Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Cacophony


The noises here are different from the noises in our neighborhood in Corvallis. Here, when we go to sleep at night, we hear a babble of voices from across the street in "the village." By the way, did we mention we found out it really is a village, with a chief and everything? Anyway, besides voices we often hear music, sometimes live, sometimes from a radio, drumming, and someone nearby has a t.v. The noise is generally louder on weekends.

In the mornings we hear (usually in this order) roosters, which start crowing well before dawn we've found out, songbirds, chickens, goats, cows, ibis which caw louder than crows, cars, and people. Occasionally our downstairs neighbor is outside way too early talking on his cell phone. My guess is he's conducting business with someone in a different country and that's why he's up so early, but he's speaking something besides English, so I can't eavesdrop to know for sure. The last 18 hours we've had a cow across the street bellowing non-stop, and I'm not exaggerating . Is it dying? Sick? Giving birth? I can't tell, but it can't be a happy cow. I hope its problem gets solved soon.

I'm glad to say, though, that the noise rarely keeps us awake. Maybe there's enough of it that it blends together. It's an interesting combination of farm noises and city noises, though without the background hum of constant traffic that you'd get in a Western city. The picture at the top of the page is a typical house in our neighborhood.

On another subject, the latest on our ATM problem is that we tried two more ATMs on Sat., one of which gave us money. So we're set for now, and curious to see what happens next time we try one.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

"Schools stealing water"

That's a headline in the September 19, 2009, issue of a Kampala newspaper, New Vision. Water supply to 25 schools was discontinued over illegal use, meaning unpaid bills or bypassing their meters. You might picture the drinking water fountains being shut off but it's much worse. When the water is shut off, there's no water for the kitchens, for the sinks, or for flushing toilets.

We promptly paid our water bill when it arrived--we're keen on having running water. We used 5 cubic meters in a month (not quite 1300 gallons or about 43 gallons per day) and our bill came to 10,648 Uganda schillings (about $6). That's inexpensive water. It's maybe too little to operate a municipal system, but what if you charged more and people (including schools) can't pay? Amy will solve that dilemma when she graduates in philosophy.

Paul

Friday, September 25, 2009

House Tour #2



Next stop is the living room. The furniture was all provided for us, which was nice to have when we arrived. Draped over a corner of the couch is my green scarf-apron. I noticed Ugandan women wrap a scarf or other large piece of material around them, like an overskirt, when they work. Since I'm used to wearing an apron at home it seemed like a practical solution, plus it's kind of pretty. Over the back of the far chair is a waxed fabric wall hanging we bought at a craft market last week. We'd like to put it up so we have something on our walls, but you need special tiny tacks to put things up with since the walls are - what? cement? - something hard and brittle that chips if you put a nail in. So, till we find those elusive tiny tacks, the wall hanging decorates the chair.

The other picture is our dining/everything table. When the picture was taken it was attractively decorated with our malaria pills and cookie box, among other things. And, as always, our lifeline, the computer.

On a non-house note, we're in the midst of a money snafu as I write. The ATMs have stopped accepting our debit card. All transactions are conducted in cash here, so no ATM means no money, which means we're in trouble if we don't get this figured out soon. Although we could get a cash advance through our EMI account, so we won't starve. We're curious about what happened, and so far our bank in Corvallis can't figure it out either. Meanwhile, Paul walked quite a few miles today in the Ugandan heat going from ATM to bank to ATM trying to find out if there was one that worked. I had given him a haircut last night, shorter, he said, than he's had since third grade (oops). He could feel the sun burning his scalp, so when he was on back roads he held his hands over his head and even took his shirt off at one point to use as a hat. Those crazy muzungus (whites).

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Home, Installment #1


I've been meaning to give you a virtual tour of our apartment. I'll have to do it room by room since it takes about 15 minutes to upload each picture.

I'll start with the kitchen. It's small but functional. Well, everything but the microwave is functional. The microwave heats things, but so slowly you might as well put them in a pan on the stove and get it done with. We'd throw the microwave out but don't know where to throw it.

The gas stove is interesting. The burners have two settings, hot and hotter. I end up holding the pans up off the burner quite a bit of the time so things don't burn. That works fine most of the time, except for things that need to cook slowly, like rice. The oven works well. I haven't tried baking because I don't have bakeware, but I hope to go to a new store tomorrow that should have some.

On top of the microwave next to the toaster is our hot pot. Steve and Julie had one of these in London. It heats water up pronto. We use it mostly for tea and also for dishwashing water, since the tap just has lukewarm water. I'd like to get one when we're back in the states. It's faster than a teakettle on the stove.

You can see Paul's water purifier on the counter. We don't use it for water to drink plain, but have found it useful for other purposes. The good and bad thing about it, depending on your perspective, is that it does a great job of purifying the water, but it doesn't change the taste. That's bad for us, because the water here tastes dirty. But if you were a local person and used to the taste of the water, it would be good, because your water would be clean but taste just like you're used to. This is just the kind of information that we had hoped to glean through practical experience with using it ourselves here.

Well, that's about it for the kitchen. I'm getting more and more comfortable cooking in it, though our meals tend to be simple. It's bigger than Amy's kitchen was in Madison, so I feel like I'm doing all right.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Meet our co-workers



Everyone at the EMI office has lunch together every day, including me - I make the eight minute walk from our apartment for it. Janet is the cook, and she always has a mix of Ugandan and American foods. It's traditional to have a hot lunch in Uganda, and it's the main meal of the day. It's an enjoyable time in interact with both the American and Ugandan staff. The American staff includes Brad, Janet and Jill, who are here long-term; the five interns, who are college age and here for three months; and Paul. The Ugandan staff includes Samai, who is the office administrative assistant; Stephen, head of the guards; and Janet, Stella, and Monica, who cook and clean. The Ugandans all speak good, if heavily accented, English.

We've had some interesting conversations the last couple days about cultural differences. The Ugandans have been with EMI for at least a couple years each, so they're somewhat familiar with American culture. One of them can apparently even say, "Hey, guys" in a decent American accent, but she was too shy to do it for us.

One of the women yesterday wanted some information about the U.S. confirmed. Was it accurate that we don't have any villages where people go to a community tap to get their water? And was it also true that no one carries anything around on their head? We told her both things were true. It seemed a little hard for her to fathom.

Then today we were talking about family relationships, and the Ugandans told us that when a man marries, he and his wife move in with his family and that is where they stay. The idea of moving away from home at about age 18 was uncomfortable for them. Also, one of them observed that in the U.S., parents support their children, while in Uganda, it is often the responsibility of the children to support their parents (that is, the children once they are teens and older). Anyway, this is the kind of discussion I love and I was glad the Ugandans were game to enter in.

The photos here are Paul with Stephen, and me with Janet and Stella.

Happy birthday, Mom! You're the best mom ever, and I hope you get lots of love today.

Karen

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Tears

Really, I've done pretty well. We've been here almost a month and I hadn't cried. I ended my streak this morning, though. There was no precipitating event - I was walking down the street and the tears just came. Here's a bit of wisdom that everyone over thirty probably already has discovered: knowing that something is going to be hard doesn't keep it from being hard when it happens. I knew that there would be times of loneliness and isolation when we went overseas, especially at the beginning. I had experienced it in Jordan years ago, and had also experienced it decreasing as I formed relationships with people and found things to do. I'm confident things will get better, but meantime, days alone in the apartment can get long.

There's another self-evident truth I've been reminded of as well. Your hard thing is hard for you. I know that what I'm going through is not the hardest thing in the world. We have friends and family whose lives are coming apart, who are struggling deeply with their children, who are jobless, who are sick. Comparing my problems with theirs gives me perspective. Nevertheless, isolation is my difficulty at this time, and it is hard for me. We're not all given the same load to bear, but we each have a load.

One last observation, and I'll stop. God seems more real, or maybe just more necessary, in difficulty. One blessing of having time on my hands is I have the luxury of reading the Bible and praying without rushing. My mind still wanders, but I have also gained sustenance from coming to the Bible with a very real sense of need. I'll be happy for this season to end, but I also hope to glean from it what I can while I'm in it.

For all our friends and family who are sympathetic and kind (that's everybody - we're lucky that way) I don't want to make you feel bad for me by what I've said. I really will perk back up, probably within the hour. I just thought I'd write down what I was feeling when I was feeling it. I'm sure I will soon echo the immortal words of the guy who was turned into a newt in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, " I got better!"

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Popcorn


Yesterday the power was out for longer than usual, for about seven hours, from 2 pm until 9 pm. It gets dark at seven every night year round since we're on the equator. We soon got tired of trying to read by candlelight, so we decided we'd make popcorn on our propane stove and invite the girls from the apartment downstairs to join us. A friend had recommended this brand of popcorn that comes in a can and it turned out to be quite tasty.

The girls, Teresa and Jean, are teachers at the international school nearby. We had a nice time getting to know them. Teresa grew up in Kenya and attended Rift Valley Academy where Scott is going. Jean is from New Jersey and knew where Ocean City is, my favorite place in the world, so I instantly felt a deep and lasting bond with her. I'm not sure she felt it too. Anyway, it's encouraging to see young people putting their faith into action by serving people around them. They're an example to us.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to wish Paul's mom, Ginny, a happy birthday. May we all be as full of life, as game, and as caring as she is when we grow up. Happy birthday, Bestemor!

Karen

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Riots in Kampala

Fortunately, we don't have pictures to post with this blog entry. There were riots in the city Thur. and Fri. over the visit of a tribal king. As we understand it, the King of Buganda, head of the largest tribal group in Uganda, was slated to visit a youth rally this week. Kings are allowed to exist in the country but only as cultural leaders, not as political figures. There is simmering tension about their role, however, and the King's planned visit brought this to the surface. Violence broke out between tribes and also between police forces and people the police thought were rioters. The military was brought in as well. As is often the case, it appeared looters took advantage of the situation and added to the violence.

This all happened far from us and so we were only indirectly affected. Roads were closed in town and people were advised to stay close to home. However, one of EMI's Ugandan workers had a bad time of it trying to get home Thur. evening. She lives across the city from our office. She had trouble finding a taxi (14-passenger vans running established routes) to take. She ended up in a park, running low and taking cover under vegetable stands. A boy nearby that they'd been talking to at one point was injured when he was hit by police with a gun butt. After some time she was able to jump in a taxi. Everyone had their heads down and there was gunfire. Eventually she made it home - and there she was back at work the next day!

On a cultural note, as she was telling me her story, she was smiling the whole time. I remarked on this to another Westerner later, and she told me that smiling and laughter is a frequent response to difficulty or stress. I suppose the nearest thing we Americans have to it is nervous laughter when we are confronted with an unfamiliar situation.

Meanwhile, the city appears to be back to normal, and hopefully will stay that way. What was merely an inconvenience for us was a tragedy for some, and if you think to pray for Kampala today, we would appreciate it.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Guards



Medium and upper scale houses and apartments are always enclosed by walls and protected by guards. Our full-time guard, his wife, and their son live in the tiny shack that is pictured. The guard and his wife also perform outdoor cleaning and this morning their son climbed the stairs to our porch, found our mop, and was imitating his mom. I don't think it was cleaner when he left, but he was happy and we were, too.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Bad day for EMI

Engineering Ministries International, the group Paul came to Uganda with, sent a team to Kenya last week to work on a facility design for a ministry group. Paul wasn't in the group, but it was people we know from our office here in Kampala. Yesterday morning while the group was out to breakfast, thieves broke into their hotel room and stole three computers, credit cards, and hundreds of dollars in cash. From what we heard, the group's driver saw the thieves running off but either didn't realize whose things they had or thought it too dangerous to follow them.

The good news was that information for the project wasn't taken, so the group can continue on. Also, the group's passports weren't stolen so everyone will be able to return to Uganda. There's a glimmer of hope that police will catch the thieves, but barring a genuine miracle, it's unlikely.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Puppets



Before we left for Uganda, my friend Kathy and a couple young friends of hers made me some puppets to take. Another friend who had traveled to villages in Uganda had said they are a hit with kids. She was right!

When we went to the Ngenge villages last week, I pulled the puppets out a couple times. It was pretty apparent from the kids' reactions that they hadn't seen puppets before. They were intrigued but a little unsure what to do. They had the most fun when I put the puppets on their hands. It took a bold child to be the first each time, but once one child did then the others wanted to. Some understood that you put thumb and pinkie in the arms to make them work, but mostly they just liked having them on their hands. I only saw one other toy in any of the villages, and that was a key chain with a bear on it that one girl was holding.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Goat

Here's a goat for Lia. They are everywhere. You should come visit them Lia, and bring your mom!
Karen

Our neighborhood


Every neighborhood in Kampala is "mixed use" as far as I can tell. Ours is typical. Paul and I occupy the middle class, in our finished apartment building with electricity and running water. To our right are what I think of as the mansions. That's the top photo. They have columns, wide porches, and a lawn with manicured shrubs (one day someone was mowing the lawn and I went out to try to smell the freshly-mowed grass but couldn't catch a whiff). No one lives there, so they're rather mysterious.

Directly across the street from us (second photo) is what looks to me like a village. There are concrete huts with metal roofs around a dirt courtyard. There is no electricity or indoor plumbing. It's interesting to note that the whole area is quite clean. There is very little junk or trash around the houses. There is, however, an area right next to the houses where they appear to throw their trash. The goats and an occasional cow spend their days rooting through it. It's ironic that this village without any modern services is at the base of two cell towers. You can see the metal fence surrounding one to the right foreground of the second photo.

This contrast is typical everywhere you walk. Mixed in with the different types of housing are small storefronts or even just wooden stands along the roads where women are selling a few tomatoes and other vegetables.

Although I think of the village houses across the street from us as poor, they're not as poor as some. You're moving up in the world when you have concrete rather than mud or scrap boards for your house and metal rather than thatch for your roof.
Karen

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Starting on the Ngenge Water Project



Or, rather a continuation. The planning was initiated in earnest in February 2008; we met this past week with the Church of Uganda leaders who are actively striving to meet the water needs in the villages. It's time to move forward with implementing the improvements.

Karen joined me on the trip along with two other EMI folks: Janet, a long-term staff member in Uganda and Travis, an intern. We sandwiched meetings with the church leaders (Bishop Salimo, Rev.'s David, Moses, and others) around a visit to a few of the villages. There are more than twenty villages in all, ranging in size from a few families to several hundred people. The Ngenge area has been growing in population as more and more people return to their historical homeland following the quieting of conflicts in the past few years. Subsistence farming is the main livelihood. The crops are poor this year because of drought. September/October is harvest time but most of the maize we saw was dry and stunted. Several people expressed concern about famine.

What are we hoping to accomplish? There are two parts. One is to provide potable water for several villages that lack potable supplies. In some cases, that means repairing hand pumps (the India Mark II types for you water techies). In other cases, it means drilling new boreholes (wells). Part two is helping with irrigation improvements including a canal and loaning portable human-powered pumps. The underlying goal for all improvements is sustainability, which I'm defining as "long-lasting improvements that can be fully supported by the community." In other words, the improvements will be functioning if we return for a visit in ten years.

The photos show one of the broken hand pumps and a nearby stream that provides an alternative source of water. Yes, the water looks that muddy in real life and yes, that's a donkey wading in upstream. It's not a great source. The people do boil the water before drinking it, which requires scarce wood or charcoal and is inconvenient.