Uganda Love This

On Thursday I spent the morning in the office with our nurses organizing files and rearranging the clinic room. I love getting to spend time with them when we aren’t in clinic with patients because I get to hear about their lives in the villages and it is honestly fascinating. Rose keeps asking me who cooks for me at home. Apparently cereal and peanut butter sandwiches don’t count as cooking so she has decided that when her daughter gets home for break she will send her to come live with me for a few days to teach me the tricks of the trade. I tried explaining that when my mom offers to cook when I’m in Baltimore my dad and I are in the car with our seatbelts fastened within 10 seconds, ready to go virtually anywhere but our own kitchen. Lets just say one Thanksgiving we gave my mom “dessert duty” and she lit the oven on fire…

 

 

Rose continued to tell me about a man that has been going around burning grass thatch houses in her village. In Rose’s words “ he had a sugar mama but the village decided it was inappropriate so the woman told him to leave but he refused. She then moved her belongings to different friends houses and the man followed and burned them all.” Unfortunately they do not have the “reliable” justice system we have in the US so if someone denies a crime and they are not caught red handed, there is nothing legally the police can do. I think I’m equally concerned that A. sugar mama is part of the Acholi vocabulary and B. that someone would burn another person’s house for revenge.

 

On Friday I spent the day working on med school secondary applications (I’m sure you’re sick of me saying that) BUT the good news is I am almost done. I gave myself until August 15, which is this Saturday, and I am confident that I will be able to meet this goal. Most of these applications are not hard, they are just extremely time- consuming, especially since I am much more effective when I write small sections at a time. I can only imagine how great it is going to feel when I get to submit my last one.

 

On Friday night I went to Absynnia, the Ethiopian restaurant, with a few friends. As much as I hated Ethiopian food when I first arrived, I have to say that it is definitely growing on me. Fun fact: Abyssinia means syphilis in Acholi…..We spent a majority of the dinner talking about the upcoming elections and what it will mean for us come March. I think the good news is that Gulu is so far removed from the capitol that there shouldn’t be too much resistance or rioting. Luckily I have good friends in the Peace Corps so if they are evacuated I will be getting in the car with them.

 

On Saturday, I spent the day working on some more applications and then relaxed in the sun with a book. I should have never started a new book while working on these applications but “Mountains beyond Mountains” was a suggestion from a friend and I have to say I love it so far. It is about Paul Farmer, an infectious disease doctor, who works in international health, which is obviously right up my alley.

 

On Saturday night I went to the 31bits house for a much overdue night out. As I have mentioned before, 31bits is a company from the states that empowers local women through jewelry. I am hopefully moving in with them come September when I have to move out of my current house. I love everyone that I have met within the company and it would be great not to have to live alone (fingers crossed).

 

About 20 of us spent the evening playing Scattergories, which was played by candlelight when the power went out. We then proceeded to have a silent disco, which was hysterical. For a silent disco everyone downloads a prearranged playlist onto their phone and listens to it with headphones, so only you know what part of the song you are at. I can’t dance even when the music is loud so I’m positive I embarrassed myself in one way or another. Not pass out on your grandmother while dancing at your cousins wedding embarrassing…. but pretty close.

 

Hope everyone had a great weekend!