Library bookshelves and dinner at George's
Trip Start
Jun 22, 2008
1
30
36
Trip End
Jul 31, 2008
Gulu,
Uganda
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Today started out well enough. Given the electricity situation in Christ the King, I ventured to town where I hoped to have more luck. The generator was running strong at Ma's Computers. Taking my regular seat in the back room, I plugged away at James' University Report. After only a half an hour the cramps came. These were no ordinary cramps. The cramps I experienced were generally short lived, necessitating only a movement of position. These cramps were different. Every position I managed to find was inevitably worse than the last. Crap! Literally! A simple trip to the bathroom would probably cure these cramps. Therein lied the problem. The best bathroom in town was simply an upgraded latrine. Envisioning myself having to squat over a small hole was not refreshing in the least. My first experience with the latrine was definitely not going to be a "long trip." Therefore, I elected instead to take a long trip to Christ the King to take yet another "long trip."
I will spare you the details of my bathroom going experience. Following my trip to the bathroom I met with James at school to show him his report. While by this time the electricity was up and running, unfortunately Pope Paul VI had no outlets. Therefore, we went to his friend's house nearby. Here, we fleshed out the report to include a Table of Contents and Two Appendices. Food was served while we typed. Maize and African tea were among the buffet of African Treats. Somewhere between the Maize and the Tea it started pouring. While we had experienced sheets of rain before, none came down this hard. Puddles formed within seconds. Soon the puddles became lakes. This was problematic. James and I were set to lead a debate back at Pope Paul VI. The debate time was fast approaching. That was when our personal entourage arrived (I call it a "personal entourage," in reality it was his brother in a beat up Honda). Feeling privileged for being able to escape the rain, we loaded the car and headed to school.
The trip to school was merely ½ a kilometer away. It would normally take 2 minutes to cover this distance. Today however, because of the rain, it took 15. Arriving late to our debate, we hoped the students would still be able to assemble. When entering Senior III Green however, we found the students to be in the middle of an exam. Crap! The debate had ALREADY been postponed a week, any further delay would nullify the entire event. This was the unfortunate state of affairs exciting in Uganda. Teachers at a whim could cancel previously scheduled events. James was understandably frustrated. We sacrificed to be there, and our time was not respected.
Determined to be resourceful with our time, we went to the library instead. Here, we organized books and created signs for each section. I started the first sign but soon realized that James was far more qualified to complete this artistic endeavor. Each sign shared a common theme: An open book showcased the sign for the corresponding section. During library organization we inevitably stumbled upon great books. The scene soon became that of a few days earlier. We were all lost in newly found novels.
Upon completion of the last sign I bid farewell to James and headed to George's for dinner. George (Phil's partner teacher) was normally docile and soft- spoken. At his house however, he came to life. This was his domain. He was SO honored to have guests. Jovial, friendly and hospitable you would hardly recognize the George we had come to know. In the background, a T.V. blared. It was quite ironic: Here I was experiencing American culture in a Ugandan setting. Uganda's documentation of our culture was severely lacking. On screen, an overweight Ugandan preacher led a congregation of hearty followers. To transition between scenes they used a camera trick invented in the early stages of the motion picture. The preacher faded out of the congregation only to re- appear on a puffy cloud, high in the sky. Here he continued in the chorus of "Jesus is around the corner." You were hoping at any moment for Jesus to emerge, unfortunately, Jesus never showed up. This camera trick was brilliant to most Ugandans. I can't judge. At one time, I found Super Mario Brothers to be at the cutting edge of technology. It was just odd that in my backpack alone I carried more electronics than George sported in his entire house. And to think at one time I complained.
Upon arrival of the food, George became even more animated. He insisted that we "eat everything." This would have been easy had they not slaughtered an entire flock of chickens. Instead, where there was a main dish, there was always a second, third and fourth. To top it off George brought out the chicken's back and liver. Guess who had to eat the liver? As "honored guest" I had to consume the entire thing! The last time I experienced a foreign part of staple food, I spent the whole night crouched over the toilet. It became clear that George was not taking "no" for an answer. I finally gave in to his wishes. The liver was SURPRISINGLY good. Tender and juicy, the liver was the best meat I have ever had. Adam and Bri would later thank me, failing to realize how good this organ really was.
Phil on the other hand was not so lucky. Being the "most honored guest" (since he was George's partner), he had the privilege of consuming the chicken's back. The sight alone made you quiver. It was discolored and tough with a minimal amount of meat. Phil was a good sport. He appeared as if he ACTUALLY enjoyed it! Maybe we were missing out.
Following dinner, speeches and a brief prayer I mounted James' bike and left for Christ the King. I think James' motorcycle was meant for a thirteen year old girl, not two grown men. Slow travel was frustrating in most cases, factor in pouring rain and you have the longest boda ride of your life! James was definitely worse off. No matter how uncomfortable I felt on his newspaper rack, it paled in comparison to the bitter cold he felt in only slacks and a button up. Every few seconds he stopped to wipe puddles off his face. We never stopped completely however. If we did, we would most certainly fall victim to the Ugandan rain "death traps." The "death traps" were of course the standing puddles that riddled the roads. We hit only two and my pants were muddier than the cows of Jamul.
The gates to Christ the King were of course shut. This left but one entrance- the side door. To reach the side door, one had to maneuver through several obstacles, the worst of which was an imposing thorn bush. Fortunately this round went to "Okello" Kyle Wagner. I managed to make it through the bush, tall grass, spider webs and barb wire unscathed. There was no time for celebration however. I still had a way to go through mammoth puddles, protruding rocks and blind corners. Eventually I found myself at the front door of Christ the King. Let me tell you, I have NEVER been so happy to be home. This includes the time I ran away as a child and spent the night at a bitter cold nursery. I entered the living room and crashed on the couch.
Like my childhood days, I awoke an hour later and went straight to bed.
