Why isn't there passionfruit soda in the US?

Passionfruit soda is awesome. Enough said.

I'm moving in with a beauty pageant girl for the spring semester... yup you read that right, beauty. pageant. Well she's gorgeous, and I hear she's incredibly nice which I don't doubt... but all I have to say is: there goes my self-esteem. Glad all I ate for the last 5 months in Uganda was starch, starch, and more starch, and we tried to fry just about anything we could get our hands on.

I have no idea how to exist without the other intern anymore. We've been joined at the hip ever since she got here and now this connection will be severed... What will I do?! Wahhhhh!

I am really, really, REALLY going to miss Uganda. I'm going to miss chapati and rolexes like a missing limb. I wish I could get on a plane, go home for 2 or 3 weeks, and then come back here. I love this place. I really do. I even love the unpleasant, not so fun stuff, because it's an adventure. I can always look back on something and laugh or find something fun to make out of it.

I am looking forward to a few things back in the States:

• Constant and dependable electricity and internet
• Nicely paved roads
• Driving my own car once in a while
• Being able to drink water out of the tap
• Flushable toilets
• Running water and showers with great water pressure
• Seletively bred, steroid-fed, antibiotic-injected chicken that have more meat on their bones (free range Ugandan chickens just doesn't taste the same)
• Chinese food
• Pizza
• Beer (more specifically Spotted Cow, Sam Adams, Miller Lite, Leinenkugel)
• Getting a tad tipsy and having fun with friends
• Snow
• Talking to my family on the phone without racking up a giant phone bill
• The male species...

I cannot believe by Friday night, I'll be back in Wisconsin!!! I'll either be unable to sleep due to jet lag or I'll collapse in exhaustion. If it's the former, those friends who read this and live in Milwaukee, call me and let's hang out! xoxo

Inappropriateness

Since I cannot express every incredibly insane thought of mine on the other blog, I figured I'd update this one on any and all things random and inappropriate. All for your reading pleasure.

If God loved women, He would have made it easier for us to go to the bathroom. I mean, seriously. Why do guys have it so easy? Every night when I walk into the pit latrine, I think about this. At night, all the bugs are attracted to the light bulbs in the latrines (when there is power), so going to the bathroom is an episode of listening to bugs buzz incessantly around your head. It'd be so much easier to pee standing up and be done with it. Nope, instead I have to worry about things crawling out of the hole and up my leg; if a mosquito is going to bite me in an inappropriate place... you get what I mean. I KNOW I said I was going to stop blogging about bathrooms, but really, it's just such a fun experience out here that I can't not talk about it.

To go months without sex... I'm just going to say, it's very depressing.

So I'm out in a remote area. I never wear pants while I'm out here. I'm always in a skirt and can I just say, when it's hot, the chaffing that goes on is out of this world. I never have this issue in the USA but here, it seems to happen every once in a while. Grr. But when I'm alone in my room, I strip down to shorts and a sports bra, throw on my iPod (with broken headphones, by the way), and jump around. It's my one way of relieving stress and frustration without having to choke, stab, punch, or murder someone. It's also a way of working out.

The traditional food here is matoke, plantains boiled and then mushed together. Usually it's coupled with beans or a meat. I eat it every day for lunch. Honestly, when I get back to the US, I'm not eating bananas again for at least 6 months. It gets a little... old? But my Africa diet rocks. I'm pretty sure I can lose the weight I gained in Boston (which I did cuz I didn't work out and ate like crap).

Every night, I hide in my mosquito net like a freakshow because I hate mosquitoes and they annoy me. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, paranoid there is a mosquito in my net, eating me alive. I know, I'm nuts. It's the mefloquine.
And why oh why was that military guy married?!?!?!?!?! Girls, if I could have taken a picture of him to show you, I would have. Fantaaaaaastic bod, great tattoos... anyway...

My little sister is adorable. I love her. This is the song she wrote for me and sent me in an email, with directions and everything:
WHEN THERE IS A DASH BETWEEN A WORD THEN U SPELL IT OUT!! XAMPLE: c-a-t

I HAVE A J,
A ..........J-E-,
I HAVE A J-E-S-S-I-C-A,
THAT LIVES IN MY F-A-M-I-L-Y
AND I AM VERY S-A-D
THAT SHE IS IN...U-G-A-N-D-A
FOR THE S-U-M-M-E-R!! :(
JESSICA IS IN UGANDA FOR THE SUMMER!!
(IM STILL VERY SAD)
:(

Bye Bye Boston

Well guys, I'm officially not a resident of Boston anymore. For now. I moved home today. 17 hours in a vehicle and bang, I'm back in Wisconsin, laying in my twin bunk bed. I do love this bed. I've had it since I was a very small person. I looked back at my posts about moving out to Boston and realized I have the same philosophy as I did when I moved before: Less is More. Obviously I didn't learn that. And obviously I have way too much junk. It's currently all sitting in the garage. I will have to go through it all tomorrow... aka today... I'm definitely dreading that task.

Sad/frustrating news: a bag of mine got crushed in the packing of the van. A bag that should not be crushed. It now has permanent wrinkles and will never be the same. I'm so sad.

I miss the people who touched my life in Boston already. Sigh.

Uganda... 1 week... Lift off will occur Thursday, July 8th. I have so much to do before I leave!!! I feel like I should make an Africa blog. So many people do it. I might as well follow the trend. I'm thinking: travel blog for anyone interested and keeping this one for random brain ramblings.

Okay, my brain is failing right now so I'm signing off.

Moving again...

As I put my life in boxes again, I would just like to state that I hate packing. I think it's one of the hardest things to do. Along with one of the boringest and most difficult. I have so much stuff!!! I'm moving again after less than a year here on the East Coast. 1st stop: Home in Wisconsin. 2nd stop: AFRICA.

If you live in the Midwest, I'll be around from Wednesday to July 8th. I'd love to see you

Drinks, Flying, Decisions

So there's this drink at a bar called Skip and Go Naked. But I always think it's called STRIP and Go Naked. Which is essentially what I like to do when I'm home alone or by myself in my room. I am currently BACK in Wisconsin (as I mentioned yesterday), blogging from the kitchen table as Dumb-Dumb stares at me lazily from the other chair. And all I want to do is strip and go naked. I probably will soon...

Some thoughts on flying:

• Being overweight is highly unfortunate for travelers.
• Sitting next to someone overweight is very unfortunate for travelers.
• Delayed flights are really no fun.
• Small children screaming and crying on flights make me want to pull the emergency escape and jump out the airplane.
• I have a love/hate relationship with the aisle seat. I like it cuz I get up and go to the bathroom without crawling over someone. I hate it cuz sleeping is slightly more uncomfortable as compared to sitting in a window seat.
• TVs on flights are awesome.
• Rocking chairs in airports make me happy and sleepy

Current fav song: California Girls by Katy Perry

So Here's The Deal:
Uganda

• Serious work experience
• Living in Africa... need I say more?
• Going back to Uganda, I love it there
• Chapati...
• Getting my hands in some serious experience, to see OVC/HIV/FP programs in the real world... to see development at work (if it's working at all)

Philippines

• Southeast Asia experience (seeing things from that perspective rather than an East Asian or African one)
  
• Finish school
• Finding an internship- but hopefully in something I'm interested in
• Traveling in SE Asia (S. Korea is one stop for sure)
• Something different and completely unknown

The problem is and always shall be Money. Finishing school... Yada yada yada... finding a job. Etc etc etc. My brain does not shut up. Can someone just give me a plane ticket and I'll go where it says to go?

Quality Time on My Knees and in My Head

I've spent an interestingly long time on my knees lately. No, don't think dirty. At WORK I kneel and put things away. Restocking and such. I've noticed how much time I spend on my knees and how much that hurts! But it's easier than constantly bending over. The thought was that I wish I had knee pads when I work. Now as for doing other things on my knees... well, I can do that without knee pads.

Spring Break has come and gone. I spent a little time at home and got to enjoy a meal a great friend who I've missed a lot. Also I got to sleep in. Best thing ever. I spent quality time with my mom, which ended up being great fun. We ate a lot of Chinese food and watched movies. I am fully embracing the Chinese food and Chinese pop music side of my Chinese-ness. Not sure about any other side yet. Pretty much ate myself into a delightful Chinese food coma... best feeling EVER. Better than an American food coma. I'm serious. WAY better. Try it some time. But try it with authentic Chinese food and then you will see what I mean.

I can't believe it's March. Time has definitely flown by. The semester is almost OVER. Unbelievable. Two of my favorite people are returning to the USA in April- we're almost there! Can't wait to see them. I'm still searching for my way abroad for 6 months. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

So I've been doing some thinking. It's fascinating how much has changed since I've moved out here. I was so miserable those first few months. I think it takes a few months to adjust to a new place when you don't know a single soul. And I have definitely learned the art of self-soothing. Amazing how you don't really have to do that when you have really great friends around you. But I definitely realized how I need to do that without having someone a few minutes away to talk to, hug, or to cry on their shoulder. I am much better these days. Happy is a good state of mind.

Now if it could just stop RAINING in Boston, I'd be happier!

Almost didn't leave...

I almost missed my flight home. Yes, me... the I-like-to-get-to-things-way-early girl. Flight at 10:45, I woke up at 9:40. Flew out of bed. Ran for a taxi, which I couldn't find for the longest time. And managed to squeeze into the airport and onto the flight by 10:30. Most stressful situation of my life. I almost had a heart attack. I'm also pretty sure the taxi driver loves me because I gave him the biggest tip (I didn't ask for change back. Threw some money in the front seat and flew out of the taxi). But I'm back in the happy, friendly Midwest for a few days! I've been hanging out in my pajamas all day. It's been amazing. It would be even more amazing if I wasn't applying for ways to go abroad and keeping my fingers crossed to find funding. BUT such is life.

PS my left laptop clicker key is depressed. Literally. It super F-ed up and doesn't exactly click. It's more... well... depressed. It's been this way for a while and I hate it. How do I get it fixed?!

Normal People Sleep

And yet, I am not normal. I mean, it is obviously a state I aspire to achieve. Normalness. But I have yet to reach that point in life. So here I am. Rocking the 4am, I need to leave soon for my flight back to that state where I used to live in. A few days back home. A few days... not enough, yet quite enough.

Today, people were walking around the mall like crazy people. I mean... I have an unusually judgmental mind that has many thoughts... judging people. I just never say them out loud. For the most part. Today, people were walking around the mall like they were insane. At first, I figured the first person was just... you know... a little unique. But after I saw person after person doing weird things... I knew it was not just me seeing special people. One person walked around by bringing her knees as high as they would go. One lady walked around like she was doing the freaking wedding march. There was a skip hop thing going on with a few people. There were people walking sooo strangely. One step, kick foot out, next step, kick foot out again. I really thought it was just me, judging people. I don't think it was. I also don't think it was just people who could not control what they were doing. They were seriously just being weird as... well just weird.

I physically cannot drink 3 nights in a row. Can't happen. I can barely drink 1 night. So tonight would have been night number 3. Nope, couldn't do it. My liver, body, mind, fingers, feet, and soul recoiled at the thought of sipping anything less than a Diet Coke straight up. So I didn't. But can I say... men are strange creatures. They are not much different no matter where you venture. Midwest, East Coast, West Coast... a mad fascination with body parts and nothing else. Seriously people, we, women, have brains. We have personalities. We have feelings. We are not just objects you can collect, put on your mantle, and play with once in a while. Get your mind out of the gutter (though mine is there often) and FOCUS. Up here. Not down there. OR over there. FOCUS.

Midterms are over. And as you can see with my 4am writing, I am not back to normal. I am beyond fixable at this point. Late night owl, daytime sloth, evening semi-functional human. I hope I passed... it would suck to have to do this semester over again. But yet it is slightly likely I might have to. Ew... I suck.

Jay Chou at 4am in the morning, not great. Weird French songs (including French rap) where I can't understand any of the words, on the other hand, fascinatingly poignant.

I wonder if I'll ever be on a real sleep cycle again. Ugh I don't want to be on an air-o-plane in 6 hours-ish. Flying... you know, we have a love-hate relationship. Well my French song is done so I guess I will attempt at laying in my bed again. Wish me luck. And if you're part of the Sconnie Nation and you read this, you now know I'll be home til Wednesday. Send me a "hi" or something! The likelihood that I'll see the outside world? Well, that's questionable and if you know me, you'd know that.

xoxo

Holiday Joy

I write from the comforts of my parents' kitchen with the snow falling outside. Oh, I love Wisconsin and snow. It's truly got that Christmas feeling and it makes me giddy. The snow is gorgeous. As long as I don't have to shovel tomorrow morning. I'm officially screwed on the present-buying front though. I still need gifts for the parents and one sister. Yikes. Hope the world is ready for me tomorrow morning. It'll be a mad rush to find stuff.

Flying back was amazingly crazy. Planes were super backed up to Wisconsin, something silly about weather and planes having problems. My flight was overbooked by 3 seats. So I gave up my seat and for compensation, I got a free round trip ticket and free dinner courtesy of Midwest Airlines. How awesome is that?! Now I'll probably take another trip back to Wisconsin for FREE. Or maybe I'll jet-set off to somewhere fun for vacation!! Washington State? Former roommate- please let me visit? Somewhere in California? Hello warm weather. Anchorage, Alaska? Sounds cool too! The delay was only about a 1/2 hour, so it was totally worth it. Also made some friends with the people waiting to fly back to Wisconsin. It was a jolly good time. Yes, I just used the word Jolly.

Dear Santa,
Please send tons of money to my bank account. That would make me very happy. But if you cannot do that, can you at least bring me a few new pairs of shoes??

Thanksgiving wrap-up

Thanksgiving story: my family bought a bottle of wine. First bottle of wine for Thanksgiving. EVER. It was only 1 bottle, but still. It was some wine. Problem: no wine opener in the house. Yes, I live in a dry house... except for the vodka my mom cooks with. So there was no way to open this bottle of wine. We tried using a Swiss army knife's bottle opener- no luck. We tried Googling "How to open a bottle of wine without a wine opener." I tried the screw and hammer technique. Stick a screw into the cork, use the hammer's nail prying end and pull... It didn't work. After much sadness (on my part), we finally pushed the cork into the bottle. The wine was good and it was well worth the effort.

Black Friday morning- 4am, I joined the other crazies on the shopping excursions. JCPenney provided me with the yearly Disney snowglobe. I didn't really buy much, but I enjoyed the neurotic atmosphere of people buying tons of shit.

I am so full. I think I ate my weight in food these past few days. I should not eat again for a very long time. Now on to homework doing... Curse my public health writing class. It is taking over my life and it's driving me a little nutty. HATE HOMEWORK RIGHT NOW. All I want to do is watch a movie and take a nap.

Brilliant Idea: Do not eat again until winter break. I will never become unfull unless I don't eat for 3 weeks.