Small Update

You may be wondering what I have been up to for the past 2 months since I last posted.  To be honest, I can summarize it in one brief sentence: I have been learning to live with myself.

There was no way I could have prepared for the Peace Corps "experience" and certainly no way anyone could have predicted the things I have seen so far.  This is not to say that I feel I have seen it all and definitely have not seen the worst but really, I have been exposed to more reality than I could ask for.

Another point I should stress is that I am not entirely busy all the time.  I still have plenty of free time and that might be the issue at times.  I'm not trying to turn this into a bitchfest but my problems would not feel nearly as big if I didn't have time to think about them.  The school term began when the Ministry of Education and Sports said it should begin but the time table was not set for a week.  It's hard to learn about the school system when the staff doesn't really know what is going on.  The important thing is that NOW the school is in session and everyone is doing their job for the most part.  Soon the entire school will understand my role and we can push ahead with filling their needs.  The system is not perfect here but really, where does perfection actually exist?

I have been working on the School Profile Tool for Peace Corps, assessing 100 pupils from Primary 4 on literacy, visiting other volunteers, cooking, shopping for food, occasionally exercising, reading, and watching the shows people were nice enough to share with me.  Let's not forget the pit latrine visits, bucket baths, hand washing of laundry, and constant sweeping to remove the dust from my home.

I'm now getting a grasp of how my school works and identifying areas where I can help.  Even if I don't get anything else done, one small project I intend to see through is the school library and resource room.  Keep an eye open for more updates.

I took pictures and have specific stories I want to share but my computer broke back in January.  Yes, it was tragic.  Francisco knows just how desperate I felt when that happened.  It's the excuse I have for my lack of blogging.  Sorry, people!  On a positive note, I have decided I will be visiting the States this summer.  I don't have my ticket yet but be prepared to see my tanned face some time in August.  Updates to come.

I'm at an HIV workshop in Mbale now until Thursday.  The hotel is fancier than anything I have ever seen in this country.  I better cuddle in the mountain of pillows while I still can.  Laterz!

VSO

Homestay and Language Learning with a Ugandan Family

Homestay with the local family has been an experience that I could not have predicted.  I am awkward even with people that I have known for a long time so you can imagine how awkward I can be with those I have known less than a month.  Despite this character trait of mine, I was able to create a close relationship with this family of hardworking individuals.

The first person I got the privilege to meet is my host brother, Fred.  He is known as “Boy” in the neighborhood.  I personally don’t want to call him by his nickname because it sounds condescending but he likes it.  *shrug* To each their own.  At the grand age of only 16, Fred knows the ins and outs of this region.  Aside from being an all-around swell guy, he’s also a baker, an electrician, a tour guide, a soccer (football) fan, a linguist, and a natural dancer.  Not a day goes by without seeing Fred and my homestay is better for that reason.

Next are my sisters Miriam, Winnie, Penny, Vicki and Mercy.  Without fail, every morning they prepare my breakfast, tea, and dinner.   They are always generous with their portion size and so much so that I could cut it in half and still have some to spare.  I know they do it because they care and plus it’s in the culture to have a few excess pounds to demonstrate that one is not sick with malaria or something else.  Most of the time we just relax in front of the TV while they shed light on topics ranging from politics to music to language.  I am looking forward to more talks with them and more delicious meals.

The next person on my list is Brenda.  I also call her my sister but she’s special because we have exchanged the least amount of words.  Brenda comes from a small village about 30 minutes away from where I am located right now and is only in town for the holidays to help us with the housework.  She is an innocent 15 year old that is always willing to help with her strong hands.  Brenda speaks so little English that most of the time I end up communicating better with her using hand signals.  The day I can have a full conversation with her will be the day I successfully learned Lusoga. 

The last person I am mentioning is my mom, the head of the house.  She is an amazing woman who has been able to provide for her family by working as a nurse 4 nights a week and keeping her pharmacy shop during the day.  She is a widow who has raised three beautiful young women and has also adopted her nieces and nephew.  My host mom, Rebecca, is an inspiration to all men and women who find it difficult to do the right thing when facing hardship.  Despite illness, corruption, and loss, she still finds the energy to instill strong values in her children and works herself down to the bone to insure her family is provided for.  She may not always have the time or words to communicate but she has left a imprint in my heart with her kindness during my stay in her home.

Apart from the lessons in family culture during this homestay, our goal has been to learn the language.  In the region I find myself, we are learning Lusoga.  It’s not too different from Luganda because it too is a Bantu language but just like any other language I have had to learn, there’s the introductory phase of greetings and memorizing vocabulary.  Unfortunately for us we are past the honeymoon phase and we are now in the struggle phase of trying to make sense of the grammar.  Thanks to my experience with Spanish I have not encountered too much trouble with pronunciation and if only the sentence-forming was just as easy, we would all be fluent speakers by now.  Sadly that is not the case and we are racking our brains trying to understand the grammar of a language that is not taught formally even for the native speakers.  There is no guide or rule book to the language except for the one that the Peace Corps created.  Our best bet is to get past this phase as soon as possible by passing the LPI oral exam and move on to the reality that is Uganda.

Frankly I feel like my novice level proficiency in the language may put me at an advantage for creating opportunities to socialize.  Most Ugandans that I have met are happy to teach me something; whether it be the language, how to hand wash my laundry, or how to cook the local meals, it is all the same a fulfilling task.  So now when I engage with a simple greeting and put on a helpless look the locals jump on the chance to teach me a new phrase and I slowly make a new friend.

Next week is the LPI exam and then we get together again with all the volunteers for swearing in.  Once that is done, we will be official volunteers and the work will get started finally.

Tuneiramu eira!

Here's a small sample of our lesson in Lusoga.  Okoba ki (pronounced oh-co-ba-chi)?

Here I am hard at work at Bukhooli College during our self-study. How's my tan coming along?

VSO

P.S.

Sorry I don't have a picture of my homestay family.  It is hard to get them all together at once so I'm still working on it. T.B.C.

First Weeks of Teaching + Site visit

So as you know, I did orientation and began teacher boot camp.  Things went well for the most part.  I had a few good lessons and some that I will tweek in the future.  Before I tell you specifics about my two weeks of practice in the Ugandan classrooms, I want to share a few facts with you about the education system here in Uganda.

Fun facts

-    About half the population is under the age of 15

-  Students transition to all English classes in P4

-  Corporal punishment is banned yet still practiced in the country

When I had a good day, man, did I have a good day.  I would laugh with the kids and make sure participation was to the max.  Unfortunately, that was not always the case.

On my first incident, I was giving instructions for a workstation session on writing.  One kid in particular was not paying attention and headed for the door.  In my head I was thinking that this kid was just so bored by my lesson that he was trying to escape my dull chatter.  I stopped him in his tracks and inquired as to where he was going and to which he responded with the simple word “outside”.  I asked him to sit down and to be patient since his group would be outside the next day.  Thinking the problem was solved I went back to teaching until I noticed the same boy with his head down.  I spotted him crying and as I got closer I noticed the puddle under his feet.  I was MORTIFIED.  I was the reason this kid wet his pants in front of his classmates.  I quickly turned it into a lesson on respect so there wouldn’t be any laughing.  He finished his business in the latrines outside and then came back in to the classroom.  If he had the guts to come back in, then I must not have traumatized him too much.

The next day I was determined to not have a kid piss his pants on my watch.  During my observation of a colleague’s lesson, I spotted my second incident.  Two tables ahead of me, I spotted a boy with his head ducked under the desk and there is smoke coming from his mouth.  *Smack my forehead* A 5^th grader was smoking in the back of the room in the middle of a lesson!  I attempted to get my colleague’s attention but the message was not clear and instead he called the kid up as a volunteer for a read-aloud.  This kid thought he could be slick by helping the teacher at the front of the class.  Um, I don’t think so!  After class I pulled him aside to chat.

 Before I said anything, the kid starts begging me for forgiveness.  “Please, teacher, have mercy on me.  Please forgive me.”  Do those words sound like those of an innocent child??? Clearly this kid was guilty of something.  His friends were starting to encircle us so I had to pull him behind the building.  I asked him what he was doing under the desk; his answer – “I was cleaning my cup.”  I asked him why there was smoke coming from his mouth; his answer – “I was taking a pill medication.”  He handed me his matches and I explained to him how he was not paying attention to the lesson and what he was doing was wrong.  His head teacher, my supervisor, and the headmaster were made aware of the situation.  I just hope he wasn't caned for the crime.  Smoking is bad but beating a child is bad too.  My supervisor was informed that this kid came from the street so he probably requires more creative methods for discipline.

The third incident happened less than two hours later at the end of the school day.   Since the wet child problem didn't feel like it had been resolved, I discussed it with my group and decided that a common signal for toilet was needed in the classroom.  We agreed on the ASL sign for the letter “T” which is a closed fist with the thumb between the pointer finger and the middle finger.  During our family initiative time which could be the equivalent of homeroom time, we discussed the ups and downs of the day and finally came to the topic of a toilet signal so we do not have so many students disrupting the lesson by just walking in and out.  I shook my “T” signal and asked the class to follow suit.  Right away I got giggles and a lot of confuzzled faces.  The head teacher interrupts and tells me that it is a bad sign and it would be better to change it to a different one with the pinky finger pointing down.  During lunch I asked Fred, our security officer AKA James Bond, about the hand signal and if he would be kind enough to tell me the meaning.  He tells me that it is an incredibly vulgar sign for “want to f*&%?”  OH EM GEE!  My darling 5^th graders were flicked off by their foreign teacher.  I am lucky that all they did was giggle and not report me to their parents or the Ministry of Education.

For the second week of teaching practice, I spent time with the P6 students and they were the best class ever.  I saw so much progress from the children and their love for us touched me to the core.  We were given fruit, including pineapple, papaya, and avocados, and I even received special visits from one of my students all the way to the college campus we were staying at.  She brought me a handmade card and a gold chain which must have cost her a fortune.  This class was so good to me in that one week of teaching that I felt like tearing up when we had to say goodbye.  Even the P4 class that I accosted said they missed me and gave me warm hugs on the way out.  If two weeks is all it takes to win the love of 200 students, then I have to wonder, how much love will I have by the end of two years with a school filled with 2,000 students?

Which bring me to the topic of my site.  My future permanent site is an over-crowded school of 2k students with 40 teachers that have a ton of teaching experience and open minds willing to explore new strategies for introducing more literacy into their lessons across all content areas.  The conversations I have had with my fellow co-teachers seem promising in that they accept and welcome me to exchange ideas and culture with them.  So far I see various areas where I can help including but not limited to creating a library/resource room, a computer lab (there is a strong cry for this), enhancing the teaching materials, and once I actually meet the students, I’m sure there will be more work to be done.

The housing situation remains to be sorted but I have faith that it will be resolved soon since everyone at the school seems to want me to be there.  I have a home but it is not furnished.  Easily fixed.

On Friday, I am going to be in a different city for homestay while I complete my 1 month of language training with the rest of the volunteers in my region.  For Christmas, the volunteers in my region will be meeting at another local volunteer’s house for dinner and to enjoy the festivities.  Once the language training is finished, I will be in Kampala for a short workshop and then we will be sworn in on January 23^rd.  The day after swearing in will be the day that it gets real and I will not have anyone holding my hand.  

Until my next post, I leave you with an expression that a veteran volunteer has taught me – T.I.U. = THIS IS UGANDA.

If you haven’t called me yet, please do.  Peace Corps volunteers need love too.

VSO

                                                                   

Boot Camp

I am typing this post from my phone because even after I paid 60,000 UGX to have my Droid unlocked my phone refuses to recognize the new SIM card enough to give me a wifi hotspot.  It's a pain but it is the least of my worries in this country.

For those of you who are not familiar with the term "boot camp", I'll have you know that it is not a vacation.  In fact, it is the opposite and not intended for the weak of mind.  We wake up at the crack of dawn to start our day with one of the many personal tasks we have to take care of and then move on to a hearty breakfast consisting of a slice of bread with a spread, egg, and a fruit.  After that we proceed with a long serious of training on the many topics such as medical, safety and security, cross-culture, language lessons, teaching strategies and expectations, and admin. 

The orientation was cake because we hardly had any assignments to submit but that has changed starting this week.  Now we have lesson plans and materials coming out the wazoo.  So if you don't get replies from me it's probably because I'm busy or ... I'm not getting signal.

Outside the trainings we still keep busy.  This group I have the huge honor to be a part of has got to be the most active, fun-loving, and friendly bunch the country had to offer.  Peace Corps volunteers generally are pretty cool people.  They have to be if they want to integrate into a new community with a very different culture.  With that said, we have people of all kinds of backgrounds and walks of life here.  I've been able to continue my yoga lessons and pick up some capoeira.  I even learned how to play Settlers of Catan (Andres, we need to play some time!)  Ultimate Frisbee, touch football, and volleyball came up too.  I've met people who speak Finnish, have taken a roadtrip through Central and South America, are returned volunteers, and even someone who was struck by lightning twice.  There is never a dull moment in this group and I am humbled to be a part of it.  Expect a YouTube video about our experience at training.

As for the living experience, I can't really comment yet since we're still in transition.  We've been sheltered in our training center.  It is fully equipped with toilets that flush, working showers with occasional hot water, and prepared meals.  That will be changing soon when we move to our new training location and then homestay with a local family prior to our swearing-in ceremony.

Attached to this post is a picture of my side of the room.  That mosquito net and green tub are staples of my life here.  Not a day goes by that I don't have to look through the holes of this net and I picture all the malaria-filled mosquitoes hitting a force field.  Then the green tub allows me to collect water for my baths if the hot shower is not available and also to hand wash my laundry.  Without the green tub, I would be one dirty Mzungu.

Jenna, my roommate, has turned off the lights now.  This woman cracks me up every night and knows how to hold a headlamp under special circumstances. (Lol)

To my friends and family, I have received my site location and I have a phone now.  I'll be close to Jinja.  If you love me, you will find it on a map and then research flights options to come visit me.  :)

Tomorrow is another day to learn some more about Uganda.  "Nsoma mpola mpola Luganda."  Goodnight!

Weebale

As I get ready to take off on my trip, I am being bombarded with blessings in every form.  I wish I had the means to thank each and every person that has made this departure so special to me - because really, it has been.

I'd like to start out by thanking my family, who cannot stand to be with me and yet love me unconditionally.  They put up with my endeavors around the world and support me even in decisions that don't sound so appealing from a safety standpoint.  This trip would not be possible without them.  I went to Mexico with some of them a week ago and got a glimpse of the solitude I will encounter.

My small group, Evolution, has been my rock in this roller coaster for my faith.  These ladies are my sisters in Christ and irreplaceable friends.  We have been through experiences that are indescribable with words and there will be more to come as the path is lit for us.  The

My company friends at AXA Assistance USA are the best coworkers anyone can ask for.  In the course of one year and a half, I have learned so much from them, I have laughed with them, and now I am indebted to them for the kindness they displayed today with their "surprise" potluck.

Lastly but certainly not the least, my friends around the world have inspired me to continue traveling and pursue my dreams.  The statement I strive to prove true remains the same - "This world is smaller than you think."

Alright, alright.  I'll stop being such a sap.  Now it's time to get down to business.

Things left to do:

- unlock my phone
- review list of sites available in Uganda
- finish packing and close my suitcases
- buy missing toiletries
- take pictures
- visit my godparents in Indiana
- clean out my room
- prepare copies of docs
- obtain 12 copies of passport pics

The countdown to my departure is now under 82 hours.  I must remember to breathe in... breathe out... breathe in... breathe out.

For those still wondering what the title of this post means, it is Thank You in Luganda, one of the local languages spoken in Uganda.

TAS: A Fairy Tale

There is a post to explain the name of this blog but I left out one key story that prompted the popularization of my nickname "Sopa."  So let me quickly tell you how it happened...

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Once upon a time, in a land called TAS in the kingdom of AXA Assistance USA worked a humble maiden by the name of Vanessa with a simple last name of only 4 letters, Soto.  Her full name was nothing difficult to pronounce or complicated to spell.  Vanessa Soto.  Everyone she ever crossed paths with could say it, spell it, whisper it, and some times even sing it.

That is until that fateful Monday morning at 11am when evil was lurking through the phone lines.  As she typed away entering cover stamps and reviewing eligibility documents, a most ominous ring tone came through her phone.  Rrrring... Rrriing........riiiinnnng.

Ms. Soto answers the phone as is standard procedure by the order of the Grand Magistrate in Quality.  "Thank you for calling Top Travel Assistance.  My name is Vanessa.  Can you please provide your membership number?"  Perfect tone, perfect pronunciation, and perfect pace.

The ogre on the other line, however, has a raspy voice and demands to speak with Ms. Rita Lopez.  "Where is she?  I need to speak to her about my claim.  I need to get answers right now or I will blow your house DOWN!"

The lovely damsel quickly took action and explained to the fearsome monster that Ms. Lopez was unavailable and his claim could not be processed until all the eligibility documents were in place.  Per the notes provided by the magic mirror called Liberty, he was still missing his E-ticket.  Despite the delays in communications, the ogre could still submit his E-ticket before the expiration date when the Curse of Denial was applied.

The ogre was astounded by the information collected by his puny ears.  So much so that he could not think of anything else to do but to agree to the next steps.  The maiden's voice was so enchanting that he was disoriented and could not distinguish between different vowels in the Castillian language.  He asked the maiden for her name and the maiden could not deny him the honor.  The exchange went like this...

Ogres with poor hearing can seriously damage a person's name.

Maiden - "Vanessa Soto, sir."
Ogre - "Vanessa Sopa?"
Maiden - "No, sir.  Vanessa Soto.  S-O-T-O.  Soto."
Ogre - "Ooh ok.  Vanessa SOPA."
Call ended.

Moments later...

A letter handwritten by the ogre arrived by her favorite owl, Fax, and in it he described his gratitude for all the excellent service.  Everything seemed well until the maiden was tied to her seat by the curse the ogre attached to the header of the letter.  It was not addressed to Vanessa Soto.  It was addressed to  Vanessa Soto SOPA.  The ogre changed the maiden's life forever with that letter.  Everyone who read that letter could not remember her name any longer.  From that day forward, her first name was dropped and only her misspelled last name existed. SOPA.
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This one was for my good friend, Christian Velasquez AKA Crispy.  You're hilarious, buddy.


I don't want to make this post much longer but I'll take a moment to remind you all that I have about 5 work days left.  Approximately 14 days left before I leave for Uganda.  I am selling some of my items to earn some extra dollars for my emergency plane ticket I might need to take to get home.  Inquire by email, phone, text, fax, or owl.  I have a movie night happening tomorrow and a series of beer nights at Bennigan's.  You can find me there and in Mexico in the next two weeks.

Until next time. Thank you for calling.

7 Reasons My Friend Jim is Awesome

As promised, Jim gets a post dedicated solely to him and below are the reasons why.

1)  He is the first person to acknowledge that he read by blog.  I know I haven't publicly announced it on a Facebook status but I did put it on my Google Plus account.  That should count for something.

2) He did not rip my posts apart with a red pen.  He can be a grammar Nazi at times but nope, not this time and for that I am thankful. Their ain't no worst thing than a grammer Nazi. (Right, Jim?)

3) He has not predicted a horrible death for me in Uganda.  Others have suggested that I might get mauled by lions or get stung by a mosquito holding the black fly blindness.  Heck, some still think there is a chance Joseph Kony will barge into my hut.  Not Jim.  He wants me to live long and prosper.

4) While everyone else is watching their novelas and hockey/baseball/football/soccer/rugby games, he is downloading movies and shows for my external hard drive so that I may not miss out on American cinema while I am abroad.  Dude, you rock!

5) He promised to share his e-book collection for my kindle.  Still waiting on that link but no pressure.  I'm sure it'll come any day now.

6) His son, Anthony aka Ani, is friggin' adorable and smart. He created and is raising another awesome human being.  Go Jim!

7)  Just when I get that phone call with a member needing a medical evacuation, Jim comes to the rescue with his green laser pointer to BLIND me temporarily and remind me that I am not alone at work.  Hurrah!

I could make this list longer but I don't want everyone to run after my friend Jim to take him away from me.  Everyone will just have to find out on their own how crazy great this assistance coordinator really is.

To Jim, stay cool.  :)

Here's a pic of Jim trying to hide the guilty look after shining the laser pointer in my face. -.- 

More posts to follow.  Nov 11th at 7am is the take-off time for my adventure.  Debating whether I should keep this blog or start another one solely for the trip...  We shall see what happens.  Toodles.