So I thought I was doing so good...well not good but at least better...I had a great little convo with the boda guy in Luganda...It kinda went like this:
Me: Wasuze otya ssebo? (How was your night Sir)
Boda: Bulungi nnyabo. Wasuze otya nnyabo? (Good maam. How was your night?)
Me: Bulungi. (Good)
Boda: Ogenda wa? (where are you going)
Me: Ngenda Soya Stage (Im going to the soya stage)
Boda: umm (okay)
Me: 500 yes? (okay, okay...I havent figured out how to do the money thing in Luganda yet...give me grace)
Boda: Ye (yes)
Me...getting on the boda...
Boda: Tugenda (we go?)
Me: Si.....Si!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What the heck!!!! I dont even speak that much spanish and out of my crazy brain comes the word Si! haha! That poor Boda was probably thinking I was crazy and my poor brain was probably thinking....quick...what's yes in a different language!
So yeah...theres the brain fart of the day...Si!
Oh brother!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Books, Books and More Books!
So the last few days I have been ordering books for our new Child Development library at GBI and I think the library is going to be awesome!! I have very high hopes thats for sure!!
Once we receive the order our library of 10 books will grow to a library of 160 books!
A small start in tackling the required amount of 2000 by September but definitely a start in the right direction!
If you or someone you know would like to donate money or books to help build our library...please let me know and I can get you info on how to do that so that we can reach the Uganda accreditation standards!
Once we receive the order our library of 10 books will grow to a library of 160 books!
A small start in tackling the required amount of 2000 by September but definitely a start in the right direction!
If you or someone you know would like to donate money or books to help build our library...please let me know and I can get you info on how to do that so that we can reach the Uganda accreditation standards!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Fun and Random Facts
If I feel like walking to the main road from my house it takes about 10 minutes but if I want a ride from the boda guy (motorcycle taxi) it only costs about 25 cents.
I can get to Gaba Bible Institute and the ARM offices pretty easily from my house...if I walk to the road and then ride a taxi it only costs about 10 cents to get there, but if I am feeling lazy I can boda and then ride a taxi for a grand total of 35 cents.
My local supermarket is called super supermarket and it really is super! I can get good ol' American Processed foods for not too high of a price...so what have I found at the super super?? Betty Crocker Frosting and Cake Mix, Mac and Cheese, Stouffers Stuffing, Oreos, Saltines, Ragu Pasta Sauces, and a variety of salad dressings...oh yeah! Its a diamond in the rough!
A place with hot water doesn't really mean all the water is hot...it means that if you want a hot shower you turn on the switch for the hot water heater about 20 minutes before you want to shower and wait for the water to boil...and no...the hot water heater doesn't heat the water to the sinks...those are cold water only.
While canopy beds in the states are really for the look of elegance, a four poster bed with a net on top is really for protection from bugs here...it may look elegant but it serves a very important role...to keep me from getting malaria, again!
Candles also serve an important role here...not just for mood lighting or relaxation...last night I did dishes by candlelight, not because I thought it would be fun but because it was the only light I had...sometimes electricity is sparse!
Dogs aren't pets...they are security and while it may sound mean, most of the dogs here live in a crate during the day and roam your compound during the night...there isn't a owner/pet relationship going on here...
Compound is another word for yard
"I've ever" is another way of saying "I always", or "I've done it"...
If you can greet people in Luganda they think you can speak the language...in reality if you ask me anything beyond "where are you going" or "how is your day", you are going to get a blank stare and the request for English...
If you want to go somewhere in the morning rush hour, be prepared to pay more...apparently its more expensive when people have to get to work!
Sometimes I am mistaken for a prank caller when I call the USA just because of my phone delay..."hello, hello...click!" Its so sad!
Unlike America...processed foods are the expensive things here, while fresh fruits and veggies are among the cheaper things you can buy
For some reason "oranges" aren't orange here...actually they are more like green lemons...you may get lucky and find a sweet one but mostly they are sour and not great
Veggies that are MIA (Missing in Africa) are those that I seem to crave the most...asparagus, artichokes, broccoli (but I did see that the other day) and lettuce (unless you are lucky enough to have a green thumb and grow your own)!
If you walk into a salon for a pedicure, don't expect to find any Asian women waiting on you...Ugandan men are the pedicure peps around these parts
It took a week and a half but I can finally say I slept through the night in my new place...either I was really tired or the dogs were really quite...I'm not sure which!
So there you have it...some randomness for the day! Hope you enjoyed it!
I can get to Gaba Bible Institute and the ARM offices pretty easily from my house...if I walk to the road and then ride a taxi it only costs about 10 cents to get there, but if I am feeling lazy I can boda and then ride a taxi for a grand total of 35 cents.
My local supermarket is called super supermarket and it really is super! I can get good ol' American Processed foods for not too high of a price...so what have I found at the super super?? Betty Crocker Frosting and Cake Mix, Mac and Cheese, Stouffers Stuffing, Oreos, Saltines, Ragu Pasta Sauces, and a variety of salad dressings...oh yeah! Its a diamond in the rough!
A place with hot water doesn't really mean all the water is hot...it means that if you want a hot shower you turn on the switch for the hot water heater about 20 minutes before you want to shower and wait for the water to boil...and no...the hot water heater doesn't heat the water to the sinks...those are cold water only.
While canopy beds in the states are really for the look of elegance, a four poster bed with a net on top is really for protection from bugs here...it may look elegant but it serves a very important role...to keep me from getting malaria, again!
Candles also serve an important role here...not just for mood lighting or relaxation...last night I did dishes by candlelight, not because I thought it would be fun but because it was the only light I had...sometimes electricity is sparse!
Dogs aren't pets...they are security and while it may sound mean, most of the dogs here live in a crate during the day and roam your compound during the night...there isn't a owner/pet relationship going on here...
Compound is another word for yard
"I've ever" is another way of saying "I always", or "I've done it"...
If you can greet people in Luganda they think you can speak the language...in reality if you ask me anything beyond "where are you going" or "how is your day", you are going to get a blank stare and the request for English...
If you want to go somewhere in the morning rush hour, be prepared to pay more...apparently its more expensive when people have to get to work!
Sometimes I am mistaken for a prank caller when I call the USA just because of my phone delay..."hello, hello...click!" Its so sad!
Unlike America...processed foods are the expensive things here, while fresh fruits and veggies are among the cheaper things you can buy
For some reason "oranges" aren't orange here...actually they are more like green lemons...you may get lucky and find a sweet one but mostly they are sour and not great
Veggies that are MIA (Missing in Africa) are those that I seem to crave the most...asparagus, artichokes, broccoli (but I did see that the other day) and lettuce (unless you are lucky enough to have a green thumb and grow your own)!
If you walk into a salon for a pedicure, don't expect to find any Asian women waiting on you...Ugandan men are the pedicure peps around these parts
It took a week and a half but I can finally say I slept through the night in my new place...either I was really tired or the dogs were really quite...I'm not sure which!
So there you have it...some randomness for the day! Hope you enjoyed it!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
New Place...New Sounds
So as I have been awake for the last 2 hours and have now come to 4am I can't help but notice all the new nighttime noises that are pretty much non-existent in the villages of Uganda...
Whats new??
Whats new??
- A security guard dog that likes to howl at strange and random times during the night, along with all of his other dog friends that live around this area
- Cars coming and going at all hours
- Horns honking
- Gates clanking
- And random voices...and no...they are not in my head...they are random conversations of the night guards...
Surprisingly I don't hear as many frogs, crickets, or confused hens around here...I think I actually slept better with country noises rather than these new city noises BUT I also think it is just a matter of adjusting to all the new sounds...hopefully in a month or so I will be sleeping sound!
But for now...I'm just a very frustrated tired person that can't seem to get any sleep!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
It’s All In Who You Know…
As a fan of the movie “Shawshank redemption” I was surprised at the similarities of the prisoners and of missionaries…A weird comparison I know!!
I find it rather amusing actually! One thing I have noticed myself and my friends doing a lot of here is saying….”guess what I got!” or “Guess what I found”
In a place where you cant get everything you are used to we are great at finding creative ways to get stuff, kinda like knowing “the guy” in prison who can get stuff when you can’t get it for yourself…
I am so thankful for those of you…my “suppliers”, who have helped me “get stuff”…for carrying extra things in your luggage or for paying a pretty penny for a parcel shipped to my PO box…they are all things that make Uganda a little more homey! Each time I eat a piece of dark chocolate or pamper my feet with foot scrub…God reminds me of you and the friendships I share with all of you on the other side of the world!
I couldn’t do it without you and am sure thankful to know each and every one of you1 Weebale nnyo!!! (Thank you very much!)
I find it rather amusing actually! One thing I have noticed myself and my friends doing a lot of here is saying….”guess what I got!” or “Guess what I found”
In a place where you cant get everything you are used to we are great at finding creative ways to get stuff, kinda like knowing “the guy” in prison who can get stuff when you can’t get it for yourself…
I am so thankful for those of you…my “suppliers”, who have helped me “get stuff”…for carrying extra things in your luggage or for paying a pretty penny for a parcel shipped to my PO box…they are all things that make Uganda a little more homey! Each time I eat a piece of dark chocolate or pamper my feet with foot scrub…God reminds me of you and the friendships I share with all of you on the other side of the world!
I couldn’t do it without you and am sure thankful to know each and every one of you1 Weebale nnyo!!! (Thank you very much!)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Comings and Goings…
Even though I have only been on the field for 6 months I have felt the effects of the transitional life of missionaries…
What exactly do I mean??
Well…life as a missionary is so unlike life in the US…you have terms on the field, you have home service off the field and you have vacation time that serve as your mandatory “mental health” get aways…
The problem is, you make friends with your fellow missionaries serving in the same areas as you and all of your new friends are on completely different schedules then you…
SO you may make a friend…see them for a month or two, then they go to the states for 6 to 12 months before you see them again…and then at that point…it’s your turn to go away and the cycle continues…
I have to say, it’s difficult!! I have a few of my fellow missionary friends in the states right now and honestly…I miss them LOTS and cant wait for them to return…but I know that this is just the beginning of living life in a very transitional way…
What exactly do I mean??
Well…life as a missionary is so unlike life in the US…you have terms on the field, you have home service off the field and you have vacation time that serve as your mandatory “mental health” get aways…
The problem is, you make friends with your fellow missionaries serving in the same areas as you and all of your new friends are on completely different schedules then you…
SO you may make a friend…see them for a month or two, then they go to the states for 6 to 12 months before you see them again…and then at that point…it’s your turn to go away and the cycle continues…
I have to say, it’s difficult!! I have a few of my fellow missionary friends in the states right now and honestly…I miss them LOTS and cant wait for them to return…but I know that this is just the beginning of living life in a very transitional way…
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Finding God…Every Day…
Even though I am not really a New Years resolution kinda girl, I have noticed that I have a tendency to be a pessimist in most areas of my life. I have also noticed that I can be cynical and forget about all the ways I have seen God work; as a result I tend to try and do things in my own strength rather than with Gods…
So this is not really a New Years resolution but rather an a lifestyle change…a way to trade my cynical, sarcastic, and pessimist ways into worship…with a goal of learning to trust God in even the seemingly “hopeless” situations, to praise him for at least one thing everyday and to look for how he is working each and every day.
How will I do it??
A calendar….
Each day I want to write one praise and one God sighting…And each time I find myself being sarcastic, cynical, and pessimistic I am going to look back and remind myself of how God is working in my life each and every day…
Heres too many years of praises!!
So this is not really a New Years resolution but rather an a lifestyle change…a way to trade my cynical, sarcastic, and pessimist ways into worship…with a goal of learning to trust God in even the seemingly “hopeless” situations, to praise him for at least one thing everyday and to look for how he is working each and every day.
How will I do it??
A calendar….
Each day I want to write one praise and one God sighting…And each time I find myself being sarcastic, cynical, and pessimistic I am going to look back and remind myself of how God is working in my life each and every day…
Heres too many years of praises!!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The Excitement of Furniture!!
I live off of Gaba Road now…also known as “furniture row” which is helpful for me now that I am trying to get furniture into my new place.
Last week I was so proud of myself…I managed to bargain and order some custom made furniture pieces for my house…all to be delivered to my place next week sometime.
I am anxious to see how everything will turn out and excited to finally have my place feel more like home rather than an empty storage space!
The desk will hopefully be ready tomorrow and the couch and chairs ready by Wednesday…now I just need a dining table and foam for the couch cushions!!
Give me a few weeks and I will post a pic or two of the new living conditions!!
Last week I was so proud of myself…I managed to bargain and order some custom made furniture pieces for my house…all to be delivered to my place next week sometime.
I am anxious to see how everything will turn out and excited to finally have my place feel more like home rather than an empty storage space!
The desk will hopefully be ready tomorrow and the couch and chairs ready by Wednesday…now I just need a dining table and foam for the couch cushions!!
Give me a few weeks and I will post a pic or two of the new living conditions!!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Poppy Seeds?
Boy I have been busy this week!! I’ve been busy figuring out my roll at GBI, painting, getting settled into my house, killing bugs, and much much more. As a result, I haven’t been doing any cooking one because I am busy BUT two…its kinda gross to cook and settle in when I still have an out of control bug situation…
My solution to my lack of cooking…? I bought a bread roll the other day…it was great looking with sesame seeds, poppy seeds and a parmesan cheese crust…sounds yummy huh!?
So I put the roll in a Ziploc bag to keep it safe from my little “friends”
I have been feasting on my roll for days now…and as I reached for my trusted Ziploc tonight I am glad that I examined it closely…
You know what I discovered??
Little tiny baby roaches look a lot like poppy seeds…the only difference? They have antennas and they move…
Boy am I glad I saw the “moving poppy seed” tonight before I started eating!!
My only three questions…
- How did those two baby roaches manage to get into a sealed Ziploc bag?
- Were they in there yesterday when I ate some of my roll?
- And most importantly…How am I gonna get rid of all of these new friends of mine?!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
GBI
For those of you who don't know yet...I am now working with Gaba Bible Institute. The are doing great things here in Uganda as they are training and sending out people who are ready to transform our society for Jesus Christ.
Please check out their website and learn more about the ministry I am a part of here!!
www.gbiuganda.org
Please check out their website and learn more about the ministry I am a part of here!!
www.gbiuganda.org
Monday, January 4, 2010
To My Surprise…
In an effort to ward off malaria for a third time I have decided to try the commonly used “mosquito coil” in addition to the mosquito net that I already sleep under every night.
So what is it??
Today on the public taxi we drove through a huge smoke cloud from people burning their trash…the driver joked…hey…it’s a huge mosquito coil!
And yes…that is exactly what it is…an effort to ward away mosquitoes with smoke that has a touch of insecticide rather than the scent of trash…
It may sound unusual and kinda gross but to my surprise it actually reminds me a lot of burning incense with a similar scent…A plus for me being that I have loved the smell of incense ever since I was a kid and well if I get the scent I like and it also wards off those pesky mosquitoes that like to make me sick, then that’s all the better!
So what is it??
Today on the public taxi we drove through a huge smoke cloud from people burning their trash…the driver joked…hey…it’s a huge mosquito coil!
And yes…that is exactly what it is…an effort to ward away mosquitoes with smoke that has a touch of insecticide rather than the scent of trash…
It may sound unusual and kinda gross but to my surprise it actually reminds me a lot of burning incense with a similar scent…A plus for me being that I have loved the smell of incense ever since I was a kid and well if I get the scent I like and it also wards off those pesky mosquitoes that like to make me sick, then that’s all the better!
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