Saturday, October 3rd, 2009

Saturday, October 3^rd, 2009

 

Today was a LONG day.  It started off with our Makindye Cluster Retreat in Kampala.  Cluster retreats are events where all the scholars from a specific geographic area get together and network, debate and discuss issues affecting Uganda.  It was supposed to start at 9:00 AM and go till 5:00…but all the schools didn’t arrive until 10:30.  Lateness is a HUGE problem in Uganda.  You basically assume people will always be late – which is a pet peeve of mine.

While we were waiting for the children Solomon came over.  He looked upset.  Apparently the blackberry I gave him doesn’t use a SIM card.  The card we had removed the night before was a memory chip (which is much smaller and serves a completely different function from a SIM card).  Solomon was so excited to have the blackberry and so despondent that the SIM card didn’t fit that he CUT his SIM card and tried to force it in.  That didn’t work.  Then he took a trip to MTN (the cellular service provider in Uganda) and they couldn’t help him.  Then he took a trip to ANOTHER MTN store in Kampala and they couldn’t help him either.  (This all happened before 9:00 AM).  He was upset.  Even though it didn’t work he carried it around in his pocket.  If anyone wants to donate a blackberry (must use a SIM card…believe Sprint is the only provider that doesn’t use one) to this guy let me know!

Overall the retreat was enjoyable.  A few things:

- The kids debated over whether corruption could ever be curbed.  they came to the conclusion that it couldn’t be stopped. 

- Earlier in they day I noticed a girl with a severe leg defect.  It looked like she had elephantitis or water retention problems or something.  Her calf was probably the size of my thigh.  Very disfigured.  She came over to me at one point.  She told me her name was Pamellah.

“Can I ask you something?”  She said.

“Sure.”

“Do you know any scholarships in the US that can send a disabled girl to college?  My parents can’t afford it.”

I told her I’d help her look for scholarships.  I felt so bad for her – again I met someone who’d been dealt a drastically different hand.

Afterwards we took a matatu to the Bus Park.  The bus park is possibly the seediest place I’ve ever been.  Seriously – it makes New York City’s Port Authority Bus Terminal look like Candy Land.  A lot of shady stuff goes on there.

I walked in and someone grabbed my arm.  “Hey talk to me.  I’m not a thief.”

I stared him down.  “Don’t touch me.”

He was surprised a mzungu reacted like that.  I’m just tired of these freaking people trying to exploit me every second of the day.

We walked by someone who yelled something at one of the mentors.  I heard “mzungu” somewhere.

“What did he say?”  I asked.

“Protect the mzungu.  The wolves are out tonight.”

Lovely.

The last bus to Mbale had left so we left the Bus Park and went to Old Taxi Park to get a matatu.  I wasn’t thrilled.  We crammed into a ratty old bus and headed for Mbale.  Sandrah and I sang Christmas carols we were so bored.  It was an, umm, interesting ride.  The matatu hit 140 kilometers per hour at one point (87.5 MPH).  I thought the van was going to fall apart.  I probably wont make many other trips like that.

We got to our hotel, “The Mbale Travellers Inn.”  It was actually nice compared with the Nsoma Hotel – no seedy pictures.  The funny part is that our room had only two full size beds and one HUGE mosquito net to drape over both beds.  I split the room with Solomon and James (two Ugandan mentors).  They were nice enough to give me a full size bed by myself and they split another one.

“You can also have the entire mosquito net.”  Solomon said.

“Are you sure?  Aren’t you scared of the mosquitoes?”  I asked.  We were in an area notorious for malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

Solomon patted his bicep.  “I’m resistant!  Mosquitoes can’t touch me!  I didn’t use a mosquito net until was 22!”

Hmm.  Again misperceptions about the seriousness of Malaria.  Very happy I can afford Malaria prophylactics.

A few of the mentors and Educate! staff wanted to get food and then go to Oasis (apparently a famous Mbale club).  I was too exhausted and just passed out in the hotel room.  Glad I did…apparently the place wasn’t too exciting.  Mbale isn’t a happening night spot.