Day 4 and 5

Day 4

Today was an interesting day of all sorts.  First, I took my first trip to town… driving a stick shift on the left side of the road with motorcycles (“bodas”) rushing everywhere and people walking slowly everywhere you looked.  My co-workers and I had many errands to run, including going across the other side of town for a signature.  We were gone from 11am-5pm. That is a typical day in town, and you will always forget something.  You may know by now that I am a city girl from the States, born and raised in Chicago for 30 years.  In Chicago, the most complicated thing you get is snow and potholes, am I right or am I forgetting something? Although the snow is tricky (didn't Chi just get 8 inches?) it is flat land and everything is paved.  In Western Uganda it is not flat. I would say you are driving hills as much as you are driving flat surfaces. The roads are maybe 20% paved and therefore using the word “potholes” is a pleasant statement, especially after the rains.  The “maram” roads (clay/dirt) are paved once a year, if you are lucky, but there are two rainy seasons in Uganda, since we are on the equator. Little factoid: away from the equator you get one wet and one dry season, like in Zambia. I would really like to get into more detail, but will save it for another time.

Richard, Master Chef!

Second, The electricity went out for the first time since I arrived which is a miracle, just after the sun went down.  It is amazing how differently one moves about in the dark. First you must find your flashlight or candle, then where are the matches? If you are Ugandan you can see when it is pitch back, but not my blue, American, city dweller eyes. I must not have developed enough cones, or is it rods, for seeing anything in the dark.  Now the sun, ah ha! -- that blinds me and gives me headaches, so basically my eyes are worthless.  What I love about the dark it is makes you slow down, it allows you to see the beautiful stars. What I don’t particularly like is when you have a grant due and your computer is not charged. I also don’t like when bugs find the only light in my little universe- my computer screen- and dive-bomb me for hours.

Third, I caught a rat in the next door kitchen!  Let me back up a few hours… Last night I kept waking up to much action over my head, thumping and moving things around/  Then it sounded as if someone kept entering the apartment next door and moving things around there too – but there is no one living, human I mean.  I was so convinced I walked into the apt like a detective, opening doors and moving my flashlight scanning every room. I was convinced I would find someone (I even brought my knife with me! Just in case….)!  I went back to bed hoping it was just rats, but also not looking forward to the fact that they already found me after only 3 days! The sounds continued and were so human like maybe one of the night watchmen was checking it out, or maybe some random person was stealing the bedding in there…. Then I heard noises outside. Plenty of things walking or shuffling about, doors opening. Argh, I couldn’t sleep for at least an hour, and I swear I wasn’t dreaming, but I kept telling myself there was nothing I could do about it, so “just sleep”.   Well, I found two answers today. Yes to rats, and yes to the night watchman! I found a rat under a wicker shelving unit in the kitchen next door this morning, and at the end of the day I showed my coworker the rat (because he didn’t believe me). We decided to wake it up, and then I decided to catch it so that maybe I could get some sleep tonight.  I put a washing basin over it and a gas tank on top.  I’m surprised I didn’t find more than one rat in there. I also decided to put away ALL of my food in buckets, oops I forgot the opened can of popcorn seeds, I better do that now… But it really ruins the fresh veggies, so we’ve got to find another way than tupperware, especially since we will have more food than buckets when the 6 other volunteers arrive after one full day, yikes! Ok, popcorn is put away securely, but I can hear more than one rat on the other side of the wall in the kitchen (which has no food) of the next apt.  You know what? I’m not scared of rats, they are just really inconvenient and surprise you from time to time. And they are friggin smart, however predictable because they will always run to a wall or dark spot first, like under the couch or in a bag, not to mention that rat had not moved from when I saw it this morning, HA!

[A beetle that sounds like a helicopter and looks like a June bug just flew past my nose and landed on my shirt. Luckily it’s not a fast crawler, cause then I might get goosebumps.]

Anyway, about the night watchman, he was outside my window checking out the outdoor kitchen and the latrine, etc. at the time that I heard him out there.  But I still believe that the rats were also active and getting into my rubbish in a box placed right outside the back doors as they traveled from apt door to apt door.  This place was built really rat accessible, if I may say so.  My co-workers asked if I wanted a cat, I said I’m not too fond of house cats, but if it will deter the rats, then I will consider….. as long as it stays mostly outside in the perfect weather!

And finally, as I was going to the latrine with my headlamp, there was a rustling in the leaves near me.  My first thought was DOG, the street dogs have really been active here every night.  But it didn’t seem to be startled by me, and the dogs always run away or are never found that close to you. Then I thought possible snake, but it wasn’t smooth sounding. Then I thought rat or mouse. And guess what? It was a toad!  It was the toad and then looking up at the stars that motivated me to right a “fourth day at work”. And here I am, and here you are. 

…Until next time, thanks again.

tiny kitchen, trying to keep all the fresh stuff away from the rats!

P.S. Tomorrow is another crazy day in town to buy house supplies and food for 7 people. We are not talking all packaged stuff like in the States where there are large fridges with electricity and chemicals to keep the food “fresh”.  No, this is all fresh food without such nasties, that spoils in less than a week. Luckily we will all eat it before that time.  My cook offered to help me out in town, what a nice man, plus he’ll get a free ride to town to run his own errands, that’s a good deal. All the while, 2 carpenters, a specialist in door handles, an electrician and possibly a tank of water will be at the house all day, overseen by Mathew.  It is cram-time now before these volunteers come…which is kinda nice because that mean this house will really be in order from here on out, and things aren’t put off.  Uganda’s work ethic continues to amaze me!

It’s already 9:15pm, where did the time go?

at the farm in my flip flops

Day 5

I am so exhausted.  A good, long day today, started with a jog at 7:30 and it is now 9pm I am still working. Welcome to the life of a [field] manager, right?  My mind is a bit of a haze with everything I stuffed in it today, but one of the highlights was my visit to the Kasiisi Porridge Project Farm and seeing how tall and beautiful the maize/corn grew in 3 months - ready to harvest in a few weeks! Joseph, the Farm Manager sent me home with 5 ears of corn.   By the way, how do you spell an Ear of corn? Am I really that naive to farming? Um, Yes. Even though I want to be a farmer and a botanist some day, starting right now!

Joseph picking the best corn for his "boss" yumm can't wait to eat it!

First Days on the Job -- The Kasiisi Project

Day 1

Well I’m sitting in my new apartment on grounds at Kasiisi Primary School to begin my first paid field job, with The Kasiisi Project.  www.kasiisiproject.org.  This is the same project I worked on for 6 months at 2 weeks per month, May-Nov 2011.  This is the first moment in at least 3 months that feels like life just slowed down for a few hours.  Although I feel somewhat lonely, I am actually not really alone.  There are crickets, a local street dog that ran through the field, and plenty of other flying invertebrates, a.k.a bugs. And I can’t forget the two night watchmen who are in charge of the grounds; one has an AK47. 

This is the yard in front of the house that I can't wait to landscape.

From the porch; this is where I am emailing you now.

"My side" of the duplex that I share with other volunteers

My new home is a basic staff house for the school, but due to the raised tariffs to live in Kibale National Park at the research station, we are transitioning this housing into volunteer quarters for the foreseeable future.  Right now it doesn’t have running water, so that is a bit tough for me but I will get used to it in a week.  We have put up two new rain barrels, but seeing as it is the dry season, water coming out of those taps will wait until March-ish.  So right now we “fetch” water from the rain barrel next door.  Luckily we have electricity and a travel gas stove to boil water, plus a filter.  I was assigned a cook, that’s just how it is done here, his name is Richard, and he will also help with sweeping/mopping and laundry along with another hired hand because, in 4 days, 6 volunteers are coming to the house, so we will all be mighty busy.  It is an exciting time and I feel so lucky and happy to be here!

Do you like the colors that the painter picked out in our living room?

I have told myself, now that I will be able to have a routine for the first time in over a year, that I will run on the main road every morning. In fact I want to run to the project’s 20 acre farm, which we use to sustain the Porridge Project.  I want to learn as much as I can about farming, and I can’t wait to get started.  My boss also told me I could landscape the front lawn of the house, I’m so excited that I call this “my house”.  It is a wonderful and much awaited feeling being able to call a field site my home.  I feel blessed.  All that is needed is a puppy, which will come in time when everything is settled.

Day 2

I went for my first jog up the road for 30 minutes.  I didn’t make it to the Kasiisi Farm, but I made it into the turnoff branch towards the farm.  The weather was perfect of course, the only complaints are the dust and exhaust from cars/motorcycles/big trucks passing.  It kinda feels like you are smoking a cigarette while running, ok not that bad, but my lungs probably feel that way. I might start running with a scarf to be honest.  The other complaint is: being stared at by everyone, but I smile and wave and greet them in Rutooro, “Ori ota?” Good morning, how are you? or, “Muli muta,” How are you (to more than one person)? And they laugh back in disbelief.  We will quickly get used to each other.

All the staff worked today even though it is a Saturday, to help finish what needs to be done in the house for the 6 volunteers that are coming in 3 days. The electrician, another Kasiisi Scholar graduate put more circuits in the bathroom, kitchen, and outdoor kitchen and latrine. Tomorrow he will do the same in the apartment next door, plus fix the outlet in my room.  I had a meeting with Mathew, Assistant Director of the project, to discuss details on the housing and the next steps to finding money to finish everything.  Francis, Conservation Education co-director, was also kind enough to help, and we discussed details on how to landscape the front yard.  The main thing is, we need to wait for rains, but we must be ready when they come in 1-2 months. That means that all holes and trenches are dug for each plant and plants are bought and cared for inside their containers until ready to be planted.  The ground is really hard right now, however, so that will be a good challenge and exercise.  We want to make a fence called a live hedge around the property since we share the space with 1200 students of Kindergarten through seventh grade at Kasiisi Primary school – who by the way came in at 745 place out 11,500 schools in the country! Maybe when I get a dog, it will tend to stay inside that barrier, but we’ll see!  The hedge will be planted by burying branches of an adult hedge in the ground. Sounds simple, but we’ll see.  As far as other vegetation, I was thinking of planting indigenous trees with the Wildlife Clubs, for them to see how they will grow on their own turf.

I also started planning out where to dig two pits behind the latrine.  One for compost, the other for non-biodegradables, like plastics and cans of DOOM – my fumigator in a can.  It’s really interesting to see how you are ruining the environment when you have to find a place for your own waste! The US hides it from us! I have a debate question for you – should you bury your non-biodegradables or burn them?  Everyone here burns. I believe in burying.  We’ve been very lucky the last two days; the electricity has been on in our area! However, the internet stick that I use in my USB port (Orange it’s called) was out for 24 hours…  At least the music that is pumping from the trading center only comes on the weekends. I completely forgot it was a Saturday. I slept like a baby last night, maybe tonight too?  I love my new place!

Day 3

It is now Sunday and a bit hotter today than yesterday –no clouds.  I went for my second run, on the same road, and said hello to even more people today because I left later in the morning and it is church day so people are walking everywhere.  Half way through my run a young Ugandan man asked if he could run with me, with his jeans and sandals on.  I said sure, thinking he would not make it so far (believe it or not I have noticed people here are in great shape, but lose their breath easily when running; this is not the first time a person has run next to me…). So he went as far as to the place where I turn around and he continued with me back to his house. Then he asked for my name and phone number. I gave him my name, plus my pet name, Akiiki.  Maybe by the end of my time here I will have a running group. Wouldn’t that be fantastic?!

Well I got home just in time to not get undressed for showering, and the electrician was at the door, a young man who just graduated through the Kasiisi Scholarship Program.  He needed to fix the two outlets in the bedrooms, but it was not an easy fix, so Mathew will have to get another wire from town tomorrow and Joseph will have to come back yet again.  Then the carpenter came by to finish nailing wood strips to the walls for hanging things, and especially for the laundry clothesline.  I can’t do laundry yet because I need to buy a clothesline! Fort Portal Town is 35 minutes away and chaotic, but a nice place to find everything you need and even order pizza! This project is very nicely located.

I picked up the 4-wheel drive project vehicle today, now I really feel like a project director!

And the best part of the day was when I found a new, more convenient place to get an internet signal, on my own porch! Halleluiah!  This morning I was in the hot sun walking around the big field in front of my house holding my computer above my head.

I am enjoying and taking advantage of the quietness of the area right now, because in a week school begins and there will be 1200 primary school kids on grounds. I think school starts at 8am, which means I should leave for my jog exactly at 8 and the roads should be a bit cleared of people walking in the hundreds, we’ll see how my theory goes…

This blog just took longer to post than if I had dial-up to post. Remember those days of dial-up? Yeah I'm back there now.

Thanks for tuning in to The Akiiki Kasiisi Blog!