Tonight, I am hosting a special dinner for my 2 favorite "Americans" Okaali John and Odong Robert Oryema. We are going to a place run by a guy out of Chicago and are going to have pizza. The year is winding up by trying to reconnect with old friends until our paths cross again. This morning, several men were working at removing trash from the streets of Gulu. I started to take a wide berth, when the man from the top of the truck said, "Hi, John." It was Patrick Munduga, the head of Invisible Children's Schools 4 Schools program... in some way my boss. And then I remembered that he had talked about his church community was going to do service to the Gulu area, by spending a whole day picking up trash. Trash is sometimes burned and sometimes just thrown into the gutters to wash to the bottom of the city. These gutters can be nasty, and getting involved in picking up the worst of the city is truly a service. I think it is maybe the most humbling experience one can do.
So looking forward to a great dinner, have had cold beers, and right now an ice cold 500 mL Orange Fanta. You forget how much you miss cold drinks until you have one. Revisiting St. Jude's on Sunday before heading back for the final days at Popavissa.
Click on the title for the story of more wonderful Ugandans coming to America
John
Walk to Atanga SS
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Weasel -- by Tim Hart
This has been another great summer meeting fantastic people. I think I have reached people as they have obviously reached me.
But you don't defeat 20 years of war, you don't defeat poverty, and you don't win all of the battles for children who have lived horrible lives.
Clicking on the title of this article will bring you to Tim's Story
to read a story about one young man named Weasel...
This story is a great story, it is interesting, it is real, and it shows the reality of a war torn region. It will still tear me up years from now. Although I have not met Weasel, I know him.
I actually liked that a student did not want to leave the exam room. I respect the passion in his make-up and his fight against his situation. I know after I read this story, it just makes me want to work harder-- do more. And I am going to need some committed young people to join me in this quest.
If the story is too tough, I have added funny pictures to the right.
John
But you don't defeat 20 years of war, you don't defeat poverty, and you don't win all of the battles for children who have lived horrible lives.
Clicking on the title of this article will bring you to Tim's Story
to read a story about one young man named Weasel...
This story is a great story, it is interesting, it is real, and it shows the reality of a war torn region. It will still tear me up years from now. Although I have not met Weasel, I know him.
I actually liked that a student did not want to leave the exam room. I respect the passion in his make-up and his fight against his situation. I know after I read this story, it just makes me want to work harder-- do more. And I am going to need some committed young people to join me in this quest.
If the story is too tough, I have added funny pictures to the right.
John
Good Dinner -- Short Post
Last Night we went across "the street" to our fellow teachers's house. We enjoyed a dinner of great chicken, potatoes, casaba -- kind of like potatoes--, sliced tomatoes, carrots, and of course, a big bowl of roasted white ants.
My knee has recovered nicely, so I am not limping through the school buildings. This blog is tough to write, as I am using Father's Italian computer which is just a bit different... We go back to Gulu in a couple of hours, then back to Pope Paul for just a few days...
Good pictures coming...
My knee has recovered nicely, so I am not limping through the school buildings. This blog is tough to write, as I am using Father's Italian computer which is just a bit different... We go back to Gulu in a couple of hours, then back to Pope Paul for just a few days...
Good pictures coming...
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Random (of course they are not random!!!) thoughts
The pig picture at left was taken, by me holding my computer open in a slight drizzle to capture a 250 lb. pig that suddenly was next to my house, I left my camera in Gulu...but I wanted this picture...
The best picture of the day, which I may get a chance to upload tomorrow is me next to a R.O.U.S.
A good night, with an impromptu exam review session for S.1. students....
Of course, I twisted my knee like 5 times in the last week or so, so I am walking around school grounds like I am 75 years old...
I may lose internet (mobile internet) in an hour, so there may only be blogs on the weekends soon.
John
The best picture of the day, which I may get a chance to upload tomorrow is me next to a R.O.U.S.
A good night, with an impromptu exam review session for S.1. students....
Of course, I twisted my knee like 5 times in the last week or so, so I am walking around school grounds like I am 75 years old...
I may lose internet (mobile internet) in an hour, so there may only be blogs on the weekends soon.
John
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Old Man Take a look at yourself.....
It started out pretty good, Kelley talked me into walking up to see the Priests mid-afternoon, we got lunch, although I have not been feeling right for a day or two. Then after lunch, when I saw Father Leonsyo's stash of bamboo. I asked him if I could have a small piece. He called his carpentry guy, and soon Patrick and I were cutting a 112 cm bamboo stick. I had tennis balls, I had bought in Gulu, and I was going to hit fungo (fly balls) to the students. Father asked how I played it, so I picked up a small piece of fruit, smaller than a golfball, and expected to hit it out of the yard. It did not happen, I think I missed 4 times in a row, how can I not hit fungo? On one of the misses, I twisted my knee (retwisted it actually).... so I was left with my pride and my knee hurting a bit.
But fungo went well, with me hitting tennis balls to Pope Paul students (about 4 of them) as about 55 people watched. Soon they had picked up another stick, not near as my bamboo custom made bat, and they tried. I walked to their side of the field to help them hit a ball by throwing it into the air. One of the studentts pantomimed golf, and asked if I knew that game. I said yes. He then said, "You should play that sport, sir, it is a good sport for fat men."
Got home for dinner, the students have organized study halls from 7-10 pm, most nights. I went into one of the Senior 3 rooms, and spent 2 hours teaching them mathematics.....
That is all, my internet solution may not work, but don't worry worst case, I will be in touch Friday morning for most of you.
John
But fungo went well, with me hitting tennis balls to Pope Paul students (about 4 of them) as about 55 people watched. Soon they had picked up another stick, not near as my bamboo custom made bat, and they tried. I walked to their side of the field to help them hit a ball by throwing it into the air. One of the studentts pantomimed golf, and asked if I knew that game. I said yes. He then said, "You should play that sport, sir, it is a good sport for fat men."
Got home for dinner, the students have organized study halls from 7-10 pm, most nights. I went into one of the Senior 3 rooms, and spent 2 hours teaching them mathematics.....
That is all, my internet solution may not work, but don't worry worst case, I will be in touch Friday morning for most of you.
John
China --- the New World Power
An interesting phenomenon is happening here..... Satellite TV....but not just Satellite TV, but China TV. The school, Pope Paul VI, did a good thing by getting satellite TV for the World Cup. They broadcast it so students could see it. It was a great opportunity for the students, and also a way to bring students and teachers together, but here is the fallout:
Most Northern Ugandans have not seen TV, they have some video huts that pop up occasionally, and you would pay a small fee to walk in the hut and watch, usually only Nigerian soap operas, English soccer, or Music videos.
So now, Ugandans are getting hit with TVs with hundreds of channels, and it is very tempting to watch. Teachers who have not seen this much TV before sit in the staff room and watch TV-- no matter what it is.
Since the World Cup is over, the school is no longer paying for the package, so they only get 3 channels--for free I think. They are all Chinese channels whose commercials paint China like a combination of Paris, Rome, Hawaii, and Disneyland complete with giant cartoon characters. The news is all produced by China, but often has english speaking Anglos delivering the news.
We just spent an hour watching three morning show hosts yuk it up talking about China. The one guy had a polo with the collar popped, a young attractive woman, and another guy.
So is China sneaking into the hearts and minds of the third world through free TV? We drink Chinese bottled water here (no problems), but many of the other goods are made in China and very cheaply made. Just ask any of us what we think about Chinese toilet paper after 6 weeks....
Students have started exams and school is winding down for the second term....looks like I will see many of you soon....with the Cardinals having a 6 game lead in the standings...
Got it,
John
Most Northern Ugandans have not seen TV, they have some video huts that pop up occasionally, and you would pay a small fee to walk in the hut and watch, usually only Nigerian soap operas, English soccer, or Music videos.
So now, Ugandans are getting hit with TVs with hundreds of channels, and it is very tempting to watch. Teachers who have not seen this much TV before sit in the staff room and watch TV-- no matter what it is.
Since the World Cup is over, the school is no longer paying for the package, so they only get 3 channels--for free I think. They are all Chinese channels whose commercials paint China like a combination of Paris, Rome, Hawaii, and Disneyland complete with giant cartoon characters. The news is all produced by China, but often has english speaking Anglos delivering the news.
We just spent an hour watching three morning show hosts yuk it up talking about China. The one guy had a polo with the collar popped, a young attractive woman, and another guy.
So is China sneaking into the hearts and minds of the third world through free TV? We drink Chinese bottled water here (no problems), but many of the other goods are made in China and very cheaply made. Just ask any of us what we think about Chinese toilet paper after 6 weeks....
Students have started exams and school is winding down for the second term....looks like I will see many of you soon....with the Cardinals having a 6 game lead in the standings...
Got it,
John
Monday, July 26, 2010
Shoes
My black shoes are split from mid-foot to almost the little toe, I am hoping they will last my final 8 days of teaching. Those shoes have been with me for all 4 years, I remember buying them at Shoe Carnival cheap in 2007, so I could just leave them behind. Somehow they have lasted. They marked up the dance floor at Tim and Terri's anniversary party, before I knew how bad they would leave marks. They started at Awere SS, and have been my school shoes at Gulu SS, and through the mud and dust at Atanga SS, to make their final appearance this year at Pope Paul VI. I tried to fix them a week ago, with a piece of gray duct tape, that I meticulously colored black with a Sharpie....only to see that method fail one short trip through the school grounds.
The black shoes are the Yin to the Yang of my Crocs, also 4 year veterans. The Crocs are so worn down that I slip on them constantly on any kind of wet surface. I took a big header when we were walking in the dark to Okot Jolly's house and the other teachers were quite amused. I had put myself as the favorite to fall first with odds of 3-1 much like Spain's World Cup odds. I bought another pair of Crocs for the trip, but I am such a slave to tradition that they got left behind.
So many of our students are working hard to reuse and recycle and not waste in America. If you want to really see recycling, come to a country much like Uganda. There is almost no trash, everything is reused. The plastic water bottles we give to students will soon be sold in town for 40 shillings to hold a small amount of gasoline or kerosene. The other day, a man had their mimeograph machine apart into several dozen pieces. He was taking a hack saw and cutting down one of the rollers to make it run smoother. I do not see a lot of people fixing things in America, but here almost everyone is handy in some way. The bicycle repairmen can probably fix the transmission on a Toyota, or at least get a few hundred more kilometers out of the vehicle. Students have sandals made out of old tires, and children play with a wide variety of once useful parts of something as toys.
Today, Kelley and I saw two little boys, maybe they were 4, work together to get water out of the well. The boy was not tall enough or strong enough to work the handle so instead of lifting it 3 feet, he went back and forth raising it an inch or two in a rapid motion. It would have been probably the 5 cutest pictures I have taken in Africa, but unfortunately neither one of us had a camera. As they walked away with their half-gallon containers, both boys raised them to their head, and started practicing how to carry the water.
Last night was movie night and we watched Millions. If you have never seen that movie rent it now. I have a copy that I somehow left behind, so I took 3 weeks here to slowly but surely download it on iTunes. Not much else, except think about you have the ability to reuse or overuse in your life, and try it. Some say that my black shoes look nice (by the way I am still looking for that some, so comment at the end if you believe that)....
John
Update: My friend Daneen Leidig (T/EX 2009) is trying to help a young man go to the University to help repair medical equipment. There may be only 3 people in the country who know how to repair medical equipment. A statistic I believe after the cord fiasco with little man, Samuel. Anyway I contributed, and if you would like the email or want to contact Daneen... Here is her email daneenleidig@gmail.com
The black shoes are the Yin to the Yang of my Crocs, also 4 year veterans. The Crocs are so worn down that I slip on them constantly on any kind of wet surface. I took a big header when we were walking in the dark to Okot Jolly's house and the other teachers were quite amused. I had put myself as the favorite to fall first with odds of 3-1 much like Spain's World Cup odds. I bought another pair of Crocs for the trip, but I am such a slave to tradition that they got left behind.
So many of our students are working hard to reuse and recycle and not waste in America. If you want to really see recycling, come to a country much like Uganda. There is almost no trash, everything is reused. The plastic water bottles we give to students will soon be sold in town for 40 shillings to hold a small amount of gasoline or kerosene. The other day, a man had their mimeograph machine apart into several dozen pieces. He was taking a hack saw and cutting down one of the rollers to make it run smoother. I do not see a lot of people fixing things in America, but here almost everyone is handy in some way. The bicycle repairmen can probably fix the transmission on a Toyota, or at least get a few hundred more kilometers out of the vehicle. Students have sandals made out of old tires, and children play with a wide variety of once useful parts of something as toys.
Today, Kelley and I saw two little boys, maybe they were 4, work together to get water out of the well. The boy was not tall enough or strong enough to work the handle so instead of lifting it 3 feet, he went back and forth raising it an inch or two in a rapid motion. It would have been probably the 5 cutest pictures I have taken in Africa, but unfortunately neither one of us had a camera. As they walked away with their half-gallon containers, both boys raised them to their head, and started practicing how to carry the water.
Last night was movie night and we watched Millions. If you have never seen that movie rent it now. I have a copy that I somehow left behind, so I took 3 weeks here to slowly but surely download it on iTunes. Not much else, except think about you have the ability to reuse or overuse in your life, and try it. Some say that my black shoes look nice (by the way I am still looking for that some, so comment at the end if you believe that)....
John
Update: My friend Daneen Leidig (T/EX 2009) is trying to help a young man go to the University to help repair medical equipment. There may be only 3 people in the country who know how to repair medical equipment. A statistic I believe after the cord fiasco with little man, Samuel. Anyway I contributed, and if you would like the email or want to contact Daneen... Here is her email daneenleidig@gmail.com
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