Friday Night, VAC, ESCAPE!, Beautiful Uganda, ...Poetry

Friday Night

Its March and I have been here 7 months – only 20 left.
In some ways it seems to have gone rather quickly. Though there are days I think to myself – “I still have 1 and ¾ years left.” That overwhelms a bit. However, I continue to be excited to meet the person I will be on the day I return to the USA. So I continue to sharpen the saw, polish the glass, and view the world through a new lens.  

I returned home from work, carried water to my bathing room outside, turned on the drip irrigation for the night and then picked the leaves off of a local green I purchased at the Koro market. This green is called “Bo” (pronounced Beaux) ….they have another green called “Do-Do” (pronounced Deaux Deaux – like the bird). I cook them both like spinach and tonight did a great job making pasta with Bo, onions, garlic, and fresh tomato with olive oil and parmesan cheese.  (Thanks for the Parmesan in my last packages!!) I made Brownies last weekend and am perfecting the baking in a two pots over a gas stove technique) Practice makes perfect…almost! Please know that you are all on my mind constantly and I have a wall of fame to remind me of your affection!

Wall of Fame! 

VAC

I just returned from Kampala where I attended a Volunteer Advisory Committee Meeting (VAC).  I rode down on the post bus with my friends Nancy & Michelle.  We stayed at the New City Annex – a popular Peace Corps Hotel/Hostel. The rooms are priced at 20,000 Ugandan Shillings per bed…a little under $10 US.  There are hall bathing rooms and real toilets, and a sink in the middle of the hall for brushing teeth. Feels like a dormitory, but this ranks as luxury to those of us in the villages.

We usually get a triple room and the 3 VAC members (Me, Alia, Michelle) stay together and catch up on each other’s PC adventures. We also provide support and a listening ear for the numerous challenges faced in the field. It’s amazing how much this camaraderie helps us keep perspective and allows us to share ideas for coping with the constant stress of living like a local in Africa. The hotel room with 3 women feels a lot like sleepovers from my youth….Especially since I am almost twice the age of Alia and Michelle.

We are feeling a bit down – the 7 month slump – as we realize we have a long time remaining and we don’t yet feel like we are hitting full stride in our projects. We hear this is normal for a PCV – so we just wait for the next wave to overtake us…the thrill of feeling like we are making a real impact.

Escape for Mental Health!

So to escape our present reality, we went to a movie theater and saw “This Means War” – I really enjoyed it, especially watching Reese Whitherspoon and the 2 hunky men. It truly was a great escape – seeing cities with traffic rules and a semblance of order, functioning appliances, sidewalks etc...  I forgot for a minute I was in Uganda….until the projector broke, and we sat in the theatre waiting for the thing to be fixed. Since it was a Tuesday at 2pm, we were the only people in the theatre. The good news was the projector was repaired – otherwise I think I would have “blown a gasket”. We also ate pizza (not like US pizza but a girl can pretend) and had Chinese food that actually tasted like Chinese food! Miracles in Kampala do exist.

Sunny and Beautiful Uganda

I keep being bowled over by the lovely vegetation they have here. The trees and flowers are breath taking and I seem to be the only one who notices them. I have never lived in California, but I think the weather is similar – they just have more rain. So it’s naturally green – not green by design. (Shout out to Bro Robert, Landscape Guru in LA).  We are starting to get excited here for the rainy season. This means we will be planting crops in our gardens soon. I am hiring several students to clear the land and create the beds for me. So I get to have all the fun. I brought tons of seeds and can’t wait to get them in the ground!

School

Classes are in full swing. We have 4 Metal Working/Motor Vehicle Mechanics Classes; one Driving class; 1 Tailoring class; 4 Building & Concrete Practice classes,1 Agriculture class and 2 carpentry classes. The Sponsored Program from GUSCO that I wrote about previously has begun. They chose to sponsor 51 students and we are providing 3 month vocational courses to this group. This helps the school with its finances and makes a big difference to those in the community.  I learned it is funded by UNICEF – so thanks to those fine people!

Poetry (A little carried away with my physical self this month!)

The Illusion Youth            Feb 02, 2012

The illusion of youth is certainty

Being so sure of what is

Indignant at those who question

Knowing what is right all the time

Now a bit envious of those times

Not for the physical indications of youth

But for its solace of sureness

Missing that feeling of confident righteous certainty

The ease of moving through time and space

Self-assured, easy

Though knowing it was illusion

We cannot return there

So we travel more timidly

With understanding & forgiveness

Through the uncertain terrain

Blessing the broken, weak & struggling

Realizing our shared humanity

Connects us all

Only certain now that grey consumes Black & White

Ode to my Choppers                      Feb 13, 2012

I am one of THOSE people

A Flosser

I love my teeth

The never ending delight they bring

Crunching Ice

Slicing Steak

Popping Cherry Tomatoes

So glad to have healthy teeth

Flashing a bright smile

Showing the world

They are not ignored

Not taken for granted

These Teeth are cherished!

Moderation                        Feb 2012

Not too much

Not too little

Somewhere in the middle

Avoiding extremes

Keeping perspective

Remaining in check

Sidestepping destruction

And burnt fingers

Finding pleasure

In the subtle & sublime

Relinquishing the adrenaline euphoria

For a richer calmer bliss

Aging Friend                       March 2, 2012

She’s been there through it all

A friend for life – literally

Always near & usually cooperative of my plans

As a young girl I hardly noticed her

Took her for granted

Assumed she would forever rise to the occasion

I couldn’t complain

She is active, athletic, rarely sick

Through the birth of my children

She performed admirably

There was no doubting her abilities

Around 30 I noticed a few blemishes:

Stretch marks, smile lines

A slight slackening of the skin

At 35 the grey began to peek through

Small silver rivers, mostly hidden

At 45 she couldn’t pretend

She was a young thing anymore

Too much evidence to the contrary

The appalling age spots

Protruding veins

Loose skin at the neck

Seeing her in full bright light

I realized my friend was aging

I suppose I saw it coming

But didn’t notice the years piling up

Natural forces taking their toll

Again – no complaints

She continues to do as she is asked

Though now I pay her more attention

Listen when she is tired

Grateful she can participate in my activities

She really is terrific

This aging friend & partner

My amazing body