MY LIFE

I think I'm running on African time now. Everything is slower here, lines, customer service, computers, meetings, travel (except public transport which travels at breakneck, risk your life speed, rushing to where???), conversations. Seriously, people will sit silently with you for 10 minutes or more, just hanging out. The thing is, I kind of enjoy the slower pace...I notice I'm much less stressed out about things lately. Yesterday I tried to use the computer and the internet service was down (not a huge surprise), so I sat, read my book, talked to the store owner for 30 minutes...hoping the service would be repaired. It wasn't so I went back to Kiyunga and hung out with the little kiddies. I would never do that in America. I remember days when I would leave work, rush to the gym for a yoga class (to find inner peace), race from my yoga class to my next evening event, then crash into bed, to wake up and do it all over again.

Yesterday I sat with two boys at the JIM Centre and taught them how to play gin. My friend Katie sent the kids a bunch of playing cards and games, which they love. After one game I thought to myself, my work is done here-I've taught them how to play, they can play on their own and I'll do something else. But then I thought, nah...I'll sit with them for a few more games, why rush off? People spend alot of time developing relationships here, it seems really important to them. When you ask people what their hobbies are, many of them will say 'making new friends.' Sometimes I feel like just hanging out with the kids is a good thing, they are bored and get fired up about anything that breaks the regular schedule of their life.

Bose is a boy living at JIM. He attends a local secondary school but lives in the dorm at JIM and does work around the place in exchange for room and board (Gavah, my supervisor, allows three boys to do this). Bose really wanted to help me paint. Then he put my ipod on and had a ball...he loves '50 Cent' (thanks Sam). Yesterday after gin Bose asked me about my running. I told him if he could find shoes-to come with me this morning. Kind of thought he wouldn't show but this morning at 6:30am (that's a touch early for this volunteer) he knocked on my door and we headed out. He listened to the ipod and he would occasionally say things like 'madam, this man can really play the guitar (ben harper)' or 'madam, this woman can really scream'(ACDC, he didn't know it was a man). After the run Bose said 'let's go out for 10 more minutes tomorrow.' Yikes, what have I done?

I've been doing some home visiting with Gavah and Michelle (she is called Nabukenya by the locals, they like to give us African names, mine is Namakula). By home visiting, I mean driving on crazy back roads into the middle of nowhere, pushing the tiny, tin can Gavah calls a car (that is still running by the grace of God alone) out of mud ditches, then walking into the bush to a small hut. Sometimes the person we are visiting comes out to greet us and that is awesome, that means they are well. Other times the person is lying on a mat, shaking, skinny and unable to move. Sometimes we say prayers with them, sometimes Gavah will advise them on foods to eat, etc... I don't know if I can find words to describe the experience of visiting with these people. Sometimes my eyes well up in sadness, other moments I'm sure I'm teary eyed with gratitude but not sure what I'm thankful for. The weirdest thing is how life just keeps moving along, people quietly die in their little homes and the hawker outside sells another fish.

JIM Centre was started by Gavah for AIDS orphans. Gavah also started an NGO called MUDINET which is the Mukono District Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS. I am lucky enough to be able to work with both. MUDINET was given some government funds for home visiting, so we are able to bring small items when we go...sugar, rice and soap. For some reason, I like doing the Home Visiting. I can see value in visiting people to offer support and fellowship. I understand that these people need medical care but I think they also need hope and friendship. Pelagia is a young woman I met while home visiting. She is 19, is now at the hospital being treated for Pneumonia and is being given fluids. She is on ARV's and should be getting better, but she's not. The first time I visited her at the hospital, she looked a bit better but yesterday she was weak and not moving again. She had a baby two months ago but the father took the child after it was born. I believe that Pelagia is not getting better because she doesn't feel like there is a reason to. She is 19, HIV+, her baby is gone and the father is obviously not a 'stick around and offer support' kind of guy. Clearly not the most hopeful picture...but I think I still have some hope. Blind, silly hope maybe, but hope nonetheless.

I spent last weekend in Kampala and celebrated Michelle's birthday with all her Peace Corps peeps...who put on a pseudo-chippendales affair for her. Those Peace Corps Volunteers are some wild ones. I headed home on Monday and realized as I walked into my place that I was happy to be home...that my place felt like home. I guess I'm not really on vacation anymore, this is sort of my life. And I like it.