Baby Steps

So, I have been driving myself and Christopher crazy lately. Due to the recent theft of my phone along with the insufficient funds to purchase another one, I am left with a lot of time to think. As a result of all this brain activity, I have since become frustrated with myself and my work.
I have been trying to develop a gender-based violence program here in the Town Council, yet during my meetings with the deputy of police and the family protection unit, a few "issues" have come up. First, in discussing the need to protect women's rights, as many times they do not have equal say in their relationship, the response to my question of "would you like to become involved in the project with me?" has normally been: "Yes, but why are you only focusing on women, the men will feel left out." And this is a women's rights project. Secondly, and this one is quite ironic. I have been going to the police station a lot, in hopes to get their advice and support in starting up this program as well as a substance-abuse program in town, yet there is a particular police officer that seems to always know where I am or will be. When I see him he consistently asks to give my father 6 cows for my hand in marriage (to be his 3rd wife, mind you). I continue telling him to leave me alone and that I am happily married already (quick, someone send me a fake wedding ring). Despite the sheer notion that its creepy that he is Weirdo McStalker, doesn't it defeat the entire purpose of me trying to get the police to help me out with my women's rights project to stalk me?!? Thirdly, I want to hold a refresher course for our home-based care volunteers so that if they come across a client who is a victim of domestic violence or have a family member with a substance abuse problem, they will know how to handle it and where to refer the family should they request help. I was in the process of renting a meeting place, organizing the volunteers, and getting the training agenda worked out when my supervisor informed me that I must inform the district government that I want to hold a training, they must approve it, be invited, and appoint the trainer. This is fine, I don't mind if they must know everything, I just got frustrated that I had no idea I needed to do all of that and now the training is pushed back indefinetly.
I had a Peace Corps In-Service Training last week in Kampala. It was wonderful to see my friends and my Christopher. I ate a ceasar salad and had a steak. Amazing. I had forgotten what good food really was like. The training was great, my APCD did an amazing job coming up with activity planning worksheets and helpful ways of putting plans into action. I learned so much. Yet here's where the frustration kicks in: Day 2, the hotel, housing all of the volunteers in my group (48) and most of our supervisors and counterparts (a lot) runs out of water. No showers, no toilets, no brushing your teeth. We asked them to give us jerri cans of water (big containers), yet to no avail. We asked them to show us where the latrines are, wouldn't let us. I will leave the rest of the story to your own imagination, just remember to think about 48 dirty Peace Corps volunteers and our respective stomach issues. On that note, frustration number 2 of last week. A buffet of straight Ugandan food 5 times a day. Now, I have no issue with Ugandan food, even though it is pretty bland it is pretty good. I just haven't been eating it as much as I was in training now that I am at my site, since I cook for myself. The Ugandan diet is based mainly on tons of starch - white rice, plaintains, plaintains mashed up (matoke), posho (white, gluey corn meal), and potatoes are a staple of almost every meal (even breakfast sometimes). So by day 3 and lots of starch...well let just say maybe I got lucky since couldn't use the toilets that didn't work or the unavailable latrines for 2 days.
Lastly, I returned to my house over the weekend to find that my basil plant (which I have been baby-ing like crazy) got all shriveled up in the heat and may be a lost cause. I also discovered that although I eradicated the ants that are slowly eating away at the insides of my living room and kitchen, they have beaten me once again by moving into my bathroom.
So I have decided, on Christopher's insistence, that I have to do more yoga and more consistently, make small goals for myself each day to feel somewhat accomplished, and pour myself into finding ways of integrating into my community a little better. My goals for October so far are as follows:
1. Furnish my second bedroom
2. Learn to kill a chicken (funny I know, but hey this is Africa)
3. Keep my basil alive
4. More yoga
5. Cook Canadian Thanksgiving dinner

Suggestions are (as we say in Uganda) most welcome.