safari.

sun, 7.8 – one word: safari. yes, that’s right. safari. today, we woke up at the crack of dawn (4:30, to be exact…which is before the roosters even get up in africa!) and headed into murchison falls national park for the day. my day started off on a funny note when i woke up and looked toward my feet and realized i was looking through my mosquito net…somehow, i’d managed to work everything above my arms out of the net and i had it tucked under my arm, along with the sheets. no bites (that i know of, at least), so i think i’m ok…in hindsight, though, it was pretty funny. also, i had my first hot shower in weeks, so i quickly forgot the net incident.

we were all set and waiting for our mutatu driver to show back up (we’d told him that we wanted to leave at 5)…once 5:10 rolled around, amy called him and he said he was ‘coming now’…an interesting aside: when people in uganda say they’re coming ‘now,’ it might mean ‘in the next few hours’ or even ‘when i get a chance’…however, when they actually mean ‘now’ or ‘right this minute,’ they say ‘now-now’…i thought this was pretty interesting, even if it does make the word ‘now’ more or less obsolete. ok, so omegovu michael and his magical mutatu (ok, it wasn’t really magical, but it sounds cool, right? and check out that alliteration! [yes, i’m an english dork])…anyway, michael finally shows up around 5:20 and we load up and go. then, he tells us that he needs to get gas (amy had offered him the gas money the previous night so he could go ahead and get it, but he had declined…so, needless to say, she wasn’t a happy camper when he said this). so we go rolling around the huge metropolis of masindi, from one gas station to the next to the next (yes, we visited all three of them)…but apparently, gas stations in masindi don’t open til 5:30 (which might actually end up being 5:45 or 6:00 once it’s all said and done…remember, T.I.A!).

once we finally found a gas station that would sell us some gas (right after he finished filling up some other guy’s motorcycle and ‘spare gas tanks’ [read: 6 empty water bottles]), we filled up and were on our way. we made it to the park gate around 7 and they finally let us through around 7:20. after racing through the outskirts of the park for about 20 minutes, we realized that we weren’t going to make the 8:00 ferry into the game reserve, so amy decided to stop off at the lodge where group 2 is staying and confirm the reservations and pay for their rooms. when we found out that the next ferry wasn’t until 10, we decided to relax and have some coffee for a few minutes.

we made it on the 10:00 ferry and crossed the nile into the wildlife reserve. we were getting ready to set off on our safari, when we were met by 4 or 5 trucks, mutatus, and vans, all returning. they told us that the trail was so muddy (from the 12 hours of rain during the previous night) that the trails were nearly impassable. our guide, simon, decided we’d at least check it out before we threw in the towel. we drove a little ways down the path before we saw the major problem: there was a huge truck that was stuck about halfway up the first hill leading into the reserve. simon went to check it out and came back telling us that he thought we could make it if that truck could be moved. after a few minutes, the truck finally was freed from the mud and managed to get up and around the corner, so we made a run for it. we made it past the place where they were stuck fairly easily, but after turning the corner we realized that they had become stuck again. needless to say, we couldn’t stop, because then WE would get stuck, so michael made a run for it…on the shoulder. now, you don’t have to be a civil engineer to know that the muddiest place on most dirt roads is going to be the side, where all of the excess water drains. apparently, michael was feeling a bit overzealous after conquering the last hill with ease. he took us around to the right of the stuck truck…for about 4 feet. we began to slide left, toward the truck, then back right, toward the brush on the side of the road…left then right, then left again and then…nothing. we were stuck. phil and i looked at each other, exasperated, because we knew what was coming next. and, sure enough, it came: “alright guys, get out and push.” now, the term ‘mud’ doesn’t do this stuff justice…it was more like concrete. we pushed the mutatu out without much trouble, but when we were done, our shoes looked like something better suited for gene simmons or neil armstrong. i literally had 3 inches of the stuff caked on my sandals…it was ridiculous. anyway, we all hopped back in and off we went.

after a few minutes of driving, we began to see several different types of antelope. then, we swung around to the left and topped a hill and my jaw dropped. ahead of us, off to the right, were about a dozen giraffes, just a few hundred feet off the road. several of them stared at us and just stood there. others turned and walked away until they felt they were at a safe distance. we kept driving, andsaw pretty much everything in the park except the leopards. we saw tons of water buffalo, hundreds of giraffes, about 5 different species of antelope, a black crocodile (as he scrambled back into the marsh), several hippos, one elephant (pretty up-close, too), several snake eagles and fish eagles (which are a little bigger), a bunch of warthogs, a monitor lizard (which was about 5 feet long), several dung beetles, and, my personal favorite, the lion.

we pulled up and saw a range rover pulled about 30 yards off the path (which simon said was illegal…right before we pulled off with them). i heard him say ‘lion,’ but i wasn’t looking in the right place. at this point, i was hanging out of the window along with several other people, and we had 4 people on the roof of the mutatu as well. i was straining to see this lion, when, all of a sudden, i realized that it was directly in front of us and less than 30 feet away! with visions of this monstrous creature ripping me from my perch on the side of the vehicle, i clambered up onto the top (which, due to the metal bar that splits the window horizontally, was actually easier than climbing back inside). when the driver went to crank the car and drive off, he stripped some of the gears, and the noise did NOT sit well with the lion. he was looking at us already because of the sound of the car starting, but when the gear-grinding began, his gaze of casual indifference became a fierce, intense stare. if he could’ve spoken, he would’ve probably said something along the lines of “alright, i’m about to get mad, and one of you on the roof of that ridiculous-looking van is about to get eaten.” fortunately, our driver eased us away, and we saw numerous other animals before we left the park. the pictures show it way better than i could ever explain it…see for yourself:

http://msstate.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2081231&l=5eebc&id=26501674

stateside, baby.

i’m back!  we flew into new york yesterday morning…i’ll be here for a week before i fly back to the south.  i just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have been so diligent in your prayerful support of me and my group throughout this trip.  it has truly been a life-changing experience, and i cannot wait to share it with you when i get home.

as i’ve said, i’m moving to houston sometime in the next 6 weeks.  i’m sure that my adventures in texas won’t be anywhere near as crazy as those from uganda, but i hope that a few of you will continue to read and respond to the random thoughts that are my blog.  thanks again for all of your support, your encouragement, and your prayers.  see you soon!

on a side note, i realize that there are 4 days of my trip that are missing…and believe me, they were CRAZY days…safari, rafting the nile, bungee jumping, etc.  i’m planning to post sunday through yesterday as soon as i can get them typed up.  i’ll try to be quick about it.  ‘til then…

goodbye, gulu…hello, masindi.

saturday, 7.7 - today was our last day in gulu.  i woke up early and met isaiah in town to finalize our portfolio by having it bound.  it turned out looking really professional…and it was 46 pages long!  after we got it bound, we caught bodas to the second session of the teacher exchange program (last saturday was the first).  it wasn’t too bad…no 2 hour boring speeches like last week.

after we were done, we went straight home, loaded up the mutatu, and left.  it was pretty sad to have to say goodbye to all of the faces that we’ve grown so accustomed to seeing on a daily basis.  it took us about 2 hours to get to masindi, where we stayed for the night.  about halfway there, it started to rain on us pretty heavily, so we had to pull over and pull a bunch of the luggage, which was strapped to the roof, inside to keep it from getting doused.  otherwise, the trip was pretty uneventful, and we arrived around 7.  we put our stuff in the little bungalow-type huts and all met at the lodge for dinner.  i was starving…i had soup and a hamburger and fries…it might’ve been the best burger i’ve ever had…or i might’ve just been so hungry that a spam-and-peanut-butter sandwich would’ve tasted good at that point.

at any rate, the travel went well, the dinner was good, and the bed was WAY more comfortable than the foam mattresses we’ve been sleeping on for the past month!  safari tomorrow…i can’t wait!

revelations, new names, and packing up.

thursday, 7.5 through friday, 7.6 – goodbyes are no fun.  on thursday, i said farewell to my students.  it was a really enlightening experience.  up until that point, i realized that the kids were excited to see a white man in their classroom.  however, when i told them it would be our last class together, thanked them for their cooperation and hard work, took pictures with them, and said goodbye, they responded with visible sadness.  i got several letters, poems, and songs that were written in my honor, thanking me for coming, lamenting my departure, etc.  one girl began to tear up when she came to the teachers’ room to give me the poem she wrote for me.  it was extremely hard to leave knowing that i might never see them again.

after school, isaiah and i went into town and worked on our portfolio for several hours.  i missed dinner at the house, so he and i had dinner together at bora bora.  i got home around 9:00.  loooong day.

friday was another long day.  isaiah and i met at 8:00 to finish up our work.  then all of the gulu high school teachers in the teacher exchange program (both american and ugandan) got together to practice and plan our presentation for saturday’s conference.  it went well, and we actually had a lot of fun planning it.  after we got done, we all took our partners to lunch at an acholi buffet place called diana gardens…it was SO good.  doubly so because i had a fanta citrus.  i’m not too crazy about sodas, but while i’ve been here, i’ve gotten hooked on that and a drink called mirinda fruity. the fanta is kinda like sprite, but not so syrupy sweet…and the mirinda reminds me of a grape tootsie roll pop…weird, i know, but it’s really really good!  i wish i could bring bottles back with me!

while we were at lunch, isaiah decided to reveal my ‘acholi name’…a lot of times, when a non-acholi visitor befriends an acholi, they are given a name that, much like acholi birth-names, represents the person in some way.  isaiah decided that my acholi name is “Oluma,” which is cool.  it’s kinda a long story though…

basically, since coming here, i’ve met lots of the locals, played soccer with a lot of the kids, and made lots of new acholi friends around town.  as a result, whenever any of the other teachers goes to town, they are [supposedly] asked “do you know bryan?” or “where is bryan?”…so, they all (i think phil started it) started referring to me by names like rock star, celebrity, etc.  they exaggerated it greatly, probably because they realized that it embarrassed me…anyway…

so apparently many many years ago, when the various europeans were conquering the various lands of africa, there was a huge fight in uganda.  the british were trying to take over (they eventually won), and the ugandans were fighting them.  largely outnumbered, tired, and beginning to lose the war of attrition, the ugandan troops were forced to retreat…UP a steep, rocky cliff face.  when the british began to follow, they began hurling rocks down on them, killing thousands of british soldiers.  the brits finally overpowered them, but not before suffering heavy casualties.  the ugandan soldiers (esp. the leaders) became instant legends of the country’s folklore.  the word ‘Oluma’ became a name used to refer to great (and usually victorious) war heroes.  over time, it became an extremely respectful name given to someone who is very famous and revered by the people…the name itself…well, some say it is because of the area in which the battle took place, while others claim it was one of the general’s names…i seemed to get a different story from everyone i asked…like i said, folklore.

anyway, isaiah (probably with a little influence from phil and my other colleagues) decided that this was a good name for me.  after seeing the reactions of some of the other ugandans when i told them my ‘acholi name,’ i came to realize that it is a very rare and prestigious name.  it is reserved for expressing very high honor and respect and is therefore very rare…ESPECIALLY for a westerner…so needless to say, i was extremely touched by the gesture.  it was a much more authentic name than most of the ones my coworkers got…basically, in some form or another, they all got a name that means ‘loved/beloved’ in some way.  i’m quite happy with mine.  especially since it came from isaiah.

anyway, friday night, we packed up (by candlelight and flashlight…yup, you guessed it…no power once again) and swapped pictures with some of the staff and other teachers from group 2.  we are leaving from the conference tomorrow to drive to masindi.  hard to believe we’ve been here over 4 weeks already…

new church, typhoid, and a KILLER african ab workout.

sun, 7.1 through wed, 7.4 – wow. it’s july already?  i think that might’ve been the shortest month in my life.  we have less than one week before we leave gulu and begin our journey home…yet it seems as if we only arrived in gulu a few days ago.  

on sunday, several of us attended the church service that is held weekly in one of the larger buildings on gulu high school’s campus.  it was a catholic mass in nature, but it was one of the neatest experiences i’ve ever had in a church setting.  for starters, it was completely student-led (even moreso this week since the priest was unable to come).  also, the music was starkly different from what i’ve witnessed in catholic masses in the past.  the students had an array of instruments, and they sang a variety of songs, ranging from traditional acholi religious songs to hymns in english that i actually knew.  the students were very welcoming, and they even helped us to understand the words to some of the songs that we were [quite obviously] having trouble with…it was a really neat experience.  the priest had an unforeseen conflict and was unable to come, but after a few slight delays (which were filled with improvised singing), one of the older boys addressed the congregation.  they still went through the majority of the service, minus the parts that the priest was integral to.  they were reverent, respectful, and even apologetic to us, their guests, for his absence…but it was actually far more rewarding to get to experience the makeshift, improvisational service that took place in his stead.  they were so genuine, their praises so heartfelt, that i found myself on more than one occasion simply sitting there in the front (where we were asked to sit upon arrival) and listening to the chorus of voices in their shout-song that is such a unique sound to a suburban white kid from the states.  i cannot do this sound justice in my description of it, but i would liken it to the sound of a black choir in america…with ten times the passion and a soulful authenticity that reflects the hardships that can be neither fathomed nor replicated in the u.s.   seeing these students gather on their own…no one was forcing them to be there, and it was obvious that they were there because they WANTED to be there…was so touching, not to mention extremely different from my experience in the church last sunday.  very encouraging and a wonderful experience.

monday, i ended up teaching class by myself.  isaiah, as it turns out, did not have malaria, which is good news.  the bad news, however, is that he DID have typhoid fever, which can be worse.  he has been in bed at home since thursday evening, and he called me (as i was walking to school in the pouring rain) to tell me that he was coming in, but he was too weak to teach…so he asked if i’d be comfortable teaching the lesson on my own.  i had no problem with it, and so i hurried the rest of the way to school so i’d have a few extra minutes to throw a lesson together.  the lesson went well…the students all opened up to me a lot more and by the end of class, after they presented their work, they were laughing and grilling one another about the meanings of various lines in their poems.   isaiah came in for the last fifteen minutes or so, and he commented afterwards that he had never seen his students so welcoming or so vulnerable to an outsider in their classroom, which was some much-needed affirmation for me.  in the midst of all of the emotional wrestling that you go through here, a few encouraging words or hearing that you’ve touched a student’s life is sometimes enough fuel to keep you going for the next week, or in my case, for the remainder of the trip.

tuesday was pretty uneventful.  i felt pretty gross all day…i’m having my first stomach problems since arriving here, a fact that is both amazing (almost everyone else has had COUNTLESS problems) and unfortunate (i’d rather have dealt with this 2 weeks ago…NOT 5 days before we leave!)…but oh well…break out the immodium and cipro!  in the evening, sarah hartley (the director of schools4schools) led a workshop on ESL strategies which was very good and extremely useful to me as an english teacher.  we had fun, and by the time we wrapped up, it was after 10, so most of the crew went to bed.  i stayed up, mainly because my stomach still felt pretty uneasy, i wasn’t tired, and i DEFINITELY didn’t want to lie in bed with a 3-ring circus going on in my small intestines for an hour before falling asleep.

i woke up about 5 times in the night because my stomach is pretty much in a constant state of cramped-ness.  i felt like the guy in ‘alien’ right before the little creature burst out of his stomach…for about 6 hours straight.  on the upside, i haven’t thrown up and the immodium’s working, but this cramping is getting old…quick.  i only slept about 2 hours, so i woke up this morning tired, sore, and gross.  another night like that, and i’m gonna have a picture-perfect set of washboard abs!  i think i’ve discovered the next big workout plan…african parasites (or maybe it’s a bacterial infection).  i’m hoping for the latter, because the cipro will kill it…parasites i’m not so sure about.  so keep your fingers crossed!  (i’ll bet you never imagined you’d be rooting for a bacterial infection, huh?)  it’s like a presidential race…choose your favorite candidate (for fun, i guess we could include worms as the long-shot ‘green party’ candidate) and i’ll keep you posted of the poll results…i guess i’m feeling a bit patriotic since it’s the Fourth! 

happy 4^th of july to all of you back home…have fun celebrating our country’s independence!  now let’s just pray for the ‘independence’ of this THING in my belly (preferably not the ‘alien’ way, either)!