getting back in the swing of things.

So I thought I was really ready to get back to my life in Uganda after my holiday back in the states...man, was I wrong. I had heard from other volunteers that it is very hard to re-adjust to life here after being away. I thought I was strong, sure in my conviction and desire to be in this country.

In my last post I discussed the theft of my camera, the power being disconnected from my home (with the heat in the North, no power=no fan=no sleep=a grumpy, irritable volunteer) for over two weeks and my landlord failing to pay his mortgage on the property...leading to my potential eviction. All of these things were tough, but I thought I could deal.

My organization started a four day program out in the villages, obviously I was the only white person out collecting data in these villages. I was barraged with people asking for my financial help for their children's school fees, drunk men asking me for small money for "tea" and quickly I was at my wits end. It seemed that all the hard work that volunteers do here is for no purpose, or maybe that there is so much to do that the task seems impossible. While in the communities the children mocked my mzungu accent and swarmed around me to make fun of me and the way I looked.

This was the first time that I honestly laid awake at night (I couldn't sleep, too damn hot without the fan) thinking that maybe this wasn't right for me, I should just call it an experience and head back to the states. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this type of work...

But then I wake up and Patience, the young girl next door is giggling in the front yard, the old man in the village thanks me for the work I'm doing and I look out over the grass-land of Northern Uganda and realize how fortunate I am to be having these "struggles."

I think the most important thing to remember is to take care of your own mental health while volunteering in this type of environment. Recognize the stress and if it gets to be to much, get away...I made a few calls to friends and we took a long weekend in Kampala.

Now, Kampala is an amazing city. anything you want to do can be done. Our first night in town we went to a very authentic/amazing Chinese restaurant. I've seen Old Chinese men sitting in the back rooms smoking, looking like something out of a movie. We sat in the back yard of the restaurant enjoying the evening with 12-15 bunny rabbits running around in the grass. As we perused the menu a chef walked out back cornered a rabbit, grabbed him by the ears and carried him into the kitchen. Like I said, real deal Chinese food!

After dinner we hit the casino in Garden City (pictured above) which is where you can gamble, go bowling, eat and drink too much, or shop for Western goods and electronics. We're talking Listerine and Pringles... amazing.

The casino was a blast, we spent the evening playing roulette and drinking free gin and tonics. To give an example of the quality of the casino, the poor girl at the wheel accidentally flung the ball against the far wall three times in a row while trying to make a spin. not exactly Vegas, but great fun none the less.

Saturday we took in Prince of Persia (awful movie, I slept through everything but the opening and closing credits) relaxed, drank $6 cappuccino's and finished the evening at an amazing Indian restaurant.

I'm back North, re-energized and looking forward to the future. Uganda is an amazing place, giving the volunteer the option of getting away from the "village" and getting back on track. I am again confident that I'm ready to handle the stresses that are sure to come in the rest of my time here. It's good to be home.