What next?

Another exciting couple of days! I swear no day is uneventful here, when there is one I am leaving. I feel like every day brings a new adventure; if there is anything I love more than shoes, it’s an adventure!

Yesterday we all woke feeling a little down, never a good thing when you are a million miles away from your family! I eventually managed to roll myself out of bed after a horrible dream, some lovely texts from Greg and my fantastic big bro feeling a little better, but nobody else did! Josie came through and told us she couldn’t go to school because she had been up all night; problem 1! We soon resolved the situation that I would take her two biology classes that day, I can hear Mrs Johnson laughing at the idea, and she would just stay in bed trying to catch up on the sleep she had missed. But then Holly told us she was feeling pretty bad too, problem 2, as there was no way in hell I could teach bloody physics or, brace yourselves, maths!? But Holly was okay and came to school with me and even covered one of the biology classes I had promised to do, Angel! Thankfully that was all the problems for the day!

So Wednesday morning I managed to teach double art to my first years at the same time as teaching second year biology! When I say ‘first year’ or ‘second year’ I always mean ‘standard grade’. The way the schools here work are that you always learn standard grade or higher work and then you can only move into a higher class once you have passed the exams you sit. That is why in a primary 6 class there is a 16 year old boy called Pius, who is such a sweetheart!

Anyway after my mad morning classes I had my first choir session! I had such a great time! For years I have been the girl sitting in the choir being taught songs and doing the silly warm-ups my teachers taught me, but now I was the one making everyone do these mad things! It was such a laugh! I had the children doing long-face, short-face, wide-face and horse, I now understand why Vicki used to do this to us, watching the kids do it was blooming hilarious! I actually made them repeat it just to give myself an extra kick, they laugh at me enough why not give myself the giggles at their expense? Because it was just my first session and I really am one of the least organised people in the world I decided to do some sirens (ask Marjory, she seems to love these!) and then some lalala’s to pass time. Don’t worry eventually I actually let the kids sing! We did a simple repeat after me song which I heard them singing all day today and then I had them singing (and doing the actions) for “do your ears hang low?” The amount of times I almost said do your boobs hang low was ridiculous…I don’t know if they know what boobs are but that’s beside the point, right?

Then last night after a not so eventful day after the choir we received a note from Justine asking if we had any painkillers she could have, so Nurse Jenny headed down the (really really dark) road to save Justine’s poor head. I did this thinking Justine has been great to us and I can’t actually be scared to walk down this road when a 9 year old has just come up with the note, but bloody hell I was petrified! As I was walking back up I bumped into Godfrey (just married and a little creepy) who told me he thought I was a doctor and also told me all about his wedding which sounded really good fun and we had only just missed it!

Today is a new day though! Mum’s birthday is tomorrow, Dad left for Chicago today, the kids were happy and laughing and I was bored out my mind while teaching my computing lesson. Pretty much the way most days go right? (well Ugandan days anyway) As I was sitting waiting for two of my S1’s to finish typing out the 10 short sentences I had given them (half an hour for each two!) I began to doodle, hey maybe these art classes are rubbing off on me or something? I just did my usual doodles of wonky flowers, bubble writing name, swirls, love hearts, trees, the basic stuff a 2 year old could manage. I then began to draw a robot, maybe Ptak was on my mind? And, SATC moment here, it got me thinking, do robots have toes? I really could not finish my drawing without this knowledge so I stared straight ahead at the computer screen with the usual Carrie Bradshaw stare, of course instead of looking out of a New York apartment window I was staring at a huge spider on the wall, I almost screamed.  Pretty sure my kids think I am mad…

Now I am lying out in the garden in a pair of shorts and my vest top rolled up around my boobs to catch some rays of sunshine, while my hand washed clothes  hang on our handmade washing line, who said this was hard? Life is pretty pleasant these days. I still wake up a little sad, but that’s because my mind plays tricks on me at night in my dreams, but as the day goes on I always feel a lot better! I have a laugh with the kids, and if I don’t they are in trouble, and then I just chill with the girls or one of our many neighbours comes over for a casual catch up about Britain, politics, life and everything you can think of! Our neighbours yesterday actually helped us to get internet which was amazing! They are all really polite and helpful and in all honesty they have made me feel right at home, and for a year, that’s what this place is.

Or atleast I was yesterday before we were delivered a baby (not that I minded at all! She fell asleep in my arms!?!?!) and then went to bed and woke up the next day? Hello world and Happy Birthday to my Mama!

Hotel ZEBRA?!

What a wonderful weekend we have had! I mean Friday was a bit rough, I walked out of the house in tears because I was thinking of home too much and listening to my ipod made me think of home an awful lot! It was not a nice feeling at all! But then I went down to see Justine about getting a shovel. No, things have not got that bad that I have killed one of the kids or anyone for that matter, and yes I am still sane! I decided that I should get a project for us. We need something to do when we get bored at weekends, especially since if we don’t we just give ourselves time to think which does no one any good! However on my shovel retrieval project I ended up just looking after baby Elaina while Justine worked in the garden for an hour or so, it was amazing! I think Justine is a mind reader and also knows my soft spot for gorgeous little babies, because after having an hour long cuddle with Elaina I suddenly felt a million times better! Yes I am going to miss my beautiful babies grow up at home but then I am going to get to see Elaina take her first steps and say her first words! Who else can say they have seen a little black Suri grow up?! (Elaina is impossibly fashionable!)

After that the weekend only got better! We got a taxi to Masaka on the Saturday morning for our first mini break together where we stayed in a lovely hotel with…a flushing toilet!!! Oh it was beautiful!! The sound of that water washing away your pee instead of shimmying in every direction to try and aim your pee into a tiny hole, it was love! Not only did it have a toilet, but it had a shower and internet! Jeeso I was certainly not in Cansas anymore Toto! It was a wonderful little break. It let me talk to mum and dad for free, read my emails from my wonderful friends and get a lovely email from Greg, SO GOD DAMN HAPPY!!!! After spending a good hundred of hours on the internet we decided it was time to call it quits. The only issue was, the next morning when I went down to check on my emails one last time I was told that it cost us for the internet…slight issue as we were probably owe the hotel about a million shillings! So if you ever go to Masaka in Uganda, and decide to stay in the Zebra feel free to pay off our debts. That’s right we legged it in the morning from our debt, they  hadn’t realised we had been using their internet so it wasn’t so bad!

We bought a lot of things in Masaka which was nice! However cost us a fortune so we definitely cannot holiday like that very often! However we have got paint so we are going to paint the kitchen and possibly do some things to the loo as well! Our place is going to be the best ever! Future volunteers have got a lot to live up to.

When we got home on the Sunday we just chilled on the grass looking at the stars with a cup of hot chocolate which was fantastic. Honestly was just like a movie moment! We discussed books and whether or not we like charity shops (of course I do, everything has a different story and you will never know what it is!) and just looked at the stars. It became even better when we saw a shooting star, what a magical night!

So I am now onto my second week of teaching and I am still standing! More to the point the kids are still standing! I thought teaching mum how to use Facebook was hard but now I have to teach kids how to actually type?! Don’t you worry mama, I will be able to teach you anything on the computer when I get home! Reckon I might actually have the patience of a Saint by the end of this year! However I am very impatient with some of my art pupils! I may have accidently (so on purpose!!!) told my second year to stop talking and be quiet until they had learnt some manners. The class were stunned to silence, which never normally happens because they are always laughing at us. Oh yeah, I showed them who’s boss! School isn’t too bad actually. I quite enjoy teaching some of the classes because it gives me something to do, and although the kids are really cheeky and sometimes rude, since some of them have discovered I am ‘married’ they all treat me more like a mother than a girl they all want to be friends with or go out with. It makes me feel a lot more comfortable!! Some of the girls even give me cuddles when they are lonely, and one girl gave me some sugar cane today. It is super tricky to eat but dayum tasty! If I go home with no teeth we will all know it is because I am in love with sugar cane now and I have to strip it with my teeth…no easy job by the way!

So my art class; never an enjoyable experience I assure you. If it is enjoyable for me then there is definitely a blue moon on it’s way and if they enjoy it, then the world is coming to an end! I cannot do art which everyone knows, whether you know me or not you will see my odd doodle of a flower which is often wonky! But these poor children are stuck with me for a whole year, and I am hoping that if I wing every lesson and shout about toning and shading enough I will sound like my old art teacher. I am pretty sure it is all he ever did anyway…

14th September

Ooh I have now been away from my parents for two weeks! That is madness, but quite proud of myself. Of course I have spoken to them a lot, but I haven’t been away from this for this length of time in a long time, and I am only cutting down the weeks until I can be in their arms, happy Jenny! So the past few days have been a bit different to say the least.

I have had my classes which are just the same as always, except I am beginning to feel a lot more comfortable than I expected. I mean the kids are still giggling away at me and they are still looking slightly confused when I ask them to do something, and dear God I think I am going to smash the computers so that I don’t need to teach them anymore…apparently I have no patience! But they are good fun. I have organised to start the choir next Wednesday where I shall teach them the wonderful Hakuna Matata, obviously written by myself and Rach. Then I have the 7 year old neighbour who I am teaching English and getting food for doing so, who am I to turn down food? I have however had to give my computing lesson over to Holly, because I will just be super busy and I already have the most hours out of all of us, I was even double booked for a class…not gonna happen! I ain’t no Hermione Granger!!

It has been a crazy week and now we are in a lovely hotel where we finally have internet! FINALLY! I am so glad! That is a major reason for me now having loads of new blog entries! But welcome to my life for a year and I will try and blog again soon, and maybe not so many in one day!

CRAZY NEW LIFE

I’M A TEACHER! In all honesty I was so nervous the first day that I am pretty sure I was close to a breakdown. The kids just giggled the entire time and I had no plan of what I was going to teach them, excellent start if I do say so myself! I was so close to crying in one class I decided the only way to not was to look busy so I flicked through my book (thanks Katie!) that I have my lesson plans in, obviously there were none at this point though! And there was one of my favourite things in Uganda I have so far; a note from my Mama;

“I love you so much!”

Well I felt as if my mum had just walked in and given me a big hug, whispering “YOU CAN DO THIS!” in my ear. I felt like a real teacher suddenly, slammed my book on the desk and told the kids to stand up. I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to ask them to do after that but I knew I wanted them up! They all stood up at me looking and most likely thinking, yuup, she’s crazy and then I made them shake. I made them shake and shake and shake until I felt as if I had enough energy to climb mount Everest and then go for a 20 mile run (of course I would never do this, I don’t run!)

So I need to say a thank you to my mama I suppose, I would have broken down and never have been able to show my face in class if she hadn’t left me my lovely little notes all over my luggage. I have stuck them up along the edge of one of my shelves so that when I am sitting at the desk or on my bed I can see the wonderful notes which make me smile and remind me how proud my parents are of me!

School is great now though! Well of course it was only my second day today, but honestly I feel as if I am actually teaching the children something. I had computing today where I taught the kids to change the colour, size and font of things and I think they actually learnt something, and possibly enjoyed it too, is that possible? Then I had an English lesson where I did a basic spelling test before moving on to let the children write a short paragraph about themselves for me to mark. It was interesting teaching a lesson that teaches things that might come up in an exam, sort of scary too, but I like the Senior 1’s. Last thing today was a double art lesson, which was basically me winging it and hoping the kids wouldn’t work out my secret, I can’t do art for toffee! I am probably the least arty person anybody knows. Seriously I can’t draw or even think about art other than stick men! So the children were taken outside and asked to draw some of natures finest…grass! Such a fun lesson though. The children laughed at me, as they do, and then told me about themselves, singing to me and teaching me about Ugandan music. It was pretty damn cool!

The toilets here are still as disgusting, however with some water sloshed around by myself! I am also going to but some candles to try and disguise the scent and some paint to make them look nicer, just now they are, in the nicest way, the worst! I will also try and clean the kitchen but I think that will need to be done when I have many free periods and perhaps when we are all feeling better. I think this place will get better and I know that soon I will be begging to go home but I must remember why I came, not to go home, not to have fun all the time and not to escape the decisions of life, I came here to help people and get to know what another culture is like, and that is what I am going to! I am friends with our neighbour across the road and will be teaching her computing soon, and I am considering teaching the little boy next door English to help him in school. He is so young and bright I feel it might be nice for him to learn more, also his mother looks like she makes a mean meal and damn straight I have food on the mind!

Anyway that has been the past two days! I have also learnt that hearing from mum and dad actually makes me feel great and that Lord of the Rings isn’t as bad as you would imagine, although very similar to Harry Potter…who copied who, I don’t know! I feel I am coping well, I managed to pee in the dark for goodness sake, and the dark is still uber creepy, you cannot, no matter how many carrots you eat, see black people in the dark!!

The first week!

What a week! Talk about crazy. I have now been away from my mum, dad, friends, Greg, the girls EVERYONE for a week. Granted it isn’t quite a week until midday but in my mind I have done it. This time last week I was probably crying in someone’s arms, and now the only chance of me being in someone’s arms are of my toy lion, but all will be fine. I have made myself a sign which is stuck to my wall above my bed, which I am going to try very hard to go by. It is important I remember why I am here and don’t get stuck in the mess of my head telling me that I miss home.  I have tried so many new things while I have been here, I have learnt that I will never learn how to love a drop toilet, that Holly is one of the strongest people I know (sorry Angela), Josie does the craziest voices and hand actions and that Mountain Dew is bloody fantastic (thanks Greg!)

So my crazy week! We arrived and stayed at a hostel, then had to move our luggage to Ian’s, where we stayed for two nights, we then had to travel to the CSH head quarters, because although Moses is a great guy, he is a little forgetful.

But finally we have arrived! It isn’t quite the paradise we were all used to; in fact it was the complete opposite! To put it kindly I felt like I had moved from my wonderful sweet little cottage to being homeless and having to beg for everything, although it isn’t quite that extreme. We have a home, if you can call it that. It has two a-joining rooms. I am in one room alone with a big double bed, the ‘princess bed’ as I like to call it, while Holly and Josie are in the room next door which has two single beds in it. Yes, I know, I shouldn’t be complaining, I have a bed for Christs’ sake! But then I haven’t even started about the state of the house. I have a very dusty floor, an outside kitchen, toilet, shower, and eating area, I am screwed if it is cold! Oh and we have some house mates, some lovely, very loud rats, what else could we want? A drop toilet? Oh don’t worry we have it. As well as a kitchen with no electricity and a shower which reminds me of prison, concrete, no doors, sort of hellish!

But I have tried to make myself feel at home, I have pictures of my beautiful friends, stunning family. I also have my Scotland flag up that has been written on by my friends and some family, the message closest to me is from Greg and it says “Uganda’s lucky to have you! Greg xxxxxxx” damn that boy makes me smile. I have also unpacked to a minor degree in that, I have a lot of tampons and medical stuff out my bag and all of my dresses, cardi’s, skirts, and anything long are now hanging up proudly. There are about 7 things on one hanger with my shoes happily lined up. Don’t worry, I am always able to buy shoes, so if my heart does feel like it is breaking at any time during this year, I will purchase shoes.

So although I have written in my journal that this place is a hell hole and that I don’t want to be here because “I miss my mum and dad so much!” or “My friends are going to forget me” I need to remember why I am here and what I am going to achieve. I may feel as if I am making no difference and that the children hate me, but they are just stubborn (just like me!) and I am doing well! I need to remember that everyone back home loves me and they will support me in every decision I make.  

Josie and I are sitting on the train on our way down to London. It has been a very emotional day but we are finally off. Broke my heart having to say goodbye to my wonderful family and fantastic friends. The past week has probably been one of the hardest but I am so glad that I am finally away. It will probably hit me when I am on the plane and at that moment I would even run away from me, so good luck to Holly and Josie for that ride!! 

I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me get here and to all of my friends and family for being so supportive. 

See you all next year!! But of course I will continue to blog!

Lots of love from me for a whoooole year! See you soon!