Party Rock Anthem

USM party... Let me give you some deets. Think of a frat house from college. Then throw in some middle aged men, some 20 somethings, some 30 somethings, several young, skankily clad Nigerian women... And then add alcohol. Yea... that's what it was like. I mean, don't get me wrong. It was plenty of fun to people watch and such. But seeing old... like visibly old white dudes getting up on young Nigerian women... kind of skeezy. Ok, really skeezy. Well no matter, it was still fun. Throw in some Jack and Coke, Sam Adams, Heineken, etc. Everyone's having a grand ol' time. It was a little weird getting drunk in front of my boss though. It's not something I'm totally comfortable with... so I definitely behaved. I don't know what's standard protocol in the expat world, but it definitely seems like there's a fuzzy line between not allowing work and social lives crossing. Anyway, I made friends with the Ms. They seem like good people to be buddy-buddy with if anything ever goes south. These boys look sooo young. Baby-faced... faces as smooth as a baby's bum. It's kind of adorable... also kind of weird. But no matter, they are still really nice. They even gave us a lift home, which technically I don't think they were supposed to do since they were still under midnight curfew and it was past midnight. But regardless, I'm grateful. I'm excited to go to the ball they are hosting next month. I bought a ticket to it- the ticket is not a piece of paper. No, it's a thing of metal that could probably break a window if I threw it. Probably the best souvenir for an event I've ever seen. A ticket AND a momento. Can't wait to get dressed up and party a bit more in a few weeks.

Keep All Hands and Feet Inside The Moving Vehicle... Or the Country

I just finished an almost 2 week training to prep me for my upcoming move. I can tell you a few things about this trip:

• I'm ending it with a major head cold. It's awesome. Not.
• When there's a bomb, there's often a secondary bomb. Tertiary bomb. And so on. I guess bad people like that sort of thing. Blowing up people and buildings and such.
• WMDs. Bad. Bad. Bad. Enough said.
• If you're ever taken as a hostage... there are several options. Kind of like Mad Libs. Fill in your own blanks.
• If you ever notice someone/people following you, don't confront them and ask them why they are following you.
• I made some awesome friends. Winning!
• That random West African country I'm going to? Lots of scary things are said about that place.

In conclusion, I'm way more pumped about leaving than I was 2 weeks ago. Which seems to be counterintuitive but when have I ever been logical? FOUR DAYS LEFT!

Life changer

I just accepted a fellowship position in West Africa. I cannot believe 1) I got offered a position, 2) I'm moving, 3) I'M GOING TO BE WORKING/LIVING IN WEST AFRICA for the next year. I am so excited and yet so panicked. The place I'm going isn't exactly the nicest places in the world to work- take for example the latest news of bombings just yesterday. Part of me is jumping for joy. This is a job. In public health. With a government institution. This year of international experience will add even more to my resume. It is INTERNATIONAL experience, living abroad, dealing with the hardships, etc. And then there's the stupid side of me that goes: OMG what did I just commit myself to?!

But yes, I have a job. I'm moving to Africa again. The words: "It's not a hardship, it's an adventure" have not echoed through my head louder.

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

A bit of ADD for today's post

I've been here over 3 months now. And I love it here. I look back and yes, it was really, really hard to adjust to being alone all the time and just living in a new place. But I am so happy I came back.

The other intern and I spend essentially 24/7 together, especially we're in Sembabule. We share a room, we work together, we eat together. The only time we really don't see each other is when we're showering or in the pit latrine. I wonder is she's sick of me yet... I'm not sick of her!! Having a fellow American to talk to is so nice. I never realized that before this experience but it is so true.

Food... yes I talk about this a lot but I miss food. Savory, delicious food... I just ate some instant oatmeal and a few crackers for breakfast. Very unsatisfying. I love food... I love being able to go to a grocery store or to a restaurant with a giant menu...

I think I'm just getting weirder the longer I stay here. I find the littlest things amusing: bugs, goats, chickens, throwing my leftover ramen into the garden as compost... Just a warning to those of you I will be seeing in December, I'm going to need a bit of help readjusting. Maybe reverse culture shock session.

My next goal for traveling is to go somewhere in South America. I think that's a pretty good goal for 2011, don't you think? There will also be at least 1 visit to DC during my spring semester, a San Francisco visit in the summer (family reunion)...

Rwanda and My Bum

Rwanda rocked. It was a bit like Spring Break in Rwanda. I would have loved to spend time exploring the city and doing more touristy stuff BUT it was so much fun to hang out with a big group of people and essentially get wasted. Friday night was awesome. We started drinking at home and played King’s Cup/Circle of Death. HILARIOUS! I made a party foul (spilled Ugandan Waragi everywhere) and had to drink Waragi out of a ladle. Oof, a touch painful. And can I say that though this was not one of our smarter moves, I learned that boda riding with a buzz is GREAT fun. I wouldn’t recommend doing it again, but it was a great experience, nonetheless. We went to this bar and had a great time dancing. The only ridiculous time was when a Rwandan came up behind me, grinding, and all I could feel was his hard-on. NOT OKAY. Saturday night was a lot better; no hard-ons. We brought the Limbo to the dance floor that night and it was hilarious to watch. (I did not participate.)


There was a really cute British guy in our group. Can you imagine anything sexier than a British accent when talking about placentas, episiotomies, and childbirth? I can’t. Unfortunately he has a girlfriend. Oh well, I just enjoyed the view while I could.

The trip back… I feel like my bus ran me over this morning. I am in so much pain. Sitting on a bus, not moving for over 12 hours, can do that. I’m surprised I didn’t get a blood clot and die of an embolism. It was brutal. My nerves are a bit shot from the blow outs and our completely insane bus driver. He was such an idiot. Something should intuitively tell you that flying over speed humps and potholes will not be kind to your wheels. So if you already had problems with your wheels today, MAYBE, just maybe, you should be a little more careful in your driving. HAHAHAHA NOPE. He drove like a complete psycho and the whole time all I could think was: please don’t kill me. You cannot begin to imagine how happy I was to get off that bus. Only to get onto another bus… I am so stiff and sore today.

Lake Bunyonyi

And in typical form, I will provide some commentary for my Lake Bunyonyi Weekend Vacation.

Overnight bus ride:
The bus we were supposed to get on left without us because people gave us poor instructions. We finally managed to get on a bus. Once we sat down, a man started selling something to the entire bus. At first we thought it was medicine, and since he was speaking Luganda, we had no idea. Then the words "for your girlfriend, for your boyfriend" were thrown in and we were able to figure out that he was selling lub. On a bus ride that would last 8 hours. Then the people in front of me bought some. Nothing happened... that I know of. Also the guy sitting across from us on the bus was rather creepy. Staring at my friend and I the entire bus ride. He kept smiling. Since it was dark, the only thing you could see was his white smile. Very strange and a little disconcerting. And finally, I had to pee at one point when our bus was stopped in the middle of nowhere. No bathrooms around, no rest stops available. Instead, I walked into an alleyway and peed. For a while I thought someone would come up behind me in the dark, screaming. Didn't happen though. Still... another disconcerting event.

Daytime on the Island:
We ended up laying out in the sun all Saturday and soaking up the warmth. Problem was that I didn't drink very much water. So by the time we went up for dinner, I wasn't feeling too hot. I thought I needed to throw up, so I walked to the bathroom. I passed my friend and realized I was about to pass out. Woops. Got very woozy, shaky, and had to sit down. Not a great move on my part. Oh and I have the strangest sunburn ever. Which just shows how poorly I put on sunscreen. The entire weekend was also spent cracking "that's what she said" jokes, discussing sex, and drinking. It was definitely a summer vacation with 20-somethings.

All in all though, Lake Bunyonyi was amazing. Well worth the 8 hour trip out there and back.

I enjoy Crystal Light

The title of this post has nothing to do with anything else that's written, but it is a new observation I have. Crystal light is yummy.

Getting a tan by the pool (along with several Nile Special beers) at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala was outstanding. But afterwards, I saw the effects of my crappy sunscreen application. Oops! The army guys we met at the pool were really fun and nice to hang out with. One was rather good-looking aka extremely and had awesome tattoos, but I was disappointed to discover later that he is married.

In the US, we're taught that time is money. In Uganda, more people means more money. So taxi rides are inevitably always late and cramped. Plus, it's one thing to stuff average sized people together. When you have individuals who are larger than normal, you'd think people would consider that in the "stuffing people into vehicles" situation. They don't.

I have this fascinating itchy rash/ a bunch of small bumps on the bottom of both of my feet, in the exact same spot. Medical people- help? I've eliminated athlete's foot; definitely isn't that. I'm kind of hoping it will go away on its own since it would be rather difficult to locate a doctor out here and I don't want to make a trip into Kampala to solely find a doctor. FML.

Mmm Mefloquine

So I'm takin mefloquine as malaria prophalyaxis. It's supposed to make you have very vivid dreams. Well my dream last night involved me running this ultimate race in Africa, carrying a watermelon, and herding llamas. How bizarre is that?! I thought it was pretty funny and strange to wake up to.

So it's Friday. I've been in Africa a week. And it's all about bombs now. Rumor has it that they found another bomb that didn't go off yesterday in the new taxi park. Yikes! So we shall see what develops with all the bombs.

3 Americans, a Dutchman, and a Canadian

That's what ended up being at the dinner table tonight. I met up with a UW student and his friends in Kampala. It was great fun to be around people my own age, drinking a Nile Special, eating some protein for once. The steak at Tuhende Safari Lodge on Martin Rd- fantastic!!! It made my boring day 10x better. European men and their accents... fantastic!

Day 4

Senseless death has caused great turmoil for the organization i came to work for in Uganda. So here I sit, waiting for the next move. My heart goes out to the family and his coworkers who are all grieving.

I am learning to squat like the best of them, aka squatting in a tub in order to use a bucket to bathe. It's pretty funny. I can only imagine what I really look like when I do this. My hair has been cut short so it's way easier to wash now. I'm getting more used to having short hair, but I do miss it and thank god hair grows. The house I'm staying at has a flushable toilet, which is pretty awesome, considering I hadn't had one for a while.

Here I sit, just finished the first Charlaine Harris novel that True Blood is based on and  now I'm watching True Blood in Africa. It's kind of bizarre. There is such a split between those with money and those who don't. I guess I should try to appreciate the comforts I have for now since once I move out into the field, it won't be so much like this. Definitely no toilet that flushes.

Making friends in Africa- rather difficult since I'm a little secluded right now. But I did meet a rather cute Scottish med student on at the Ugandan airport. He got picked up by the same driver as I did. We chatted in the matatu and he seemed really cool. We talked about traveling around Uganda together and such... problem was that there is no way for either of us to communicate. No phone, no internet. But can I just say... Scottish accent? Hoooooot.

I'm so tired...

So I'm off... here I sit in the airport. quick thoughts: I'm tired and it makes me nauseous. I really hate airplane food. I really think airline seats should be bigger, even economy class. I'll see you in Africa

LEAAAVING ON A JET PLANE

TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am freaking out a bit. Lots and lots of packing. Lots and lots of junk to put into very small spaces. It's kinda like that last minute panic of "OMG I'm naked" or "OMG I overslept and missed that exam" or "OMG WHO ARE YOU?!?!" I feel like I'm forgetting something. I know I am. I've also been sucked into the vortex of home while I've been back in Wisconsin, aka being a homebody and hanging out with my family. I've barely seen anyone while I've been in the Midwest. But have no fear. I will return... when there is snow on the ground.

And yes, I will try to keep this updated along with the other "official" one. As always, side commentary and inappropriateness will be reserved for my fun side.

Here's a side note, genuine thoughts I've had all day and yes, you are allowed to make a joke on whichever ones you choose:
No condoms necessary to be packed.
My bag is as big as I am... pictures will be forthcoming.
Why am I doing this again? I kind of like hot showers.
WOOHOO Africa!
Where did I put ________?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Followed up with a: @#)($**&a$mp;^)(*@#!
That doesn't fit... oh shoot...
This thing is WICKED heavy.
Why are things so hard!
How is that going to fit in there?
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!! (or in Midwest speak: MAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHM!)
What if my flight was today?!
Am I really leaving tomorrow?

I will miss you all! Hot water, clean water, the porcelain god, a/c, clean hair... AND all the people I'm leaving back in the USA.

CHEERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See you on the other side of the Atlantic! (We'll see if I get an entry in while in Amsterdam)

More ideas...

I really need some help, people... So more ideas on naming a new blog?

Learning Luganda
Away I Go
JC Journeys
XOXO from Abroad
Adventures of ____________________
I don't know... my creative juices are dying

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

Africa's On My Mind

As I move forward with my plans to go to Uganda, I'm both excited and nervous. Having been there before, I thought it would be easier to pack and get ready. Not quite the case. Other than the fact that I didn't have to 90 new immunizations (turns out my international immunization card is fantastic, according to the doc), I have no idea what I'm doing. This time in Africa, I have to dress professionally for work. Which means I can't just run around in t-shirts and tanks. So what to wear? No idea.

The exciting aspect is I'm really pumped to leave the US. Home will always be home, but sometimes I get tired of the materialistic mentality. I'll admit that I fall into the trap: wanting nice stuff, really caring what I look like, etc etc etc. But the thing is when I'm in Uganda, I'll be trying to work for an organization to improve what they're doing for Ugandans. And I think that's really important. It will be rather different from just going to school in Boston and having running water.

The one thing I will miss while I'm gone is my avenues for sanity. AKA my good friends. Especially the ones that help ground me when I freak out or when I need to vent. Hopefully I can stay in touch with people, though my internet options will be spotty at best.

This morning I was laying in bed. Being lazy. And the apartment door opens. A guy goes: "Hello?" It was someone wanting to show our apartment. I had no idea that was happening today. I guess they always call my roommate's phone and she's not exactly IN the US right now, so I didn't know anything about the showing. Thus there's me... not very clothed (since it is my apartment and no one is ever around and I can do whatever I want when alone)... I was like: please hold on one second!!!! I threw some clothes on and then the guy showed the apartment to this girl who was carrying the ugliest rat-dog I've ever seen. But yes, that was my awkward morning. At least I wasn't doing anything inappropriate...

And one last thought. It's really hard not to having feelings.

Klutz, Kids, Etc

Today I managed to walk into a door and a sign hanging on the wall. Not at the same time. Door and doorknob were around noon. Sign was around 4pm. Klutz? Yes. And I have 2 bruises on my right arm to prove it.

Back in Boston... only a few weeks left. It's pretty crazy and intense. I have so much to do. But one thing I can officially cross off the list is buying my plane ticket. Yeeouch, clicking the pay button hurt. But I'm off to the continent of Africa!! I'm really excited, just a little stressed at the level of stuff that needs to get done as a result of me finally making a decision at the very last moment.

By the way, I hate children. A child sat behind me on my flight back to the East Coast. He kept kicking my seat, putting his feet up against the back and pushing. I really wanted to turn around and smack him. I restrained myself... his sister was sitting there wailing, screaming, and crying the entire flight. Awesome children in that family. Remind me never to fly with my own children if I have any, or if I do, I should drug them. 

Sleepy time... will write more again.

Uganda Bound

It's official, guys. I'm off to the continent of Africa for 6 months! I finally made a decision!!!

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?