So Happy, I'm sad.

I realise I have  been slacking on the writing front an awful lot lately, I simply have not had the time. However, as I sit in my garden watching Paul do the washing I realise this is the perfect opportunity. Even if my laptop is being incredibly slow and unresponsive to anything I do.

Lately I have been so happy that I have been sad. I have been reflecting on everything I have done here and how much I love my life and I can’t help but think that I just don’t want to leave. Even now when I am freezing cold (yes, it does get cold in Uganda!) drinking my lemon tea (how cosmo) I just keep thinking that this is home. Last night after everyone had gone to bed, James and I sat up and discussed life. We had earlier been talking about how much we all love one another and how we are one anothers family these days. We discussed various things like how I will cope when someone tells me I have to pay £60 for some shoes, I am pretty worried I am going to try and bargain with them, “Nedda! I will give you £20!” Will that fly in Scotland?

We discussed lots of things however the thing that dawned on me the most was that once I leave here, it is going to be nearly impossible to communicate with a lot of the people I have grown to love. The luckier people have facebook and email, however what about my adorable little children?! I have two girls in Senior 2 who are more like my little sisters than my pupils. I have Kalisa and Angella who I swear I would take them home if I could. I have Sseka and Paul who are both beautiful and bright teenage boys. I have so many people I want to be able to talk to every day, just like I do here, but I can’t. How is that fair?

Anyway, enough about what I have been thinking lately, what have I actually been doing?!Since I last wrote, I have managed to get better, woo! I was getting pretty bad and fainting lot which was scary, but never fear because I am okay! I still get dizzy sometimes when I stand up but I reckon that is on the days where I haven’t had enough sugar cane, my new addiction.

Kate’s mum and brother have also been out visiting her. With them, Calum, Kate and myself travelled up to Murchison Falls which was spectacular. I was in awe. We also managed to go on a game drive which was pretty cool. We saw elephants and so many hippos I almost got bored of them! We also managed to see some giraffes and too many gazelle-like-things for me to bore you with. It was a really lovely thing to do and I hope they enjoyed it as much as we did. It was really nice having a mother figure here, I think that is something I have missed a lot. Carol enjoyed making fun of me and I enjoyed retaliating, all in good spirit though! She also commented by saying I am a “very tactile person” still unsure if that is good or bad…

Other than that though I haven’t really done much. I haven’t gone anywhere exciting because I just want to be in the village with my family and friends here. The first weekend I stayed here Kate and Holly were away rafting and Calum was in and out all day filming for his community report. Therefore I just had people flowing in and out of the house all day. It was really nice and I had a really good time with everybody. The Sunday I went to church and then visited Paul at his school, another really lovely day. I love seeing my friends (family) happy and he seems in his element when he is in school. Paul is, how can I put it, the cool kid. He has always been the kid that people in the school respect. Calum and I say that if you found him in a British school all of the girls would have a major crush on him. He is one very muscely guy and has ‘swagger’. He is cool, damn I would probably have a crush on him if he weren’t my pupil. He was my valentine this year which was a little awkward but hey, I am over it.

The weekend that’s just passed (27^th July) was spent again at the house-ish. This time Kate, Calum, James and I went to Kalisizo, a nearby village where we had some food and then went to the market. It wasn’t the greatest of fun activities but I am glad we went. After the market we headed up to a thanksgiving party where we ate some more food and watched the celebrations. We were all in awe when one girl started dancing and she only had one leg, she was an inspiration. It made me realise that it’s not what you don’t have that matters, as long as you remember what you have.

The Sunday morning was spent at church and then visiting my beloved Jaja (grandmother), Kalisa (adopted son), Angella (adopted daughter) and Sseka (future husband); what a bunch eh? It was a lovely way to spend my day. I was also really proud of Sseka and his English. In class he is never recognised for his ability but he managed to spend the day translating the English for everybody who was there, very proud.

Recently the village has been mzungu central with 2 Dutch volunteers, 1 German volunteers, a Dutch couple visiting and a Scotsman! Michael, who lives in Bridge of Earn (small world!) is back visiting after he spent a year doing exactly what I am doing, who would have thought! It’s been really nice having another Scottish accent around the house and it is always nice having something fresh in the mix.

We have also had a son one night this week. We were worried about his father abusing him therefore decided it was better for him to stay with us until we had spoken to the man ourselves. It was really nice having a kid around, I got very maternal. We made sure he washed, had some clean clothes, I washed his uniform. We then gave him dinner, made him pee, then put him to bed. It was good. My mind has definitely been changed on the children front; instead of not wanting any I not want a massive family! Uganda has changed me!

This weekend we visited Lake Mburo in Mburo National Park which was unbelievable. So much happened and we all had such a wonderful time I think that’ll be a blog to be described in pictures! It will look a lot more impressive that way too.

All my love

Your Ugandan Girl. X