Saturday, August 12, 2023

Greetings!!

I'm afraid this week's post is going to be a bit of stream of consciousness.  Unlike last weekend when we had a good amount of free time, we have a full schedule this weekend.  We start intensive language training Saturday and learn to use local transportation Sunday.

Speaking of language, today I found out I will be learning Lusoga.  While I don't have details on my assignment yet it stands to reason I will be somewhere in the Bosuga region as that's primarily where Lusoga is spoken.  From what I understand the region has wonderful weather year round (so long as you don't mind a rainy season) and is best known as the source of the Nile.

As for the transportation on Sunday, there are 15-passenger vans (that appear to hold many more) the locals call "taxis."  There is a driver and a "conductor" who collects the fare and keeps track of everyone's desired stop.  I took one with a local last weekend but it was not clear to me how he knew our van was going to stop near the place we're staying.  I guess I'll learn on Sunday.

A few of you have asked about our accommodations.  It's a camp/retreat center owned by a church.  I suspect the Peace Corps rents it from the church.  This is our dorm:

It's nothing fancy but it's perfectly comfortable.  In fact, we have electricity, toilets and hot showers.  Said differently, it's probably the nicest place most of us will stay in Uganda.

They also have a great lawn service:

There are also goats and chickens wandering about.

I also got my first haircut (and all the rest) this week:

$1.88 with tip.  Major bargain!!  (That is not a typo -- One dollar eighty eight cents.)

I'll probably go deeper on some aspects health and safety in future blogs but I'll throw out a few observations.  First and foremost, the amount of time, effort and thought the Peace Corps puts into it all is impressive.

One example:

Cell phone theft (right out of your hand) and bag snatching are commonplace.  So they gave us all a cheap rubber bracelet with the colors of the Ugandan flag (you can't see the black) that looks like something that cost a nickel at a trinket shop.  However, when you hold it up to the light just right it has our 24 hour security number.  Granted, you have to get to a phone somehow but at least you have the number to call.

Likewise, we were all given a cheap burner phone to use in public.  Apparently the phone snatchers are picky and won't waste their time on it.

Perhaps the biggest aha moment for me thus far is that I am now my own ER doc.  I don't know why I didn't think of it but I didn't.  There is no 911-like system in Uganda so my first call is to the Peace Corps medical office (answered 24/7).  

In addition to all of the other training, I'm in basic medical training.  We have a rather large first aid kit that is certainly a step above the one I carry in the trunk of my car at home.  I have malaria testing kits (we all did a finger jab and tested during class), a first course of meds for common issues, including malaria, an oximeter and a few other things I'm forgetting at the moment.

We also have a 267-page (hard and soft copy) medical handbook.  It's organized well and I'll be heading to my post fairly confident I can handle most medical emergencies.

I wanted a scalpel but they wouldn't give me one!

There's so much more to tell about my experience here but I think I'll save some of the good stuff for next week. 

In closing, I thought it might be fun to leave you all with some of the local jargon:

"I need a short call."

"I need a long call."

Any guesses?

This is how you ask for a restroom -- "short" being just to urinate.  You can figure out the other!

And don't ask for a bathroom!!  Ugandans think you want something with a bathtub so you can bathe.

I hope you all feel enriched.

I miss you all -

John