Indian food makes me want to roll around on the floor like a happy puppy dog

This past weekend was great. I spent way too much money and ate way too much Indian food, but living the occasional life of excess is actually rather fun. Good thing I spend like 20 cents a day, if that, in Sembabule. Thursday night, Indian food at Haandi's. Friday night, Indian food at Nawab. Saturday afternoon, Indian food at Masala Chaat. I may have a serious addiction problem and will need to find good Indian restaurants in the Midwest and New England when I get back to the USA. Garlic naan paired with a delicious Indian dish make me want to run around squealing with happiness. Yes, I mean squealing like a little child on Christmas day.

Shopping in Uganda is not the same as shopping in the States. Obviously. But I have come to enjoy it just as much except for the negotiating prices part. Sometimes it's just nice to have everything at a fixed price and you know exactly how much you need to pay. Arguing with shop owners is not my forte (it's my dad's) and it just gets old after a while. BUT I have managed to finagle some cool stuff to bring back. Including one really sweet silver ring. I probably paid way too much for it, but I love it so that's my justification. Oh and also cuz I'm probably not going to make it to Kenya or on another trip before I leave, SO rather than spending money on hotels, bus tickets, etc... why not just shop?

30 days left in Uganda! Wicked crazy, I know! I'm going to really miss this place. Miss being around the other intern 24/7, attached at the hip. Miss my supervisor who I love and wish I could bring her back to the US with me. And miss everything about Uganda. At the same time, I'm pumped to drive a car by myself on the RIGHT side of the road. Take a hot shower. Not have to worry about frogs jumping out randomly at me, the cow mooing at the crack of dawn, dodging pigs/chickens as I cross the street. I am also rather excited for the male species. I miss the smell of boy, the boy sense of humor, boy everything. Being here has been like being on a man fast again and I have to say it's not exactly the most fun. Though it has helped me find myself and learn more about myself. Blah blah blah cliche I know, but rather true.

I have nothing of real importance to report. So for all you readers in the Midwest who I know personally, see you in a month!!!!!!!!!!!! I want beer, cranberry/vodkas, pizza, Sour Patch Kids, Wheat Thins, and a bread bowl with soup. Thank you very much.

I dream about pizza...

I have cravings like no other. 40 days left in Uganda and all I can think about is what I want when I get back. Don't get me wrong. I love it here. I will miss the chapati and rolexes to an extremely unnatural extent but when I'm in the US, I can have sex and good food. Which right now is all I want...

A sexy tidbit: I haven't shaved my legs in like a month. I also haven't really worn makeup since I got here. Can't wait to get back to the US and feel feminine again...

I am pretty depressed that I am missing fall. It's my second favorite season. My favorite being winter since I love snow. All I want right now is an apple. A fresh, crispy, delicious apple... want want want.

On a more serious note, I've been thinking... isn't it amazing how certain decisions in your life change its direction forever? There are several moments in my life that I marvel at. If I had taken the other option, who knows where I'd be now or who I'd be. I often play the what if game and marvel at how my life has simply fallen together. A series of random decisions, occasional mishaps, and or the game of chance...

All you need to do is feed the need

Mmmm and my need was chips, egg, and Nile Special beer. Ladies and gentlemen, I am enjoying my first buzz since I went to Rwanda and it is delightful. And when paired with an omlette and some chips, I am rather satisfied. Well... obviously not in every way, but hey, I'll take what I can get.

Pop music and a good buzz are also a good combination. Why does Jason Derulo always say his name at the beginning of his songs? I mean, yes it's nice to know who's singing the song but really, it's rather egotistical. Now if you were Usher, I'd forgive you. But you're not that big yet, so calm yourself.

Oh and my feet are rather burnt from running around after kids all Saturday. That's the only part of my body that is a deep, dark brown. I wonder if it's really a tan or my body is now integrating the reddish brown dirt of Uganda into my skin so that I can carry it with me for the rest of my life... Either way, my feet have weird tan lines and are a dark brown color.

46 days left in Uganda... this half of me is depressed. The other half says WOOOOOOOOOOT!!!

(*#$&@#(*$&)@#&#$!*

I love being here. Aside from becoming a slight hypochondriac and probably just becoming crazy, I really have no issues. Except one. I dream regularly about the same thing. And with the Mefloquine, it seems so much more vivid and real. I hate it. It makes me feel like I'm really losing my mind. And I just don't understand why I keep dreaming about this. Is my subconscious trying to tell me something? And if it is, what on earth is it trying to tell me? I really hate it and am thinking about finding a witch doctor to help me out with an exorcism. Or I just need to get amnesia...

Here's the DL

So our office in Mubende is on a hill. Going up and down the hill is a workout in and of itself. And since I'm completely out of shape... oiy... Going down to buy more bread is a chorse. And then other intern had the unfortunate incident of eating it as we walked up the hill while it was raining. Part of me thought: I'm glad it wasn't me. And the other part said: Jess, that WILL be you next time.

Here's the DL on survival in the middle of Uganda:

• Pop music helps any and all situations. And any mood.
• Peanut butter is essential along with granola bars.
• Head lamps always save the day. Carry one with you. Always.
• Crystal Lite masks any weirdly colored or tasting water.
• Running out of airtime on your cellphone is never a smart situation.
• British guys are hot. The accent...
• British med students... even hotter.
• Finding the best coffee shop in Kampala is essential for maintaining sanity.
• Books. You need books. I would die without them. They are as important as oxygen.
• The ability to find your sense of humor and inner small child. Yes, the jumping around my room and playing with the settings on my head lamp are included.
• Finding the most delicious kind of crackers at the grocery store. Very important when you run out of American supplies.
• Addictions are easy to pick up. Mine currently include: Haribo gummies, games of Freecell on my laptop, and not having self-control.

I miss boys. The male gender. Abs. Boy hair. Boy deodorant. Boy sense of humor. sigh... This is why I will never become a lesbian.

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.