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.

On Saturday, Sept 8, I attended the Uganda v. Niger football game in Namboole Stadium, Kampala. The Ugandan Cranes are vying for a spor in the African Cup in Ghana 2008. I travelled on Saturday morning, only to arrive in Kampala amongst all the game day chaos! There were taxis everywhere with people hanging out the windows yelling, holding flags, trumpets, branches and leaves! I still don't understand the leaves part. We arrived at the staduim and I bought some corny Uganda flare, only to meet up with my friends and discover I looked normal. Some of the other muzungus were painted head to toe in the colors of Uganda (red, black and yellow). The game started off well, with Uganda scoring its first goal in the first minute. The stadium went nuts. I have never been to a soccer game before, so it was a fun experience for me. The noise of all the people blowing their trumpets created this buzzing noise through the whole game, sounded like swarming bees. The crowd was cheering, Oh yee, oh yee, Uganda Cranes oh yee! We joined in, must have looked pretty silly. I heard from my friends in Busia when I returned that they put us on tv. We were that much of a spectacle, ha! In the end, the Cranes won, 3-0. and have qualified again for Ghana. Since soccer depends on the points you have, not the process of elimination, Uganda must beat Zambia in the points ranking to go, so cross your fingers! Uganda Cranes oh yee!

the hizzouse

So I am a spoiled brat. I have a new house, running water, a toilet and a flippin shower, electricity and a sweet compound. I realize that many of you are wondering what my place looks like, envisioning me in a grass thatched hut or a bush or something. Well kids, I won't hold out on you anymore. Here she is, home sweet home. There are more and I will supplement them at some time. Seeing as how it has taking me this long to put these up, I wouldn't hold your breath for new ones soon. As mentioned in my emails, I have waged a battle on the ants who seem hella determined to take over Oliviaville, yet they shalt not conquer as I am a formidable opponent to those tiny little pests. And yes, my field mouse is still around eating my tomatoes. He's cute I can't kill him, what do you want from me? He has stayed away of late due to the presence of another voracious beast in my house (more to come on this subject in a later post). I am happy to report that I now have living room furniture as well as a kitchen table. I have experienced some "difficulty" with the carpenters in my town. Let's just say that if my daddy was here, he'd have opened a can already. So after about a month of threatening the police if they didn't just paint the damn shelf brown, I finally have furniture in the house. I have cement floors, which is great because you can't see the red dust all over it that well, and they are easy to clean. And yes ma, I clean my floors once a week. I have an extra bedroom that right now holds only my clothesline for hanging up my wet clothes, but I am thinking of maybe puting a bed in there and a bunch of art supplies to help me pass the time. I will let ya'll know. Alright um, yeah I don't have much else to say about my house...more pictures will follow, I promise.