Part III
(Originally written on 11/23)
Mt. Sabinyo: 3669 m above sea level, 1300 m from base to peak, 3 separate peaks each providing different technical challenges, 14 km worth of trail from base to peak and back. This was the volcano that Courtney and I chose to climb. We were given three options: the first being the tallest volcano, the second being the smallest, and the third, Sabinyo, being the most difficult. If we were going to scale a volcano, we were going to do it right.
The forest leading up to the base of the volcano changed quickly as we approached Sabinyo. First, it was typical secondary forest with scattered clearings allowing the challenges ahead to be in clear view. Next came a spectacular bamboo forest towering above us. The array of thin bamboo stalks gave the forest an incredible amount of depth. It felt like we were hiking through Eastern Asia rather than Western Uganda. We crossed a river several times over wooden bridges until the bamboo gave way to secondary forest again. Within two hours, we were at the 'official' start of the volcano.
The terrain told us immediately that we have arrived, no long a slightly rising slope, but a more than 45 degree incline. The ground was wet from the constant mist that cloaked the mountain side, so the man-made steps consisting of stripped tree limbs that had been nailed into the soil almost did more harm than good because of how slippery they had become. We wound our way up the volcano, mostly on the makeshift stairs, but we also had to cross ladders from time to time that were more horizontal than vertical. Crossing them required some support from the surrounding trees. Soon, we were deep into the tropical part of the volcano. The moss that clung to trees in this forest, however, was gray rather than the bright green we saw in Bwindi Impenetrable. It felt like we had stumbled into Sleepy Hollow when the mist passed through the most covered trees, but rather than creepy, the sight was more comforting when we paused from time to time to rest and take in the surroundings.
The first peak seemed to be the most difficult to summit. There were a few points where I started to question if I could make it to the top of the first peak, or if I DID make it, would I want to continue on to the next two. As we rounded the top of the first though, there was no doubt in my mind that I needed to go all the way. The view from the first peak showed us parts of Rwanda and the Congo, but the most impressive view was that of the next two peaks that rose high above us.
The path between peaks one and two rested on a ridge that couldn't have been much more than 6' wide with sheer drop-offs on either side. Surprisingly, the path wasn't frightening at all, and the view down into the valleys bellow was breathtaking -- not that I had that much breath to take at that point.
We made it to peak fairly easily and took a breather. Once this I started to notice was how different the surrounding had become. Of course, the gray mist surrounding us remained constant, but all of the vegetation seemed much softer, yet desert-like compared to what we had hiked through on the way up to peak one. It felt as if we were standing on layers of lush moss rather than solid ground. Suddenly, all I wanted to do was reach the final peak, as if my whole being had just reached the same conclusion in that instant and that there was no other possible direction my life could go from there.
Peak three proved to be a difficult one to reach. The trail started out much like the first two peak trials did, but soon we reached a long series of ladders. Much like the stairs, the ladders were made of pieces of limbs that had been striped of their bark over time. The constant mist also made them incredibly slippery. Some parts of the ladders were completely vertical. Als that point, I made the mistake of looking down behind me into the gray oblivion below, but I couldn't let fear get in my way, not when I'd already come that far. Eventually, the ladders cam to an end, and it was only a short hike from there to our goal.
To be honest, the summit wasn't what I expected. It wasn't a crater by any means, and we were completely surrounded by clouds and mist. However, it felt like we had found some piece of uncharted land on a distant planet. The ground was made up of large volcanic boulders covered in soft green moss, and there were small palm-like trees all around us. It seemed that the hill we were on simply disappeared into the gray. As we sat on the peak, soaking in our accomplishment, the mist gave way to show a spectacular view of Rwanda to the left, the Congo to the right, and another peak of the volcano further ahead of us deeper into the Congo. The spot where we were sitting was actually the exact point where Rwanda, the Congo, and Uganda met.
After waiting a while to see if the clouds would open again only to get rained on, we decided to head back down Mt. Sabinyo. I have to say, even though it was much easier going down hill, the ladders were infinitely harder going back. The fresh rain on the bare wood didn't help either. After getting past the first peak again, we were on the home stretch when Courtney slipped on one of the rocks we were climbing down and twisted her ankle. Surprisingly, she showed amazing will power and made it the entire tow hours we had left to hike back to our transport, albeit at a bit slower pace.
When we got back to our hotel, we set out on a new quest -- a quest to find some travellers to split a private hire ride back to Kampala, neither of us wanting to get back on a Ugandan bus anytime soon. Luckily, we found a couple from London who, after hearing our horror story of the ride out, reconsidered getting on a bus themselves and opted to come along with us. Now at least I can sleep soundly tonight and not have to worry about whether or not I will ever make it home alive and be able to tell this story to anyone...
Friday, December 3, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
A Trek in Three Parts (Cont.)
Part II
(Origially written on 11/22)
Yesterday was our rest day in Nkuringo. It would have been a great day, perfect weather in a perfect setting, but I was suffering from a bit of dehydration. By the end of the day and after many cups of tea I was feeling much better, and I was able to enjoy sitting around the bonfire. One thing Courtney and I realized was how much we missed being with Westerners our own age, so it was refreshing to sit and talk with our fellow travelers. Also, I got to play a little guitar for the first time since our training in Burkley, CA back in August!
The majority of the hiking today was down hill and on dirt roads, but we traveled over 25 km by foot. The first part of the trek led us down from Nkuringo through mountain farmlands. The fact that people are able to cultivate the practically vertical mountain sides is beyond me, let alone the fact that their families live on the very same slopes. The different types of crops produce different shades of green making the mountains seem to be draped in patchwork quilts. Although this might sound to not be as nice to look at when compared to the rainforest from the day before, the fact is, it may have been even more stunning. Every corner we rounded, we came face to face with even more majestic mountain tops and valleys.
Eventually, the mountains gave way to a great view of Lake Mutanda, the next part of our day's journey. Once on the shore, we got into a dugout canoe and set off. Our trip across the lake was supposed to take three hours, but we were able to make it in two and a quarter (largely thanks to my help paddling, I might add... *Brushes knuckles on his shirt*). The lake was pristine and, for the most part, pretty calm, but every time Evarist and our canoe guy, Moses, switched sides or when Evarist stopped to ladle some water from the bottom of the canoe, Courtney and I both felt that we were going to tip over, but Evarist and Moses hardly seemed to notice.
Once on solid ground again, we made our way to Kisoro through small towns and banana plantations. Kisoro itself seemed like a pretty normal town by Ugandan standards and boasted a brand new tarmacked road that lead straight the to border of the DRC (Congo). One unmistakable quality of the town, however, were the three volcanoes that loomed overhead, much bigger now than they had seemed from Nkuringo. There they stood, undaunted, almost taunting us about the day that lay ahead...
(Origially written on 11/22)
Yesterday was our rest day in Nkuringo. It would have been a great day, perfect weather in a perfect setting, but I was suffering from a bit of dehydration. By the end of the day and after many cups of tea I was feeling much better, and I was able to enjoy sitting around the bonfire. One thing Courtney and I realized was how much we missed being with Westerners our own age, so it was refreshing to sit and talk with our fellow travelers. Also, I got to play a little guitar for the first time since our training in Burkley, CA back in August!
The majority of the hiking today was down hill and on dirt roads, but we traveled over 25 km by foot. The first part of the trek led us down from Nkuringo through mountain farmlands. The fact that people are able to cultivate the practically vertical mountain sides is beyond me, let alone the fact that their families live on the very same slopes. The different types of crops produce different shades of green making the mountains seem to be draped in patchwork quilts. Although this might sound to not be as nice to look at when compared to the rainforest from the day before, the fact is, it may have been even more stunning. Every corner we rounded, we came face to face with even more majestic mountain tops and valleys.
Eventually, the mountains gave way to a great view of Lake Mutanda, the next part of our day's journey. Once on the shore, we got into a dugout canoe and set off. Our trip across the lake was supposed to take three hours, but we were able to make it in two and a quarter (largely thanks to my help paddling, I might add... *Brushes knuckles on his shirt*). The lake was pristine and, for the most part, pretty calm, but every time Evarist and our canoe guy, Moses, switched sides or when Evarist stopped to ladle some water from the bottom of the canoe, Courtney and I both felt that we were going to tip over, but Evarist and Moses hardly seemed to notice.
Once on solid ground again, we made our way to Kisoro through small towns and banana plantations. Kisoro itself seemed like a pretty normal town by Ugandan standards and boasted a brand new tarmacked road that lead straight the to border of the DRC (Congo). One unmistakable quality of the town, however, were the three volcanoes that loomed overhead, much bigger now than they had seemed from Nkuringo. There they stood, undaunted, almost taunting us about the day that lay ahead...
Monday, November 29, 2010
A Trek in Three Parts
Part I
(Originally written on 11/20)
It's amazing how fast life can change -- One day you are fearing for your life at the hands of a bus driver hellbent on seeing just how close he can take the bus to the drop off on the side of the road, the next you are staring down into the rain forest mountain valley that you just climbed as it fills with mist.
Yesterday, Courtney and I started our journey to western Uganda after staying the night in Old Kampala, a part of town we'd never been to before. The 5 o'clock bus left promptly at 5:29 am, right on African Time. Just after leaving the outskirts of Kampala and reaching the open roads through the hills, Courtney and I both came to the same conclusion -- Our bus driver wanted to kill us all.
He insisted on taking the hilly curves at break-neck speed. Apparently, he was trying to use the downhills to gain momentum for the uphills. To make matters worse, it had begun to rain, so the already shoddy roads were now slick, making the top-heavy bus tip slightly as it came careening around the turns. All I could picture the whole time was how it was going to tip over and fall off the road, so I spent the majority of the ride looking for soft spots for the bus to land during our eminent crash.
We finally got to Kihihi just before dark after winding through the mountain side, the road literally feet from a sheer drop off. It was gorgeous to look down into the forest valley, but equally terrifying. All of the African secondary school kids riding the bus back home thought it was hilarious how nervous the two Mzungus were about the cliff.
In Kihihi, we were able to get a boda-boda to Buhoma, our final destination. The day seemed to turn around at that point. The mountains had been beautiful during the drive Kihihi, but as the sun set, the mist rolled into the valleys and the moon shone down on the mountain sides, all of the worries from the day's journey melted away. Boda rides almost always provide great views, but this one tops them all. After an hour or so, we made it to the Buhoma Community Rest Camp, had a cup of tea and dinner, enjoyed a hot shower for the first time in months, and got a good night sleep. All of which was well needed for the day ahead.
The next day, we realized that we were going to need our passports to get into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, the first part of our trek. Since we were not leaving Uganda, neither Courtney or I had brought ours, and we couldn't get a hole of Heather to get our passport numbers from her since the network wasn't working. So, we improvised. We sent our guide, Evarist (his parents' spelling error, not mine), to the park rangers' office with our drivers licenses and two phony numbers. I'm sure they were just formalities anyway...
Our trek started in Bwindi, a shadowy, swampy rain forest preserve known for its gorillas and chimpanzees. Unfortunately, Courtney and I saw neither but did see many different species of monkeys and birds. We even found a chameleon right at the beginning of the trail which is a sign of good luck according to Evarist. Bwindi is one of the oldest rain forests in Uganda at almost 25,000 years old, which means that the ferns, vines, trees, and moss were all very dense. Although we were in the shade for most of the forest, it was still incredibly humid, making us pretty sweaty going up and down the mountain trail.
The next part of the hike was secondary forest, meaning that it had been cleared by humans in the past for farmland but now has been restored to forest. It was nothing compared to the rainforest -- the vegetation much more spread out, few to no vines, and all the plant species had changed. After the secondary forest, we started into the farm lands. This was easily the most difficult part of the climb -- Imagine climbing up giant stairs that are made of slippery mud for an hour or two -- but it also provided the best views, the green mountain sides colliding with one another off as far as the eye can see. Once we got to the top, we were in Nkuringo, the location of our rest camp. It's nestled on the top of one of the taller mountains in the area and provides an amazing view of the surrounding mountains and, most spectacularly, a chain of five volcanoes to the south. An amazing end to a tough but rewarding journey. Now to rest and prepare for two more days of the same...
(Originally written on 11/20)
It's amazing how fast life can change -- One day you are fearing for your life at the hands of a bus driver hellbent on seeing just how close he can take the bus to the drop off on the side of the road, the next you are staring down into the rain forest mountain valley that you just climbed as it fills with mist.
Yesterday, Courtney and I started our journey to western Uganda after staying the night in Old Kampala, a part of town we'd never been to before. The 5 o'clock bus left promptly at 5:29 am, right on African Time. Just after leaving the outskirts of Kampala and reaching the open roads through the hills, Courtney and I both came to the same conclusion -- Our bus driver wanted to kill us all.
He insisted on taking the hilly curves at break-neck speed. Apparently, he was trying to use the downhills to gain momentum for the uphills. To make matters worse, it had begun to rain, so the already shoddy roads were now slick, making the top-heavy bus tip slightly as it came careening around the turns. All I could picture the whole time was how it was going to tip over and fall off the road, so I spent the majority of the ride looking for soft spots for the bus to land during our eminent crash.
We finally got to Kihihi just before dark after winding through the mountain side, the road literally feet from a sheer drop off. It was gorgeous to look down into the forest valley, but equally terrifying. All of the African secondary school kids riding the bus back home thought it was hilarious how nervous the two Mzungus were about the cliff.
In Kihihi, we were able to get a boda-boda to Buhoma, our final destination. The day seemed to turn around at that point. The mountains had been beautiful during the drive Kihihi, but as the sun set, the mist rolled into the valleys and the moon shone down on the mountain sides, all of the worries from the day's journey melted away. Boda rides almost always provide great views, but this one tops them all. After an hour or so, we made it to the Buhoma Community Rest Camp, had a cup of tea and dinner, enjoyed a hot shower for the first time in months, and got a good night sleep. All of which was well needed for the day ahead.
The next day, we realized that we were going to need our passports to get into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, the first part of our trek. Since we were not leaving Uganda, neither Courtney or I had brought ours, and we couldn't get a hole of Heather to get our passport numbers from her since the network wasn't working. So, we improvised. We sent our guide, Evarist (his parents' spelling error, not mine), to the park rangers' office with our drivers licenses and two phony numbers. I'm sure they were just formalities anyway...
Our trek started in Bwindi, a shadowy, swampy rain forest preserve known for its gorillas and chimpanzees. Unfortunately, Courtney and I saw neither but did see many different species of monkeys and birds. We even found a chameleon right at the beginning of the trail which is a sign of good luck according to Evarist. Bwindi is one of the oldest rain forests in Uganda at almost 25,000 years old, which means that the ferns, vines, trees, and moss were all very dense. Although we were in the shade for most of the forest, it was still incredibly humid, making us pretty sweaty going up and down the mountain trail.
The next part of the hike was secondary forest, meaning that it had been cleared by humans in the past for farmland but now has been restored to forest. It was nothing compared to the rainforest -- the vegetation much more spread out, few to no vines, and all the plant species had changed. After the secondary forest, we started into the farm lands. This was easily the most difficult part of the climb -- Imagine climbing up giant stairs that are made of slippery mud for an hour or two -- but it also provided the best views, the green mountain sides colliding with one another off as far as the eye can see. Once we got to the top, we were in Nkuringo, the location of our rest camp. It's nestled on the top of one of the taller mountains in the area and provides an amazing view of the surrounding mountains and, most spectacularly, a chain of five volcanoes to the south. An amazing end to a tough but rewarding journey. Now to rest and prepare for two more days of the same...
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Some Not-So-Breaking News (anymore at least)
So, for anyone who hasn't heard yet, I'm coming home for the holidays thanks to my lovely girlfriend. I'm getting back on the 11th of December and will be returning to Uganda in mid-January. That being said, I can't wait to see everyone! I will definitely be making a trip, if not multiple, out to Madison, so you better all be ready for it.
In other news, I just got back from western Uganda yesterday. I went on a four day trek through rain-forests and mountains. It was amazing, some of the most beautiful views and landscapes I've ever seen, but was also strenuous and sometimes terrifying. We covered over 50 kilometers with one rest day and climbed a volcano the last day. I'm planning on posting a series of blogs about it in the coming weeks, so stay posted!
Until then.
-Adam
Oh yeah, here's some music... Proff - "Data"
In other news, I just got back from western Uganda yesterday. I went on a four day trek through rain-forests and mountains. It was amazing, some of the most beautiful views and landscapes I've ever seen, but was also strenuous and sometimes terrifying. We covered over 50 kilometers with one rest day and climbed a volcano the last day. I'm planning on posting a series of blogs about it in the coming weeks, so stay posted!
Until then.
-Adam
Oh yeah, here's some music... Proff - "Data"
Friday, November 12, 2010
Adam - 1, Bilharzia - nil
So, I started to feel a bit sick last week Wednesday after the evening training at Mbabaali Primary School, so much so that I decided to lay low and rest all day Thursday. Normally, I'll get over a sickness within a few days, so I was getting a bit worried when I still wasn't feeling well on Saturday morning and my kidneys were starting to hurt. I rarely ever go to the doctor, but I figured that getting seriously sick in the middle of Africa wasn't the greatest idea in the world, so I made the trek to The Surgery in Kampala. The taxi ride there was the worst I've had so far. My tender kidneys felt every bump along the way.
After waiting a few hours, I was able to see the doctor, a snarky British ex-pat. Turns out, I got parasite called Bilharzia while rafting in the Nile, and it have just flared up after it's incubation period of 2 months. Long story short, I took a few pills, got a nasty fever for a few days, and now I feel 100% better. Even though it wasn't pleasant being sick, it's a small price to pay for the amazing experience of rafting the Nile.
After waiting a few hours, I was able to see the doctor, a snarky British ex-pat. Turns out, I got parasite called Bilharzia while rafting in the Nile, and it have just flared up after it's incubation period of 2 months. Long story short, I took a few pills, got a nasty fever for a few days, and now I feel 100% better. Even though it wasn't pleasant being sick, it's a small price to pay for the amazing experience of rafting the Nile.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Ok, here are some ACTUAL accomplishments
October has been a great month for SWB-Ndejje. We have been working with multiple schools in the area to try to increase the number of kids coming for the Saturday soccer trainings, which has worked out really well. We have already seen a wider variety of kids at training, rather than only Hope Primary School kids. This is a step in the right direction towards getting the youth center recognized as an independent program rather than part of Hope Primary.
We also had a screening of a film that is part of a series called "Have you Heard from Johannesburg?" which was about how sport was used to help end apartheid in South Africa. Although the audience was mostly children and some of the content was probably over their heads, it provided a great opportunity to open up a conversation about racism and equality, two subjects that were pretty foreign to the kids.
In addition to those things, we have started to have 'open hours' at the youth center after school for the children. This is a time where the kids are allowed to draw, read, play games, and even get help on homework. One issue we have encountered with open hours is that parents have been calling their kids' school headmasters wondering why their kids have not been returning home right away after school. To remedy this, we have made letters to be given to the parts to explain what SWB is all about and what their kids are up to. Regardless of the minor setbacks though, this is great progress! The youth center is starting to actually feel like a youth center rather than just a storage space and locker room for football trainings! Hopefully November will be another eventful month here in Ndejje!
We also had a screening of a film that is part of a series called "Have you Heard from Johannesburg?" which was about how sport was used to help end apartheid in South Africa. Although the audience was mostly children and some of the content was probably over their heads, it provided a great opportunity to open up a conversation about racism and equality, two subjects that were pretty foreign to the kids.
In addition to those things, we have started to have 'open hours' at the youth center after school for the children. This is a time where the kids are allowed to draw, read, play games, and even get help on homework. One issue we have encountered with open hours is that parents have been calling their kids' school headmasters wondering why their kids have not been returning home right away after school. To remedy this, we have made letters to be given to the parts to explain what SWB is all about and what their kids are up to. Regardless of the minor setbacks though, this is great progress! The youth center is starting to actually feel like a youth center rather than just a storage space and locker room for football trainings! Hopefully November will be another eventful month here in Ndejje!
Octo-beard
Here is my greatest accomplishment of the past month:
Ok, so I might not be Grizzly Adams yet...
See you next month!
Ok, so I might not be Grizzly Adams yet...
See you next month!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Child's Play
There is a lot to be learned about Ugandan culture just by watching how their children play. You can see how basic these people live by watching a crowd of kids go crazy over a simple balloon being inflated and tossed into the air. You can see how physical, and even violent, Ugandans can be when things don't go their way by seeing how the kids will hit and berate each other during any game. You can see how blunt and frank the people are by watching the kids play "Al-Shabaab," a game like "Cops and Robbers," except instead of chasing a common thief, the kids are chasing the Islamic Terrorist group who has taken responsibility for the July 14th bombs in Kampala this past summer.
However, the most glaring statement that is made about Ugandans is how difficult their lives are. The children here are striped of their childhoods by strict discipline in school and hours upon hours of chores at home. The shear joy on their face during the scarce amount of time they are actually given time to play and act like a kid shows how hungry they are for it. It's those faces that make our work here worth all of the energy and time spent.
However, the most glaring statement that is made about Ugandans is how difficult their lives are. The children here are striped of their childhoods by strict discipline in school and hours upon hours of chores at home. The shear joy on their face during the scarce amount of time they are actually given time to play and act like a kid shows how hungry they are for it. It's those faces that make our work here worth all of the energy and time spent.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Expanding in the Community
This has been our first week of working with other schools in Ndejje outside of Hope Primary School. We first contacted the other schools two weeks ago and asked about spending an hour each week with their kids. The headmasters were all for it, so now we are working with Lubugumu Primary, Ndejje Primary, Mbabaali Primary and St. Andrews Primary in addition to Hope. The whole idea was to start working with more kids from the community in what the locals here refer to as a "sensitization" program, which means telling the community about our youth center and what Soccer Without Borders does.
There's no doubt that we have reached more kids. Each school had about 100+ kids for us to work with (from grade 3 to grade 7). Although this is great for Soccer Without Borders in Ndejje, it has been a little bit overwhelming. I remember waiting for the Ndejje kids to come with Courtney to meet me at the pitch, when all of a sudden, I saw a huge flood of kids come spilling around the bend in the road. Once they saw me standing with the bag of balls, they all swarmed around me and stuck out their hands to shake mine.
The trainings with each school have been a bit hectic this week, but now at least we know what we have gotten ourselves into, and we can plan accordingly for the next time we are with them. Also, we have already started to see an increase in the number of kids at our weekend trainings which are open to all kids. Now, the next step is to start having life skills workshops for the kids once their school schedules aren't as strenuous. Honestly, I think that if our biggest problem is that we have too many kids, then we are in good shape.
~Adam
There's no doubt that we have reached more kids. Each school had about 100+ kids for us to work with (from grade 3 to grade 7). Although this is great for Soccer Without Borders in Ndejje, it has been a little bit overwhelming. I remember waiting for the Ndejje kids to come with Courtney to meet me at the pitch, when all of a sudden, I saw a huge flood of kids come spilling around the bend in the road. Once they saw me standing with the bag of balls, they all swarmed around me and stuck out their hands to shake mine.
The trainings with each school have been a bit hectic this week, but now at least we know what we have gotten ourselves into, and we can plan accordingly for the next time we are with them. Also, we have already started to see an increase in the number of kids at our weekend trainings which are open to all kids. Now, the next step is to start having life skills workshops for the kids once their school schedules aren't as strenuous. Honestly, I think that if our biggest problem is that we have too many kids, then we are in good shape.
~Adam
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Simple Happiness
If there is one thing that life in Uganda gives your plenty of, it's 'time to think'. I've been taking advantage of that, and I am starting to think that the best way to enjoy life is by looking forward to the little things that you like to do throughout the day. Maybe it's just having a fresh cup of coffee in the morning before the day begins. Maybe it's listening to a song that always puts you in a good mood on the ride to work. Or finishing the sudoku out of the newspaper. Or laying in the sun for a little while to soak in the warmth. Or sitting down with your family to watch TV together.
One of the reasons so many people are unhappy with their daily lives is because they don't set up their days to include these simple little things. Honestly, taking the time to enjoy the simple things around here has been one of the most rewarding parts of life here so far.
On a more serious note: Can someone enlighten me on how the Packers lost to the Bears?
One of the reasons so many people are unhappy with their daily lives is because they don't set up their days to include these simple little things. Honestly, taking the time to enjoy the simple things around here has been one of the most rewarding parts of life here so far.
On a more serious note: Can someone enlighten me on how the Packers lost to the Bears?
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Progress
One of the hardest things to cope with here in Uganda is the pace at which things are done. Meetings usually start about an hour after they are supposed to. Getting places is a always a process and always involves a lot of walking. Everyone just seems to move in slow-motion. In a country where time is almost never of the essence, it is difficult to stay motivated and on task.
For Americans, making a schedule and sticking to it is a skill that has been ingrained in all of us since we were little. School starts at 8:30 a.m. SHARP. Each subject is given a time slot, and the next subject always begins precisely afterward. Lunch and recess are always at the same times, and the school buses leave at precisely 3:30 p.m. Swimming lessons are at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, and piano lessons are at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesdays. Soccer practice is every Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m.
For Ugandans, schedules are more like guidelines. It's okay if you show up a half hour late for soccer training, because everyone else is still just getting there, too. It's okay if you didn't get a chance to go over the plans for the next Youth Center Workshop; there's always tomorrow. Even in school, if a teacher is still finishing a lecture for p. 7 (equivalent of 7th grade), p. 6 will just have to wait for him to finish before he can come teach their class. Even the governmental and administrative processes here seems to be filled with tedious busywork that could be made shorter for the sake of efficiency.
Coming from a society where time waits for no one, it's obviously how this gets frustrating. However, Courtney, Heather and I have been slowing coming to terms with the pace of progress here. Our adviser and the founder of Soccer Without Borders, Ben Gucciardi, probably put it best by saying "For every 1 step forward, it's a 3/4 step back in Ndejje." So, we have had to focus on just getting maybe one or two things done per day. Somehow though, just completely one task a day feels like a great accomplishment here. The past four days we have all set out to accomplish one thing each day, and we have made incredible progress: our best soccer training session yet, introduction letters for the Youth Center to local schools completed, youth center sign completed. The only thing we can do is keep looking for the next task and focusing on each one individually.
For Americans, making a schedule and sticking to it is a skill that has been ingrained in all of us since we were little. School starts at 8:30 a.m. SHARP. Each subject is given a time slot, and the next subject always begins precisely afterward. Lunch and recess are always at the same times, and the school buses leave at precisely 3:30 p.m. Swimming lessons are at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, and piano lessons are at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesdays. Soccer practice is every Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m.
For Ugandans, schedules are more like guidelines. It's okay if you show up a half hour late for soccer training, because everyone else is still just getting there, too. It's okay if you didn't get a chance to go over the plans for the next Youth Center Workshop; there's always tomorrow. Even in school, if a teacher is still finishing a lecture for p. 7 (equivalent of 7th grade), p. 6 will just have to wait for him to finish before he can come teach their class. Even the governmental and administrative processes here seems to be filled with tedious busywork that could be made shorter for the sake of efficiency.
Coming from a society where time waits for no one, it's obviously how this gets frustrating. However, Courtney, Heather and I have been slowing coming to terms with the pace of progress here. Our adviser and the founder of Soccer Without Borders, Ben Gucciardi, probably put it best by saying "For every 1 step forward, it's a 3/4 step back in Ndejje." So, we have had to focus on just getting maybe one or two things done per day. Somehow though, just completely one task a day feels like a great accomplishment here. The past four days we have all set out to accomplish one thing each day, and we have made incredible progress: our best soccer training session yet, introduction letters for the Youth Center to local schools completed, youth center sign completed. The only thing we can do is keep looking for the next task and focusing on each one individually.
Monday, September 13, 2010
BEST. IDD. EVER.
*Originally written on 9/10*
It's one thing to have a cultural experience when you are planning on having it. It's something completely different when you get blindsided by getting thrown into a full-on, straight-out-of-Africa situation. All I was planning on doing today was having a normal day, maybe making some rice to have for lunch with the avocado I had bought earlier in the morning. Next thing I know, I'm in my Sunday Best trekking up the hill with two local girls to celebrate Idd with their family. All I know about Idd at this point is that it marks the end of Ramadan and it means that people are going to eat a lot -- didn't take much convincing to get me to join.
After a short walk, we got to a turn in the path that led between two houses. The two local girls, who basically befriended us by force, are Nadia and Hadia, and they live in one of the two houses with their mother, Sarah. The house just a few feet away belongs to their aunt. We had pretty much walked into the middle of their kitchen while the feast-in-the-works was spread out between the two cement porches facing each other. There was music coming out of one of the houses which can only be described as a Muslim male choir droning on in Arabic with incessant tribal drum accompaniment. Their larger-that-life, very outspoken mother warmly greeted us and told one of the girls to get a mat for us to sit on. Their aunt took time out from defeathering the dinner turkey to shake hands with us, politely offering the back of her wrist so that we didn't have to touch the hand still covered in feathers. Then, sodas were brought out for the guests. Courtney was made to pour mine into a glass for me, because "a man must never serve themselves!" Unfortunately, I don't think I will be getting that service back home...
Then, The craziness ensued. Courtney and Heather made the mistake of taking out their cameras, which is the universal sign in Uganda that it's time to take pictures of everyone/everything -- Nadia, Hadia, Nadia AND Hadia, the two of them with their little brothers and baby sister, all of them with Courtney, all of them with Heather, all of them with me, all of us, just the mzungus -- every possible combination. And of course, they need to run to show their mother each picture immediately after it was taken. So while Heather is busy having a nervous breakdown about her $400 camera being waved around by two pre-teen Ugandan girls, I'm entranced by their mother who is now gutting the turkey and rinsing the remaining blood from the carcass. Also, one of the little brothers has discovered the unusual amount of hair on my arms (by Ugandan standards at least) and is running his fingers through it. Courtney has become the caretaker of the baby sister, clothed in only a jean skirt that has spent more around her ankles than her hips and a string of beads around her waist which is intended to help baby girls grow hips apparently.
Then, Nadia and Hadia started with the synchronized dancing, which they started from on their knees and gradually worked their way to their feet. Their baby sister mimicked them in the foreground. The dance performance was broken up for a juice break, which ended in the sugar being spilled all over the porch. The kids tried to lick up whatever sugar couldn't be scooped back into the container, but it was two late. The baby sister was already covered from head to toe in sugar crystals, so she had a bath right there.
Soon, their uncle and his wife came, and just in time for the food. Lunch consisted of pilau (rice pilaf), Irish potatoes with tomato and onion, and slow roasted beef. I was served first, me being the man, and their aunt knelt down before us as she brought us our plates. The stray cats started to show up for scraps as we ate. The baby sister was covered in good again, so she had a second bath. Afterward, she proceeded to squat and relieve herself right in front of us, for which she was praised since she didn't do it in the house.
There was a point in the chaos where I took a second to look around, to feel the moment. To think, this is how this family lives, day in day out, year after year. It's hard to believe that I'm actually here to witness it, to be a part of it. I don't want a single moment like this to slip by, and I always want to remember, This Is Africa.
IDD ILFITRI
It's one thing to have a cultural experience when you are planning on having it. It's something completely different when you get blindsided by getting thrown into a full-on, straight-out-of-Africa situation. All I was planning on doing today was having a normal day, maybe making some rice to have for lunch with the avocado I had bought earlier in the morning. Next thing I know, I'm in my Sunday Best trekking up the hill with two local girls to celebrate Idd with their family. All I know about Idd at this point is that it marks the end of Ramadan and it means that people are going to eat a lot -- didn't take much convincing to get me to join.
After a short walk, we got to a turn in the path that led between two houses. The two local girls, who basically befriended us by force, are Nadia and Hadia, and they live in one of the two houses with their mother, Sarah. The house just a few feet away belongs to their aunt. We had pretty much walked into the middle of their kitchen while the feast-in-the-works was spread out between the two cement porches facing each other. There was music coming out of one of the houses which can only be described as a Muslim male choir droning on in Arabic with incessant tribal drum accompaniment. Their larger-that-life, very outspoken mother warmly greeted us and told one of the girls to get a mat for us to sit on. Their aunt took time out from defeathering the dinner turkey to shake hands with us, politely offering the back of her wrist so that we didn't have to touch the hand still covered in feathers. Then, sodas were brought out for the guests. Courtney was made to pour mine into a glass for me, because "a man must never serve themselves!" Unfortunately, I don't think I will be getting that service back home...
Then, The craziness ensued. Courtney and Heather made the mistake of taking out their cameras, which is the universal sign in Uganda that it's time to take pictures of everyone/everything -- Nadia, Hadia, Nadia AND Hadia, the two of them with their little brothers and baby sister, all of them with Courtney, all of them with Heather, all of them with me, all of us, just the mzungus -- every possible combination. And of course, they need to run to show their mother each picture immediately after it was taken. So while Heather is busy having a nervous breakdown about her $400 camera being waved around by two pre-teen Ugandan girls, I'm entranced by their mother who is now gutting the turkey and rinsing the remaining blood from the carcass. Also, one of the little brothers has discovered the unusual amount of hair on my arms (by Ugandan standards at least) and is running his fingers through it. Courtney has become the caretaker of the baby sister, clothed in only a jean skirt that has spent more around her ankles than her hips and a string of beads around her waist which is intended to help baby girls grow hips apparently.
Then, Nadia and Hadia started with the synchronized dancing, which they started from on their knees and gradually worked their way to their feet. Their baby sister mimicked them in the foreground. The dance performance was broken up for a juice break, which ended in the sugar being spilled all over the porch. The kids tried to lick up whatever sugar couldn't be scooped back into the container, but it was two late. The baby sister was already covered from head to toe in sugar crystals, so she had a bath right there.
Soon, their uncle and his wife came, and just in time for the food. Lunch consisted of pilau (rice pilaf), Irish potatoes with tomato and onion, and slow roasted beef. I was served first, me being the man, and their aunt knelt down before us as she brought us our plates. The stray cats started to show up for scraps as we ate. The baby sister was covered in good again, so she had a second bath. Afterward, she proceeded to squat and relieve herself right in front of us, for which she was praised since she didn't do it in the house.
There was a point in the chaos where I took a second to look around, to feel the moment. To think, this is how this family lives, day in day out, year after year. It's hard to believe that I'm actually here to witness it, to be a part of it. I don't want a single moment like this to slip by, and I always want to remember, This Is Africa.
IDD ILFITRI
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Big Stage
This Saturday, I went to the Ugandan National soccer game against Angola, a 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifying match. The journey there alone was incredible. I was going with my friend, Michael Bolton, an Aussie who I had met in Jinga earlier in the week. Of course, we were running late, so we decided to meet Courtney and Heather at the game rather than meet up with them in town. I was also running low on cash and already owed Michael Bolton 20,000 shillings from the night before (~$10), so we opted to split a boda there. Michael Bolton also happens to be 6'8", so just try and picture me and him crammed together behind the boda driver. There was tons of traffic heading towards the game, so we were weaving in and out of stopped traffic the whole ride. To top it all off, it started to rain just as we were starting to make good time. Although it was a ride of a lifetime, I could have done without the sting of rain drops hitting me in the face at 60 mph.
When we got to the game, we had to sample the tailgate fare -- grilled goat on a stick. Apparently, anyone is able to set up shop and starting selling whatever they feel like. We hurried into the stands and could hear the celebrations from the first Ugandan goal as we were halfway up the steps. The atmosphere at the game felt like the biggest backyard soccer match in history. The fans were a ragtag bunch, spilling over the railings in every direction. The bleachers consisted of over-sized cement steps, and seating was first come, first serve -- forget row letters and seat numbers. All the food vendors were private vendors selling chapatti (flat-bread), goat kabobs, or grilled corn (that actually tastes like popcorn). The crowd was easily the greatest part of the game. They never missed a second -- every completed pass, every good look, every cheeky dribble -- they cheered for everything, just like they would on the playground. Uganda ended up winning 3-nil what was a fairly sloppy game due to the rain. Nonetheless, all of Kampala erupted after the victory. Every taxi and truck on the streets were packed with celebrating fans blowing vuvuzelas. It was a good win for Uganda also, because Angola was definitely the favorite to win their group. It's pretty obvious by looking at this experience how important the sport of soccer is to this country, which is encouraging. What better tool for social change than a passion that can unite so many cultures in such a short period of time?
When we got to the game, we had to sample the tailgate fare -- grilled goat on a stick. Apparently, anyone is able to set up shop and starting selling whatever they feel like. We hurried into the stands and could hear the celebrations from the first Ugandan goal as we were halfway up the steps. The atmosphere at the game felt like the biggest backyard soccer match in history. The fans were a ragtag bunch, spilling over the railings in every direction. The bleachers consisted of over-sized cement steps, and seating was first come, first serve -- forget row letters and seat numbers. All the food vendors were private vendors selling chapatti (flat-bread), goat kabobs, or grilled corn (that actually tastes like popcorn). The crowd was easily the greatest part of the game. They never missed a second -- every completed pass, every good look, every cheeky dribble -- they cheered for everything, just like they would on the playground. Uganda ended up winning 3-nil what was a fairly sloppy game due to the rain. Nonetheless, all of Kampala erupted after the victory. Every taxi and truck on the streets were packed with celebrating fans blowing vuvuzelas. It was a good win for Uganda also, because Angola was definitely the favorite to win their group. It's pretty obvious by looking at this experience how important the sport of soccer is to this country, which is encouraging. What better tool for social change than a passion that can unite so many cultures in such a short period of time?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
To Jinja and Back Again
This week has been pretty eventful. It started Sunday morning when Courtney, Heather, and I set out for Jinja, a town east of Kampala where the true source of the Nile is located (apparently multiple countries claim to have the source of the Nile). The taxi ride there was only 2000 shillings, so less than $1, and took about 2 hours. Other than being cramped in the taxi van that was originally designed 20+ years ago to transport Japanese businessmen, it was a pretty decent ride thanks to the view of the countryside we got from the road. Miles of green hills followed by miles of ancient rainforest. Unfortunately, most of the rainforests in Uganda have already been cleared for timber oftentimes replaced by cheap pine trees for paper.
The taxi dropped us in the middle of Jinja, from where we had to navigate our way to the hostel we were going to stay at. Conveniently, the hostel also offered whitewater rafting on the Nile, so we couldn't pass it up. We booked a guided trip for Monday and decided to use the rest of the day to explore Jinja. First stop was to walk over the first Nile dam and get a look at the river. No pictures allowed of the dam, however. There are military guards stationed along the dam with AK-47's making sure of it. Apparently, they are working off an old rule set in place to prevent spies from learning about their infrastructure. I guess they haven't quite gotten the memo on Google Earth yet...
After walking for hours and asking for directions from multiple people, we were about to find a great little bar/restaurant. At first, it didn't look like much, but when you went down the stairs beyond the bar, there was an awesome little clearing right on the bank of the Nile with little bungalows. I opted for a liquid lunch, a Castle Milk Stout, the Ugandan version of Guiness. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful: finished our self-guided tour of Jinja, had the first beef I've eaten since leaving Wisconsin, watched some English Premier League soccer, Chatted with a backpacker from Denmark, went to sleep in the dorm. The following day was the big show.
We got out in the raft by 10 am. After a crash course on rafting, focusing heavily on what to do (not IF, but) when we fall out of the raft, we were off. Before I knew it, we were in Grade 5 rapids. All in all, our boat flipped 4 times, but falling out was probably more fun than staying in. The most impressive rapid we hit was a 15 foot waterfall. Since the raft was only 14 feet, we were completely vertical at one point, and I loved every minute of it from the front of the raft. At the end of the trip, we were able to get a glimpse of a Grade 6 rapid. The difference between Grade 5 and Grade 6 is pretty substantial. I could even imagine trying to go down the 6.
From the end of the trip, we were picked up by a big safari truck and brought back to Bujugali Falls, the first Grade 5 that we went over and where our camp would be for the night. That ride back was the hardest experience I've gone through on my trip so far. The towns we drove through weren't anything special. The same dirt roads lined with brick buildings and vendor shacks made from sticks. The same chickens and cows, bicycles and bodas, naked babies playing in the dirt and old men talking on porches. But it was completely different. I was viewing it from the outside now, up from my elevated seat in the safari truck. It felt like they were on display for me, that their lives were meant to entertain me. For the first time, I felt like I was part of the dreaded "T" word; I was a Tourist. And that's not why I'm here. I want to EXPERIENCE their culture, be a part of it, not put it under a magnifying glass. It's amazing how quickly you can go from feeling the most exhilaration in your life to feeling sick to your stomach by how your culture can completely demean other and have absolutely no qualms with it.
The taxi dropped us in the middle of Jinja, from where we had to navigate our way to the hostel we were going to stay at. Conveniently, the hostel also offered whitewater rafting on the Nile, so we couldn't pass it up. We booked a guided trip for Monday and decided to use the rest of the day to explore Jinja. First stop was to walk over the first Nile dam and get a look at the river. No pictures allowed of the dam, however. There are military guards stationed along the dam with AK-47's making sure of it. Apparently, they are working off an old rule set in place to prevent spies from learning about their infrastructure. I guess they haven't quite gotten the memo on Google Earth yet...
After walking for hours and asking for directions from multiple people, we were about to find a great little bar/restaurant. At first, it didn't look like much, but when you went down the stairs beyond the bar, there was an awesome little clearing right on the bank of the Nile with little bungalows. I opted for a liquid lunch, a Castle Milk Stout, the Ugandan version of Guiness. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful: finished our self-guided tour of Jinja, had the first beef I've eaten since leaving Wisconsin, watched some English Premier League soccer, Chatted with a backpacker from Denmark, went to sleep in the dorm. The following day was the big show.
We got out in the raft by 10 am. After a crash course on rafting, focusing heavily on what to do (not IF, but) when we fall out of the raft, we were off. Before I knew it, we were in Grade 5 rapids. All in all, our boat flipped 4 times, but falling out was probably more fun than staying in. The most impressive rapid we hit was a 15 foot waterfall. Since the raft was only 14 feet, we were completely vertical at one point, and I loved every minute of it from the front of the raft. At the end of the trip, we were able to get a glimpse of a Grade 6 rapid. The difference between Grade 5 and Grade 6 is pretty substantial. I could even imagine trying to go down the 6.
From the end of the trip, we were picked up by a big safari truck and brought back to Bujugali Falls, the first Grade 5 that we went over and where our camp would be for the night. That ride back was the hardest experience I've gone through on my trip so far. The towns we drove through weren't anything special. The same dirt roads lined with brick buildings and vendor shacks made from sticks. The same chickens and cows, bicycles and bodas, naked babies playing in the dirt and old men talking on porches. But it was completely different. I was viewing it from the outside now, up from my elevated seat in the safari truck. It felt like they were on display for me, that their lives were meant to entertain me. For the first time, I felt like I was part of the dreaded "T" word; I was a Tourist. And that's not why I'm here. I want to EXPERIENCE their culture, be a part of it, not put it under a magnifying glass. It's amazing how quickly you can go from feeling the most exhilaration in your life to feeling sick to your stomach by how your culture can completely demean other and have absolutely no qualms with it.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
My First Bota
I had my first bota-bota ride yesterday. Much less scary than it seems. It's actually very exhilorating. Since the sun was coming over my right-hand shoulder, I could see my hair blowing in the wind from my shadow. It must have looked pretty funny for the locals to see a 6'4" mzungu on the back of a little Ugandan's bota. the best part was, he asked if I wanted to drive!
At first, he simply asked me if I knew how to drive, to which I answered yes. Then, he pulled over to the side. I figured something was wrong with his little, run-down motorcycle, but he turned around and said, "You drive now?" A thousand different reasonings flashed through my head. I've never driven a motorcycle, but this would be an amazing time to start! I don't really know how to negotiate these potholed, hilly roads, but it would be a fun challenge! I would probably get hit by a car or taxi van as they rush past on these narrow roads, but it would be a great sight for the locals to see a mzungu driving a bota!
In the end, I let my good judgement get the better of my spirit for adventure. I don't know if it will end that way if the offer ever comes up again, though...
At first, he simply asked me if I knew how to drive, to which I answered yes. Then, he pulled over to the side. I figured something was wrong with his little, run-down motorcycle, but he turned around and said, "You drive now?" A thousand different reasonings flashed through my head. I've never driven a motorcycle, but this would be an amazing time to start! I don't really know how to negotiate these potholed, hilly roads, but it would be a fun challenge! I would probably get hit by a car or taxi van as they rush past on these narrow roads, but it would be a great sight for the locals to see a mzungu driving a bota!
In the end, I let my good judgement get the better of my spirit for adventure. I don't know if it will end that way if the offer ever comes up again, though...
MATCHDAY
*Originally written on 8/21 from Namasuba Primary School Field*
Today is the first time that the SWB boys will have an "official" match since we've been here. Deo has arranged for two friendly matches with a group from a neighboring town. It is interesting to watch the boys wait to suit up. They all wait anxiously at the Youth Center's door for us to let them in to choose their kits. The older boys go first, wearing the red tops with white shorts. The younger boys get second pick, wearing the blue tops with red shorts. there is some sort of transformation as they put the uniforms on. They no longer look like the misfit crew that shows up to the training pitch everyday. They look proud to wear the mismatched kits. They look unified. The look like they are part of something bigger than themselves for once.
This round object-
It doesn't talk,
It doesn't fight,
It only made us friends.
~Ibrahim, Namasuba Primary School Athletic Director
2:50 - Juventus Namasuba is the team we will face. The younger teams are starting first. The ref is really liking the whistle. The game hasn't even started yet. He just keeps blowing it to get the teams to line up at the midline.
3:07 - GAME ON: Only one hour behind schedule, not to bad. The ref still likes the whistle...A LOT.
3:11 - GOAL: SWB scores off a free kick from about 30 yards out. Right over the reach of the keeper.
3:20 - HALF TIME: One-Nil, Soccer Without Borders.
3:27 - START OF SECOND HALF
3:31 - REF ON THE PHONE
3:47 - FULL TIME: One-Nil, Soccer Without Borders.
The older team is up now. They look pretty formidable from the side line. This looks to be a much more interesting match. Although the younger teams have skill, they lack structure and creativity in their play. Hopefully this will be a better match.
3:54 - GAME ON: Much better play already.
3:57 - GOAL: Ronald, captain for SWB, has lobbed over the keeper from 40 yards out.
4:01 - Strong shot from the right winger for SWB, equally strong save from Juve Namasuba. The striker was unable to convert off the rebound.
4:10 - COW CROSSING TIMEOUT: Apparently, some farmer felt that NOW was the best time for his cows to cross the field.4:16 - Shot from Juve Namasuba goes dangerously wide. The striker had the keeper caught out, he just couldn't quite keep the chip on target.
4:20 - HALF TIME: One-Nil, Soccer Without Borders.
4:23 - START OF SECOND HALF: After a quick break, the game is back on.
4:28 - SECOND AND FINAL COW CROSSING TIMEOUT: The farmer has no remaining timeouts.
Although this ref has not blown the whistle nearly as much as the first ref, he has mad some pretty horrible offsides calls.
4:45 - Corner kick for SWB. Well placed into the center of the box. A SWB midfielder got a head on it and put it on goal, but it glanced off the corner of the crossbar and out for a goal kick.
4:47 - GOAL: The SWB right winger put in a strong shot on goal, which the keeper parried away, but only as far as the top of the box where the SWB striker was able to control the ball, dribble around a defender, and bury it in the center of the net. (Actually, there are no nets... consider it a figure of speech...)
4:48 - FULL TIME: Two-Nil, Soccer Without Borders
Friday, August 13, 2010
"What is the feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing?-it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-by. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies."
-Kerouac, On the Road
I wish I could say that Ndejje is exactly how I expected it. The dirt roads and brick buildings (which, by American standards for size and floor plan, are more similar to sheds) are what I thought I would see, but the sheer beauty of the place I am living in could never have been described in any book, movie, article, or first hand account before I got here. It is hard to think that I am going to be living here for 10 months, mainly because it is all so new.
Ndejje is a quiet little town nestled in the side of a lush hill. All of the roads and paths are made of compacted dirt and are nowhere close to flat. Taxi vans (the old taxi fleet donated from Japan) and Bota-bota's (taxi motorcycles) are constantly zipping by on the usually single lane road. Negotiating the incredibly uneven terrain while dodging taxis Frogger style makes walking down the road pretty challenging, but fun in some weird way.
The people here are some of the friendliest that I've ever met. Some still need a little more time to warm up to the new "Mzungus" (white folks) in town -- others are just plain rude -- but the majority of the people have been very inviting from the start. Every time you walk down the street, you feel like George Clooney. Everyone stares as you walk by, or at least steals a glance after they've past you. The kids never get tired of chanting, "Mzungu, How are you?!" or "Mzungu, Bye!" (there isn't a word for Hello in Luganda, the local language) It will be interesting to see if this will get annoying or if I will be able to tune it out eventually. I'm sure the lack of anonymity will be a challenge.
Until next time,
Adam
-Kerouac, On the Road
I wish I could say that Ndejje is exactly how I expected it. The dirt roads and brick buildings (which, by American standards for size and floor plan, are more similar to sheds) are what I thought I would see, but the sheer beauty of the place I am living in could never have been described in any book, movie, article, or first hand account before I got here. It is hard to think that I am going to be living here for 10 months, mainly because it is all so new.
Ndejje is a quiet little town nestled in the side of a lush hill. All of the roads and paths are made of compacted dirt and are nowhere close to flat. Taxi vans (the old taxi fleet donated from Japan) and Bota-bota's (taxi motorcycles) are constantly zipping by on the usually single lane road. Negotiating the incredibly uneven terrain while dodging taxis Frogger style makes walking down the road pretty challenging, but fun in some weird way.
The people here are some of the friendliest that I've ever met. Some still need a little more time to warm up to the new "Mzungus" (white folks) in town -- others are just plain rude -- but the majority of the people have been very inviting from the start. Every time you walk down the street, you feel like George Clooney. Everyone stares as you walk by, or at least steals a glance after they've past you. The kids never get tired of chanting, "Mzungu, How are you?!" or "Mzungu, Bye!" (there isn't a word for Hello in Luganda, the local language) It will be interesting to see if this will get annoying or if I will be able to tune it out eventually. I'm sure the lack of anonymity will be a challenge.
Until next time,
Adam
Friday, August 6, 2010
The Rough Start
*Originally written while waiting in O'Hare International on 8/3/10, unfortunately over Starbucks Coffee...*
For the first time in my life, I hate being at the airport. Usually, I have a short vacation or quick visit to friends/relatives just around the corner for me. Usually, I love watching the planes come in, watching old men argue baseball between flights, watching kids hope from black tile to black tile making sure that they don't touch the white tiles--just watching. Not this time. This time I'm not going down to Texas to see Uncle Doug and Aunt Dawn for the week. I'm not going to visit Sarah while she studies in Barcelona. I'm going halfway across the globe on a once in a lifetime trip that is just as exciting as it is terrifying, life-changing as it is a complete halt to life as I know it.
If only there WOULD have been traffic on the way in to O'Hare like my mother had warned. Then, I wouldn't have these three extra hours to stew over what's to come in this limbo that is no longer home and not yet there. What's worse, there is no way for me to get in contact with anyone else while I wait, seeing as I no longer have my phone and I don't feel like paying the ridiculous amount of $1.00/2 min for a pay-phone. So I'm left only with my thoughts of how exactly I'm going to live for the next ten months.
As the coffee kicks in and my head starts to clear, I'm wondering if the worst is behind me. The cord has been cut. There is no turning back now, since I've come too far to back down from the adventure. I still can't focus on anything else going on around me. I can only wonder what I will be like afterwards.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
IT STARTS...
Training in Oakland has officially started for SWB. I have met the two girls that I am going to be living in Uganda with, and they are awesome. We have spent the past day and a half learning about what our jobs are going to be while we are working with SWB. We have also been teaching/coaching/playing tag at the SWB Oakland Refugee kids soccer camp. I don't want to spend too much time writing today, but I just wanted everyone to know that I have safely made it to Oakland. I will post again in the next couple days as I start to learn more of the specifics for my trip.
-Adam
-Adam
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Departure
The day has finally come. After a weekend of gorging myself on brats, cheese, and good Wisconsin beer, I now have to finish packing for the next 10 months. By taking the bare essentials that I will need while I'm in Uganda, I know that there are many things that I can't take with me, most off which can't even be packed.
I can't bring my family with me. I know that I will form a new family with my fellow SWB volunteers and with the locals of Ndejje, but it can never replace the one I'm leaving behind. At the same time, I could never go on this adventure without knowing that I have such great support behind me at home. The kindness that you have all shown me through your support over the past 6 months is what has helped me prepare myself mentally for my trip.
I can't bring my friends with me. At times, friends can seem closer than family. Although I have gotten some questioning looks when I've told certain friends that I want to go to Africa for 10 months, I know that under that scepticism you have all been excited for me and supported my decision. I hope that you will all stay connected with me while I'm gone, and you better all be ready to celebrate my return come June!
Although I still have to make a pit stop in Cali for training, I will be in Uganda by the 10th. I will try to made an update post over the next couple of days while I find out more info about the specifics of my living condition and of my trip.
Until next time.
-Adam
I can't bring my family with me. I know that I will form a new family with my fellow SWB volunteers and with the locals of Ndejje, but it can never replace the one I'm leaving behind. At the same time, I could never go on this adventure without knowing that I have such great support behind me at home. The kindness that you have all shown me through your support over the past 6 months is what has helped me prepare myself mentally for my trip.
I can't bring my friends with me. At times, friends can seem closer than family. Although I have gotten some questioning looks when I've told certain friends that I want to go to Africa for 10 months, I know that under that scepticism you have all been excited for me and supported my decision. I hope that you will all stay connected with me while I'm gone, and you better all be ready to celebrate my return come June!
Although I still have to make a pit stop in Cali for training, I will be in Uganda by the 10th. I will try to made an update post over the next couple of days while I find out more info about the specifics of my living condition and of my trip.
Until next time.
-Adam
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Airline Tickets: CHECK
I have officially booked my flights to Uganda! I'm leaving on August 3rd for Oakland, where I will have a week of training. Then it's on to Kampala!
I'll keep you all posted as more developments come in.
-Adam
I'll keep you all posted as more developments come in.
-Adam
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Pre-Trip Status and Kampala Bombing
Hey guys,
I would like to start out by thanking everyone who has given me support so far for my volunteer intern position with Soccer Without Borders. I am getting closer to my goal, but I still have a ways to go. Anything else that you can give will be greatly appreciated! Again, you can click on the link to the right if you would like to donate. It is really easy to do and only takes a couple of minutes!
It's officially crunch time. I'm working at getting my flights booked still, it's just a matter of having the funding for it at this point. I'm also lined up for getting my shots'n'stuff. I am still waiting to find out more of the details of what the actual work will consist of while I'm in Uganda, so I will keep everyone posted as it comes in.
Changing gears a bit, some of you may know there was a terrorist attack in Kampala, Uganda this past Sunday during the World Cup Final. A Somalian Islamic Extremist group has taken credit for the twin-bombings. Here is a link to an article about the attacks if you want to read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/africa/10602791.stm. Rest assured that no one from SWB has been effected, and I still fully intend on going next month. The attacks happened in downtown Kampala, and I will be living 45 miles outside of the city.
Thanks for your readership! And your support!
-Adam
I would like to start out by thanking everyone who has given me support so far for my volunteer intern position with Soccer Without Borders. I am getting closer to my goal, but I still have a ways to go. Anything else that you can give will be greatly appreciated! Again, you can click on the link to the right if you would like to donate. It is really easy to do and only takes a couple of minutes!
It's officially crunch time. I'm working at getting my flights booked still, it's just a matter of having the funding for it at this point. I'm also lined up for getting my shots'n'stuff. I am still waiting to find out more of the details of what the actual work will consist of while I'm in Uganda, so I will keep everyone posted as it comes in.
Changing gears a bit, some of you may know there was a terrorist attack in Kampala, Uganda this past Sunday during the World Cup Final. A Somalian Islamic Extremist group has taken credit for the twin-bombings. Here is a link to an article about the attacks if you want to read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/africa/10602791.stm. Rest assured that no one from SWB has been effected, and I still fully intend on going next month. The attacks happened in downtown Kampala, and I will be living 45 miles outside of the city.
Thanks for your readership! And your support!
-Adam
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Start of Something Great
Welcome any and all readers!
As most of you know, I am going to Ndejje, Uganda until next June to work with an non-profit called Soccer Without Borders. This blog will be one way that I will document my time there. I will be posting anything from updates on the program's status, to personal experiences, to player profiles straight from the pitch.
Since SWB is a non-profit organization, I won't have any sort of income while I'm there. That means that I need to raise quite a bit of money to cover basic living costs for 10 months abroad. Anything that you can donate is greatly appreciated and will help give marginalized youth an opportunity to develop leadership and social skills while providing them with a structured team experience. The easiest way to donate is by clicking on the link on the right-hand side of the blog. If you would rather donate by check, please send it to:
2149 Byron St.
Berkeley, CA 94702
Be sure to note that you are contributing on my behalf. Also, your donation IS tax-deductible!
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your time. I hope that you will follow me on here. For more information on Soccer Without Borders, please go to www.soccerwithoutborders.org.
Til next time.
-Adam
As most of you know, I am going to Ndejje, Uganda until next June to work with an non-profit called Soccer Without Borders. This blog will be one way that I will document my time there. I will be posting anything from updates on the program's status, to personal experiences, to player profiles straight from the pitch.
Since SWB is a non-profit organization, I won't have any sort of income while I'm there. That means that I need to raise quite a bit of money to cover basic living costs for 10 months abroad. Anything that you can donate is greatly appreciated and will help give marginalized youth an opportunity to develop leadership and social skills while providing them with a structured team experience. The easiest way to donate is by clicking on the link on the right-hand side of the blog. If you would rather donate by check, please send it to:
2149 Byron St.
Berkeley, CA 94702
Be sure to note that you are contributing on my behalf. Also, your donation IS tax-deductible!
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your time. I hope that you will follow me on here. For more information on Soccer Without Borders, please go to www.soccerwithoutborders.org.
Til next time.
-Adam
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