I’m sorry that it has been SO LONG since I’ve last written… if you’re anything like my dear mom, I know that you’ve all been compulsively checking to see if I’ve written. Just kidding, but just in case you are a bit curious, here are some things I’ve been up to.
The last week and a half of work leading up to Christmas was pretty quiet, as many of the staff took vacation time to lengthen their break. One of the more eventful days was last Tuesday, when we went to a DAC (District AIDS Committee) meeting at the district building in Sembabule. This was the first real DAC meeting that the district has held, and it’s too bad that it’s taken so long to get going, but it’s good that they’re motivated and heading in the right direction. The goal of the committee is to bring together representatives from the NGOs, from other institutions, and from the local government in order to coordinate each group’s efforts towards fighting AIDS in the district. It is a really important goal, because by coordinating efforts and dividing up tasks and responsibilities, things can get done more effectively and hopefully make more of an impact on the community. The committee plans to meet every quarter, so I’m interested to see how things progress from here.
On Wednesday morning, I traveled to Kampala with Beatrice and Emily Sylvia. The trip was long, and for the first time the matatu I was in ran out of gas… it was pretty inevitable that that was going to happen to me at some point. We finally got in to the city and to Beatrice’s house around 2 pm. Staying at Beatrice’s for the holidays was really nice – she has four kids (who aren’t really kids, I guess) who are between the ages of 19 and 27 – Andrew, Viki, Rita, and Baine. We basically just relaxed, ate, and watched TV – I’m not a huge TV person at home, but after not watching TV for over three months, getting to veg on the couch and watch all kinds of cheesy Christmas specials and other miscellaneous American programs was incredible. I went into town with one of Beatrice’s daughters, Rita, one day, but mainly we just hung out at home. Various relatives stopped by, and on Christmas Day evening we went to church at a big Catholic church in Kampala. In general, being away from home on Christmas was odd, and sad at times, but I tried to just block out what I was missing out on at home. It was nice to be with a family during Christmas, even if it wasn’t my own family.
I stayed with Beatrice from Wednesday until Sunday, and then on Sunday evening I went into Kampala to stay in a hotel for a few nights. Staying with her was wonderful, but I also actually enjoy staying in town – even if it is by myself – so that I can eat at my favorite restaurants, and shop, and stuff like that. So now I’m in Kampala, doing my usual Kampala routine. Last night I ate at Haandi, the amazing Indian restaurant that I go to every time I’m here. Today I’m planning on doing some shopping for books, fabric, and possibly a few clothes. My clothes have really taken a beating since being here. I don’t know if it’s because I wear the same pieces of clothing all the time, but I really could use a few new things, so I’m going to try to find a couple of new tops and maybe a dress. I’m either going to head back to Sembabule tomorrow or Thursday… I haven’t decided yet.
I hope everyone had a happy Christmas! I missed you all, but I’m proud to say that I made it through the holiday season here without any sort of freak-out, so I’m doing well.
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