It's June Already - 6-5-09

Almost Happy Birthday to Greg!!! This blog is long, so get a beverage - well, not too long, just a busy week. We had a great weekend in Jinja - I met Maria in Mukono and we went together to Jinja. Our hotel was on the outskirts of town but only 100 yds. from the start of the Marathon and right by the Source of the Nile park! It was an old colonial house made into a hotel and suited us just fine (only bummer was that the TV didn't work). We had a lovely dinner at a nearby place called the Nile Reflections - I had beef fajitas which were wonderful!!! Jinja had some good eating places but the town needs some paint and street repairs. Satuday we went to a weaving shop and to Bujagali Falls. It's really just rapids used now to raft, but we had a great lunch at the Nile Explorers Resort - Chicken Ceasar wrap eaten by the pool - also swam (life in PC is hard!). One of the Duke kids asked why we obsess about food - we really don't (well, maybe we do) but it's about the accessibility of the food we're used to - if you want Mexican, you go to the store or to a Mexican restaurant - it's a LOT more difficult here!!! Sunday was the race - started at 9:40 (40 minutes late) and it was HOT and humid. Holly did very well - 2 hrs. and 20 minutes. They finished at the Source of the Nile Park - very nice! A bunch of us went back to the Nile Reflections for lunch and then I came back w. the Duke kids (2 of them ran) On Satuday they rafted the rapids - they said it was good, but scary!. Monday we started classes - had English with only 10, but it was fun. Really trying to get them to talk in English - am planning on bribing them w. candy - bad, but I'm desperate!!! They don't speak English for the same reasons I don't speak Ugandan - I think I'll sound dumb and I really can't express myself as well - pretty good reasons I think! Another elderly Sister died on Sunday; They sang all Monday nite - a favorite is "I will raise him up on the last day".....it really is beautiful! Josephine (a Senior at a school in Kisoga) kept calling about some breast pain - she'd heard a radio program on breast cancer and was sure that was it. I went over to Kisoga to talk to her and gave her money to get an X-ray - the school nurse was taking kids to the Lugazi hospital the next day. It turned out to be mastitis and the Dr. assured her it was not cancer - hope that's finished!!! (she's 17 and no history of cancer plus the Dr. in Nkokonjeru had done an exam and said it was O.K.) I got FOUR boxes last Friday and sent them back on the Nkokonjeru matatu to Holly while I went on to Jinja; opened them Monday night and they were super - two from St. Johns (sent to the people in the service; I feel honored to be included in that group). Lots of neat stuff we shared (snacks), and cool crafts In the other boxes I got a new pair of sandals, and a new skirt and tops for Mother's Day. I wore the skirt on Thursday and everyone at PH commented - guess my stuff is getting a little old! I do plan to leave all my clothes here (or what's left of them). Tuesday we took four children to CoRSU (the orthopedic hospital). Ben (the boy w. the amputated leg) for review; Sharon for surgery on two badly clubbed feet - she's 10 and can't walk at all. The doctor couldn't do surgery because of infected sores on her feet - got her antibiotics and will try again in 2 weeks; Barbara for a growth on her sternum that they decided was benign; and Paul, a resident w. hydrocephalis and a hump back...can't do surgery for either at this point. Sula (our driver) and I went to Mulago hospital and left Moses at CoRSU (and he did great). We met w. Justine's doctors and got her discharged (w. some arguing - I was determined to pull a "muzungu" on them, but wasn't needed). They wanted her to stay to take antibiotics and eat better, but mom was buying food and trying to economize and so we convinced them she should go. We took her back to CoRSU and they kept her there so they didn't get to go home, but at least the services at CoRSU are better - the Doctors at Mulago are good, but it's SO understaffed! Sula laughed when we were taking her out - there was no wheelchair in the orthopedic ward (go figure) so we went to the ER and just took one out of a closet! I did tell him I'm pushy even for an American! Wedneday was a Holiday - Ugandan Martyr's Day (you can google it). No school and the kids were bored. I was enjoying it!!! Holly cut my hair and we put up mosquito netting over her windows to slow the flow of bugs. We went down to the garden but the mold is really bad on the one side and our zuccini are rotten - very bummed. Leaf lettuce is great, tho' and cucumbers still look good. Did some coloring w. the little kids and I was done for the day. Thursday we went to Iganga to get the cow! Sula drove and Fred (the business manager) and Vincent (the animal caretaker) went along. We bought the one from the Sister at the baby orphanage - The cow's name is Maria, and she's about 2 1/2 and has had one calf and is pg (due in November). We're trying to re-create her diet there which consisted of maize bran (the outer husk of the kernal), brewers mash (from the beer brewery in Jinja), cotten seed cakes, and then elephant grass, banana peels and other greens! We hope to keep her well and happy! She was producing 18-20 liters a day which is really good for here. She produced 7 Thursday nite, but it had been a hard day. Friday a.m. the kids had porridge w. milk - a great treat! I missed most of the epilepsy clinic, but Moses and Nelson did great (I knew they would)...time to start letting go!!! Today, we had Math class - doing it in 2 sections seems to work better. I was able to spend a lot more time w. the slow kids, but now I need to really crank up the "better" class! Good day - got to check my e-mails and blog. Going to Kampala tomorrow to return my electric coffee pot - got it at Game and have a receipt thankfully. Will try to brave going into town to get some material for the advanced sewing kids to make more uniform shirts for the shoemaking students.....I really dislike the crowds and the pushing (and the smells) in the central area of town. I tend ot stick to the outskirts and the malls. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. And thanks to St. Johns for the great boxes - it was just like Christmas!!!!