Another Week

So, the current themes are really broken computer, and lots of Luganda. We have our Luganda exam tomorrow which is pretty bad news, I'm going to have to do some intense studying this evening. There just isn't enough time in our everyday lives for studying, and it's quite hard to pick up a language in THREE weeks, especially mostly orally. Today we did a bunch of role play like pretening we are at the market and restaurant etc...which was fun but stressful because I feel like I know very little, and once I leave Kampala, other parts of Uganda don't use Luganda so its hard to feel like putting in a lot of effort...

Also, in an effort to revive computer, I brought it to a place where they had a harddrive that SHOULD have worked, it ended up not fixing the computer thus the problem is something else, though as a consequence I have now spent many many hours in a computer repair tech room working on my own computer because people here don't know how to even open a macbook...sigh.

So, what are some better things from this past week.... Last weekend I spent a nice day in town, got caught in a rainstorm but got yummy Indian food and then coffee at the coffee shop we frequent. I also got my dress made with my fabric from Rwanda! It looks amazing and I get lots of compliments from Ugandans because now I look really "smart" (you know you look good when people say you are looking smart). Also, a big highlight was going out earlier this week--my friend Abbey had befriended a few Ugandans from the internet cafe and they seemed very smart and sincere and not just trying to take home a young American girl, which is what most people want. So we went with them to the National Theater for drumming/hip-hop night, and it was just a nice atmosphere with a small crowd and a traditional drumming group as well as this really funny rap group of which one member was this little white guy from colorado, haha. And then Abbey's dad organized a group taxi home for us so that we lady folk could get home safely in the dark and not have bad things happen to us. We have found a good place for SUSHI so tomorrow we are going there and then dancing, which is exciting. Still trying to tigure out where to go/ what to do for practicum, yikes. There is another SIT group studying in Uganda right now, and they are in the city this week. I have a friend in common with them (Molly) so I hung out with a few of them, and they have loved Northern Uganda where they have been, so that seems promising if I want to go to Gulu where many NGOs and Internally displaced peoples camps are. I just need to make up my mind.

This past week has been public health class, which myself and 6 others are taking, and its been nice to learn about some stuff that I have a grounding in, like biomedical ethics and insurance and also gender issues in health and nutrition, etc. The nutrition guy was pretty funny, kept telling us about how we had to stop drinking soda and get up off the couch and I'm just like ummm I think you're talking to the wrong people. Next week we get to go to the trash dumping and sanition place, among other things, which should be interesting/gross.

Interesting thing: last week sometine, this market called Owino burned down, and tons of people lost their stalls and merchandise. Owino is also 300 meters from the fire brigade. And they did not show up for an hour. Some people think it was a conspiracy to clear out the market for other business, though I would not be suprised if it were an accident because the government departments here are just that whack. Just a little snippet of the wonderful infrastructure here.

Ok must run! Love you all,
Jamie