To add to my last post, after the band marched through town, we had an entourage of cars and trucks pull through Sembabule also. People were standing in the trucks, waving tree branches and yelling out things that I couldn’t understand. I was told this was the way people were expressing their support. I took a few pictures but internet’s been terrible so I’ll have to wait to upload those. The guy who is running for chairperson in Sembabule District was responsible for the vehicle parade and I managed to get a peek at him, standing up in a car, waving at people in town. Later on in the day, we saw a political rally in the middle of town for one of the men who are running against Museveni for president. He hung a huge banner in town and talked to a big crowd that had gathered. Since I can’t understand Luganda, I cannot tell you what he was saying. I have to wonder at how good someone’s chances are who is running for the presidency. I’d think not very good. Museveni is pretty much in control, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change any time soon… Presidential elections are February 18th. Let's hope they go smoothly!
This past weekend, we didn’t have power during the day so I managed to read a lot AND we cooked. Again, I reiterate that frying anything makes that food taste better. Claire and I fried some matoke on Saturday. It was quite a process. We were taught a technique by our program manager’s husband, who is Columbian. I think it's called patacones? Don't quote me on the name. And we decided to try it out. Peeling matoke is way harder than all the Ugandans make it look. Well it’s either that or I am just inept in the kitchen. I’m pretty sure I wasted a significant amount of banana flesh. We fried medium sized pieces of matoke until they were soft enough to squash flat with a bowl, then refried them, and finally seasoned with Claire's seasoning salt. They were sooooooo good. If matoke was served this way to me all the time, I’d never get sick of it. I'd also have serious health issues from so much fried food... but it'd be worth it. A picture will be forthcoming, I promise.
I just finished reading The Shattered Continent and really enjoyed it. It’s another book on economic development and aid in Africa but it was pretty easy to read and straight forward. Another interesting book I've finished is The Caged Virgin, written by the same woman who wrote Infidel. I think she has a very interesting opinion on Islam and women's rights. She questions why the West is so afraid to criticize Islam, calls for Muslims to look critically at their own religious beliefs, and advocates for better women's rights for Muslim women. Definitely a must read if you're interested in the Middle East, Islam, fundamental Islam, and want to see it from the perspective of a woman who was raised Muslim.
I have about a month left here and I desperately need to find a way to bring a chapati/rolex stand back to the US with me…
PS Did you know that the FAO reported that Uganda was the top producer of plantains in 2005?
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
And the band played on...?
Although it's a title of a book on HIV/AIDS especially in the US and I am in Uganda, a country that is known for doing relatively well on the fight against HIV, I am actually referencing the live band that walked through Sembabule this morning. It's a rare sight to see a live marching band at any time but at 9am in the morning in town, it was an even bigger surprise. After asking around, I was told that the band was hired by a woman who is running for a political office in Sembabule. Other politicians hire groups of bodas or cars to drive through town, honking, yelling, publicizing their name, and attracting attention. This woman was a bit more creative because it is rare for a marching band to walk through town. This definitely will attract a crowd and get people talking.
I crave deep dish pizza... with veggies piled on... I also want an apple. Do you understand how rare it is to go almost 5 months and only eating an apple once?! Apples aren't common to Africa and the only one I've eaten was the one I bought in Rwanda. I miss it. And pecan pie... I just want pie... Thanksgiving is coming up and Uganda doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving (since it's an American holiday). So we don't get that Thursday as a holiday AND I'm missing one of my favorite days of the year: Black Friday. I'm starting to get rather depressed. I'm so sad that I won't be able to wake up at 5am and head to the mall with my friends. No turkey, no Chinese-style stuffing my mom makes... On Thanksgiving, you guys better eat copious amounts of food on my behalf.
I crave deep dish pizza... with veggies piled on... I also want an apple. Do you understand how rare it is to go almost 5 months and only eating an apple once?! Apples aren't common to Africa and the only one I've eaten was the one I bought in Rwanda. I miss it. And pecan pie... I just want pie... Thanksgiving is coming up and Uganda doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving (since it's an American holiday). So we don't get that Thursday as a holiday AND I'm missing one of my favorite days of the year: Black Friday. I'm starting to get rather depressed. I'm so sad that I won't be able to wake up at 5am and head to the mall with my friends. No turkey, no Chinese-style stuffing my mom makes... On Thanksgiving, you guys better eat copious amounts of food on my behalf.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Hello Bob Junior
Yesterday, Claire met Bob Junior while she was bathing. He jumped out of an empty jerry can that was sitting in our shower area. After keeping her eye on him and finishing her shower, we used a plastic bag to remove him from our room. Then Bob Junior proceeded to have a photo shoot with me outside our room.
It has been exceedingly difficult to wake up since we got back. I don't know why but I'm definitely dragging my feet every morning to get ready for work. The office is really quiet with half the staff in Mubende for a training, which makes it difficult to concentrate in the afternoon when all I want to do is to take a siesta.
I bought some Twix bars this weekend and I have to say, I think they taste better in Uganda. Maybe it's because they're not as sweet or sugary (they're imported from the UK). Or maybe it's because I've been away from America too long. But I do think they are more delicious here than when I eat them in the US.
I'm currently finishing up Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux. It's such an interesting book. He goes by land from Cairo to Cape Town. I've heard stories of people who've done this trip, but it's really interesting reading it from a perspective of someone who lived in Africa in the 60's. He talks about how things have changed, how things are rather similar, and how sometimes things are worse than they were before. This isn't a happy-go-lucky safari book about the Big 5 and his fun experiences on safari, but it is an interesting, thought-provoking read that I am really enjoying.
Yesterday was election day and I only get to read about the results online. I'm kind of sad I missed such an interesting point in American politics, especially now with the House being controlled by the Republicans. Since I'm leaving in December, I'm also going to miss the Ugandan elections that will be held in February. There's a lot of campaigning going on and a couple months ago, there was major drama in Sembabule involving the primary elections for candidates in the NRM party (someone was shot). I kind of wish I could be here to see what happens in February. The US embassy in Uganda is preparing for any possible problems that might arise during or after the elections. I just got an email from them. All the organizations are developing or have a contingency plan if things go poorly and all ex-pats need to leave the country.
I'm sitting here this morning, rather sleepy and thinking about politics, waiting to take chai. Every morning at the office, around 9:30-10, we have a tea break. Chai = tea. Everyone gets a short break to drink chai together. Ugandan tea is not what tea drinking is like for me in the US. Back home, I would use a tea bag or tea infuser and add hot water. Tada! I'd have my tea. Sometimes I'd add sugar or honey, but usually I drink it plain, without anything added. In Uganda, tea is made by adding some water to milk and some ginger, boiling it, adding tea leaves for people to drink. People usually add quite a great deal of sugar. I've rarely seen Ugandans drink coffee. It's always all about the tea. Sometimes they make things more exciting and add more ginger (when I say more ginger, I mean A LOT more) or cinnamon. It's quite nice, being able to take a tea break every morning. There's often also something to eat with the tea. Bread with Blue Band (the scary, non-refridgerated margarine), chapati, samosas, or fried cassava. I love our morning tea breaks. Speaking of which, I'm going to go enjoy right now!
It has been exceedingly difficult to wake up since we got back. I don't know why but I'm definitely dragging my feet every morning to get ready for work. The office is really quiet with half the staff in Mubende for a training, which makes it difficult to concentrate in the afternoon when all I want to do is to take a siesta.
I bought some Twix bars this weekend and I have to say, I think they taste better in Uganda. Maybe it's because they're not as sweet or sugary (they're imported from the UK). Or maybe it's because I've been away from America too long. But I do think they are more delicious here than when I eat them in the US.
I'm currently finishing up Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux. It's such an interesting book. He goes by land from Cairo to Cape Town. I've heard stories of people who've done this trip, but it's really interesting reading it from a perspective of someone who lived in Africa in the 60's. He talks about how things have changed, how things are rather similar, and how sometimes things are worse than they were before. This isn't a happy-go-lucky safari book about the Big 5 and his fun experiences on safari, but it is an interesting, thought-provoking read that I am really enjoying.
Yesterday was election day and I only get to read about the results online. I'm kind of sad I missed such an interesting point in American politics, especially now with the House being controlled by the Republicans. Since I'm leaving in December, I'm also going to miss the Ugandan elections that will be held in February. There's a lot of campaigning going on and a couple months ago, there was major drama in Sembabule involving the primary elections for candidates in the NRM party (someone was shot). I kind of wish I could be here to see what happens in February. The US embassy in Uganda is preparing for any possible problems that might arise during or after the elections. I just got an email from them. All the organizations are developing or have a contingency plan if things go poorly and all ex-pats need to leave the country.
I'm sitting here this morning, rather sleepy and thinking about politics, waiting to take chai. Every morning at the office, around 9:30-10, we have a tea break. Chai = tea. Everyone gets a short break to drink chai together. Ugandan tea is not what tea drinking is like for me in the US. Back home, I would use a tea bag or tea infuser and add hot water. Tada! I'd have my tea. Sometimes I'd add sugar or honey, but usually I drink it plain, without anything added. In Uganda, tea is made by adding some water to milk and some ginger, boiling it, adding tea leaves for people to drink. People usually add quite a great deal of sugar. I've rarely seen Ugandans drink coffee. It's always all about the tea. Sometimes they make things more exciting and add more ginger (when I say more ginger, I mean A LOT more) or cinnamon. It's quite nice, being able to take a tea break every morning. There's often also something to eat with the tea. Bread with Blue Band (the scary, non-refridgerated margarine), chapati, samosas, or fried cassava. I love our morning tea breaks. Speaking of which, I'm going to go enjoy right now!
Monday, November 1, 2010
I want a goat
The past week flew by! On Tuesday, we had our monthly Regional Meeting. There was a lot of planning going on for all of our trainings this month. After our meeting was over, the staff in Mubende threw a potluck for us. During our staff meeting on Monday, we were told about the potluck and the look on one of our staff member's face was amazing. He had never heard of a potluck before and kept saying "pot luck?" Luckily for me, I didn't have to bring a dish to the potluck, which meant that I avoided killing all of our staff. The potluck was so much fun and I consumed copious amounts of food. I tried goat for the first time (rather tough and a bit difficult to chew) and learned that matoke is 100 times better when fried and salted. On Wednesday, we had our Annual Partners meeting for the program I spend most of my time on. All of the faith/community based organizations presented on what they did this past year and their plans for this coming financial year. I would love to tell you that it was an incredibly stimulating day, but hour after hour of PowerPoint presentations led me to draw a few smiley faces on my toes and doodle all over my agenda. I do think it is very important for all of our F/CBOs to come together and share their successes and challenges with each other. Then Thursday, we had our M&E/QA/QI meeting (which stands for monitoring and evaluation/ quality assuarance/ quality improvement). This was the most important meeting of the week for me since I'm the M&E intern. We reviewed our M&E tools, made necessary changes, and I got a laundry list of things to do in the next few weeks. Then in the evening, Claire and I headed to Kampala for a long weekend! We arrived late on Thursday night but we managed to dash to Haandi's and ate some excellent Indian food for dinner. My fish dish was to die for and garlic naan... yum!
Friday morning, I was able to take a hot, standing shower. It was fantastic! We walked to Nakumatt and were sad to find they had run out of Haribo. I have an intense Haribo addiction that borders along the level of unnatural and unhealthy. So without Haribo, I have no idea what my life will be like. We had brunch at Cafe Java. Then we wandered to the National Theater and checked out the craft market behind the theater. My supervisor was kind enough to meet us in the afternoon and showed us areas where to buy African fabrics. Afterward we stopped by 1000 Cups Cafe. I bought some crafts at the market by the cafe and then we headed to the country office. I had to pick up a few things. We finished off the night by going to see Eat, Pray, Love at Garden City and eating dinner at Nawab on the roof of the mall. I tried a goat dish and it was great. We were exhausted from all the walking we did all day and slept incredibly well that night.
I would love to say that all this walking is a product of my deep desire to exercise but in the humid heat of Kampala, that is not the case. The reality is that boda riding is off limits now. There have been a series of accidents involving bodas and mzungus, so I prefer to stay out of Mulago and the International Hospital. Special hires and matatus are the way to go now if I don't want to walk. It's a bit slower but being alive is kind of nice. But as a product of all that walking, my body hurts. I feel like an old lady...
On Saturday, Claire and I swung by the post office and stocked up on books at Aristoc. Pride and Prejudice for less than $3, yes please! We had breakfast at Cafe Pap and then I went to meet my professor's mom who is working in Kampala. We had a great lunch at Masala Chaat, another Indian restaurant. And yes, I do realize that all I did this weekend was eat. Not only just eat, but eating Indian food. Let me tell you... it was awesome! After my lunch, I met up with Claire again and did some more souvernir shopping. We ended the afternoon by making our way to the Old Taxi Park, finding the area that sells African fabrics, and hopping into a matatu that took us to Wandegeya. This is a neighborhood right by Makerere University where you find the Obama Chapati Stand, many 2nd hand clothing shops, and my awesome DVD guy. We popped by to stock up on DVDs. Then for dinner, we met up with one of my friends in Kampala and went to Mamba Point Pizzeria. Mmmmm pizza!! We ended the night at the Sheraton Hotel, just hanging out and watching a live band sing covers to songs from the 90s.
On Sunday, we mentally prepared ourselves for the thrilling journey via public transportation back to Sembabule. I showered in the morning, knowing full well it was a futile attempt to be clean: that by the time I reached Sembabule, I would be filthy no matter what. We stopped by Nakumatt and had lunch at Cafe Java before leaving. Tuna salad sandwich and an ice cream sundae? Delicious. And yes, I have officially gained back any weight I lost during my trip here.
In the car during the Masaka to Sembabule stretch of our return journey, I marveled. First at the fact that the gas gadge was pointing to empty the entire trip, yet our driver managed to get us safely back to the office. The second was the potential example of corruption we encountered. Our vehicle was stopped by police during the drive. Our driver got out, talked to the policeman (I don't actually know what was said), but as I watched, money was carefully folded by the driver and casually placed into the hand of the policeman. Then we were on our way again. I'm not saying for sure that our driver gave the policeman a bribe since maybe he was getting fined for something. But it just made me think back to a conversation I had over lunch on Saturday. Development aid is pouring into Africa, moreso than 10, 20 years ago. The problem is that less money is actually getting to the people who need it the most. Why is this? Corruption. Bribes are so common place, it's like exchanging war stories when my friends get together and chat. If we encounter bribes and corruption on a small scale throughout our work here, I have to consider the level of corruption that occurs higher up. I don't think development and foreign aid is wrong or not making a difference but I do believe there needs to be a way to crack down on corruption when so much aid is being given to developing countries. Want to know more? Read Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo.
Well, I start another week here in Sembabule... and we have power, for now.
Oh and the reason for the title, it was not because I tried goat for the first time and then had it again in Kampala. It is because we want a goat. For less than $15, we can buy a baby goat from the market. YES, A PET FOR THE OFFICE! I hope we actually get one. We could take it on a walk around town and feed it all our scrap paper and the boxes from all the crackers we eat...
Friday morning, I was able to take a hot, standing shower. It was fantastic! We walked to Nakumatt and were sad to find they had run out of Haribo. I have an intense Haribo addiction that borders along the level of unnatural and unhealthy. So without Haribo, I have no idea what my life will be like. We had brunch at Cafe Java. Then we wandered to the National Theater and checked out the craft market behind the theater. My supervisor was kind enough to meet us in the afternoon and showed us areas where to buy African fabrics. Afterward we stopped by 1000 Cups Cafe. I bought some crafts at the market by the cafe and then we headed to the country office. I had to pick up a few things. We finished off the night by going to see Eat, Pray, Love at Garden City and eating dinner at Nawab on the roof of the mall. I tried a goat dish and it was great. We were exhausted from all the walking we did all day and slept incredibly well that night.
I would love to say that all this walking is a product of my deep desire to exercise but in the humid heat of Kampala, that is not the case. The reality is that boda riding is off limits now. There have been a series of accidents involving bodas and mzungus, so I prefer to stay out of Mulago and the International Hospital. Special hires and matatus are the way to go now if I don't want to walk. It's a bit slower but being alive is kind of nice. But as a product of all that walking, my body hurts. I feel like an old lady...
On Saturday, Claire and I swung by the post office and stocked up on books at Aristoc. Pride and Prejudice for less than $3, yes please! We had breakfast at Cafe Pap and then I went to meet my professor's mom who is working in Kampala. We had a great lunch at Masala Chaat, another Indian restaurant. And yes, I do realize that all I did this weekend was eat. Not only just eat, but eating Indian food. Let me tell you... it was awesome! After my lunch, I met up with Claire again and did some more souvernir shopping. We ended the afternoon by making our way to the Old Taxi Park, finding the area that sells African fabrics, and hopping into a matatu that took us to Wandegeya. This is a neighborhood right by Makerere University where you find the Obama Chapati Stand, many 2nd hand clothing shops, and my awesome DVD guy. We popped by to stock up on DVDs. Then for dinner, we met up with one of my friends in Kampala and went to Mamba Point Pizzeria. Mmmmm pizza!! We ended the night at the Sheraton Hotel, just hanging out and watching a live band sing covers to songs from the 90s.
On Sunday, we mentally prepared ourselves for the thrilling journey via public transportation back to Sembabule. I showered in the morning, knowing full well it was a futile attempt to be clean: that by the time I reached Sembabule, I would be filthy no matter what. We stopped by Nakumatt and had lunch at Cafe Java before leaving. Tuna salad sandwich and an ice cream sundae? Delicious. And yes, I have officially gained back any weight I lost during my trip here.
In the car during the Masaka to Sembabule stretch of our return journey, I marveled. First at the fact that the gas gadge was pointing to empty the entire trip, yet our driver managed to get us safely back to the office. The second was the potential example of corruption we encountered. Our vehicle was stopped by police during the drive. Our driver got out, talked to the policeman (I don't actually know what was said), but as I watched, money was carefully folded by the driver and casually placed into the hand of the policeman. Then we were on our way again. I'm not saying for sure that our driver gave the policeman a bribe since maybe he was getting fined for something. But it just made me think back to a conversation I had over lunch on Saturday. Development aid is pouring into Africa, moreso than 10, 20 years ago. The problem is that less money is actually getting to the people who need it the most. Why is this? Corruption. Bribes are so common place, it's like exchanging war stories when my friends get together and chat. If we encounter bribes and corruption on a small scale throughout our work here, I have to consider the level of corruption that occurs higher up. I don't think development and foreign aid is wrong or not making a difference but I do believe there needs to be a way to crack down on corruption when so much aid is being given to developing countries. Want to know more? Read Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo.
Well, I start another week here in Sembabule... and we have power, for now.
Oh and the reason for the title, it was not because I tried goat for the first time and then had it again in Kampala. It is because we want a goat. For less than $15, we can buy a baby goat from the market. YES, A PET FOR THE OFFICE! I hope we actually get one. We could take it on a walk around town and feed it all our scrap paper and the boxes from all the crackers we eat...
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Movies and Chips
After getting back from Mubende last week, the rest of the week went by pretty quickly. We had a relaxing weekend with power most of the time. Claire and I had a Dance Movie marathon. It had started with watching Save the Last Dance about a week ago. We completed the marathon with Center Stage, Center Stage 2, Step Up, and Step Up 2. Yes, I know, we are so cool. But hey, they're fun, trashy, feel-good movies. We also were also pretty ambitious and made our own chips. I’m happy to report that I: 1) did not scald myself with boiling oil, 2) was successful in not burning the potatoes completely, and 3) did not set the office on fire. All in all, I think I’m well on my way to becoming a domesticated housewife… maybe… A picture as evidence of my newfound cooking abilities will be forthcoming. Claire brought Lawry’s Season Salt with her from the States, probably one of the best things ever to bring to Uganda. We put it on everything, including our chips. They turned out delicious. On Sunday night, we feasted on a rolex with 2 chapati. It was like the Big Mac of rolexes: a layer of egg with tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and cabbage, a chapati, a layer of egg with veggies, another chapati, and a final layer of egg and veggies. AMAZING!!!
Tomorrow we’re going back to Mubende and will stay for a few days. This week is packed with meetings. It should keep us busy! Then we plan on going to Kampala for the weekend. I haven’t been there since the beginning of the month so we’re going to be stocking up on food and enjoying some of the excellent restaurants in the city.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Pit Latrine, Oh How I Missed You
I am back in Sembabule and I have to admit, after being away for a week and a half, I missed it! There is something incredibly homey about my room, squatting to bathe myself, using a pit latrine, enjoying the random power outages and battling with the internet. After using a flushing toilet, it seems a bit easier to just squat, do my business, and just toss the toilet paper down the hole. It skips the pushing lever to flush part! And plus, isn’t it just more fun to be going to the bathroom and see a gecko running across the wall right by your face? Or marveling at the massive number of malaria-filled mosquitoes swarming around your head at night? Or being surprised by the random toad hanging out in the back corner of the latrine? I’d say so. I love Uganda!!! It's pretty hard to believe but I only have about a month and a half left in Uganda. I'm going to miss it after I leave.
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