chwarino?!

watedo nangin (we're cooking clothes!)

there is a thing i usually say to people whenever i'm complimented on my local language skills: "afwonjere moth moth; kis ndelo amedo wach achiel..." which basically means, "i'm learning slowly, each day i add one word." this, sadly, is a lie. i have not consistently dedicated the time needed to advance my vocabulary on a daily basis, but this stock saying serves well in response to random praise from strangers. keep in mind, this praise is often triggered by the simplest things, like greeting, which i have been doing since week one.

having said all that, i love picking up new words in the language and try to seize every opportunity i can. i recently learned an obscure and somewhat depressing word: chwarino (bed bugs). i wish i could say i had no particular reason to ask, but i suspected them of having infiltrated my tiny ugandan home. i had been waking up fairly often with bites in suspicious patterns and finally decided to put my foam mattress under the sun. having never seen a bed bug before, i wasn't sure what to look for, but i did notice some conspicuous insect activity on the underside of the mattress. not certain whether they traveled outside with the foam or hopped on once it was under the sun, i chose to err on the side of caution. i've heard the horror stories and do not want to become another victim!

i quickly organized an extermination plan, which included a college maintenance staff member applying chemicals to my bed and wooden furniture on a tuesday. as we discussed our plan of attack, i jumped at the chance to employ some clever dhopadhola:

chwarino tye i ot paran...jorach maaa.
(bedbugs are in my house. they are so bad.)

wanyalo neko chwarino saw'adi?
(we are able to kill bedbugs at what time?)

as it turned out, 3pm was a good time. to give our poison a chance to dissipate afterward, i spent a couple nights in tororo town, 5km away - i had hoped the body count would be high but was not willing to be among the dead. the next step (which i grossly underestimated) was to come back home thursday morning and boil my clothes. to do so, i needed to first explain myself and request a big saucepan from the cooking staff upon my return:

tich aryo, waketho yath i kitanda paran.
(on tuesday, we put poison on my bed frame.)

konon, amito moro pii i sapik ma dwong t'atedo nangin jie.
(today i want to boil water in a big saucepan and cook all my clothes.)

i am by no means a dhopadhola specialist, but i love feeling conversational...especially when it allows me to say ridiculous things. in this case, i got to say such things while moving almost completely out of my house and then back in again over the course of a day. several students thankfully came to my aid in the boiling and poison-blasting effort. it's hard to say what effect this may ultimately have on the suspected invaders, but it was a pretty amusing and exhausting experience. so far so good - i've been sleeping soundly and bite-free. but just typing that makes me feel like i'm foolishly tempting the chwarino gods...

the inexplicable dismissal of our country director

our peace corps post in uganda was thriving under the direction of larry brown, someone who is sincerely concerned about the safety, support, and effectiveness of each and every volunteer in the field. he is the best example i can imagine of a country director acting in the best interest of volunteers in the country he was serving. it certainly felt like he was indeed here to serve us. larry understood his reason for being here as a commitment to support each and every volunteer living and working in uganda and, by doing so, better serve the communities in which we live. put quite simply, he was an enthusiastic, outspoken advocate for us.

it was energizing to have an administration encourage us and pledge support so seriously. under larry's leadership, we felt empowered. not in a rebellious way, but in a positive way, we were urged to take personal responsibility and be proactive. he believed, quite correctly, that this post wouldn’t exist without the volunteers. larry gave us a voice, compelling us to personally invest in the future value of peace corps uganda. in my opinion, this is exactly the role a country director should play.

it is extremely disappointing to know that his efforts were not only ignored by those in a higher position, but that they may have ultimately lead to his termination. if the peace corps administration in washington does not exist for the purpose of supporting posts, volunteers, and the communities in which we live and work, then what purpose does it serve? i cannot imagine. but i do know that the decision to remove larry brown from his position as country director was not made in the interest of supporting myself and my fellow volunteers here in uganda. in fact, it has been a significant disservice to us.

although there has been a fair amount of speculation about larry brown’s removal, we volunteers have received absolutely no official explanation for the decision. perhaps more disturbingly, for three weeks we had not received a single piece of correspondence from peace corps administration, washington or otherwise, informing us that any decision was made at all. we all learned of the momentous development through a haphazard string of volunteer-to-volunteer cell phone calls, text messages, and speculative emails. as i write this, my country director has left uganda for his home in the us, and no one knows why. all signs on the ground suggest that the situation was severely mishandled and should be investigated.

i am confused and saddened by the departure of such an energetic and inspirational country director and disappointed in those who made this bewildering decision. the responsible person or group of people has clearly lost sight of the peace corps agency’s purpose – to act in the best interest of volunteers serving worldwide, and the communities in which we live. peace corps was created for that purpose and in this case i feel that it has failed. we deserve better.

transportation III: two wheels go a long way

carrying what... local brew? paint? water? petrol?
my money is on the brew :)

it must have been a huge revolution when bicycles first reached tororo (around 1980 by some local accounts). it is difficult enough for me to imagine this area without the now ubiquitous motorcycles, but without bicycles? it would be an almost unrecognizable place. a significant portion of uganda's population gets around on two wheels these days; you can find bicycles, motorcycles, and their taxi incarnations (bodas) in even the smallest village trading centers.

a common means of generating income - the bicycle taxi
(note: a real bicycle taxi has a colorful, padded back seat...with tassels)

in addition to their drivers, bicycles and motorcycles are often seen carrying a mind-boggling variety of cargo, including: humans (several times, i've seen six people on one motorcycle), crates of soda and beer bottles (both full and empty), jerrycans of pretty much anything, enormous sacks of grain or charcoal, numerous bunches of green bananas, firewood, live animals (snorting pigs, wailing goats, clucking chickens, stupid turkeys who defecate on my veranda), less road-worthy bicycles on their way to be repaired, bed frames, couches, coffins, even a merchant's entire inventory displayed in a flimsy, ten-foot-high, plywood kiosk. it's rather incredible; if something needs to be transported, odds are good that it can be moved on two wheels. personally, i have been adventurous enough to strap my backpack, my guitar, and a jerrycan to my bike. but that's child's play here.

a shoe merchant transports his wares through mukono
(how does this work?!?!)
(note the driver's winter attire...it's 85 degrees!)

despite all these fancy, two-wheeled options, when it comes to moving around in uganda, nothing is cheaper or more readily available than your own two feet. this is how people got around for centuries; the adoption of wheels as a daily means of transportation for the masses has been a surprisingly recent development. even today you will find people walking prodigious distances to and from the nearest town, health center, a burial, or a workshop, simply because it is a free and reliable means of transport. and as with most things here, time is not often a big concern. maybe someday, as western influences and transport options permeate ugandan culture, the notion of "african time" may lose some of its authority. but this much is clear: for the slowly growing number of people with a little disposable income and/or a busy schedule, the quicker, two-wheeled alternatives are gradually becoming "the new feet."

19-0! perfect season!

it makes sense. every year, two teams face off for the chance to be called super bowl champs. and every year, one of them emerges victorious from the fray, immediately and miraculously wearing t-shirts (so soon??) announcing their superiority to the world. logistically baffling, you say? indeed! but each year, as most people know, t-shirts are printed for both the winning and losing teams before the game is even played. then, whenever the winning team is known, its players can immediately be given their championship shirts. no waiting, no hassle, no messy clean-up. that is, unless you consider cleaning up after all those loser t-shirts. they cannot possibly be permitted to see the light of day and confuse the issue of who's really the best of the best. no, those loser shirts must be packed, sealed, and shipped to the deepest, most remote location in the world where they'll never be seen by an NFL fan. a place like kitgum, uganda, for instance.

while eating lunch one day on a recent trip to northern uganda, my friend, lisandro, noticed a super bowl champions t-shirt. as peace corps volunteers here, we're tuned to a slightly different frequency; things like this excite us and make us look more closely. lisandro called the young man over to get a better look at his shirt and found that, yes, it really was a loser shirt! after two years of searching, we had finally laid eyes on one! and it's not just any loser shirt, but a patriots "perfect 19-0 season" from super bowl 42. in reality of course, they lost the game and their perfect season to the giants that year. subsequently, this beautiful, xxl t-shirt which was so eager to broadcast that piece of history from the chest of a victorious lineman, was sent to a village in northern uganda only to be bought off the back of its owner for $2 by a giddy volunteer who promises to wear it non-stop the next time he goes to boston. good eye, lisandro, good eye.

as if...

close of service conference

i am reclined on the veranda of a luxury bungalow watching the sun set behind a canopy of trees along the eastern bank of the nile river in jinja, while monkeys meander casually across a closely-cropped lawn in the low evening light to collect leaves from the landscaped foliage surrounding the buildings and pathways of this resort compound. it is a moment both uncommonly peaceful and frustrating, unfolding and ending of its own accord whether i'm ready or not.

this is my close of service conference for peace corps. the fifteen or so incredible and inspiring volunteers in attendance are being generously (and deservedly) put up for a few days in a luxury resort which would otherwise be well beyond the reach of our modest budget. the food has been outstanding, the atmosphere relaxed, and the mood optimistic if not a little apprehensive. two years in a developing country sounds like a long time, but it is not forever; our service here is winding down and it is now time to look forward to whatever may come next.

of course, this is not at all how i expected to reach this point and there are still numerous challenges to face before i say goodbye to our beautiful host country. if all had gone according to plan, i would have been in this position six months ago, alongside the stellar volunteers who went through every day of training with me way back in march of 2007. but things do not always go according to plan. i got sick and was sent home to the usa early in my service as a volunteer. i questioned the wisdom of fighting to come back to a place where i had encountered such misfortune and worried that something bad might happen to me again should i return. i grew weary of the reinstatement process, which took months longer than expected; i was literally two days from giving up entirely and moving on when i was finally cleared to be a peace corps volunteer in uganda once again. exhausted, anxious, and uncertain, i was thankfully (in hindsight) willing enough to take advantage of the second chance i had been given.

the purpose of this close of service conference is to help peace corps volunteers reflect on their service to date and make a work plan for their few remaining months in country. yes, there are projects to wrap up and administrative loose ends to tie, but there is also an intimidating set of cultural concerns to manage as we begin the process of easing out of our communities, both materially and socially. this will not be anything like moving out of my apartment in baltimore and i am thankful for the guidance we've been given and the time i now have to make a responsible plan.

the perspective i have gained in the last several months has been invaluable. i witnessed dozens of my colleagues go through the process of saying goodbye to their friends and communities as they close their service and move on to exciting travel adventures and, in some cases, uncertain futures. i am acutely aware of the fact i am present here and now...but will not be forever. in fewer than six months, i'll likely be packing my bags to leave uganda indefinitely. this time will pass on its own, completely independent of my will; all i can do is stay true to the promises i have made to myself and my community and consciously appreciate how lucky, blessed, and extremely proud i feel to be in the position i'm in. none of this has been particularly easy, but the rewards have been satisfying and rich beyond expectation.

as the glow fades to gloaming, i stroll down the walkway on my way to one last delicious dinner before packing my bags and mentally preparing for all of the work waiting for me at site. tomorrow will be an adjustment, as i say goodbye to these several days in a luxurious fantasy land and re-enter the real world of work and struggle, all the while respecting the uncertainty of what comes after all this...which will undoubtedly be a much bigger and jarring transition.

a new friend!

i almost stepped on this fella right outside my house.
about an inch in diameter and covered in spikes, this caterpillar is punk rock.

("real" posts are coming soon, i promise.)

where in the world is poo fly? (vol 6)

currently seeking oil (hopelessly?) in saudi arabia's empty quarter
* today's poo fly is dedicated to the porters - thanks for the support :)

surrounded by monkeys!

not long after pitching our tent at lake nkuruba...

...we looked up to find a tree full of colobus monkeys!

they resemble jumping tree skunks and have very long tails!

i thought they had a rather villainous appearance and was amused
at the furious pace with which they devoured leaves.

i think there were just as many vervet monkeys as well,
who occasionally wrestled with their colobus friends.

my favorite colobus monkey skill is jumping between trees.
as they grew tired of the leaves on one tree, they leaped one by one
to the branches of another. awesome!

bwindi impenetrable forest

almost every day in bwindi impenetrable forest, a group of white people who have parted with silly amounts of money are led through dense jungle forest by seriously skilled guides and trackers to locate the incredibly rare and amazing mountain gorillas!

we were tracking habinyanja group, the largest of the habituated gorilla families at bwindi.

this was our first poop sighting - exciting and very well-formed!
we were on the right track...

after three hours of hiking, we finally came upon the habinyanja family lazing about in a small clearing. space was limited, but we were able to see some funny and just plain excellent things in our brief hour together.
intersting note: gorillas, much like humans, release gas.
i think our fellow tourist randy said it best:
"oh, they're a bunch of fartypants!"

here is an elder female intently eating tasty leaves.

kicked back with a foot in the air, this gorilla is stripping a branch of its outer layer so that he/she can enjoy the spongy, white marrow inside.

this one's for you, lisa! a baby gorilla, 8 months old!
(there's also hilarious video of a baby climbing/swinging...)

we were apparently very lucky to find a silverback out in the open. normally, they stay rather hidden to supervise and keep watch for the family. in our case, he sat up right in front of us for a good 5-10 minutes. sweet!

walking in and out of the forest on an exposed ridge, you can easily see where the protected forest begins and cultivated land ends. agricultural/logging encroachment has been a problem and the goverment has only recently put a stop to it. some programs are now in place to keep the national park and the public happily co-existing; hopefully they are adequate and sustainable.

hell's gate national park

there is a national park near naivasha, kenya, called hell's gate. it is pretty unique in that visitors are allowed to rent bicycles and guide themselves around the entire park (which even contains a few predators!). the day after climbing mt. longenot, we decided to check it out. pictured above is hell's rather gorgeous entrance!

i actually meant to capture some zebras with this photo and missed entirely.

we saw ostriches and lamented eating their meatballs a few days earlier.

animals were everywhere in and around the road...

...so it was pretty easy to get up close and personal with things
i'd previously seen only in cartoons or on crackers!

i think my favorite were the giraffes...

...who were pretty scared of us...

...but were kind enough to pose for a few nice photos.

climbing mt. longenot

near naivasha, kenya lies an old volcano called "longenot" which is covered in zebras.

inside longenot is a massive crater, around which you can walk to reach the summit.

we walked around all 360 degrees, which was windy, sandy, long, and beautiful.

behold the crater in approximately half its majesty, as seen from longenot's peak!

sorry, lisa :(

there is a restaurant in nairobi called carnivore which became famous for cooking almost any animal (even the ones you see on safari!) and serving the meat to guests...crazy! you only live once, so we decided to check it out for lunch. nowadays carnivore has stopped serving the very "exotic" meats, but we did get to try ostrich meatballs and crocodile meat (along with excellent grilled beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and turkey). not surprisingly, i had no room for dinner that night. it was, by far, the most expensive single meal i have paid for in africa - about $30.

every table has a revolving sauce and salad bar, on top of which is a white flag.
the meaning of the flag is quite simple - as long as it is still up...

...carvers will keep on bringing the meat!

until your plate becomes too crowded...

... and you have no choice but to surrender!
(note: i was fairly pleased with my meat-management skills throughout the meal -
my plate was almost clean at the end!)