Grussen Sie von Amsterdam

Ok, so that was German and not Dutch, but they'd understand what I meant. I am currently in the very large Amsterdam airport waiting for my flight to Entebbe. There are cool computer ports in my terminal which I am using for the cool price of 3 euros for 15 minutes (that's about $6). Things are going very well.
I was able to leave out of LAX before the earthquake and I landed safely in Detroit. The transfer from Detroit was very easy. That airport is the prettiest one I've ever seen. It was one long concourse with a monorail train to take you from one end to the other (I walked to the end of the concourse just so that I could ride :) ) There was also a beautiful fountain that shot water in crisp streams. Very cool. I had lunch and wandered around.
On my flight from LA I met Frank, an ex-professor turned lawyer and author who was a talker. I also met Alex, a man flying to Uganda on my same flight. He is from Uganda and was in the military since he was 11. He got permission from the president (he knows him) to leave the military and come to America for business school. He's now trying to build a business in Uganda. Cool, right?
From Detroit to here I met a wonderful couple from Norway (yeah, Gundersons!) who were also Christians. They were very nice to talk to and very supportive.
I tell you, I could feel the prayers of everyone. Thank you for them and keep them coming. God has really blessed this trip so far and I cannot wait to be in Africa. Only 9 more hours to go!

Ugandan clock and my itinerary

Want to know what time it is where I will be? Here's a clock that's on Ugandan time. They are 10 hours ahead of LA. It can also tell you the weather conditions of the area. Kampala is a big city sort of close to where I'll be (like from LA to Santa Barbara kind of close).

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=115

It's getting late on Sunday night and I'm feeling pretty good right now. I've made several lists of things that I need to do and things that I have done. I've sprayed all of my clothes and packed them. I've picked out my traveling outfits. I'm still packing my carry-on and trying to find the most economical way to pack things. I made my official itinerary today and I thought I'd share so that you know where I am during my travels.

Into Africa: Brenda’s trip to Uganda

July 29, 2008
8:30 am : depart LAX on flight NW332
4:03 local time (1:03 PST): arrive at Detroit-Wayne county Int’l, MI (DTW)
7:00pm local: depart DTW on flight NW36

Wednesday July 30
9:05am local (midnight): arrive in Amsterdam-Schiphol (AMS)
11:10 am local: depart AMS on flight NW8441/KL 561 on KLM airlines
8:15pm local (10:15 am at home): arrive in Entebbe (EBB)
8:16 : meet up with the Eldeens, drive to some hotel and sleep.

Thursday July 31
Drive to Mbale and meet the Proctors. Sleep.

Friday, August 1
Drive to Nakaale, Uganda. Hug the Goodhearts, meet the other Wrights.

Saturday, August 2 – Tuesday, August 19: Teach and hang out in Karamoja

Wednesday, August 20
10:20 pm: depart EBB on flight: NW 8470/KL562

Thursday, August 21 (the world’s longest day)
5:50 am local: arrive AMS
8:00am local: depart AMS on flight NW39
10:35 am local: arrive DTW
12:00 N: depart DTW on flight NW327
1:51pm: arrive LAX, hug and cry and start showing pictures to my family.

Contact Info:

My website: http://missdempsey.blogspot.com
My email: bdempsey79@hotmail.com


Wow, that's a lot of flying. Oh, that reminds me...I need to add neck pillow to my 'extras' list. Please pray for my days of traveling. Pray that my flights would be safe, that the details of paperwork and customs and changing planes would run smoothly. Pray that I might get some sleep on the plane. Pray that I will meet up with the Eldeens quickly and easily in Entebbe. I've never met them before, but I'm assumming they'll be the only white people there to pick up the only white girl on the plane. It should be easy.

Final prepping and things I'll miss

I am leaving on Tuesday! For Uganda! I'm really having mixed emotions about the whole thing. I'm glad that I'm going, but I've been so focused on the getting ready to go that I haven't allowed myself to think about being there. I'm not just getting on a plane, I'm actually going to Africa. This year I've checked off several things on my life goals list including: learn how a trumpet works, go to New York, go to Carnegie hall, go to a Broadway play, see a student go from failing to succeeding, get a drastically different haircut, and now I can check off GO TO AFRICA!!
I went to REI the other day to get this stuff called Jungle Juice. Apparantly it's this chemical that is so strong that when bugs land on it, they die! I have to wear gloves as I spray it on my clothes. Once it dries it won't be dangerous for me, but malaria carrying mosquitos beware. What I loved the most about this trip was the awesome service I received at REI. When I was wandering around looking for jungle juice, a man came up and asked if I needed help. He knew exactly what kind of stuff I would need for Uganda and had some great suggestions about what would be good for my face and my clothes, as far as bug protection goes.
Nance over in shoes was also great. "Where are you going?" She asked. "Uganda," I replied and unphased she went on to say, "Ok, here are the shoes that are popular in Africa. These are great for walking on land and through streams." What? She knew what would work best for Africa! I don't care if she was just making it up, because I now own a great pair of hiking shoes that actually fit my arches and look like Mary Janes.
I'm now sitting at home after Danny and Katybeth's wedding watching "Father of the Bride" and waiting for my sprayed clothes to dry while I pack. I don't do very well by myself when I'm potentially maudlin. I cried today when I said goodbye to Pam. I won't see her for a month. I'm going to miss my family and my friends so much. I'm going to miss my church family. I'm going to miss ice cream and string cheese. I'm really going to miss my couch. I'm going to miss project runway. I'm going to miss warm showers.
BUT, I get to go to Africa. I get to help kids gain math skills. I get to apply teaching strategies I've learned to kids who've never gone to school. I get to teach them how to play SET - the best game in the world. I get to talk with Martha Wright and hang out with her family. I get to see the sun set in Africa. I'll see animals, creatures, smell smells and hear sounds that I've never heard before. I'll see the Nile. This will be great and I'll love it. Please pray for me for the next few days as I deal with leaving. I've already cried three times today and I'm sure more tears will come, but I'll be doing great in a few days - when I'm in AFRICA!

Eleven

That's the number of misquito bites I currently have and I'm not even in Uganda. I'm writing this from Chinook, MT in Laura's kitchen. We've traveled almost 1,500 miles to hang out with Laura and her family and we're having a great time. We've been driving almost non-stop and some of the kids are doing great. Natalie (the youngest) is the only child I know who hates the car from the beginning. She screams. I'm traveling in the other vehicle ...he he. We've gone to Glacier National Park and seen the Kellam Ranch here in Chinook. I am in awe.
I've always thought of myself as a girl who could be both the city and country girl. I'm not afraid of dirt or animals (except the ones you should be afraid of). I don't mind working hard or being outside. This week I've discovered that living in the country would be harder than I would think. I do love the idea of knowing your neighbors and small town community. I love the houses and the house prices (Laura paid 1/5 of what I did for twice the square footage and a yard). I love being so close to the beauty of nature. I even love the simplicity and mellowness.
I was overwhelmed by the vastness of the space. It's truly "Big Sky" country here. Two days ago we saw the Kellam Ranch and I looked at all of the space and the grass and the cows and the hay and I thought, "I'd never know where to begin."
Yesterday we drove from Glacier to Chinook, which takes about 6 hours. Most of that was just nature and a two lane road called "the 2" (4 for the 2). I almost got a clausterphobic feel from all of the openness. I was actually longing for some enclosed city scape. How strange. But then it started raining and I saw a full rainbow - from beginning to end a complete arc. It was so beautiful. Then it doubled. After that, the full moon rose over the Bear Paw mountain range and glowed a bright orange against the deep blue sky. The sun was setting on the opposite horizon and purple and orange traced the cumulus clouds. I think I've said the word 'beautiful' more times in that day than any other day of my life.
I think it's like how I view God sometimes. At times I think that I know God and I love to be in His presence. I get pretty comfortable with Him and I forget just how big He is. But when I'm surrounded by something that reminds me of His vastness, His Glory, His power - I get a proper sense of dread. I think it's what I should feel when I think of the fear of God. But it's also bookended by an amazing picture of His grace, His love, His creativity. It's His greatness and dreadfulness that make the amazing things of beauty possible.
Well, tomorrow we're off to Yellowstone. This also means that I will be leaving Laura behind. I miss having her around, just a phone call and a quick drive away. I miss sitting on her red couch and watching stupid movies together. But I see more and more each time I visit here, why she had to come home and why she will never move back. This is where she belongs and I'm glad to have such a beautiful place that this city girl can visit so she can remember her country girl roots.

Visa and medicine

It's getting closer and closer to the date I actually leave for Uganda. I'm still in a state of disbelief about even going to Africa. It's kind of like when I was a kid and I designed my own house using shoe boxes and I picked all of the furniture out of the IKEA catalogue and made a budget for the cost of furnishing each room (yep, even then I was a dork). I did all of this planning and I enjoyed it, but I never expected to actually furnish the house. I was just planning.
So I've spent all of the money and I've filled out all of this paperwork and I've made phone calls and such, but my heart doesn't believe that I'm really going. I am certainly not emotionally prepared to go yet.

But I keep trekking on. So this week, Tuesday, I (with the wonderful help of my parents) filled out the application for my Visa to go to Uganda. I was particularly careful about each detail of the application and I made copies of all of my paperwork I had to send in (including my passport and yellow fever card).

Included in the package I sent I had to have two passport photos. I went to Kinkos and had the guy take my picture. I was without make-up and particularly feeling ugly. I had this flash to my mother's green card picture in which she was unable to smile and looked very much like a criminal. I thought that I couldn't smile for this one either. So I didn't and I looked like a criminal. An ugly one at that. After the pictures were printed, I looked at my passport picture and saw my big smile. What a dork! Of course I can smile for this. Why not! So I sent two of the ugliest pictures of me to the Ugandan consulate, hoping that they wouldn't be permanently added to any documentation I might need.

$100 later, I was forced to simply trust the USPS and the Ugandan consulate to not lose my passport and to return everything before the end of July.

I was then off to get my prescription filled for my anti-malaria pills that I chose to get. Previously I mentioned why I chose this particular brand of drugs - they were expensive, but had the least amount of side effects. I turned in the paper to the Wallgreens guy and asked him to call me back to the counter when he discovered the cost of my pills.

Five minutes later, while perusing some wonderful birthday cards, I was called over to the counter. "Your insurance doesn't cover this," He said, flinching. "It's rather expensive," he continued.

"Yes, I know. How much?"

"$246..." he looked like I was about to hit him or cry or pass out in shock.

"I suspected. Ok."

"You still want us to fill it?"

"Yep."

I was reminded of the time I was buying my house and you're dealing with numbers like $350,000 and $70,000 and someone says the price of the inspection is $100 and it instantly feels like the cheapest thing in the world. I'm in a similar state of mind. So my prescription is filled and all I have to do is wait for my visa...ding dong...(my impersonation of the door bell). At the door today was my package from the Ugandan consulate containing my passport with my yellow fever paper stapled inside and a beautiful Visa sticker on page 17! I have a VISA!!! I cannot believe the turnaround. I mailed it on Tuesday and it arrived on Wednesday in DC. Friday was a holiday and it arrived today in CA! Amazing! I will have to take back my distrust of the USPS. All that's left to do is pack.

Don't touch the Van Gough and other helpful hints.

I just got back from a great trip to Washington DC with 18 of my students and three other adults. We had a marvelous time and saw a whole lot, some of which I'd already seen and some which was totally new. None of my kids had been before and it was a great experience for all.

Here are some highlights and fun quotes. If you'd like to see some of the 1,000 pictures I took...well, then you're weird or family (both in some cases).

1) When we ordered dinner at LAX before our flight, I asked the server if she was having a good day, said please and thank you and all the usual. Afterward, one of my students said, "Ms. Dempsey, I always wondered if you were as polite in public as you were in class. I guess you are." I laughed.

2) We took a tour package through Smithsonian tours. Our tour guide was great and from Brazil. Our first coach driver was actually the owner. He was very talkative and I found out that he flew airplanes for missionaries in New Guinea for Wycliffe Bible Translators. He knew the missionary family of a guy that's been coming to my parents' Wednesday night Bible study. Small world, right?

3) While in the National Museum of Art, I showed my kids (only three of them) the Impressionists. I love Impressionists so I was telling them what to look for. We came to the Van Gough room and I said, "Look at the painting from far away. Notice the pretty colors. When we get close, notice the chunks of paint." Somehow 'look' and 'notice' translated into 'touch'. Yep, one of my students touched a Van Gough. I instantly and urgently told her to stop and that you cannot touch anything or even get too close. That each of these was worth hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars. She seemed unfazed. I, however, was secretly jealous. She got to touch a Van Gough!

4) I met up with Laura Kellam! I was nervous that our plans wouldn't work out, but we met up at the Natural History Museum and walked around the Mall (not a shopping one). Her sister-in-law, Anita, was with us too. We saw the Vietnam Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Korean Memorial, and Washington Monument.

5) While at the Vietnam memorial we heard a little girl say,
Girl: Grandma, what was your friend's name?
Grandma: Jack, we called him Jack.
Girl: And how old was he when he died?
Grandma: 19, he was just 19.Then she cried and so did we.

6) While at the Lincoln with Laura and Anita, there was a lightning storm like none I'd ever seen. We waited out the storm sitting next to Lincoln with 100's of other people for about 30 minutes or so. Thunder boomed and echoed throughout the building. It was one of the most amazing sights I've ever seen.

7) To get back to my hotel, after hanging out with Laura, I had to take the subway by myself. This wasn't too bad because I've ridden many subways and I'm pretty familiar with DC's but it was about 11:30 at night and I was only hoping that the subway was going toward my hotel that was about 30 minutes from DC's downtown. I rode safely and then exited to find a taxi waiting. I rode the taxi the three blocks to my hotel and I paid him too much because I was just so happy to have arrived safely.

8) I received over 25 phone calls on my birthday. Many of which were Paul, Erin, and the kids singing me various birthday tunes, including ones they made up. Grandma R accidentally sang happy birthday to the wrong number before she got to me.

9) Student: Some people are grumpy in the morning and some people are grumpy at night, but Ms. Dempsey is never grumpy. Me: I'm grumpy when I'm tired and people are disrespectful. Student: pauses. Yeah, but I think that's right.
My kids are so cool.

10) Our kids were good, but they don't really understand about proper etiquette sometimes. On the day we visited Arlington Cemetery, I gave them a speech about honor and behavior.Me: "We are going to a place where men and women who have served our nation have chosen, or their families have chosen for them, to be buried. This is a place where you must show the utmost respect. This means no running, play fighting, or even giggling. If you are unable to show this kind of respect I will be very mad, not just Ms. Dempsey mad, VERY mad. Thank you."
They were phenomenal! Our tour guide said that they were one of the most respectful groups she'd seen. I was so proud of them.

11) I loved sharing DC with my kids. I made sure they noticed details that made things even cooler (at least I thought so), like: "Did you notice G. Washington's signature? That's really his signature." or "Look, that's the first book that was EVER printed -EVER!!" or "This is where Martin Luther King, Jr gave his 'I have a dream speech.'" or "Yes, this is where they filmed National Treasure 2"

12) Some fun quotes and questions from my kids (and some sad ones):
"Is that the real ___________" fill in anything from Constitution to White House.
"What's the secret service?"
"Do you eat ice cream every day?"
"But that was back in the times when people believed the Bible was real." (I responded, "People still do believe the Bible is real.")
"What's the Holocaust?"
"More museums!"
"I'm so excited, the SPY museum!"
"22, oh no, 21!" (we counted to 22 fifty times a day to make sure that all of our kids were with us. Several times we got to 21 instead. We had a wanderer.)
"Is that a homeless?" (this came from someone from Arkansas).