Showing posts with label Uganda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Uganda. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
My presentation
This Sunday I'll be presenting some pictures and several stories from my trip to Uganda. It will be at my Church (Faith OPC) at about 12:30. It's a potluck, but don't worry about bringing anything. If you can come, I'd love to see you. I'll post pictures eventually. Thanks for reading.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The results are in!
So I decided to go to my favorite clinic to get my malaria test done. This is just a precaution to see if the malaria is just lying dormant in my system or if it is really gone. I went to the Dr's almost two weeks ago and spoke with my doctor. She was so disappointed to hear that I got malaria. She almost seemed to take personal responsibility. I told her that everyone got it despite their malaria meds they were taking. She still wasn't happy.
She had to send me to a different lab that does phlebotomy (takes blood) and cool tests like malaria smears. She asked me to start on the quinine until we heard. Now I'm usually the first person to do everything the doctor tells me to do. I go to every appointment and take every pill that is prescribed. I like to be a good patient. Quinine makes people very sick. It is almost like the chemo of malaria. It does a good job killing the parasite, but it makes the patient feel worse than the sickness itself. I made a face and said, "Really?" "Please do, as much as you can," she replied. I am not one to disobey a doctor, but I can't teach while vomiting - trust me, I've tried.
The lab took a while for me to get to since my schedule and their walk-in schedule never seemed to align. But on Thursday the 4th, I got my blood taken. She said that the results would take 2-3 days and my doctor said she would call as soon as she heard anything. The great news was that they were testing my liver as well as my red blood cells just to see if any little bugs were hiding and camping out.
So I waited...and waited...and then panicked. I felt sure that I had malaria again. I was feeling the same symptoms of fatigue, listlessness, and small aches in weird places. I realized that I was beginning teaching again and Julie got a Wii. I was tired and ached, but there were rational explanations. So I waited some more. Finally I called and asked several people about my results. They finally called and said they had been mailed to me on Monday and I should just be patient.
So I waited and checked the mail like a fanatic. I even spent 5 minutes staring at the postman while he tried to do his job and ignore the crazy woman standing next to her open mailbox waiting for it to be full. I tried to start small talk, but I don't think he got into this job to talk to crazy people...wait maybe he is crazy too...anyway. Side note: I was totally drooling over the organizing this guy gets to do everyday. I almost asked if I could help sort the mailers, but he didn't need any more ammunition against me - poor choice of words.
So I called again, every day and left messages asking them to call me back and to leave any results on my answering machine. They wouldn't. I finally got someone from medical records to look up my lab results. She was holding them in her hand (and assured me that they had been mailed on Wednesday). I asked if she could just read them over the phone. She put me on hold. When she returned she said, "I'm only allowed to read you the last line of the last page. 'All test results are within normal limits.' Does that make you happy?" She asked very sweetly. I think she realized the idiocy of the legal hoops she had to jump through and was trying to be as helpful as possible. "Yes, thanks," I replied. That was sort of true.
Normal levels of malaria is no malaria - right? What about my liver? I still wasn't satisfied and I'm pretty sure that the mailman was avoiding me so I thought I'd call again. I left a message saying, "I'd like to speak with my doctor about my malaria results," so that it seemed like I wasn't calling about the same thing. My doctor was out of town, so her sub called and left a message saying to call him back. I did and left him a message saying, "I would like to know the exact results from my malaria smear and liver test. Please leave me a message if I am unable to answer the phone."
The next day I received a message saying the my malaria smear was negative and my liver test was clear! Finally!! I still haven't received the supposed paper that was mailed to me, but I'm sure that they didn't get me mixed up with the other malaria patient they have (because I'm sure they don't have one). So now I'm healthy and I will remain that way until flu season.
She had to send me to a different lab that does phlebotomy (takes blood) and cool tests like malaria smears. She asked me to start on the quinine until we heard. Now I'm usually the first person to do everything the doctor tells me to do. I go to every appointment and take every pill that is prescribed. I like to be a good patient. Quinine makes people very sick. It is almost like the chemo of malaria. It does a good job killing the parasite, but it makes the patient feel worse than the sickness itself. I made a face and said, "Really?" "Please do, as much as you can," she replied. I am not one to disobey a doctor, but I can't teach while vomiting - trust me, I've tried.
The lab took a while for me to get to since my schedule and their walk-in schedule never seemed to align. But on Thursday the 4th, I got my blood taken. She said that the results would take 2-3 days and my doctor said she would call as soon as she heard anything. The great news was that they were testing my liver as well as my red blood cells just to see if any little bugs were hiding and camping out.
So I waited...and waited...and then panicked. I felt sure that I had malaria again. I was feeling the same symptoms of fatigue, listlessness, and small aches in weird places. I realized that I was beginning teaching again and Julie got a Wii. I was tired and ached, but there were rational explanations. So I waited some more. Finally I called and asked several people about my results. They finally called and said they had been mailed to me on Monday and I should just be patient.
So I waited and checked the mail like a fanatic. I even spent 5 minutes staring at the postman while he tried to do his job and ignore the crazy woman standing next to her open mailbox waiting for it to be full. I tried to start small talk, but I don't think he got into this job to talk to crazy people...wait maybe he is crazy too...anyway. Side note: I was totally drooling over the organizing this guy gets to do everyday. I almost asked if I could help sort the mailers, but he didn't need any more ammunition against me - poor choice of words.
So I called again, every day and left messages asking them to call me back and to leave any results on my answering machine. They wouldn't. I finally got someone from medical records to look up my lab results. She was holding them in her hand (and assured me that they had been mailed on Wednesday). I asked if she could just read them over the phone. She put me on hold. When she returned she said, "I'm only allowed to read you the last line of the last page. 'All test results are within normal limits.' Does that make you happy?" She asked very sweetly. I think she realized the idiocy of the legal hoops she had to jump through and was trying to be as helpful as possible. "Yes, thanks," I replied. That was sort of true.
Normal levels of malaria is no malaria - right? What about my liver? I still wasn't satisfied and I'm pretty sure that the mailman was avoiding me so I thought I'd call again. I left a message saying, "I'd like to speak with my doctor about my malaria results," so that it seemed like I wasn't calling about the same thing. My doctor was out of town, so her sub called and left a message saying to call him back. I did and left him a message saying, "I would like to know the exact results from my malaria smear and liver test. Please leave me a message if I am unable to answer the phone."
The next day I received a message saying the my malaria smear was negative and my liver test was clear! Finally!! I still haven't received the supposed paper that was mailed to me, but I'm sure that they didn't get me mixed up with the other malaria patient they have (because I'm sure they don't have one). So now I'm healthy and I will remain that way until flu season.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
More about Africa
Well, many people are wondering what I really did while in Africa. Not that I'm some international spy with a secret agenda or something, it's just that I haven't been able to share a complete itinerary. So here's a little more about what I've done.
Days 1-3ish:
I traveled over 28 hours to get to Entebbe, drove to Kampala, drove to Mbale, and drove to Karamoja. This took a long time, but was an excellent way to get introduced to Africa. I was able to meet lots of Ugandans and missionaries. I went to a birthday party and helped some kids get ready for a costume party (I altered a dress to make a girl into Jane Austen). The drives were over some paved and mostly muddy roads.
Days 4-19: Life in Karamoja
Karamoja is a remote area of Uganda that even Ugandans don't visit. They are fearing the Karamajong because they were very violent with warring tribes. They have been disarmed over the past 3 years and are very friendly with those who don't have cows or don't want to steal their cows.
I spent each weekday doing math with the five Wright kids (missionary kids who just got back from a year in America) and helping the Wrights set up their math curriculum for the year. The kids were great to work with. Each one was unique in their math thinking and their need of me. They were very sweet to get started on school before summer was over.
I was also able to teach Bible lessons in neighboring villages. We used picture cards and translators (most people spoke Karamajong) to teach the lessons. Before and after the lessons we sang songs to the rhythm of the children clapping. They were great singers. After prayer, each kid got a vitamin. This was a great part of my experience. One time, the kids wanted to dance with me. We jumped in circles (it was actually much like dances here, but cleaner dancing) and while we jumped others clapped and sang.
One week, I was able to teach in the public schools with other people in my group. We had a curriculum on oceans. It started with a Bible lesson related to oceans and then I taught with Martha Wright on oceans. The kids had a very minimal understanding of geography and even less about the oceans. On our last day, we showed them a video on the ocean and that was amazing. Many had never seen a movie before.
Days 20-22: Touring
The missionaries I helped were generous and treated me to a mini-vacation on the Nile. We stayed in an amazing resort on Lake Victoria, took a tour of the Nile, shopped in Jinja, and drove to the mall in Kampala. It was so luxurious and I felt spoiled. The Nile tour was just like the Jungle Cruise. Sadly, no one was from CA so no one understood the reason for my giggles. But let's face it, that happens a lot to me.
I flew home (as I already wrote) and I was happy to see everyone again. I still feel like I could have stayed for two more weeks. I definitely want to go back. Don't panic about me leaving for good. I love CA so much, especially the people here. Leaving for good is just too hard to think about with the beautiful ocean breeze blowing in my face and my church family surrounding me at the beach party. I live a charmed life.
Days 1-3ish:
I traveled over 28 hours to get to Entebbe, drove to Kampala, drove to Mbale, and drove to Karamoja. This took a long time, but was an excellent way to get introduced to Africa. I was able to meet lots of Ugandans and missionaries. I went to a birthday party and helped some kids get ready for a costume party (I altered a dress to make a girl into Jane Austen). The drives were over some paved and mostly muddy roads.
Days 4-19: Life in Karamoja
Karamoja is a remote area of Uganda that even Ugandans don't visit. They are fearing the Karamajong because they were very violent with warring tribes. They have been disarmed over the past 3 years and are very friendly with those who don't have cows or don't want to steal their cows.
I spent each weekday doing math with the five Wright kids (missionary kids who just got back from a year in America) and helping the Wrights set up their math curriculum for the year. The kids were great to work with. Each one was unique in their math thinking and their need of me. They were very sweet to get started on school before summer was over.
I was also able to teach Bible lessons in neighboring villages. We used picture cards and translators (most people spoke Karamajong) to teach the lessons. Before and after the lessons we sang songs to the rhythm of the children clapping. They were great singers. After prayer, each kid got a vitamin. This was a great part of my experience. One time, the kids wanted to dance with me. We jumped in circles (it was actually much like dances here, but cleaner dancing) and while we jumped others clapped and sang.
One week, I was able to teach in the public schools with other people in my group. We had a curriculum on oceans. It started with a Bible lesson related to oceans and then I taught with Martha Wright on oceans. The kids had a very minimal understanding of geography and even less about the oceans. On our last day, we showed them a video on the ocean and that was amazing. Many had never seen a movie before.
Days 20-22: Touring
The missionaries I helped were generous and treated me to a mini-vacation on the Nile. We stayed in an amazing resort on Lake Victoria, took a tour of the Nile, shopped in Jinja, and drove to the mall in Kampala. It was so luxurious and I felt spoiled. The Nile tour was just like the Jungle Cruise. Sadly, no one was from CA so no one understood the reason for my giggles. But let's face it, that happens a lot to me.
I flew home (as I already wrote) and I was happy to see everyone again. I still feel like I could have stayed for two more weeks. I definitely want to go back. Don't panic about me leaving for good. I love CA so much, especially the people here. Leaving for good is just too hard to think about with the beautiful ocean breeze blowing in my face and my church family surrounding me at the beach party. I live a charmed life.
Friday, August 22, 2008
I am home! Alakara for your prayers.
I got home yesterday afternoon. I did the math and figured out that by the time I met up with my parents and brother at LAX, I had travelled for 28 hours and was awake for 40. My trip home was pleasantly uneventful and it did not feel as long as 28 hours should feel. This time around I was able to travel with the group of people who got to Karamoja before I did. This included some of the Bill Wright family (Bill, Jeremiah, and Annie), Isaac, Becky, and Gayle. It was so nice to have people around me who were as concerned about my safety and well being as I was about their's. On the second flight of the day, I had two seats all to myself! It was a total blessing. I even got to sleep with my feet up!
Let me just take a moment to thank you all for reading and praying for me. I'm sorry that I didn't get to blog every day. I really wanted to write every detail down so that you might know each little story that I've accumulated. I wrote an extensive journal that did just that, but I found that I write better on the computer than I do on paper - stylistically speaking.
This blog is by no means the last of the Unganda blogs, but it is a summary blog of things I've learned from this trip.
Things I've learned:
1) God love's me in the details. I've known that God loves me. I've known it as much as I've known anything. But as I learn more about my own sin, it becomes harder for me to feel that God likes me. I know that He has plans for me and I trust that, but does He sit from heaven and look at me and ever smile or desire to pat me on the head (metaphorically speaking) like my own father might? Well, this trip has helped me see that He does. I call them my love notes from God and there were lots of them. Strangers that spoke to me while traveling, speaking just the right things to make me feel safe or hopeful or cheered up. Beautiful scenes of nature that only I saw. Love from the local kids that filled me with that joy that I get when I teach. Little bits of home that would bring me peace at just the right time. Every prayer I prayed in fear, every petition I made in urgency - God answered with a resounding "YES!" God protected me and made me comfortable during my whole stay - even with malaria.
2) Kids are kids everywhere. While working in the schools I met lots of kids who have difficult lives. They work hard doing physical labor, many are undernourished, they live with the fear of sickness and death, and they are at a level of poverty that I don't think I've ever seen before anywhere. Yet when I got out my camera to take pictures, the boys would show me their strong man poses and make silly faces. The girls would smile and giggle and stand with their friends. The kids played and sang songs and danced (I learned that I dance much better in Africa than I do in America), they got frustrated with their teachers, whispered during class, doodled, some were eager to answer questions and some wanted to blend into the shadows. Man, do I love kids.
3) I love warm water. I don't think there needs to be any explanation except that I nearly cried with joy at my warm shower I took back home.
4) Africa is a beautiful and diverse place. It is not as scary as it may seem and there are so many friendly people. The natural beauty is much greener than I expected and the animal life I saw was much more normal than I expected. In the bigger cities there are many people from all over Africa, India, and the middle East.
5) I love laws and regulations. Rousseau wrote, "Man is born free and is everywhere in chains." I say, "Yes, and I'm so glad." In Unganda and particularly Karamoja, there are laws and some of them are enforced. Yet there are lots of freedoms. I rode on the back of a truck up a winding dirt road - and had a blast. You can build any building out of any materials for whatever purpose. Anyone can come into the schools and teach. You can show up to school or not - even if you're the teacher. Sonogram techs can start IV's in the hospital or even do medical treatment. You can buy drugs at the pharmacy without a prescription.
Some of these freedoms are fine if the people you're with are trustworthy, but it is easy to see what happens to the society because of these freedoms. I really appreciate how safe and clean America is.
6) I am rich beyond belief. I've always felt that I am wealthy. I'm not just talking in the fluffy-It's-a-wonderful-life-I-am-rich-with-friends kind of way. I've always been so thankful that I have a paycheck and a nice house, and I can buy pretty much whatever I want whenever I want or fly on trips each year. I am amazed at my own wealth even though it may not compare to many in America. When I went into my giant bathroom this morning and I looked at my tile and my toothbrush and all my stuff, I wondered what the Karamajong would think of my house and I realized that to them I live in ultimate luxery. And I do.
7) I know how to teach. Even with a translator, teaching and connecting with people in that way was the most fun I had the whole trip. I was born to be a teacher.
8) I have great family and friends. I knew this before I left, but having a forced disconnect from them really made me feel the need I have for them and them specifically, not just friends in general. There were lots of nice people there whom I bonded with and who are now a part of my circle of friends, but they did not fill those holes in my heart for my friends and family here.
9) Malaria's not that bad if you treat it. I had one bad night and that was it. I feel totally fine and when people kept asking how I felt I kept wondering why. I forgot that I had malaria. I think that it's gone now, but I'm going to still take my medication for a couple more days. The time I had the flu this year and went to the doctors was so much worse than malaria that I would rather have malaria than the flu. Really.
10) Kids grow fast. When I saw Natalie yesterday, I cried. She turned into a toddler while I was away. Michael is now a tall boy, and Karis - well, I knew she'd be different, but she was sooo much bigger. That made me feel like I'd been gone a long time. Their hugs and love and periodic kisses during our evening together made me feel like I was truly back home.
Well, I'm off to condense my 12 gigs of photos into something digestable for the rest of the world. My mom is willing to help me in this and I'm sure it will take us a couple days. Keep reading updates as I tell more stories. Thanks for reading and supporting me in this. It was a great experience and there wasn't one moment that I regretted.
Let me just take a moment to thank you all for reading and praying for me. I'm sorry that I didn't get to blog every day. I really wanted to write every detail down so that you might know each little story that I've accumulated. I wrote an extensive journal that did just that, but I found that I write better on the computer than I do on paper - stylistically speaking.
This blog is by no means the last of the Unganda blogs, but it is a summary blog of things I've learned from this trip.
Things I've learned:
1) God love's me in the details. I've known that God loves me. I've known it as much as I've known anything. But as I learn more about my own sin, it becomes harder for me to feel that God likes me. I know that He has plans for me and I trust that, but does He sit from heaven and look at me and ever smile or desire to pat me on the head (metaphorically speaking) like my own father might? Well, this trip has helped me see that He does. I call them my love notes from God and there were lots of them. Strangers that spoke to me while traveling, speaking just the right things to make me feel safe or hopeful or cheered up. Beautiful scenes of nature that only I saw. Love from the local kids that filled me with that joy that I get when I teach. Little bits of home that would bring me peace at just the right time. Every prayer I prayed in fear, every petition I made in urgency - God answered with a resounding "YES!" God protected me and made me comfortable during my whole stay - even with malaria.
2) Kids are kids everywhere. While working in the schools I met lots of kids who have difficult lives. They work hard doing physical labor, many are undernourished, they live with the fear of sickness and death, and they are at a level of poverty that I don't think I've ever seen before anywhere. Yet when I got out my camera to take pictures, the boys would show me their strong man poses and make silly faces. The girls would smile and giggle and stand with their friends. The kids played and sang songs and danced (I learned that I dance much better in Africa than I do in America), they got frustrated with their teachers, whispered during class, doodled, some were eager to answer questions and some wanted to blend into the shadows. Man, do I love kids.
3) I love warm water. I don't think there needs to be any explanation except that I nearly cried with joy at my warm shower I took back home.
4) Africa is a beautiful and diverse place. It is not as scary as it may seem and there are so many friendly people. The natural beauty is much greener than I expected and the animal life I saw was much more normal than I expected. In the bigger cities there are many people from all over Africa, India, and the middle East.
5) I love laws and regulations. Rousseau wrote, "Man is born free and is everywhere in chains." I say, "Yes, and I'm so glad." In Unganda and particularly Karamoja, there are laws and some of them are enforced. Yet there are lots of freedoms. I rode on the back of a truck up a winding dirt road - and had a blast. You can build any building out of any materials for whatever purpose. Anyone can come into the schools and teach. You can show up to school or not - even if you're the teacher. Sonogram techs can start IV's in the hospital or even do medical treatment. You can buy drugs at the pharmacy without a prescription.
Some of these freedoms are fine if the people you're with are trustworthy, but it is easy to see what happens to the society because of these freedoms. I really appreciate how safe and clean America is.
6) I am rich beyond belief. I've always felt that I am wealthy. I'm not just talking in the fluffy-It's-a-wonderful-life-I-am-rich-with-friends kind of way. I've always been so thankful that I have a paycheck and a nice house, and I can buy pretty much whatever I want whenever I want or fly on trips each year. I am amazed at my own wealth even though it may not compare to many in America. When I went into my giant bathroom this morning and I looked at my tile and my toothbrush and all my stuff, I wondered what the Karamajong would think of my house and I realized that to them I live in ultimate luxery. And I do.
7) I know how to teach. Even with a translator, teaching and connecting with people in that way was the most fun I had the whole trip. I was born to be a teacher.
8) I have great family and friends. I knew this before I left, but having a forced disconnect from them really made me feel the need I have for them and them specifically, not just friends in general. There were lots of nice people there whom I bonded with and who are now a part of my circle of friends, but they did not fill those holes in my heart for my friends and family here.
9) Malaria's not that bad if you treat it. I had one bad night and that was it. I feel totally fine and when people kept asking how I felt I kept wondering why. I forgot that I had malaria. I think that it's gone now, but I'm going to still take my medication for a couple more days. The time I had the flu this year and went to the doctors was so much worse than malaria that I would rather have malaria than the flu. Really.
10) Kids grow fast. When I saw Natalie yesterday, I cried. She turned into a toddler while I was away. Michael is now a tall boy, and Karis - well, I knew she'd be different, but she was sooo much bigger. That made me feel like I'd been gone a long time. Their hugs and love and periodic kisses during our evening together made me feel like I was truly back home.
Well, I'm off to condense my 12 gigs of photos into something digestable for the rest of the world. My mom is willing to help me in this and I'm sure it will take us a couple days. Keep reading updates as I tell more stories. Thanks for reading and supporting me in this. It was a great experience and there wasn't one moment that I regretted.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
My African Hitchhiker
As some of you may have heard, I have Malaria. Funny, but I am about to quote what many of my friends who've had malaria have said, "It's not that bad."
I was feeling a bit off on Friday (the most common complaint of early onset) so I went to the clinic to 'get poked'. Elizabeth (an amazing Kenyan who works there) did the job and as I waited for her to look at my slide, I wandered around the clinic with my friend, Gayle (a Dr. from America). I finally made the loop back and saw Elizabeth in the lab. I felt a little foolish about getting tested because I felt so good. She looked up as I came to the window and asked, "I'm negative right?" And she shook her head no.
I choked back a few tears and asked the next question that should come to any Dempsey's mind, "Can I see it?" She described to me what the malaria parasite looked like and I looked at my blood cells in the microscope. Sure enough, there was a half circled parasite hiding in my red blood cell. A mild case is a count of 1-2 and mine was of 2-3.
I went back to work and felt ok, but decided to rest after lunch and my first dose of Artenam. I had a rough night with little sleep, lots of aches, and strange dreams - I mean stranger than my normal dreams. So strange that they cannot even be explained. I was able to talk to my parents, Julie, and my brother Dann (he called when I started feeling really bad) and they were all encouraging. I was able to listen to my ipod and actually get some sleep.
I felt a little off yesterday, but only needed naps. Today, I feel just right. God chose not to keep this parasite from me, but He certainly chose to give me grace during my sickness. I didn't throw up (my least favorite symptom) and I feel great now. Someone in our group suggested that maybe I felt okay during the whole thing because if you start so high energy when it knocks you down to normal level, no one can tell. That was sweet - and probably true.
For the first time, I didn't work with all of the Wright children in one day, but we made up for lost time.
I leave tomorrow for Jinja, the source of the Nile. We will spend one night there and then drive to Kampala. We will spend one more night there and then fly out of Entebbe Wednesday night. I will hopefully arrive home on Thursday. My parents want to have some people over to their house on Thursday night, so if you're in the area and in the mood to see a million pictures of Africa, come on by.
Please keep me in your prayers, I can absolutely feel them. I feel like in my small time here I have been effective and I'm so glad for this time. I'll blog more details when I have more time and more depedable internet.
I was feeling a bit off on Friday (the most common complaint of early onset) so I went to the clinic to 'get poked'. Elizabeth (an amazing Kenyan who works there) did the job and as I waited for her to look at my slide, I wandered around the clinic with my friend, Gayle (a Dr. from America). I finally made the loop back and saw Elizabeth in the lab. I felt a little foolish about getting tested because I felt so good. She looked up as I came to the window and asked, "I'm negative right?" And she shook her head no.
I choked back a few tears and asked the next question that should come to any Dempsey's mind, "Can I see it?" She described to me what the malaria parasite looked like and I looked at my blood cells in the microscope. Sure enough, there was a half circled parasite hiding in my red blood cell. A mild case is a count of 1-2 and mine was of 2-3.
I went back to work and felt ok, but decided to rest after lunch and my first dose of Artenam. I had a rough night with little sleep, lots of aches, and strange dreams - I mean stranger than my normal dreams. So strange that they cannot even be explained. I was able to talk to my parents, Julie, and my brother Dann (he called when I started feeling really bad) and they were all encouraging. I was able to listen to my ipod and actually get some sleep.
I felt a little off yesterday, but only needed naps. Today, I feel just right. God chose not to keep this parasite from me, but He certainly chose to give me grace during my sickness. I didn't throw up (my least favorite symptom) and I feel great now. Someone in our group suggested that maybe I felt okay during the whole thing because if you start so high energy when it knocks you down to normal level, no one can tell. That was sweet - and probably true.
For the first time, I didn't work with all of the Wright children in one day, but we made up for lost time.
I leave tomorrow for Jinja, the source of the Nile. We will spend one night there and then drive to Kampala. We will spend one more night there and then fly out of Entebbe Wednesday night. I will hopefully arrive home on Thursday. My parents want to have some people over to their house on Thursday night, so if you're in the area and in the mood to see a million pictures of Africa, come on by.
Please keep me in your prayers, I can absolutely feel them. I feel like in my small time here I have been effective and I'm so glad for this time. I'll blog more details when I have more time and more depedable internet.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
A day in the life
I am so pleased when I am able to get internet! This is my second attempt of the day and I am thrilled to finally write the blog that I wrote in my head all day. So, the long awaited (at least by me) A Day in the Life:
What is my life like here in Karamoja, you may ask. It is very fine (as the Karamajong may say). Each day is a little different, but here is a basic summary of what I'm doing here:
5:30 - 7:30 am:
I slowly wake up to the sounds of Africa. The birds here really do tweet differently. There are several birds of radiant colors who sleep in the trees outside my window. I also sometimes hear the crowing of the roosters. The least enjoyable morning sound is the horrible whimper of the guard dogs. The compound has guards and dogs who watch over us in the night. They are a useful and important part of life here, but the dogs can be a drag. All throughout the evening and morning the dogs will harmonically and loudly whimper for miles around. This howl can loosely be compared to that of the ROUS' from the Princess Bride as Westley kills them. Imagine this but in six different atonal chords. This is my wake-up call. I try to lay in bed for as long as possible and usually actually get up at 7:30.
7:30 - 8:00 am:
I have breakfast in the main house of the compound sometimes we share breakfast or make bits of things for eachother. There is also a morning devotion led by one of the boys who is stayining here. That has been a nice way to start the day. My mornings are very relaxed.
8:00 - 10:00am:
I go the Wright's house (about 1/8th of a mile walk) and we have a morning prayer time in English and Karamajong. I am learning a few words as we read together from the New Testament in Karamajong. It is kind of similar to Vietnamese in its ng sounds and its tonality.
I then begin teaching math. I usually work with Bobby one on one while the others get their notebooks from the day before and find the homework I graded and the new assignment for the day. I also work with Rachel on her Pre-Calc (she's a smartie). We read through the section together and I show her some key points or tricks and she does her work idependently throughout the day.
9:30 -noon: I know the time doesn't match, but this week we are doing something special. We are teaching at the local public school every day this week. The school is a short walk from our house. We have a class ranging in ages from infants to 16 or so. The infants are watched and cared for by their older sisters so if they want to come to school, the younger ones must come too. They have four grades and you must pass in order to be moved on so that is why some are old and in p4 (the highest grade). We first teach a Bible lesson related to the theme of oceans and then we teach a science lesson. We have packets for each student that are stored in an idividual plastic bag with pens and crayons (colors, as they say). We collect these each day, but on the last day they may keep them. For one girl, this was her first time holding a crayon so we had to teach her how to even trace. She was about 10. I think I scared her at first, but by the end she was tracing and filling in with colors.
Some of the students are very smart. They know some English and can respond to questions in English. I hate to admit it, but some are already my favorites. Most of the students don't understand English even though all school work is in English. It's not the best of immersion techniques I've seen. We have an amazing translator who also translates the sermons. His name is LoKue Paul.
We sing songs and color and talk about the oceans and its creatures. We hope to show a movie about the oceans by the end of the week. That is going to blow their minds. They all scream with joy at my camera so I can't imagine what they'll think of a movie!
noon - 1:30 : Lunch of beans and rice and cabbage. I am not too tired of this meal, but the carb overload is really draining my strength. I'm glad I brought my big bag of snacks (thanks, Julie). Lunch is a really nice part of the day. Everyone comes to the main house and sits and talks and we just relax for so long. African life is my kind of laid back.
the rest of the afternoon: Each day is different. Sometimes I go the Wrights and grade math. Sometimes I go the a Bible study in a village. Sometimes I visit other people in nearby places. Sometimes I meet with kids who live in the compound. When I'm really feeling daring, I'll check to see if I can check my email. Yesterday I visited a woman who had just had a baby. We walked to her village for minutes. When we arrived, we ducked under the main gate which is a doorway made from thorny bushes. We must greet every kid we see with an, "Ejoc!" and shake hands. We walked under several more doorways that get progressively shorter until we entered the right circle of huts that belong to her family unit. We then all (there were 8 of us) entered her hut and looked at her baby. She let us hold him (so precious) and then her sister offered us a special drink that closely resembles beer with boiling water added in. As tastey as that sounds, I had made a promise to my family that I would not eat local food or water. I held the baby during this communal passing of the bowl. The mother really wanted me to try some, but the people in my group were able to make my excuses. I'm a little sad that I missed out on the experience, but I don't want a parasite...
We had to wait out the afternoon rainstorm and then we walked home in the mud. I love my shoes!
Evening: Most evenings the visitors (that includes me) make dinner together. My roommate here (Dr. Gayle) and I have been doing the cooking mostly and with lots of help from the others. Gayle is very good at deciding what to eat and how to cook it. The others are eager helpers with great advice. Together we've been able to make some tasty treats. After dinner I usually take my shower (sometimes I do before dinner).
The showers are soooo cold and when you've had a long day in the mud and huts, it feels divine! I don't feel like I ever really get clean, but that shower is close.
Many of us sit together and each read or write. Some of the high schoolers here play guitar and that makes wonderful background noise. My parents also often call during this time and when that phone rings we all run to see who it is.
Before bed I spray myself down with bug spray and then read in bed with my headlamp (thanks, Uncle Dave!) I try to ignore the scarier sounds and only hear the pleasant ones. By scarier sounds I mean that I imagine all of the metal that's clanking to be dangerous things when they are actually sounds of our people shutting their doors or the guards walking to the gates. By pleasant ones I mean the different frogs, crickets and other tones of insects that really is quite soothing.
I am very happily surprised at how comfortable I am here. I do miss home and all of my loved ones there (and ice cream), but I'm not so sad that I cry every day or even feel a dread about being here. Did that just disappoint some of you? Sorry. I do wish the internet was more reliable. This is a beautiful place with friendly people. There are many things I feel that I can do here and I'm so pleased with the work I've been able to do. Please keep praying for me and for those that are missing me.
What is my life like here in Karamoja, you may ask. It is very fine (as the Karamajong may say). Each day is a little different, but here is a basic summary of what I'm doing here:
5:30 - 7:30 am:
I slowly wake up to the sounds of Africa. The birds here really do tweet differently. There are several birds of radiant colors who sleep in the trees outside my window. I also sometimes hear the crowing of the roosters. The least enjoyable morning sound is the horrible whimper of the guard dogs. The compound has guards and dogs who watch over us in the night. They are a useful and important part of life here, but the dogs can be a drag. All throughout the evening and morning the dogs will harmonically and loudly whimper for miles around. This howl can loosely be compared to that of the ROUS' from the Princess Bride as Westley kills them. Imagine this but in six different atonal chords. This is my wake-up call. I try to lay in bed for as long as possible and usually actually get up at 7:30.
7:30 - 8:00 am:
I have breakfast in the main house of the compound sometimes we share breakfast or make bits of things for eachother. There is also a morning devotion led by one of the boys who is stayining here. That has been a nice way to start the day. My mornings are very relaxed.
8:00 - 10:00am:
I go the Wright's house (about 1/8th of a mile walk) and we have a morning prayer time in English and Karamajong. I am learning a few words as we read together from the New Testament in Karamajong. It is kind of similar to Vietnamese in its ng sounds and its tonality.
I then begin teaching math. I usually work with Bobby one on one while the others get their notebooks from the day before and find the homework I graded and the new assignment for the day. I also work with Rachel on her Pre-Calc (she's a smartie). We read through the section together and I show her some key points or tricks and she does her work idependently throughout the day.
9:30 -noon: I know the time doesn't match, but this week we are doing something special. We are teaching at the local public school every day this week. The school is a short walk from our house. We have a class ranging in ages from infants to 16 or so. The infants are watched and cared for by their older sisters so if they want to come to school, the younger ones must come too. They have four grades and you must pass in order to be moved on so that is why some are old and in p4 (the highest grade). We first teach a Bible lesson related to the theme of oceans and then we teach a science lesson. We have packets for each student that are stored in an idividual plastic bag with pens and crayons (colors, as they say). We collect these each day, but on the last day they may keep them. For one girl, this was her first time holding a crayon so we had to teach her how to even trace. She was about 10. I think I scared her at first, but by the end she was tracing and filling in with colors.
Some of the students are very smart. They know some English and can respond to questions in English. I hate to admit it, but some are already my favorites. Most of the students don't understand English even though all school work is in English. It's not the best of immersion techniques I've seen. We have an amazing translator who also translates the sermons. His name is LoKue Paul.
We sing songs and color and talk about the oceans and its creatures. We hope to show a movie about the oceans by the end of the week. That is going to blow their minds. They all scream with joy at my camera so I can't imagine what they'll think of a movie!
noon - 1:30 : Lunch of beans and rice and cabbage. I am not too tired of this meal, but the carb overload is really draining my strength. I'm glad I brought my big bag of snacks (thanks, Julie). Lunch is a really nice part of the day. Everyone comes to the main house and sits and talks and we just relax for so long. African life is my kind of laid back.
the rest of the afternoon: Each day is different. Sometimes I go the Wrights and grade math. Sometimes I go the a Bible study in a village. Sometimes I visit other people in nearby places. Sometimes I meet with kids who live in the compound. When I'm really feeling daring, I'll check to see if I can check my email. Yesterday I visited a woman who had just had a baby. We walked to her village for minutes. When we arrived, we ducked under the main gate which is a doorway made from thorny bushes. We must greet every kid we see with an, "Ejoc!" and shake hands. We walked under several more doorways that get progressively shorter until we entered the right circle of huts that belong to her family unit. We then all (there were 8 of us) entered her hut and looked at her baby. She let us hold him (so precious) and then her sister offered us a special drink that closely resembles beer with boiling water added in. As tastey as that sounds, I had made a promise to my family that I would not eat local food or water. I held the baby during this communal passing of the bowl. The mother really wanted me to try some, but the people in my group were able to make my excuses. I'm a little sad that I missed out on the experience, but I don't want a parasite...
We had to wait out the afternoon rainstorm and then we walked home in the mud. I love my shoes!
Evening: Most evenings the visitors (that includes me) make dinner together. My roommate here (Dr. Gayle) and I have been doing the cooking mostly and with lots of help from the others. Gayle is very good at deciding what to eat and how to cook it. The others are eager helpers with great advice. Together we've been able to make some tasty treats. After dinner I usually take my shower (sometimes I do before dinner).
The showers are soooo cold and when you've had a long day in the mud and huts, it feels divine! I don't feel like I ever really get clean, but that shower is close.
Many of us sit together and each read or write. Some of the high schoolers here play guitar and that makes wonderful background noise. My parents also often call during this time and when that phone rings we all run to see who it is.
Before bed I spray myself down with bug spray and then read in bed with my headlamp (thanks, Uncle Dave!) I try to ignore the scarier sounds and only hear the pleasant ones. By scarier sounds I mean that I imagine all of the metal that's clanking to be dangerous things when they are actually sounds of our people shutting their doors or the guards walking to the gates. By pleasant ones I mean the different frogs, crickets and other tones of insects that really is quite soothing.
I am very happily surprised at how comfortable I am here. I do miss home and all of my loved ones there (and ice cream), but I'm not so sad that I cry every day or even feel a dread about being here. Did that just disappoint some of you? Sorry. I do wish the internet was more reliable. This is a beautiful place with friendly people. There are many things I feel that I can do here and I'm so pleased with the work I've been able to do. Please keep praying for me and for those that are missing me.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
FAQ from Uganda
It's been a while since I've been able to get on the internet, so here are some FAQ's that have come up.
1) How can you have an FAQ page when you've spoken to no one in America in a week?
A: Well, I have a great imagination and can pretend what people would ask. Plus, I've spoken to my parents three times on the phone.
2) Q: How have you communicated with your parents?
A: Someone loaned us an international cell phone and we are able to receive calls on it. My parents have the number, if you want to call.
3) Q: How are the bugs?
A: There are very few bugs here. I've seen bees, flies, ants, wasps, mosquitos, centepedes, ticks, and a preying mantus. They don't cover our feet or hide in our shoes. It's actually pretty nice.
4) Q: What's the weather like?
A: It's a little more humid than Southern CA, but the heat is similar to home. We do have a rain storm almost every day, in fact there's one happening right now. It comes, pours, and leaves. I love the rain here.
5) Q: Do you have indoor plumbing?
A: Yes! We have an indoor shower, toilet, and sink. The water comes from a well and is purified, so it's drinkable. The accomodations are actually very comfortable.
6) Q: What do you eat?
A: For breakfast I've been eating cereal and sometimes homemade bread. For lunch we have beans, rice and cabbage - every day! For dinner we are sometimes asked over to some missionaries homes, sometimes we (the other visitors and I) make dinner together. There is a kitchen with a gas stove that runs on propane. I've learned to make bread and variations of other recipies. There are many good cooks here.
7) Q: Where are you staying and who else is there?
A: The compound is composed of 4 or so buildings. There are currently 3 missionary families on the compound and each has their own house on the compound. All are an easy walk from each other. The other people here who are visiting are a family called the Wrights (not the missionary family, but an unrelated group of Wrights), a kid named Isaac, a girl named Eden (who will be teaching this school year), a student named Becky (who is researching the effect of the clinic on the Karamajong), and a Dr. named Gayle (who is also my roommate). Five others just left today. I will miss them, especially my dear Goodheart girls from CA. I'll see them soon though.
8) Q: How's teaching going?
A: Very well. It was hard at first to convince the missionary kids (MK) that they had to end their math summer early and work with me. They were very patient and now we are in the swing. I give each kid an assignment every day, grade it, and then review the next day with them individually. There are five kids I'm working with in 4 subjects. I'm really enjoying them. I feel like I'm actually being usful.
9) Q: Is it scary where you are?
A: NO! The people were disarmed a few years ago and the government has been very effective. The people are so friendly. My camera has been an amazing tool of friendship. They love to look at the pictures I take of them and their friends. That has been a joy.
10) Q: Do you have malaria?
A: Not yet, but I think I probably will get it at some point. It seems that this is a bad malaria year and especially for people taking the anti-malaria meds I'm taking. The good news is that most people have not had it very bad, just like a mild case of the flu. I'm trying to be careful, but there's not much you can do about it.
11) Q: Have you been able to go to the local schools?
A: I've visited two villages and one school. The children are pretty great. I was able to tell one story with a translator and that was fun. Once we were invited to dance with the kids. I jumped and they laughed at my Mzungu (white girl) ways. Next week I will be able to teach in the local school about the ocean, something these kids have never seen. That is absolutely amazing to me. I know that I am blessed, but to have the richness of fullness of my life contrasted with the poverty and smallness of their lives is still shocking.
12) Q: What language do they speak there?
A: The national language of Uganda is English, but it is spoken with a great accent that makes it hard for us to understand each other. Everyone speaks so precisely and clearly - no contractions at all. I will find myself talking like this much after I am gone from this very place (that was an example of the syntax that people use too). In the region I am in, they speak Karamajong. It is a difficult language in someways, but I am slowly learning. People are able to understand my hello and thank you much more now.
13) Q:Are you homesick?
A: I was very homesick on Sunday. I missed my family and was unable to talk to anyone in any way. Not having consistant internet is hard. I miss talking to my family with ease and telling Julie about the day to day nothings of life. And yet, I am blessed to not be miserable. This place is very comfortable and the people are so kind.
I will try to keep posting as much as I can so keep reading. Thanks for your prayers, God has been so gracious and protecting. This is a wonderful experience.
1) How can you have an FAQ page when you've spoken to no one in America in a week?
A: Well, I have a great imagination and can pretend what people would ask. Plus, I've spoken to my parents three times on the phone.
2) Q: How have you communicated with your parents?
A: Someone loaned us an international cell phone and we are able to receive calls on it. My parents have the number, if you want to call.
3) Q: How are the bugs?
A: There are very few bugs here. I've seen bees, flies, ants, wasps, mosquitos, centepedes, ticks, and a preying mantus. They don't cover our feet or hide in our shoes. It's actually pretty nice.
4) Q: What's the weather like?
A: It's a little more humid than Southern CA, but the heat is similar to home. We do have a rain storm almost every day, in fact there's one happening right now. It comes, pours, and leaves. I love the rain here.
5) Q: Do you have indoor plumbing?
A: Yes! We have an indoor shower, toilet, and sink. The water comes from a well and is purified, so it's drinkable. The accomodations are actually very comfortable.
6) Q: What do you eat?
A: For breakfast I've been eating cereal and sometimes homemade bread. For lunch we have beans, rice and cabbage - every day! For dinner we are sometimes asked over to some missionaries homes, sometimes we (the other visitors and I) make dinner together. There is a kitchen with a gas stove that runs on propane. I've learned to make bread and variations of other recipies. There are many good cooks here.
7) Q: Where are you staying and who else is there?
A: The compound is composed of 4 or so buildings. There are currently 3 missionary families on the compound and each has their own house on the compound. All are an easy walk from each other. The other people here who are visiting are a family called the Wrights (not the missionary family, but an unrelated group of Wrights), a kid named Isaac, a girl named Eden (who will be teaching this school year), a student named Becky (who is researching the effect of the clinic on the Karamajong), and a Dr. named Gayle (who is also my roommate). Five others just left today. I will miss them, especially my dear Goodheart girls from CA. I'll see them soon though.
8) Q: How's teaching going?
A: Very well. It was hard at first to convince the missionary kids (MK) that they had to end their math summer early and work with me. They were very patient and now we are in the swing. I give each kid an assignment every day, grade it, and then review the next day with them individually. There are five kids I'm working with in 4 subjects. I'm really enjoying them. I feel like I'm actually being usful.
9) Q: Is it scary where you are?
A: NO! The people were disarmed a few years ago and the government has been very effective. The people are so friendly. My camera has been an amazing tool of friendship. They love to look at the pictures I take of them and their friends. That has been a joy.
10) Q: Do you have malaria?
A: Not yet, but I think I probably will get it at some point. It seems that this is a bad malaria year and especially for people taking the anti-malaria meds I'm taking. The good news is that most people have not had it very bad, just like a mild case of the flu. I'm trying to be careful, but there's not much you can do about it.
11) Q: Have you been able to go to the local schools?
A: I've visited two villages and one school. The children are pretty great. I was able to tell one story with a translator and that was fun. Once we were invited to dance with the kids. I jumped and they laughed at my Mzungu (white girl) ways. Next week I will be able to teach in the local school about the ocean, something these kids have never seen. That is absolutely amazing to me. I know that I am blessed, but to have the richness of fullness of my life contrasted with the poverty and smallness of their lives is still shocking.
12) Q: What language do they speak there?
A: The national language of Uganda is English, but it is spoken with a great accent that makes it hard for us to understand each other. Everyone speaks so precisely and clearly - no contractions at all. I will find myself talking like this much after I am gone from this very place (that was an example of the syntax that people use too). In the region I am in, they speak Karamajong. It is a difficult language in someways, but I am slowly learning. People are able to understand my hello and thank you much more now.
13) Q:Are you homesick?
A: I was very homesick on Sunday. I missed my family and was unable to talk to anyone in any way. Not having consistant internet is hard. I miss talking to my family with ease and telling Julie about the day to day nothings of life. And yet, I am blessed to not be miserable. This place is very comfortable and the people are so kind.
I will try to keep posting as much as I can so keep reading. Thanks for your prayers, God has been so gracious and protecting. This is a wonderful experience.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Ejoc from Karamoja!
I have arrived and all is well! Thanks for all of your prayers in my travel. Things have been goin very well. Our internet option is limited. There is one computer in one house on the compound and it is slow and touchy. I will try to post as often as I can, but be patient with them.
First of all, let me say, Uganda is now tied with Switzerland for the prettiest place in the world. It is so unbelievably green here. I am amazed at the agriculture that grows here including, bananas, sugar cane, rice, papyrus, sorgum, and tea. There is also great coffee here (so I hear). The compound where we are staying is kind of in the less fertile place of Uganda. EVERYONE I talked to said the same thing when I told them I was going to Karamoja, "Why are you going there? I do not wish to tell you, that is bad place - not as beautiful as..." and then they would fill in their hometown. Most people think Karamoja is a rotten place, but so far I love it! The people I've met have all been very friendly - Muzungu or otherwise.
Muzungu is what they call white people and we are a novelty. Wherever we go people shout and wave and run, "Muzungu!" I waved back for the first two hours of driving, but slowed down a little after that.
I arrived on Wednesday night and met the Eldeens, a missionary couple. They introduced me to the Proctors and the Proctors' new teacher, Laurie. I ended up staying in a great hotel called the ARA on the American Embassy grounds. I had fresh fruit for breakfast and it was pretty great. We shopped in Kampala (the capital city a few miles out of Entebbe) and I went to several grocery stores. The first was very rustic, but the second two were not too far off from Western ones. We went to a butcher shop run by a Belgian and then we were off to Mbale.
We drove about 4 hours through a rain forest, accross the Nile river (yep, little ole me on the Nile!), and then through many villiages. I spent that evening with an Indian family who was celebrating the wife's birthday. We had great Indian food.
I slept at the Proctor's house and met all of their great kids: Lydia, Naomi, Hannah, and John Knox. They were pretty cool. I also met their housekeeper's daughter, Naomi. Such fun. The next day I drove about 2.5 hours to Nakaale which is my villiage in Karamoja. I was greeted by the Goodhearts (my friends from San Diego) and I got a little homesick.
The Wrights had me over to their house for dinner and then we spent the evening on their deck watching the stars, fireflies, and lightning that flashes from cloud to cloud. I then went to the Main House to sleep in a room called the bookcase. It's called the bookcase because it's not really a room, it's just a space behind the bookcases in the livingroom. I have a mosquito net around mine. I was having a litte trouble sleeping so I took a Benedryl last night. Anyone with the priveledge of seeing me on Benedryl can attest that I was having a great night!
I spent the morning painting a ceiling, had beans and rice for lunch (like I will have every day), and then went to a devotion at the Wright's house.
I will type more later when I can. I'm having a great time. I love you all and I miss you.
First of all, let me say, Uganda is now tied with Switzerland for the prettiest place in the world. It is so unbelievably green here. I am amazed at the agriculture that grows here including, bananas, sugar cane, rice, papyrus, sorgum, and tea. There is also great coffee here (so I hear). The compound where we are staying is kind of in the less fertile place of Uganda. EVERYONE I talked to said the same thing when I told them I was going to Karamoja, "Why are you going there? I do not wish to tell you, that is bad place - not as beautiful as..." and then they would fill in their hometown. Most people think Karamoja is a rotten place, but so far I love it! The people I've met have all been very friendly - Muzungu or otherwise.
Muzungu is what they call white people and we are a novelty. Wherever we go people shout and wave and run, "Muzungu!" I waved back for the first two hours of driving, but slowed down a little after that.
I arrived on Wednesday night and met the Eldeens, a missionary couple. They introduced me to the Proctors and the Proctors' new teacher, Laurie. I ended up staying in a great hotel called the ARA on the American Embassy grounds. I had fresh fruit for breakfast and it was pretty great. We shopped in Kampala (the capital city a few miles out of Entebbe) and I went to several grocery stores. The first was very rustic, but the second two were not too far off from Western ones. We went to a butcher shop run by a Belgian and then we were off to Mbale.
We drove about 4 hours through a rain forest, accross the Nile river (yep, little ole me on the Nile!), and then through many villiages. I spent that evening with an Indian family who was celebrating the wife's birthday. We had great Indian food.
I slept at the Proctor's house and met all of their great kids: Lydia, Naomi, Hannah, and John Knox. They were pretty cool. I also met their housekeeper's daughter, Naomi. Such fun. The next day I drove about 2.5 hours to Nakaale which is my villiage in Karamoja. I was greeted by the Goodhearts (my friends from San Diego) and I got a little homesick.
The Wrights had me over to their house for dinner and then we spent the evening on their deck watching the stars, fireflies, and lightning that flashes from cloud to cloud. I then went to the Main House to sleep in a room called the bookcase. It's called the bookcase because it's not really a room, it's just a space behind the bookcases in the livingroom. I have a mosquito net around mine. I was having a litte trouble sleeping so I took a Benedryl last night. Anyone with the priveledge of seeing me on Benedryl can attest that I was having a great night!
I spent the morning painting a ceiling, had beans and rice for lunch (like I will have every day), and then went to a devotion at the Wright's house.
I will type more later when I can. I'm having a great time. I love you all and I miss you.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Shopping for my trip (and some unexpected expenses)
Now I'm going to write some disturbing news. Prepare yourself for something quite dreadful. On Friday I went to the Ann Taylor Loft (yes, they know my name there and yes, it's embarrassing for all involved) and I tried things on and liked some of it and I didn't buy anything...nothing! Don't panic. The end is not nigh, dogs and cats will not start living together. I just was a smart shopper. Dry clean only and spaghetti strap sun dresses aren't exactly appropriate for Uganda. So off I went to the most obvious choice for all African trips - Express.
For those of you not laughing, Express is an interesting store. I used to shop there in college, when the percent of clothes with sequins or gold lamé was practically zero. Now it's stuff looks like a Las Vegas showgirls' store. So why would I pick that place? Because I have a favorite pair of pants from them and I was hoping to do well again. The first pair was difficult to describe. Picture a poodle skirt made out of denim. Next picture someone sewing this skirt into a pair of pants without changing the volume - or the length. Can you picture it? Now make them hip-huggers. Yes, that was horrible.
Another pair was more normal, but had gold and hot pink stitching on the back pockets. "Careful, a rhino might attack you..." Julie quipped. I didn't pick those. I did find several cargo khakis that will work quite nicely and were on sale.
Are you ready for more unexpected news? Well, this one was my first fear to come true. I received an email from the missionary board saying that I had chosen the wrong return date for my flight. Because it takes so long to drive to the airport, they tried to time my arrival and departure with the arrival or departure of other large groups so they would not have to make the trip just for me. The large group is leaving Entebbe on the 20th of August and I had a ticket for the 22nd. This would mean spending two nights in a hotel in Entebbe; one of them alone. This was a scary prospect. Not just because I would be afraid to leave my hotel, but also because I would have to tell my mother.
I called travelocity to make the change in my flight. They were trying very hard to be helpful, but after about an hour, they discovered that the flight was full. I was sweaty palmed and sick to my stomach. It is so hard for me to talk to strangers on the phone and arrange details. I've just been able to order pizza (something my family would make me do to help me get over this irrational fear). I think that I'm afraid that I'm going to make a mistake and heaven forbid that I not be perfect. Or I'm afraid that they'll ask me a question that I won't know the answer to. Or maybe I'll make an unwise choice and not have time to think about it. It's a bizarre fear, I know, but I was just defeated by the travelocity team. I put myself out there so I could get my flight changed and it came to nothing.
My roommate was very helpful and told me I should call the airline. I felt defeated and I was willing to accept the fact that I would stay two nights in Entebbe. I was near tears, but I was convinced to try the option of calling Northwestern. I called the airline directly and in about 5 minutes (and an extra $215) I was able to change the flight to the 20th. She even got me window seats. I was very prim and proper as she asked me my initial questions: spelling my name slowly, saying 'zero' instead of 'oh' for all numbers containing 0, calling my condo suite D instead of #D, etc. But when she said that she was able to make all the changes, I nearly cried and said, "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much you've helped me today!" She was so friendly.
I called my mom and told her the whole story from start to finish because I had been afraid to give her any details until the problem was solved (or deemed unsolvable). We bought all of the food for tomorrow's fund raiser and discussed how my small error, even though it cost me money, was fixed and so it doesn't matter much. I've decided that a lesson can be learned from every mistake, so here's what I've learned from this one:
1) I need to be diligent in asking for what I want or need. Customer service is there to help the customer - me.
2) Next time I go to Uganda, I will double check the dates before I buy tickets.
3) This mistake is no where near as embarrassing nor as expensive as one that Julie's sister made involving Lakers tickets and Florida.
4) I'm not perfect. And that's ok.
Next step is getting my visa...I hope I fill out the paperwork correctly...
For those of you not laughing, Express is an interesting store. I used to shop there in college, when the percent of clothes with sequins or gold lamé was practically zero. Now it's stuff looks like a Las Vegas showgirls' store. So why would I pick that place? Because I have a favorite pair of pants from them and I was hoping to do well again. The first pair was difficult to describe. Picture a poodle skirt made out of denim. Next picture someone sewing this skirt into a pair of pants without changing the volume - or the length. Can you picture it? Now make them hip-huggers. Yes, that was horrible.
Another pair was more normal, but had gold and hot pink stitching on the back pockets. "Careful, a rhino might attack you..." Julie quipped. I didn't pick those. I did find several cargo khakis that will work quite nicely and were on sale.
Are you ready for more unexpected news? Well, this one was my first fear to come true. I received an email from the missionary board saying that I had chosen the wrong return date for my flight. Because it takes so long to drive to the airport, they tried to time my arrival and departure with the arrival or departure of other large groups so they would not have to make the trip just for me. The large group is leaving Entebbe on the 20th of August and I had a ticket for the 22nd. This would mean spending two nights in a hotel in Entebbe; one of them alone. This was a scary prospect. Not just because I would be afraid to leave my hotel, but also because I would have to tell my mother.
I called travelocity to make the change in my flight. They were trying very hard to be helpful, but after about an hour, they discovered that the flight was full. I was sweaty palmed and sick to my stomach. It is so hard for me to talk to strangers on the phone and arrange details. I've just been able to order pizza (something my family would make me do to help me get over this irrational fear). I think that I'm afraid that I'm going to make a mistake and heaven forbid that I not be perfect. Or I'm afraid that they'll ask me a question that I won't know the answer to. Or maybe I'll make an unwise choice and not have time to think about it. It's a bizarre fear, I know, but I was just defeated by the travelocity team. I put myself out there so I could get my flight changed and it came to nothing.
My roommate was very helpful and told me I should call the airline. I felt defeated and I was willing to accept the fact that I would stay two nights in Entebbe. I was near tears, but I was convinced to try the option of calling Northwestern. I called the airline directly and in about 5 minutes (and an extra $215) I was able to change the flight to the 20th. She even got me window seats. I was very prim and proper as she asked me my initial questions: spelling my name slowly, saying 'zero' instead of 'oh' for all numbers containing 0, calling my condo suite D instead of #D, etc. But when she said that she was able to make all the changes, I nearly cried and said, "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much you've helped me today!" She was so friendly.
I called my mom and told her the whole story from start to finish because I had been afraid to give her any details until the problem was solved (or deemed unsolvable). We bought all of the food for tomorrow's fund raiser and discussed how my small error, even though it cost me money, was fixed and so it doesn't matter much. I've decided that a lesson can be learned from every mistake, so here's what I've learned from this one:
1) I need to be diligent in asking for what I want or need. Customer service is there to help the customer - me.
2) Next time I go to Uganda, I will double check the dates before I buy tickets.
3) This mistake is no where near as embarrassing nor as expensive as one that Julie's sister made involving Lakers tickets and Florida.
4) I'm not perfect. And that's ok.
Next step is getting my visa...I hope I fill out the paperwork correctly...
Monday, June 9, 2008
Ahhh!!! That's ok, I'm alright.
I'm a well traveled individual. I've planned trips around the world for myself and others. Yet I just made one of the scariest travel choices of my life. I bought my ticket to Entebbe today.
I was given the names of two travel agents and I found some more online who specialize in missionary travel. One said that he couldn't work with groups smaller than 10 ( 1< 10 so I figured that wouldn't work for me). I then got a quote of $2,600 from someone online. I thought that I was supposed to get a better discount than that so I finally found the number of the last person who was recommended to me. Her two options were $3,800 that would get me there on the wrong day or $2,400 that would get me there on the wrong day and cause me to have an overnight layover in Dubai.
Dubai is a beautiful city that is overflowing with wealth right now. It's the Las Vegas of the middle east. They just built an island in the shape of a palm tree. Yes, they built an entire island. There's also a really cool building that looks like a stack of post-its that was twisted into a spiral. It's supposed to have the world's best shopping and amazing hotels. Mine would cost $136 a night in a safe area, according to my travel agent. But you know what, I'm not going to spend the night in a hotel in a strange country where women don't have equal rights to men - all by myself. If I'm going to be a part of a harem, it will be on the Bachelor, thank you very much.
So I decided against the overnight stay in Dubai - much to my father's relief. I thought I would try this on my own. It seemed that the travel agents weren't getting me the amazing deals I thought, so why not try my hand at travelocity? I did and I found pretty good flights. My grand total (after taxes etc.) is $2806. It's more than one of the travel agents, but it includes traveler's insurance and I don't have a middle man (or a layover in anywhere scarier than Detroit).
I prayed out loud before I decided, "God help me make the right choice," and I chose my own way. As soon as it was processing my credit card (who knew I had such a high limit? I had never let myself check my limit before.) I panicked. What if I made the wrong choice? What if these dates don't work for the missionaries? What if the travel agents get mad? (Seriously, I've talked to one of the travel agents for a combined total of 1 minute and I'm sure that she will like me less for not using her and that bothers me. How sick am I? People pleaser...) Then the travelocity site dinged and said that I was confirmed.
CONFIRMED!! I've got a plane ticket to UGANDA!! I almost threw up. I called my dad and I still felt queasy. I called my roommate and left her a pathetic message about panicking and then I went on my way.
I got through the rest of my evening feeling a little better, but still a little off. You know when something big happens and the rest of the world isn't affected by it and you can't believe that they're acting normally while this big thing is happening? That's how I felt. The little voice in my head (at least the happy one I like to listen to the most) kept saying You have a ticket to Uganda! The evil voice that I was trying to ignore kept saying What if you are alone in the Entebbe airport overnight? What if people try to rob you in the airport while you wait? How will you find the people picking you up? What if you picked the wrong day and they won't actually be at the airport? How will you call your parents once you arrive? Are you going to be so tired you'll get sick? Do you really want to go?
The panic strikes again and I try to calm myself. But you know, the truth is, I know that God wants me to go and the fear is a good thing. If I'm scared to go and I go anyway, it's just going to build my trust in God. If I'm not scared, I'll forget that I need Him.
So I'm going a little crazy. I'm excited and scared and freaking out a bit, but I'm not so crazy that I can't enjoy this preparation. So now I can officially say that I'm going to Uganda this summer - or at least I have my ticket.
I was given the names of two travel agents and I found some more online who specialize in missionary travel. One said that he couldn't work with groups smaller than 10 ( 1< 10 so I figured that wouldn't work for me). I then got a quote of $2,600 from someone online. I thought that I was supposed to get a better discount than that so I finally found the number of the last person who was recommended to me. Her two options were $3,800 that would get me there on the wrong day or $2,400 that would get me there on the wrong day and cause me to have an overnight layover in Dubai.
Dubai is a beautiful city that is overflowing with wealth right now. It's the Las Vegas of the middle east. They just built an island in the shape of a palm tree. Yes, they built an entire island. There's also a really cool building that looks like a stack of post-its that was twisted into a spiral. It's supposed to have the world's best shopping and amazing hotels. Mine would cost $136 a night in a safe area, according to my travel agent. But you know what, I'm not going to spend the night in a hotel in a strange country where women don't have equal rights to men - all by myself. If I'm going to be a part of a harem, it will be on the Bachelor, thank you very much.
So I decided against the overnight stay in Dubai - much to my father's relief. I thought I would try this on my own. It seemed that the travel agents weren't getting me the amazing deals I thought, so why not try my hand at travelocity? I did and I found pretty good flights. My grand total (after taxes etc.) is $2806. It's more than one of the travel agents, but it includes traveler's insurance and I don't have a middle man (or a layover in anywhere scarier than Detroit).
I prayed out loud before I decided, "God help me make the right choice," and I chose my own way. As soon as it was processing my credit card (who knew I had such a high limit? I had never let myself check my limit before.) I panicked. What if I made the wrong choice? What if these dates don't work for the missionaries? What if the travel agents get mad? (Seriously, I've talked to one of the travel agents for a combined total of 1 minute and I'm sure that she will like me less for not using her and that bothers me. How sick am I? People pleaser...) Then the travelocity site dinged and said that I was confirmed.
CONFIRMED!! I've got a plane ticket to UGANDA!! I almost threw up. I called my dad and I still felt queasy. I called my roommate and left her a pathetic message about panicking and then I went on my way.
I got through the rest of my evening feeling a little better, but still a little off. You know when something big happens and the rest of the world isn't affected by it and you can't believe that they're acting normally while this big thing is happening? That's how I felt. The little voice in my head (at least the happy one I like to listen to the most) kept saying You have a ticket to Uganda! The evil voice that I was trying to ignore kept saying What if you are alone in the Entebbe airport overnight? What if people try to rob you in the airport while you wait? How will you find the people picking you up? What if you picked the wrong day and they won't actually be at the airport? How will you call your parents once you arrive? Are you going to be so tired you'll get sick? Do you really want to go?
The panic strikes again and I try to calm myself. But you know, the truth is, I know that God wants me to go and the fear is a good thing. If I'm scared to go and I go anyway, it's just going to build my trust in God. If I'm not scared, I'll forget that I need Him.
So I'm going a little crazy. I'm excited and scared and freaking out a bit, but I'm not so crazy that I can't enjoy this preparation. So now I can officially say that I'm going to Uganda this summer - or at least I have my ticket.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Call the CDC! The Who? The CDC...I've been shot!
Do you know how long I've been holding on to that joke? Since fifth grade and I found out about WHO. Anyway, I had to get my shots for Uganda today. It felt like my first real commitment to going. I mean, it was announced in the bulletin at church and I told all of my coworkers, but it was when I was telling the doctor and nurses about my trip that made it feel real - that and the $608 I laid down to cover the cost.
Before I went, I researched all of the shots that I might need based on recommendations from people who've gone before, the Uganda handbook, and the CDC's website. I found out a lot. First, almost every shot you could get was recommended for me. Second, Yellow Fever shots are required to re-enter the US once you've been to Uganda so I better not lose my card. Third, polio and typhoid still occur - especially in rural Africa. I tallied up my potential cost for all of my shots to be $745 - most of which was not covered by insurance.
When I spoke with the Dr. today, I was expecting to just have a consultation and then schedule my shots for another day. She was excited to hear that I was going to Uganda and told me about her trip to Kenya she was planning for the summer. She then went through the checklist of vaccines. I was up on my tetanus shot so I didn't have to get that one ($ in my pocket -thanks). I began my hep-A and hep-B series about 10 years ago, but never got the remaining shots. She said that I could continue the series where I left off so I was two shots into a five shot series ($160 saved on that). Yellow Fever shots were required as well as meningitis, she listed off polio, typhoid, and rabies. I was told I didn't need to get the rabies shots. Here was the conversation about typhoid and polio:
Dr. Meyers: Well, it's up to you.
Me: What do you think I should do?
Dr. Meyers: What part of Uganda are you going to?
Me: Karamoja, it's kind of remote... [at this point I was interrupted by her shaking head]
Dr. Meyers: OK, you're getting those, it's not worth the risk.
I love that it was no longer up to me. But I agree, $200 is worth not getting polio or being the next Typhoid Mary.
Side note: How many families have frequent conversations about the Typhoid epidemic in America? So often, in fact, that Typhoid Mary becomes a well used euphemism for anyone who is sick and gives it to someone else? Just mine...that's what I thought.
So then she proceeds to talk about Malaria medication. Well, this is just classic me. I'm the kind of person who can't remember the name of the movie I want to see when I'm buying a ticket at the counter. I fold under pressure. I also can't remember words really well because I just read the first letter and fake my way through the rest. I remembered that there were three different kinds of preventative meds. The first gave you sunburns and nausea. The second (it began with an L) gave people anxiety, paranoia, nightmares, and delusions. Ummm...do I need help in the crazy department...no thanks. The third (the M one) didn't have many side effects, but was expensive. More money less crazy and vomit please. Thankfully, Dr. Meyers felt the same way and understood my “I don’t want the one that begins with an L.” "I'll never prescribe it!" She said.
They proceeded to give me all six of my shots at once today. The nurse was really good at her job, but two of the shots hurt. They had to be injected into my tricep and they also burned a bit. She did my left arm first and I was really calm and didn't wince or anything. But as she made her way to my right, I could feel my arm tense. "You'll only make it hurt worse," I kept telling myself, but willing yourself to relax seldom works. It hurt.
She gave me band-aids, but not cartoon characters and although I asked her if I'd get a lollipop if I didn't cry and she said yes, I am still without candy. Liar! She did suggest that I not drink water. When I asked her why, she said, "Because it would just pour out all of the holes in your arms." She was really sweet.
So despite the fact that I feel a little achy and I almost had to ask for help to change into my pajamas (I did cry then), I think that I'll be fine. I'm really excited to have made this commitment. It makes the whole trip seem more real.
Just do me a favor. When you see me in the next couple of days avoid hitting me in the arm.
Before I went, I researched all of the shots that I might need based on recommendations from people who've gone before, the Uganda handbook, and the CDC's website. I found out a lot. First, almost every shot you could get was recommended for me. Second, Yellow Fever shots are required to re-enter the US once you've been to Uganda so I better not lose my card. Third, polio and typhoid still occur - especially in rural Africa. I tallied up my potential cost for all of my shots to be $745 - most of which was not covered by insurance.
When I spoke with the Dr. today, I was expecting to just have a consultation and then schedule my shots for another day. She was excited to hear that I was going to Uganda and told me about her trip to Kenya she was planning for the summer. She then went through the checklist of vaccines. I was up on my tetanus shot so I didn't have to get that one ($ in my pocket -thanks). I began my hep-A and hep-B series about 10 years ago, but never got the remaining shots. She said that I could continue the series where I left off so I was two shots into a five shot series ($160 saved on that). Yellow Fever shots were required as well as meningitis, she listed off polio, typhoid, and rabies. I was told I didn't need to get the rabies shots. Here was the conversation about typhoid and polio:
Dr. Meyers: Well, it's up to you.
Me: What do you think I should do?
Dr. Meyers: What part of Uganda are you going to?
Me: Karamoja, it's kind of remote... [at this point I was interrupted by her shaking head]
Dr. Meyers: OK, you're getting those, it's not worth the risk.
I love that it was no longer up to me. But I agree, $200 is worth not getting polio or being the next Typhoid Mary.
Side note: How many families have frequent conversations about the Typhoid epidemic in America? So often, in fact, that Typhoid Mary becomes a well used euphemism for anyone who is sick and gives it to someone else? Just mine...that's what I thought.
So then she proceeds to talk about Malaria medication. Well, this is just classic me. I'm the kind of person who can't remember the name of the movie I want to see when I'm buying a ticket at the counter. I fold under pressure. I also can't remember words really well because I just read the first letter and fake my way through the rest. I remembered that there were three different kinds of preventative meds. The first gave you sunburns and nausea. The second (it began with an L) gave people anxiety, paranoia, nightmares, and delusions. Ummm...do I need help in the crazy department...no thanks. The third (the M one) didn't have many side effects, but was expensive. More money less crazy and vomit please. Thankfully, Dr. Meyers felt the same way and understood my “I don’t want the one that begins with an L.” "I'll never prescribe it!" She said.
They proceeded to give me all six of my shots at once today. The nurse was really good at her job, but two of the shots hurt. They had to be injected into my tricep and they also burned a bit. She did my left arm first and I was really calm and didn't wince or anything. But as she made her way to my right, I could feel my arm tense. "You'll only make it hurt worse," I kept telling myself, but willing yourself to relax seldom works. It hurt.
She gave me band-aids, but not cartoon characters and although I asked her if I'd get a lollipop if I didn't cry and she said yes, I am still without candy. Liar! She did suggest that I not drink water. When I asked her why, she said, "Because it would just pour out all of the holes in your arms." She was really sweet.
So despite the fact that I feel a little achy and I almost had to ask for help to change into my pajamas (I did cry then), I think that I'll be fine. I'm really excited to have made this commitment. It makes the whole trip seem more real.
Just do me a favor. When you see me in the next couple of days avoid hitting me in the arm.
Monday, May 19, 2008
My crazy summer!
I have a tendancy to overbook. I fill each moment of every day with some plans. I usually like this kind of life. I am reminded by the sane people around me that I need to take time to rest and recouperate, etc. and I am glad for them. I will totally ignore them when it comes to this summer.
School gets out on the 19th (a Thursday). I will be on summer vacation from the 20th through the 24th - 5 glorious days. On the 25th of June, I will fly in an airplane with 19 teenagers and 3 other adults to Washington D.C. It's the first time I've been on a D.C. trip with kids and I cannot wait. It should be pretty wonderful with tons of supervision and other people planning the details. I'm just there to make sure the great kids don't kill each other. Also, my dear friend Laura (who lives in Montana), will happen to be in Washington, D.C. at the same time. We'll get to see eachother and that makes me happy.
I will fly home on the 29th of June (it was supposed to be on the 28th, my birthday, but plans changed and now I'm not going to be with family on my birthday and I'll miss another week of church!). I should arrive late in the evening.
I will get the 30th - July 11th off. I plan to use that time having birthday parties, picnics, recording for VBS, seeing Wicked, and packing. On the 12th, I'll be driving with my parents, brothers, Erin, and the kids to visit the aforementioned Laura in Montana. Yes, I'm driving with my whole immediate family to a state far far away. During the trip we may also get to visit Opa and his new wife in Yellowstone (my first time going). We are taking two vehicles and a trailer. We'll be camping all the way. This may sound like torture to some of you, but that's only if you've never been on one of my mom's trips. She can make every trip educational, amazingly fun, and so well planned that she can tell you the time of every stop to the minute (+/- 3 minutes). Seriously, she's the best!
We should come home on the 25th of July, a Friday, just in time to go to Danny and Katybeth's wedding on the 26th. I plan to go to church on the 27th. On the 28th, I plan to leave for Uganda until the 22nd of August. I'm going there to teach in the Karamoja region. I'm really excited about the trip and I only have moments of fear. I just learned that I will be there when the Goodheart sisters (at least Laura and Karen Goodheart) will be in Uganda. We overlap about 12 days!
When I come home, I have the weekend to recover and then I have superweek at school. Superweek is the week before classes start where teachers can take all sorts of classes and seminars for free on various topics. I was invited to actually speak at one seminar, but I decided that I was a little busy this summer to plan that too. Yes, I actually turned something down! I'm growing.
So, this is my crazy summer. You know, as busy as it sounds, I'll actually probably have more rest than usual. Think about it, I'll be far away from my usual activities and friends. I'll be spending much of my time either in a car, at a campsite, or in a remote African village (with internet access). Except for the jet lag, I should be very rested this summer. I'll keep you all updated. And I'll appreciate your prayers for safety and health during my Africa trip (and I suppose all the other ones too!)
School gets out on the 19th (a Thursday). I will be on summer vacation from the 20th through the 24th - 5 glorious days. On the 25th of June, I will fly in an airplane with 19 teenagers and 3 other adults to Washington D.C. It's the first time I've been on a D.C. trip with kids and I cannot wait. It should be pretty wonderful with tons of supervision and other people planning the details. I'm just there to make sure the great kids don't kill each other. Also, my dear friend Laura (who lives in Montana), will happen to be in Washington, D.C. at the same time. We'll get to see eachother and that makes me happy.
I will fly home on the 29th of June (it was supposed to be on the 28th, my birthday, but plans changed and now I'm not going to be with family on my birthday and I'll miss another week of church!). I should arrive late in the evening.
I will get the 30th - July 11th off. I plan to use that time having birthday parties, picnics, recording for VBS, seeing Wicked, and packing. On the 12th, I'll be driving with my parents, brothers, Erin, and the kids to visit the aforementioned Laura in Montana. Yes, I'm driving with my whole immediate family to a state far far away. During the trip we may also get to visit Opa and his new wife in Yellowstone (my first time going). We are taking two vehicles and a trailer. We'll be camping all the way. This may sound like torture to some of you, but that's only if you've never been on one of my mom's trips. She can make every trip educational, amazingly fun, and so well planned that she can tell you the time of every stop to the minute (+/- 3 minutes). Seriously, she's the best!
We should come home on the 25th of July, a Friday, just in time to go to Danny and Katybeth's wedding on the 26th. I plan to go to church on the 27th. On the 28th, I plan to leave for Uganda until the 22nd of August. I'm going there to teach in the Karamoja region. I'm really excited about the trip and I only have moments of fear. I just learned that I will be there when the Goodheart sisters (at least Laura and Karen Goodheart) will be in Uganda. We overlap about 12 days!
When I come home, I have the weekend to recover and then I have superweek at school. Superweek is the week before classes start where teachers can take all sorts of classes and seminars for free on various topics. I was invited to actually speak at one seminar, but I decided that I was a little busy this summer to plan that too. Yes, I actually turned something down! I'm growing.
So, this is my crazy summer. You know, as busy as it sounds, I'll actually probably have more rest than usual. Think about it, I'll be far away from my usual activities and friends. I'll be spending much of my time either in a car, at a campsite, or in a remote African village (with internet access). Except for the jet lag, I should be very rested this summer. I'll keep you all updated. And I'll appreciate your prayers for safety and health during my Africa trip (and I suppose all the other ones too!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)