Friday, November 21, 2008

Bobbing for Apples and Pumpkin Seeds

I know I know I know...you all think that I have simply ran away to another country and just forgotten about you, but that could be further from the truth! I will leave this short (I feel like I always say that) and just give you a few snippets of what's been going on, as I woke this morning at 4am to reach Kampala and it is 12.30pm now and I have only had 2 cups of coffee, a fruit leather thingy, like 4 cubes (size of dice) of mango, two fingerfuls of peanut butter and a bite of a nutrition bar. Although that seems like a lot, it has put me in to a frame of mind where work is not priority in my mind...food is! So anyways, now I am lost, I do not know what to say, other than I am going to put a few pictures on here now. Honestly the highlight of the past few weeks was the election though! Such an incredible experience. I had spent it with a number of other volunteers, watching and staying up and it was a surreal expereince to see so many faces identical, tearing up and a look of star-struck awe in their eyes! Unbelievable! Anyways remember these few sites to check out if you really miss me:
http://danielkoza.blogspot.com/ <
http://biology.science.oregonstate.edu/
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=617-045 <
http://www.cheese.com/ <
So again no new lengthy letter from me, but here are a few snaps which I have deemed significant over the past few months...
Hot Water Bath: Well coming back from town one evening we got caught in torrential rain, got soaked and rather muddy...My first though, I am going to boil some water and soak my feet in it for some 20 minutes! Aww, luxury I tell you...
OBAMA!: Sharing a congratulatory coffee and cheers with Brett, we took to the morning with broken sleep to the screams and cheers of President-Elect Obama taking the stage for his speech! Imagine if the opposing side had succeeded...these coffees might have been replaced with some other sort of stimulant?!

My Onion Harvest: Harvesting my onions with one of the village children Salif, we uprooted, gathered, cut the greens and began to dry the onions in the sun! So in total: my carrots were amazing but not enough, my onions were amazing and could still probaby have more, and my tomatoes failed! Next year maybe an apple orchard?!


Ugandan Halloween: Lisa and I spent Halloween evening teaching Agnes' family about Halloween and carving pumpkins. Although they thought we were crazy at first they definitely enjoyed!



Pumpkin Seed Roasting: Teaching Agnes' family abouy roasting the pumpkin seeds! So earlier in the day at my college I had the staff-or at least those willing to take a leap of faith on me-at lunch participate in 'Bobbing for Apples.' Let me tell you that the sight of a dozen grown Ugandan men laughing and playing bobbing for apples was an amazing sight! I only wish that I had had my camera with me!