Rhino Tour and Great Friends

This past weekend we all took a journey together back towards southern Uganda (at least that is what they told me) to the Rhino Sanctuary. The weekend was a blast and we all had a fantastic time (other than Kate whom unfortunately got sick.) Before I go into any more detail about the Rhino Sanctuary, let me take the time to tell you a little about my roommates and friends. There are 18 of us in group 2 and we have all bonded more than I thought possible, or ever expected.

*** On a TOTAL side note*** as I was sitting in my room typing this, I was just handed the ONLY key to our hotel entrance. I am the only one here and they are all at work. I don’t know if it is such a good idea to give it to me, but I am now feeling at lot of pressure to not lose it.

Anyway, four of the 18 of us go to Pabo from Monday to Thursday each week. They are only with us Thursday night to Sunday night, and we make the best of our time together during those three nights. Stephanie and Tammy are two of the girls that are there, and they are both great. Tammy used to be a swimmer and lifeguard like myself, only I am a surf lifeguard and she was not. So my summer job position was a little more impressive than hers. After church last week I found out that Stephanie was going to be in nun and actually was in the convent for a little while. I could not believe it. She still says that it is not totally out of the question. She is very sweet and is missed when she is in Pabo.

Lance and Justine are the married couple of the group and they are like my big brother and big sister. They are extremely generous, and more importantly hilarious. I have so much fun when I am with them and all of us on the trip look up to and admire them. They are hands down two of the greatest people I have ever met in my life. Justine always asks the questions that get the group to have a great conversation. She is also an unbelievably great photographer and I cannot wait to see her pictures of the trip. Lance owns a bar in San Francisco called Blue Light and we already have plans to visit them very soon. My parents should be able to sleep a little easier on Thursday – Sunday nights knowing that they are around.
The Atanga boys leave on Monday mornings and return on Friday (although Thursday this week.) It really sucks that they have to leave because they are some of the people that I am closest to. This is Big John’s 3rd summer in a row coming here and he is like a celebrity in Gulu. The man is literally 6’11” and you can see him coming from a mile away. He is the funniest man on the trip (besides myself obviously) and can really hold his own when we are all out. EVERYONE loves him, and I would not believe someone if they said they did not love him. He would do anything for anyone (and has done a lot for a lot of us.) I look forward to spending many Kentucky Derby’s with him and I am never worried about getting lost when he is around because he is so massive.

Kevin and Bill are the two other guys in Atanga. They actually met in college and have been lovers ever since. Just kidding. Kevin now lives in Colorado and Bill in Washington DC. I actually changed my plans on the way home and I am going to Amsterdam with the two of the when we leave here next month. Kevin is absolutely hysterical and loves to be silly. He always talks in a ridiculous accent when he is talking to the Acholi people because it makes him feel like he is speaking in a different language. Bill is hysterical too, but in a different way than Kevin. I am actually the only person on the trip that likes Bill. Just kidding, Kevin likes him too. He is very nice and has a very dry sense of humor, which I love. We have already made plans to visit each other on a bi-weekly basis, but then realized that that was ridiculous and not necessary. We then changed it to a monthly basis and realized that even that was not necessary and finally decided on a bi-monthly basis which I think is perfect and very reasonable. I am sure we will call each other bi-hourly every day though. We all miss these guys terribly when they are gone and I even sometimes stand at Bill’s door and knock on it asking if he can come out and play, obviously getting no response. It makes everyone laugh and it never gets old.
The other 11 of us are permanently living at Katharina’s and are continuing to bond every day. We all had a very great conversation last night before and during dinner about relationships and personal experiences. We were all sharing and comfortable to tell each other personal stories as if we have been friends for years.

The 3 girls that are at St, Mary’s Lacor school are Wendy, Lindsey, and Mandie. They are all special in their own way. Wendy is also in her third summer coming to Gulu and is extremely generous and giving. She seems to have a genuine concern about us and is always willing to help someone or lend advice. It is wonderful having her with us and sharing her past experiences in Gulu. Lindsey is hysterical and by FAR my favorite things about her (although there are many) is how hard she laughs at my jokes. She always laughs the longest and the hardest. Every time she laughs I say to the group “That is why Lindsey is my favorite. All you have to do is laugh very hard at my jokes, harder than Lindsey, and you will be my favorite.” Nobody really seems to be too concerned about being my favorite anymore and most of the time people just ignore me when I say that, but Lindsey knows how much I appreciate her. Finally, Mandie is absolutely awesome. She has three kids and her oldest is 21 years old. She has the best taste in music in the entire group besides me. She is very funny, extremely nice, and an absolute joy to have around. The trip would not be the same without her and I am so happy she is with us. She has had to deal with my whining and complaining more than anyone (except Michael my roommate, but more on him later) because I always sit next to her on our long journeys because she lets me sprawl out wherever we are. On the 6 hour drive from Kampala to Gulu she must have heard “I’m tired” “I’m hungry/starving” “I’m uncomfortable” “My butt hurts” “I have a headache” or “I’m bored” AT LEAST 5 times each. She handled it like a champion and definitely deserves a medal. This weekend on the mutatu to the Rhino Sanctuary there was 12 seats. There were ten of us. Everyone had their own seat and I had THREE seats. I was lying down on 2 and had my big bag on a third, which I was using as a pillow. This extremely selfish decision on my part forced Mandie to squeeze into the corner of the mutatu, but she never complained once. She even took a picture of me after I realized what I was doing and thought it was hysterical. Poor Lance, had ZERO leg room, and was in pain the whole time. I feel bad about it now, but I was real tired and needed my rest.

The three girls I spend the most time with are Lisa, Sharon, and Kate because they are with me at my school. I am very happy with my group because they are all wonderful girls and a lot of fun to be with. Lisa and Sharon are both from South Carolina. We have so many laughs together based on some of the ridiculous, unbelievable things we experience on our way to school and once we are at school. Sharon actually just learned how to play poker this weekend and already won Sunday night’s poker game. I was pretty mad, but she won fair and square and deserved the recognition. She also came to Kat’s with Bill, Michael and I on Sunday night to watch the Brazil and US soccer game. She even outlasted me, as I came home at half-time. Very impressive Sharon. Sharon and I also are usually home when the Atanga boys leave and we stand outside waving and we always joke that we are like a mom and dad waving goodbye to our kids going to college. Sharon was also part of the most frightening Boda Boda ride I have had yet. We shared a Boda Boda coming home from school and I was LITERALLY holding on for my life. I seriously thought I was going to fall off and Sharon was laughing, which made me laugh and thus made it that much harder to hang on. We have since decided that things will work much better if I put her backpack on my backpack when we share Boda Boda’s.

Lisa had the unfortunate duty of sitting next to me during the VERY LONG handover ceremony at our school last weekend. We were laughing so hard, but had to hide our laughter because we were the guests of the ceremony and were basically on stage facing hundreds of people. It was very difficult to do, and we have a lot of great quotes from that day. I am very happy Lisa was next to me, because she totally appreciated my reactions. When I was pulled onto the dance floor forced to try and dance the Acholi dance, I saw Lisa crying because she was laughing so hard at me. I basically was jogging in place and I am sure that image will forever be etched into her mind.

Kate is the other girl that is at school with us. She is originally from Connecticut but now lives in Texas. I am very happy that Kate is here and we have gotten pretty close. From day one people were saying we were like brother and sister, or like a married couple. Either way, we have a pretty cool relationship which I am sure will continue for quite some time. She was one of the first people that I bonded with. When I met the crew at JFK she was the only person with a “beverage” in front of her. By that point (after checking in, security, customs) I was ready for a drink and seeing Kate was like seeing an angel. We have been close ever since, and Kate will be the first to tell me I am too loud or I need to stop doing something. She is very open and honest and I respect that. Everyone needs a Kate in their life.
The final group of us is the Gulu High group. The four people in that group are Matt, Annie, John, and Michael.

Matt is back this summer for a second year in a row and I actually read Matt’s blog about last year before I even knew him, so it was kind of like meeting a mini-celebrity. Matt is such a nice guy and since the Atanga boys have left (matt and big john are close because of last summer) Matt and I are getting closer every day. He really steps it up when we go out and sometimes is actually a bad influence on me, which I LOVE. Just kidding. He has a lot of knowledge about the Acholi culture and always has some information to share with us. With only four of us guys left here during the week, I am very thankful that Matt is back this summer and can’t wait to get to know him more over the next month.

Annie is back for her second summer as well. She lives in New York and is going to be a movie star one day. She is an amazing artist, actress, and person. She is so deep and intelligent and I love to just listen to her talk. She has a huge heart and seems genuinely interested in all of our stories and all of our past experiences. It seems like no matter what we are talking about she has something profound to say. She is a fantastic person and I am sure I will take the short drive to NYC to visit her often.

John (or Little John as to not confuse him with Big John) is someone that I look up to. He is 31 and the father of 2 beautiful little girls. He has dedicated so much time and energy into Invisible Children. He could possibly be the nicest guy I have ever met and is here for absolutely all the right reasons. He is making a difference in so many kids lives and has selflessly left behind his family for 6 weeks to make a difference. It is much easier for someone like me to do something like this because I do not have the responsibilities that he has. He has already formed many close relationships with Acholi students and the Acholi people in general. I really admire the guy and for those of you that know me, know that I do not say that too often.

The final person in the group is Michael. I could literally copy and paste just about everything good that I said about everyone and it would pertain to this guy (except that he does not own a bar in San Francisco). After 2 and a half weeks with this kid I think of him like a brother. I know that I may not be the easiest person to live with in general let alone sharing a SMALL BEDROOM with me for 6 weeks. Michael has taught me so much already and shared his personal stories with me, which inspires me to be a better person. I have never laughed so hard with someone and then immediately after have a totally deep, serious conversation which could go on for hours. The rest of the crew often complains that they hear us talking like little school girls at night, which makes it difficult for them to sleep. I always tell him to quiet down but he is too loud and can’t seem to whisper (or maybe that is me.) Anyway, this guy will be a life-long friend and that is an absolute fact.
We also have Catherine living with us who is our leader. She is really cool as well and extremely talented. She is doing some amazing things with her life and is also someone that I look up to. She is also based in NYC and I hope to see her often.
These 18 people have made this adventure the best few weeks of my life and no matter what happens I will take these friendships with me forever. There is absolutely no price tag you could put on having 18 good friends across the country. This is not even counting the group 1 girls with whom I have been getting closer with. They are some amazing people and their stories continue to astound me. I will meet group 3 tonight and I am sure they will be just as incredible.

I have also gotten pretty close with some of the Acholi teachers. The MAJOR point that they are stressing to us in the teachers exchange program is to build relationships with our Acholi teachers. The reason for this is because while it would be fantastic if the Acholi students we are working with for a few weeks get something out of us being here, it is much more important for the Acholi teachers to get something out of us being here. Weather it is new techniques, or styles of teaching, or whether it is simply building close international bonds with us, the main point is to work with them and to become friends with them. Tomorrow I will be at school most of the day and I hope to spend it with Tony. He is the most soft-spoken gentile person I have ever met. He is probably the total opposite of me, but we have bonded and we will continue to have a friendship and bond long after I leave Gulu. Hopefully one day I will even be able to get him out to the States and experience everyday life in America.

I think that I have went on long enough for today even though I did not even get to the Rhino Sanctuary. I simply wanted to tell everyone about the amazing people here so when I mention their names from now on at least you will have some sort of clue as to who I am referring to.

Tomorrow I will post about the Rhino Sanctuary and about my experience proctoring the examinations tomorrow. I am sure you will all be holding your breath. Until next time.
-Ryan

Very Long Post

6-26-09 - First Week of School
I need to catch up with these posts so I will write about the first week of school all in one post.

Sir Samuel Baker is about a 10-15 minute Boda Boda ride away from our home. I enjoy the ride to the school because it is a very pleasant rode with little congestion. We got to school in time to watch the morning assembly. Of course all eyes were on the four of us because the kids are not use to having Mzungu (whites) walking around their school. Most of the kids will laugh for a minute or two when they see us, but they are very nice and respectful. Oh, Lisa, Sharon, Kate and I all have some VERY interesting stories about the toilet situation at the school, but that is not at all anything that should be in writing or really ever retold again. However, I will share some of these stories when I return home if you are terribly interested.
I will be working closely with Tony and Dennis, both of whom are student teachers at Gulu University. I sat in Tony’s European History class and was amazed at how intelligent he was. He is 24 years old and has never left Uganda in his life, but he is so well-spoken and knowledgeable. There were lizards and bugs in the classroom, and almost all of the windows were broken. There is one blackboard, which is cracked in half and very difficult to write on. There was two pieces of chalk and no eraser. That is literally the only materials that he has. The students were sitting 3 to a bench, and only a few had books. The boy’s notebooks are so meticulously neat because they use every last bit of room. They do not skip lines, or skip pages, or even doodle in them. I am sure that purchasing another notebook would be difficult for them, so they take care of what they have and are sure not to lose it. Despite their surroundings, the students were totally focused and there was little to no fooling around.

Right now Tony is teaching the students about the Belgian Revolution and it is a bit intimidating because I have absolutely NO knowledge of the Belgian Revolution, so I will have to teach myself about it before I can start teaching the kids. In Dennis’s class we will be teaching about the European missionaries coming to Eastern Africa. We will see how that goes. My goal here is more about teaching strategies rather than content, so I am not too worried about it.

I am really excited about working with these University kids because I think that I will have a longer impact on their teaching. It is difficult to try to change the way an experienced teacher does things and I think that by working with these new teachers I will hopefully help them to learn new techniques and styles of teaching that they take with them.

The power went off on Monday, but we had our laptops charged and we all met in the living area (an outside courtyard) and played a music game. I played the song and they all had to guess the song and band name. It was absolutely hilarious and I laughed harder than I have in a long time. There were animals and bugs creeping all over everyone which made for a lot of screaming and freaking out, myself obvious included. It was our first night without the Pabo and Atanga guys, which was a real bummer because we got real close, but they will be back on Thursday and Friday and we will have a blast at the Rhino Santuary this weekend. The music game really brought the 11 of us that are left here together and we think that we will make it a Monday night ritual which would be nice after our crazy weekends.

Tuesday I had a great talk with one of the teachers in the teacher’s room at school. His name is Tom and he is a “tech” teacher at SSB. He is very involved with trying to change the curriculum in Uganda. We discussed the fact that many of the “important” things that these students are required to know for their yearly tests is simply useless knowledge. We agreed that they will become Jacks of all trades ad Masters of none, because they simply get the information in their heads, store it until the yearly test, and never use it again. I will be the first to say that the educational system in the States is far from perfect, but Tom and many of the teachers at my school are extremely interested with it. They have asked me just about every question they can think of and they cannot hear enough about what happens in the States.

Wednesday was the most eye-opening day yet since I have been in Gulu. I am starting to get close with Tony, my Ugandan teacher. He told me stories about growing up here and what it has been like living in a war torn area as a kid. When I asked him if he has known anyone that has been abducted by the LRA he looked at me like I was joking. His response was “many many people.” He said that he has had many friends abducted and that his cousin was abducted in 1996. This cousin just returned last year and was gone for 12 years. I did not ask too many questions about it, but I am sure that someday soon I will get more details.

Tony also said that in 1996 one of the dorms in our school was attacked and many students were taken. This was the exact same dorm that Tony lived in when he was a student at Sir Samuel Baker in 2002. He said that one night the LRA came to the school and were circling around his dorm. They were all hiding and he thought for sure that he would be taken. For some reason (I think the doors were locked, or they ran into a guard) the LRA did not come into the dorm this time.

TOTALLY changing gears, we went to Bambu for trivia night again on Thursday. You can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when they announced that it was TV/Movies/and Music night. I thought for sure that we would win hands down….. I am not too sure how it happened, maybe because I was being too social, too busy flirting, or maybe I was simply not focused, but we did not win. I had a great time, and once again Bambu lived up to its expectations. It was great to hang with the group 1 girls and I was beaming to be back with Lance and Justine after they spent the week in Pabo. Lance walked in to Bambu and bought 14 Nile Specials. They both were walking around with their arms filled with Niles and passing them out to friends they missed. I look forward to them returning every Thursday night. My boys Bill, Kevin and Big John will miss trivia night most weeks because they don’t usually return until Friday. I will be sure to stock up for them when they get home. Matt has been really stepping it up at night when I feel like going out for a little bit and the Atanga boys are not here. Michael has not been feeling too well this week so I will give him a break, and Little John (who is much taller than me but about 8 inches shorter than Big John) had quite an impressive showing Thursday night. Also our group 2 girls have been hanging in and impressing me left and right.

On Friday, back at school, I taught for the first time. It was only about half of the class, but it was good to start doing something. I taught my S5 European History class and everything went great. S5 is equivalent to about Junior or Senior year and there were only about 20 kids in class. They were 20 of the greatest, most polite boys I have ever met. All their eyes were on me the entire time and they seemed riveted by what I was saying. Of course they could have just been looking at my messy hair from the Boda Boda ride, but I like to think that they were focused on the words coming out of my mouth. I somehow taught about the Belgian Revolution and some of the reasons the revolution started. I did a pretty cool lesson on press censorship which I did not get ANY help from my roommates. I was asking everyone to do it for me on Thursday night, and there were no takers. I do not like that we are getting so close because now nobody is doing anything for me anymore. It was much more fun when everyone was trying to impress everyone else. Oh well. Group 3 will be here next week. Maybe they will do things for me for a week or so.

Friday night took us back to the rooftop of the KSP. This was the biggest group of us yet. It was just about ALL of group 2 and there were only a few girls missing from group 1. This was organized by none other than yours truly, and I am very proud to have organized the biggest outing yet. I think I might stay in Gulu and become a party planner. People were laughing, dancing, and really enjoying one anothers company. However, believe it or not, out of the close to 30 of us that were there, I don’t remember getting one single “thank you Ryan for getting us all together.” That is pretty messed up. Anyway, I am pretty sure that when group 3 starts coming out with us it will be the biggest group of Mzungu EVER in Gulu Uganda.

The kids in Gulu have examinations next week so I am not sure of how much we are going to be at school. I think we will have a lot of down time next week, so I am sure I will be posting more often. I will also write up a post of the Rhino Santuary trip we took this weekend (or what I can remember from it.) But not now because the Atanga boys are leaving now and I have to pretend that I am going to help them carry stuff to the van. I have found that as long as I keep walking back and forth to the van people think that I am helping.

I am sorry that I have not been talking to anybody on the phone, but it is kind of difficult to do when we are so far apart time wise. I just want to let you all know that we are doing great and hopefully this last month will be just as amazing as the first two weeks. I will let you know what I think about the group 3 kids when I hang out with them on Tuesday night. And of course I will let you know how classes and planning are going as well. Hope everyone’s summer is going great. Talk to you soon.

- Ryan

Do not get too excited. This is not going to be a post. I was just in the area of Cafe' Laren, and I decided that I would write a quick little something to let you all know that things are going great. I will try to get back here tomorrow to post about my first week at school. We just got back from our weekend trip to the Rhino Santuary and it was a lot of fun. It was actually a little bit too fun. We are all moving pretty slow today. But it was a classic night! Stories will follow. Hope all is well in Rhode Island and all of the other states. - Ryan

First Weekend in Gulu

Saturday and Sunday 6-20-21
I am a few days behind with posts and I need to catch up so I will talk about Saturday and Sunday in this same post. I also need to apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes, give me a break I am in the middle of Uganda Africa. Proofreading is not a priority.

Saturday – Today we went to the Sir Samuel Baker move up ceremony and were treated like celebrities. We sat at the head table and people were right in our faces snapping pictures. I am sure I looked real good in the pictures. It was a cool. Everyone was so nice and they were so excited to have us there to celebrate with them. In Uganda when people are applauding they usually tap their feet rather than use their hands. However, when something requires a larger applause they might use their hands. The headmaster at one point even said “how about an enormous hand applause” and the students clapped with their hands. However, it was very subtle, nothing like the obnoxious applause we have in the States. We have all found that everything is MUCH quieter here. People talk almost in a whisper, and I am sure they think that we scream when we talk. It is taking a while to get use to, but I am sure it will get easier as time goes by.

After the move up ceremony Big John, Bill, Kate, Kevin and I went to the top of the KSP to have dinner and a few Niles and good conversation………. Then we went to Da Pub on the way home. They played a lot of 90’s rock music, so I was very happy and am sure I made fool of myself singing along.

Sunday a bunch of us went to church at Gulu High (you’re welcome mom.) We were accidentally one hour late, but we were still there for over an hour. It was the best mass I have ever been to. The songs that they were signing were amazing and it was incredible watching them dance along. It is so crazy to see these people who have grown up knowing only a life of war be so happy and hopeful. They are so thankful for what they have, even though it is so little. We will definitely be going back there in 2 weeks (we have the Rhino tour next week) and I am really looking forward to it.

Kevin, Big John and I then went to breakfast at Kope Café and it took about 2 hours to get our food, but as always, it was delicious. We actually missed our house meeting because we were gone for so long. Everyone was mad at us, but there was nothing that we could have done. I am sure they will get over it. We did get back for our Friere book talk on “Pedagogy of the Oppressed.” The book was VERY difficult to read, but the discussion we had on it was interesting. We broke up into a few groups and each group was given a quote from the book to analyze. Our quote was “The revolution is made neither by the leaders for the people, nor by the people for the leaders, but by both acting together in unshakable solidarity. This solidarity is born only when the leaders witness to it by their humble, loving, and courageous encounter with the people. Not all men and women have sufficient courage for this encounter-“ Basically, the leaders and the people need to work together, and both need to trust each other and believe in each other to carry out their responsibilities. That is the only way that a positive change can come about.

After our book talk we took a few mutatus to St. Jude’s Orphanage. As we pulled up to the orphanage the children all ran towards the vans and had huge smiles on their faces. They are use to getting visitors and know that when the van pulls up they will be having fun and playing games for a few hours. We all immediately found a few kids that we were attached to for most of the day. These kids have nothing and still they are so happy just to have someone come and play with them or hold them. There are really no words that can describe the conditions that these children are living in. We brought them balls and games to play with, and they were very happy and appreciative of them, but I think that what they wanted the most was for someone to show them some affection and have someone pay attention to them. It will be a long time before we all forgot what we saw at St. Jude’s and I hope that these children can all live long happy lives despite the unfortunate beginning that they all were born into.

Later on that night we went to a man named Tom O’Lalobo’s house (farm.) He is a very wealthy man in Uganda and has returned here after years of self-exile in Tanzania and then living in the UK for years. He was exiled when he was in a feud with Idi Amin. He realized that the only way for him and his family to survive was to get out of Uganda. We befriended two of his sons when we were at Bamboo last week. They are around our age and have lived in Uganda, Tanzania, and the UK. They invited us into their home and served us literally the best meal I have ever had. We have been eating well, but it is difficult when you are not quite sure what you are eating, and are eating the same meal over and over again. As we were all inhaling our food it was completely silent, nobody could say a word because we were so focused on getting in as much food as possible. I made the joke that it was exactly like we were on Survivor and had just won a reward challenge and was going to eat as much food as possible in the shortest amount of time as possible. We all ate more than we have yet (except Bill because he spent the night in the bathroom) and was thrilled when we were invited back for another meal at the end of the month. They were the nicest, most welcoming family I have met and it takes a special family to invite 20 strangers from a foreign country into your home for a feast. Not only did they replenish us, but they taught us so much about what it was like to live through this war and it is great to be able to put faces to all of the stories that we have heard.

Pabo and Atanga people leave for their schools tomorrow and we have been joking that this is like the last day of vacation before we have to start school. It really sucks because I am already so close to some of the guys leaving, but we have to remember why we are here, and focus on our jobs. As Bill and I have said before, when they come back every Friday it will be like a reunion of old friends and we will celebrate fittingly. Then every Sunday we will have a going away party and celebrate accordingly. And of course every Saturday we will enjoy our time together and celebrate accordingly.

Until next time. I hope you are all having a pleasant summer, but I also hope that nobody is having too much fun without me. Talk to you all soon. Wanen (Goodbye)
-Ryan

P.S. I heard a rumor that Third Eye Blind’s new song “Don’t Believe A Word” is now playing on WBRU. I cannot believe that I am missing that. I am very familiar with the song and except everyone reading this blog to know every word to the song by the time I return.

Last Day of Orientation

Friday - June 19, 2009
Today was our last day of orientation at the IC house. We met with Phil and discussed our Research Initiatives. We met for the first time in our groups based on which school we will be working at. I will be with Sharon, Kate, and Lisa. We discovered that the focus for our research will be the “students.” We will focus on their empowerment/voice, life stories, and the role of extra-curricular activities in their lives. It will be very interesting when we get to talk with the students and hear from them about their future goals and what they plan to be doing ten years from now.
After our meeting we had lunch at the Kope Café with Dana and Daneen from group one. It was the best meal we have had so far. It was a very westernized meal. I had a vegetarian pizza and it was unbelievable having food that I recognized. I will be spending much time there, but the only drawback is that the Kope Café is known for its terrible turn-over time. We waited hours for the food, but it is absolutely worth the wait.
When we were finished eating we went back to the IC house and met with our content area groups. We shared different strategies with each other and ideas on how we could go about teaching social studies to the students in Gulu.
After going back to the hotel to shower we all prepared for the Meet and Greet teachers night. This was the first time we all got dressed up and actually looked like very smart (good-looking) Mzungu’s (Whites.) We all walked like a parade through downtown Gulu, and it was pretty awkward and uncomfortable. We were walking through the streets past these people that have nothing, and we all were dressed up looking like a million bucks. A few of us felt like we should have sent for a mutatu (taxi van.)
We all met our teachers and it was very exciting. However, my teacher was about 2 hours late and I was sitting at the table like an idiot. I was talking to my schools headmaster. He is a really cool guy and I am very excited to be at his school. Once my teacher finally arrived I was thrilled to see that he was wearing a baseball cap. I was really happy about that. His name is Okello Lawrence and we has been teaching for the past 6 years.
We talked a good amount about languages in Uganda. There is no official language and we said that Lwo, is dying. He said that Northern and Southern Uganda will never decide between Lugandan and Lwo, therefore English is very widely used in schools and in the home. He said that Gulu children can speak in Lwo, but they cannot read or write in Lwo. It was a very interesting conversation and a good ice breaker. I look forward to spending more time with him and learning from him.
After the teachers left we went to Bamboo to see Lisa from group 1 sing. I was flabbergasted at how amazed she was. I am amazed that she has not been signed to a record deal yet. She is unbelieveably talented and a really cool girl too. All the girls from group 1 completely baffle me more and more each time I talk to them. Each of them have stories that top the one before it. Check out Lisa Swetman on Itunes. You will be impressed, or at least see why I was impressed.
Not only did she sign but Michael whipped out the guitar and totally shocked me at how talented he is. I am also very upset that he never told me how good he was at the guitar and singing. I was very proud. It probably ranked in the top 10 nights of my life. Big John has moved it into his top 7 nights. So, that should tell you how great it was.

Thursday - June 18, 2009
Apwoyo! I Tye NingNing! (Hello, How are you doing?)
Today I took a shower with running water. It was very exciting even though it was freezing cold. After breakfast at Kat’s we walked back to the IC house (about 25 minutes.) I had another great conversation this time, but with Catherine, the assistant director. I said it before and I will say it again; everyone here is so intelligent and so deep. It is great to hear everyone’s life story.
At the IC house we learned about Education in Uganda, and The History of Uganda / and the war. It was amazing to hear the history that took place and the violence that took place basically right where we were sitting. Uganda has come such a long way in the past few years and Invisible Children has a lot to do with it.
We then had a drama class with Catherine, which we learned to incorporate drama into class. I thought it was going to be real lame, and was kind of dreading going, but it was pretty awesome. I would go into much more detail about what we did, but I am sure it would just bore you all.
Dinner at Kat’s SUCKED tonight because I could not understand anything the waiter was saying and he could not understand me. It was very frustrating and I literally got 5 different meals put in front of me before it even looked like something I would put in my mouth. Kevin ended up giving me his food (that he loved) and ate whatever that was in front of me. It was very selfless of him, but I am sure he just didn’t want to listen to me complain about being hungry the whole night.
We then walked to the Invisible Children Office for the first time. It was quite a hike and took a good half hour. The office was fantastic because it had an actual flushing toilet. It was well worth the walk. Kevin and I shared a Boda Boda on the way back to the IC house and it was much less comfortable than sharing one with Bill. Bill is about my height and Kevin is a tall kid. I think I need to stick to sharing Boda Boda’s with the little guys because three men on a Boda Boda is difficult enough. The girls have to side-saddle when they are wearing skirts so they can not share. Although Dana and Daneen from group 1 told me that they managed to get on one with Lisa. I really wish I could have seen that in person.
We ended the night by going to Bamboo. This place is my favorite yet. It is very laid back. They have Trivia Night on Thursdays so we met the girls from group 1 there and got to know them a little more. We are going to go back tomorrow night because Lisa from group 1 is singing and we are going to support her. She has a CD out on Itunes so you should check her out.
When we got home, Lance Justine and I chilled with our guard David. He carries a huge AK-47 with him and I have a few pictures of us together, which are the coolest pictures of all time.
Talk to you all soon.
- Ryan


Wednesday 6-17-09
Apwoyo! (Hello)
Today was a jam packed day. We had breakfast at Katarina’s and then walked to the IC house. There we met Jolie (who is the woman that first met the filmmaker boys in the Invisible Children video), Jarrod, and Erika. We had an Invisible Children overview. We learned a lot about Acholi culture and about what a day in the life of an Acholi.
We then had our Lwo Language class. This was awesome. We learned about 4 or 5 pages of Lwo words and phrases that will come in handy wile in Gulu. Just about everyone here speaks English, but it is a sign of respect to them that we take the time to learn a little of their language. Kevin and I decided that we would learn 4 or 5 phrases a day and would be fluent by the end of the trip. Today we focused on “Apwoyo”, “Apwoyo Matek”, “Iri Maber”, and “Ari Maber” which mean Hello/Thank you, Thank you very much, Good Afternoon, and my afternoon is going well. I absolutely LOVE the language and can’t wait to learn it.
We then split up in three groups to go out to dinner. Big John, Bill, John, Sharon and I went to lunch at Acholi Inn. This place is like a palace in the middle of a ghetto. They have the only swimming pool in Gulu, and the food is delicious. It was a little more pricey (12,000 shillings, or 6 dollars)than the other restaurants, but it was worth it. That is twice as much as we have paid yet. Big John then took us on a tour of Gulu, and this was our first time really getting to see Gulu for ourselves.
The best part of the day is that we got to take our first Boda Boda ride. It was one of the best moments of my life. A Boda Boda is like a motorcycle; a taxi motorcycle. We flag them down and hop on the back of the bike and away we go. It was the first time that I felt like I was on my own in Gulu, and we could not stop smiling the entire time we were on them. The best part is that it costs 500 shillings if it is a semi-close ride, and a whole 1000 shillings if it is farther away. 1000 shillings is about 45 cents.
We went back to the IC house for more lectures and then Bill and I went to Ma’s Café for some internet. We had a great talk on the way from IC house to the Café. I have never had such deep conversations with people in my life because everyone here is so deep and has so much to share. I have already learned so much from them. After the Café we decided to go Katharina’s bar (part of our hotel) to continue our conversation. There we watched a bunch of football (soccer) and enjoyed a few Nile Specials.
After showering (if you want to call it showering) we all went to KSP for to celebrate Joanna’s birthday. We had an absolute blast. There was 11 of us and the 9 group 1 girls. There are some really cool girls in group 1 and I can’t wait to get to hang out with them more. Michael and I had a late night party in our room and get yelled at in the morning for being too loud.
We will meet our teachers on Friday, and go to our schools for the first time on Saturday. We are having the greatest time and every day gets better and better. I will post again soon.
- Ryan

Thursday - June 18, 2009
Apwoyo! I Tye NingNing! (Hello, How are you doing?)
Today I took a shower with running water. It was very exciting even though it was freezing cold. After breakfast at Kat’s we walked back to the IC house (about 25 minutes.) I had another great conversation this time, but with Catherine, the assistant director. I said it before and I will say it again; everyone here is so intelligent and so deep. It is great to hear everyone’s life story.
At the IC house we learned about Education in Uganda, and The History of Uganda / and the war. It was amazing to hear the history that took place and the violence that took place basically right where we were sitting. Uganda has come such a long way in the past few years and Invisible Children has a lot to do with it.
We then had a drama class with Catherine, which we learned to incorporate drama into class. I thought it was going to be real lame, and was kind of dreading going, but it was pretty awesome. I would go into much more detail about what we did, but I am sure it would just bore you all.
Dinner at Kat’s SUCKED tonight because I could not understand anything the waiter was saying and he could not understand me. It was very frustrating and I literally got 5 different meals put in front of me before it even looked like something I would put in my mouth. Kevin ended up giving me his food (that he loved) and ate whatever that was in front of me. It was very selfless of him, but I am sure he just didn’t want to listen to me complain about being hungry the whole night.
We then walked to the Invisible Children Office for the first time. It was quite a hike and took a good half hour. The office was fantastic because it had an actual flushing toilet. It was well worth the walk. Kevin and I shared a Boda Boda on the way back to the IC house and it was much less comfortable than sharing one with Bill. Bill is about my height and Kevin is a tall kid. I think I need to stick to sharing Boda Boda’s with the little guys because three men on a Boda Boda is difficult enough. The girls have to side-saddle when they are wearing skirts so they can not share. Although Dana and Daneen from group 1 told me that they managed to get on one with Lisa. I really wish I could have seen that in person.
We ended the night by going to Bamboo. This place is my favorite yet. It is very laid back. They have Trivia Night on Thursdays so we met the girls from group 1 there and got to know them a little more. We are going to go back tomorrow night because Lisa from group 1 is singing and we are going to support her. She has a CD out on Itunes so you should check her out.
When we got home, Lance Justine and I chilled with our guard David. He carries a huge AK-47 with him and I have a few pictures of us together, which are the coolest pictures of all time.
Talk to you all soon.
- Ryan


Wednesday 6-17-09
Apwoyo! (Hello)
Today was a jam packed day. We had breakfast at Katarina’s and then walked to the IC house. There we met Jolie (who is the woman that first met the filmmaker boys in the Invisible Children video), Jarrod, and Erika. We had an Invisible Children overview. We learned a lot about Acholi culture and about what a day in the life of an Acholi.
We then had our Lwo Language class. This was awesome. We learned about 4 or 5 pages of Lwo words and phrases that will come in handy wile in Gulu. Just about everyone here speaks English, but it is a sign of respect to them that we take the time to learn a little of their language. Kevin and I decided that we would learn 4 or 5 phrases a day and would be fluent by the end of the trip. Today we focused on “Apwoyo”, “Apwoyo Matek”, “Iri Maber”, and “Ari Maber” which mean Hello/Thank you, Thank you very much, Good Afternoon, and my afternoon is going well. I absolutely LOVE the language and can’t wait to learn it.
We then split up in three groups to go out to dinner. Big John, Bill, John, Sharon and I went to lunch at Acholi Inn. This place is like a palace in the middle of a ghetto. They have the only swimming pool in Gulu, and the food is delicious. It was a little more pricey (12,000 shillings, or 6 dollars)than the other restaurants, but it was worth it. That is twice as much as we have paid yet. Big John then took us on a tour of Gulu, and this was our first time really getting to see Gulu for ourselves.
The best part of the day is that we got to take our first Boda Boda ride. It was one of the best moments of my life. A Boda Boda is like a motorcycle; a taxi motorcycle. We flag them down and hop on the back of the bike and away we go. It was the first time that I felt like I was on my own in Gulu, and we could not stop smiling the entire time we were on them. The best part is that it costs 500 shillings if it is a semi-close ride, and a whole 1000 shillings if it is farther away. 1000 shillings is about 45 cents.
We went back to the IC house for more lectures and then Bill and I went to Ma’s Café for some internet. We had a great talk on the way from IC house to the Café. I have never had such deep conversations with people in my life because everyone here is so deep and has so much to share. I have already learned so much from them. After the Café we decided to go Katharina’s bar (part of our hotel) to continue our conversation. There we watched a bunch of football (soccer) and enjoyed a few Nile Specials.
After showering (if you want to call it showering) we all went to KSP for to celebrate Joanna’s birthday. We had an absolute blast. There was 11 of us and the 9 group 1 girls. There are some really cool girls in group 1 and I can’t wait to get to hang out with them more. Michael and I had a late night party in our room and get yelled at in the morning for being too loud.
We will meet our teachers on Friday, and go to our schools for the first time on Saturday. We are having the greatest time and every day gets better and better. I will post again soon.
- Ryan

Tuesday 6-16-09

Today we departed the Backpackers Hostel in Kampala. It was a really great place, I would definitely recommend it to anyone considering traveling though Kampala anytime soon.
On the way to Gulu we stopped at a place called Bavubuka. It was by far my favorite part of the trip yet. It is a place where dedicated to getting kids to express themselves through music and dance. I am sure you all know that I am not the biggest hip hop fan in the world, so I have to admit that I was not too thrilled to make a stop here; especially considering how tired I was. I cannot even begin to explain how awesome these kids were. They did some hip hop for us, all of which sent out positive messages as opposed to what most US rap is. One of the main kids really took a liking to me (not shockingly) because he liked my “style.” He told me that blue was his favorite color and I was obviously wearing blue from head to toe. We bonded real quick and the connection was incredible. I ended up giving him my blue “Kentucky Derby” hat (I know, it was VERY nice of me.) He was speechless and said he would wear it everyday and think of me. GROUP 3 – when you see some kid with a Derby hat on when you go there in 2 weeks, you will now understand why. Tell him I said Apwoyo (Hello.) It was actually pretty emotional, and I can not believe how much I loved it. It instantly made me appreciate everything I have and admire these guys for being so nice and so happy when they do not have hardly anything. I purchased a CD from them and will share with anyone interested when I get back to the States. You can also check them out online. I am not sure what their website it, but just google “Bavubuka” and I am sure it will be easy to find.
After leaving the guys at Bavubuka we headed to Gulu. The ride was long, and everyone was yelling at me because I kept complaining about how hot, tired, sick, uncomfortable, and restless I was. It was all worth it for the quick glimpse we got of the Nile River. It was absolutely breathtaking. We could take pictures for some government reason, but we are going on the river before we go home, so we will be able to take some pics then.
We arrived in Gulu at sundown and I have to admit I was a little nervous because of the uncertainty of the whole environment. We couldn’t see much and there are no street lights to guide the way. My nervousness lasted for about 10 minutes because once we entered our hotel, I was about as excited as I have ever been. It is awesome here, and I could not be any happier. There are about 12 rooms. I am sharing a room with Michael and we could not get along any better. He is one lucky guy for being able to share a room with me for the next 50 days. We are all so close already that we feel like we have known each other our whole lives. I can’t begin to tell you how close you get to total strangers when you go through something like this together. While I get along with everyone here, and genuinely care about all these people as if they were family members; there are a few of these guys that I am 100% positive I will be very good friends with for the rest of my life.
Enough, about that. After checking out our hotel we went to dinner at Katharina’s restaurant. We were all exhausted, but managed to throw back a few Nile Specials and talk about how we were feeling now that we were finally here. When we got back to our hotel the girls from Group 1 were there to greet us. It was very comforting to know that they have been here for 2 weeks and were LOVING it. There are 9 girls from group 1, so they were very excited to finally see some men in our group. They all seem real cool and I look forward to getting to know them.
When the girls left, I took my first Gulu “shower.” It was with FREEZING cold water, and I had to pour it on me from a bucket. To tell you the truth it was the most unsatisfying, frustrating shower I have ever taken in my life. So I probably will be taking showers sporadically.

OK, we are going to eat now, so I will go, but I will post soon. Hope you all are all enjoying summer. I miss you all and I will talk to you soon. Again, we are VERY SAFE and VERY HAPPY, and can’t wait to meet the new kids in group 3.

June 15th, 2009
Travel to Kampala / Kampala

After what seems like a very long time, we have finally arrived in Kampala, Uganda. Before I get into detail about traveling here and our first night here; I just want to let everyone know that we are all safe, happy, and having the greatest adventure ever. The group of people that I am with are incredible and I already feel like I have known them for years. Each and every one of them is unique in their own way, and because we have been traveling for so long, we have all gotten to know each other well.

After a long, sleepless flight from JFK to London, I made everyone’s day after disembarking from the plane. On the plane we received, among other free things, a toothbrush and toothpaste. To make a long story short; I ended up accidentally brushing my teeth with hand soap, much to the delight of Michael and Matt who were on both sides of me. I am sure you will hear a much more detailed version of the story on my fellow travelers blogs because they thought it was so funny, but, I will spare myself any more embarrassment and let them enjoy my blunder.

London was a good time. We went to Buckingham Palace and saw the guards. We got some fish and chips and a beer at some cool London pub, then a few of us just went to crash in Hyde Park for a little while to take a little nap. I will be back there in 6 weeks and will surely do much more sight-seeing, but we were too wore out to be walking all through London.

The flight from London to Uganda was pretty rough because at that point I had only slept a total of about 2 hours since I left Rhode Island. I slept during the take-off, and for like the first half-hour of the flight, and that was about it. Last night I got about 4-5 hours of sleep and I feel great. For those of you that know my sleeping habits, I am sure you are amazed that I feel great after 4 hours of sleep, but it was the longest I slept in a while and it is now 5 in the morning here, and Mike and I are wide awake, sitting outside, hanging out with the monkeys, listening to the call to prayer from the Muslim temple.

Yesterday we went to exchange our money. The current exchange rate is 21.20 Ugandan shillings per dollar. Matt, Big John and I all exchange over $600 US Dollars and are now official Ugandan Millionaires (Shillionaires). I got 1.2 Million shillings and will probably be out of money by Friday at the rate I am buying Nile Specials for everyone.

Yesterday we also went to Lubiri School in Kampala. Lubiri is one of the best schools in Uganda, and we observed the classrooms and got the opportunity to meet and talk with some teachers and students. We also got to meet Jacob, the boy from the Invisible Children video. He was such a great kid, and very modest in his “celebrity stutus.” He gave us all a hug, and snapped a few photos with us. We did get him out of class, so maybe that is why he was so happy to see us.
We had a great day yesterday, and there is much more that happened, but since this was my first post and I had to talk about a few days at once, I will stop. We are leaving for Gulu in about 5 hours (about 10:00am our time and about 3am US time.) Oh, last night we slept in our mosquito nets for the first time.) There was 7 of us in our room. Mike, Big John, John, Matt, Catherine, Annie, and myself. We all had to share a mosquito net with someone because our bunk beds were all touching. They worked pretty well, we slept with the door open and Mike and I only had one mosquito in our net that we noticed.

OK, that is all for now as we are getting into the shower now because the men just filled up the hot water thing and we will be the first to use it. I will try to attach some pictures soon. I hope all is well in the States and that everyone is having a wonderful summer, or end of the school year. I PROMISE that we are all safe and happy and are forming bonds with one other that will last a lifetime. We are all looking after one another. I am very thankful that I decided to take on this adventure and that all these people did as well. So, rest assured, we are doing great. A bit of advise for group 3. 1) Take a sleeping pill on the plane from London to Uganda. Yesterday was THE longest day ever and we all looked like Zombies. 2) Get a Tusker Beer at Sam’s restaurant. It is absolutely delicious. 3) PACK LIGHT. I packed WAY too much. Not clothing, but other stuff that I thought I was going to need, but didn’t. Email me or any of us if you have any specific questions before you leave next week. See you soon.

Final Week in the States

Alright, a lot has happened since my last post. I found out the school I will be volunteering at, I found out where I will be staying, and most importantly, I have had a few going away parties. Also, the first group has arrived safely in Gulu, and is having a great time. They all seem to be adjusting well, and say they feel very safe.

I will be at Sir Samuel Baker School and I will be teaching Geography and History. The teacher I will be working with is Okello Lawrence. Sir Samuel Baker use to be known as one of the best schools in all of Uganda until it was destroyed by all the fighting. I believe that they started to rebuild it early this year, but am not sure if they are done or how far along they are.

I am very excited about where we will be staying. We just found out on Friday that we will be staying at Katharina's Hotel and Bar in Gulu town. It is in the heart of Gulu town and is in a very central location. There are even a few upright showers and pit toilets there, which is terribly exciting. It seems like the best of all the housing options, and I am sure that all the volunteers that are not staying there will be very jealous of us.

I want to again thank my faculty for the incredible gift basket they gave me. It had everything in it that I need, and way too much money was spent. It was greatly appreciated, and unbelievably generous. I will take as many pictures as possible of me using all of the stuff in the basket, well maybe not the baby wipes or the travel toilet paper, but all the other stuff.

I am just going to try to spend this week with family and friends and taking a lot of hot showers and watching a lot of reality TV. I will also savor my last few nights sleeping without a net enclosing me, and without deadly mosquitos hovering over my head.

I will try to post again towards the end of the week, and when I get to London. I just want to thank everyone again for their support and encouragement. I will be very safe, and return a better, more experienced, person in August.
Oh, and to my students, I hope that you have a great last week in Middle School and I wish you all the best. Sorry I could not be there to end the year with you. I hope that you have learned how fortunate most of us are in the United States, and appreciate all you have; including a very cool, caring, intelligent, fun, good-looking, hilarious Civics teacher.

See you all soon.
- Ryan (Mr. J)