I have put way too much effort in my last couple of posts. It's time for a blog post that is incoherent, unorganized, and much more positive. So, in no particular order....
Things I've done the past couple of weeks:
-Went to Gulu in the North last weekend with the SIT gang to visit our buddies who are doing their independent research in the north.
-Crashed a Ugandan track practice. Across from our hotel in Gulu, there was a dirt track with the lanes marked with black spray paint. When I ran, the local track team happened to be practicing. It was so much fun to run, pass people, be passed by others, and feel the beauty of track for a little while.
-Went swimming! It's soooo hot here. The water felt fantastic.
-Got an hour long massage for only the equivalent of $5.
-Watched Parliamentary debates. So, like C-SPAN, but in Uganda and not on TV.
-Ran every day.
-Made pad thai and curry for SIT friends.
-Started to read “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell. Got depressed that I’m neither a salesmen, maven, or connector.
-Went back to being vegan. Now that I can cook for myself in our apartment, I didn’t see a reason not to. Three weeks down.
-Ate at a really swanky Indian restaurant for a friend’s birthday. I looove masala.
-Checked e-mail anxiously every day for word about the state department internship. Still no reply…
-Played hooky from word and went to see a movie instead.
-Re-read the seventh Harry Potter book. It gets better every time.
-Re-located my MP3 player!!! I am so happy because I thought it was gone forever and I have been missing my music so much.
-Went to a Rugby match in Gulu. That game is brutal!
So, I really haven’t been doing anything too exciting. But it’s still been a lot of fun.
Random topics:
-I should probably address all the protests that are going on here right now. Inflation in Uganda is currently over 10 percent. The people are very upset, so they’ve been protesting the high prices of food and high inflation in general. To do this, people are walking to work on Monday’s and Thursdays. The government hasn’t been too pleased with this, so they’ve taken to firing rubber bullets, arresting a lot of innocent protestors, and using tear gas. In the four protests so far, a total of somewhere around 10 people have been killed so far. I promise, promise, promise I am safe. It’s just interesting that peaceful protests here are handled with such brutality by the police.
-My boss at my internship is one of the most interesting women I have ever met. She sends herself flowers almost every day. After an article was posted about her in the newspaper here, she gave everyone in the office a copy and insisted they read it as she watched. She has two personal assistants who do nothing but personal errands for her all day long. She has never been to work earlier than 10 am (the office opens at 8). She flew to the US to have her baby so it would be a US citizen. I seriously think this is just so she can say, “my daughter the American” no less than 10 times a day. She has all of her clothes shipped in from the US because Ugandan clothes aren’t good enough for her. And, to top it all off, she spends at least three quarters of her time watching soap operas on the TV in the office. I have honestly been forced into conversations about who Gabriella will end up marrying. It makes for an interesting day. And Gabriella is totally going to end up with Mark.
-I have officially started my return-to-the-US mental countdown. I will be home in exactly four weeks. We are stopping at Chipotle on the way home from the airport. And then Whole Foods to get some awesome vegan junk food.
-Ugandan politics are much different than those in the US. When the Member’s of Parliament are debating, you would think they were watching a basketball game. When a particularly good insult or point is made, they bang on their chairs, jump up and down, and cheer loudly. It’s lively.
Okay, I think that’s all for now. I apologize for the lack of interesting topics and organization in this blog. But, hey, at least I wasn’t all dark, deep, and moody in this one, right? :)
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