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.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
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
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
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
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)
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)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Getting Ready to Go
Ok, we are now only 5 and a half weeks away from leaving. Group 1 will be leaving three weeks from Saturday. I am almost totally ready to leave. I got all of my shots (with the exception of 1) last Thursday. It was not any fun, and I was being a huge baby before, during, and after getting them. I also felt as horrible as I could possibly feel on Friday because I had a small case of Yellow Fever because they gave me the live virus. I was nervous that the airport would not let me on the plane to the Kentucky Derby on Saturday because they thought that I had the Swine Flu, but they didn't really seem to care.
I met many awesome people in Kentucky during and after the Derby. I actually had many conversations about Uganda and people were very interested to hear about what I am doing this summer. As a side note, for anyone that had never been to the Kentucky Derby, I HIGHLY recommend going. It is worth any amount of money that you will spend, and the experience it unforgettable..... well I already forgot about some of it, but that is another story.
In preparing for Uganda we are also asked to do some requird reading. I am just about finished with the first book, "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" and it is really good. It basically is about how the United States has persuaded countries to hire them to modernize their country. The country would then take out "loans" from the U.S. to pay our construction companies, and never be able to pay us back. Therefore the countries will be forced to "owe" us and we would use that for whatever we needed (or wanted) and basically own the country. I still have one more book to go, and seeing as I am a very slow reader, I will probably need to start right away.
Last weekend was Invisible Children's "The Rescue" event, and I attended the Boston Rescue. After 6 or so days Chicago was finally rescued by Oprah, meaning over 100 cities across the world were successful in getting rescued by either the media, a local or national celebrity or someone from the government.
Hopefully these last 5 weeks of school fly by and dont drag. It is very difficult coming back to school after a weekend at the Kentucky Derby and only having 5 weeks to go before going to Uganda, but I am sure they will go quickly. Also, The Killers concert is Saturday and the Third Eye Blind concert is Sunday, so this might be the best weekend of my life.
Finally, if you have not yet been to the Invisible Children web site please check it out and look around. Thats all for now. - Ryan
www.invisiblechildren.com
I met many awesome people in Kentucky during and after the Derby. I actually had many conversations about Uganda and people were very interested to hear about what I am doing this summer. As a side note, for anyone that had never been to the Kentucky Derby, I HIGHLY recommend going. It is worth any amount of money that you will spend, and the experience it unforgettable..... well I already forgot about some of it, but that is another story.
In preparing for Uganda we are also asked to do some requird reading. I am just about finished with the first book, "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" and it is really good. It basically is about how the United States has persuaded countries to hire them to modernize their country. The country would then take out "loans" from the U.S. to pay our construction companies, and never be able to pay us back. Therefore the countries will be forced to "owe" us and we would use that for whatever we needed (or wanted) and basically own the country. I still have one more book to go, and seeing as I am a very slow reader, I will probably need to start right away.
Last weekend was Invisible Children's "The Rescue" event, and I attended the Boston Rescue. After 6 or so days Chicago was finally rescued by Oprah, meaning over 100 cities across the world were successful in getting rescued by either the media, a local or national celebrity or someone from the government.
Hopefully these last 5 weeks of school fly by and dont drag. It is very difficult coming back to school after a weekend at the Kentucky Derby and only having 5 weeks to go before going to Uganda, but I am sure they will go quickly. Also, The Killers concert is Saturday and the Third Eye Blind concert is Sunday, so this might be the best weekend of my life.
Finally, if you have not yet been to the Invisible Children web site please check it out and look around. Thats all for now. - Ryan
www.invisiblechildren.com
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