January 2011

January



The past two months have gone by so fast and were so crazy.

January started with IST which is in-service training after the first three months at site. IST was extremely fun getting to see all 45 of my PCV group. IST was luxury I spent about 11 days at a posh Hotel called Rider where I had hot showers, TV, Refrigerator in my room, a pool, a gym which it Uganda standards was very nice, steam room and sauna. It was so nice to work out everyday somethings I truly miss its not the same lifting Jerry cans and running everyday compared to the sweat smelling gym that I love and can and did spend hours in.



IST training was great we received new and fun information for the work that I will be doing and Sr. Juliet my supervisor who is now my best friend Ugandan friend. She was awesome she mingled with all the volunteers sat in on all the discussions. You could tell she really loves Peace Corps.



Oh yea I aced my Language that I was having such a hard time with, which I have to give all my thanks to Master DEO my language trainer who worked with me just about everyday for two hours, he made me join the choir to help with my per-nunication and took me duka ( shop) to duka and made me do greeting and numbers until I had it just right. I just knew that if I could be taught the language with some one on one and who understood me. So now I can really hold my own with the language which is a big help in country. I People look at you differently when they see you can speak the language and others will not try and talk about you.



After IST 37 Volunteers head off the Nile River Explores (NRE) for some rafting. NRE is a beautiful place to behold especially first thing in the morning when the sun is coming up over the NILE. I can't wait to show you the video of the me rafting class 5- 6 rapids. There is an especially funny rapid called Sliver back class five where all you see in the video is me the only one who falls out of the boat just floating down the Nile waving my hands waiting to be picked up by the safety kayakers. It was a huge rush. There's nothing like feeling the love of the earth then when a huge rapid swallows you up and spits you back out. Over all that day made me miss my father the most God rest his soul. Rafting the Nile would have been such a great memory to have with my father to see the look on his face as we approach the rapids, but I know he was definitely there that day with me watching and laughing along with my friends as I bobbed in and out of the NILE.





After rafting and IST I was looking forward to start some real work with Sr. Juliet cause during IST it really gave us a lot of time to prioritizes all the needs of the home and where I could be put to good use.

So around January 26th I started to feel like I was getting the flu so I started drinking more water and sleeping a little bit more each day, headaches started, body aches, joint pain, increased urination, swollen spleen, liver and kidneys plus high night fevers for six days. After the six day and realizing that it is not the flu called peace corps medical they imminently came to my site and picked me up to take me to the nurses. Peace corps does an excellent job of taking care of us volunteers when we are sick (trust me I know). When a volunteer is so sick that they can't stay at site or by themselves they send volunteers to this wonderful Angel called Nurse Betty who is a retired Uganda Nurse. She is wonderful. Betty is like your guardian angel when you are sick. When you are having a fever in the middle of the night she is there to help you through it she makes sure you drink enough water even when you don't want to drink or eat anythings. She comes into your room at midnight, and 4 am to make sure you are well taken care of. Nurse Betty goes down in my book as the best nurse ever.

Peace Corps also just hired a new nurse from the states Named Karen. She too was also my guardian angel while I was sick. She came with me to all my appointments called me at least three times a day and and once at night. I was really mad about being sick and being away from site, but at the same time I would have never be able to get to know Karen who just moved to Uganda and was not familiar with the area so it was a lot of fun to tell her some good places to eat, shop, internet oh yea I also gave her some GLEE so I will see how she will like them next time I see her.



So after many test and poking and stool samples. We went and saw Dr. Stockily ( o god oh Dr. stockily is bit of a British character very intelligent and sometime bedside manner not so great)

After waiting at the doctors office for three hours which is pretty good for the Ugandan doctors. We found out I have gotten “THE STICHO”. Schistosomiasis is a type of schisotosoma parasite. (Yummy)

Which is basically a parasite that you get when you go swimming in the Lakes or the Nile and of course I went swimming in the Nile (on New Years at the Hairy Lemon) totally wroth it, but you can't blame me It's the Nile. I don't think I will be going near any type of water any time so. Lesson learned.



Going back to the providence home after schisto was hard I was not completely recovered and was really weak.

About two day after being home one of the Children passed away. I really took that hard. “ Designer “ was here name she was very special child who would come by the elderly section and help out with just about any thing and she always had a smile. I'm not quite sure what her disability is because they documentation of some of the children is just non -existence. Designer could not speak Luganda or English so she would just point and try to speak. I miss her I would wake up in the morning and there she would be helping around the elderly section. I was to sick to attend the funeral, but Sr. Juliet arranged for a bunch of the children and staff and elderly to attend her burial. From what I heard from the Nat n Dulci is that her family were all very sad, but yet none of them would ever come and visit her they would always say they just lost track of time to come and get her for the holidays. So instead of burring her in the family plot they burred her far away from the plots in the sugar cane field in a shallow grave. Which what I was told was that her mother was bad and they never knew her father, but Designer was well loved at the providence home so I know the last years of her life where well spent. How she died is still unknown they don't do autopsy on bodies unless you pay for it. So basically when someone dies is that you dress the body in bare cloth which is an traditional cloth that is very expense and poor little Designer family could only afford to cover her face and you stay the night with the body and burrie the body the next day in the evening. So little Designer had a great life in the providence home but a sad burial. Rest in Peace Little Designer.



After the chaos of IST/Rafting/ Schito and the death of Designer Life really feel into place with work, friends and everyday routine along with some more fun chaos in February.

To be continued Next Blog Work after IST and schito.