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.