with Harriet. However I am not excited about the boda boda ride.

Pedagogy for Liberation


As part of the IC Teacher Exchange, our required reading is Paulo Friere and Ira Shore’s Pedagogy for Liberation, which in essence questions the role of the teacher, especially in formal education. Transcribed from a dialogue between the two authors, the book can be difficult to understand, but it has amazing ideas. We had our first book discussion today during orientation. We discussed the overall themes of the book as well as bringing up questions or tensions that we felt while reading it.
There are a couple of themes that caught my attention. One was the idea that the formal education is created by the dominant power (government) without considering the audience who will receive it. As educators we should question this education and its motives, which in essence is questioning the dominant power (government) over us. This can lead to an uncomfortable situation no matter where you teach. However I find it so true. Policies for public education in South Carolina are made by officials who have no direct connection to the very institution for whom they are making decisions. How many of our politicians have visited a school and stayed past the perfunctory presentation for them? How many have actually spoken to students for whom they are making policy? Our politicians insist on cutting taxes in order to bring in big businesses and yet refuse to support the educational system that will educate the workforce that these businesses will employ. So ultimately, how are we supposed to support a government that does not protect those it governs?
The second theme that struck a chord with me was the idea that the teacher should not be the expert. If the teacher and students learn together, the education is much more authentic. It also gives the student a voice in his/her education, thus making him/her more willing to be active in the educational process. I think as teachers we are very often not willing to give up control especially to students. However it is this release of control that has the potential to provide a much more meaningful experience to the learner (student and teacher).
One of the perks of this trip is that we are focusing on education in northern Uganda, but many of the same ideas fit into the American educational system.

The Programs of Invisible Children

As part of our Invisible Children (IC from now on) Teacher Exchange orientation, we visited the IC offices and met with Andrew, the communications director, who spoke to us about IC and its programs. IC has two arms: the US arm and the Ugandan arm. The US arm is based out of San Diego, California and is focused solely on fundraising and advocacy. The Uganda arm is based in Gulu and is solely focused on program implementation. IC Uganda has four main outreach programs currently working: Legacy Scholarships (formally known as the Visible Child Scholarship), Schools for Schools, Village Savings and Loan (VSAL), and MEND. They are all amazing programs, and the ultimate goal is for each program to become self-sustaining so that Invisible Children no longer needs to be in Uganda. For more information about each program, you can visit www.invisiblechildren.com.
IC is currently providing 559 secondary school scholarships and 181 university scholarships. The unique thing about the Legacy Scholarship is that it provides a mentor for each student to track the student’s success and coordinate between the student, the school and the parents. Students are chosen based on vulnerability and academic potential.
Schools for Schools is currently partnering with 11 schools in northern Uganda to rebuild facilities and provide teacher training. The school gives IC a wish list of needs and IC works with engineers to see that it happens. In order to participate, the school must be able to pay 5% of the building costs because it is assumed that 5% of the building cost is what it takes to maintain the building once it is built.
The Village Savings and Loan (VSLA) emerged out of the Bracelet Campaign. There are currently 20 groups with 20 members each who contribute to the “community pot” each week and then borrow small loans from it. It is a program that has been implemented in lots of places with enormous success. I would actually like to start a VSLA with some friends back at home.
Lastly MEND currently has 13 formerly abducted female children, most of whom were “brides” to the LRA commanders, who have been trained in tailoring. They produce handbags to sell outside of Gulu. This program has given these girls a life for them and their children that they would not have had because of their past (they would have been ostracized from their community).
IC is different from other NGOs because it has Ugandans focusing on the problems and creating the solutions rather than westerners coming in saying what needs to be done. I continue to be amazed by the thoughtfulness that IC does and the critical thinking it does on a regular basis to make sure they are truly helping the community. It is a great organization

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Tuesday, June 15- Home Sweet Home (for 6 weeks)


We arrived safely into Entebbe, Uganda on Monday morning. Only one of us had her luggage not make it, which is a nice record for British Airways. Fortunately for me, my luggage arrived. We piled our luggage into the coaster and made our way to Kampala, the capitol. I felt like I have not left. Things look the same; maybe there is more growth, but it is still a beautiful country.
Once in Kampala, we headed to Backpacker’s Hostel to unload and get into our rooms. We had some time, so I took a shower. Although it was cold, it was heaven after traveling in the same clothes for two days. Putting on clean clothes made all of the difference in the world. We then headed to Garden City to change money and pick up supplies. Uganda has created new bills, and they are so pretty. It’s like playing with Monopoly money, which makes it easier to spend… not a good thing. The exchange rate is $1= 2200 Ugandan shillings, which is really good for us.
After Garden City, returned to Backpacker’s. The plan was to go visit Lubiri Secondary School; however Catherine, Lindsey and I did not visit since we visited last year. I took a nice long nap, which was fantastic. I felt so much better upon awakening.
For dinner, we ate at Sam’s, an Indian restaurant in Kampala. We got there about 6:00 pm and ate at 8:30 pm. Welcome to Uganda and African time. The food was delicious and worth a wait, but not necessarily 2 ½ hours (really, is any food worth waiting 2 ½ hours? I mean, homemade ice cream doesn’t even take that long!) It was a great meal and a really great opportunity to meet and talk to more of the group. I think we are going to have a great group.
We woke up this morning (Tuesday), packed up and headed to Bavubuka House, an arts house for boys and girls in Kampala. It was started by the world famous Ugandan rapper, Sirus. The boys and girls practice all of the arts, and they are completely free to express themselves. It is such a positive environment for these kids, and they are really talented. They have made many improvements to the compound since we visited last year. They added a wall and gates as well as two murals that are beautiful. They have also increased the amount of girls and the emphasis on empowering women, which I thought was awesome.
We were held up a little on trying to make the trek to Gulu because of Allison’s lost bag. We ended up returning to Garden City to meet her and Amy. We left Kampala at 3:00 pm. The road to Gulu has improved greatly, but it still took forever. We ended up making one short call break and arrived in Gulu at 8:30 pm. It took us a minute to find the house. It is located right behind the Invisible Children office on the Pece side of Gulu. Finding the house in the dark was daunting and after turning the Coaster around a couple of times, we finally found it. It is a pretty good size house, but for housing 19 and then another 13 coming in two weeks, it is cramped. There are two toilets two pit latrines in the backyard, one shower, and one bathtub with a shower nozzle but no shower curtain. The water pressure is terrible, terrible, terrible. The yard is beautiful though and spacious. I am curious to watch the dynamics of the group over the next 6 weeks in this space.

Saturday, June 12- Part 1 of the Plane Trip

I am sitting at JFK airport waiting on the flight to London Heathrow and then the flight to Entebbe. Mama and Dad dropped me off at the Myrtle Beach airport. The flights to JFK were fine, which is what I like.
Now that I am on my way and no longer worried about packing (my bag weighed in at exactly 50 pounds!!), I am excited about returning to Uganda. On my flight from Charlotte to JFK, I sat beside a couple from Lynchburg, VA, who were traveling to Israel. We got to talking, and they were very interested in my trip to Uganda. We had a really nice conversation, and I realized once again the amazing opportunity that I have ahead of me for the next 6 weeks. I know that like last year, what I learn will be far more than what I teach.
While I am so excited about reconnecting with friends, I am also excited about the possibilities of a new adventure. I am with new people, will be at a new school, and have a year of maturity (or immaturity) under my belt. My expectations are different although I don’t think I am sure exactly what they are. I just know they are not the same as last year.
Here’s to old friends and new adventures…

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The countdown for Summer #2 in Uganda


The countdown to my return trip to Uganda has begun. I leave the United States on Saturday, June 12 and will be gone for 6 weeks. Preparing this time has been completely different; last year, I was pretty much packed at this point. This year… well stuff is laid out on my guest bed waiting for my perusal.
What am I most looking forward to on my return to Uganda?... squatting over a hole in the ground to relieve myself. I have missed it. I am of course kidding. In all seriousness, I am most looking forward to seeing the Ugandan friends that I met last summer and especially Lydia who visited me in January. It will be a sweet reunion. I am also looking forward to reuniting with my friends Lindsay, Catherine and Amy as well as meeting new Invisible Children teaching friends.
What am I most dreading?... squatting over a hole in the ground to relieve myself.
I will be at Keyo Secondary School, which is slightly out of town. I do not know much about it; it is coed with about 850 students. That will be a nice change from an all boys school like last year. I think it will be another boda boda ride, but I will get the final details once I arrive. There will be three of us teaching there.
While not physically ready to leave, I am mentally ready to get out of Columbia. It has been a crazy spring, and I need a break. Stay tuned...

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Lydia's Final Day


Lydia’s final day in South Carolina was spent at the Richland County Public Library Book sale, Target and packing. Lydia was able to get several books and videos for very little money at the book sale, which was really great. We then spent two hours (!!) at Target so she could pick out some gifts to take home as well as some things for her. I was really sick of the store by the time we left; it will take me a while to head back into Target, which will probably be a good thing for my wallet.

Miraculously, Lydia was able to get everything into her luggage. I will have to bring some books for her this summer, but otherwise, it all fit. I said goodbye to her at the airport security. Neither one of us really wanted to say goodbye, so it is fortunate that I am heading back this summer for the IC Teacher Exchange. I will miss Lydia and witnessing her discoveries in my world. She is amazing, and I know she will continue to make a positive impact on her students and her country. With her knowledge, experience and passion, things can only get better.

Lydia's Farewell


On Friday night, we celebrated Lydia’s final days in the U.S. Because if her Wii bowling experience, I decided we would go actual bowling, since it truly is American and you can see some true Americana in a bowling alley.

We arrived at the bowling alley a little after six as I had to stop and get gas. As the gas was pumping, I got back in the car because it was so cold outside. Lydia asked, “Is the fuel that you put in your car a liquid or a gas?” I replied that it was a liquid. She said, “Then why do you call it gas?” “It’s short for gasoline,” I said, “Although I am not sure what the gasoline is made of. Is it methane?...” Again, it’s one of the things I take for granted and don’t know much about. Lydia tends to laugh at me at moments like this.

At the bowling alley, we were able to get the “corporate rate,” which meant that we had enough people to get $1 off each person for two hours of bowling and shoes. We ended up with three lanes, two for adults and one for the children so they could put the bumpers up (although I could have used the bumpers on my lane as well). I had forgotten how much fun bowling was, especially when you are with such great people. Teaching Lydia how to play was interesting. She quickly got the concept, but like with any sport, putting it into action is another story. I think the first couple of bowls were gutters, but then so were mine, so what can you say? We bowled two games and had a blast. The scores reflected the fun more so than the talent. By the end of the second game, Lydia had the hang of it, as her score was higher.

After dinner, we headed to D’s Wings for dinner. It was very uneventful. We had decided that after dinner, we would head over the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for some dessert. As we were driving to the bowling alley, I remembered that I promised Lydia I would let her taste a Krispy Kreme doughnut. When we got to Krispy Kreme, the “Hot Doughnuts Now” sign was blazing, and the store was packed.!! It had been a long time since I had been to Krispy Kreme, but I have never seen so many people there in my life. The drive thru line was wrapped around the building, and the line inside was almost as long. When we walked in, I began showing Lydia how the doughnuts were made. I think she was very interested in the mechanical process including the conveyor belts. Nicole had given us coupons for a free doughnut. I got the Valentine’s Day special: the heart shaped doughnut with white chocolate and sprinkles!! Lydia got the glazed and lemon filled. When she tasted it, her eyes lit up. She said, “I think if I lived here, I would be spoiled by these doughnuts.” I was worried that it would be too sweet for her. I think it was but still yummy for her.

Bowling, wings, and Krispy Kreme… it doesn’t get any more Southern than that.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Visiting Charleston and Bull's Island


I took Lydia to Charleston, SC for the weekend. Charleston is one of my favorite places of all time, and I have such great friends there so I knew we would have a good time. Brooke went with us, and we left after school on Friday. We stayed with my friend Caroline at her house on James Island.

On Friday, we went to dinner at Vickery’s downtown. It is one of my favorite restaurants, and I figured it has such a vast menu that Lydia would find something
‘’light” that she was looking for. There were five of us at dinner: Lydia, Brooke, Caroline, Maura and me. Lydia and Brooke shared two dishes (the sharing is rubbing off on her); as we ate our meals, Lydia said, “this is not eating light. If I was at home, I would eat a lemon.” We all laughed at the different definitions of “eating light.” After dinner we headed back to Caroline’s to get to bed as we were all tired.

Saturday morning, we woke up early to meet my parents at SeeWee Outpost to take the boat to Bull’s Island, a barrier island that is owned by the federal government as a wildlife reserve. It is truly a beautiful island, and I had not been there for many years. We left early to try to beat the rain that was supposed to move in later in the day. We picked up Maura at Starbucks and headed to SeeWee Outpost, a country store near the boat landing. Lydia and I grabbed ham biscuits there for breakfast, and we waited in the rocking chairs for Mama and Dad to arrive. Once they arrived, we headed to the boat landing and put the boat in. Then we were off. It was a beautiful morning and a great ride to Bull’s Island. Once we docked the boat, we began the walk through the woods to the front beach. It was a great time, and we stopped to take pictures at an enormous live oak. Lydia was amazed at the size of some of the trees and even more impressed when she learned that they were hundreds of years old. It was great to have Mama and Dad along as they had so much knowledge about the island and the wildlife. Once we got to the front beach, we began walking toward Boneyard Beach, an area that is filled with old trees and driftwood. I think Lydia was in awe of the beauty of the beach, and we all really enjoyed witnessing her first time experience with the beach and Atlantic Ocean. We pointed out different shells including conchs, sand dollars, starfish, etc. It began drizzling, but even the rain did not dampen our spirits. After a couple of hours, we made it to Boneyard Beach and got out our picnic lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pretzels and FULL SIZE Snickers bars. It was so great as the rain had stopped. After lunch, we made our way back to the trail. On the way back through the woods, we saw a baby alligator, some deer and lots of birds. I think Lydia really enjoyed being outside and seeing all that Bull’s Island had to offer. The rain picked up again, so the boat ride back to the landing was cold and prickly. It was getting close to low tide, so Dad had to really navigate the middle of the channels.

After the boat trip, we headed to SeeWee Restaurant across the street. It is a local place that has delicious fresh seafood and great southern cooking. We had a wonderful meal, although Lydia still has not eaten any other seafood other than fish. After lunch, we said goodbye to my parents and headed back to Caroline’s for a much needed nap. After the nap, we got ready to go see The Blind Side. The movie was awesome, and Lydia really liked it especially when she found out that it was based on a true story.

Sunday we ate breakfast at the Variety Store at the Ashley Marina and then headed back to Columbia. Lydia said she had a wonderful time seeing another city in South Carolina. I had a wonderful time showing her the city. One the way back, we discussed how involved our federal government is as well as comparing weddings in the U.S. and Uganda. Lydia is very progressive for her country, and I am not sure what she feels when she sees the equality and freedom that women in the U.S. have. Uganda is still very steeped in the patriarchal society, and Ugandan men are very slow to change. This is frustrating to see as an American female because I know the wonderful power that women have and how good that power would be for their country. Hopefully with programs like Invisible Children, while the change may be slow, it will come nonetheless.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Visiting Riverbanks Zoo


Thursday was a half-day for students due to the end of the semester. Since it was a half-day, I asked Dr. Martin if it would be possible for us to leave early to go to Riverbanks Zoo. It was the warmest day that we have had since Lydia has been here.

We left school and headed to MVista, an Asian restaurant in the Vista. Lydia had never eaten Asian food before, so we felt the need for her to try several different dishes. For appetizers, we ordered lettuce wraps, sushi tuna, and edamame (it was more than just the two of us eating). For her main dish, she had the fried rice with chicken and shrimp. We got her a pair of beginner chopsticks, and she did a really great job with them. She did not like the sushi tuna very much or the lettuce wraps, but she really liked the edamame. We ate a lot of food for lunch that day.

After lunch, we headed to the zoo. It was the perfect day to go as the weather was warmer and yet most students were still in school. It felt like we had the park to ourselves. She really enjoyed seeing the elephants and the penguins. She had taken her son to the zoo in Uganda before, but from the way she made it sound, it wasn’t that great. She loved the open space of the zoo and the foliage. She loved that there was so much information about the animals to help educated those who visit.

After the zoo, the original plan was to go to the Oyster Bar. However we were still too full from lunch to think about dinner. Ellen made the executive decision for us to go to Nonnah’s and have dessert for dinner. There were five of us at this point; we decided that each of us would order something different and then share. Five desserts arrived, and we each took one. The plan was that we would each take two bites and then pass our plate to the person on the right. This was a genius plan!! The desserts were delicious. However Lydia had never done this before. I think it took her a minute to get used to us sharing. She just kept laughing at us. Once we were done, we headed home. As we were driving home, she said, “Sharing plates. Do you do this often?” I replied that I did as it was an opportunity to try different foods without ordering or eating too much. I think she has gotten used to it as she and Brooke shared food the next night.

Guitar Hero


After school, Lydia and I went to Target. It was Lydia’s first visit there. I had a list of about 10 items that I needed to get, but it was a slow trip. I know that Lydia had not been in a store like this one ever. She said that the choices that were offered were overwhelming. We looked at the “dollar” section to see if she saw any toys to take home to her son. She found a couple of things but decided not to purchase them at the time. It was fascinating to see Target from her perspective. We as Americans are so spoiled with all of the options that are right there. And half of the stuff we do not need. I told Lydia that I take a list to Target, and more often than not, I end up walking out of the store with more than what was on my list. When we were leaving, she asked, “Lisa, did you get only what was on your list?” I replied, “No, Lydia. I got more.” Shameful…

After Target, Lydia and I went over to Nicole and Ashley Walker’s for dinner. I was really excited to have a wonderful home cooked meal cooked by someone else. There was a great group of people there: Brooke, Nichole, Lydia, Nicole, Ashley, their daughter Ashton and myself. We began the evening by snacking on some great appetizers. Then I discovered Nicole and Ashley’s Wii. Nicole set up Rock Band for us, and Lydia got a guitar and Brooke got a guitar. And they were terrible. They kept getting booed off the stage, so I stepped in thinking that I would be able to help… I am not sure what I was thinking as I have only played Guitar Hero twice before. So we started… and were terrible. Nichole stepped in and helped Lydia get farther. However we did laugh a lot. Dinner saved us.

After dinner, we decided to try Wii bowling. Lydia, Brooke, Ashton (4 years old), and I played. As were were playing, Lydia said she had never seen bowling before or heard of it. My mouth dropped open as she was close to beating me at the game. I told her we were going to go actually bowling before she left. Surely she can’t be as good at the real thing.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Tuesday's School Board Meeting


On Tuesday, Lydia and I met some friends at Wild Wing Café for some drinks and dinner before the Richland 2 School Board Meeting that night. It was fun to really just hang out and relax with everyone. Lydia was being introduced at the board meeting during the special recognition section as a special guest. We knew that they were fitting her into an already busy schedule so we only had 2-3 minutes. 2-3 minutes is certainly not a long time to speak about Ridge View’s spring service project with Invisible Children. I was also told that Lydia should thank the board members for their support of her and the project.

When we arrived at the board meeting at Dent Middle School, we found Elaine Delk, Director of Community Relations, who had set it up for us to be there. She said she was not sure if Dr. Hefner, the superintendent, was going to introduce Lydia or if I was. A couple of minutes later Dr Hefner came over and introduced himself to her. She said her full name, and he said that he couldn’t pronounce it so he would have me introduce her. After the invocation and the pledge of allegiance, he introduced us. I was so nervous as I really wasn’t sure how to get all of the information into the introduction into one minute. I truly have no idea how I said it, but I think I was able to mention our spring project, my teacher exchange to Uganda this past summer, and Lydia’s visit. Then Lydia spoke. She was amazing and able to express herself well in such a short time. She mentioned the board and her appreciation, how the two worlds were similar, and how much she was learning and how she wanted to leave an impact.

We left after the introduction. Elaine mentioned that the board loved her and were so glad that she was able to speak. She makes such an impact on whomever she meets and has left such impression on all of us.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Dinner and a Show


On Monday, Lydia and I had tickets to the Broadway in Columbia series, “Wizard of Oz.” The plan was to head from work to dinner and then the show. When discussing what type of food she was interested in, she mentioned that she had really enjoyed eating pizza while in NYC. I told her that I was planning on taking her to my favorite pizza restaurant, LaBrasca’s Pizza, later in the week. We ended up going to Harper’s, which is also one of my favorite restaurants as I wanted to show her a little nicer dining establishment. While looking over the menu, she said she was interested in eating fish; did the restaurant have anything similar to the fish in Uganda? Well, the options at Harper’s were honey glazed salmon, pecan encrusted trout and the special was swordfish. Growing up under my father’s tutelage, I am well versed in different types of fish, and I did not think that any of these options were similar to the Ugandan tilapia or Nile perch. Just to double check on the swordfish though, I called Dad; Mama answered and said he was at his church’s men’s club meeting, but she would try to catch him. She called back to confirm what I thought: swordfish is not like tilapia. I told Lydia the closest item was the trout, but she was not interested in the “pecan encrusted” part (sometimes it is just difficult to describe American food). She finally bravely settled on trying the salmon, but instead of the honey glazed, she said she wanted something “savory.” Between Gary the waiter and I, we decided she should try it blackened. I ordered the Chicken supremes salad, one of my favorite dishes, and the pesto pasta salad. When the food arrived, we dug in. I had her taste the pasta salad; her comment was “the pasta is cold.” I told her that here we serve pasta hot or cold. She liked her salmon, and when I asked if she would order it again, she said yes and that she would try it with the glaze. The great thing about Lydia is that she is willing to try anything. While dining, Lydia mentioned that the service was really good; “they are very attentive to us.” I explained that is where the tipping comes in. I don’t think she really understood the tipping until last night because while in NYC, we never experienced really great service anywhere. It also could be that service in the south is very different as we hold that “southern charm” so important.
Lydia also enjoyed the “Wizard of Oz.” At intermission, she said, “It is just so creative.” I am so glad that I was able to watch the show with her as beforehand I was not so excited about seeing it. I mean, I have seen the movie a gazillion times and the play before, and the story does not change. However, seeing it with Lydia allowed me to see it through her eyes, and that made the experience great. When you look at it through new eyes, the story is creative and the characters are endearing. It’s no wonder the story has remained so popular for so many years. On a more personal note, it was also very interesting to watch after having seen “Wicked.” I just can’t hate the Wicked Witch of the West anymore… she is so misunderstood. And Glenda the “good” witch?... Ha.
We have a busy week ahead of us and then the trip to Charleston this weekend. Pray for sunny weather Saturday so we can go out on the boat.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Visiting the Lake


Lydia and I spent the weekend at the lake with my parents. They live on Lake Marion, which is about an hour and fifteen minutes from Columbia. We left Friday after school and got to the lake around 5:30pm. It was dark when we arrived, so Lydia was unable to see the lake. We settled in and had dinner with my parents. Lydia has enchanted my parents, and they truly enjoyed having her visit. On the way to the lake, Lydia asked, “So do we not take a gift to them for hosting us?” Jokingly I replied, “Lydia, our presence is the gift. They will enjoy having us.” Yes, I know I am spoiled. For dinner on Friday we ate Debbie Boyer’s chicken casserole, broccoli, and fruit salad. The casserole is one of my all time favorites, and Lydia liked it as well. She is willing to try anything that is put in front of her, and I think she is experiencing some great new foods. For dinner on Saturday, we ate fried catfish, sweet potatoes, and hushpuppies. She really enjoyed the hushpuppies, so I am going to send her back to Uganda with some hushpuppy mix.

Before dinner was ready, I had the TV on the Disney channel, one of my favorite channels, as there was a JONAS marathon. I explained to Lydia who there were, and we watched several episodes. I am not sure what she thought about them, but at one point, she asked, “Are they really brothers?” When I replied that they were, she said that she thought that was nice. During dinner, the Disney movie Ratatoullie was on, and so we watched it. She said that she enjoyed watching cartoons and that she enjoyed the movie.

Saturday afternoon, we headed to the farm to plant some trees. Mom and Dad ordered 500 red cedars to plant in different areas around the farm. Dad said if the temperature got to 40° farenheit that we would plant the trees. It got up to 38° so we bundled up in many layers and headed out. As we drove along the farm, we pointed out the beaver dam and beaver house. Lydia had never seen a beaver before; fortunately, we have a stuffed beaver in our house, so we were able to show her what one looked like. We spent about an hour and a half planting 230 trees and then called it quits. It was pretty fun and very interesting to participate in the process. I told Lydia that if teaching didn’t work out for her that she had a career in planting trees. Once we returned to the lakehouse, we went out front and looked at the lake and took some pictures. I was freezing so I asked Lydia if she was cold. She replied, “Yes, but I do not want to leave this beautiful view. If I lived here, I would never stop looking.”

Lydia and I have had several discussions on the roles of men and women in Uganda and in the US. The expectations are very different for men in each world. I feel that she has been intrigued with how much my dad helps out in the house. Dad usually helps clean up and more often than not does the cooking for breakfast. He also fried the catfish and hushpuppies for dinner. I am sure Lydia is not used to seeing men participate in the domestic chores. She has mentioned often that the father of her son did not offer help or be the man she needed him to be, so she made the decision to leave. I wonder how seeing my father and his actions affects her view of men.

First Experience with the Washing Machine


I think Lydia is seeing a whole new world. On Thursday, I had to attend a Junior League meeting, and Lydia decided to stay home. I reminded her that we were heading to the lake on Friday and would leave straight from school, so she would need to pack that night. I also asked her if she needed to wash any clothes, and she said, “Yes, I have dirty clothes.” We took her clothes out to the washing machine in the garage. I showed her how to put all of the clothes into the machine, set the machine to wash, add the detergent and then push start. We followed these steps and started the machine. She said, “What do we do now?” I said, “We walk away and find something else to do.” She looked at me like I had grown a 2nd head. “But what about the water?” she asked. I replied, “the water goes in through a hose in the back.” “But how does it work?” she asked with wide eyes. In my unoriginal thought process, I said, “I don’t know- it just does.” “So we do not do anything else with it?” she asked. “No, we walk away from it and then come back out when it is done.” She gave me one last look of slight incredulity, and then said, “I am going to return home a lazy Ugandan woman!”

I have also showed her the microwave and the dishwasher. I think she is a little in awe of the conveniences, and I feel lazy showing them to her. In theory, these conveniences should allow for me to live a fuller life and have time to do great things. But I don’t. Maybe I should change that…