Why does 2011 look so funny? That is a question that I can and will not answer but I pose it to you to digest. 2010 is somehow attractive with it’s two 0s. 2009 was a sweet little number; somehow 9s always look fancy because their curvature. 2008; you can’t go wrong with an 8 because rotate it 90 degrees and you’ve reached infinity. 2007; well 7 is my favorite number so don’t even argue there. I could break down each year in depth but I will leave it at this…2011 appears to be a rather ugly looking number. Though the number appears ugly, I am rather looking forward to the year; so my plan is to make this little ugly duckling to be a beauty queen of a year. But 2011 hasn’t even arrived, why am I beginning to focus on the future? Well I have been there and it looks grand and sweet. Doc and I have fixed the flux capacitor and I can tell you that 2011 holds good fortunes, but I can not tell you any details, so let me leave you with my best wishes for the New Year now, and if you are willing, let me divert and bring you up to speed on the past months.
Quote of the Moment
“Last night, Darth Vader came down from planet Vulcan and told me that if I didn’t take Lorraine out that he’d melt my brain.”
- George McFly (Back to the Future)
Playlist of the Moment
1. Your Ex-Lover is Dead Stars
2. My Life Would Suck Without You (Glee) Glee
3. Homesick Kings of Convenience
4. Breakable Ingrid Michaelson
5. Two Birds Regina Spektor
6. Flume Bon Iver
7. I Wrote A Simple Song Billy Preston
8. All The Morning Birds Jolie Holland
9. Geese in the Flyway Rogue Valley
10.The Bottom of the Riverbed Rogue Valley
11.Faded Coat of Blue Jolie Holland
12.That’s The Way God Planned It Billy Preston
13.For Emma Bon Iver
14.Eet Regina Spektor
15.You and I Ingrid Michaelson
16.The Weight Of My Words Kings of Convenience
17.Dream On (Glee) Glee
18.Calendar Girl Stars
City Planner
Take my hand and draw a map
Of the places you’ve gone and will go
Connected by a thin line with
Homes and places of friends and foes
The one you entered yesterday may
Not be the one that you enter today
Be curiously cautious with each step
If the laces become untied its as easy as
Blinking to see your old front door
Painted colors never seen before
But no one ever said that the past would
Remain as though you had never left
The city planner knew
The city planner drew
The city planner stayed awake all night
Dreaming of things as though
The world was a neighborhood
So don’t forget to remember that
You helped plan this city
That park where we used to play
Got turned in to a tobacco shop that we’ve
Seen on TV, where our tax dollars go
To protect and serve or cheat and steal
Though maybe this time around the block
We’ll turn it back in to the park
Wake up
Go out
Be crazy
Break rules
Make mistakes
Just come back
To where it began
The city planner knew
The city planner drew
The city planner stayed awake all night
Fighting to make it all right
Connecting the West and East
So don’t stay in one place
Help the city survive
Book of the Moment
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Camp GLOW is an initiative by the United States Peace Corps in Uganda. It started in the country of Romania in 1995. This camp, generally for all girls, focuses on empowerment activities including, but not limited to, health education, life skills, career goals, sports, creative arts and Ugandan women in leadership roles (business, government, etc.). The activities help the girls gain skills to lead a happy, healthy and successful life. This year is the first-ever Camp GLOW in Uganda. Approximately 150 girls are attending from all over the county. All the girls are between the ages of 13 and 15 and are either in primary school or secondary school. The camp was run by Peace Corps Volunteers, along with the Ugandan female community members, acting as counselors. Female guest speakers spoke to the girls each day about how they became empowered, chose a career and are leading Uganda in today’s world.
Camp GLOW Uganda was an incredibly enriching experience (from my observational point of view). 153 girls aged 13-15 traveled from all over the country to attend this week-long camp being held at St. Theresa Kisubi Girls Primary School in Wakiso District, just outside of Kampala. What struck me most was the noticeable growth and friendships developed by not only the campers themselves but with their counselors (the girls were divided in to 16 groups being counseled by both a Peace Corps Volunteer and a Ugandan counterpart) and other staff. This camp was a unique experience for all involved and will be held in the memories of all for a lifetime. More information can be found on the site http://campglowuganda.yolasite.com.
Condom Demonstration Session at Camp GLOW Uganda
On Tuesday though I spent the day doing Camp GLOW's session on Condom Demonstration. Emphasized throughout the session was the point that this session and the use of condoms is most importantly for the girls' safety and protection. The use of condoms is not to bee seen as a gateway but as a means to be safe when the girls have become older and are ready, to most importantly protect themselves but also others in the process. This session was integral to the girls' health and upbringing as many of them had been aware of what condoms were but had never ever been introduced by them. While we always pray and hope that sex will be consensual and age-appropriate, if that is not the case this knowledge is integral for the protection of these girls lives. The session involved a description and proper steps to ensure that the condoms are not expired/spoiled and how to put a condom on and take it off. Each girl was given the opportunity (not forced) to follow the steps to check that they have grasped the knowledge.
At Camp GLOW I primarily worked as a staff member—to get my geek on I was a 'Media Specialist' along with the awesome crew of Tony Markon, Caleb Henderson and Thomas Hanno—moving around constantly taking photos and videos while concurrently updating the website.
Lastly, in regards to Camp GLOW I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all the campers, counselors, Peace Corps Volunteer Staff, Peace Corps Staff, Sr. Valentine and others of St. Theresa's, USAID and other donors helping in this event. Without the integrated efforts of everyone above the camp would not have been as successful as it was. Due to the incredible response, I hope and pray that Camp GLOW Uganda can become a regular event in the lives of many more in Uganda.
Wild Life Club NTC, Kaliro
Though our requisition from the college for tree saplings failed, we managed to scrape up a few saplings to attempt the planting of a few trees. These are just a few members of the Wild Life Club at NTC, Kaliro along with Mr. Okello Yuventino (far right), one of the agriculture lecturers at the college. His guidance is integral in many of our projects. The members take time out of each weekend to work on various projects.
Wild Life Club NTC, Kaliro and Trees for the Future
Even though this day was the Muslim Holiday Eid, nearly every member of the Wild Life Club showed up for the visit by Mathius of the organization Trees for the Future. Mathius gladly came to give a presentation/Q&A with the club members, gave a demonstration on stating a nursery bed for trees, provided the club with numerous species of tree seeds and remained for lunch (which was prepared by some of our hard-working club members) before taking off for the day. The day was an incredible success and was integral for the club members to have a guest come and be hosted by us. The information that Mathius brought was valuable to the students not only for their time at the NTC, but for the future when they become teachers themselves.
Who are you?
This photo was archived many months ago to analyze the individual seen here. It is obvious that upon viewing his reflection in a mirror that he could hardly recognize himself. Do you know the man in the photo? Why does he feel that he looks so gangly?
ACYC Day NTC, Kaliro
On November 20th, 2010, our club AIDS Challenge Youth Club (ACYC) of NTC, Kaliro held a special day at the college to recognize the importance of staying aware of HIV/AIDS and keeping community members involved in continuing the fight to reduce the affects of HIV/AIDS through a series of activities including: music and songs; skits; speeches; discussions, testing and counseling. The day ended with an amazing meal and members of ACYC (including myself) played against the college soccer team. Unfortanately we lost, but the whole day was an amazing success.
ACYC Day Football Match
At the end of the ACYC Day, we celebrated a successful eventful with a tough football match between members of ACYC and the college football team. Though ACYC lost, the whole day was an amazing success and hopefully the day will be a tradition for years to come.
Halftime of a football match at my college I was graced with the opportunity to pose with the "Kyabazinga" (King of Busoga......and no, this is just a student posing as him) and one of my students on the Busoga football team, Ishmael. As I have no scanner and was given an original of this photo I simply took a picture of it, and then loaded it on here...to me this is one of the most 'Peace Corps'-esque photos I could find...
Many of you have heard me say that over the past 2 years I feel as though I have aged 20 years and I expect that this third year to turn me in to Steve Martin essentially (premature gray hair sort of thing); well this morning I officially feel old.Most of you do not know, but for the past 2 and a half years I have also been involved with a program called World Wise Schools (WWS) which works to connect classrooms across the US to Peace Corps Volunteers around the world in order to share their experience and expand global knowledge (3rd Goal of Peace Corps).I have been connected with a 7th Grade Class at Lincoln Middle School in Cottage Grove, Oregon (taught by the most generous Mrs. Jean Miksch) and the children have been the most curious and interested.So one of the activities that I have involved myself with these students (mind you different classes as each year goes on) is a letter-writing/pen pal activity.Whatever questions or curiosities come to these young minds I try to appease.I’ve been asked whether McDonalds exists here; if I have elephants in my back yard, and what the most unusual thing I have eaten (cow udder, if you don’t know yourself by now).Not all questions are fun and games though as some have garnered the intuition to even ask political- or disease-minded questions.Mind you carpal tunnel syndrome may set in by the time I’m 30 (compounded by the 3 years I’m here equaling 30 theoretical years) or feeling 60, I’ve opted for the insane decision to write to each and every letter written to me.I won’t tell you how many that is.But this morning, while going through some letters I came across this line:
“My Dad and Mom are taking me to see the Harlem Globetrotters game this Friday at U of O in Eugene.Have you heard of them?I can’t wait to go.”
I responded by saying:
“When I was young I used to go see them when they would play in Portland at the Memorial Coliseum…”
It makes me think of all the moments—for those of you in the Portland area—that I still instinctively say Civic Stadium (PGE Park) or Portland Blvd (Rosa Parks Way?).Yes, Memorial Coliseum is still called Memorial Coliseum, but right next door is the Rose Garden.Though my memories of the Memorial Coliseum do not involve an NBA Championship or a Beatles concert; it does include numerous center-court violin playing National Anthem Blazer games and animal-cruelty riddled Barnum and Bailey events.How many more generations will have any such memory at all?My feeling of elderliness stems from the thought that one day I will too be sitting on a porch of chipped paint, chewing on a cigar that has never been lit and realizing that it is all okay.Compounded with the fact that something of the sensation of the Harlem Globetrotters has entertained generations for decades, yet brings a completely different set of memories for all of us.
So why bring this up at all; especially in a blog supposedly devoted to a Peace Corps Volunteers experience in Uganda?The fact that I just lit a maintenance man’s (Nabongo’s) cigarette from a Bic lighter (usually wax matches would be used for this purpose) as he looked on precariously?Or the fact that this same man assumes day in day out that I am fluent in the local language of Lusoga when in fact I’ve mastered nodding, smiling and making other audible “ehhs”, “ahhs” and “mmhmms” that I appear to be a master of the universe?I am making ‘cowboy’ coffee right now simply because I am too lazy to clean either of the two French Presses (which is a mysterious contraption possibly capable of time travel to all but a few, that I carry around the college many days).The earth is a tiny place filled with mountains of emotions centered on thousands of different possibilities that mean what?That means that each and everything you say and do matters to everyone of us whether or not we’re around to even register any physical sensation.
Every thing that you do matters; and it matters to all of us.At least that is what I’d rather choose to live by than other philosophies; being one of the ways I’ve begun to realize teaching and learning over any generation is valuable, and one that I’ve begun to utilize to its fullest extent here in Uganda.The ideology briefed above is one of many valuable mechanisms of uniting people’s goals and ideas…
So in a matter of 755 words (excluding these)—according to the word count feature in Microsoft® Word 2004 for Mac® version 11.0—what has been accomplished?Everything.
…
Names, places, faces and even cultures change (or become lost).In some miraculous way we are all connected amidst this relentless force of change even though sometimes more often than not it seems as though we are continuously being pushed down.The frustrating part is often the very things that we (or you—on a personal level) want to change are the ones that remain, sometimes lingering simply as a thought in the back of the mind.These are the very things that bring us down; and bring us down to a point when we look at all the very things that we do love and just want it to go away.All of it to change.All of it to start over. But when we quit; when we just shut down and want to grab that morning cocktail, how many people are we potentially letting down and are we contributing to the very things that we want changed that seem to remain stagnant.Most often we are strong enough to overcome this barrier, and other times it is true; the options have been weighed and it is better just to put you hands up and walk away.
I’m still here, though many times good ol’ Mother Earth and whatever intertwined divine forces have been pulling away.
In essence the First Law of Thermodynamics relates the idea of conservation, it is neither created nor destroyed.The one time I believe that this can be proven false comes from our unique ability to help, plead and assist others without any possible benefit in return aside from the knowledge that someone has benefited.It could be believe that in this case, the benefit to the donor—the volunteer of good will—has been given that energy to the soul where it continues to grow.The soul is the only place where this law of thermodynamics is thrown off kilter.In teaching these philosophies to my students I don’t expect a change, if I do I know I only come closer to that point when I just shut down and show myself the door.I do expect them to think, to question themselves and others but to also trust themselves in their decisions, and I can hope that they will make the right choice.
…
It is difficult to reminisce at times: partially due generational alternations in memories relating to the same subject; sometimes in seeing how what and how we do things that seem so normal is only relative, and when we look at all the change both from our past which we never wanted to change and when we look to the future that we dearly hoped would change and it never came to fruition.We play mind games, questioning the past could have been like and what the future holds—you don’t really know until you reach the latter.I guess the only way is to make your decisions—though every one will not go this way—is by what will benefit the most people with the smallest expectation of return.Defy physics.
Now that I have proceeded to talk your ear off with my philosophical rant, what exactly has been going on here at the college?Well it has been a rather busy past month and a half and I cannot believe how fast the time has actually gone.Of course I am teaching still.My 2nd year class has approximately 30 students and my 1st year class is somewhere around 35.Often many students to not show up to school until their school fees have been paid, so the first week of lectures each class was only around 15 and now I think these amounts are stable.Along with teaching I am the Patron (Staff Representative/Leader) of both the Wild Life Club of NTC, Kaliro and the Patron of the AIDS Challenge Youth Club (ACYC) of NTC, Kaliro.
Recently, the ACYC held a weeklong workshop for members of the club and others interested to guide them to become Peer Educators.Through the workshop we had discussions on Life Skills, Guidance and Counseling along with roles of Peer Educators, HIV/AIDS Sensitization, Positively Living (with HIV/AIDS) and Sex & Sexuality.The workshop proved to be a success as the attendance was nearly 50 students (not all members of the club) and although the workshop was held each evening at the same time that our college was holding our own Football (Soccer) tournament, the attendance was constant!You know people here love soccer so giving up an evening when they can watch a match is significant!Days after the workshop was over our Peer Educators went out to their own halls of residence to carry out their first rounds of sensitization to their fellow peers on the things that they had learned in the workshop.I have been told that this first outing was a success.
With the Wild Life Club we have been struggling to get projects off the ground, but the minds involved are committed and motivated.Each weekend members of the club meets for some few hours to do some community service such as collecting trash around the college grounds or clearing the area around bore holes, which when becoming clogged they flood and entertain the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes, the carriers of malaria.We are working on a tree-planting project to help in sustaining the ecosystem here along with adding to the aesthetic appeal of the college so are currently looking to acquire tree saplings to involve ourselves with that work.
Bigger and better things are definitely hoped for by both clubs with the ACYC wanting to promote a small festival with sports, HIV/AIDS Testing and Counseling and promoting sensitization to the greater community, and the Wild Life Club looking to branch out and plan a trip to one of the National Parks or Forest Reserves to have a hands-on experience with the local environment.Both will take a lot of effort and energy by the students and I look forward to the progress of both of these clubs.
The computer lab is still kicking and I can tell you all that the Encylopedia Britannica that was installed is a huge hit, so thank you to Mari Baker for that.Not only has a tool for the students’ studies but it gives them an opportunity, without having the use of internet, to broach many topics that they would not otherwise be suited for.The biggest issue is finding a full time attendant for the lab (who is computer literate) and finding a means to have the lab also open some of the evenings, but nothing can be perfect can it?
The Guidance and Counseling Office is being used more this term in its official manner than it has been in the past but changes are still necessary to get it to grow to the department we would like it to be.It is pertinent that the college find a means to hire a full-time guidance counselor, but when the subject was brought to the administration it was met with “The position has not been in the budget through the Ministry of Education.”Odd when many of the universities in the country have degree courses for Guidance and Counseling and the Ministry of Education is pushing for more in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary institutions.We’ll push it to change, as per now on our voluntary basis we are doing what we can.
The Basketball Court has hit a long and troubled rough patch.First of all I thank from the bottom of my heart those of you who helped us in funding this project.I have received a list of the donors so the college community’s most sincere gratitude goes out to each one of you.You have all made an impact and have gotten this off the ground.The issue lies in the initial budget created.The personnel approached to assist us in budgeting for the project ended out not being so reliable and I do take blame for this misstep.For the past months we have been seeking new, diverse ways of trying to fund the remaining funds for the completion of the court.You all laid the foundation and without that I can guarantee you the effort and drive by the students wouldn’t be there to make something bigger and better happen.So far our efforts have come up with little to smile about, but we are still struggling and trying to smile through this as we find solutions. Hands down the court will be finished by the time I leave this college.Today, the Co-Chairpersons of the project (Sports Tutors), the college community invested in basketball and myself are meeting to discuss the progress and the way forward.It is a battle none of us anticipated but one in which we will win.
With that I leave you with what is seemingly turning in to a monthly post.I hope that you all can handle these long drawn out novellas and without your continued support and appreciation I wouldn’t be sitting here now working through all these things.Thank you and stay safe.
ACYC Day Football Match
