So, I'm at the US Embassy in Kampala using some (slightly) faster internet, while I register here and get extra pages added to my passport. My cousin, Kim, whom I am staying with works for USAID, which has their offices in the Embassy.
I walked to the embassy this morning because I overslept and missed my ride here with Kim (new country, same Laura apparently), although in my defense, I have been sleeping irregularly as is to be expected I guess. I'm sleeping under a mosquito canopy net, and I keep psyching
myself out about mosquitos landing on me, biting me, and giving me malaria! So last night I had trouble falling asleep just being all wound up, and then I woke in the middle of the night with a stomache ache, but too scared to get up and run to the bathroom for fear of mosquitos. I finally did, but felt like such a wimp the whole time!
Tomorrow I start teaching at the school, Meeting Point, where I will be volunteering, although I will probably spend the first week trying out a few different things: assisting a current teacher, doing some community outreach, before I start teaching art classes on my own. There are apparently two other young female volunteers and also an older couple who are from, you won't believe it--Chevy Chase--small world!! The wife teaches the nursery school kids, and she was excited to hear about the massive bag of art supplies that I brought with me. She thought I might be able to do some art projects that tie in with her curriculum, so that could be really good.
On the whole, this place is just completely overwhelming. I knew I would be overwhelmed, and it has certainly lived up to expectations! Kim lives at the top of one of about six hills that surround the city center of Kampala, and while some of the roads are more or less paved (but often have massive potholes), many are not at all and are just grassy or dirty ruts that are not really charted on any map. Kim lives in a housing compound that has 4 other houses within it, behind a gate that is watched by a guard, which is very common and the safest way to live here. I'm living in a small guest house with a living room, bathroom, and bedroom (with all important mosquito net!), but I go to Kim's house to use the shower and kitchen and eat meals with her and her family: her husband, David, and 3 year-old son, Ben.
Tonight I'm going to look at one of two possible housing options. It is with a friend of Kim's who has a young child. I would rent a room, and it is just a short walk from the school. However, I will probably go with the apt I saw last night unless I am wowed. That one is not as convenient to the school as it is across a swamp (!!!) but i would be living with a young British expat girl (who moved here to start her own safari company! Talk about brave!) in a quite nice and spacious apartment. Anyways, I will just have to see.
Then I think we are going out for pizza tonight--that should be interesting! On the whole, the food I've had has been quite good if rather hodge-podge. Kim has a nanny and also a cook who has made dinner for us both nights--not exactly Ugandan food I think, but one night was shepards pie and last night was a chicken curry and rice. I also walked down the street yesterday to explore just a bit beyond the gate, and found some Italian gelato that was really quite good, for just about the equivalent of 60 cents! I will have to try a flavor a day. I took a chance on trying it, and while it may have been the cause of my stomache ache in the night, I have to take chances sometimes to try to get my system accustomed to food here. The tap water is off limits, so I have to be careful to brush my teeth with bottled water, etc. It is definitely one of those things we just take for granted in the States!!
I am certainly the only white face I saw on my short walk, which was quite an odd experience. This morning on my walk to the embassy I had a similar experience. And heard distinctly being called a "muzunga"--foreigner--for the first time. No one was rude or jeering really, but I did get some looks, especially from the scooter drivers who expected me to want a ride rather than to walk along the road (there aren't sidewalks here per se, just the edge of the road). Those scooters are called boda-boda, or something to that effect. You basically just hop on the seat behind the driver and off you go, as they can weave through traffic, etc. They seem a bit unnerving, so I'm not quite sure when I will get up the courage to try one, but I will probably have to sooner or later! The other cheap form of transport is by taxi--but this my friends is no New York taxicab! It is basically a variation on a white van that holds up to 14 people (Uganda sets a limit on that unlike in some other places apparently). There are no bus stops; instead you just stand by the side of the road and flag one down that is going in the direction that you want to go! So because Kampala is essentially made up of neighborhoods arranged like spokes on a wheel, you take a taxi into the center and then get on another one depending on where y
ou want to go (kinda like the DC metro and lacking a circle line? then of couse not at all like that!). So these "taxis" are make up the Kampala bus system so to speak. Then "special hires" are what we would consider taxis and will take just your party to your destination.
I walked to the embassy this morning because I overslept and missed my ride here with Kim (new country, same Laura apparently), although in my defense, I have been sleeping irregularly as is to be expected I guess. I'm sleeping under a mosquito canopy net, and I keep psyching
myself out about mosquitos landing on me, biting me, and giving me malaria! So last night I had trouble falling asleep just being all wound up, and then I woke in the middle of the night with a stomache ache, but too scared to get up and run to the bathroom for fear of mosquitos. I finally did, but felt like such a wimp the whole time!Tomorrow I start teaching at the school, Meeting Point, where I will be volunteering, although I will probably spend the first week trying out a few different things: assisting a current teacher, doing some community outreach, before I start teaching art classes on my own. There are apparently two other young female volunteers and also an older couple who are from, you won't believe it--Chevy Chase--small world!! The wife teaches the nursery school kids, and she was excited to hear about the massive bag of art supplies that I brought with me. She thought I might be able to do some art projects that tie in with her curriculum, so that could be really good.
On the whole, this place is just completely overwhelming. I knew I would be overwhelmed, and it has certainly lived up to expectations! Kim lives at the top of one of about six hills that surround the city center of Kampala, and while some of the roads are more or less paved (but often have massive potholes), many are not at all and are just grassy or dirty ruts that are not really charted on any map. Kim lives in a housing compound that has 4 other houses within it, behind a gate that is watched by a guard, which is very common and the safest way to live here. I'm living in a small guest house with a living room, bathroom, and bedroom (with all important mosquito net!), but I go to Kim's house to use the shower and kitchen and eat meals with her and her family: her husband, David, and 3 year-old son, Ben.
Tonight I'm going to look at one of two possible housing options. It is with a friend of Kim's who has a young child. I would rent a room, and it is just a short walk from the school. However, I will probably go with the apt I saw last night unless I am wowed. That one is not as convenient to the school as it is across a swamp (!!!) but i would be living with a young British expat girl (who moved here to start her own safari company! Talk about brave!) in a quite nice and spacious apartment. Anyways, I will just have to see.
Then I think we are going out for pizza tonight--that should be interesting! On the whole, the food I've had has been quite good if rather hodge-podge. Kim has a nanny and also a cook who has made dinner for us both nights--not exactly Ugandan food I think, but one night was shepards pie and last night was a chicken curry and rice. I also walked down the street yesterday to explore just a bit beyond the gate, and found some Italian gelato that was really quite good, for just about the equivalent of 60 cents! I will have to try a flavor a day. I took a chance on trying it, and while it may have been the cause of my stomache ache in the night, I have to take chances sometimes to try to get my system accustomed to food here. The tap water is off limits, so I have to be careful to brush my teeth with bottled water, etc. It is definitely one of those things we just take for granted in the States!!
I am certainly the only white face I saw on my short walk, which was quite an odd experience. This morning on my walk to the embassy I had a similar experience. And heard distinctly being called a "muzunga"--foreigner--for the first time. No one was rude or jeering really, but I did get some looks, especially from the scooter drivers who expected me to want a ride rather than to walk along the road (there aren't sidewalks here per se, just the edge of the road). Those scooters are called boda-boda, or something to that effect. You basically just hop on the seat behind the driver and off you go, as they can weave through traffic, etc. They seem a bit unnerving, so I'm not quite sure when I will get up the courage to try one, but I will probably have to sooner or later! The other cheap form of transport is by taxi--but this my friends is no New York taxicab! It is basically a variation on a white van that holds up to 14 people (Uganda sets a limit on that unlike in some other places apparently). There are no bus stops; instead you just stand by the side of the road and flag one down that is going in the direction that you want to go! So because Kampala is essentially made up of neighborhoods arranged like spokes on a wheel, you take a taxi into the center and then get on another one depending on where y
ou want to go (kinda like the DC metro and lacking a circle line? then of couse not at all like that!). So these "taxis" are make up the Kampala bus system so to speak. Then "special hires" are what we would consider taxis and will take just your party to your destination. Wow, I just wrote so much and it seems like I have a million things more to describe, but that is what any new environment inspires, I suppose.
I hope to load my first round of pictures in the next few days!
Here's my contact info at the moment:
Laura Plattner
c/o Case Family
Plot 209 Zzimwe Road
Muyenga, Kampala
UGANDA
And my cell phone number (when calling from the states) is +256752391383. I don't really expect any calls, but feel free to suprise me! ;)
I hope to load my first round of pictures in the next few days!
Here's my contact info at the moment:
Laura Plattner
c/o Case Family
Plot 209 Zzimwe Road
Muyenga, Kampala
UGANDA
And my cell phone number (when calling from the states) is +256752391383. I don't really expect any calls, but feel free to suprise me! ;)
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