4 Nights, 3 Days (3rd April 2008)

First of all, I have recently come across two amazing sites! I think that you should all check them out and take 'em for a spin:

http://roguevalley.bandcamp.com

http://www.lostinroguevalley.com

These guys know what it is about...




The following was written 3 years ago today in my journal—a journal which is scarcely written in as my ability to keep either a journal or a planner has lacked for almost 27 years at this point...

Shoe + Duct Tape + Head Lamp + Profuse Sweating=Long Live the Cockroach
A snap taken 3 years ago today, I had quite the adventurous evening as I scurried around my bed room on hands and knees to get the cockroach that had been disturbing my sleep by climbing all over (and in) my mosquito net...

4 Nights, 3 Days

Crazy to think that on 19/2/08 I arrived here at my homestay! After spending the past hour assisting my 7 y old sisters with their homework that I feel their parents have very little influence in, I ate dinner and had my evening exercise. By evening I mean I just broke into a profuse sweat chasing a giant cockroach around my room in my boxers, a headlamp and a sheet of paper with duct tape on its underside. What other life could I be living where this would not seem so strange? Even after I achieved apparent victory over this prehistoric nuisance, I can nearly guarantee you that his partner in crime is somewhere in this room waiting to creep under my mosquito net and to attack me!

So in waiting for dinner tonight, looking at Namakula and Hadijja's homework I came to the conclusion that my host parents really have no investment in their children's education aside from the monetary aspects, which is quite unfortunate. In look @ their work, the spelling and math errors were simple enough to happily fox in a matter of a few minutes, but the majority of work in their notebooks seemed to be marked but not corrected. Learning seems impossible in this scenario as the children are either A) learning nothing @ all because it is merely repetition, or B) learning false information which one is the case is nonetheless a tragedy, but the whole system seems to be &$*%!*!

My time here @ Eka ya Mwami Mugaya (improper Lusoga) is coming to an end. I have ultimately been quite satisfied with my experience here. It has been an unbelievable experience that could never be replicated and I have learned so much! Although clashing of cultural norms has occurred, all in all the past 8 weeks shall not be forgotten. And now I shall drift off in a damp sheet of sweat to dreams controlled by Mefloquine while I subconsciously tally one night off of this first adventure, only to get nearer to the next 2 years of my journey.....