GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!

so, i know this blog is supposed to be about my experience in uganda, but the only thing i can seem to think about these days is the mountaineers making it to the BCS title game. i'm about to explode. everyone's getting really annoyed that i refuse to talk about anything else. it's time for those few that read my blog to join their ranks.

diwali was fun, here's some pictures

my grant was due yesterday, so i'm taking a bit of a breather. since i have nothing to do for a few days, i will be doing my utmost to do nothing.

my parents are coming to uganda in january. i'm trying to plan out a safari to tanzania to augment our uganda activities. the serengeti looks pretty inviting right about now. i just hope they have plenty of vegetarian food.

i've been reading the economist these days, which seems to be making me more libertarian. this is the danger of getting your news from a singular source. my guardian subscription should be coming through shortly.

i haven't really heard from a lot of people recently (sans zach, sheila, mom, and dad). i get to check my email every week or two, so don't hesitate to write.

finally, wvu is one win away from a national championship berth. this means that my life is a wreck. why, you ask? well, i don't know if i'll be able to watch it. i'm trying to get in touch with the marine base in kampala, and see if they have some sort of satelite television option. i feel like i always see people in uniform saying hello to folks at home during major sporting events. peace corps and the marine corps are kind of similar right?

keep it sleazy, nice and easy

Yes, I'm still alive

i apologize for not ever posting.

so, big ups and downs right now, i'll start with updates, and end with pictures!

firstly, rick left the country yesterday. this sucks, since he was one of my good friends here, but we all wish him the best in the usa. this is also good because i will now force him to send me new music from the states. and he needs to get back here pronto...

anyways, i just got back from rwanda, as many of you may know. brett, joe, amy, brad, and I went, and it was amazing. jesus, my writing has gotten bad. i've lost all sense of grandeur and flair. It was scrumtelescient. Between tantalizing scenery, loquacious nationals, powerful memorials, and gi-fucking-normous beers, the country was awesome. In addition, they served Hoegarden at a restaurant, which was well worth the seven dollars i paid to drink it. i only get one good beer or so a year, so i take the opportunities when they come.

We started off our trip in Kigale, then had a delectable array of gustatory pleasures dancing on our palates in Gitarama. The next day, we travelled to Gisenyi where we enjoyed the quiet beach and the Primus Brewery tour.

Primus is a Rwandan beer that comes in 72 cl bottles. It tastes good enough. The tour was quite different to the Sam Adams tour i took just before my departure for Uganda. Instead of plasma screens with animated brewers making beer, we were taken around the factory by a security guard. we had to wear goggles because bottles would occasionally explode. In our tour, there were no walkways, but we just walked around the floor. It was insane. We were ducking under conveyer belts and picking bottles off the line (empty bottles, don't worry).

We later went hiking in Parc du Volcanes Nationale, which is a group of volcanos in the northern part of the country. It is also where Diane Fossey (gorrilas in the mist) did her research. We didn't see the gorrilas (tracking them for a day costs 500 USD), but we did see some gorrila poop, as well as some incredible views and a crater lake at the top of the mountain we climbed (Mt. Bisoke, 3711 meters). I decided to undertake the climb in the only shoes with me, whose soles are closer to skis than hiking treads. I made it in one piece, although i ruined the track jacket that i had purchased the day before.

While in Kigale, we visited a genocide memorial museum that was incredibly well done. It focused largely on the build-up and cause of the genocide, and is attached to an educational center which aims to prevent such catastrophe from happening again.

The other memorial we visited in Gikongoro was very different. At a technical college where 50,000 Rwandans were massacred, bodies of victims had been exhumed and preserved with lime powder, then set in rooms by the score to be seen by visitors. It was very intense, and I don't know how to comment on it.

We ended our trip back in Kigale after a brief respite in Butare. There was food, there was dance, there was drink, and we had a blast. We also played tennis at the Hotel Milles Collines, which is the hotel from Hotel Rwanda!

Now, it's back to site and back to work. I'm throwing a Diwali party on saturday, so i'll post about that as soon as i get a chance.

Also, thanks to sheila for sending me a shit ton of hot sauce. it has greatly alleviated the blandness problem of ugandan food. unfortunately, imbibing copious amounts of tobasco sauce leads to a level of tolerance that depreciates the effectiveness of each successive bottle. coupled with a dependence rarely seen outside of class IV narcotics, this could be the beginning of a desparate slide into hot sauce addiction... more to come

Back in the US, Back in the US, Back in the US peace corps office

I've got a bit of time finally, so i'll post again. Sorry that i suck at keeping this updated, but i swear i can change.

CUBS ARE IN FIRST PLACE!!! magic number is 4. WVU is still undefeated (although we've been jumped twice now in the rankings) as are the colts. in short, i've picked a wonderful time to leave the country.

of course, no one reads my blog for sports news, so i should talk a bit about uganda.

a lot of people have been asking about the flooding that has rocked eastern and northern uganda. actually, this isn't true at all. only my parents have asked me. that's okay though, i'll respond as if to a flood of concerned e-mails, texts, and sky-writings.

the floods have washed out several improtant bridges and main roads. this has made travel difficult, but it is still possible and safe. also, i live on a hill ("mukura" actually is derived from the ateso word for hill) so i'm not really in any danger. the big concern is how it will decimate the economy of our region. the vast majority of people around me are subsistence farmers, and the floods have ruined thousands of acres of crops in low-lying areas. many of these people don't have any other source of income, so our region is going to be in a lot of trouble. this is compounded by the fact that eastern and northern uganda have been the regions most affected by the insurgencies and cattle raids of the last twenty years.

this situation made me think about how horrible it is to be completely reliant on agriculture in a world with increasingly unstable climate patterns (earlier in the year crops were ruined by a drought). i've decided that i am going to attempt to build a computer training center in my village, to provide training for youth who are pretty much locked into a life of farming, and to provide vocational training for adults. this project is in its most formative stages, and will probably look pretty different when implemented, but i'm cautiously optimistic about its feasibility and sustainability.

sustainability is an enormous concern in all NGOs and international aid, but specifically peace corps due to our short terms of service. many volunteers just work for their organizations for two years and leave, which limits their impact to the duration of their service. ideally, we should train people to work in a better capacity, creating opportunities for future development once we have left.

anyways, enough of that shit. onto humorous anecdotes:

my gustatory exploits are limited, but exquisite. aside from the aforementioned rolex, i partake in many local delicacies such as posho (picture dried cream of wheat), matooke (picture mashed plantains), and beans (picture beans). some more american dishes that i cook myself are grilled cheese, mashed potatoes, and porridge. my diet is sensational. i dabble in some stranger foods, like white ants (a winged ant-like insect), termites, and various parts of animals that we tend to avoid.

also, rwanda has just entered into some sort of east african trade agreement, so we're going to get rwandan beers!!!!

i made the newspaper!!! the luganda paper (the bukedde) printed a picture of me at the Uganda v. Niger football match. i had painted my face, wore a soccer ball hat, and draped a flag across my back, thus turning an ordinary muhindi into a spectacle. the picture is of me getting my face painted. i'll be sure to show you when you visit.

happy birthday to the rest of my family!!! my sister, mother, and father, all have been born in the week of sept 18-24th, and i hope you all send them your best wishes.

okay, thanks for reading, that's all for now.

-rishi

I should write more...

okay, due to a harry potter induced exile from all forms of mass communication, i have been pretty lazy with the blog postings. unfortunately, this means that everything else i had to do on the internet took up most of my time. thus, there is no deeper existentialist undertones to this post. i'm sorry.

life's pretty good. spent some time at the pool, and got sunburned for the first time!!! some days, i can't believe that i'm actually in peace corps. then i spend the better part of an afternoon trying to save 3 cents on a bushel of potatos, and remember.

people often ask about my work, and my friends. this is unfortunate because i mainly enjoy talking about breakin 2: electric boogaloo. however, just this once, i'll make an exception.

i can't get too detailed into my work (sensitivity issues. no seriously, not kidding). but i spend most of my day going to schools and asking teachers to improve their work habits. i feel like i just wrote this out... if there's one thing i hate more than clarity, it's redundancy. enough on the subject of work.

as to my friends, what can i say. i'm a lucky guy. you should come and meet them.

blech... that was too much.

back to breakin 2: electric boogaloo.

definitely the most underrated breakdancing movie sequel of the 20th century (although i hear you got served 2 is going to blow our minds) i wish i had brought it to country. at least the kids in my village are willing to reenact the most crucial scenes.

actually, this brings up a more relevant story. i was walking to the tarmac the other day (a road, not a fast food restaurant), and a bunch of 7 or 8 year old kids were doing acrobatic tumbling runs up and down a field. back-flips, back hand springs, and everything. this may have been a mefloquin related hallucination. but i'm 70% sure this actually happened.

i've got language IST on the 17th, which means i spend 5 days learning some more ateso. then i've got a big education conference sometime after that. it's gonna be huge. and i'll definitely be there because they give free food.

okay, that's all i've got time for. keep the shine alive!

packing list revised!!

so, a new group is coming very soon, and if any of them are anything like me, then i offer my condolences. unfortunately, that means that they are peeling through peace corps blogs, worrying a lot about what they should and should not bring. don't worry, i'm here to do your job for you!!! i'll go over what i brought, and what i didn't need.

firstly, the things that you absolutely MUST bring, and will be helpless in Uganda without:




NOTHING!!!!

that's right, this is a country that sustains a population of 27 million people, most of whom do not go to REI before waking up every morning. everything you need is here. seriously, if you brought two changes of clothes and some cash, you'd be perfectly content.

however, that is not to say that there aren't plenty of things that make your life easier here. hence, i think it is best to think of everything as a luxury item. in fact, if i could go back in time, i would have brought nothing but luxury items.

so, things i brought in excruciatingly tough to read format:

Item	# taken
Belts	2
	only needed one (tip for guys: bring all clothes that go with brown shoes or black shoes, not some of each. plan belt-wise accordingly)
Windbreaker	1
Cubs hat	1
	forgot this at home. if anyone wants to bring me a replacement, that'd be great. also didn't need because i picked up a slick indiana jones style hat in Mbale
Sunglasses	1
	Don't really need, but damn i look good in them. actually, they're pretty good for long bike rides.
Sturdy Gloves	1
	still haven't used them, but if i start a garden, or become delusional and need to peel matooke, they'll come in handy
Cotton or Polyester blend slacks	2
	Don't bring light colored kakhis. darker browns are best
Nice Shirt	2
	not very descriptive, they're polos. worn frequently
Ties	3
	don't need more than one, unless, like me, you need to look really, really, ridiculously good. then bring ten, because you'll need at least that to one-up me
Button down shirts	2
	i don't know why i wrote two. i brought four. wish i had brought five, because it's a nice round number. worn all the time during training. these are READILY available here, so i guess you should ignore the first sentence. bring two, buy more here.
Shorts	1
	should've brought two. worn to hell all the time. they're great for around the house and despite peace corps's strongest recommendation, i wear them around the village too. you can't keep calves like these to yourself.
T-shirts	5
	tons of t-shirts available here. bring ones that say where you're from for convenient pointing, but you don't really need to bring more than one or two
Cotton Underwear	20
	okay, i stand by the statement that you don't need to bring everything, but you will hate ugandan underwear. bring plenty, have more sent later.
Socks	12 pair
	socks are available here, but not so comfy and huggable. bring plenty
Swimming Trunks	1
	i lost mine in a horrific memory lapse accident. wish i still had them, you will be able to use them if you want to
Running Shoes	1
	used all the time
Dress shoes	1
	see below
Work Shoes (comfortable)	1
	wish i had brought one really sturdy pair of brown dress shoes that were comfortable and could be worn on any occasion. alas, it was not meant to be
Hiking Boots	1
	see note on camping equipment
Chacos	1
	buy them 50% off through the peace corps discount. that's a command, not a suggestion. everyone who doesn't have a pair is scrambling to get some.
Medicine	All
	no explanation necessary
Shaving Cream	1
	available here, but doesn't leave my skin silky smooth like Aveeno. Bring your own pretty boy!
Deodorant	3
	i'm particular to my brand of deodorant, so i don't regret this at all. also, when you get here, carry it with you everywhere.
Shampoo	1
	your brand of shampoo may be available here, but it's really expensive. bring it if you're particular
Toothbrush	1
	i dropped mine down the pit latrine, and had to buy one here. it works fine. bring travel sized for the journey
Toothpaste	1
	it's here, bring travel size
Razor	1
	you can get a razor here, but it's steep
Blades	4
	should've brought a thousand
Nail Cutters	1
	again, available here, but easier to bring one from home
Spices	6
	had these sent, best decision ever. don't worry about packing them, just mail em to kampala before you leave since you're not going to be cooking much during homestay
French Press	1
	coffee lovers: BRING A FRENCH PRESS
Towels	3
	towels? seriously? why did i bring 3? because i'm an idiot. one is probably one too many, but if you're particular about your towels, bring one nice fluffy one
Swiss Army Knife	1
	used everyday, glad i brought it
Leatherman	1
	used often, also glad i brought it. most people only need one or the other though. leatherman has pliers, but is more bulky. i carry my swiss around, and use the leatherman mostly around the house
Measuring spoons	1
	good to have, but only if you cook a lot
Mess kit	1
	see camping equipment
Color visa size photos	6
	i don't think i used all of these, but i feel like they could be needed just around the corner
Black and white visa size photos	4
	don't think i used any of these. then again, maybe i did.
	no comment.
Passport photos	10
	useful eventually, but available here too. you'll need some during training though. just do what peace corps tells you on this one, you'll be fine.
Sewing Kit	1
	things tear in uganda too, didn't need this, but didn't have to buy one. available here, but mine's so small and convenient...
Alarm Clock	1
	i use my watch, didn't need this
Nalgene Bottle	1
	mine was stolen on the way here!!! i'd bring 2
Slumberjack and inflatable pad	1
	see camping equipment
Headlamp	1
	most people here (at least the cool ones that i hang out with) say this is the best thing they brought. this is extremely useful
Reading light	1
	used sometimes, but more often wanted when it isn't around. more useful for when headlamp runs out of batteries
Watch	1
	used all the time. buy a good sturdy one
Binoculars	1
	if you're into birding, you don't need to be told to bring them. uganda's a birder's paradise
Day Pack	1
	used every day
Backpack	1
	um... didn't actually bring this, and i don't miss it.
iPod solar charger	1
	used a lot, though often just as an auxillary battery. still, i recommend bringing it. i have the solio, and so do a lot of people here. it works, and it's handy.
Guitar	1
	bring one, even if you don't play. rick and i need company
Books	3
	there's a ton of books here, so bring the ones that you don't think you can go two years without. also, i recommend bringing extremely pretentious titles that you don't actually want to read (ulysees, de profundis, and anything by david foster wallace will do fine)
Sketch Pad	1
	eh, i would rather have saved the space and used the paper you can find here. i'm not a big sketcher though, so if you're hardcore, you should bring it
Guitar Strings	3
	i need them
iPod	1
	see electronics
GPS	1
	see camping
Tuner	1
	not recommended for people who aren't bringing a musical instrument. buy hey, maybe you're going to build a wash-tub bass. bring one just in case
Hiking Pants	1
	see camping equipment

note one bringing electronic equipment:

i wish i'd brought a laptop. i like to write, and listen to a lot of music, so it would be useful. i don't have power, so i would only really use it as my own personal computer at the computer lab at my college. for many education volunteers, a laptop would be a complete waste of space. for some, it is (or was) a godsend (see: jessica). health volunteers are a bit more likely to have power, but i would say bring it if you think you'll need it. it's a tough call for anyone.

i'd say bring one if you have one, if not, assess your situation when you're here and have someone wire you cash to buy one in country if you really need one.

as for iPods... it is the thing that keeps me going more than anything (aside from friends, and albatrixces). however, i listen to a lot of music. those of you who can't live without music, definitely bring it. in fact, i don't know anyone who regrets bringing their mp3 players. so bring it. although i haven't known anyone who has lost their mp3 player. well, i recommend bringing it. and the solio. and the new radiohead CD if it ever comes out.

camping equipment:
there are great opportunities to camp in uganda. i really wish i had brought a tent. i pretty much brought everything else i need. if you have a tent, bring it, you can camp out at places for cheap instead of booking a bed. if you like to camp, bring everything you can bring on the plane. if you don't, then don't.

things i wish i had brought:
laptop
tent
herb seeds

everything's available here. stop worrying about your packing list. even the things i wish i'd brought, i don't really need.

last note: if you're bringing cash, bring it in $100 bills dated after 2003. you get a better exchange rate for bigger, newer bills than you do for small bills. it's silly, i know. someone's making a killing off of those 20s, but it isn't me.

and bring me a gift, because i'm lovable.

-rishi

p.s. spanish wine botas was eventually sent. it is very aesthetically pleasing, but not exactly useful.

So... what do you do here?

yes, everyone wants to know what i'm actually doing in uganda. all i ever seem to talk about is bats and cultural adjustments. don't i realize that i'm supposed to be doing actual work here?

so, what have i been up to these days?

well, i'm part of the education program of peace corps uganda. this means that i'll be working for the ugandan ministry of education and sports (abbreviated MOES, one ministry, and no, silly walks is not a sport). i'm assigned to a counterpart, who is a ugandan national. mine - and most of the rest of the education volunteers - is a Coordinating Center Tutor. i assist him in his work at the coordinating center, our catchment area, and i work on my own on secondary projects, which could pretty much be whatever i want.

now, what is a coordinating center? uganda is divided up into districts (not states), which in turn is divided into sub-counties. each sub-county (or group of sub-counties) is given a primary school coordinating center, through which information flows from the MOES to the primary schools. the schools to which the coordinating center is assigned is called a catchment area, and the person in charge of the coordinating center (and the only staff until the trusty PCV arrived!) is the coordinating center tutor. he/she also lives on the compound.

more specifically, the coordinating center tutor holds workshops for current primary school teachers, and also visits the schools in his or her catchment area to provide support and supervision (evaluating the teacher's performance, then meeting with them to discuss strengths and weaknesses).

what i do, or at least what i was doing, was basically that. support/supervision at schools all day every day. this was fun, but a little monotonous. luckily, the CCT and I decided to divide up some of his responsibilities, so i have made it my job - nay, mission - to put PIASCY/life-skills and instructional materials in the schools.

man, every paragraph i write, i explain one thing, and in turn have to explain two others.

PIASCY is a presidential initiative to bring HIV/AIDS education to schools. Life-skills are other social messages and practical skills that are useful for ugandan children. for instance, teaching kids about gender equity, or about farming, or more important things like frisbee golf.

so, i'll be going around to schools giving demonstrative lessons on PIASCY and life skills. then, i'll follow up to see if they are taking my advice. then i'll drop the hammer, and really let em know that they need to be doing this. then they'll do it, and name a road after me. not really, but you gotta dream big.

instructional materials are self-explanatory. i'll just keep guilting people into making them.

thanks for the stuff everyone, but i left the pre-prepared thank you at home, so i'll post that some other time.

-rishi

Kamp town girls won't blow you away...

i'm in kampala, getting some things done. it's been a while since my last post, so i'll give some updates. firstly, the bat situation is more or less (more less) handled. eh, i've had roommates that i didn't like before.

i've started working, so you can quit asking me if i'm just here for a two year vacation. so far, my job consists pretty much of going to schools, watching teachers teach a class, and afterwards i talk to them about my evaluation. i'm not a big fan of chewing people out all day, so i'm going to try to see if i can find other ways to help out my counterpart.

other than that, i visit schools a lot, look around, meet people, see what needs done, that sort of thing. i'm still trying to figure out what i should try to do here.

big thanks on the packages!!! (annie, mom, katy/ross, bhaiya, zach). they make my life worth living. also, in case this hasn't been made completely clear, everyone on the planet is invited to visit me any time they would like. don't worry about the details, i'll figure it out.

i've been logging quite a few miles on the bike. it's holding in there okay, but the front suspension's coil and oil so i lose a lot of pedal power. i'll just have to get stronger.

the soccer team's doing all right. we had our first match last weekend, and we tied 1-1. i played winger, which isn't quite my strong spot, but i ended up drifting up a lot. the problem is that despite the fact that in practice everyone seems to be able to pass directly and spread out a bit, once we're on the open field everyone just kicks as hard as they can, then it's needlessly headed into nowhere where it's kicked/headed again. it was pretty frustrating.

i miss home sometimes. it's kind of depressing to think about the cubs or wvu football, or the fact that a lot of the people i know are going through pivotal times in their lives and i'm not around to share it. but hey, i'm there in spirit. and if my friends would quit fucking getting engaged, i'd appreciate it.

okay, ususally i'd insert some fun anecdotes, but i'm pretty well exhausted, so i'll cop out by posting the speech from our swearing-in ceremony.

Some 5, 6, 10, 20 months ago, we all picked the road less traveled. It started out pretty easy. Tick a box, ask your old boss for a reference, spend a few hours online. We had an interview, got nominated, pushed through a lot of red tape, got nominated for something entirely different, cursed our forgetful doctors, checked “mytoolkit” like a stockticker, and eventually, reached into our mailbox to find a beaten white envelope that had the words “invitation kit” splashed across its front. We started peeling through Ugandan blogs, wikipedia articles, guidebooks, and packing lists. We found ourselves asking odd questions, like “should I bring a shoehorn, or my Spanish wine botas?”

And we showed up in philadelphia, where we stopped signing up, and started doing something. And there we were, 50 strangers, wild-eyed and giddy, thrown into a hodge-podge amalgam that could be nothing short of a family.

When we arrived in Philadelphia, we were happy that the people around us no longer needed us to justify our joining the peace corps. We simply glided past the issue into more pressing matters of mall talk.

Today, that road less traveled has taken us to a precipice, and in a few hours we’ll be jumping. Tomorrow morning we will wake up alone, quietly, and inside yet another new home and we will again have to justify our decision to come to Uganda. But this time, it’s not to the tall guy from payroll, or your best friend, or the girl at the bar in the green shirt, or your brother-in-law. This time we have to justify it to ourselves.

Why are we here? Boredom, ambition, faith? Escape, ennui, adventure? Altruism, spirituality, guilt, curiosity, conscience? Why are we here, and why will we stay?

We’ve all got talent. We all have skills. We have abilities and experience that can land us cushy jobs, evenings in tacky Irish pubs, and summertime weekend barbecues. But even though we love bloody steaks and reality television as much as anyone, we don’t need them. Maybe that’s what brings us together. We need something else, and maybe we’ll find it here.

I’ve never been privileged to be part of such an amazing group of people, and am astounded at how easily we’ve meshed.

10 weeks ago, we all got along immediately. At the time, it was because we missed real cheese, Grey’s Anatomy, and competent journalism. Now, we’re brought together because we really care about each other.

There was a ridiculous Ugandan saying that came up at the counterparts’ workshop. “People who travel together, live together.” I have no idea what that means. But I think a better saying is “people who travel together take care of each other.” The way we look after one another is closer to familial obligation than “friend-in-deed,” and we’re all better for it.

I’m not sure exactly what I expected from the group when I arrived. I suppose I had images of tie-dyed bush-bashing hippies, proselytizing about love and karma. But somehow, everyong here seems to be one of the most interesting people alive. And we stand here together, strong, prepared.

But where will we stand tomorrow? When T.J. isn’t around to liven up our sessions, and Derek isn’t posing intellectual questions concerning ninjas, and we can’t take comfort in communal groans when people ask inane questions at the end of already far too long workshops?

What do we do when the music stops and we’re faced with a community whose needs, aspirations, and problems rest squarely on our shoulders?

This is an exceptional group of Americans, and the best sort at that. Much of the world sees our country as spoiled, ignorant, loud, arrogant imbeciles. It is our fortunate, and monumental task to show them the rest of it. The majority of it.

We join a proud history of American international aid. Though the world seems to judge our foreign policy on our military follies, it forgets the dedication of the individuals that rush into every natural disaster, every refugee crisis, and every major health epidemic. It’s easy to apologize for our shortcomings, but it takes courage and constitution to let our actions be our answers

So stretch out, pony up, and get your business socks on. We’ve got two years to do something good, and 48 brothers and sisters to do it with.

I love you guys and am proud to be your colleague. Good luck, take care of yourselves, and congratulations all around.

no funny anecdotes this time. i guess this is when the quirks of the country give way to the reasons why i'm here. although i assure you, i'll find the funny somewhere.

-rishi