271 Speed Bumps

I've just returned to Mukono after my first week as a teacher and a safari with the other volunteers. On the way to safari, we discovered an interesting fact about Ugandan roads. Instead of posting speed limits or patrolling the highways, Uganda instead utilizes series of speed bumps to keep people from driving too fast. The resulting effect is that drivers swerve all over the road and sometimes drive halfway on the shoulder to avoid destroying their vehicles on the road. Today, Ashley and I sat through and counted 271 speed bumps.

It's funny, and admittedly cheesy, but I feel like speed bumps are a pretty adequate metaphor for life here in Uganda. Some of my speed bumps are small, like living without running water or electricity, coping with bugs, and overcoming language barriers. However, others of them are much larger. I think my biggest oncoming challenge is to become an effective teacher; it is definitely not an easy thing to do. My students are used to recitation, which means that if I asked them to repeat after me for an entire class period, they would perform phenomenally. However, if I ask them questions, such as, "What does this sentence mean?" or "Why did I use this word?" they have no idea how to answer me. Don't get me wrong. I really enjoy teaching. I also enjoy the fact that my students are eager to learn, eager to please, and even (oddly enough) eager to receive homework. The only problem is that they have not been taught to ask why or expect a conceptual understanding of what they are learning. It has become my top priority to turn that around in at least one student while I am here. They might not learn that much from me, but I hope that I can at least teach them to expect more from their education.


Aside from that, I am really enjoying Uganda. I have made a few friends here already and learned quite a lot from them. In my free time, I go down to the well to help the kids haul water or learn how to do the laundry and dishes Ugandan style from my friend Caroline. She has even promised that I will learn to make Ugandan meals before I leave, which should be interesting considering that Caroline is the matron at the school and often cooks for 366 people. I have also started attending prayer every morning and evening with the teachers at my school. They mostly just sing hymns in Luganda so I don't understand very much of what is said, but I find it rather calming. I have, so far, opted out of Friday mass and church on Saturday, but I have a feeling I will be attending them soon enough. I have no plans to become a Seventh-Day Adventist, but I enjoy participating in activities that I know are important to my community. Ultimately, the amount of good I am experiencing here overcomes all of my frustrations so my sense of optimism is still fully intact.

This weekend was also a great deal of fun. I have spent most of my weekends with the other volunteers, who are generally wonderful company. Getting away on the weekends has also provided me with the opportunity to get to know other travelers, such as a doctor named Siameck who specializes internal medicine. I learned more in a 3 hour conversation with him over dinner on Friday than I normally learn (and actually retain) within an entire semester of school. He also plans on sending several of us articles and book recommendations and I have never been more excited for information.

I guess that's about it right now. Safari was great. There were a lot of baboons and they were not at all shy so some of them were jumping on the safari vans. I got to see elephants, which was probably my favorite part. We also took a boating trip down the Nile and saw a bunch of hippos and went hiking at Murchison Falls. Next week, I while be going white water rafting with a few friends, which sounds really intense so if you don't hear from me in 3 weeks....start to worry. Just kidding. I will be plenty safe and I am looking forward to trying out some class fives and a waterfall.

I suppose I should apologize for how poorly written most of these are. I really wish that I had the time to sit down and write a higher quality blog to better represent my experience, but I really don't. I hope you don't mind my rambling too much and that you're doing well-wherever you all are at this point.

Peace,
Catie