Friday afternoon at the Bakery (the 13th!!)

Friday the 13th and the weather looks threatening! Decided to try getting this done at the bakery this week....it takes me awhile tho'. Mainly because I'm so long winded...I actually do write every day but I edit lots out when I type! Hope you all find it interesting...skip what you don't. Electricity was on when I came back from Kampala Sunday - yea! At least I don't have to worry about things spoiling in the frig - don't have one!! Life is simple here.

I got back from Kampala about 4 - huge pack full of goodies and bags to boot...good to be back. Took a shower and washed clothes - just filthy from the matatu ride! Love my new baskets and placemats - also, put my pictures up and some maps so the place is really starting to look like mine - no wardrobe yet, but I've stopped stressing about that...really - well, almost.

Didn't even go down to PH (Providence Home) to check in on Sunday nite - felt funny to be gone for 3 days! Monday was an intersting day - was ready for English, but Sister had the kids shucking corn picked Saturday and others were going out to pick more (holiday - Ugandan Heroes Day - like Veteran's Day). They were done by 9:30 and wanted to start class(really!) but in the meantime I got to meet a teacher of the deaf who is here for a week from Kampala School for the Deaf to check the place out for a local boy who's been in their home who is blind, deaf and mute (and mentally impaired) - he's 17 and too old for their school any more. She and the young deaf man with her offered to do a sign language class for the kids and it was a big hit! Ugandans have great memories and they did just awesome. After that he taught 6 of the older kids some crafts so they can teach others - doing a latch hook run on a plastic flour sack - they loved it!

Tailoring teacher was 1 1/2 hours late so they just crafted through his class. Confronted him again - very frustrating!! In the afternoon the Deaf teacher and I went to meet the blind boy and his mom - father is dead (HIV?)..sad story. Teacher claims someone (the government?) will provide a 1:1 for him if she accepts him here, but Sister is skeptical (and rightly so).

Another elderly man died today - two in less than a week. Sent quite a ripple through the elderly community. Went to the Monday Market for a bit w. Holly and she came over to see my new decorating. I used some "tacky" for maps and used 3M hooks w. ribbon coming down and pictures taped to the ribbon - saving my paint job!!! Now I just need my wardrobe and maybe a reading chair - and some time to read!

Tuesday was CBR day (Community Based Rehab)...was just getting going when Sr. J called me and asked me to keep some company busy because she was occupied - it was one of the girl's moms who had brought a caretaker for her ("caretaker" is another young girl from their community up north whose family encouraged her to come - the mom of our resident pays her school fees which they couldn't, in exchange for caring for the girl who is very crippled; she goes to school but the caretaker makes sure she get bathed and gets there, washes her clothes, etc.). Moses can handle CBR anyway...he feels so sorry for Corky - said that if his wife left for two years he'd get another wife! "Who would do my washing and cooking?"

Accepted 3 new vocational students today (two weeks into class)...one has been to the epliepsy clilnic and was recently thrown out of the home by her stepmom, another is lame and being raised by a brother w. 8 children (reluctantly I think - parents are dead) - has no lower body strength - is 19 and has never seen a doctor re: his legs or had a wheelchair or crutches - just crawles...very quiet kid...he's been to primary school and seems bright; last one has a nice family who are actually paying fees, but she's slow and needs vocational trainng and parents are persistent! No more this term (got another on Friday - so much for "no more").

Was going to have Math class at 2:30 but cook is sick, kids are subbing in the kitchen and lunch wasn't ready till 3:00....by the time they got done it was time for 4 p.m. Mass for the deceased elderly man in the main hall (also, I'm a little afraid of Math class). In the meantime I talked to the shoemaking teacher about the one girl in his class who's in a wheelchair - she can't hoist herself up to the table like the guys can - doesn't have the upper body strength - so he got another, lower table for her - YEA! There is no allowance for special needs - one of the girls, Hope, goes to St. Anthony's and is very crippled, but smart. She does very poorly on exams because she writes so slowly and they won't give her extra time!! And still she presses on - amazing!! Working on changing things slowly, slowly - "mpolampola" (also how my language skills are progressing). Oh, yes, bookkeeping teacher didn't come that day (he called) because someone had stolen his pregnant pig and he was going to get it back - and mission was accomplished!

Wednesday Sr. J and I went to Mukono to a meeting - government of the district meeting w. the cartakers of children in the district....got some really good information from their data - tho' not much else except another meeting date! Poverty in Mukono District is 49% (tho' didn't list the poverty line - must be low tho'), only 13.4% graduate from Primary School, ratio of teacher to students is 1:50, adult to child ratio in the district is 1:7!! - lots of kids; 43% have never been to any school, only 10% have electricity, mortality to age 5 is 129/1,000. Biggest killers (all ages) are 1) Malaria (15%), 2. dysentary (11%), 3. pneumonia (10%) 4. HIV (7.6%)..others are measles, TB, nutritional deficiency, cardio, maternal, etc.

Got lots of great mail in Mukono - had to get a flour sack from the mailman for Holly's and my stuff! Books from Corky, magazines and special ed teaching aides from Anne, great pkg from Eggerts w. magazines (farming and boys' life) and goodies - Thanks!

Had a nice talk w. Holly while we went through our treasures - just about life in general. Love those girls! Went down to PH to do some computer work and ended up helping put corn away - every day they take this mountain of corn (on cob) out and spread it on the cement by the bakery to dry and every night they bag it and carry it to an empty room - getting old....fewer and fewer helpers every day! Everything here is so labor intensive!

This week is going so fast. Thrusday's English class went well - some kids still seem over their heads - simple sentences - but they stick it out. Practiced greeting each other - hard for them - I know how they feel from training. Most have vocabulary, but just don't want to speak because they think they will sound dumb (I know this because that's how I feel about speaking Lugandan). Did misspell one Lugandan word on the board that translated into something bad and they had a real laugh over that! Spent time after class going over the shoe making books - good for the kids to see me struggle!! It happens a lot.

Had company from the UK in the afternoon - HR Director of Cheshire - nice English lady - she looked like she was out of a novel. Gray hair, a little plump and a ruddy complexion! Kids did a great job singing as usual.

Had to get groceries late - sort of dark but market is close and everyone else is out! Got a tomato (200sh), green pepper (200sh), pineapple (800sh), avacado (100 sh), 3 eggs (@200sh) and a chipati (300sh) - total "bill" at market was 2200 sh. ($1.38)! Got a dozen buns for 1000 sh at the bakery and 2 big rolls of TP at the grocery for 1600 sh. Big spender today!!

Finally up to Friday (it's 2:15) and finish...have a meeting at 3:00 - guy from Nkoko who works in Kampala at a hospital workshop, and if all works out and we get the grant, will be here making CP chairs, standing frames for CP kids, claiphers (leg braces), etc. here Have to wait a long time to get them from the Kampala hospital and very expensive by Ugandan standards.

Day started crazy as usual. Bunch of little boys were not at school - excuses: "they sent me home yesterday because I didn't have a cup for morning prooidge; "they sent me home because my school fees weren't paid"; "it's sports day and we don't have to go"...all from one boy and all of it untrue. Sr. Benna got on the bandwagon and dragged out about a dozen skippers - who needless to say went to school after a tounge lashing - they sound really bad in fast Lugandan!. I took the 6 boys and talked to their teacher (2 are in wheelchairs and one is w/o lower legs - can see why sports day would be avoided by them)...yes, they can't have porridge w/o cups (I went to town after and got 9 plastic cups - 3000sh - less than $2); no one was told to go home and they had classes all a.m.!! Also found out she has 86 in her P-1 class. I'm sure she was happy to see me and my 6 truants!

Tailoring teacher got here after 2 phone calls - the other teachers have got it now. Bookkeeping teacher was here at 8:30 and so were all the kids. Tailoring guy skipped 2 days this week - "been busy". Kids don't show any more either. We really need to can him, but salary is low. Weds. he was here and the kids told him they were working on yarn rugs (they were - a free time craft project from the deaf teacher) - so he went home w/o having class! This a.m. after he started w girls were on the floow with thier rugs instead of taking notes - and I blew! They have now seen my dark side!! But, I no longer let him sour my day - went home for a delicious guacamole/chipati lunch!

Have another meeting at 6 tonite w. a sister from the hospital who's helping me put together a list of dresings, etc. PH needs for possible donors. I'm getting to be such a begger!

Stopped to see two of the older girls who are really sick w. malaria - one despite treatment at the hospital - high fevers and chills. Glad we take anti malarial meds weekly - it's nasty and the #1 killer in Uganda.

So, now I'm up to date and won't have to go to Mukono - still have mail to send, but can do that another time. Have enough Peanut Butter to last me another week.....the necessities!

Thanks for your kind words about the blog...it's pretty random but so am I! Life is good - weather is nice - cool at night so sleeping is good. Think we're going to the garden to "dig" tomorrow unless it rains so I wanted to get this done today....hate to miss a "digging"!

Take care and thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.