Kids and Gum

Today Paul gave the kids gum. The kids were given gum around 11am and by the time it was 5pm the kids were still chewing/playing with the same piece. Even worse, the younger kids were putting gum in people's hair. Many of us had to cut off a chunk of our hair, we weren't happy volunteers. And kids just find it entertaining while you're freaking out about having gum stuck in your hair - those cute little buggers. For next time, it's safer that we hand out hardcandy sweeties.

Chimp's Nest - Kibale

Out in the jungle 150m above the ground, standing tall with the trees  - Paul, Apruva and I slept overnight at Chimp's Nest in a treehouse. The treehouse is a 10 minute walk from the lounge/reception, so we were isolated from everything with complete peace and privacy. On our walk to the treehouse I had never been surrounded by so many butterflies; it truly felt enchanting. Dozens of butterflies would be on the ground in front of you, and as you walked by they would all begin to flutter. As much as I hate butterflies, I tried to embrace the beauty. The treehouse terrance/balcony is surrounded by beautiful large trees. Not only that, but there are monkeys all around you! Many were jumping from branch to branch or picking at the jackfruit. It was amazing to be so one with nature. I am excited to shower later, it is located outside on the terrance/balcony. I think it will be a very Tarzan like experience. 

The only thing I do not appreciate about the place are are the moths that surround the jungle. If you are still for more than a couple seconds a moth will land on you. And you can feel their tongue "licking" you! I'm trying to relax because I know they aren't hurting me, but to feel them crawl along your body while licking you with a tickling sensation… it is hard to bare. Currently as I'm writing, there are 4 moths on me: one on my head, my shoulder and one on each leg. Apurva is still fighting the moths by waving her arms periodically or switching positions so they do not have a place to land. But for once I am trying to be tough. I'm letting them sit on me… Some have been on me since I started writing! But I do wonder what they're tasting, or why they land on us. I feel like if I sat here all day eventually I would be completely covered by moths. And maybe like the movies, I would morph into some sort of creature?

New Experiences

Today I faced my fears.  The last time I was in Uganda I learnt to drive a boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) but slid out and was left with a scar. I was switching to the 3rd gear for the first time and found the speed too fast, so I tried to gear down but did not hit the gear properly and was unexpectantly heading towards a building.  Impulsively I swerved, dropped the boda and fell off. Luckily the boda-boda and I were fine, but it definitely left me physically and mentally scarred. I didn't attempt driving again after that. Arriving in Fort Portal Ivan, the local boda-boda driver wanted me to drive him around. I told him what happened and that I was too scared to try driving again. Somehow he convinced me otherwise and I started back learning on the field. He wants me to drive him into town, and I want to too but I just have to get past my nerves and practice some more. Hopefully I can say I drove into town before I leave!

It was also my first time to hitch-hike onto the back of a truck! The locals and past volunteers have been telling me that that's usually how they get a ride into town if a free boda-boda does not pass them on the road. So after 10 minutes of walking and no boda-boda, I decided to "thumbs up" a truck that was about to pass by. Surprisingly they stopped and I asked them if they could take us into town. They said okay and I hopped onto the back of the truck standing in what looked like grey mud (?) and the other girls jumped in the front. It felt weird just standing beside 4 Ugandan men who didn't speak any English but also pretty fun while we maneuvered the windy roads while holding onto the truck. Definitely an experience that I would do again. I know my parents wouldn't approve but hey, we saved ourselves 3,000 UGX!

The Strange Things Africans Do

So here's a confusing post about time. Recently I learnt that all of East Africa reads time differently when spoken in their native language. If you want someone to meet you at 4pm you would tell them 10pm Lutorro time (which is the native language spoken in Fort Portal) or say 4pm muzungu (white person) time. It's confusing. Basically they read the opposite hour on the clock, so 3 is 9, 2 is 8, 1 is 7.. etc. We learnt this because last Thursday at school the kids were asked to come to class the next day at 10am. Then Friday about 3/15 kids showed up to class at 10am. We asked the kids where everyone else was and they told us, "You said 10am! That means 4am Lutorro time!" Well obviously class at 4am is kinda ridiculous... but I guess kids being kids they wanted to skip out of class and used our mistake as a reason. Luckily one of the teachers knew where most of the kids lived so we were able to round up a full class before 11am. Moral of the story: When speaking to an African about time, specify whether you're talking in African or muzungu time.

They also count numbers completely different on their hands from us... But I'll save that for next time on, The Strange Things Africans Do.

Ibonde - Fort Portal

Arriving at my new placement I was shocked, compared to the Wakiso placement, life here is quite luxurious. I sleep in a double bed (larger than the bed I have at home), volunteers have a hangout room with multiple couches (again, more than I have at home) and share multiple washrooms (which you can guess, I also don't have at home). Unlike Bulabukulu-Wakiso, the volunteer home is about a 3 minute walk just down the road from the school and orphanage so we get some privacy. We also have electricity! Which is something I'm still getting use to. In Wakiso after 8pm after the sun had set, many kids would become quiet and run out of things to do. The children of Ibonde Children's Home have a satellite television, fully lit dormitories and they are in the process of building flushable toilets and showers. There are also less children here, so the ratio of volunteers to children is much better. The weather here is much more bearable than Wakiso. Since we are situated closer to the rainforest, I don't find myself constantly wanting to hide in the shade from the hot hot heat.

Life here is nice, but I definitely miss my kids in Wakiso. 

Heading Back to Uganda!

So after much contemplation, I decided to return to Uganda to finish my last month of volunteering. It's difficult entering a country completely different from your own, without knowing exactly what it'll be like there. And then feeling so overwhelmed and helpless by everything... It was definitely a lot to take in. Everything that I experienced, unforgettable. I cannot describe my trip any other way than indescribable - as lame as that sounds. Every thought I had, every experience I endured... felt so surreal. And I think going back I will continue to learn more, even if it's only for a month. The more you see of the world the more you begin to understand the world. So I'm ready, I'm ready to complete another chapter to my life. Ready to learn and to help people in any way that I can.

Merry Christmas my blog followers.

Hair

African's can change their hairstyles almost instantly. Just a week ago Jennifer only had a bit of fuzz on her head, the next day I found her walking around with a full head of hair! I had to give her a second glance because I barely recognized her!

Here are Jennifer's before and after shots:

If I chose to, I could come home with a full head of dreadlocks, corn-rolls or even braids. I've been asked by many of the women here if I want my hair done. It's tempting and I'm curious about change... but I'm not sure if I'm brave enough just yet. Who knows, maybe I'll return as a changed woman! ;)

Wakiso Children's School of Hope: Medical Fund

In only a week, my friends and family helped me raise $335.00 for the kids at Wakiso Children's School of Hope. The support I have... it's amazing. In everything I have done and accomplished throughout my life, I've always had a support system (even through my bad decisions!). I love my friends and family so much and I feel like saying thank you doesn't seem to justify how grateful I am. But thank you for everything. You're helping me, help kids. I don't know where I'd be without you guys. <3

Thank you.

http://www.gofundme.com/jennachan

 

This is a picture of some of the men in my life. They're quite sexy and I have multiple photos of them to prove it. Yesterday night I received this letter. I'm not sure if you'll be able to read it, but don't worry I don't really understand it anyways. It gave me and the other volunteers a good laugh trying to rap it out loud! Yes the song is about their shorts and numbers... pretty random! I know I wasn't suppose to show it to anyone (as it says in the letter) but I just had to share their awesome song!

Jinja

We went swimming in the Nile! Absolutely gorgeous. Although I'm pretty sure we saw a crocodile in the water... Luckily we were out of the water when we noticed the creature. We didn't go back in after that because we were too afraid haha. This was one of the most relaxing trips I've ever been on. Even though our trip was just a couple of days, it was great to get away and explore. 

Another great part about this trip was the food. We ate directly over looking the river. I had a typical breakfast I'd normally eat at home: granola, bananas and yogurt... It was incredibly satisfying... I cannot stop thinking about it. But we're back at the orphanage with the Uganda food. Which don't get me wrong, it's absolutely delicious! Just sickening after you eat it 3 times a day... everyday... I also had delicious spring rolls in Jinja that were only 2,500 UGX! Equivalent to $1 CAN!! Ridiculously cheap! And that restaurant had wifi! That was a first! 

Sipi Falls, Mbale.

Absolutely gorgeous. We stayed at the Crows Nest, a remote hostel with a breathtaking view across from one of the falls. This is the life: greenery, hills, clear water and tranquility. Who needs hot water or electricity? In the morning we hiked for over 2 hours eventually standing directly under the falls in the caves. It was an amazing view with the sound of water pounding all around us. On our way home we are stopping off in Jinja to take a dip in the Nile!

Time

One thing I will never be able to adapt to, or get over is African time. People in Africa do not care about the clock. If they say they'll be there at 9 am, they might just arrive at 1 pm. I learned this the first day I arrived. My project coordinator called me and told me he would arrive at the orphanage at 9 am to start the orientation. Me, being the keener that I am, set my alarm, got up early and was ready all before 8:30 (in case he arrived early). 4 hours later he arrived, without an apology and continued on as if it was 9 am. I know traffic and transportation in Uganda isn't easy, and driving disasters happen spontenously.. but don't give a time if you cannot commit. My daddy and sister would love African time, since they're both always late. My date for the wedding was suppose to pick me up at 11am. He came at 1pm and he told me the ceremony started at 1:30... we did some errands ans got to the church at 3:30... We missed the ceremony lol. But it was his friend getting married so it didn't completely bother me. Gah, I can't handle people who don't respect time! And that's practically every African...

Tomorrow Emily and I are venturing off to Sipi Falls. It's about a 4 hour bus so we packed books, apples, chips and jelly donuts (whicht I'm extremely excited to devour!). It's an early morning for us so I'll say good night!

Sick

Moments like being sick are when you wish you were home. I let Emily do a malaria test on me (just to be safe) and thankfully I don't have malaria. It's probably just a flu but I feel like crap. The other day I slept in till 4pm. The kids laughed at me when they saw me come out in my pjs at 4pm because I had to use the washroom. I was invited to go to a wedding tomorrow. I hope I'm better so I can enjoy every moment of this African wedding experience!

Moving

Last week my roommate Emily and I changed rooms because every time it rained, our room would flood. It's rainy season, and having a wet bed and clothes everyday wasn't ideal so we agreed to move. Our new room is very spacious and I feel much less claustrophobic. Our old room was like a dark wooden box and when it rained, everything would smell like damp wood. Here are a couple of shots of our new pad!

I Hate Titles

At what point does your body begin to acclimatize? I've been in Africa for 3 weeks and the heat is still torture. Like today, it's only 10:30am and I'm beginning to sweat. I packed over 5 long sleeves but so far I have only worn 1. Some days I will wear shorts and a tank in the morning, and go to sleep with them because the temperature is still warm. The other day at 9am I was working in the garden and the temperature was comparable to Vancouver's 2pm on a hot sunny day. But we are now entering the rainy season so things may change. In rainy season it can be excruciatingly hot at one moment and then rain storm the next. The rain storms can be nice if you're under shelter. It's a nice loud, aggressive kind of peace (if that even makes sense). Currently the temperature is continuing to heat up, and with my Ugandan senses I predict it is going to rain. I am going to grab some more water and a cold drink before I head back to the orphanage soon.

Currently they are playing Sometimes - Britney Spears at the internet cafe. Nostalgic much?

Tomorrow is Parent's Day at the orphanage. I am excited to meet some of the kids families, which I'm sure the kids are extremely excited about too. Unfortunately the kids are not allowed to leave the orphanage grounds. Which I cannot imagine because only after a full day at the orphanage I get restless and need to leave or do something. Sometimes I crave a run. But the roads and fields here not smooth enough to run on so I run around our dining porch. The kids just stare and laugh at me, but I've gotten use to that.

Technology

Currently I'm helping Isaac create a Facebook and e-mail account. Craziest thing. He's never used the internet before, let alone a computer..and he's 18! I just showed him what a mouse is and how to use it. He is struggling to maneuver his mouse over the "Proceed" button. We live in such different worlds. It's just like how the kids are so fascinated with all the volunteers smart gadgets. Where we live, it's so common to own an iPhone or laptop...no one looks at these objects in aw. In developed countries we don't appreciate things as much as we should. I found that even after my first day, I began to appreciate things more. Going to the Red Chilli Hostel I look forward to having a nice cold refrigerated drink and a light in my room for before I sleep - Things that we just expect in life.
Something else that I miss is, ice. Two days ago Gideon was kicked with a football (soccerball) in the chest and Yesterday Solomon slammed his finger in a door. Automatically my remedy for these pains would be ice but ice doesn't exist here. The only thing I could do was give them a kiss and hope that that magically helped them feel better.

As of me? I'm good. I think I got a tan from hand washing my clothes outside yesterday. The kids like to stare and laugh at our terrible "muzungu" (white person) technique. The first time I washed my clothes they stunk after they dried but this time I think they're clean. The kids didn't laugh as much today, I think that means I'm getting better at this.

Pics pics pics!

A couple of photos I took from my phone.

A typical dinner meal: veggies, rice, beans and chapat with Ugandan tea.

Our garden creation for carrots and eggplant.

The kids carrying turkeys... It totally weirded me out.. 

and my favourite, Alpha and I.

Red Chilli

Hello. It's another weekend at the Red Chilli Hideaway Hostel with warm showers, comforting food, electricity and internet. I've been in Uganda for 2 weeks and it's really starting to feel like home. I'm getting use to the permanently grimy feeling and I'm completely attached to many of the kids. They are all so wonderful with such vibrant personalities. This week we started growing carrots and eggplant for the orphanage. We built the garden completely from scratch; from slashing the grass, to turning the soil, and creating some shade made from fallen down trees and banana leaf leaves. - I felt pretty handy. We are hoping that these vegetables can be incorporated into the children's diets. I can't imagine eating posho and beans 3 times a day, everyday.. A lot of kids don't eat their food, and that's why they get stomach ulcers. I promised the kids next week I'd eat the same food as them for a day. I hope it isn't incredibly terrible...

I paid for my safari trip in late October to Murchison Falls, it's the most recommended safari Uganda has to offer. I'm excited to finally see the animals. I've only seen stray dogs, farm animals and a couple of monkeys. Unfortunately there are no zebras and giraffes in my backyard. A volunteer and I are also thinking about seeing Sean Paul for only 25,000USH! Which is about $12USD! Ridiculous! I haven't bought any clothes yet but I am planning on doing some hard-core bargaining shopping tomorrow at the market. Going to try and barter myself some deals!

She's Alive!

I had originally expected I'd be able to update people about my trip a day or two after I arrived, but my living situation wasn't quite as I expected. I live in the outskirts of Wakiso in the orphanage grounds in the main building sharing a room with another volunteer. My window has no glass, so when it rains I have to move all my stuff onto my room-mates bed. If the room were bigger I'd reposition my bed but we sleep in a box. Living on the orphanage can make working a 24 hour job. This is something that a lot of volunteers are struggling with - how much of our time should be out into the program. Because there is no structure to the program, it is hard to plan out our days. We have a toilet! So thankful it is not a squat toilet. But our washroom is pretty gross. We take bucket showers with only cold
Water and I don't have to look very hard to find a spider or slug somewhere in there. My first shower experience was shocking. Instantly as I poured the first bucket of water over my head I could feel my heart want to jump out of my chest - It definitely woke me up. We have running water from around 9am-7pm so I try to time my washroom visits accordingly. We have no electricity except to charge cellphones and to light the girls dormitory at night. The rest of us are left in the dark around 7:30pm.

My first couple of days have felt so surreal. The moment I walked out of the airport and was in Entebbe everything changed. The temperature was humid, the buildings were run-down, homes were half existent and the people were unfamiliar. I arrived at the orphanage and was instantly brought back to a reality that I didn't prepare myself for. Everything was so overwhelming. And truthfully I though I didn't have the strength to do this. I was frustrated at our situation and I always felt dirty. I'm not going to go into detail, but there are a lot of things at this orphanage, or in general in this society that aren't right. And because I'm only a volunteer, not the orphanage director the Ugandan political leader, it is out of my control. Although IDE death with a lot, in the end I'm absolutely enjoying every minute here (minus when I'm swearing and the natives are not). The children are amazing - they are what make looking past these hardships and frustrations, easier. They are beautiful kids with incredible personalities. The kids have such imaginations. Learning to entertain themselves with just about anything. Broken tire? Let's use it as a hoola-hoop or something to just throw around! They are also incredibly smart. The education system here is very advanced. Kids in grade 6 are learning math that we learn in grade 10! In Canada we learn the history that applies to us, these kids learn history about every part of the world! Most I them also speak 3 languages, I only speak one...

But I hope that was a fairly decent update. I typed that all out on my phone... Fingers are sore. Until next time!

Packing Progress

4x6 granola bars, 6 bars of chocolate, 2x12 packs of nutter butters, a bag full of medication and a first aid kit. 

This photo doesn't even include all the food, toiletries and medications I'm bringing! I hope my luggage doesn't surpass the weight limit. All this stuff is quite heavy... What about my clothes?!! (Maybe I shouldn't be bringing so much snack food... hehe)