hours to depart

I leave Uganda in a few hours. It’s strange that my count down moved from a vague realization that I would one day leave to my departure only being hours away. I have mixed feelings about leaving. I am excited to see everyone and be back in the structured and orderly world I am from but I will miss so many things about Uganda. Not knowing what is next makes it worse. The other night I was talking to one of my friends. We were talking about the strange turns in our lives and she said you know it’s weird that Africa is like your other home. It is weird, who would have thought that my life would take so many strange turns? Who would have thought that I would live in two worlds? Equally comfortable in small villages or the streets of Paris. Life is strange.

Sick Again

I have been sick again. I am not sure if it is the stomach flu or food poisoning but for awhile I wanted to die. I am on the up and up but am still a little bit scared to actually eat food beyond crackers. Tonight I will try.

Mubende Bible Distributions

Time flies by even in Uganda. A while back I traveled to the Mubende district to deliver Bibles to a couple of schools. I love visiting projects. Project visitation reminders me of my reasons for temporarily giving up my life in the states for a life in Uganda. Seeing the work of so many dedicated Ugandans striving towards developing the next generation is always an inspiration to me.

We arrived at the first school just as classes stopping for break time.

I wandered around taking photos and hanging out with the kids while Abbey, the head of Education at

Africa Renewal, and Beth met with some of the teachers in the open air thatched roof “staff room”.

Then boxes of bibles were delivered to each classroom and handed out to each of the children.

Now seeing that I am probably the world’s worst missionary when it comes to passing along all things “Christian” and cynicism, I was completely blown away by the response of the kids. They were bouncing in their seats with excitement. Every kid in the classroom received a copy and they eagerly opened their own copy of the book I try to read daily. I realized then this how precious

and important that book was to each of them. It was the only book in the school that they did not have to share with each other and it gives

them the opportunity to read what the word of God says on their own without someone interpreting it and telling what it says. I would have scoffed at this gift at their age and am repeatedly challenged by African children to be content with what I have and to express happiness for the things I am given.

I am so Proud

A few months ago I was asked by the Child Sponsorship Department to teach all of their field staff some photography basics. It was a lot of fun and they asked really interesting questions but I didn’t really expect to ever see results or to hear feedback from the projects.

Then I went to visit a project about 4 hours away. When the project director saw me he was really excited. He said “Renee! Thank you for finally coming to visit us we are so happy to have you here. We have been taking so many pictures of our projects come and see!!!” He took me to the office and handed me a six inch stack of photographs. Most of them told a story and most of them were really great. When I was talking to them about photography I told them that I wanted them to be able to capture their projects as they are, my hope for them is that they do not have to depend on outside visitors to provide the photos used to promote the work at their sites. Anyone who has spent time here knows that everyday life is drastically altered when foreigners are visiting and that they have the opportunity to show life as it is through their eyes.

I am so happy that at least one project has better photos today than they did last year.

Software Training

I am really excited. For months I have been trying to work with the girl in Human Resources here to get computer training off the ground. Someone from my church sent training software. Its great because it does not depend on me to be here. HR girl has been dragging her feet. She wanted me to do everything and I only wanted to empower her to do it herself. What good is a one time training when they have the power to train themselves and anyone new that they hire?

Every time someone in the office asks me for help I have been telling them about this software we have. They finally demanded it from me and I have made copies for all of the departments! The accounting off just came to me and said they installed it and are going to start using it tomorrow!!! I am so excited!

We bypassed the HR bottle neck and they are on their way to self computer training! I created a buzz to get the staff interested and an assignment to really test their knowledge. I will of course help them when they need it. Knowing MS office will help ease the work load they are under!

It has only taken 6 months for things to finally come together!

Yes I can

Today is Renee can you help me with my computer it's __________ (fill in the blank) day. So far today I have tried to:

1. Fix an external drive that fell off of a desk. Sadly I think it is dead
2. Scanned three computers for viruses, worms etc.
3. Set up an email account on gmail for a village worker of mercy network. So far i have tried to load gmail.com 5 times. It still will not load.
4. Fixed one Kodak camera and cleared its SD chip
5. Working on fixing a laptop that has been infected with some virus that has disabled the anti virus that is loaded and was apparently turned all the characters into Chinese writing and displayed porn. Although I did not witness the "Porn" or Chinese characters so it could have been an advertisement for a company that makes bras in china.
6. Loaded and attempting to update the Norton virus onto laptop

I have been doing all of this while burning Cd's and working on my database for a child sponsorship program.

I'm tired and want to take a nap

My Last Update with photos

I have hundreds of people on my update list. They are my family, friends, supporters or mere strangers that I have met in passing. The following is the last update that I sent only this time I have included some photos.

You can see more of my photos at reneealina.com

Sad Eyes in Africa

I remember as a child seeing images of starvation from Ethiopia. I clearly remember seeing the skeleton of a child draped in paper thin dry and dirty skin, with a protruding belly, to sick to chase away the flies landing on their faces. Although these images impacted my life, they are not “that” common the capitol of Uganda. I am not in a refugee camp that has run out of food and I don’t see people dying on the streets, at least at first glance. What I have come to realize is the reality of hunger looks much different than the extremes I remember watching on TV as a child.

Forgotten people all over the world have that same dark and distant look in their eyes, often filled with emptiness and pain.

I see it in the eyes of children whose parents make them beg along the main road. My heart breaks whenever I see them looking like fragile mannequins dressed in rags. Their heads nodding from sleep deprivation while their tiny hands are outstretched looking fragile the mother sitting a few feet away. Handing them change is like putting a band aid on a bullet wound.

I see the emptiness in the eyes of the man whose limbs are broken and he is forced to scoot along the road.

I saw it in the eyes of a little girl who I passed along the way to work, these eyes made me stop and think about innocence and first impressions. Not hers, but mine. She was adorable her head smooth, her only clothes and pink and blue princess skirt her belly sticking over the elastic waist and she skipped across the road in front of me. Quickly my mind processed the situation. She was playing and having a blast but her eyes had that desperation in them and I realized that her belly wasn’t from food it was from the lack of food. Her head might have been shaved to keep the lice away but most likely bare from malnutrition. During my time here I have learned that first impressions can be wrong and my innocence from “stupid poverty” is forever lost

At first glance so many of the children I see on the streets here look like they could be “normal” kids. They are full of smiles and always ready to laugh and play. When I remember where I am I realize that they are anything but. They are the statistics that you read about. They are the reasons that we come to places like this attempting to slightly alter the course of their lives, hopefully toward self sufficiency. They are the next generation and we have a choice to unite together and make some changes or to pass by the unseen without a glance. When I get frustrated with my work here I try to remember that I am working on a database that will help this organization impact the lives of these children. I try to remind myself that we are all working towards one goal and that the people I am working along side used to be these children.

The World on time (usually)

Every American knows what a FedEx truck looks like. Did you ever have images of your clean white envelope on the back of a camel? In Uganda it happens to be on the back of a boda boda!



I happened to be driving to lunch today and pulled right behind a FedEx boda complete with a FedEx box baring the slogan your world on time. Although the number was cut out to make room for the tail light. Oh well. No one is perfect.

After using FedEx in time insensitive region of the world I have deiced that it is your world on time, usually.

Squeaky feet?

No its not the name of an expiremntal indie band or some profound philosophical metaphor. My feet are all squeaky on the Atherstone's wood floor. Does anyone know why? I don’t ever remember my feet making squeaking noises before. I have a suspicion that it has something to do with half healed blisters that are a constant on the balls of my feet. Blisters a side effect of walking 3 miles in humidty along dirt roads in flip flop Anyone else have any ideas?

Jello Tomato Sauce

What I call pinkish Jello ketchup is know here as Tomato Sauce but there is nothing "saucy" about it. Its texture is like Jello that has not quite set. The color a nice pinkish tone. I've tried it and its not horrible but I won't miss it when I am back in the states.

This is Beth's first time trying the icky pink "tomato" sauce. I think it sort of ruins eating chips.

Boda Update

Walking home tonight I saw a boda boda with about 400 shoes attached to it. I am kicking myself for not having a camera but have committed to start caring Beth's around so we can capture some of the grand things we see around town.

lazy sunday mornings

Beth and I just finished making and eating Sunday brunch. It didn't come out exactly as we would have liked. The potatoes were a little bit mushy, Ugandan potatoes, known locally as "Irish", don't seem to stay firm when you cook them. I made coffee and why it was all cooking it smelled like home in the kitchen. Breakfast was served with a podcast from mariners church and good conversation.

After drinking half a pot of coffee I now feel normal and it doesn't matter that I did not sleep well last night. There is always something to keep you awake but last night is was the oppressive feeling of humidity. All though the air cools at night and sometimes I get cold enough at night to wear a jacket, usually when the outside temp dips to 75F, last nights air felt suffocating. It is possible that the suffocating feeling could have been humid air mixed with the cold/allergies/asthma that I have had going on the last few days. Sometimes I want to scratch my eyes out just so they stop itching. I think I have ruled out a cold and am just going to admit that the dust, smoke and mold have been increasingly playing havoc with my now returned childhood asthma. At least it has taken 10 months to get this bad. I am now on the hunt for an inhaler so I can sleep at night.

The Friday night sky looked like a forest fire it was so smokey. Although annoying it is better to burn your trash all on one day rather than everyone burning it on different days and always having the air filled with thick acidic smoke.

im off for an early afternoon nap. After all it is a lazy Sunday.

What I have seen on the back of a boda boda

A boda boda is a small scooter or moped originally used to transport black market goods from one boarder to another earning the name boda boda. Today they are just as dodgy only they cart people and not goods.

Here is my top 10 list of things I have seen on the back of boda bodas.

1. A crate of chickens
2. Four human size bags of coal
3. An family of four including a baby sitting on mamas lap, the driver makes five
4. Three twin size bed frames with matterres
5. A stack of mattresses six feet high
6. The FedEx Man
7. A long dresser with mirror attached
8. A stack of twelve foot long two by fours
9. Eight small children
10. A sofa, two chairs, coffee table, and two end tables

Violence Against Children

i have no idea if this even makes sense it is just my random ranting so that i can actually focus on work today.....

Today on my walk to work I witnessed yet another beating in the street. From a "block" away I heard the voice of a woman and boy screaming in Luganda so I have no idea what it was about. Walking towards the chaos I watched as this older woman was hitting a boy around 10 years of age over the head with a stick and dragging him down the street. I stopped in my normal shop to get water and asked the lady why he was being beaten. She didn't understand the questions so I said What is going on. All she said is I don't know he is hitting her. Let me translate for you the use of he and she are interchangeable here. What she meant was She is hitting him and I do not know why. The lady left and the boy sat in the street with his legs curled under him sobbing. Everyone seemed to be laughing and finding it humorous from the street kids, the coal lady and the chapati guy. I wanted to go over and comfort the boy. To just go rest a hand on top of his head but not knowing what was going on I did not want to put myself in harms way. "Mob Justice" has a way of springing up quickly here. So I walked on feeling inside so much rage towards this woman who was hitting this boy. What could a child possibly have done to warrant such a beating? I cannot think of anything that a child could do to deserve such violent treatment. What angers me even more is having had listened to so many sermons on "biblical" discipline I am sure she would have justified it with the bible spare the rod, spoil the child but in my book there is no reason to hit a child. This incident is only one of many i have witnessed and I feel completly helpless. There are no police to call, no Department of child services and protect welfare, there is nothing that I can do....

Even as I sat here last night finishing up some email I heard a ruckus outside of my office window. There is a school next to my office and all the children were lined up by what appeared to be class or age. One of the teachers was hitting some of the older boys who did not have their shirts tucked into their shorts. At least that is what the head of education told me. So I asked her why? (Still my favorite word) Why would you hit them and not just remind them that they need their shirts tucked in. She said because they would not remember if you didn't hit them and that these boys always leave shirts untucked. Here is where connecting the dots in Africa does not exist. If you beat them and they don't remember is beating working? Why not try a less violent approach.

I have watched the kids at recess here and they play much different than american kids. Sure kids in America and Europe rough each other up a bit but here it is viscous. I can only imagine that they are acting out their frustration out on each other.

I once asked a young man here if he planned on hitting his children. He said yes. I asked him is he was hit and was it bad. He said yes. Then I asked him how it made him feel and he almost started crying. So i asked why would you want to make your own child feel like that? He said he wouldn't want his child to feel like that and that he never had thought about it in that way.....

what is a girl supposed to do?

Alarm Clocks

I just read my friend Beth's blog and it reminded me that there are funny things that happen here everyday. I have been here to long and have forgot how crazy things can be here. I have tried to keep my travel motto just keep laughing but some days it is easier said than done.

Funny things number one: Impossible to sleep. Here are some of the things that have woken me up when I am trying to sleep.

1. Packs of wild dogs fighting or mating or both.
2. The drunk guy who always comes home and honks at his gate for 15 mintues no matter what time it is. Can't he get a key?
3. Various types of poultry making noises at all hours. I always believed kids books that said the rooster wakes up with the sun. I have learned the roosters dont sleep.
4. The shhsss ssshhhss shhssss sounds of sweeping with local brooms on cement.
5. The rise in temperature when the power goes out and the fan goes out.
6. Torrential rain pouring on your head though the open window above your bed.
7. Staff of the house that I stay in rearranging all the furniture at 7 am on a Saturday for a team that is arriving the following Tuesday.
8. Crying babies that turn out to be wild cats.
9. Cars driving through village streets with loud speakers strapped on top screaming to either repent to Jesus or submit to Allah (its in Luganda so I am really not sure which but I am fairly confident that its evangelism of some sort but I am pretty sure neither of them want to be yelled at)
10. The flapping wings of those hideous "storks" when they fly over my roof.
11. Screeching monkeys, bats and/or birds

Aerobics in Uganda

A couple of friends and I have decided to start taking an aerobics class. It is always entertaining. The class is mixed with Ugandans and westerners. The music is always funny mixes and the instructor speeds them up so they all sound like Mickey Mouse. It is a mixer of Ugandan local and international dance music. Unfortunately most of the experiences fall under "you had to be there" but here are some things that we as a collective have experienced or seen.

1. An instructor with a huge belly coming into the workout room, dropping his pants turning around to give a full Monty view before changing into his sweat pants. I am not sure if this is to inspire us to run... mostly out of the class room.
2. Ugandan men flailing their arms around trying to keep up with the instructor with zero rhythm and doing their own unique steps. Thus destroying the myth that all Africans have rhythm.
3. The instructor flirting so much with the Ugandan girl who contorts her body in strange directions with every move she makes. I don’t know how she twists and turns like that without breaking her back. But I want to tell them to go in the back an just do whatever it is they need to do so we can focus on class.
4. The mother daughter duo who always lay down about fifteen minutes into class.
5. The ancient Ugandan man who has a phobia of using the step during step class. He prefers to run in place and kick at random intervals. Always moving in the opposite direction as the rest of us. Often almost kicking me as he seems to always take up residence beside me.
6. The instructor (the pants dropper) who insisted on using our "steps" at the same time that we were using them. When this happened to both Christine and I we stopped but he encouraged us to continue. But really neither of us wanted him to fling sweat onto us. This also falls under the category of please give me my personal space. (We have never been back on a Sunday)
7. During every class there are very large men who come by and watch the class donned in blue sheets nice and wet from the steam room leaving little to the imagination.
8. Our instructor doesn’t know how to count often he calls out 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 2, reverse. Of course it took us a month to figure out what he was saying. Or one more five more. Doesn’t he know if it is only one more he can’t ask us to do five more and then make us do three? But he always thanks us for our excellent work and for trying.
9. Flailing arm man wears very interesting work out outfit last week he had on a bright red t-shirt tucked into blue swim trunks while wearing trainers and black dress socks.
10. The instructor will randomly stop class and give us a break for 2 minute break so he can go and change out of his pants and into shorts because he has sweat so much. During this time my motivation disappears with my heart rate.
11. More often than not the entire class gets lost as the instructor switches to advanced mode adding twists and turns.
12. Mosquitoes manage to stay away during "cardio" section of class but swarm by your legs and head when you are trying to do crunches. You know you will be eaten alive if you notice them swarming when you are jumping around with your arms flailing.

All in all in we have a great time and everyone tries really hard and we are always enthusiastic it is just sometimes difficult not burst out laughing in class although sometimes that laughter is what keeps us going! We are aggressively attempting to get some video of this so you can experience it first hand.

--Renee and Beth

The Wonders of Red Bull

I am a caffeine addict. I completly admit it and no I do not want help curing this affliction nor do I want to hear a diatribe on the evils of caffeine. I hardly slept at all last night. The power was out that means no fan. Its been really muggy and the air in my room felt like it was going to suffocate me. Going outside to sit on my balconloy did nothing to relieve this.

In a groggy state I walked to the petrol station near my work today in search of a Diet Pepsi known for its ability to improve my personality. It takes about twenty mintues to get there but I figured the walk might wake me up a bit even if soda couldn't.

Since sugar has the tendency to trigger migraines I drink soda sans sugar and the nearest shop to carry it is the Egen Petrol Station. When I arrived to the small store I opened the door to a blast of heat. This shop is always an oven even though you think it "looks" like a 7-11 with its white tile, bad lighting and junk food filled shelves. I get fooled every time I open the door thinking that it will be cold with an AC perpetually running on high.

I was saddened to see that the spot where my caffeine high should be sitting was filled with grapetizers from South Africa. I asked the owner where all the diet Pepsi was. When I bought the last coke light on Sunday afternoon he promised me he would restock on Monday... I was even further disappointed to hear that his normal supplier was out. I have official drank the entire supply of diet soda in Uganda. With desperation I opted for a Red Bull knowing that it would wake me up. I am now overly energized and bursting with the possibilities of clearing multiple projects off of my desk only I have just realized it is 4:44 pm and they are going to turn off the generator at five.

What in the world will I do with myself now that I am functioning like an american workaholic?

Maybe I should start everyday with a redbull.

computer wonder

I've got my laptop hooked up to a flat screen so I can have a larger work space. The guy who cleans the offices I work in just tripped out in them. He couldn't figure out how I was typing on one computer but it was showing on another one.

Its the simple wonders that I love so much

Spelling

I am the first to admit that I am the world worst speller. I depend solely on spell checker. I use spell check for everything even in instant messaging. What drives me in sane is individuals who I am working with who give me data and no matter what the form be it word or excel it is full of spelling errors and this is from educated staff members in positions of authority….. Is taking 5 seconds to check their work to much to ask? Apparently it is…..

Time

Whew I didn't want my first post to be a africa time raving rant. Good thing I came up with a stupid explanation of this blog.

Last week I was on vacation in Zanzibar and instead of extending my stay a couple of days like I wanted to, I came back to film a Ugandan named Francis distributing a wheelchair from Free Wheel Chair Mission. The plan was to FedEx a tape to free on Friday so that the editor could have it in time for Franic's upcoming trip to the US.

I had everything ready to go and asked someone in my office to have FedEx pick up the package. I had to leave the office early on friday. They said it would not get to the office in time to go out Friday but it would go out on Saturday. I said that's fine and went on with my life. Fast forward to Monday at 5 pm I finally get around to asking the receptionist at ARM for the airway bill. She says oh they didn't come. Its 5 pm on Monday and the FedEx guy walked in as I was interrogating her to find out if she knew why they didn't come. He acted like it was my fault!!! GGGRRRRR!!!! Called the office and then started back tracking with me as soon as he realized it was in fact his offices fault for not dispatching him..... 3 days prior.

Sometimes I do not understand this continients attitudes towards time. I know that I am hyper active towards time but I have learned to relax a lot. I don't expect things to move at the same pace as my southern California home. However I do expect a company whose primary purpose it to get things around the world on time to show up for a pickup within 24 hours of the arranged pickup time..... I sent him away and now get the lovely task of trying to upload the video to my server from the slowest internet connection in the world..... I think I will spend tomorrow at the Serna where there is a high-speed connection and lattes........ I am reorg-ing the focus of my work from now until eternity: the concept of time

Back Again

I had a blog years ago but have been unable to recover it since goolge bought blogsplot. I am currently living back in Uganda. The purpose of this blog is to document my daily life in Uganda. I am trying real hard to update it often with the "funny" idiosyncrasies of living in a developing country.