On Holiday

So I am back in Kampala on holiday. We started holiday on Friday and I got here on Sunday evening around 9 PM. I will be in Kampala until Sunday. I had quite an experience getting to Kampala from Kiwangala (the town where I now live). We took a small car (like a Toyota Corolla) and we put 6 of us in the back and 4 in front. I was the only female in the car. Myself and one other guy were sitting on the laps of others in the back. That is the way they travel here to help make more money. My fare was less on the taxi because we sat so many (I think).

These last few weeks have been very good at the school. We gave out the report cards on Friday. It was very interesting because some of the students came late and they were sent home without their report cards and told to come back next Friday. It was a hard day for me since that is not how we handle the situation in America, but I am learning how things are done here.

The past two weeks we have only had P6 and P7 students at the school so it has been very slow and boring. The nice thing is that the P6 teachers have been requesting that I teach some so I taught mathematics for two days and watched how the English teacher taught so I have a better understanding of the teaching methods used here.

I will be putting on a workshop on the 21st and 22nd of August for the teachers on some of the teaching aids that I brought. I am looking forward to starting next term on the 8th of Sept. and getting back into teaching. The nice thing is that P5-P7 students are starting holiday studies today. We will be teaching from 8 AM to 1 PM Monday through Friday and the students will have the afternoons and weekends free from studies. I am taking a break this week in Kampala to see some of my friends and rest before I go back and work until I need to come in October or end of September to renew my visa.

The cooking has been good and a learning experience for me. We are using a gas burner mainly. It takes a long time to cook food and it is different food than we have in the states. I really enjoy all of the food and I am learning a lot.

The other day we bought a chicken (enkoko) for sh. 7,000 which is about $4.50 for the whole chicken. One of the secondary students bought it for us because it was still alive. One of the P7 students was going to slaughter it and I wanted to watch because I have never seen it. The students told me what he was doing and why as he did it. When it came to pucking the chicken, I asked if I could help so they taught me how to pluck the chicken. I took snaps (pictures) so enjoy them. The student then gutted it and had me wash out the inside of the chicken. Two of the students then cut it into pieces for us. It was very interesting to watch and they are telling me that next time I could do it by myself, but I am not sure that I could handle that yet.

Last Saturday, Aunt Betty took me into Masaka town to buy material to make a Gomesi (the tradition dress for females) because we are going to an introduction on the 23rd of August. It is a party where the bridegroom is going to meet the bride's family and pay the dowry. I am excited to see what the Gomesi looks like because we took it to a lady to make in Kiwangala last Monday. It will be ready today but I will not see it until I go back to Kiwangala.

Abby and I were talking to Musuba (Pastor) Kato the other evening and we were very amazed at this man of God. He is the pastor of the church next to the school and he lives at the school to watch over us and the students. His name (Kato) means that he is the second born of twins. His mother died when he was very young so he was unable to attend school so he is going to school now to learn English. He told us he is 30 years old and he became the pastor of the church in 1994 so he was 16 years old when he became the pastor of the church. I am blown away by this man every time that he preaches so talks about God. He is a true blessing in my life and a man I know will do everything he can to make sure that Abby and I are well taken care of. A couple of weeks ago in church, he asked the congregation to bring us food. We have been over blessed with people bringing us food so we have been turning around and blessing the teachers with our extra food.

This is all I can say right now, but I will write again this week with other things that had happened and post some snaps. I pray that everything is well with all of you and I thank God everyday for the blessing that all of you have been to me. God's blessing on you today and in the days to come!