Smiles are Free

I have finally reached Uganda! We arrived at the Entebbe Airport yesterday around 2:00 made the two hour drive to Mukono town, which is close to where I will be teaching. We have met most of the volunteers who will also be working in villages and I love getting to know all of them. My personal favorite, a lady named Dee, is actually a middle-aged Australian and probably has the most energy out of anyone I have ever met. We met Dee initially as we were boarding our plane in Addis Ababa and she really knew how to get things moving so that the entire flight would make it onto the plane. She also provided Ashley, Aureliene, Madyline (the volunteers with GlobeMed) and I with money to buy much needed water at the airport. She also gave me what was probably the best advice of my life yesterday as we were driving through Kampala. A little girl had approached the car with an infant sibling on her back, hoping for money. If you know me, you know that not having anything to give her was incredibly hard for me to cope with. Dee turned around from the front seat and said, "I know it's hard, but smiles are free and you can give away as many, many of those as you like."
In the short amount of time that I have been here, that has been my motto, and it really seems to work. After staying at the guest house last night, Leslie (one of the coordinators for the Real Uganda) took us on a tour of Mukono. People here think that white people look incredibly funny and jokingly refer to us as "Mzungu." I have found that the best response to this is to just smile. The people that I have met here are very friendly. One man, David (a friend of Leslie's) almost scared me out of my skin when he came up behind us and introduced himself with a big booming voice and proceeded to give each of us a bear hug.
On the other hand, the "facilities" are less friendly. Our bathroom consists of a hole in the ground and there is no running water. The power at our house also went out last night and has not gone back on since then. I know this may sound a bit odd, but since it's me I'll just go ahead and say that I really enjoy having fewer conveniences. I really feel like this trip will help me to get in touch with the way the seeming "other world" lives and also, to get in touch with myself.
I will move to my placement tomorrow, which means that I might be a bit out of touch for a week or so, but I hope to make it back into town in a week or so. I hope you are all doing very well.
~Catie

P.S. Mom and Dad-I will not be able to get a phone until tomorrow because the shops are closed today. Know that I am well and that I will text you when I am able to.
P.P.S. My apologies for how abrupt these blogs are, I have only limited time in which to write. Hopefully, I will be able to post pictures sometime. I want you all to see what I am using as a bathroom.