Who will you live for?

That was the central question of a church event I attended with a few Ugandan friends who were kind enough to invite me along. Although I am constantly disturbed by the permeation of religious missionary ideas in Ugandan society, the event was fascinating to witness.

The question, "who will you live for?" is an interesting one. If you asked the pastor at this event, there are only two answers: Jesus or yourself. Clearly only one of these answers is "right." But I found the dichotomy so interesting because certainly I do NOT live for Jesus or any other religious entity for that matter, but the alternative... living for yourself, that's pretty cheap, isn't it?

Sometimes I do live for myself. I live for the next adventure, the next feeling of total freedom. I live for the next time I laugh until my body hurts, or the next time I am offered approval from someone I respect or admire. I live for an awesome conversation with a friend, or feeling connected to the world around me. I'm not sure any of these things are inherently bad. I cannot see the world in terms of black and white. My world is so gray. Almost anything can be justified with the right intentions.

So, who do I live for? I think a better question is what do I live for. Aside from adventure, freedom, laughter, approval, and connection (all amazing things, in my opinion), I live for justice. I live for the causes that keep me so engaged that I can't sleep or breath until I learn, read, or write more. I want to live for the benefit of humanity, but to be fair, I don't always know how to do that.

So many things about Uganda confuse and intrigue me, but the religious piece is especially complex. I wonder, who is so invested in making sure that these young Ugandans live for Jesus? Why can't someone be that invested in making sure people live for social justice, peace, or equality? Why can't someone be that invested in making sure Ugandans have access to health care or education or economic opportunities? Ultimately, wouldn't that make the world a better, fairer place?

a real update

I feel like I haven't done a real update in a while... I have to consult my calendar to remember what I have been up to since Safari.

Actually, the weekend before Safari Noa and I took a day trip to the equator! Now, this is primarily a tourist trap, but we were pretty excited about it nonetheless. The equator is about an hour or so south west of Kampala and we took a bus there. The bus pulled over on the side of the road and signaled to us that it was our stop... at first we were skeptical, but then we saw the giant circular equator markers and we knew that we had made it! We hopped of the bus and began the obligatory photo-shoot. After taking several dozen photos, eating moist muffins (they are actually called moist muffins and are pretty well known as the best muffins in Uganda, sold only at the equator), and doing a little craft shopping, we decided to head home. However, it was a Sunday evening, and all the buses and taxis were full! We were passed up by many taxis and were beginning to worry when a taxi finally pulled over... to tell us he was full! Very polite, but what a bummer! Soon after I stuck my thumb out to attempt a little hitchhiking, a taxi pulled over with exactly two spaces. Success!

That week Noa and I also hosted a movie night with some of our friends and her wonderful coworkers. We made some delicious Ugandan food (the most authentic meal that will ever be cooked in our kitchen!) and watched the movie where Judaism and Uganda collide: Operation Entebbe. Most of us greatly enjoyed it. Plus, it was tremendous fun to host our friends. Later in the week I went to the tailor with my fabric to begin the process of getting a dress made. It was really fun and my dress turned out pretty well, just requiring a few adjustments (popular fashion in Uganda dictates enormous hips... not cute!) That weekend we went to Murchison Falls on safari, which I have already updated about.

Since Murchison Falls I have begun Luganda lessons (Nsoma OLuganda buli lunaku/I study Luganda everyday), started a new project at work (operation organize the resource center so it does not resemble a storage facility is well underway!), and we hosted another gathering at our house for Noa's goodbye. It was a very successful party and it was fun to bring together all the various people who are part of our lives in Uganda. Also that weekend we went to the Gadaffi Mosque, which was very beautiful, and I had dinner with the new AJWS group. It was great fun to meet some new people and catch up with others who I hadn't seen in quite a while. All of the other volunteers in my cohort have left, and the new group has moved in. It's been a lot of fun getting to know them and being able to answer some of their questions and show them around Kampala makes me feel super competent!

Last week I was also in the field one day observing a training of health workers on the reproductive health rights of women with disabilities. This was an awesome training and really just solidified in my mind how amazing and talented my coworkers are. It also made me realize just how deep some of the misconceptions and prejudices against women with disabilities are in Uganda and how these prejudices can seriously impact health-seeking behavior, and ultimately health outcomes.

This past weekend I attended the Sean Kingston concert (along with Mr. Flavour) which was hilarious (No, I would never in a million years go to a Sean Kingston concert in the US, but in Uganda... it seemed necessary). Then on Saturday I spent the day at AfriArt gallery (an awesome art gallery in Kampala... will definitely be going back there!), eating Indian food, and attending an outdoor music festival in Kampala.

Well, it's been a good couple weeks in Kampala. I am enjoying my routine here, which consists of me eating avocado everyday, hanging out with my goat that I named Obama, making my coworkers laugh (at me), and attempting to use my toddler-Luganda in everyday conversation. I can't say that life here isn't without frustrations (pretty sure I called my mom last weekend to ask if I needed stitches for a taxi-related injury), and I am still figuring out how to live here comfortably AND responsibly, but I don't want to be anywhere else.

Until next time!

phase two

I am entering the second phase of my time here in Uganda as an AJWS volunteer and Tulane MPH practicum student. My cohort of volunteers have almost all left the country, ready to move on in their lives. In a hundred ways, I am NOT ready to move on with my life. Not even close. Sure, I face daily frustrations (case in point: earlier this week I had two separate, semi-serious taxi injuries), but I am generally very happy here. That, and I am far from finished. I still have a lot to learn.

September-December Goals:

• start brainstorming/writing my public health analysis
• determine gaps in knowledge in public health in order to pick next semester courses
• read more books (fun and academic)
• do something sustainable at my place of work
• learn more Luganda/practice my Luganda more
• travel somewhere else in East Africa

The next 3 months hold so much possibility.

observations

A culture that mandates you tell anyone you greet “well done” starting around midday acknowledges the fact that people work hard here, no matter what they do. I like that.

I have to take a deep breath and re-center myself about 20 times a day. Completely worth it.

The sayings on the back of taxis produce endless amusement. ("safety is no accident"; "I support mothercare"; "patience pays"; etc.)

Chaos is an illusion of the uninitiated.

There will always be a jam. Always.

I will always be amazed at what people carry on motorcycles (Half of a manikin? A large pane of glass? Several dozen live chickens? Just another day.)

Access, in the broadest sense, is a fundamental human rights issue.

Sustainability is a high-order function.

Anything can be repaired or mended, from cellphones to shoes.

Power is centralized, but responsibility and accountability are diffuse. This is no accident.

Culture can be marketed and sold; entire peoples can be commodified. Be careful what you consume.

Safari Pictures

Giraffe

Mama and baby elephants

Mama and baby hippo

Water buffalo enjoying the mud

Murchison Falls

7 Jews and a Missionary went on Safari...

And we still don't have the punch line for that joke! This past weekend my friends and I went up to Murchison Falls National Park in north western Uganda. The park is the largest reserve in Uganda and is located right on the Victoria Nile leading into Lake Albert, bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The weekend began on Friday when we left for Masindi and realized that our group consisted of 7 Jews and a Christian missionary... auspicious beginnings!

On Friday evening we took a short walk on the Nile and got our first look at wildlife. We saw hippos and warthogs immediately, along with birds and lots of baboons. Baboons are really gross and I do not like them at all! Warthogs, on the other hand, are extremely ugly but have complex social communication, which makes them interesting. They also like to rummage through garbage cans, so we named them the raccoons of Africa. That night a hippo made its way to our campsite and spent the evening next to our tent. Comforting. Hippos are the most dangerous animal in Africa after the mosquito. We slept well.

On Saturday we were up bright and early to begin a game drive. Although we were tired, the great outdoors energized us. Our first animal siting lifted our spirits... more hippos! We also saw a plethora of giraffe, kob (antelope), jackson hartebeest, water buffalo, lions, elephants, many birds, and more! The scenery was absolutely beautiful... green and lush with trees, wet from the nearby river and lake. My seat in the safari vehicle happened to be in the very back, so I spent the morning with half my body out the window at all times. Anything for a good view, right! I managed to spot several species of "large ants" that way, which surely impressed my fellow safari-mates and guide. It made the official list of things we saw, anyway. When my fellow safari-mates realized that my strategy was to (literally) hang out the window, I became the subject of many photos... leading me to proclaim, only somewhat accurately, that I was the cutest thing on the safari. Probably not true!

That afternoon we took a boat trip on the river Nile towards Murchison Falls. On the boat we saw more hippos and elephants, along with alligators and more birds. It was cool to be on THE Nile! The falls looked small on the approach, but up close it was huge! The boat "docked" at a big rock and allowed the braver passengers to get out. Of course I was among those who got on that rock! It was so amazing to see the falls from, more or less, inside the river Nile. I was careful not to touch, as the river is parasite infested, but it was still amazing and well worth it. After a few photo-ops, we got back in the boat and headed back to camp.

That night the hippo visited our campsite again, this time right as a group of us prepared a short Havdallah service. We didn't have a candle, so we used two flashlights (the lights intertwined!) and we didn't have spices, so we used an old bag of chips (kind of gross), but we did have wine! The service was very nice and I think the hippo enjoyed it as well. On Sunday we woke up and headed out for a short hike at Murchison Falls. If the falls were amazing from a distance on the Nile, they were a hundred times more amazing up close and personal. I have never seen anything so powerful and breathtaking... I think I might be addicted to waterfalls. When I looked at the falls, it was almost as if it was too much to take in at once. I found myself focusing on just one part, like the clear water blossoming into white water, or the way the water hit a rock at a certain point. I kept focusing in and out, it was mesmerizing! I could have stayed there all day.

After the hike we loaded up and headed back to busy Kampala. I slept without fear of hippo attacks last night, but seriously missing the beauty and calm of Murchison Falls.

This morning, as if I needed an official welcome back to Uganda reality, I had to go renew my visa at the immigration office. After three hours, major frustration, a trip to an internet cafe to write and print a request letter, and negotiating with literally the meanest person I have met since I came to Uganda, I am officially allowed to be in this country for 3 more months. Success!

Pictures are coming, I promise!