109

Being a hermit again today. Exhausted. I'm still not sleeping. 

My foot slash ankle is still really bothering me. I don't know why it started acting up again, but its weird. My one toe doesn't work at all. And I'm walking funny at home now too. Not impressed. Tried to stretch it out, didn't help. My toe just keeps getting stuck under itself when I try to have it do things. Not at all impressed, but at least I know it isn't schisto as I haven't been in any bodies of water. 

Made fried eggplant and onion rings today with marinara sauce. I swear I'm becoming a pro on that sagyrie guy. If only coal and ash weren't on every plate, every utensil, everything in that little kitchen room. :/

Gheeze. I wonder just how bad that is for you. Between that and the aluminum pots I use to cook everything with. Pretty sure at the end of my service I'm going to be a perfect candidate for testing on the health non-benefits of serving in Peace Corps. 

Great. 

108

Africa isn't the most funnest- yes that's right, funnest place to be doing the walk of shame. 

Of course because its me I'm up super super early regardless of all the alcohol I've assumed and so seven come and I'm up and out of that hotel room. 

Damn this walk through town in the same clothes from yesterday. 

It's early, but a weekend, so I get to talk to home for a bit, mind you during this talk time I'm finding myself becoming increasingly exhausted. 

Instead of sleeping, I get a phone call from my girls. Time to do a drop. I'm finally able to give her the computer I brought back from Buffalo for her. That's a relief for me and I'm sure for her. So there that's done. Can I sleep now?

Nope. 

Walked around a bit today. Finally saw the river I've been talking about and a naked man bathing in it. 

Visited my counterparts house. She's not there still though. In that neighboring district still. And then she's in Kampala next week. What am I going to do with my life???

Decided today that the river may not be the best place for me to be visiting alone and as a girl. Only men were there. That was weird. I only have no interest in seeing men and their packages bathe anymore though either. Embarrassing. Yikes. 

Fell aslee early and was meant to go out again and hang with more volunteers, but hermitism set back in and when I woke up from my nap it was much too late anyways. 

Oh and my counterpart did come back today. She also called and said that in an hour she would be around to pick me up so I could cook pork for her with my spices. 

I lied a I was exhausted and said I was going to see the other volunteers. I I'd neither, but I said she could come pick up the spices. Got the affirmative and then got stood up. So confused. 

So Saturday night was to say the least a bust. Ah, but Dexter. :)

107

Friday. 

End of my hermit streak. Made it out ofthe house by one. That's an improvement. 

Too bad i only left because it is welcome weekend. Welcome weekend is where you all volunteers in an area come together to introduce thenselves to the new volunteers. 

So I'm excited to meet other volunteers!!! Other Americans! Yes I know that's terrible, but it's another reason I stay in my house. No worries.  

No work again today, obviously, although Kirabo did call to see how I was doing. I'm doing. 

I shouldn't have said I had the shits. That's going to come back to haunt me one day I'm sure of it. 

So first thing is first. I meet up with. Couple girls from my group, but as I go to walk out of my compound I have in sandals and somehow my right sandal won't stay on my foot. I make it to my gate and outside of it with some serious difficulty. I try to walk up my hill and my right foot is not cooperating so I turn around walk back through my gate and realize I can't walk in these shoes, take them off and change them. 

The twenty minute walk through town proves to be a struggle. Oh well. 

Meet up find other girls from Kasese an reminisce as it has been nearly two months since I've seen these girls!! We head back to their hotel and I get to show two of my favorites my house. 

My neighbor kids greet them with hugs and smiles and I love it. I also am feeling better with language as they are quite impressed with my conversational skills which are actually quite basic, but it's nice nonetheless. 

Head back to town and its time to eat. It's great. We get to eat at my favorite Indian place in Mbarara aka the only Indian place and the food is amazing. The best part is that we get to take the leftovers home. That proved to be a God send at about three this morning. 

So after food we hit up the hotel again and it's time to go out. We try out the rooftop club of our grocery store and its not so bad. It's a good time, until we decide to leave because we need a change of venue and can't be done with the night. 

We bargain with a private car and we may have ripped him off. End up at another rooftop club and leave there nearly as soon as we walk in because a volunteer had his wallet stolen and is searching for the guy to do what exactly we aren't sure, but all I know is that I live in Mbarara and I can't be associated with such nonsense. I just can't. 

So we get out of there, Mr. Hothead walks away into the night and unfortunately my sympathy receptors have been shut off and so I don't really care. 

Back to the hotel where leftovers become early breakfast and we find ourselves having a giggle feat in a room with five girls. Four in a bed and one on the floor. Half of us used. Net and the other half not. Not sure how that worked with all four of us on the bed. 

All in all the night was amazing and with my girls. I'm glad I decided to not be a hermit anymore. 

106

Thursday 

Day 3 in the house. 

I no longer think I have a problem. I know it.  

I don't want to be in the outside world. It also doesn't make it any better that my counterpart is away in a neighboring district and so hasn't been at the office. 

When she isn't there I'm not quite sure what to do. Neither is anyone else sure what to do with me. 

And so here I am making serious headway on Dexter. Thank you computer and electricity for staying on these past few days. I'm not sure what I would do without you. 

105

Wednesday.

 Day 2 in the house. Dexter is getting good. 

I think I have a serious problem. Instead of being mad at me for just not showing up yesterday, my organization automatically assumed that I was sick. I ran with it. So apparently I have the shits at present. 

I'm not complaining except if I really do get the shits. Then that will be a problem. Tried to blame it on untreated water which I realize I expose myself to all the time. I'm sure that by the end of my service I will have worms and or giardia. Yay for yucky water!!!

Ok. Back to Dexter and my bed. 

104

Tuesday and I just didn't go to work. Stayed in the house all day. 

When I say all day I mean all day. Yesterday kind of killed any motivation I had to go anywhere or do anything. 

Too bad I messaged my counterpart and told her that I was just going to be late. Late then turned into I'm not coming. Too bad I didn't send a message about that. 

So I stayed in and watched episode after episode of Dexter. 

I'm not sure how healthy this is. 

103

Monday

Stakeholders meeting and I'm not sure if me and my coworker are friends. Not sure at all. 

Why is she even more late to everything than me? I don't get it. 

There is a meeting today. Why don't you tell me until the last minute? Oh and you want me to run it? Too bad I have no idea why we are meeting. 

Oh funny thing, neither did the stakeholders since it is Monday and some of them just got the email this morning since you sent it late Friday. 

What the fuck? Yes. The fuck? I'm so confused. I thought I was disorganized and shit with time. Nope. My counterpart takes the cake. 

Not only did she send out the invitation on a Friday for a Monday meeting, but she also double booked herself and showed up nearly two hours late to the meeting she called. 

Is this real life?

Also stop putting me on the spot with absolutely no background info. I can't at all be successful or contribute if you leave me in the dark. That's annoying. 

I think it's going to be a thing that happens. 

So I talk during the meeting, not sure if what I said was helpful, but I was able to meet people who I think may be helpful later on to me. 

We shall see how this whole thing goes. Please counterpart. Don't kill me. 

Day 102

Made curry twice today and ate curry leftovers for breakfast slash brunch lunch too. 

Made curry not only for myself, but also for my counterpart. My dad would be so damn proud. I'm proud. And less hungry due to my new found skills. 

Although I'm quite impressed with my new cooking skills, the kids and the girls that mind the house were not. They found my food to be too spicy. 

As soon as they saw me putting garlic and ginger in the pot they immediately turned up there noses and told me how the spice was going to be unpleasant. 

Jeniffer's children are funny. They don't speak to me, yet when they see me they scream as if I'm their favorite thing in the world. I haven't decided how I feel about the mixed messages yet. 

So I was forced to eat goat today which didn't suck, but I didn't want it so I have it to the kids. I was also given a large helping of maypole that I couldn't finish. I swear they want me to get big. 

I on the other hand have no desire to 'increase in size.'

Because she only ever sees me eat local food, my counterpart says I don't Ike food and that I must be watching my figure. I haven't the heart to tell her, nor does she listen even when I do, that I just don't really like local food, not food in general. So for my figuring watching, it watches itself. 

That's one thing I can say thank you for. So thank you Africa for all you do to decrease my waste size. 

Noted my friend. Noted. 

Day 101

Saturday. Wedding day. 

Everything is like plus five hours here. You can't do anything without adding plus five to it. 

Late this morning for the wedding because I needed to shower seeing that I only do that every second or third day. You bathe in cold water and let me know how often you voluntarily do it. 

Ok so I do my hair, put on some mascara, and even some Burberry and I'm out the door. 

I meet one of my coworkers on the way who after I told him I wa going to a wedding and was what I was wearing ok, proceeded to tell me in so many words that it was enh and that it would do. 

I was a bit devastated by this as I thought I was looking good. I mean did I say how I shaved for this day too? Not until after I tried to wax and then after two pulls realized it woul take far too long. But regardless, shaving?!? That's a big deal. 

Yes here in Uganda I am a smelly hairy animal. It brings me comfort. 

So I'm walking and I'm late and then I remember where I am and wait another ten minutes or so until my supervisor shows up. So my late isn't really late. 

So we are chatting and driving and I wish my dress was longer as I'm absolutely freezing. We stop at her sister and brother's place where their home and land is huge. My supervisor is stacked!!!

They were so sweet to me and everyone is so impressed with my greetings and limited language. Makes me feel good. 

So from there they are talking how they are going to be late they are going to be late, but instead of go straight to the wedding we make another stop at a friend's house. 

Holy shit. The place is huge. I'm in love and want to move there until I see roach casings on the walls. Yes I look for these everywhere now and I find them nearly every place I look minus now my house. Thank fuck. 

She feeds us. One of the things are the matooke bananas with green pepper and tomato essentially porridge made from leftovers of the previous evening. I don't think this combo entirely sucks as ghee which is like cheese and may be spelled gee, is added to the leftovers. So I give myself some. 

Next thing you know I'm being detective in my food as I usually am and realize just as I have the fork to my mouth that there is a secret ingredient in this matook porridge. Intestine. 

I'm not a fan of surprises. 

So needless to say I didn't eat a note of that. Instea made my cheeks hot and tingly from the amount of pineapple I ate. 

Such an obsession with eating. 

So we finally leave the friend's house and are on the way to the wedding. Why are there like five weddings happening by the one pastor? Gheezeus. I can't. So after we get there we wait about two hours before the ceremony even begins. 

So cold. And tired. So so tired. 

Some of the ceremony was in English which was nice. Only weird but was congratulating them as they have andutely no idea who I am. 

So ceremony done. Time for reception. Holy long. Starts off with seating. I'm starved by the way. So sit. Watch ppl sing karaoke essentially and get tipped, then watch traditional celebration dancers which I liked much more than the singers. 

Then we eat. Everyone sits and talks about me not to me. Asking all sorts of questions, but again none to me. Worst part is that these people spoke English, so it's not like they couldn't communicate with me. They simply chose not to. 

Food was cold. Too much meat. I wanted to eat nothing, but I was so hungry. Potatoes were gross and I never say that!! 

Say across from Ana who forged himself on chicken gizzard after chicken gizzard I swear I though I was going to hurl what little food I did take all across the table t him. 

Thankfully for him I was able to control myself. 

After eating more sitting. Then the bridal party arrived. More singing. More dancing. Then the speeches. Holy hell the speeches. Nearly everyone got up and said a twenty plus minute long speech. I was grateful when the gross rude guy next to me offered me a drink. Not only did it warm me, but it also made things a bit more enjoyable. 

I was so curious to see how this cake was going to taste. It tastes like ass. 

The frosting was like bitter lemon line concrete and the cake had burned after tastes and was just dense. Not good flavor. At all. 

So I don't want more cake. I actually threw mine away. Hid it in a favors box. 

Continued drinking with the gross man. Then I nearly pissed myself an then thankfully my supervisor asked if I was ready to go home. Yes. Please. Let's. 

So we leave. I feel sick. I'm saying my goodbyes. Leaving my cake behind (they gave us a huge chunk) and nearly stumbling to my door. 

These are the times that I wish I was more efficient at boiling water. 

Got in around one a.m. And I feel like trash. I think I need to sleep. 

Also I don't want to go to anymore weddings. They are too long. 

That is all. 

For now. 

Day 100

Police officers and the youth. What a combo. Maybe that's why it ended in a shit show. 

Had planned to meet with the head of the Youth For Change group today, but first I was to go to the outreach we set up earlier in the week. 

Can I tell you that when we arrived we not only arrived late, but no one was prepared for us. No one was there period. 

We say around, set up. I read. I also fell asleep and it was a bit cold today so I say in the car where I proceeded to falls asleep with my book in my hand. 

I then came back to office. Ate and prepared for my meeting with Louis. Just as I'm to be dropped off Louis calls and pushes the meeting back an hour. 

Our AIC driver then drops something back off at the outreach site where I now have to stay because he need to run an errand. I tell him what time the meeting was pushed to. Yeah yeah. He'll be back he says. No time. Ok. Fine because I feel worthless here. 

Was attempted to be fed again, but thankfully I was able to advert such stuffing. 

I was instead enlisted to help with testing. Not the actual testing itself, but logistics, which I was not unhappy about. I felt like I was going something which made me happy. 

As a side note, I have decided it is my two year mission to return to America with a police fatigue and a pair of their combat boots. So on. 

Back to testing. I was able to talk with the officers. See the need. Use a little Ruyankore, things were good. Then I started helping with the tests. 

Here's your cotton swab, here's your cotton swab. 

Then the wind. Not only is everyone's test out for everyone to see, but the wind is also blowing to blow everyone's test about for all sorts of cross contamination. 

Ew. 

One blew my way that was a positive. Can we scream biohazard? Just saying. And we have some confidentiality issues. 

I want to set them up with voting screens. Yeah. That would work. Somehow. 

It was crazy scary and sad because I had never seen so many positives at once. There were three in my face on one card that holds maybe ten to fifteen samples. Three out of ten?

And everyone's face looked the same. No one fell out. Unless you were the tester or giving results or close enough to hear the session you would have no idea that this person was just told that yet had HIV.

That scared me. That kind of numbness to emotions. 

Things are different here. Everyday  learning. And even though I may not always like what I find or what is brought to me, I am grateful for the experience. 

Day 99

No electricity. 

Sometimes my electricty just goes out. Mostly when or after its raining, but sometimes it just goes. Its quite annoying and I never realized just how much of a luxury electricity was. 

No meeting. 

What else am I going to be without? 

I'm finding it difficult to orchestrate myself. I'm trying, but I suck and so I find myself more often than not reading my book or looking at language. I lied. I read my book. Nearly done too. 

Not having structure has lent itself to my imagination. 

Day 98

There is to be a marathon in Mbarara!!

I met with the sister organization of AIC and this is where I think I want to do my secondary project. Except they are already doing such amazing things. A marathon? I wanted to do something like that for World Aids Day. Ugh. I feel that four months isn't enough time to plan that though.

Day 97

Decided not to go to work today. Didn't sleep well. Too many people in the bed and there were weird sounds last night slash early this morning. Been awake since three.

I swear. I'm not sure when sleep and I became unfriendly, but I'm something like over it. True story.