Sunday a.m. in Mukono - 7-27-08

It's Sunday a.m. and I journeyed to Mukono to send some letters - P.O.'s not open so I can't get packages, but wanted to mail a bunch I'd written - go to the bank, and work on my blog and get a few groceries. Hope everyone is having a good Kolacky Days!!! (if you're in Montgomery).

On Tuesday my new wardrobe finally arrived (the new one was quick - the "wardrobe journey started 3 months ago)....in the back of a battered pickup which the guys had to push to jump start!! The wood is rough, but it has lots of room. The floor is sloped and the doors flew open so the guys went outside and got some rocks to put under it! The carpenter was supposed to have put little latches on the top of the doors but guess he forgot (?)...called and my police frien said they'd be up the next day. Of course, they never came, but the wood has swelled enough that the doors no longer swing open! Which is maybe why Ugandans wait so long to fix anything - it either works w/o fixing or it's totally shot and abandoned! Now I have to find a new obsession, but I'm sure I'll manage!

No classes TUesday - Sr. Goretti has everyone cleaning the compound for Wednesday's visitors - felt bad because the Bookkeeping/Agriculture teacher showed up and no class. Had a few customers for CBR...we did do referral letters to the hospitals with the caveat that Providence Home (PH) will not be responsible for any hospital charges written on the form! Dr. Antonio should be back in a few weeks and we're hopeful he's going to sponsor our referrals again. Did send some PH kids but the bakery picks that up if there's no other funding.

Still cleaning on Wednesday - I felt a bit useless so started to work on the classrooms...tailoring teacher leaves a MESS! Girls came to "mop"...they take a rag and bending over, wipe up the whole floor w. a basin of water. The water is mud by the time they finish, but they never flinch! When I do my little floor at home I keep changing the water - amazing how much dirt I get and never go in w. shoes on - just dust!

The visitors were from Jacksonville, Fl. A pediatrician and his wife - this is their 3rd trip. A very nice couple. Visitors lately have been Europeans (except Mariah's family from Milwaukee) and was struck how different Americans are. We just want everyone to like us and we have a very easy manner - very casual people who like to give things away. Europeans are a bit more stiff (from my very random samples). The tanks, gutters and electricity on the vocational building are done - now waiting for rain! They collected $ from their church, the Doctor's Rotary and one 12 year old boy whose parents give him $ to give to a charity of his choice and after seeing their last year's video, he chose PH!! Kids did great on the program - lots of speeches - Sr. Goretti's made me tear up - about how Americans have big hearts!! She was really nervous - said she didn't sleep the night before. The priest they came with talked (he's from Uganda but currently works in their Jacksonville church), Sr. Felicitas talked (my landlady at the convent; she's on the PH Board),a couple of kids gave speeches, lots of singing and dancing - THEN, they got to have a special lunch of chicken,rice and a soda paid for by the visitors!! They were so wired - kept dancing around after they ate!!

They also gave Sr. G some money to pay part of the PH hospital bill and are paying to have the kitchen stove re-built - thought Sr. G would faint! The stove is brick and holds 2 HUGE pots and one smaller one - it's been falling apart and really collapsed last week! All in all a very up day - they were fun to visit with (the wife likes to read so we talked books), and they were super generous. He also wants to take home some of the beads and try to sell them so have Holly working on getting a supply.

Holly has been super busy with her funding group - the Elton John Foundation - consultant is here to review their books (ugh). Sheri is now sick - the stomach thing has gone around!

Thursday we had a good English class - am now teaching to the test - will go over everything on it. I feel bad for the ones that don't read, but maybe we can start a remedial reading class next term (am I really saying that?). Used the suggestion of another PCV to do a "Progressive Story" - not all contributed but most got the idea - it was fun and think the others will try it next time. Went to work on the computer but it was VERY slow - so frustrating. Then tried to design Report Cards (term ends 8/8) but couldn't remember how to format Excel. Did get the English test typed but printer wouldn't print. Eventually, I got through all my e-mails, Sr. Melody got the printer to work, and Sheri came down to help me. w. Excel (forgot about right click) - got it all done - just very slowly.

It's been cool - really - 60 in the a.m. Days are overcast but no rain yet - want the tanks to start filling. Lots of power outages around 8 p.m. If it's load shedding I wish they'd wait till 10!

Friday I did laundry - sheets - ugh! Otherwise, the usual start, stop, redirect day! Nothing gets done in a straight line. Sister wanted me to help her write some Thanks You leters for the American donations but the sisters kept disappearing to other tasks. The bookkeeping teacher didn't know what to do because students were peeling casava for lunch - told him to take them and have class - enough cancellations! Lunch was very late. Having some issues between Sister and the shoe making teacher re: salary payment vs. him doing repairs on the side and use of materials. I want Sister to talk to him and get it resolved, but that's not the way Ugandans do things - everything is so round about and conversations are indirect. Was reading in National Geographic about Iranian people and it said "they never show their intention...they are making sure they're not exposing themselves to danger"...for Ugandans it's more a fear of criticism or confrontation I think, so things don't get resolved.

Had some surprise visitors from Ireland on Friday - 3 young people (late 20s) who are teaching for 6 months at a secondary school near Jinja and wanted to see where Mother Kevin started - love their accents!!

Holly and I went for a walk/run -I haven't been out all week (she has). Still haven't found a garden plot I can use but want to get some basins and start a small herb garden on my "veranda" - thanks for the seeds Jessica.

Saturday, I went with the sisters to the ordination of a young man from nearby Kisoga. Stella Maris School let the sisters go free on their bus - it was only about 1/2 hour drive to the Lugazi "cathedral"...there was one priest ordained and three deacons (here deacons are just one year away from priesthood). THe sisters were more excited than school kids on an outting!! Mariah (from Milwaukee) went along, the Florida couple were there (they are all leaving together on the same flight Sunday; passed along some beads), one of the Irish teachers was there(he wants to come back to PH and take some pictures and start a fund raising campaign in Ireland - go for it!), and met a gal from Iowa who is working for Catholic Relief in the Ft. Portal area (west). She worked for 3M for 10 years is a chemical engineer and worked in pharmaceuticals - now she's here for a year helping women organize a women's savings and loan! With her was a guy from Scotland who's teaching at a college in Fort Portal - both leaving in August - very interesting folks!! The actual service was five hours long and all in Lugandan! Afterward we went to eat at the parish of one of the new deacons - left at 9 a.m. and returned at 7, but a fun day!

Reading Smithsonian magazines from Cindy and just finished "28 places to go before you die"...not all are on my list, but sure makes you want to travel!!

Again, happy Kolacky Days. Melanie, I'll be thinking of you on Thursday...and praying! Hope all are well. The school term is about over here; they test a week early - why? Guess report cards are a big deal - all hand done! Then we have a month "holiday"...want to work on the piggery grant, we have a week of PC training and Sheri and I are going to have an ABC class again. I only have 2 classes and 23 students - revised the report cards to include an "effort" grade - I'm sure the other teachers will struggle with that since it's a new concept, but some of the kids work SO hard and really have never learned to read and it's not fair to ignore all the extra time they put in trying to copy from the board..sometimes an hour! We can change things next term...trying also to add a Religion and craft teacher to the schedule - we'll see if that works out. Sr. Juliet said I should be "in charge" of the vocational school, but they still pay (or don't pay) the salaries and the sisters like to be in charge - can't blame them. I'm a temp!

Thanks again for the letters/packages/prayers/thoughts - miss you all, but it's getting easier and easier to adapt. Love my little apartment...now just need another chair and I can have Holly and Sheri over to dinner!!!