Home Sweet Home

Speaking of Football? Anyone lose their Brady Jersey, Can't believe what we went through to get this picture! But it is original. The guy probably thought I was stalking him! 

Bronco Stickers on my car, Giraffes in the background, life is good

Uganda got BIG blue skies, and Elephants, Kobes, Giraffes and other not cute creatures

Look at the TUSK on this Elephant! 

Made it back to Colorado and have been here about 48 hours researching textbooks, supplies, and in general getting ready to go back to Lira loaded with assessment tools. Where to begin? Surely not with my trip out of Lira, that got crazy. I began starting to "lose" it a bit the last days, after Thanksgiving, pushing up the date for the final, having United make a mess of my ticketing. Things just started to feel uncertain in general. I also realised that I wasn't feeling "very well." Not hungry, not sleeping, worried about things that weren't even worth worrying about. Finally after some kind advise from the good people of SEED and PC I realised that my mission was accomplished and it was probably time for me to take a quick break from life in Liraville and I had gathered up the information for the grants, graded my final exams (my students rocked those exams) So proud of them. I spoke, they listened, we learned, they passed! With that accomplished it seemed best that I take off and spend a few days in Kampala waiting for my flight. My driver situation isn't any better. Walter can drive around in Lira but Kampala absolutely not so I was worried about that. There really isn't any reason that anyone should be able to drive in Kampala to be honest, that traffic is crazy!

Here is a stack of some of my final exams, the black threads are NOT a good sign. I gave 8 essay questions but I specifically said that they would penalised if they "over answered" many managed with the extra space and paper in the 13 page final but others found it necessary to attach a booklet where they further wrote on nearly convincing me that if they could use every word they ever heard me say then maybe? just maybe? I would believe that they knew the answer to the question, it didn't help, but I can say that most did well and I can see some evolution in the general thought process that goes into this class, there was progress. One paper was so outstanding it left me thinking I should let him co-teach with me next time! 

Okay, thanks to some incredibly help I stopped off for a final farewell to Chobe, this time we even ran into an elephant herd! Saw plenty of Giraffes and in general enjoyed a night by the Nile, with a Nile. Anna, Janet and Walter can be seen in some of the following pictures. How that all came about is a story best told by someone else. Not me, not this time! Not here! 

I cannot drive Walter and Anna on the Nile

Anna, Janet, Giraffes 

Made it to Kampala, met the good folks at PC there and Seed and was there as they were having their annual Christmas party, everyone looked pretty happy to be getting some time off, they will probably also be happy that some of us are out of country for a time so less drama, with about 190 volunteers in country something always has to be going on somewhere.

Walter seems to enjoy riding in the back seat just a little too much for me! I hired another Post Grad student who is a friend of a friend who took us on a ride the the airport. Many of you know me from Viet Nam, India, Cairo, I mean seriously this ride? It was an hour plus of swerving, near swiping, wildness through parts of Kampala I don't want to see again. All with the driver chatting and Walter probably thinking why does she get so antsy when I drive? The fact that he drove into the Mall and consistently only drove in the opposite direction of where the yellow arrows were pointing was one reason and the fact that he backed into another car and had the driver out screaming at us is another.  Not sure that this driver was a step up but he is a Kampala guy who knew his way. He also told me his tribe. I had a great time chatting with him, thinking half the time it would probably be my last chat with anyone, but do I seriously need to know his 'tribe'. I remembered it and filed it under stuff I might need. Anyway, off we went. The traffic was terrible, it was an hour long drive and all along I was clutching the print out of my 100 percent confirmed printed out United ticket that was not showing up in my United app at all. Half of my last post was about my stress over this ticket and the ticket agent cancelling my flight, me on the phone with her for well over an hour and yet she told me it was confirmed and I had it printed out so why wouldn't it be okay? Better yet, why wasn't it in the system? We reached the airport 5 hours early. Janet was wearing her new dress and new shoes that are some clunky thing that Goodwill donated to Africa that she can't walk in but been through similar things with teenage girls, she thinks that this is a right of passage, her first real grown up shoes, the downside being that they are about two sizes too large and an inch too high for her to walk in. Her first trip ever to the airport didn't seem to help her get past any sadness over saying good bye to "mommy." It was time for a scene at the airport moment with her nearly wailing and collapsing to the ground wondering how to survive without me, we just met a few months back! I love this kid dearly, about half the time but after sharing a room with her for about a week and having to remind her to GO TAKE A BATH I was not as sad to say goodbye as I would have been if we hadn't been in such close company.  I've also have to ask Walter to do the same so I am getting used to it. I made a crazy decision and had Sue send him over a Bronco's shirt and he now wears it every single day. I finally told him that it was bad luck for the Bronco's to wear their shirt on any day but game day, so he now just wears it half the time as he never really is sure of when game day is since it is the middle of the night and I don't invite him. He did say that he was quite sure that he could "beat up any of those guys" he is very strong. Read and Weep CJ, Walter thinks he can outrun you. Actually Walter is not strong at all and one of my major complaints, the lists is so long, is that he refuses to lift a water can, a bucket, or a bag if he can get Janet or any other female to carry it, he even looks over at me. Culturally he finds it quite demeaning to have to lift anything so I don't think the Bronco's are going to need him on the D line or that they need fear coming over here. I'm quite sure that he has some endearing qualities and there is some positive sides to have someone who can decapitate ten chickens by 8 in the morning and not leave a feather in my car for parties and ..... some other good things. With Janet, I do care about her, and I spend more time with her then any other person but half the time when she talks to me she feels she has to be pulling at my hair, holding my hand, that kind of stuff and for me all I could think of was my ticket and if my car and Janet would make it back to Lira safely. I emptied out every shilling I had for gas and their return journey and handed it to Walter and told him that both him and Janet were in charge.

As we made our way toward the terminal with Walter looking rather upset about having to carry a bag (not far) I found a cart and it didn't have much in it except an empty suitcase and a few stuffed giraffes he started whispering something to me, gravel under foot I kept trying to ask what, finally I got the message that he wanted me to buy him a bicycle. Wait. I'm leaving the country, I've handed you the last shilling in my pocket and have told you I am under unbearable stress and at this moment you have decided to think of a bicycle. I think my return look was enough to persuade him not to comment further. Poor guy, he is a passenger in the car he drives, his pocket is filled with gas money, he is carrying a bag and Janet is not carrying anything (in part due to trying to stay balanced on the shoes) the new guy was looking at our happy little "family" like the Beverly Hillbilly's had arrived. Having arrived with my entourage to the airport so early I told them that the only reason I had hired (and paid well) for two drivers is that they could NOT leave until I figured out what was going on with my ticket. My computer was showing me one thing, the print out in my hand the other. 45 minutes later after having gone through the first of many security checks I was calling them to say, "No luck" I have to go to another building with my bags, can't leave them here, there is a problem with my ticket. Crickets. Where are you? Oh we are almost back in Kampala. Say what? I told all three of you at least 30 times on the way to the airport that your one task was to wait for me to call and let you know about my ticket. They said, "you didn't call" ..... that was because I was working on my ticket! No way with rush hour traffic to get them back so I managed to lug stuff around, I think half of the weight of my carry on bag is chargers. I arrived flustered, hair even worse then it usually is and me sweating into an air conditioned room with about 10 Belgium airway personnel looking at me like, "look what was drug in" ........ To say that the woman who seemed most in charge was not helpful is an understatement, her best advise was that I make it to the arrivals lounge and log on (but most of the time the internet doesn't work) to try to call United. No United office in Uganda. ...... After 4 hours, after hearing my flight being announced, they finally put me on the flight. The fact that I had a confirmed ticket in my hand doesn't mean much when you are not in a United land country, so much for "Star Alliance" and my ticket was purchased with points, that didn't help. Anyway, I made it on the flight and survived it. I had a window seat on the side and when the passenger got up next to me (two seats) I took this picture of the Belgium passengers near to me, four rows of people all stretched out and sleeping. The aircraft was nearly empty. The fact that my points had been in business class and they seated me in economy was easier to take because at least I was seated.

Sleep baby sleep

Made a stop in Kigali and then to Belgium. The Belgium airport was very deserted except........ we had to pass through immigration to get to Lufthansa and I ended up just as a 747 had landed with some tourist, everyone else seemed to have an EU passport and then there was me and this group that looked far more like I had landed in Taipei. It literally took an hour to get through this then rush to the gate. Along the way I kept seeing a man with an African partner who appeared to be a wife, or a very friendly colleague.

We ended up at Security together and were taking off our shoes, someone had stolen my clogs so I had just a pair of sandals in Belgium, in winter, no problem, I also had to go to Germany. As it was that familiar red clay on my shoes caused the guy who "looked familiar" to strike up a conversation, OH MY this was Alberto, someone who has lived in Lira for 7 years with his wife and who is returning to Spain for a time. I bought his toaster when he left but we didn't get to meet! Well finally we did. We were able to have a brief chat and I learned so much about Lira from him in that time. Great couple and I wish them so much happiness. Alberto has lived in Africa for 20 years, a stronger man then me I think.

This story just keeps moving forward to then I went through another Security Check Airport, and airport and then got on Lufthansa to Denver. Set down next to the nicest guy, a German who was on his way to the US to spend the holidays with his family. Nicest guy, we had the greatest conversations, went to sleep and woke up about the time we were landing in my Denver Colorado. My friend was quiet and looked uncomfortable. Finally he turned to me and said, "I'm really sick" ..... he was pale, clammy, rapid pulse, and complaining of left arm pain. I got the flight attendant and moved over so she could sit near to him. I advised her to get paramedics to meet us at the gate, she took that fairly seriously but that was the end of that long flight. I wish him well, he is a delightful person and I hope this was just a little scare but never a dull moment it seems.

Sue picked me up, I was terrified I would need at least ten coats and a blanket but Colorado never lets me down it was perfect weather and we had a great drive home with me just talking, and talking, and talking. Oddly enough Sue just doesn't want to come to Africa, hope it isn't anything I said! I did try to say some positive things, honest. She just isn't feeling the tug. Got home and had family waiting, the house is beautifully decorated with three trees in the living room! Santa is everywhere, I'm happy to be home. We talked (I talked) for hours and hours and hours and went to sleep at a decent time but woke up with a terrible sore throat and a slight touch of airplanitis that has now resolved. It is so dry here so wet there and so many planes and a great deal of stress.

The Internet connection is probably what seems the greatest thing to me, the meter isn't running, I don't have to have heart failure about how much data I have used and the football game is on live on our local channel! We are dedicated Raider Haters around here so they are coming at the right time, I'm back. I spent hours yesterday researching materials with our Lippincott connection who grated instructor access to some awesome teaching materials, now I am working on next semester, then I got into SUPPLIES. Look what one of our adoptive parents from Viet Nam, Renee Maxwell has collected!!!!!!!!!!

That BP machine has a home already going to male medical

She put out the word to nurses at West Point where her and her husband reside and they donated all kinds of incredibly useful things. There is just no way to explain how cool this stuff looks to me. I spend so much time frustrated and not happy with NO BP cuffs, or thermometers. We are on a mission now to get more. SEED has given a grant and I have already ordered and received three boxes full of stuff. Think that trip over here was bad, imagine going back with all of these things. Anyway, I will. I have to save out some moola for an extra bag or two but I am taking these things where they need to be. This looks like heaven to me and there is more. 

So that's it, I"m home in Colorado. Brian just brought me breakfast in bed, my cold is gone, I am so happy to be here, so blessed to have so much love and support. Lira feels a little bit like a distant dream. Was I really there? Underneath that net waiting endlessly for the power to come on, just a hint of wind blowing seemed like a much needed dream. Anyway, life goes on. Can't wait to see how much I can manage to get back to Uganda without any customs drama. Poor Nam, he is coming to visit, little does he know what will be in his bags :) 

Mission not accomplished

How not to accomplish anything

Long day. I'm hot, I'm tired, and yes I can't wait to go home for Christmas. Some time back we gave my fan to these people to get it fixed and they just flat out refused to return it. So today we were driving by the policeman, went and met the one on the left who is our local OC and he said "let's go" and hopped in the car. Meanwhile this turned into a nightmare with people shouting at me for asking for my fan back, the guy who said he would fix it has gone to Kampala and a long fight broke out between various women and bystanders about the audacity we had to want the fan back. The owner of this block of stores blamed  me for coming to Uganda. He said this isn't like "your" country, I did ask him "which country" and he sputtered. Anyway, he was right, it did not do any good at all and I am never going to see that fan again, there was some pretty nasty threats made by the women at the shop about how I should be careful, which is why I have avoided going back to begin with, until the policeman took in there,  anyway, no electricity anyway so why worry about not having a fan?

In happier news I suppose it goes without saying that Monday morning here was like winning the Super Bowl. The only slight downer was that Anna, the Patriots fan stayed over to watch the game with me and here we are in overtime, my Bronco's winning and her on the sofa probably in shock and a bit devastated. I like her so much that it took some of the glow off the win but she finally took a rest and went to her room and I came into mine to use my entire data allowance watching Anderson run that football in again, and again.  She's such a good person I had to keep my joy intact until we said good-bye, because seriously this stuff feels so real at times. Lesson learned, never going to watch another game with a Patriots fan! Janet said that in Uganda people do not believe women should watch football, men don't like women who watch football, women don't understand football, and some more.... "In Uganda" statements. In Uganda the grass is green, it rains, people are far more alike then different and if these people watched "real football" there would probably be lines of women knocking over guys to watch Anderson make that touchdown just one more time for the home crowd :) Daughter Beth went to the game and said that it was like winning the Super Bowl, strangers were hugging, everyone so happy. Forget Bock'o's strange haircut for now. We can live with it. I can't say one negative word about Patriot fans because the good people of SEED who are the ones who brought me to sunny, hot, muggy, power free, glove free, crazy Uganda are based there but .......

Love Brady's Haircut in this pic 

Ready at 4:30 am!

For Prostrate Cancer Beth at the Game

My class took their exam and looked pretty down and out to be honest. I have looked it over and they did "Okay" but it wasn't exactly a fun few hours with my usual happy people looking down and out. I had to project back to taking Algebra and Statistics a few years back and thinking I would die taking those exams and not being able to relax at all, or take it easy. Anyway, I'm relatively certain that most of them passed, an A here is 80% to 100% in a course, huh? That doesn't exactly reward outstanding students! But not set by the University.

Anna BEFORE the game 

Back to grading exams, looking at the fan, wondering what it would look like if it were on, this is the fan Douglas loaned me not one that I own. And trying to survive in my own little world, I'm hungry, I miss my kids, and I was much better when the trip home was weeks away, now? Just cannot wait to see my family! it isn't going to help that classes have ended so I don't have much to do.

Happy Happy Holidays

Where has the time gone? I was staring at the calendar one hot day back in October thinking that this was going to be the longest few months of my life and next thing I know, tomorrow is the final exam. Cannot believe how fast time has gone. I have even added a new word to my vocabulary; I am to be an “invigilator” for the exam. Seriously I haven’t ever invigilated anything but turns out Preya has with IB exams. She said 2 hours of standing around watching students. What I have is 3 hours (hopefully sitting). Seems there will be some searching of body parts etc. going on as well, sounds like fun and games. There are supposed to be 3 of us in the room watching them. It’s a pretty big room so let’s hope this goes off well! Creating my 100 point, 13 page final exam was not easy. I was so stressed about formatting it and about making sure that I had covered every single thing that I was testing on. In part because the students just had to retake an anatomy exam that was given to them and was only passed by a small handful of students (that is the fault of the lecturer then not the class). I just wanted a good exam to the point that I was so stressed out one of my kids had to remind me that I was just giving the exam, not taking it. I had my last week of classes with them and could feel the energy in the room as I said, “this will be on the exam” and they would immediately perk up and listen. I asked them why I tell them what will be on the exam, the reply, “you want us to do well” my answer, “no this is what I want you to remember for a very long time.”

Thanksgiving for me was a long and very productive meeting at the University with all of the faculty working on the grant money, we came up with some very productive ideas that will further the goal of SEED and the Peace Corps here in Uganda, we think, we hope. Followed that up with a visit to the hospital to get their okay and opinion on it and it went well. We have a very good plan to provide each ward where we have students with Digital Thermometers, BP equipment, pulse ox imiters, that kind of rare stuff (one per ward) in case your mind was imagining maybe 20 thermometers in out patient. The problem then becomes how to keep them secure on the wards. Everyone was excited about such cute gadgets then the wheels start turning on how to keep them from getting nicked. We will be investing a some sum into cabinets and locks to keep things secured as well as some clip boards and other printed materials for assessments. One wonders how beneficial a thermometer is that has to be locked up with two people having the key to get to it, but we shall try, this is all about Quality Improvement and we have to start somewhere. I have been on a mission to purchase items here in Uganda. Lot’s of luck with that. I found the medical store that has the “best prices” and priced them against Amazon, it is 4 times more expensive here then ordering through Amazon. Doesn’t even make sense. So …… moving along. I have ordered so much on All Heart and Amazon that I am going to arrive back in January with an amazing amount of “stuff” but hopefully it will go okay and I can get by with paying for an extra bag not an extra ticket. I don’t know, I just want everything here safely and SEED has made incredible progress with a very well laid out grant program. Meanwhile we had no electricity for the days leading up to Thanksgiving, or on Thanksgiving so my planned Skype call with my family did not work out. I was awake the entire night.. Hot, and just longing to call home. Anyway. I finally got through and talked to a few family members after most people had gone home but was feeling homesick. 

Thanks! Giving! Sue sent this over with SEED, saved it

Last night we had a very wild party here, and I do mean a crazy party. I invited my host family, Assman the occasional cook who stops by for parties and his family, Walter the driver and his friends and my neighbors (of course). This involved the procurement of cases of beer and about ten chickens and other miscellaneous purchases. Shillings began taking on the feel of Monopoly money at some point and I just came handing it out. All I can say is people were leaving here with a remarkable glow on them and there was no chicken left so I assume it was a success considering that the number of people who said they were coming tripled as the day went on. When someone says “can I bring a guest?” that means I am bringing two or three more people, I think. Anyway our man Walter, the terrifying driver, suddenly became chief waiter, chauffer and fetch the beer guy as well as the dispatcher of the ten chickens. It was all a bit informal as we gathered in the driveway but the music was LOUD enough that I thought the church would call and ask us to quiet down. Fortunately it went well and everyone looked happy when they left.  Among our guests were Dr. Peter who literally saved the life of one of the PCV’s and it was fantastic to get to talk to him about all that we experienced that night. He is a very talented surgeon, just has “that” touch and we ended up talking shop for about 5 straight hours. All about the hospital, the patients, the students, training of the students, medical care, and patients that he has that I have also had. He had another doctor with him and he of course was completely in on our plans for Quality Improvement. Sadly I don’t really know the title of the other doctor but at some point I figured out that he is not just a doctor but “the” doctor as in all other doctors work for or with him somehow in our district. I am quite certain he assumed I know who he was, finally half way through the evening I was able to quietly ask Peter what his name was. I’m not disclosing it. So embarrassing but honestly how would I possibly know? I had never met him before but he certainly seemed to know who I was so I just did that “Hi, how are you?” thing hoping I would get some clue as to when or where I had met him. I haven’t met him so fortunately didn’t ask about the wife and kids. We spent the entire party talking shop and of course I did get to mention a few things about football and of course my students and family. That is the extent of the world as I know it but not in that order.

Walter, Janet and Anna getting ready to feed Papa

Everyone cooking, me taking pictures 

Assman's cute family 

It’s Sunday morning and the church is definitely louder than our party was now that I reflect. A few days ago there was an elementary school graduation near to our house, the power was out and they had a generator and at one point the noise was so loud that the coffee table was vibrating. That was interesting. So life on the home front is good but I am missing my family so much that I ache, I just want to see them, hear them, just be under the same roof with them, it is a physical longing just to be around all things Clark/Nguyen/Davis and we have a fair number coming home for Christmas. YEAH!!!! I don’t think I can stand it much longer. I almost (thanks to United) L O S T my ticket home.  I got it with mileage points on August 8^th, United code shares with Belgium airlines and Lufthansa and doesn’t fly into Uganda, so I have my ticket, I have my plan, I call United because they sent me a message that they were trying to contact me urgently about a change of plans (that change was that the flight was going to have a longer connection time in Belgium) whatever, once I get on the flight I’m on it, it’s a very long trip no matter how you look at it. So here I am, ready to go home and the United ticket agent and I are on Skype and …… she deleted my reservation. As in she was trying to find another route and she actually was in the computer and bingo, erased my confirmed seat. Once it was deleted there was no way on earth to get a free seat on anything and some lucky devil out there who was waitlisted on the Frankfurt to Denver flight had their waitlisted ticket cleared as mine evaporated. With our long life in traveling and with all the kids I always said get your Christmas tickets on the 4^th of July, so I got mine in August. Suddenly, I had NO ticket at all. Meanwhile my data was running out, my battery was going down and the electricity was off and I gave the lady my phone number twice as she was off in search of a supervisor to explain that the best she could do was to offer me a ticket departing here on Christmas Day. There are only two people on earth who will ever know what a nightmare that was, the person who for some insane reason deleted my reservation while searching for another route and me. She knew what she had done but how to undo it? I didn’t shout, demand to speak to anyone or anything, I just cried. After several hours of absolute stress, she got me reconfirmed but I am leaving on the 9^th, with my finals being on November 30^th I’m fine with that but my life doesn’t belong to me, exactly. I need to get permission for more leave from PC, I need to talk to Agnes about leaving, she has already told me to go as soon as I grade my exams which of course I will be doing almost immediately as the diligent invigilator that I am. But still, this is all going to be rather sudden to drop on her tomorrow. She probably isn’t going to even blink an eye and when I went back in my emails I realized I had one from her saying feel free to go as soon as you complete the grading of the exams, but still I have changed my plan so had to create some drama that maybe this will not work out and I will be here for Christmas. That might be fun, but I sincerely want to be on the other side of the world. Wish I had brought a jacket but these are things that one doesn’t focus on in July. Agnes has so much work going on I seriously have no idea how she holds up as well as she does. She is a very strong and very determined person and I admire her greatly. She deals with incredible problems every single day, such as my student catches me outside my car to explain something, the something being that she hasn’t paid her tuition and therefore wants me to give her the final on some other day, this is the same day that I have learned about the awesome responsibility of being an invigilator and how the final exam is put into an envelope and kept for five years sealed, etc. No reduction of paperwork act yet implemented! I am able to calmly look at my student and say, “that is just terrible, talk to Agnes about it” which of course just puts more on Agnes but not some kind of thing I can decide.

Anna making Promila's Tomato Chutney! 

I’ve been very lucky the past few weeks to get to know Anna one of the PCV’s who lives about a half hour outside of Lira. This young lady is so incredible. My new best buddy is the same age as my grandkids! She is so full of energy and incredibly helpful and fun to be around. Last weekend we were also joined by two other PCV guys and we watched the football game together, and the movie Amadeus, we ate, they slept here, there, everywhere, as though such things as pillows and blankets are just extra “stuff”. Anna has her “own” room here now. We love having her come and she is so friendly, so into what she is doing and we speak the same lingo. Except. There always has to be an “except” right? She’s a Patriot’s fan. First night she stayed here we made up her bed and put a Bronco’s blanket on it. Ha ha. Anyway, we are going to get up at 4:30 to watch Brady go down in the Mile High City. Sack that dude. We do share a similar feeling that the Bronco’s acting QB Oz needs a hair cut or something. He isn’t a bad looking guy but his hairstyle is just not up to Brady standards. If he can win against the Patriots in about 15 more hours #17 jerseys are going to be the hottest item in Denver for Christmas even if he doesn’t get his haircut. So this is going to be fun tonight, at least last week no one really had a dog in the fight, just me wanting to have us win so that was okay and we did. I always tell Janet, “we cannot win this game because number 18 is injured” so I had to explain that ten times yesterday and she said, “no you always say that but we win”… time will tell. In the months that she has lived with me including pre-season the Bronco’s have lost three games and won a whole bunch more so she assumes that the Bronco’s are… shall we say the Patriots? Speaking of winning, Beth won free tickets to the game so is going to be sitting there in the stands with some very cold weather and snow (thankfully both her and Peyton are going to be on the sidelines) but she is going to bring this game home for me. The Patriots have only a few hours left until they are no longer undefeated! If I was them I would not be looking forward to this trip to Denver at all, because we got D, including Talib, formerly of the Patriot’s who they decided not to pay and that guy is devastatingly good without a chip on his shoulder. They may have the QB with a better haircut but we got D. Every picture I have of Anna is her cooking food, she cooked a lovely lunch today and I didn't even get up to photograph it, or she's serving food. She is one for PC to be proud of. Doing her thing! 

Another shooting in Colorado, and following the shooting which happened to involve a white dude who actually killed a policeman but of course was taken alive without a scratch on him (probably), the tweets in support of a man going into a clinic and killing people were some of the most outrageous thing I have ever seen in my life. He is the new hero in town and he actually killed people seeking medical care as well as a policeman. That is seriously wrong. So another day, another shooting in America, it must have something to do with guns? Oh no probably not.

The Pope is in Uganda. I am going to have to wait until I get some free data to watch his speech, apparently he really hit some great points and people were very taken by his strong words on tribalism. This Pope is quite the guy. Speaking of saying what is on your mind, I sent out a blast email to PC this morning that I wish I could get back. I could have said it all in one email to the PC Director and just let it go but I was feeling quite passionate about something so emailed half of Kampala. It was entirely unnecessary but …….. Some of us just say what is on our mind. Not comparing myself with the Pope. Chill guys I’m kidding, Somewhere there is a Clark child saying oh NO my mother just said WHAT.

That is the Sunday morning update from beautiful, loud, we got power Lira, Uganda. I got a ticket! I’m going home! I’m going to have deviled eggs! I’m going to eat cheese!  I am so happy, so relieved the party came off okay, so happy my classes are finished after a successful semester and grateful above all else that I somehow ended up here in Lira, Uganda. This is truly a time of Thanksgiving, Thanks to the Peace Corps for allowing us to do what we can do, thanks for the people of Uganda for being so darn nice, thanks to the powers that be that I am still walking about, or limping about!

Lock up the kids, turn on the Christmas lights, and break out the egg nog, I’m coming home and will then do a post about how much I miss Lira.

I'm Back!

It has been a long time since I posted, the screen on my Mac broke which was a bit of a downer. I was seriously wondering how I could make it through my classes but..... we did. I came back from Kampala on Monday, we went down for In Service Training which was a great chance to reunite with the group that I came over with. I have had a terrible cough for the past month and it disappeared just after we left Lira. Things are moving along. I only have two weeks left with my students before their break. They have been in a rather "off" mood of late. They finished their last Mid-term exam yesterday (November 17th) and will start their final exams on December 1st. They seem to be under a great deal of stress and I only get glimpses of that bright happy group I first met. I am online looking for some great tools to help them remember the Glascow Coma Scale while reading that so many people are against the teaching of the GCS, blogs filled with how irrelevant it is! We just have Friday to finish working on our assessments and then next week I have two lectures to prepare them for their final exam.

GHSP and Peace Corps put on a nice show for us at the IST, the hotel was a bit of a downer but the group from Boston was informative and fun. I enjoyed seeing the other volunteers so much. What a wild crazy group they are. Can't believe that these "kids" who are somewhere in age between my kids and grandkids know the words to American Pie! Now that was fun. Can't believe that I can still remember it too. All those days in Viet Nam, "translating" not just what the words were, but the meaning. We had some interesting talks and Eileen arrived with the magic word of "Grants" and I am so excited. I could hardly sleep the first night I was so busy spending money! I need to get together with the rest of the Lira crew and make sure that we are all wanting the same thing.

Broken Screen still have Projector, can watch team lose! 

SEED people arrived with the new Mac screen and I figured out just because my driver can occasionally drive through LIRA without hitting anything that hasn't prepared him for driving in Kampala. Suddenly the place seemed huge to even me. Walter has never been on a by-pass, it happened that we passed through a huge rally before getting on to it, then torrential rain and I came to realise that he really doesn't know left from right. As in when you say turn left, he turns right. Ouch. It was an adventure and eventually I hired a boda driver, a motorbike driver I should say to show us the way through some of the most crowded traffic. The Boda driver told me that my driver was not safe, that he doesn't trust him and that I should not be in the car with him. Now wait. Since I arrived in Uganda I have had stern warnings from PC, ride on a Boda and you get a one way ticket back to your hometown, they are the most unsafe mode of travel and from my own experience they also take up about half the available bed space in some wards of the hospital from accidents, but wait! The Boda driver was warning me? The lesson is just because you can make it around Lira on dirt roads might not mean you can make it on a by-pass. We did make it though, despite the Boda driver's warning. One thing about Walter. He does get out and ask directions and then just nods thoughtfully walks back and sits down. He doesn't actually listen. I had him call PC to ask for directions as they were "standing by" so to speak. Sweet Jenny was giving directions that is when I realised that if I want him to go right I have to say Left but am pointing right so that really confuses him. She asked him were we were, he got out looked around a bit and said "The Shell Station"....... that narrowed it down to probably several hundred gas stations. Anyway! We made it, this is one point where I think I could have done better because I actually have some idea that 4 lanes of traffic means that there will be two cars utilising one side of the road. Not his fault in that he hasn't really ever been to Kampala and the map. Just forget that. I have learned in the past few months that very few people here use a map at all. They just don't, and of course with all of the rain my phone was on strike. Anyway, we made it. Walter looked as relieved as I felt and after we located the hotel I was staying in near to the PC they began giving him directions to where they had booked a room for him, much more economical I am sure but he looked exhausted and scared. I just went ahead and got a room in the place I was staying and told him to go have dinner. In many ways he did the impossible, we actually made it. I have never thought of what a challenge a by-pass would be to someone who absolutely never has traveled on a 4 lane highway might be. He made it and on the way back Agnes from the University came back with us and got someone who used to be a lecturer up here offered to drive us through Kampala and to find the Apple repair shop. I came walking in with my broken screen, the guy smiled and it didn't even taken 20 minutes to get my new screen on and then we were off! Lira bound. Andrew, the previous lecturer, new driver got us back safely on the road to Lira and success. We made it safely up the road.

Felt good to be "home" although i started coughing. I've decided it is the dust in my room. Dust in my room? And who knows what else. It is less then one month before I head back to the US for Christmas holidays. I miss my kids so much. One of the upsides for that was that I could watch the games live...... boo hoo. Don't even know if I want to watch them anymore. I might just be a bandwagon fan, I wonder how those people who never have teams that are Super Bowl contenders even survive. We were at 0 losses and 7 wins then crashed back to earth and lost two games. I was in the stands last year when we WON playing Kansas City and people were not happy I bet that was a rowdy crowd watching us lose last week, at home. I love Peyton Manning way to much to ever want to see him play another game. He brought us so much happiness, and we can remember it. I want Elway to go get Kap, the other number 7 but doubt that will happen. I also seem to be the only person who wants it but he can run, he has an arm, and he was adopted. I mean what else do you need in a quarterback?

I was very broken... Mac 

Posted Aug 27, 2015

 Hall of Fame QB John Elway: 'I've Always Liked Colin Kaepernick'

Don't forget Johnny boy.  If my endless chatting about the Bronco's bothers you I have great news. One of the folks that came over for IST told me that he has been reading my blog and that he was a Patriot's fan but now wants the Bronco's to win! The power of the written word! I have converted one entire University class room, three locals, and now a former NE fan. 

Time to get back to lesson prep. Or cleaning my room, Or, Or.

Being around the volunteers reminded me of how much I do enjoy being around the volunteers. Great group. The entire world seems to be intent on having war and everyone is busy killing each other so we hardly need any of my thoughts on that in my blog. Just sad for the people of everywhere and always hope we don't find life on another planet so we don't expand our war on everyone list. We had a spokesman from the US Embassy come in to sit around and give a speech on what we could post or should post or should not post. In all I think his message was that we should just sit out here, do our work, and not blog, think, comment, react, write, or think of writing. He did suggest that if we felt like saying anything we should use email. EMAIL?  Where can I find out how to do that?  There is nothing that irritates me more than receiving an email from someone about their latest trip abroad, or a joke that they read.

This also seems to be in direct contradiction to everything I heard before we came over here from PC. I personally used other people's blogs to make up my mind about even coming to Uganda to watch football, oops to teach nursing. I am grateful to the many people out there who do share what their life is like and how the experience is as I still am just getting the hang of what it is truly like to be here.

He did review at length with us Facebook's privacy settings. Is there anyone out there who thinks that there Facebook profile is confidential information?  Did you know that someone can take a screen shot after you post something? I risked life and limb to make it to Kampala and found out that I need to review my privacy settings on FB. Anyway, I noticed my kids started acting just like that after they joined State and got commissary privileges so I cut him some slack.

Other then being scolded I felt the entire event was remarkable. The group has come a long way together. We were all pretty innocent when we left DC and we all came into this with great expectations I don't think we had any idea just how much would be asked of us and how much we would want to give and how inadequate we might feel about some of what we are able to give or do but we are a pretty up beat crowd and we genuinely care about each other. The group from US was like a breath of fresh air. You could have figured out who was from the US just by looking at the hair cuts. Those in Uganda-- need haircuts. I won the prize for having the most stuff sent to Boston for me but I am so happy with that "stuff", now Walter the driver has a Bronco's shirt too. I told him he can only wear it on Sunday's though. I am also overjoyed that I might be getting my Christmas dream. Supplies for my students through Grant money.. I was so happy to be back in the classroom with them yesterday. They absolutely make my spirits soar, and usually when I can hear them repeating back to me my own words. Got that the 5th Vital Sign is PAIN!! I've spent so much time today online today getting ready for the final exam just two weeks away that you might get confused and think that I am taking a final! I am just passionate about making this exam fair, and don't want to test anything I haven't taught. I'm trying to think of how many classes I have taken where that ever was a priority. I am on a relentless search to find the best price for the nursing kits that I want for my students. It is so strange to find yourself teaching assessment to people who don't have assessment tools. My presentation tomorrow is going to be excellent. I have worked so hard on it. But here is the lub/dub of the heart sounds, too bad you don't have any way to ever listen to heart sounds. I just cannot let go of it and went ahead and signed up with Alibaba Market Place today. I hope that it somehow is legit as their prices are amazing. Okay that's it for me for this post, so happy to be back on line and will do my very best not to offend anyone which in today's world would be absolutely impossible!

Can't say it any better!

“You sign up for Peace Corps and you think you’re going to save the world. You start Peace Corps and you think you’re going to save a country. You get to site and you think you’re going to save your village. Each day you realize that it is the interactions with various individuals, even just one, throughout your service that mean the most to you.”

With The Brits and Lira Faculty 

 I have had quite the pick me up. Just as I was celebrating 3 months in PC and wondering what it would take to get my mood up a bit Agnes introduced me to some Medical Personnel who are here from the UK for 2 weeks and eager to help with the students. This is an incredibly energetic and fun group and they are enjoying the students who are studying in all years so much. I've also had the chance to hook up with one of the GHSP volunteers who was here during the first year and to get to know her a bit from emails. The volunteers who are here are a very experienced Midwife, Pediatrician, Surgeon and Critical Care Specialist so I have been joined by these fresh and eager people and we had a dinner with some of the faculty here at my home last night. Now that was a bit of a challenge as Assman, Janet and I prepared dinner for 11 people. Not like just running out to King Soopers and throwing some chips in the cart. We pulled it off nicely though and everyone seemed to leave happy if not exactly full. No way can I cook for a group of Ugandan's! The UK group have been working in Sudan in the past but could not go there so opted to come here and volunteer.  I was feeling quite overwhelmed with all that could be done, but have to keep thinking about that first paragraph. I realise that I cannot be everything to everyone all the time, but I try to do as much as I can and I can look at my students and I know that within my group of second years there are those who truly will change the face of nursing in Uganda. There are some very incredible ones and it was so nice to be joined to teach them by some people who are so eager to share their knowledge. They came with interactive power points and teaching aids and really picked the students up.  I have very little in the way of teaching aids and won't pass this time up to once again whine about the fact that all I want for Christmas is 40 thermometers, stethoscopes, etc. Teaching assessment with no equipment isn't fun and hanging out in a hospital where there are rooms full of sick and dying people and no equipment is at times very exhausting. So nice to have these new arrivals.  We have all spent time working at the hospital in various departments and they feel my students are doing very well, I think so too but of course there is still so much to do and we are almost at the half way point of this semester. They had tried to obtain my email address prior to coming so we could set more up but for one reason or another that did not work out. But here we are and they have had some productive times. They aren't always as busy as they wish they could be but we are trying and I am overjoyed to have this help. The students met us at the front door of the hospital prepared to usher all five of us women to their individual departments and as the other four women went off with students one remaining students said, “Oh, I didn’t get a Mzungu.”  They love showing off their skills or asking questions. As it was we all circled around the wards quite a bit. So very many very sick kids, Malaria is still terrible and at least 4 children desperately ill with one oxygen tank. Along with all of the frustrations there are also some good times and it might be obvious that I love the students and what I am doing. This is challenging in ways I cannot describe but then there are those days when it all comes together!

Janet and Agnes fooling around it got opened and I am not sure even one was finished :)

Breathe baby Breathe

Add caption

practice with sutures 

My office 

"My" classroom

And the Academy Award goes to Pam.
 She birthed that dolly!

Catching UP

Spent Ugandan Independence Day with Janet who is also here with GHSP and Peace Corps as an RN Educator, she lives about 8 hours by bus and car from here and came over to help celebrate my birthday as well as spend the holiday with me.

Found this sign on the way back from Murchison, Got Demons? 

We had a good time just hanging out. She has worked in Africa in the past and has some amazing stories to share. I managed to get caught up on much of my paperwork for classes this week. I had to miss a day of lecture so had some written assignments from the students. The class is coming together and I can see where our needs are much more clearly now. In the past I was more or less guessing where our strengths were. I have students who are Clinical Officers who oftentimes are the only medical people at all in the Health Care Centres where they serve and Midwives as well as students who have just come out of passing A levels. It is an interesting and complicated mixture and at times I wonder just who I am teaching to. They have individual strengths and weaknesses that make for some interesting class time.                                                                                                     

Can't believe how fast time is going and how much I still want to accomplish this semester. After Janet left today I got caught up on some lessons for this week. We are currently having a measles epidemic here in town and I put in some long hours at the hospital last week. Many scared moms coming in with babies who probably do not have the measles but do have mild rashes. Nice to see the mothers being pro-active. Many told me that they had been waiting for 2 to 3 days to see a doctor or clinical officer and that they have to come back and stand in line from the beginning each day, some had already been there since 6 in the morning when I saw them at 10. The fact that there is only one thermometer, a cheap small one, being used for several hundred people frustrates me. My students don't even have the basic supplies to do an assessment. No thermometer, no stethoscope, just nothing. I take along mine but that is a temporary solution at best.

They came right up to the car

I took a brief and much needed vacation to Murchinson Falls last weekend. It was the best gift I could have given to myself. I've never been an endless fan of giraffes but to see them in the wild is inspiring.

view from my window

The Rothschild Giraffe is endangered and as the tallest animal is huge and you don't quite grasp that until you get right up close and personal with them! They literally walked right up to my car. There thighs towered around us. The locals tell me that they might be cute but don't get around the kick of the bite. The Nile was so beautiful and so relaxing, it was a break when I needed it most. Ran into a Bengali couple raised not far from where we lived in Cal and had a great time talking with them.

Meeting Bengali's on the Nile :)