Powerless

So this will be a quick one because we're on our way to Kampala at the moment. So yeah, we STILL don't have power. We've had a few hours here and there, but we've never had a whole day of power. Apparently it's even worse because the power company is "fixing" something so it could be anywhere from 15 to 90 days. Quite the time span, eh? So pretty much the entire time I'm here. Nice. I'm getting comfortable with candles again, though.

Right now we've just been doing a lot of prep because the kids come back on February 4th for the school term. We (by we I mean Terra and I came along) bought books, beans and paint. Starting on Monday I'll be painting some murals to make the place a little happier. Woo hoo!

So as for the Italian construction company...they are crazy. They truly do wish to donate a lot of money to the orphanage, and we went to a party of theirs the other night to "schmooze" with them. Oh...Italians. There were loud speakers, pounding music, and the most AMAZING food I've ever had. In Uganda it felt quite strange. They're having another party and they were like, "Oh, don't worry, we'll send a private car for you." Pardon? And the dude has a helicopter to fly between his homes in Rome and Greece. So altogether quite the hook-up for us because they're just throwing money around. So I guess we have to eat nummy food with Italians in the jungle *sigh*. Oh well...it's for the children.

Anyways, the battery is dying on the laptop so I should go. I've only injured myself twice so far and had one unfortunate experience with the local food. I definitely feel like I'm back now. Okay! Take care, and hopefully we'll have some more power so I can write a bit more!

I'm totally in Uganda

Yes! I'm alive! I'm in Iganga now but I have not been able to email as the power has been out since I got here. There is this one place with a generator that we are finally using. It is SUPER slow, but at least I can have some contact. I have not been able to check my messages yet, though. Sorry!

Okay, these first few days have been quite busy. Terra met me in Kampala and the next morning while she was out at the ShopRite she met a street boy named Waiswa. Usually there is no point with street boys and you feel bad but they are so unwilling to be helped. This one seemed different though, and he really wanted to go to school. So Terra decided for the first time to bring this guy with us and see if we could help him. He came with us to Iganga and we had some of the teachers interrogate him to find out what his story was. He was such a helpful and polite boy, but when it came to giving us the details about his life, he would not provide and he refused to go to the police with us so we could get proper documentation. He said they would beat him, but he still seemed like he might be not telling us something. In the end we took him back to Kampala and we said he could think about telling us more and we'd go see him on Saturday again. So we hope things can still happen with him.

Something SUPER exciting is that it looks like a construction company here is going to pay for all of the beds for the orphanage, desks, chairs, solar lights and food for 5 years!!! I'll keep you posted. We're meeting with the guy again tomorrow.

Finally, a sad thing is about my friend Isaac. He was my guard at Samuel's house and my friend and companion for the whole time I was there. I went with him to meet his family and we became quite close. I just found out that he had a bad boda accident (motorbike) and his face is pretty disfigured. On top of that, his wife has left him and his only child, baby Gift, died. So he is really struggling and it just breaks my heart. I'm trying to find him, but he has slipped a long way down and is hard to trace. I hope to find him.

Okay, I should let Terra use the computer while she still can. But this is mainly to say that I'm here, things are happening, and I'll try to write more when we get power back! Pleeeeease. I miss power. Bye for now!

This is what? Another post.

I've been trying to remember lately how I was feeling before I left for Uganda last time. I do believe that I was terrified but no matter how hard I try, I can't remember. Maybe I've blocked it out. So this time, I thought I'd record a few things before I take off so I know where I stood before I was reimmersed in Ugandaland. Of course, this is all in the spirit of cultural understanding :0)

10 Things I Remember About Uganda:

1) Having dirty feet ALL the time. And most importantly, not caring.

2) Being called "Sir" everywhere I went.

3) Being called fat and learning to accept the fact that it was actually meant as a compliment.

4) Learning that you can point directions out just as well with your lips as you can with your hands.

5) Choosing a restaurant by what type of bathroom facilities there were.

6) Asking for ice and being told to come back later because maybe they could make some for me if the power doesn't go out.

7) "Customer Service" consists of either being completely ignored until such a time they feel like talking or being told that they don't actually sell anything on the menu and being looked at like an alien for even thinking they would.

8) Just eat it, don't ask, it's all you're getting so pretend it tastes like roast beef.

9) We were baptizing people in a lake where crocodiles were just spotted around the corner and we were just laughing about it...what?!

10) Learning to add questions in the middle of what? A sentence.

Uganda in 4 days? Don't mind if I do...

I've been asked the same question a lot when I tell people that I'm going back to Uganda, so I figured that this might be a good way to start this blog journey off. The thing is, people want to know why I'm focusing my work in Africa when there are so many problems right here in Canada with the natives, homelessness and such. I understand why people are asking me this, so I'll try to answer the question the best I can.

I know there's some mystery behind how a prairie girl with a panic disorder ended up going to Uganda in the first place. All I can say is that going to Africa is something that has been in my system and on my mind since I was about 10 years old. I always knew that I didn't want to just travel and go on safari, but I wanted to go there and work and get to know the people so I could in some way become part of Africa myself. It's just always been inside me and I don't know exactly why.

It's not that I don't understand the issues here in Canada, or that I don't care about them. I do. There are people out there who feel that their calling is to work on East Hastings St. in Vancouver, when a lot of people wouldn't consider even driving down there. I understand why they're so passionate about what they're doing because it's the same thing I feel for Africa. I mean, why do some people focus on the natives when other people work with the homeless and others feel something for sex trade workers? It's about humanity, not about countries. Nobody gets first dibs on help, or at least they shouldn't. People see a need and it speaks to them in a way that lights a fire underneath them to make a change. Nobody can change everything themselves, so it's up to people who feel that fire for something to act on it. If we spread out the work to where our hearts lie, we can chip away at the issues the best we can.

I'm not going to Uganda again because celebrities say it's cool to adopt black babies. I'm going because I have seen the effects of the war, AIDS and poverty on the people, and despite all of that I still feel so at home there and like I've finally found where I belong. Some people have always known they wanted to be a teacher or a doctor and no one questioned it. Well, I've always known that I wanted to work for and in Africa. Maybe my work is going to be charitable, but it's still what I want to do. I don't know where exactly all of this is going to head, but I feel more comfortable with this than with anything else I've considered doing with my life.

It's also important to add that I'm not closed to the opportunity of working here in Canada too. And, it's not like I never do anything to help while I'm home in Canada. Of course not! I don't just turn off my wish to help people when I'm home. Again, people are people and it's all about humanity. But Africa's still got my heart too, and now it's time to head back there again.

So there you go. Andria's impassioned speech about Africa. It's okay if you still don't get it, sometimes I confuse myself. But as far as I'm concerned, bring on the cockroaches, sunburns and severe lack of customer service!!!! 4 days, baby...now I just need to see if I can sleep until then.