Day 3-Arrival

I got to Entebbe at around 8am. Lufthansa, somehow in a total of 16 hours of layover time did NOT transfer my bag, so it is arriving tomorrow morning. I'm using on of the other volunteers' bug spray and hand sanitizer until then.

I used a pit latrine for the first time, so that was an experience. Not the worst thing though.

My first meal in Uganda was cooked and delivered by a woman named Susan who works here. I had mashed bananas (matoke), rice, and I think fish. I wish the other volunteers were here, I would feel more comfortable wandering around since they know the area. They went to the Equator for the day.

I saw a butterfly land in the road and just walk around with its wings up. Beautiful.

The stories from the other volunteers about teaching here are kind of scary. They say that pretty much you get handed a piece of chalk and asked to teach.

I can see some of the local children from my window and I'm convinced that African kids are cuter than any others.

Apparently someone is suppose to come brief me about what I'll be doing, but I don't know when. I've been here for nearly 5 hours and haen't seen anyone new show up.

I spent most of this first day hanging around the compound where we are staying. I met the other four volunteers (Kelly, Mijeung, Teresa, and Hollie) and we talked and got to know each other a bit. After I collapsed for a couple hours I came outside to find Kelly (who is a guy by the way) washing clothes. I observed and asked questions about where we get the water. Toward sundown we walked down to the well to get water for tomorrow. One of the women (Dr. Sarah, they call her) said I wouldn't be able to carry the jerrycan back up the hill (almost the entire walk back is up hill). So I did it! Kelly was my witness, you can ask him. Plus, I have a picture! On the way there and back the local children kept waving at us and laughing because clearly we are foreigners and we are trying to lug these huge jerrycans from the well.

The rest of the day I spent playing with Debbie, the little girl who can't be more than 3 who lives in the compound too. I was her perseonal servant, carrying here bag of toys and books, and also her personal walking jungle gym. She got most of my clothes wet with Kelly's clothes washing water and Kelly and I soaked her shirt, which she then took off and laid out in the sun to dry. Debbie also fell head first into a bucket of dirty water. She just thought this was funny.

Tomorrow is orientation, hopefully getting my luggage back, and shopping for water and toilet paper. Taking a shower should be interesting...it's in the same space as the toilet. The middle of the shower floor is the toilet. Hope I don't fall in!