Saturday, August 19, 2023

No use in burying the lead this week:  I found pretty good pizza a short walk from where I'm staying!  Along with a solid glass of red wine, a shot of Bombay Sapphire and the company of a few new friends, it really hit the spot and was a rare reminder of home!

US taxpayers please take note.  We just finished 12 1/2 straight days of training.  (Thank goodness we get Sunday off.) It's been more mentally and physically taxing than I anticipated.  Rewarding and tiring all at the same time.

On top of that, most of the cohort, including me, has battled GI issues on and off the past two weeks.  It runs the gambit in terms of severity but when it's always there it affects your attitude. It's really hard to stay focused and positive when you feel somewhere between crummy and rotten much of the time.  The Peace Corps medical staff refers to it as an "adjustment period." Ugh!

I'm happy to say, I feel like I'm past the worst of mine.  Also, as I mentioned in my first post, I feel lucky to be part of this cohort.  There's almost always a kind, supportive word from someone.  It's really a fascinating case study of 26 strangers bonding rapidly.  I don't know if it happens for every cohort but it did for us.

It also reminds me a bit of the old days doing triathlons.  You think the physical fitness is key and quickly learn it's more of a mental test.  This feels very similar.  I'm basically in a 27-month endurance test.

My language training is also improving. I've gone from terrified to petrified to only getting lost once in today's 2-hour session (class #4).  Fortunately, Losuga uses a Latin alphabet and has many fewer exceptions than English. The Peace Corps instructors are also quite good (we have a 5-to-2 student-to-teacher ratio in my group) and have many years of experience making volunteers successful.

As for our work, I should probably spend a minute on our structure.  We have three specialties in our cohort:  Health, Education and Agriculture & Economic Development (AED).  I am in AED.

The opportunities seem endless.  As such, the lines are blurred between the specialties.  For instance, as an AED volunteer I may be asked to distribute mosquito nets despite malaria technically falling into the Health sector.  Likewise, HIV/AIDS affects men, women and children in Uganda at staggering rates and I will likely be asked to help with education where appropriate.  Finally, there is clear overlap between AED and Health in terms of food security and nutrition.  Frankly, the scope of the issues in front of us can be stifling but I think we all came here for a challenge.

This week's cultural lesson which gave us all a chuckle:

- Are you sleeping around?

Let your imaginations go wild....

This is how a Ugandan asks you if you are spending the night nearby.  Sorry to disappoint!

I'm going to post this now despite being past tired... I'll loop back tomorrow and fix the typos.

I miss you all 

John