Debate and Town
Trip Start
Jun 22, 2008
1
24
36
Trip End
Jul 31, 2008
Gulu,
Uganda
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Town baby!! In town I had four objectives: Update my travel blog, check e-mail,
continue my journal and eat lunch. I had approximately 4 hours to do this since
I hoped to get back by 3 pm for a debate.
At Ma's I transferred from computer to computer, failing
to find one that either A. Maintained its connection to the network and B.
Possessed a processor fast enough to run two programs at once
Build my bookshelves!
. I was beginning to get frustrated. Myexperience was no different than any other trip to Ma's but I had reached my
breaking point. I packed up my stuff, unable to remain patient and sped across
the street to another internet café.
Here, I experienced marked improvement. The internet
connection was consistent and power was strong. It was so efficient in fact
that I could send Willima an e- card. Granted I couldn't view the actual card
since Ugandan computers don't have flash, it was still a minor victory.
After two hours at the internet café I emerged having
fulfilled every objective but one...LUNCH!! Glancing down at my watch I realized
I had only 30 minutes to eat
Debate Team
. Finding a restaurant with that quick of a turnaround was next to impossible in Gulu! Shit! I had to eat. I was starving. Well
not exactly, I'm sure people have experienced greater hunger during times of
famine. But I was really, really hungry. The closest place was Maq foods. Yes!
I could go there. They usually had lasagna pre- made- it only needed to be
heated up. I felt like a runner on the last leg of a marathon. This was the
final stretch. Upon arriving at Maq foods I was stopped short of the lasagna by
Big John. He uttered the most devastating words of the day "I had the last
piece of lasagna." I was shattered. I imagined my hands circling around his
throat: "WHY!!! HOW COULD YOU!! DIE!!" Ok so perhaps I am being a little too
dramatic. But hey, my brain goes places.
I had to think fast. No lasagna, slow cooking and one
hungry Mzungu. I soon settled on an item that did not have to be cooked: The
Avocado Salad. It was amazing! Ten minutes later I had my food and a satisfied
appetite. The salad was DELICIOUS!! It only cost me 5,000 Schillings. J
Running to a nearby boda much like you catch a taxi in Central
America, I made my way back to Pope Paul VI. I looked forward to the debate.
Two days previously I was told that the students would be debating a very
pertinent topic: Negotiation vs. Strike in solving problems of Ugandan schools.
I arrived at school to find the debate had not yet begun. The debate was
scheduled for 3 pm, it was currently 3:15. How ironic! The debate was to
highlight issues of poor performance and it was poor performing itself!
Due to the blatant dis-organization of the debate, we rescheduled
it for next Wednesday. The class prefects were called into a meeting. Here, the
staff and I led them in the guidelines for affective debating. These included
the official Ugandan debate rules, strategies for receiving positive marks, and
creating a work schedule for preparation. The funniest part about this debrief
on debates were the comments made by the Ugandan staff and the debate club
leader. Every speech began with "Due to lack of time I will be brief." They
then went on to transcribe the longest speeches on record! After two and a half
grueling hours (mind you the meeting was scheduled to be 30 minutes), the
meeting adjourned. Hallelujah!
My stomach was growling once again. The salad only
sustained me for so long. Fortunately I was scheduled to attend a dinner hosted
by Wendy's partner teacher. I was even more excited when I learned of her past
catering. Apparently she was the caterer for some world class restaurant.
SWEET! After returning to Christ the King, I set my stuff down and left for the
teacher's house. Since the house was inside of the compound, I arrived in less
than ten minutes. It was also easy to find...I just followed the smell!! Inside
his humble home was a table lined with every Ugandan dish imaginable. Chipote,
potatoes, banana, meat pies and pineapple. Better yet, it was buffet style! My
first serving soon gave way to my second, then third, and finally fourth! I
questioned whether or not I would be able to get up after such gluttony.
Fortunately I would not have to get up for a while since
I found a friendly conversation with Casey who sat beside me. We discussed
religion, life lessons and major turning points. I really appreciated her
perspective. Like me she was raised in a conservative home. Like me she had a
period of self discovery in college. However, unlike me, she reverted back to
her earlier ideals. We both appreciated and respected the choices our
counterparts made. She really is a great girl and I respect her devotion to her
beliefs, albeit they are different than my own.
After about an hour of conversation and at least five
more requests from the host that I eat more, it was time to leave. We thanked
the host family, turned on our flashlights and made our way back to Christ the
King. Upon arriving to Christ the King I was feeling very nostalgic. Perhaps it
was my conversation with Casey that triggered this feeling, or maybe it was the
fact that I missed home. It's odd. Very rarely do I feel such nostalgia. It was
as much depressing as it was refreshing. I pondered those I missed and those I
may never see again. Placing the ipod headphones into my ears I allowed myself
to revel in a nostalgia that soon gave way to a deep sleep...
