A lot has happened since I last updated. I've started getting in a routine, which involves waking up at 6:30 in the morning and trying to go to sleep by 10:30 at night. I'm pretty much adjusted to everything except academics. Since I was away this weekend on a trip, I didn't get the reading done for my class yesterday and then we had a quiz. We'll see what happens. I am getting used to my professors and the lectures don't seem as long which is great. I am getting better at ironing although i must have been too excited because I burnt my arm on it this weekend. Luckily, the burn was minor. It looks cool though. A random fact: dead lizards smell. We found one in our room last night and it had been smelling for two days. I thought i needed to share it.
As far as this weekend, we went to Jinja, which was about a 1 hour van ride away. The 12 of us IMME (Intercultural Mission/Ministry Emphasis) students went and had a blast. We stayed at a pretty nice hostel (group hotel type thing) and we were fed way too much American food (many of us had stomaches because we weren't used to it). Having running water and hot showers were great. Friday night we had two missionaries come talk to us. They were from Calvary Chapel Jinja and had been doing Prison Ministry for 10 years. They had some really great things to say.
On Saturday we went into town to a cafe/gift shop called the Source. It is also connected to the Church of Christ Jinja. They talked to us about cultural differences and told us about their ministries (clean water, save the trees, village church ministry). We ate lunch there and it was incredible. I also did a little shopping which was nice because i wanted to start getting gifts for people. Later that day, we went on a tour of Jinja which was pretty eye opening. He took us to the source of the nile, which was great to look at as we only really read about it in textbooks. Then we went to this place he called Ting-Ting, which is a group of mainly men who work at welding scrap metal into teapots, trunks, etc. He told us that this is the best work they can get and they only make 1-2 dollars a day. It was inspiring in that he told us to remember that we have opportunities to have great jobs with the ability to help others. Then we went to the hospital there and he told us to stop in. I felt uncomfortable because it seemed like he was making it a tourist attraction. When I went in, i was stunned at how poor the facilities were are knowing that people were dying from preventable causes. I froze and did not know how to react. It was valuable because it was so eye opening. Later that night, we got to go on a boat ride on the Nile and hang out at this nice resort. From the boat, we saw a Komoto dragon and monkeys. Then we went out to a fancy restaurant and i got Indian food and ice cream.
Sunday we went to a Baptist church (not common here) and one of the guys in our group gave a sermon on glorifying God. The service was very energetic and pretty fun in general. We had a ton of food and then we came back to campus.
One of the hardest things to get used to here is the lack of snacks. This is my number 1 thing i complain about here. Right now i'm eating honey teddy grahams and dipping them in peanut butter. I have to buy a lot at the grocery store because I do not eat much during the day. There are nice snack shops here on campus which helps too. I'm going to get smoothies every Wednesday. Hmm.. i can't think of much else to say. Life is good here and i can't wait to hear from everyone. As far as current events go, the riots in Kenya seem to still be pretty bad with lots of casualties. It does not affect us too much here in Uganda except for graphic TV/Newspaper pictures.
Also, i'm starting to really worry about finding a summer internship/job. I want to stay local but i also need experience. It's really challenging to find opportunities or even apply for internships from here. if you hear of anything, please let me know. It's also hard to keep up with the Koinonia Conference. I'm really hoping that it doesn't collapse before I get back. Thank goodness we have about a year left when I return.
A funny thing that happened here is that two other IMME students (Scott and Betsy) are engaged and they came together (obviously). 4 Ugandans in Scott's host family invited themselves to his wedding and they want to pay for the tickets and everything. It sounds awesome! I almost wish I was engaged so that I could invite Ugandans.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Week 2
Hi Everyone-
I'm excited that i have time to send another update. I get internet almost every day and though it might take a day for me to respond, i can often a least check emails. So send me emails or let me know what you think about things. It's hard to know where to begin. I'll tell you a little about what's been happening in the last week. Basically, I live with a great host family. There are 18 year old twins (Mark and Judi) and an older brother Brian (early 20's) and a younger brother Simon (13), I was very disappointed to find out that the kids (3 nephews; Isaac, Emmanuel, and Jackson) are not staying much longer. I was even sadder to here that they are not taken care of by their own mom and have been getting healthier with our family. However, they cannot stay with our family because our host mom has to go back to work. I hope home does not get boring after they leave. This past weekend was a little dull. i did learn to wash dishes, cut up string beans, and sift through rice. I'm learning skills very slowly. I'm so slow. I am so bad at ironing that my host sister does not let me do it like at all. We have house help (a houseboy) who does most of the work. I feel sorry for him but apparently it's a cultural thing i have to get used to.
Our family likes to watch TV. I watched part of The Parent Trap and then I watch various music videos, including boy bands like the Backstreet Boys. It still fascinates me how the culture is so westernized. Church made me incredible uncomfortable. They seem American worship songs and basically recite Anglican prayers than are barely relevant to me as an American. It makes me wonder if the Ugandans actually connect with God through this type of a service or if it is merely tradition. I was so surprised that i knew the songs and everything. This coming up weekend, the IMME (homestay) students are going to Jinja, another town in Uganda from Friday afternoon to Sunday night. This will make homework difficult.
As far as classes, I have 5 hours of class on Monday, 3 hours on Wednesday, and 4 hours on Thursday and Friday for a total of 16 credit hours. I have no class on Tuesday which is pretty nice because I can send updates and get work done for the week or go to town. I'm taking Ugandan politics instead of traditional religions because politics is much more interesting to me and it is easier for me to focus. Going into town seems somewhat of a pain, though because it takes awhile to walk there. We went last week to find our way around which was fun. I bought toilet paper and emergency minutes for my cell phone (which I don't use). To send letters i would have to go to town, so that's probably not going to happen. Instead, i expect to email or facebook mainly. Other random details... i have the worst blisters ever from wearing my shoes without socks. I did not pack as well as I wished i would have, for sure. Sometimes, though, it's impossible to foresee every need. I'm going to stop talking now as this is getting insanely long. Believe me, i prefer writing these entries than doing homework. Unfortunately, i have a lot of reading due this week and since I am traveling this weekend, it's going to start to pile up.
Becca or Mzungu (white person as we are affectionately called).
I'm excited that i have time to send another update. I get internet almost every day and though it might take a day for me to respond, i can often a least check emails. So send me emails or let me know what you think about things. It's hard to know where to begin. I'll tell you a little about what's been happening in the last week. Basically, I live with a great host family. There are 18 year old twins (Mark and Judi) and an older brother Brian (early 20's) and a younger brother Simon (13), I was very disappointed to find out that the kids (3 nephews; Isaac, Emmanuel, and Jackson) are not staying much longer. I was even sadder to here that they are not taken care of by their own mom and have been getting healthier with our family. However, they cannot stay with our family because our host mom has to go back to work. I hope home does not get boring after they leave. This past weekend was a little dull. i did learn to wash dishes, cut up string beans, and sift through rice. I'm learning skills very slowly. I'm so slow. I am so bad at ironing that my host sister does not let me do it like at all. We have house help (a houseboy) who does most of the work. I feel sorry for him but apparently it's a cultural thing i have to get used to.
Our family likes to watch TV. I watched part of The Parent Trap and then I watch various music videos, including boy bands like the Backstreet Boys. It still fascinates me how the culture is so westernized. Church made me incredible uncomfortable. They seem American worship songs and basically recite Anglican prayers than are barely relevant to me as an American. It makes me wonder if the Ugandans actually connect with God through this type of a service or if it is merely tradition. I was so surprised that i knew the songs and everything. This coming up weekend, the IMME (homestay) students are going to Jinja, another town in Uganda from Friday afternoon to Sunday night. This will make homework difficult.
As far as classes, I have 5 hours of class on Monday, 3 hours on Wednesday, and 4 hours on Thursday and Friday for a total of 16 credit hours. I have no class on Tuesday which is pretty nice because I can send updates and get work done for the week or go to town. I'm taking Ugandan politics instead of traditional religions because politics is much more interesting to me and it is easier for me to focus. Going into town seems somewhat of a pain, though because it takes awhile to walk there. We went last week to find our way around which was fun. I bought toilet paper and emergency minutes for my cell phone (which I don't use). To send letters i would have to go to town, so that's probably not going to happen. Instead, i expect to email or facebook mainly. Other random details... i have the worst blisters ever from wearing my shoes without socks. I did not pack as well as I wished i would have, for sure. Sometimes, though, it's impossible to foresee every need. I'm going to stop talking now as this is getting insanely long. Believe me, i prefer writing these entries than doing homework. Unfortunately, i have a lot of reading due this week and since I am traveling this weekend, it's going to start to pile up.
Becca or Mzungu (white person as we are affectionately called).
Friday, January 18, 2008
Hi Everyone-
I'm doing okay here in Uganda. The start of classes has gotten me a little stressed with just the overwhelming amount of work and the fact that when living in a homestay (as i am) it is difficult to get something done. I'm pretty sure that I made the right decision about taking Intro to Ugandan Politics instead of African Traditional Religions as politics holds my attention. Since I am not taking my ADHD medicine, these two hour classes can be a drag. It's also hard because I am so not used to nuances of the culture. But my first weekend is coming up so hopefully i will be able to figure more out about how to help around the house and that kinda thing. Overall, i'm doing okay at home but time at school can cause some stress. The food isn't getting old too quickly although i worry as I eat primarily carbs (rice, mashed plantains, beans, potatoes, bread/jam). Anyway, feel free to send me mail as I would love to get letters. I miss you all and hopefully i can write back more later.
I'm doing okay here in Uganda. The start of classes has gotten me a little stressed with just the overwhelming amount of work and the fact that when living in a homestay (as i am) it is difficult to get something done. I'm pretty sure that I made the right decision about taking Intro to Ugandan Politics instead of African Traditional Religions as politics holds my attention. Since I am not taking my ADHD medicine, these two hour classes can be a drag. It's also hard because I am so not used to nuances of the culture. But my first weekend is coming up so hopefully i will be able to figure more out about how to help around the house and that kinda thing. Overall, i'm doing okay at home but time at school can cause some stress. The food isn't getting old too quickly although i worry as I eat primarily carbs (rice, mashed plantains, beans, potatoes, bread/jam). Anyway, feel free to send me mail as I would love to get letters. I miss you all and hopefully i can write back more later.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Hi Everyone-
So i finally got a chance to write in and let you all know how i'm doing. We arrived here on Sunday night at 9pm (our time). The plane ride was not too bad although sitting in one place for 14 hours total can get a little frustrating. The first flight to Amsterdam was hardest because it got really hot due to the recycled air. It was a double-deck plane which i thought was neat since i've never been on one of those before though i was on the bottom. The second flight went by faster as we had our own TV screens so i was able to watch Friends, The Office, and Heart Break Kid. The 8 hour time difference has not affected me too badly which is a relief since we jumped right into activities. The first night we stayed at an African convent/retreat center for the night. It had decent accommodations and plumbing. It was my first night under a mosquito net and it didn't work all that well as it didn't stay over me the whole night. I slept a solid 6 hours though which was nice. Yesterday, we came to campus and went through orientation and registered for classes. I thought that I knew exactly what I wanted to take but now I am stuck between taking an additional politics class (Intro to Ugandan Politics) or African Traditional Religions. It will probably all depend on whether or not Messiah will accept the second class as a politics elective.
Last night we met our host family. Yes, i said we. It turns out that two of us from Uganda Studies Program are staying with my particular host family. The other girl's name is Melody and she is from Arizona and studies at Biola University in California. Our family includes a set of twins (18 years old) which is considered an honor so the father requested two students as well. I think I was pretty relieved to be staying with another student that way it is more comfortable and we can help each other understand the family. The main language spoken in the home is Lugandan but the father and 18 year old girl Judith speak fluent English. I do not know too much about the family because there are people coming in and out, some family members and some friends (it's easy to get them mixed up). We share a room with Judith and we're in a bunk bed with a mosquito net that covers both of us. So far, i have not felt too sick or had any health problems. The interesting thing I'm learning about Uganda is that everything is so incongruent. For example, my host family has a TV/DVD player but yet we still bathe from a basin and do not have toilets (this might be one of the harder things to get used to). Overall, it has been a great first night with my family.
I have two classes today, and i've had one already I've had East African Politics and the syllabus/readings look manageable. Different from the U.S., we have to share books/check books out from the library in order to do readings. This makes it quite challenging I'm afraid although i do not yet have my library card. It seems that all my classes are with Ugandan Studies Program students rather than Ugandans. I do have some Ugandan professors so trying to understand their english can be challenging. The advantage to having classes of all Americans is that our grading scales are different and weighting is more like we are accustomed to back in the U.S.
So feel free to email me, I think i'll get internet more than I initially expected. There is a lounge where the IMME (homestay) students can access wireless internet and talk/relax with each other which is great. I hope you are all doing well. Oh, i forgot to mention the food. Most of the time, starch is common. A food called mukone is common which is basically mashed plantains and i've also had sweet potatoes. Most of the starches have some type of sauce (peanut/meat) on top. We also have tea time twice a day which is in addition to our other meals. There is both black tea and milk tea and we usually have bread and butter during this time as well. It's relaxing and its a nice reminder Dinner at our homestays is around 10:30 at night which can be challenging since we are used to eating early.
The currency here is interesting. One US dollar equals about 1600 Ugandan shillings. So when i tried getting $100 out of the bank it ended up being like 160,000 shillings. It's very intimidating in my opinion. Anyway, i hope you're all having a nice sleep while i write this.
Becca
So i finally got a chance to write in and let you all know how i'm doing. We arrived here on Sunday night at 9pm (our time). The plane ride was not too bad although sitting in one place for 14 hours total can get a little frustrating. The first flight to Amsterdam was hardest because it got really hot due to the recycled air. It was a double-deck plane which i thought was neat since i've never been on one of those before though i was on the bottom. The second flight went by faster as we had our own TV screens so i was able to watch Friends, The Office, and Heart Break Kid. The 8 hour time difference has not affected me too badly which is a relief since we jumped right into activities. The first night we stayed at an African convent/retreat center for the night. It had decent accommodations and plumbing. It was my first night under a mosquito net and it didn't work all that well as it didn't stay over me the whole night. I slept a solid 6 hours though which was nice. Yesterday, we came to campus and went through orientation and registered for classes. I thought that I knew exactly what I wanted to take but now I am stuck between taking an additional politics class (Intro to Ugandan Politics) or African Traditional Religions. It will probably all depend on whether or not Messiah will accept the second class as a politics elective.
Last night we met our host family. Yes, i said we. It turns out that two of us from Uganda Studies Program are staying with my particular host family. The other girl's name is Melody and she is from Arizona and studies at Biola University in California. Our family includes a set of twins (18 years old) which is considered an honor so the father requested two students as well. I think I was pretty relieved to be staying with another student that way it is more comfortable and we can help each other understand the family. The main language spoken in the home is Lugandan but the father and 18 year old girl Judith speak fluent English. I do not know too much about the family because there are people coming in and out, some family members and some friends (it's easy to get them mixed up). We share a room with Judith and we're in a bunk bed with a mosquito net that covers both of us. So far, i have not felt too sick or had any health problems. The interesting thing I'm learning about Uganda is that everything is so incongruent. For example, my host family has a TV/DVD player but yet we still bathe from a basin and do not have toilets (this might be one of the harder things to get used to). Overall, it has been a great first night with my family.
I have two classes today, and i've had one already I've had East African Politics and the syllabus/readings look manageable. Different from the U.S., we have to share books/check books out from the library in order to do readings. This makes it quite challenging I'm afraid although i do not yet have my library card. It seems that all my classes are with Ugandan Studies Program students rather than Ugandans. I do have some Ugandan professors so trying to understand their english can be challenging. The advantage to having classes of all Americans is that our grading scales are different and weighting is more like we are accustomed to back in the U.S.
So feel free to email me, I think i'll get internet more than I initially expected. There is a lounge where the IMME (homestay) students can access wireless internet and talk/relax with each other which is great. I hope you are all doing well. Oh, i forgot to mention the food. Most of the time, starch is common. A food called mukone is common which is basically mashed plantains and i've also had sweet potatoes. Most of the starches have some type of sauce (peanut/meat) on top. We also have tea time twice a day which is in addition to our other meals. There is both black tea and milk tea and we usually have bread and butter during this time as well. It's relaxing and its a nice reminder Dinner at our homestays is around 10:30 at night which can be challenging since we are used to eating early.
The currency here is interesting. One US dollar equals about 1600 Ugandan shillings. So when i tried getting $100 out of the bank it ended up being like 160,000 shillings. It's very intimidating in my opinion. Anyway, i hope you're all having a nice sleep while i write this.
Becca
Monday, January 7, 2008
Send Me Mail
Please send me mail. I would prefer letters and padded envelopes as they often arrive faster. Larger boxes have to be picked up (and require a fee to do so) from the main post office but if you send me a box, i'm sure i'd love it. Use U.S. Postal Service as it's cheapest.
Rebecca MacVaugh, Uganda Studies Programme
Uganda Christian University
P.O. Box 4
Mukono, Uganda
Rebecca MacVaugh, Uganda Studies Programme
Uganda Christian University
P.O. Box 4
Mukono, Uganda
Packing
So...at the request of a few friends and seeing that everyone's doing it, I decided to create this blog. I hope to be dedicated in keeping it updated so everyone can stay up to date on my happenings in Uganda. So, this first post will mainly tell you what I know so far and the basics about my trip.
1) I'm going to Uganda. I leave Saturday January 12th and return May 3rd. I'm not planning on doing traveling outside of the programs offerings.
2) It is through BestSemester with the Uganda Studies Program. However, I am doing the Intercultural Ministry/Mission Emphasis track which involves living with a family and taking the course Intro to Christian Mission. This track is different and allows me to have (in my opinion) more in-depth cultural experiences and opportunities. I do not know who my host family is and I will not know until a few days after I arrive.
3) As far as I know, I am living in a house about 1-2 miles from campus. I will walk to and from campus for classes each day.
Classes I'll be taking- Subject to Change upon arrival
1) Faith in the Uganda Context (something to that effect)
2) East African Politics
3) African Literature
4) African Traditional Religions, Christianity, and Islam
5) Intro to Christian Mission
Right now, i am frustrated with packing. I'm taking 2 small suitcases and a backpack. I will be taking my laptop which will be my only source of contact. So email me or post here. If you are interested in getting email updates, I will send them out as well. My email updates will probably be similar to my posts on this blog. My email is: rm1261@messiah.edu
1) I'm going to Uganda. I leave Saturday January 12th and return May 3rd. I'm not planning on doing traveling outside of the programs offerings.
2) It is through BestSemester with the Uganda Studies Program. However, I am doing the Intercultural Ministry/Mission Emphasis track which involves living with a family and taking the course Intro to Christian Mission. This track is different and allows me to have (in my opinion) more in-depth cultural experiences and opportunities. I do not know who my host family is and I will not know until a few days after I arrive.
3) As far as I know, I am living in a house about 1-2 miles from campus. I will walk to and from campus for classes each day.
Classes I'll be taking- Subject to Change upon arrival
1) Faith in the Uganda Context (something to that effect)
2) East African Politics
3) African Literature
4) African Traditional Religions, Christianity, and Islam
5) Intro to Christian Mission
Right now, i am frustrated with packing. I'm taking 2 small suitcases and a backpack. I will be taking my laptop which will be my only source of contact. So email me or post here. If you are interested in getting email updates, I will send them out as well. My email updates will probably be similar to my posts on this blog. My email is: rm1261@messiah.edu
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