the dance...

yes, the scorpion won.  the initial injection of poison into your system hurts enough to scream the famous four letter word multiple times while jumping around and looking like an idiot.  local treatment... first cut the little thing into multiple pieces (revenge) and then immediately place the wound into kerosene.  i'm not exactly sure what effect it is said to have, however the pain did seem to subside from throbbing to constant.  drinking strong black coffee is the next step...  the caffine is suppose to act as an antihistamine.  while brewing i poured myself a glass of rum and stuck my finger in to sterilize it and hopefully pull out any kerosene residue (i should have taken a shot) i also added hot coffee to the mix to help pull the poison out of my finger (heat).  so what exactly happens in the moments proceeding an attack?  you know that tingling feeling you get when your legs asleep...  that's exactly what happened to my hand.. and proceeding to climb up my arm.  for some, the entire side of their body where bitten will experience loss of feeling.  i'm glad it stayed below my shoulder.
winter preparation (rainy season)
currently we are getting things ready for the rainy season.  this coming week we will be planting cafe, vetiver (grass used in prevention of soil erosion) planted on contour, making two bamboo beds, harvesting ripe and rotten mangos, cutting firewood (gondul branches that were not eaten by the pelibeuy), fixing roofs, making jam, pruning almond trees, and saving seed.
we are also arranging to be paired up with local children as language partners to exchange english and spanish.

pelibuey, chanchos, y gallinas

today we learned how the rotation will work this coming wet season for the animals that we keep here on the farm.  last week we had cleared a section of the lower farm that has grasses planted on the contour which will be used for grazing and planting of rice, sorghum, corn, and cucurbits.  the idea is that once the area that we have cleared has sufficient growth to feed the pelibueys (goats/sheep), we will start to move their fence across the field.  following the grazing we will start to rotate the chanchos (pigs) behind, which will dig up the soil with their snots and feed on the roots and tubers left by the pelibeuys.  flies will then lay larve in the chanchos feces which will be eaten by the gallinas (chickens).  the feces will be spread and scratched into the soil by the gallinas during this process.  the animal rotation and plantings will be switched every other year.  putting the animals into rotation will require less energy input from us in terms of feeding them, while allowing us to get the most out of them.  they will till and fertilze the soil and we get to eat them afterwards.

volcan madera... inhibiting powers of climate

yesterday some girls from the farm, youri, and i made the climb up madera.  5km up adn four hours to make it to the top.  the first part of the hike was relatively easy as it consisted of climbing hundreds of stairs that were put in place for the workers of finca magdelena, to ease the climb for cafe harvest in dec and jan.  they tie baskets, like the one i made, to their waists adn then make the hike up multiple times a day.  around 1/4 of the way up it starts to get tricky with rocks and boulders protruding out of the black volcanic soil.  half way up we thought we were already going to die, but it was only the beginning, soon the earth turned into orange and red clay, and we were no longer hiking but climbing through washed out ravines.  it was beautiful and reminded me of seeing canyon walls glowing at sunset.  what should have taken an hour if walking on flat ground took four hours to climb up (5km).  pulling ourselves up with ropes, jumping from rock to rock, grabbing onto branches, was probably the most physically challenging feat of my life to date.  without our guide occasionally pulling us up the most difficult places it would have proved almost impossible.  i had already lost feeling in my legs when we still had half the volcano to scale (the most difficult part was yet to come).  3/4 of the way up we encountered a forest filled with bright azul (blue) cicadas... we were engulfed by their singing.  reaching the top we descended into the crater.  standing in the cloud forest at the ridge was mystical... a place i have dreamt fairies would live.  moss crept over the branches of the giant trees and sparkled in the sunlight, mist floated in the air, everything was lush and bromeliads covered the trees.

the descent into the crater seemed vertical clinging to ropes, lowering ourselves slowly.  the lake that filled the crater was bigger than i had imagined.  the fruits we had brought with us were a nice reward to our accomplishment and we spent an hour or so relaxing and celebrated the great hike.  sitting by the lake we watched the fog slowly creep over the ridges and fill the crater.

we started the descent after an hour, but first had to scale the top ridge out of the crater before heading back down.  springing tops of rocks, every step or jump proved to put a tremendous amount of strain on our joints as gravity was taking hold.  1/4 of the way down our legs were shaking from the exhertion.  erika was praying to dieties that is she made it safetly to the ground she would promise to never hike again and would be the best mother in the world to her unborn children if she made it alive adn unharmed.  holly kept falling which was easy to do as the cloud forest soaked the ground and kept a film of water ever coating the rocks.

waste on the farm...

i thought thought i was doing a pretty good job at controlling the amount of waste i produced while living in ames, however my perspective is starting to change.  what food we do consume as a group is then split into seperate buckets, one for the chancos (pigs), one for the worm composte, and one for the general compost (citrus).  paper is placed in a basket hanging near the stove which we use to start fires for cooking.  small plastics are placed inside botteas plasticos, which will be used in building projects to come.  plastic bags are extrememly valuable and are washed and reused daily. i.e. they are placed under tortillas as to keep them from sticking to the wood table top when rolling.
there are (hay) dos chanchos (pigs) on the farm and hay feed twice daily from our dinner/breakfast and lunch wastes.  i can say with almost full confidence that they are the happiest and best feed chanchos on the island.  the male is large enough to slaughter and we are planning on having a pig roast sometime in the weeks to come.  i believe there are four birthdays on the farm the first and second week of june warenting a grand feast.
today holly and i finished the bamboo bed and proceeded to help dig a garbage hole for those hard to dispose of plastics that will need time to decompose.
it's my first friday on the farm and we finish work at 11am instead of noon.  today i will be learning how to make baskets with don fidel, who is apparently a fantastic story teller and wonderful man who is 87 years old and has lived his entire life on the island.  i'm really excited to have a basket that i can use to harvest seeds, as i've spoted some okra in the lower garden whose pods are ready to disperse its seed.

water hyacinth

today we took the water hyacinth out of the lower pila and used it to mulch small seedlings, bananas, and coconuts.  some hyacinth was left in the pila to regenerate, some were taken to the upper pond to multiply, and the really small ones were feed to the chancos (pigs) for lunch.  once the water hyacinths bloom they will attract dragonflies which will consume the mosquitos which will come with the rains.  the pond is located in front of "the hilton" which is a sleeping area named so because of the water front property :)  por la tarde nosotros started building une cama (a bed).

Cam (underwear model) laying on the bed Holly and I made

we collected bamboo and used our machetes to cut the appropriate lengths and clean them.  my machete is starting to feel like an extension of my body as i continue to use it daily.  tieing the bamboo together with string proved difficult and extremely painful.  i now have multiple bandaids on my fingers.  200 may not last the summer.  my leg also looks like a ripe mango but the muscle is not as tense as yesterday.  a localized severe allergic reaction is the diagnosis.

we spent the rest of the day at cafe compestre, which is owned and operated by two gringos, ben and sarah.  they are also our closest neighbors here on the farm.  well as close as neighbors can be here.

after dinner we busted into a game of multi-lingual banana grams.  french, spanish, italian, and english.

unwanted bug encounter

I was bitten by a giant black wasp ayer y ahora mi izquierdo calf muscle es rojo y taught.  muy doloroso!  it started hurting approximente a la siete por la manana y no es mejor.  clemencia rubbed aloe vera on it this afternoon y it felt better para un momento.  i've also tried aspirin, benedryl, arnica oil, baking soda, y un tincture tumeric.  just have to wait till la manana y pray for the best.  hoy, nosotros sorted plants that chris had brought back to be planted throughout la granja, cacao, cafe, y neem... the rest of the plants names were in spanish, i'm yet to become familiar con them.  chris gave a tour of la granja hoy por la tarde.  he explained how he created microclimates with the use of exisisting trees from the forest y como todos were broken down into layers or los toldos.  ello hablas tambien la importancia de planting a source abol al lado de ones crop plant as to make it muy facil para mulching, fertilzing, y it will also provide protection para el cultivo. i.e. un legume al lado de un cafe.  el planta cafe that david has been peeing on since his arrival is actually el primero to flower.  amanda, rick, y i, nosotros hacemos la cena.  muy delicioso.  ensalda con los bananos, las verduras, las cebollas, los mames y passionfruit dressing.

la mermelada de mango

hoy was spent making la mermelada de mango con elaina.  el primaro hora nosotras peeled el mango y placed los potes de mermelada en a cazula grande para esterilizacion.  a ocho los mangos son ready to be boiled y nosotras broke para desayuno.  como enselada, pescado, y frijoles y arroz.  on a side note cam makes an amazing spaghetti dish!  nosotras boiled los mangos para une hora y added ocho teaspoons de azucar.  nosotras hand blended los mangos antes de boiling again.  primero abeja sting accounted for during this process.  adding la mermelada de mango to the jars and capping them we were done.  it took around quatro horas.  por la tarde, yo lavarso mi ropas, which was muy necesario. yo ducharso tambien.  the view from the shower is breathtaking.  tropical forests and volcanos are quickly becoming a part of me.  i'm at a loss of words, as hermoso can no longer describe todo aqui.

day 2

it's a day of rest and orientation.  getting around here is no joke.  it's exhausting walking around the farm as we are on the side of a volcano.  i'm hopign as the days pass i will be able to walk from one part of the farm to another without feeling as though i'm dying.

the water we use on the farm is gravity drawn from the volcanic crater above.  it's stored in pelos and we use it for showering, dishes, swimming, and watering the plants.  i can't believe the amount of things that are grown here... mangos, coffee, bananas, star fruit, tomatoes, peppers, basil, jack fruit, cocoa, cilantro, rice, beans, squash, kale, lettuce... and many more, most of which are new to me and i have yet to learn their local names.

being a permaculture farm the majority of what we consume is produced here.  for instance, i made chocolate last night after a failed attempt at roasting the beans (fire) the second attempt proved successful.  after we roasted the beans in a pan over the fire david, cam, and i rubbed off the burnt coat and placed them into a bowl with pure cane sugar that david had grated.  the cocoa beans and sugar were hand ground together and then melted in a pan over the fire (placed on boiling water inside another pan).  the mixture ended up being around 80% pure cocoa.  it was like eating expresso flavored chocolate.  highly recommended.

arrival... ometepe

Photo is on the ferry to Isla de Ometepe :)

the first night we arrived there was a birthday party to attend (hector 27).  Hector helps us on the farm, without him our lives would be more difficult.  at the party we drank nica rum and salsa danced for what seemed to be hours.  kia played the banjo and i feel in love with her music.  the locals i've met so far have been more then generous.  they are truly delightful.  my spanish has been improving as there are many situations i've encoutered where it's my only option.  i'm glad teh locals have a sense of humor as they watch me struggle to say a simple phrase, "no hablo espagnol pero estoy apprendiendo"  my spelling is obviously not correct but they don't have to read my writing!  i was able to develop my spanish skills further with the young girls at the party.  they too are beautiful and full of life.  i have a goal to learn at least ten words a day, since i have to use it constantly i don't foresee this being a problem.

after the birthday party amanda, mitch, and i went to a party (zopilote) to continue the night.  a pirate party at a nearby hostel.  the vibes completely changed.  i was now at what seemed to be a crazy, naked, pirate, jungle party.  vats of rum and mango juice held into the night.  the rains came.  soon everyone would be covered in volcanic soil singing and dancing as the drops began to fall faster and harder with the passing moments.  the vats were now empty and turned into drums.  most of us retreated to the shelter, warming ourselves by the giant adobe oven.  as the lightening struck the mango trees presence was made with the dancers and drummers wildly moving under its branches.

fire and water, this island is a magical place.  rivers appeared in minuets where the earth was previously dry.  we managed to make the hour trek back to the farm and slip into something dry.  amanda made hibiscus tea and i fell asleep to the first torrential down pour of the wet season.

mine is the green net :)

night

fireflies light up the night sky like stars but these are close enough to grab and hold onto before releasing back into the darkness.  sleeping in the open jungle...  the night here brings its own surprises.  giant frogs come out of hiding and line the foot paths of the volcano bellowing while other sounds i have yet to identify with.

killing scorpions has become a past time as there bodies have a slight pink hue that becomes easier to spot as the days go by.  the small ones are of more concern as they have yet to learn how to control their venom.  i hope to avoid an unwanted dance.

the sunsets are beautiful.  perched in the tree house near the kitchen one can witness the sun dissipate beyond the horizon with conception and lake nica in the foreground.

Granada

SPANISH, SPANISH, SPANISH..... lets just say i´m workin on it!

today has been spent wandering around the lovely city of granada and losing myself in the beauty of it all.  i met up with two girls (maddi and erika) who attend school in vermont and will be on the farm with me this summer.  on our way to find la parque central this morning, we got lost, we strolled the market for awhile before realizing we had no idea where we were.  solution.... climb the highest tower we could find, look out over the city and try to pinpoint our location..  it worked! 

thank you lake nicaragua! trying to orient oneself to north and south in a bustling city is apparently more difficult than i had thought!  one would think ¨"donde esta la central parque?" would be enough to get to some place, however they don´t necessarily respond with "go left three blocks and then right 2".  oh, and watch out for giant gapping holes in the sidewalks and streets...  it may be the end of me, as i´m constantly caught up in the vibrant streets.
i´m still adjusting to the humidity here... i had to escape to a pool this afternoon to release some heat.  these first couple of weeks on the farm are going to be a challenge.

we will be heading out to la laguna de apoyo tomorrow for a day of lounging on the beach and kayaking before attempting to travel to ometepe on saturday.  still have yet to figure out how to post pictures and now that the computers are in spanish and crazy keyboards to learn (excuse my typing) it may take me a bit longer!  adios amigos

Transition

As I'm just starting this blog, I would like to point out that I have added a few journal entries prior to this one, from the time I was in Uganda during the summer of 2010.

I leave for La Isla de Ometepe on Wednesday, May 18th for an internship and have decided to try and keep an updated blog throughout the summer.  I will be returning August 8th.  Hopefully I will figure out how to post pictures and will be able to share some of my life with those of you who are interested.

-amber

Amsterdam

Stepping out of the airport I could feel myself dissolve into a crowd of hundreds of people.  It's really a strange feeling realizing you no longer stick out in a crowd.  No one was looking at me, no one cared.  In a way it was a relief.  
I was glad to arrive in the early hours of the morning since it gave me a chance to walk around and find my hostel for the week.  Apparently I look dutch, or there isn't a lot of blond girls who walk around alone who aren't local.  People would approach me speaking dutch and then when they wanted an answer I would simply say, "I'm sorry I'm not from here"  They responded with "oh... you're AMERICAN" and would walk away.  It wasn't that they didn't know english, the majority just happened to have a negative opinion of americans.  I did however meet some wonderful Australians throughout the week.  We spent most of our days in the park or wondering the streets.  I did happen to take a ferry north one day with some new friends and we found a quant little fish stand in the middle of the road... it was amazing.
Every morning I would sit on the sidewalk eating breakfast and drinking a heineken...  Gave me a chance to observe my surroundings and realize I was no longer in Africa... Ha... I could sit on the ground :)  It's strange when you have spent the last two months constantly aware of your surroundings and then to let your surroundings dissipate in a matter of days.
Lets just say a week in Amsterdam was a wonderful transition.

Tomato farmers

This could be hands down my favorite experience J  Being able to actually sit down and interview farmers at their homes was eye opening in soo many ways…  To learn about the different varieties they grow and the struggles they face.  The cultural stigmas surrounding intercropping of certain crops!  Again there were times where I had to sit back and realize what I thought would be beneficial, (record keeping) was not plausible when they told me they could not read or write. 

to be updated... 

HIV/AIDS group

I was able to go with Darin and help distribute the mosquito nets they had purchased.  I absolutely loved it!  The people were wonderful and showing them how to use the nets was beautiful.  They bought up every single net and danced and sang because they were soo happy.  They did have concerns about other members of their family and wanted to purchase more nets but they were limited to one per person.  With 25 people in the group they managed to hand them out and successfully collect money to give to Darin.  It was a little chaotic when community members walking by decided that they wanted nets too.

Vedco and Darin were discussing what to do with the money they received for the nets this morning.  They decided on buying fruit trees to help with nutrient intake and thought it best to ask the farmers what kind of fruit they would want.  

When meeting with the group again to decide on fruit trees there was a moment where I was taken back by what a farmer had said in relation to avocado trees.  "I will be dead before it starts producing fruit... why would I want an avocado tree?"  I hadn't thought about the time it would take to produce fruit would be more important than the actual nutrient content of the fruit itself.

Bombings/funeral

The fragility of life was brought to my attention after the bombings had taken place and when Sam’s sister had passed away.  To attend a funeral of a woman close to my age who was raised in rural Kamuli and at what seems to be against all odds made it to Kampala only to have her life taken at age 26 by a vehicle.  This was a week of understanding the struggles that lay ahead, the pride in making it to the city, and how quickly it can all be taken away.   

Home stay

I’m staying with Violet and her sister, Irene J  The adrenaline started pumping when we jumped out of the taxi to be on our own for the next few days.  I loved not know what was going on or where exactly we were going.  We had to wait for Irene to meet us so we went to a little shop, ordered some sodas and relaxed.  We barely finished our sodas and here comes Irene almost running through the streets in her high heels!  I couldn’t stop laughing, she reminded me of my sister and was maneuvering around the garbage piles, potholes, and washouts with ease.  A feat I would latter try to attempt and fail at! 

We made it to Irene’s later in the afternoon and we agreed on peas for dinner.  Violet and I made passion fruit/carrot/orange juice while Irene started on the food.  It was fun to grate carrots outside on the ground and crazy to think that every time one would want juice this was the process.  I also helped with the dishes when it came time, I’ve never washed dishes in a tub outside either, unless while camping.  I think that is why I enjoy this life style, it’s similar to camping which is something I’ve always loved to do. 

The food was amazing!  Peas, potatoes, rice and juice.  It was hands down the best meal I’ve had since arrival.  We are going to make a corn porridge for breakfast.  It’s after dark and Violet and I are sent on a mission to obtain milk, onions, and coffee.  At night the market holds a different beauty.  Lanterns lined the shops and candles lay on the ground.  I’m glad I was able to experience this evening.

Breakfast was also delicious; I told her she should cook all the time J 

Today we meet up with the group and went to Aero beach for an adventure.  I couldn’t believe that there were broken down airplanes that we could play in with sharp metal edges and places to fall!  Never in America!  The whole day was really nice.  I was able to eat my first fish eyeball, and play some new games.  When the school children arrived it was interesting to see that they would rent swimsuits to use.  I had never thought about if they even owned a swimsuit before.  The music filled the beach soon after and almost everyone was dancing.

We hit up the town tonight…  it felt like home.

Violet and I meet up with Sharon, Silver, Ellen, and Sean this morning for breakfast.  I will never forget the avocado shake that was presented to me…. Best shake I’ve ever had!  Shopping was a little insane with the time constraints since none of us really got up too early!

We again stopped at Lake Victoria before the ISU student’s departure.  It was FREEZING!  Medi and I hid out in the taxi for a little while to get out of the wind. 

I can’t really describe the feeling of watching the ISU students go into the airport and seeing the MK students left behind.  It was silent for a long time and not without tears.  I tried to imagine what it would be like for them, I know I’m leaving in another two weeks, but they will remain here and may never get on a plane to America.  My heart was broken.

Today I went with Irene to her place of work.  She does the bookkeeping for a construction company and we were on our way to one of the buildings she divides her time between.  It was hard to grasp the concept that they still were using hand written records for everything. 

It’s early morning and Irene took me out in the community.  We had to collect water for showering and cooking.  The first place we went didn’t have water but the second home did.  We paid the lady and filled our jerry cans.  I guess the city comes and fills up the wells for a fee so the citizens pay for it to keep it working.  The lady’s little boy carried our large jerry cans filled with water back to Irene’s for a small fee as well.  “Child labor at its finest.” joked Irene.  While the boy was taking the water back we ventured over to the nearest butcher to find some pork for lunch.  The first butcher we passed, with Irene quickly pointing out that the meat is not fresh.  I wish I had the skills to spot fresh meat on the streets… had to have learned from a young age what was considered safe and fresh.  We found one that she liked and from what I could understand from visual clues the boy who cut our meat for us was an apprentice.   He did exactly as Irene instructed, cut this fat off here, a little skin there, she was happy.  When we got back to Irene’s it was time to cook and I had to help her hold the meat so she could cut it.  I’m not sure what my deal is but I absolutely do not like holding fresh meat from unknown sources with hair, fat, and skin still identifiable.  Irene thought it was hilarious.  Violet arrived back at the house just after we finished cutting the meat.  She had gone to pick up a clothing stand Irene had purchased the night before.  It was really nice, solid wood, holds shoes and your clothes for approximately 50 US dollars….. that is amazing.  To get it home you simply find a man with a truck and pay him for the ride and labor. 

I like how things seem to run and depend on the interactions of strangers.  In Ames, I could probably last a few days solely interacting with people I know.

The food again was amazing, Thank you Irene!

Projects

I was able to visit Namasagali Friday morning in order to start work on the beekeeping project since I’ve been teaching at Nak this first couple weeks.  Mr. Kato was busy most of the morning so my task was to start working on the sewing project…. I started out using my previous knowledge by wrapping the thread around cardboard scrapes.  After making four of them I realized it was not going to be applicable to their situation.  If the cardboard were to get wet the whole thing would fall apart and render it useless.  I came up with the idea of using sticks as a spool, if they get wet it wouldn’t matter.  Further realizing the amount of time it would take to make all of them I decided it was time to enlist help.  I wanted to make sure it was appropriate so I asked Laura for her opinion.  She said yes!

The children were more than happy to help.  At first it was just a few who actively wanted to help, but I soon realized I was going to have to get them to share the task as children starting lining up with sticks.  The pupils didn’t seem to understand me when I tried to get them to take turns so the one holding the spool could now hold the stick and wind the thread.  ACTION.  By deliberatively going up to each pair of students and cutting the string, changing rolls, the children started to realize what I was hinting at and took turns in sharing the task.  I noticed the group of older girls under the mango tree who had already spun their sticks and were standing around talking.  I approached them to see if they would talk to me about sewing, but they were not responsive to my English so I recruited Violet to assist me.  I asked Violet if she could ask the girls if they knew how to sew.  If not, did they want to learn and that if they wanted a sewing class we would be happy to start teaching them.  They responded to Violet with YES, they wanted to learn.  She told the girls to write down their names on a piece of paper and that the following week we would start to arrange a sewing class.  On Thursday, Violet handed me a piece of paper with 44 names of both boys and girls…. It began.

Since I may not know that stitches practiced culturally here I’ve decided to contact Dorothy, if she doesn’t know she may be able to point me to a seamstress who can help.  I’ve already asked Katie if she wanted to be involved and she said yes!

 The projects have started and I’m finding it difficult to get things organized and find everyone on the same train of thought.  I had sat down and written an outline of exactly what I felt was important to the projects success and how we needed to accomplish tasks at hand.  I’ve been curious to the MK students take on the project and had come to a consensus with them that we should all write out where we felt this project should go.   At the first meeting none of them followed through with writing anything down…. I felt as if nothing was accomplished.

Remember, MK students are not all familiar with rural Kamuli…. Development is also something they are in the process of learning about.

I assumed that since they were from Uganda they would know about what is happening within the country, especially in rural Kaumli.  As the project has started to materialize it’s becoming apparent that the students are learning along side the ISU students.  *Patience is virtue*

Bi-national team

We’ve finished our first week of teaching!  The childrean are lovely and full of laughter… Moments seem to be more difficult when teaching theory.  The children respond marvelously when Medi is in front of the class.  He knows how to break the material down to the point that they understand and is constantly keeping the children active in discussion.  He keeps his sentences short and requests feedback to concepts throughout the lesson.  I’ve noticed it’s harder for me to stay on my ideal lecture.  Not only am I trying to explain the materials but I have to be aware at the speed I’m talking and also try to keep the students engaged as well as keep a steady pace to the material I present.  I find myself thinking about how to approach each subject while in front of the class even through I’ve gone through it over and over again.  Having to come up with ways to relate their lives with the material I feel like I’m starting to get a hang for it by watching Medi and using his style of teaching by keeping things short, simple, and direct.  I don’t try to just regurgitate the lesson word for word anymore, but rather start each topic asking the children for examples and then proceeding further.  We tell them that every answer is correct and they should raise their hands and share their thoughts.  Of course they don’t always come up with the correct answers but there are ways to continue without saying someone is wrong.  Medi told the class there are no wrong answers just wrong questions.  I personally took that statement to heart.  I have never heard it explained that way before.  If a student fails to give a correct answer we just star it and after we get the ones we are looking for we go back and reword the question so the others are correct as well!  The students who realize when one has given a wrong answer giggle but by the time we address it they have already forgotten who gave the answer and are interested in learning what it “does” apply to.  I can say with 100% certainty that had I had to teach the class without my bi-national team member it wouldn’t even be close to successful.

I’ve had the opportunity to sit back and observe other ISU students teach and have noticed differences as well.  For example, in Katie’s math class the students are active, involved, and understand what she is saying without confusion or added stress to Katie.  The same class P5, which is also mine for vegetable seedling production, has a harder time in understanding Katie during her soils class.  It’s funny that numbers come so easily across languages and soils are so much harder to teach.

I love taking the students out to the field during the second half of our class to apply what we’ve been teaching in the room.  It’s apparent that the children know how to raise beds, sterilize the soils, plant much, water etc.  They are better than us J, however they just do and don’t understand why they are performing the actions, or so I get the impression.  I feel like the students could gain from understanding these actions and use this knowledge in analysis of past experiences.

Next week we will be teaching about the importance of record keeping and how they can use them to their advantage.  I really hope some of them will understand what we are trying to teach and apply it at home.

Markets...

The days seem to fly by here.  Everything is different the people, the foods, the markets.  People here are more than welcoming; strangers on the streets smiling and asking how are you.  The markets are filled with colors stretching across the red earth and skyward.  Children running through the streets yelling “muzungo”, and hoping to get a picture, a glimpse, or maybe even a touch from the white travelers.  The streets are littered with goats, chickens, and cattle.  The cattle are quite large and roam free between the buildings and people.  The smells are constantly changing almost, it seems, with every step taken.  Some smells peak my interests as I have no memory of their scent from before…. These I will soon identify with.  Some are recognizable, but rather left unmentioned.  It’s hard not to buy something from everyone.  Guess these things are better left to chance.

My first time through the market, I was careful not to speak with anyone I didn’t know.  Today I was able to reach outside my comfort level and spoke with a man who was selling beans.  The display of multi-colored beans pulled me in and I inquired about the varieties he was selling.  It was hard to understand what the farmer was saying, however he really enjoyed getting his picture taken with his beans and looking at it afterwards.  

Realization.... I'm in Africa

There was a moment in the schoolyard where I felt like I was really in Africa for the first time.  Up until that moment I had to keep reminding myself I was actually here.  It was only brief as I was busy playing with the kids, however there was still emotional attachment to the realization as tears began to fill my eyes.

Damaged crops

Hail damage could be seen in specific areas affecting the yields of mostly corn…  ONE cob per corn plant and that is only if they are surrounded with the best conditions, hale is devastating.

Day to day

Corn, cassava, coffee, rice, matooke…these are the crops that tend to repeat as the days go by.  In the meeting today the govt. officials mentioned the inequalities facing gender and age within communities.  He stated the women have more responsibility than the men and therefore are more involved.  The men simply sitting around enjoying their time with each other.

What is there to look forward to as a child growing up in the Kamuli District?  Do they aspire to be doctors, teachers, artists, or is it rather different compared with the usual American answer.  Possibly their life goal may be to own 24 cows, 10 goats, 5 chickens, 2 wives, and many children to help work the farm land.  I’m curious to know the dreams and aspirations of the Kamuli Districts youth.

Today I learned the distinction between mud homes and brick houses.  The structures lining the roads on the way to the schools help to indicate the economic level of the resident family.  Bricks, Medi says, are more expensive and last longer than the traditional mud huts….and tin roofs also hint at the success level of each family.

Notes on meeting District Officals

-Disadvantaged/illiterate

            if schooled you become an extension worker NOT a farmer

            you can not talk to mountains/rivers/trees

            agriculture is not seen as a business

-Women and elderly attend meetings and are more involved in the community

-Organization

            Men are in the streets and don’t understand the importance while women are more responsible     

            Children want to see immediate gain from their actions

            Government helps those within groups (groups benefit)

I’m amazed at the confidence displayed by the Makerere students when addressing the prime minister or District Officials.  They are eager to understand and do not seem afraid to voice opinions or ask questions

Visiting the schools

My favorite moments so far have involved the Makerere students.  They are full of energy and love to share their culture and beliefs with us.  Violet has a wonderful sense of humor that I’m sure will continue to surprise me throughout my duration here. 

"I wouldn't stick my arm out the window if I were you." "Why?" "Because someone will cut your arm off to steal your watch!"

The drive to the schools was long in the van however longer by foot.  It’s hard to imagine walking that far to school everyday with the realization that lunch may not be provided upon arrival. 

Seeing the children running up to the vans as we arrived was a new experience.  Standing outside the van at Nak there was a feeling of being on display that overtook me.  The children were standing around us and just staring.  It was a little uncomfortable at first but once everyone dispersed and started interacting the feelings subsided and I was back to being excited.  

First Impressions

Walking out of the airport felt like I was walking through a conservatory.  The climate was revealed through plants, the latitude through darkness.  The ride to the hotel was rather calming even with the motorcycles racing by within inches of us and the lack of signs useful in maintaining traffic speeds.  It’s surprising how little “road rage” appears in what seems to be organized chaos.  Women sitting on the back of motorcycles perfectly primped wearing dresses and high heels, while the men maneuver them safely through traffic.  I have yet to see a woman driving behind the handlebars.

I have to admit the cities first impression was one of uneasiness.  It may be partly due to the fact that before leaving we read and were told to be “careful”, it’s dangerous; you could possibly be robbed or worse.  I’ve never had to be aware of my surroundings to this extent before…. Noticing this numbers of children walking along the roads and searching through the garbage piles for treasures with unknown origins makes me wonder what it would be like and how I’d feel had I grown up here.  What would be important if I had?  It seems normal for the children to loiter through the streets.  No one seems to be chasing down his or her kids like in the U.S.