Rain=Blessings

In Uganda, rain is considered a sign of blessings. I remember when I was in Uganda in 2006 and my roommate and I just arrived to our rural homestay in the Sorti District and it started to rain. My host mother said that the district had been experiencing a drought for the past few weeks. When living in rural areas droughts are a serious thing, especially in Africa. According to my host mother, my roommate and I were brought along a blessing of rain to the district.

When I arrived on the 25^th of July it started to rain while we were making our final drive into Mukono. Mark, the director of the program I work for, said we (I arrived with the new program coordinator and her husband) brought a blessing to Uganda. I like the thought of being a blessing to a group of people I don’t even know. The rainmaking is a skill I haven’t learned yet, but I think of it as a blessing to me also. The light rain that started when we stopped for breakfast on the way to Mukono reminded me of Seattle and how much I love the rain. Maybe it was a sign of blessings from God that I am at the right place at the right time.

Yet today (currently writing this on July 29, 2012) I am quite afraid of the rain at the moment. At times in Uganda there are those light patches of rain. Today is not the case. It is raining so hard that you feel like Uganda alone is trying to replenish the earth’s water supply. It reminds me of the storms in Georgia. The lightning lights up the sky at the same moment when the thunder roars. By the sound of the thunder and the lightning at the same time you think that something must have been struck by it, but all is well. At least I hope so.

I love laying on my bed and listening to the sound of storms, that did not happen this afternoon. My bed is metal and very close to the window. I have a big fear of lightning coming through windows, even though I do not know if that is possible. I am away from my bed at the moment. All is well though. I can still hear the rain pounding outside. The storm is heading east and I can breathe a little lighter that lightning isn’t going to strike me through my window. So I’ll return to my bed to listen to just to the rain now and eventually pick up my book to read while thinking about how content I am just reading and listening to the rain. I am blessed.

My new everyday

Hours took it to get to Uganda: 16

Number of books lost from my bag: 2

Number of mosquito bites so far: 1

The amount of looks I received because people can tell I’m not a Ugandan: Numerous

The feeling I felt when I realized I still know my way around Kampala to Mukono: Priceless

Well I made it to Uganda. The journey to get here literally was a long one.  My first stop was to London. Ah London. I still love that city.  My old roommate, Tina, met me at the airport and we toured around the city together. The city wasn’t as packed as I thought it would be, but it still was full of people. I was able to accomplish 2 out of 3 things on my list. I tried to find Beckham, but I couldn't find him. Oh well. I was still able to see the Olympic Park, get a Team GB shirt, go to the British Museum to view the Gold metals, see a colorful part of town and view the torch. So with the torch I was basically able to see the top of the flame. My camera recorded everything though. The area was packed full of people and I am short. Seeing the flame pass through was took about 3 seconds.  I was still happy to see it though. Anyway, Tina and I were able to accomplish everything on my task list for London while dealing with the various Tube delays. I stumbled across different parts of the city that I never saw before. Which was great. Yet it made me anxious to see more of the city. I’ll get the chance another time.

Tina and I at a shopping mall. This a Jelly Belly Bean portrait of the Queen.

Part of the Olympic Park

 

Neal's Yard... so colorful 

After I departed from seeing Tina and headed back into the airport it finally, FINALLY, hit me that I was moving to Uganda for 1-2 years. I instantly thought to myself, “What did I get myself into?” When I landed I realized I was in a familiar place. It felt like I was visiting my mom or dad in their respective cities: I knew what to expect and I knew what to do; I did not feel like a foreigner. Besides the fact that my two bottles of shampoo exploded over everything in one of my bags (luckily I had no clothes in that bag), it was a pretty smooth journey into Mukono.

Mark, the director of the program I am work for, told me as we were entering into the University that I wouldn't recognize the campus. He was right. The campus has grown extensively. There are more buildings, better pathways (well, as good as you can get here with the red dirt), and an overall better flow to the campus than there was before. What I was more surprised about is how easy it is to live and go to school here than it was before. There is more Internet access here and electricity every night, thanks to the face that the University has massive generators now. Also there are signs up to direct you on where to go and what is what. This isn’t the Uganda I used to know… well more so the University I used to know. Yet all of this change is for the better.

My feelings on being here so far are mixed. A good mixed though. I’m amazed that Uganda so far hasn’t been this otherness to me. It’s been 6 years since I was last here, but it hasn’t felt like I have been gone that long. Even though the University has changed, I can still find my way. My scenery here is great. I don’t know if I saw this beauty before or not. The pathways off the main paths are beautiful. I am surrounded by big banana trees, unusual trees and old latrines that have been taken over by nature that now look like a piece of art work. While walking back to my room I already found a monkey in the tree above me. I looked at it and thought to myself “This is my home now, this is now my everyday.”

One of the hidden pathways leading to my room

I know I still have adjustments to experience. I know everything is not grand. I still have a new community and friendships to form and I know that all takes time. For right now though, I am happy to be where I am at.

My gift is my blog and... this one's for you!

This blog is for all of you who are frustrated that I don't have a facebook and feel as though I won't keep you updated on my time in Uganda. Here is my blog for you...

I've been away from Seattle for two weeks and I already miss the city. I know this feeling is due to the fact that I am going to be away from Seattle for quite a long time. Yet I know this about Seattle, it has this gravitational pull that always draws me back. Since the fall of 2010 I have been waiting for that opportunity to escape Seattle. Now that the opportunity has come I have taken it as bittersweet. 

Being away from Seattle for the past two weeks has made me realize how much Seattle held for me. Besides Seattle being a great playground for hiking, kayaking, and rock climbing, Seattle held community for me. I strangely felt blessed that I worked at the MMEM Y. The community I felt while working there was extremely valuable for me. The members and my co-workers made me feel as though the Y was more than a place I worked at for 28 hours a week. I'm going to miss this community. I'm especially going to miss my co-workers. These are my good friends. 

   

  Co-workers at my going away party

Okay, moving on! My best friend (Devika) and I drove the coast down back to Orange County, California. Oh man, the Washington and Oregon coast is BEAUTIFUL. When driving down the coast I was trying to find the perfect song that could fit the atmosphere of the drive.  Due to the lack of radio reception, I slowly found out that silence is the best music. It was a great drive. I'm glad I took the long way home (Supertramp reference right there). 

...and later we ended up in San Francisco. I'm gonna need to spend more time in this city. One day was not enough.

 On a boat tour

Now I am currently in Georgia visiting my dad's side of the family. These past two weeks I spent hanging out with my mom's side of the family and great friends since junior high school. So far the hardest person to say goodbye to has been my mom. I thought that since I don't see her that often as it is right now it would be fairly easy to depart from her. I was wrong. The reality of me leaving for a year to two years hit me hard. Not only will I not see her for at least a year, I won't see my friends either. I am entering into a new stage in my life. I am starting over again. New people to confide in, laugh with, and figure out life with. When I think of it now, I am content with my life. Yet when I reflect back on those frustrating times when I so badly wanted to travel and start living into my passions, I know that going to Uganda is the right next step for me. At times you gotta leave what you know for the unknown. I've always admired people who live into their passions. I'm ready to start taking the steps into mine. 

Monday the 23rd I leave for Uganda. Weirdly enough, I can still remember the smell of the country. My first leg of the journey to Uganda is a long layover in London. Ahhh, I love that city. I have three goals while in London:

1. Get an Olympic shirt (preferably a Great Britain team shirt)

2. Follow the torch

3. Run into David Beckham