Almost Home!!! 8-2-09

Tomorrow at this time (5 p.m.) I will be on my way to the airport!!! We are leaving Nkokonjeru around 2 (hopefully) and doing a few errands w. Sr. Juliet, picking up Jan and Maggie in Kampala (Holland teachers) and stopping at CoRSU hospital in Entebbe to see a patient - no use using the fuel for one purpose. I washed clothes, cleaned and packed this a.m. (well, packed before but have more stuff to squeeze in!!! It's Sunday evening - spent the afternoon typing some reports for Sr. Juliet and exams for Sr. Goretti (see I am useful!).

The 5K on Satuday was a HUGE success!!! Holly got it started at 8:30 (she'd hoped for 8 but 8:30 is really good for Uganda). There were about 60+ runners and about 20 kids in wheelchairs (shorter route). A big crowd gathered and lots more along the way - Sr. J commented on how long it had been since they had a community event. The bodas (motorcycles) led the way, horns blaring!!! The last two people were the ex-mayor (probably my age) and a 76 year old gentlemen who told me afterwards that he has lost 9 children to AIDS!!! There was singing and a ceremony afterwards....Holly had to argue that the first two women should get a reward.....the committee said "but the first four people were men" - she won!!! Her running group did very well, tho they "flopped" pretty dramatically at the end! There were a lot of PC volunteers - some ran, some pushed. We had a pasta supper at Holly's Friday nite - people all over - she had 3 tents in her little yard and people in the house, I had people on my floor and some stayed at PH!!! Really a well done event and lots of fun! They had a tent and chairs for the ceremony after and water for the participants (PH kids each got their own bottle of water - a BIG event for them) and T-shirts for the winners and the committee - her Project Hope volunteers seemed really happy about the event! She's not sure of the total raised yet.

Back to last week - seems so long ago. Last Sunday I went w. four Sisters to a first mass in a tiny village near the lake - very poor place, but lots of people were there - a big event. It was long but part of the entertainment was a professional troupe of Rwandan dancers - very good - Rwandans use their hands more; Ugandans use their hips!

On Monday I gave my English exam and Fred and Sula took 5 kids (plus assorted other riders in the back) to Kampala to pick up the chicks (100 layers). The chickens are doing well (as of today - Sunday - none have died). The kids are doing what they can - cleaning the drinkers, checking on them and Jude (18 year old resident who watching Sula's chicks) is doing the rest....have the charcoal pots at nite (days are HOT and DUSTY - no rain - but nites are cool).

The 27th was Sr. Juliet's BD (33)....I heard about it from the Holland girls and Jan and Maggie (the teachers visiting from Holland) ordered a cake. Sr. J. said it was the lst time she ever celebrated her birthday!!!

I had a melt down Monday w. the tailoring teacher (why don't I give up?)...he was 2 hours late (usual) and the kids were sleeping (also usual)....the room and cupboard were a mess - sloppy attitudes! Teachers not showing is common in many Ugandan schools.....but I'm determined not to tolerate it. I watch for him and he has to sign in at the time he arrives and we told him we'd adjust his salary accordingly! UGH!!

Tuesday at CBR we did some planning for the Epilepsy Clinic the 6th - the hospital is bringing 20 nursing students and want to see local councilmen and talk at some schools, in addition to working w. the clients!!! So, were trying to get that all organized and Sr. Goretti has agreed to make them all lunch (she's a saint). We are still planning for a Katelemwa Rehab Center clinic on Aug. 13 to be held at the city offices tho' no formal response from the city.....Sister and I met w. the Mayor but he said we had to send a formal letter and they would have to meet - it doesn't seem he's too eager to host the clinic and have people come to the town for assistance!

Thursday a.m. I got the Math exam done - kids did well in both exams. The rest are doing exams next week (but I'll be home - YEA). Weds. nite I got bitten in bed by something - a lot of bites...was afraid it was bed bugs but the bites are big so maybe it was a spider...washed sheets, sprayed, put everything out in the sun - reminded me of the old head lice days!!!

The family who was going to come Thursday never made it unfortunately - the girl is a PCV and mom is a PT and wanted to see what we do (or don't do) at PH - mom got really sick on Thursday (it happens) and didn't feel up to the matatu ride - very understandable!!! Lots of people came Friday for the 5K so it was busy enough! One of the older PCVs from the "new" group stayed w. me and stayed over Sat. nite, too. She's older like me and has had an interesting life - did some college teaching and lots of traveling. Good to have the company tho' PH had visitors from the US on Sat. afternoon and I was there a lot! Guess we are all pretty adept at entertaining ourselves!!!

It's August already - the time waiting for my trip home went FAST!! Cross you fingers that all the flights are on time - I don't think I can wait to land in Minneapolis beyond my expected time! Have a fairly long layover in Amsterdam (5 hours) but I enjoy being in airports. Looking forward to seeing many of you! Some I will have to wait to see till next April (darn).....it will go SO fast!!!