February 1st

Two more things on the food list: a yellow, store-bought bread that is good, and water (not actually a food). I am fortunate that both at home and at the school they boil the drinking water. So I have not had any GI problems, and have not had to treat the water I use.

Joy - sitting on the porch of the house in the morning the other day, preparing a lecture. African rhythmic religious music (from the CD in the house) playing in the background. And then, a short time later, less joy as Justine and Vanessa started fighting around me, and Vanessa started crying and screaming as she is wont to do. I had to go inside. As I said they are typical children for their ages - they fight, and Vanessa uses crying and screaming as a weapon. She also tattles on her brother, and both of them, she more than he, say "Mom, Mom, Mom, Ma, Ma, Mom, etc., etc., ad infinitum, until she responds. They have learned, at least partially, how to ignore each other.

Trying to please - Perhaps this will get better if I become a bit more confident about asking questions, but the people try to please me, and I try to please them, sometimes to the detriment of efficiency. Example: the other day Sam Omara, the head of UCI, said during the day that he would be riding in the car home at the same time that I was going home. So at 5:30 or so, the car still wasn't there, and Sam was out next to the guardhouse near the entrance of the school playing a board game called mueso or soro, with the guard. So I went out to watch them play. The car arrived at about a quarter to six, and Sam kept playing. I figured he wanted to finish the game, and he is the Director after all, so I just watched and waited (and fumed only mildly; it is hot and I am tired). Finally at six o'clock the driver came over to me and asked if I was ready to go. Sam said goodbye, I left, and he kept playing. What happened here? Perhaps I should have set the expectation or clarified, when I first went to watch them play, by saying "So, we will ride home together (?) or some such, but that seems a bit pushy. Other suggestions?

More later.

January 31st

It is still hot. At the school I sit outside during slack times, like when I am waiting to go to class or waiting for my ride home, because it is so damn hot and I appreciate the occasional breeze. Others, students and staff, also sit outside when they can. Now several times, students or staff have approached me to ask questions or just converse. One student, after I had given a lesson on the rights of the child, asked if religion was included in the rights of the child. I told him that religion was only mentioned once in the edition of the rights that I had, and that was that no child could be denied any of the rights because of religion (among other things). The student then said that he had heard a Christian preacher on the radio say that what the Muslims were teaching to children amounted to child abuse. We spoke a bit about what the Koran and the Bible both say, some of which could be considered abusive. It turns out that the student is Muslim, in the Uganda Christian Institute. He says when he goes back to his village he doesn't name the school, but says he goes to a nursing school. He talks to a few others at school about these issues. He asked if religion is taught in schools, as it is here, and it gave me a chance to talk about separation of church and state.   He came back today and asked if I could speak in his class (first year; I currently have classes only with the second year). I'm going to try to arrange a time to do that, for a q & a session.

Another group was asking about the native language in the US, and it gave me a chance to talk about English as the "official" language, but about all the other languages, and about Native American languages. Great fun!

Sharry and Ron asked about the food. The main staples are posho (a cooked corn meal that looks like mashed potatoes, ground more finely than corn meal, and dryer than potatoes; I'm getting used to it), beans (brown and black, best when combined with a cooked cabbage slaw), and bananas and plantains prepared in various ways. The above are served every day to students and staff at school. We had meat there one time, the toughest beef I have ever eaten. At home, Susan Okello, Augustine's wife, tries to get me a little protein (eggs) and fruit (bananas and others I don't recognize but that are good) every day. That's it.

More about the family - I mentioned Susan, a delightful gentle woman. Her husband, Augustine who I still haven't met and who hired me, will be back next week. The kids are Justine, age 8 tomorrow, and Vanessa (I was told that Vanessa was a name in the bible, but when I looked it up, it is a Hebrew girl's name meaning butterfly, but not biblical), age 4. They are both typical kids for their ages, and beautiful. There are two other young women who stay here, who have been recently "adopted" after family deaths. They help Susan with the house work. One of them will be going back to school next week. She is Robina. I don't know the other's name.

'Nuf for now.

January 30th

Activities of daily living -  (AODL for you medical/social worker types) take so long in a new and unfamiliar environment. Toileting (it is really just squatting - sorry), showering (sponge bath). All of this is an energy drain, and then you go to work. I will become accustomed; this is the first week.

I've been here before - I keep being reminded of the similar developing world experiences I've had in the past. The main difference is computers and email, the ease of communication. In Guatemala 50 years ago I had to wait 2+ weeks for a letter from the states.

Satellite TV - even in the humble home where I am staying, they have a dish. And the children, Justine age 7 or 8, and Vanessa age 4, watch a lot of cartoons, some of which are cute, and most of which are inane. Also some evangelical religious programs from the US, southern accents and all (sorry Father Michael).

January 29th

Continuing....

Brilliant people where I have been - Many things here remind me of my time in Guatemala 50 years ago. I am recalling Pedro Chacach, whom I worked with in San Jose Poaquil. At the time I knew him I was amazed at how bright and creative was this man from a village in Guatemala. If he had been in the US he would be a professor or would have started a company. There are people like that here. At both UCI and Keframa College (which I still have not visited), the founders have created much out of nothing. And in spite of setbacks. Yesterday at UCI, I asked why in the new building they are building there is a wall within the outside wall. I was told that the original contractor had taken many shortcuts in the construction of the first wall, and they had to bring in a new contractor to build new walls outside the old to replace the old. All of this in a place with few resources. And not just the men. Susan Okello, the wife of Augustine Okello who "hired" me, yesterday went to give a lecture on leadership and management at UCI because Augustine is out of town.

Today's classes went well. In one, after my lecture, I divided the class of >40 into 4 groups to discuss some aspects of what I had talked about (The rights of the child). They did well and they loved it.

The teaching is all done in English, but all or most of the private conversations are in various local languages. Communication is somewhat difficult. They have some trouble understanding me and I have trouble understanding many of them. But it will get better.

Today I was told again that they wouldn't want me to ride a motorcycle (after I told them I didn't want to ride a motorcycle) because I am elderly. Dammit, I guess I'll just go with it.

Today, when I was feeling hot and I was tired, I said to myself Remember, you asked for this. For all the reasons I have already discussed. Go with it. That helped.

January 28th

At Kris's party on the day before I left, Laura Goldhammer, musician and artist extraordinaire, gave me a small notebook, with the instruction to take it everywhere, to write down ideas for the blog. I have started doing that tonight I will mine some of those ideas mostly briefly and in the order in which I wrote them down.

Tea - I think it comes from the British and I think I have seen or heard of it before, but when they serve tea here, which is often, it is a lot of milk and a little tea. It is white. I like it and have become accustomed to having tea every day at about 6 PM, along with a little snack. Then I don't need dinner. In the morning I had to make a special request to have coffee which they don't drink as freely here.

People on the road - All of the roads, all of the time are full of people walking at the side of the road in both directions. So many don't have other modes of transportation, so they walk. Also many bicycles and motorcycles, most with someone on the back. Out here in Lira, you can't get a taxi in town, only between towns. Instead of taxis, they have "boda bodas" which are motorcycles for which you pay to ride on the back.

Carrying water - All along the road on the way to Lira one would see many, many people hauling water from community wells or pumps, hauling it miles in 5 gallon yellow containers. Often, people on bicycles would have 3 to 5 of those cans tied to the back of the bicycle.

DVDs of religious music - The family where I am staying is very religious and so often in the morning or evening they will play really well produced DVDs with African singers and dancers performing wonderful African rhythm music. When I asked if they were Ugandan, I was told no because they couldn't understand the language being sung. That doesn't mean they weren't Ugandan, because there are many, many Ugandan languages. Some of the pieces had English subtitles. Justine, the 7 year old who lives here knows many of the songs to sing along with, and has excellent singing skills.

That's all for now. More later.

December 30, 2013

Beginng the blog

Kris gave me this book, after she had started to write in it, and then lost it, but when she found it she felt too distant from it. And I imagine she was writing somewhere else. Reading what she wrote: she sets a high standard for consciousness, for mindfulness. It has been so long time since I have been mindful in any connected way that I will have to practice connecting.

She gave me this book because she wanted me to have a place to write. Next month I am going to Uganda. I have told people and myself that I will write a blog and Kris gave me the place to write it. I have already started to think about what to write. It seems like there should be a lot and I haven't even left yet. Why am I going, why am I going in spite of the fact that it is making Sharry very sad and afraid. And, of course, as in every new endeavor, how will I do, will I be up to it. Physically I think I will do all right, although I don't look forward to the discomforts, heat, mosquitos, no fresh water are the only ones I know about. Spiritually I hope that this will be an advancement from where I am. Mentally/emotionally I worry about becoming depressed, either because I am lonely or because the experience is not what I wanted it to be. I need to be open to letting the experience be whatever it is. Let go of my expectations.

December 31st

So why am I going? Adventure is the first word that comes into my mind. I have from time-to-time done some adventurous things. I went to Diomede Island for two months to count walrus. I went to Guatemala at age 19 for two years. I'm not the type to climb mountains or para-sail. My adventures are more like explorations of the world and cultures. I am going to be better able to identify with people of the world who have so little, materially, compared to what we have. I understand that the indentification will be somewhat artificial because I will come back to my world. But I might be able to absorb a bit of who they are and how they live.

I am going to challenge myself, to expand my mind, to deepen my spiritual self. To do that, I will need to be mindful of everything, all the time. I said to someone that I need something to "grab me" (and shake me?). I notice all the "I's" in this writing. I hope to become more "other" focused. 

January 22, 2014

In the airport waiting for the British Air flight to London. From there, with a 2-hour layover, direct to Entebbe Airport in Kampala, Uganda.The past 2 weeks have been strange and wonderful. So many people expressing their love and support: family, friends, people at church. Some growing anxiety about whether I will be up to the task. And growing sadness about being away from Sharry for so long, and about the anxiety and sadness that I am causing for her. More thoughts about why I am doing this. I am so aware of the corporate control and wealth. I want to leave that for a while. The 85 wealthiest people in the world control one-half of the wealth of the world. I am going to try to have a deeper relationship with some black people, to rid myself of any lingering prejudices that I imaging must be there.

January 23rd

I am in Heathrow with an hour until my flight leaves. Good flight over the "pond." Sat by a guy from Denver who was born in Paris of an African mother and Parisian father. Kids go to Kent. Beautiful dawn landing over London. 

After 18 hours total travel time including 2 hours in London, I made it here fine. Florence met me with her brother/ driver. Florence is the country manager for a breakfast cereal manufacturer here. Lives in a modest house that reminds me of a similar status house in Latin America (LA). In fact, the whole appearance of Kampala reminds me of LA. Except the people here are black. This morning Florence and her driver went with me to get a SIM card, a plug-in internet card, changed money, and got more passport fotos which you need here from time to time. All of the malls are fairly extensively guarded, post-Westgate.

It is of course hot a humid, but not bad.

January 25th

 I have arrived in Lira after an exhausting trip today.

January 26th

8 AM. Sitting on porch of the house. The family went to church across the street. They allowed me to beg off (last night) because of tiredness. I will go later to a different church 3 km away. Agustine won't be here for another two weeks. His brother Jimmy Francis is in charge. It is the end of the hot dry season and the rains will start soon. So, very few mosquitos now. The trip up was exhausting. Took 7 hours, the last half on very narrow dirt roads. Good driver, but passing of people, bicycles, other cars is all very "fluid." We crossed the Nile on a ferry boat. Got good pictures. I don't think I brought the cord to transfer them to the computer. Will try to buy one here. 

By observing I am very gradually getting the hang of things, but every thing is different and a mystery. I used to describe India as a different reality. So is Uganda.

January 27th

Long, good day at the Uganda Christian Institute School of Nursing and Midwifery. The young assistant director showed me around and we discussed what their needs are. I went to 2 of his lectures on cardiovascular disease. He really knows his stuff, but is a terrible lecturer. He is a nurse and in medical school. I will be teaching Community Medicine and Pediatrics, their biggest needs. Tomorrow I will meet with at least one of the classes to assess where they are in their knowledge. They have already recieved some lectures in CM. I am getting braver about my needs. Will go to Keframa College sometime this week. UCI has a car, and I will help pay for petrol. Others ride a motorcycle to KC, but I would rather not. They said they understood "because of my age," but I denied that and said it is because of safety. Anyway, I will pay for petrol to get a ride to KC.

I am sitting outside as the day begins to cool off. The heat is the biggest factor for now.