When our group of twelve was posted to Northern Uganda, five of us in Gulu Town, we were told its NGO central. I don’t have a list of all of the non-profits here, but suffice it to say, if you threw a rock, (if you could get it out of your hand before being run over), chances are high that it would hit someone associated with an NGO. At no time as this been more evident than with their absence during Christmas break.
Gula streets have been amazingly calm, the exact opposite of what one might expect during a busy holiday season. Trying to figure this out, I realized that much of this is due to the relative lack of behemoth all-wheel-drive land-rovers, etc. on the streets. I’ve only been almost hit once in the last few days and that was by a boda driver, not a barreling-through-the-streets NGO vehicle. But Gulu is a walk in the country compared to Kampala, which evidently was a hornet’s nest over Christmas.
So, while it is hotter than ever and dustier than ever, it is also quieter than ever (during the day). The party-goers have, however, stayed home and life wakes up at night – so those are noisier than usual. Diana Gardens, the club that opened up in my back yard the DAY after I signed my lease, is a pretty nice club with decent pork and cold drinks when there is power and it tunes up nightly at about 8:00. Weddings go until dawn the next day and sometimes the next and the next. On a quiet night they might turn down the music at – say 3 AM, unlike Amigo’s a block over that goes full tilt all night. So when I say “the earth moved,” it’s unfortunately not what you might think… just the bass vibrations from the surrounding clubs. But in general, Uganda really does close down for Christmas. Case in point: I received a call from my supervisor last night and discovered my organization does not return to work until January 15th! So I am wondering, “What in the world am I going to do with my time for the next two weeks” Considering that we are advised to stay at site, don’t have transportation anyway, can’t walk far enough to reach anywhere in less that a week…. and transportation is a huge pain-in-the-butt… well you get the idea.
Thus, I have resorted to working on an assignment for Peace Corps. We periodically have to turn in written assignments and these range from absurd tasks that seem designed to keep us on a short leash, to those few that make a bit of sense – somehow (Emergency Locator Forms). We balk at this, because most of us consider ourselves adults – wrongly so in some cases – and many of us have been there-done that and are insulted by things that feel like third-grade. At the very least, most of the hundreds of questions we are asked to address are things that a reasonably observant adult would notice about a new culture in which he/she is living, but not necessarily feel compelled to document, blogs aside 😉 That having been said, I finally ended up working on the “Big One” which will result in part of a presentation made to the rest of the group (we all have to do this).
Obviously the doldrums have struck. I have: eaten everything that’s not nailed down or wriggling, walked until I ache, spent until I can’t, responded the the pitifully scant e-mail activity evident over the holidays, checked at the Post Office for packages that have been sent long enough ago to have arrived – but that haven’t yet…. , washed mud boots and gloves for chrissake, studied Acholi until I now dream in Acholi and am now reduced to “homework.” I have even considered buying a hoe and scraping the weedy patch in front of my house. Everyone does this and as far as I can determine, this appears related to the presence of snakes – even in the city. My supervisor tells the tale of sitting in his living room at night, enjoying a casual conversation with is wife, to discover a very large Cobra slithering down the hall toward the bedroom.
Back to homework…. It grieves me to say this and I am loathe to admit it, but I am finding this particular task a pretty useful exercise and one that will probably help me explain or at least document my ideas to my organization when we meet for their annual strategic planning retreat mid January. I feel twelve years old again – having to admit to myself that something my parent told me might actually have merit. We never entirely grow up… So I am doing a detailed two year strategic plan in the recommended excel format. Having already submitted to my organization a multi-page document about possible projects and contributions and having heard not-a-peep back, I hope I’m not wasting my time. I’m reminded it’s the holidays and will remain so for a while.
Walked the long dusty road to the Camboni crafts shop selling beautiful items made by women with AIDS and bought a sleeve for my computer to prevent its demise due to suffocation. It’s padded and made of beautiful Swahili fabric.
But today’s crowning moment was tasting a real honest to god brownie, made right here in Gulu, by a local Acholi woman. As the locals would say” “This is surprising why? Because Ugandans don’t do sweets.” And this was a one of a kind, made in a local bakery by a young woman giving my house mate a gift. We are trying to convince her that her bakery (or she personally) could make a gazillion dollars if these were made available to Mzungus. Peace Corps would call this an IGA (Income Generating Activity). We would call it Manna from Heaven.
The marching band has tuned up and has added a measure to its four-measure repetitive “tune.” I got all excited because it sounded for a minute like the end of When the Saints Go Marching Home. But alas, that was premature and it was only a tease.
The doldrums are an interesting exercise we’ve all been warned about. Down time in the States would be pregnant with possibilities. Here, the result is sometimes just a still-birth. When all else is “not there” or out of reach, the terrain one has available to explore is self. Where’s my map and do I want to go there? Maybe there’s still time to go get that hoe before dark…