Deforestation and a new name

A few days ago, I went on a site visit to two CBOs (Community Based Organisations) who had been given grants by TACC (Territorial Approach to Climate Change - the project I'm working for) to help people living in the Mbale region to adapt to climate change whilst improving their living conditions and livelihoods.

Both projects involve tree planting - growing seedlings for farmers / communities and creating education packages / training about why locals need to stop cutting trees down.

Deforestation is a huge problem here, particularly on the slopes around Mount Elgon and the Bududa area which is where the school twinned with Newman is.
Here's my exceedingly basic and non scientific explanation of why this is bad :

People chop down trees to use for firewood and building materials. Obviously, this means there are less trees, which means less roots binding together and strengthening the soil.
Trees and vegetation also slow down the speed of water flowing down the hills because they dissipate and soak up some of the rainfall.
So in a nutshell, cutting down trees here can result in vast mountainous areas of unstable soil which can lead to landslides that have devastating consequences.

(How'd I do Noreen?!)

( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8549909.stm )

Anyway, I visited these two CBOs as I need to write up some case studies showing the positive steps communities can take to educate people about the consequences of deforestation and help them by creating some education materials.

So we basically have to persuade people (almost exclusively women as they do ALL the hard work here whilst men kick back, relax and suck on sugar cane but that's a story for another blog) to stop chopping trees down which is so difficult.
It's a really, really challenging to explain the benefits of keeping trees as many can see no immediate reason why they should.

From their perspective, they can either :
* address a very real and immediate concern by chopping down trees for firewood and feeding their families or
* take the risk of something that may or may not happen at some point in the future but could kill their family and destroy their livelihoods.
We have our work cut out!

We went to the Mount Elgon Farmers Association (MEFA) first where they showed us (this project was in Alex's district, he joined us for this visit. I see too much of that boy!) the seedlings they were growing and explained their approach to education. Then we went on a short tour of the village where the Big Cheese, Patrick, (they always roll out the dignitaries for us) pointed out where the village had already been affected by landslides, explained how, where and why they would plant different seedlings.

One of the things they are trying to do at the association is protect coffee trees by planting taller, bushy trees that will shade the coffee and hopefully produce better crops.
Being a big coffee drinker, I was intrigued and asked a million questions about the coffee making process, so Patrick started explaining it with real enthusiasm and passion.
Towards the end of his story though, his enthusiasm waned and by the end, he had pretty much lost interest.
He ended his story by shrugging his shoulders and saying "but by then, it has lost all of its flavour and goodness so we send it over to you". Love it!


Then we went to African Rural Development Initiative (ARDI) in Manafwa.
My favourite bit of this visit was being granted an honorary African name by one of the instructors!
I can't remember how or why, but I said and did a few things that made them laugh (I suspect they're used to visitors being quite hoity toity and snooty with them - don't think they'd met a Ponty girl before) and one of them said that from now on I was to be known as "something I didn't understand".
They all laughed and nodded in agreement so I asked him what it meant.

"Drought"

Drought?

Bloody DROUGHT?!

Great. I was being named after something that, at best, ruins people's lives and livelihoods and, at worst, kills them.

I was gutted.

Well, was gutted until someone explained it it been translated wrong. It actually means sunshine - that I must have been born in the summertime because I "was bright, happy and brought fun."

I preferred that.

Regards and good night,
Nasimiyu

X

Photos :
* Some kids at MEFA
* Some kids at MEFA with a big kid
* Nasimiyu at ARDI!

Massage update and hiraeth

It seems a few people are eager to know how Alex got on with his massage - even those of you who have never met him before! And no, I'm not evil and it wasn't nasty, I was testing his ability to cope in unexpected circumstances - the whole point of us being in Africa is to push us out of our comfort zone!

He had one the following day when we went back up to the hotel. This time we were joined by Sue - who had escaped from Muyembe (real out in the sticks rural Uganda) by successfully catching one of the unfathomable taxi buses into the bright lights of Mbale - and two Canadian girls who work at the local hospital. I made sure I briefed the girls on the situation whilst he was having a swimming race with some local kids, so we all knowingly waved him off with big smiles wishing him a nice relaxing time.

He returned an hour later, glaring at me through narrowed eyes, pursing his lips and shaking his head. "So ... How was it for you dear?" I asked, not even attempting to hide my glee.
I got a two word response from him.
The first word was you.
The second one rhymes with dastard.

He refused to elaborate or share any details whilst me and the other girls were falling around on the floor and holding our stomachs we were laughing so hard, but eventually he admitted he pretty much had the same experience as I did.
The only thing he would confirm is that the masseuse had 'repositioned' some stuff whilst treating his upper inner thigh!
My absolute favourite part of the day though was when he announced he had to go and shower because he felt grubby! It wasn't so much what he said but the way he said it - shuddering whilst cwtching himself.

In other news, as most people reading this probably know, I missed the rugby on Saturday. Best laid plans and all that.
There we were, beer in hand, waiting for 6.45 to arrive so we could ask them to put the game on ready for the anthems. 6.45 comes and there was no rugby to be seen anywhere. Apparently they thought we wanted Super Rugby despite reiterating so many times that we wanted to watch the BBC for the Six Nations tournament.

To say I was gutted was an understatement. It's more honest to say I was in a really shitty mood for the rest of the evening so ended up coming home, logging onto Facebook and getting depressed reading everyone's excited status updated. (The electric was off at mine for the game itself so I couldn't come home and confuse my housemates by being 'passionate in my bedroom' again) It was the strongest feeling of hiraeth I've had since being here.
It sounded like an amazing game, I'm so gutted I missed it.
In fact, I'm still pouting.

Lotsa love

X

Ps, for those of you reading from work make sure you read Sue's update on the EAW blog - it's great and gives a real insight into her life in out in the sticks rural Uganda.

Pps. A gecko fell on my head when I opened a door last night. I papped myself.

Ppps. I've run out of chocolate eclair sweets. Gutted.

Melissa (The Canadian girl from Tsawwassen Ki) has an underwater camera - thus the pics below!
So glad you got me to buy the SD card adaptor And - sharing photos is so easy!

Mbale Resort & an uncomfortable massage

"I effing love Mbale Resort. I'm never leaving. Ever."
Alex Carter, 25th February 2012.

Alex has been in Mbale since Wednesday as he too has had computer problems (spot the recurring theme!) so came here to try to sort internet access out.
Today we've just ventured up to the poshest hotel in Mbale for a bit of R&R and to watch the rugby.
(I'm writing this dangling my legs in the pool in 30+ degree heat!)

After some very confusing conversations earlier in the week, (Rugby? What is a rugby? Ah, I see, a game? You mean football, yes? Argh! No! ), the hotel agreed to put the game on. So the plan is to chill out by the pool for the day, maybe go for a massage, change into my Welsh top, kick back with a few beers and mock Alex incessantly when England lose.

Massages here only costs 20,000 shillings for an hour's all over body massage which is less than six quid!
And when I say all over body massage, I've been warned that unless you tell them where not to go, it really will be an ALL over body massage!

So when me and Alex were talking about whether we were going to have massages today or tomorrow, I felt it my duty to warn him... And have never seen his eyes sparkle or his smile so wide!
"Really? Are you serious ... That could be interesting. So when do you think you tell them to stop? How much money have you got?"

Since writing the above, I've just had my massage ...
Oh my, oh my, oh my ... What an experience!

To start, the masseuse tells me to "take it all off"!
Er, no thanks love, that won't be relaxing for anyone involved - so I opted to keep my bikini bottoms on and a sheet over me. Then five minutes into the treatment, between shunting the wobbly massage table across the room every five minutes, she answers her mobile and proceed to chat away for five minutes whilst pummelling my feet.
So far, so not like the Village!

Just as I'm starting to relax (this morning was very tough you know. Lying in the sun, competing in dive offs, somersault offs, backflip offs and sipping beers in the sun can be exhausting), she asks, "Would you like me to do here madam?" and smoothes over my chest area.
I thought my response of "Um, not here thanks (points to chest area). No, not here" was pretty clear. Apparently not.

Then she starts to massage my belly (which there's a lot of). Now, when I go for massages at home and they massage your stomach, they put a towel over your girls to cover them ... Not so in Uganda apparently! There they were, fully on show and most definitely being skimmed. I nearly bloody died!
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to try to hide the fact I was fighting to stop myself bursting out laughing thinking, This Is Africa, Leonardo style!

Then it got worse!
When I turned over for her to do my back and shoulders, everything was pretty standard, as expected and I was getting over the unfortunate boob thing. Until she pulled my bikini bottoms pretty much UNDER my bum and proceeded to massage my lower back and guess what other part of me!
And once she'd done it, it wasn't as if I could say, "Eh now, hang on a minute love, that's not how we do it back home"! I just froze and did the very British thing of ignoring it hoping she'd stop PDQ!

Then, to make exceedingly uncomfortable matters even worse, she calls to one of her colleagues and leaves the room via the door covered by a curtain, so I have no idea if my bum was on show to passers by before I quickly pulled them back up causing a very uncomfortable self induced wedgie for the rest of the session!

Anyway, when I got back, Alex asked how it was.
"Fine, don't know what I was warned about. I wouldn't bother saying anything if I were you. Lot of fuss over nothing".

Can't wait to see his face if he has one later / tomorrow!

***

I couldn't post this as the internet went down. However, I didn't get to watch or hear the match. I was NOT impressed. It sounded like an amazing game.

I'm meeting Sue later and we're going back up there today so wil try to write more this evening.

End of an era (albeit a very short one)

Thanks for the concern (judging from the undertones of texts and messages, very little was genuine!), yes I'm still alive! I've just been too busy having shedloads of fun and drinking cold Clubs to write anything over the past few days!

As I mentioned in a recent blog, there's been a cohort of Welshies over here as part of the PONT education partnership (randomly, Ponty is twinned with Mbale!) and the stragglers, Matthew and Gerry, started their journey home this afternoon - possibly with the remnants of a Last Night in Town Nile Induced Hangover.

I don't know if this is just me, but, as parochial as it may seem, hearing a friendly, familiar accent really raised my spirits when I was feeling seriously down and daunted by the issues I was facing as part of every day life.

For example, a child of about 4 is walking down the street on her own playing with a razor blade in her mouth. Do you stop and take her 'toy' off her and risk being the big bad muzungo? Get her attention and hope she forgets about it? Ignore it? How about all the other unaccompanied small kids doing similar thing? Tough call.

Anyway, since I met them and the other PONTers, life been so much easier, just having someone to talk to that 'gets it'.
Not even I know what I mean by 'gets it', but I think I mean they understand and feel the range emotions I've been going through - from the shock, bewilderment and wonder of seeing all these new, strange, exciting unknowns, to the deep frustration of desperately wanting to improve things here but being unable to for a huge variety of reasons, none of which are within our power to change - something that no amount of fundraising or hours sitting in an office can change.

We were saying today how it's going to be so difficult explaining to people what it's like here - the smells, the hilariously appalling waitress service, the smiles, stares and laughter you see just because there's a new muzungo in town, the obvious poverty on every street, the constant burning plastics and sugar cane stalks, Africa time, dust, diesel, fumes ... all of it.
I don't think I'll ever be able to describe the vibe, colour or feel of life here and do it justice.

As I didn't have much on, I joined Gerry and Matthew for a day in their partner schools in Bududa (the district Alex works in) on Tuesday and it was brilliant! Gerry is the deputy headmaster of my old school (Cardinal Newman) and that day, he was officially opening Newman Hall, an extension paid for by Newman fundraising. So as a former Head Girl, I felt it my duty to represent pupils past and present and gate crash the gig!
(Well done Rachel Toms for knowing someone from Newman was here to do just that!)

So many brilliant things have happened here, I can't possibly write about them all, but some of my favourite memories* over the past few days have been:

* Where's Wally
* that banana leaf photo which makes me laugh out loud every time I look at it
* "It really is much funnier in 30 minute programmes"
* the boda boda race home from Wimpy
* curry induced hiccups
* sniggering at far too many phrases that wouldn't be out of place in Scott Mills' Innuendo Bingo
* "I think we just killed a chicken"
* "where's the little boy that pulled the funny face?" "Erm, SHE'S there!"
* kids and teachers falling on the floor and crying with laughter at Matthew's Moona Moona (sic!)
* "Hey lady, flash me"
* seeing the excitement on the faces of almost every kid in the school when they realise they were getting some new footballs
* "Sooo mae Cardinarl Noooman schooooool. Croeso I Ooooganda"
* Skeletor
* "You should name your blog Anal in Africa" ... Er, no, not even for 30,000 shillings - that suggests something quite different to my ten tab packing spreadsheet!

So Gerry and Matthew, I'm mostly sad but also kind of glad you've gone now ... Don't think my liver could take any more! See you in June - wonder if we'll be able to find any Niles in Cardiff!

Ps, Gerry, make sure my name gets on that Honours Board or there'll be no assembly visit from me!

I still can't figure out how to put photos up in order or with captions so :

Photo one : Mr Mc at the official opening
Photo two : boda boda race
Photo three : kids realising there were gifts in the back of the car
Photo four : one of my favourite pics so far!
Photo five : pied piper muzungos in Bukalasi!
Photo six : 'the gang' out for dinner.
Photo seven : Newman hall

(M&G, I'll send you the rest of the photos as soon as I can. Electricity / internet has been playing up)

X

* I know these will mean nothing to any of you at home, but I'm planning to put all these blogs into a blog book when I get home, but I don't want to forget any of them happening - so this is for my benefit, not yours sorry!

Guest blogger!

Evening blog fans! Thought I'd mix it up a bit tonight and let someone else take over your computer / mobile screens.
My guest blogger is off of Tr'erbut and goes by the name of Andrew Rogers by day. Andy definitely wins the most impressive summary of Welsh football. I can't wait to see Ken to demonstrate my new found wisdom.

Over to Andy ...

In terms of Welsh football, you probably heard the then manager Gary Speed (RIP) was found dead in November so that’s all very traumatic at the moment.

However, below are some facts you can use to hustle your way through a footy conversation.

Welsh football on field has been through lows recently but with the likes of Araan (sic) Ramsey, Gareth Bale, Craig Bellamy and others there is a quiet confidence brewing. Unlike the rest of the UK, Rugby is the dominant sport not football in Wales. This is actually very surprising given that Wales is the only other country (along with Brazil) to have won the world cup three times, in 1906, 1934 and of course the infamous final in 1954 when they came back from 3-0 down against Argentina to force a penalty shootout. Dai Jones (the goal keeper) became man of the match by saving two Argentinian penalties to see Wales win the shootout 5-3. His statue has recently been repaired and stands outside the Football association of Wales’ (FAW) new HQ down the bay.

Wales is among just two countries of the world (the other being Finland) who still play by the old tradition whereby for all home games, the team plays in “commando” – no underwear (well apart from socks of course). This tradition dates back to 1834 when France and England met in Brighton and the French team had not packed any underpants and so England agreed to also play with no undies not to have unfair advantage. This tradition lasted worldwide until the early 20th century.

The president of the FAW is currently Neil Kinnock. He is due to step down after the 2014 world cup. No successor has been named yet, but the firm favourite with the bookies is Charlotte Church. If she does get the appointment, then she will be only the second female to get the job. Though the first “female” to get the job was quite butch like and was in the role for three years before she was actually found out to be in fact female, following the well documented “shower-gate” incident in Swansea.


In case you wondered, Andy works from home and doesn't get out much.
Thanks And - you made my day!
X

Welsh people and foreskins

Being a billion miles away from home, and only having seen seven other white people since being here, it was surprising to bump into Julie and Nathan Atkins from Llwynapia or a deputy head teacher of my old secondary school (Julie made my sixth form ball dress and I've wiped Nathan's arse. The arse thing was about 18 years ago though).

That was very unexpected turn of events and has kept me both busy and entertained all weekend!

So to summarise, I've been to a lovely spa hotel, attended a Wales / Uganda school partnership presentation evening, been to (and clapped a lot during ) church, played a variety of new drinking games, watched a local rugby game, been taught how to eat sugar cane 'like one of the boys', been to the Wales Beauty and Health Hair Clinic, attended a graduation party, been roped into talking at a school assembly, gone for two curries and made some wonderful new friends as well as catching up with old ones.

It's been a brilliant weekend which I'll write about again, but in the meantime, I thought this little anecdote may amuse you...

Boys / men,

Even if you claim aren't the type to cry at the end of Marley and Me (Bet you all had a lump in your throat though, how could you not?), I bet this will make your eyes water.
If you look up Mbale in any travel book, you will, without a shadow of doubt, find about about the Bagisu ceremony that happens during every even year.
I was content with the knowledge I had gained from Bradt's Guide to Uganda on the subject. I certainly wasn't expecting to have a conversation about it over lunch.

It went like this.
(Polite chit chat whilst radio plays in background)

Him : do you like this music?
Me : um, I'm not sure I'd pay to download it from iTunes but yeah. It's alright I suppose.
Him : (looks confused) it's traditional local music from this area.
Me : yeah? Is it a famous local band?
Him : yes. It's from the traditional ceremony when boys become men in front of their friends and families by having their penis circumcised.
Me : (stops eating)
Him : it's a shame you aren't here in August. You could see then for yourself what happens. It's good fun. Anyone can turn up and watch. Anyone.
Me : (having regained composure, pushes lunch to side) Oh. Right. Um. That really still goes on then?
Him : (with enthusiasm) Oh yes! I had my ceremony when I was 18. It was a great privilege.
Me : (crossing my legs and wincing on behalf of all the men I know) But. Didn't it? You know? Hurt? Like, loads?
Him : oh no, it din't hurt. It made me very happy. I was a man then.

I need to tell you what the ceremony entails now.
* Boys march to circumcision ground with whistling and cheering crowd, wearing only ash on their face.
* Boys line up holding their arms rigid in front of them, clasping a stick.
* Boys MUST stand motionless and expressionless throughout.
* Circumsiser (now there's a job title you don't see very often), "makes three bold cuts around the foreskin to remove it from the penis.
* When the operation is complete, a whistle is blown and the initiate raises his hand triumphantly on the air, proudly displaying his bloodied member to an ululating crowd. Any initiate who cries out during the procedure is branded a coward".
(Explanation courtesy of Bradt)

So girls, next time any men in your life complain about man flu, tell them to man up.

It could be worse.

They could be Ugandan.

(Or English next Saturday)

X

Photos

Lesson on how to eat sugar cane
Mbale Elephants playing rugby. Have a look at the posts!
Sue, Alex and me at the rugby ( how brave am I - a photo of me with no make up on. Maybe I am turning into a hippy after all!)
The PONT Welshies leaving.

Amazing work at CURE

As most of you probably know by now, I'm staying in a guest house at a children's hospital. The hospital specialises in treating hydrocephalus which is basically water on the brain that causes the head to swell up massively, so much so that the babies and children can't hold their heads up.

From what I understand (which is very little by the way, don't take the following words as gospel, this is what I picked up at a time when I was trying not to start sobbing my eyes out), the hospital is one of the leading ones of its kind and is pioneering a new method of treating hydrocephalus.

It has a really high mortality rate here because there just aren't the facilities in Africa. There's somewhere in South Africa but that was pretty much it as far as I'm aware. If it isn't treated, it can lead to brain damage and eventually death in 50% of cases.

I was privileged to be shown around the hospital a few days ago so I could see for myself the work they did there. It was without a doubt the most heart breaking, inspiring and humbling experience of my life.

The first thing that struck me when I was how many mothers and babies were in the recovery room, but how little noise there was. Eerily so. I was in that ward for about 5 minutes talking to the nurses and very, very few of the babies cried the whole time. It was quite unnerving and uncomfortable in a way. I still can't figure out why the not crying thing bothered me so much, but it really did. I was fighting a lump in my throat the whole way round.

I reckon there were about 20 pairs of mother and child altogether, with each pair sharing a bed. Some babies were tiny and looked no more than a few weeks old whilst others looked around seven / eight-ish.
They had not long had surgery so still had their dressings on and their heads were still really swollen. Apparently, it can take a few days for the water to drain.

We then went into the ICU. And if I thought the recovery room was tough going, man this was something else. I can't even begin to find the right words to describe how heart wrenching it was to see these three tiny little babies who had just been operated on, bandaged up and hooked onto heart monitors.
One of them was absolutely tiny and had his mother there. I've been thinking a lot about her since seeing her as she looked no older than about 18. I just wanted to grab her and give her a massive cwtch.

Mothers (very few dads come apparently) travel with their babies from all over Africa to be treated here and the fantastic news is that success rate is really high.

The surgeons, nurses, director and staff there are all phenomenal. I have so much gratitude and respect for them. They amaze me with their skill and incredible ability to completely change the course someone's life.

My current housemates are both neuro surgeons and have come here to train in this new method - one from Malawi and one from Mali - so before long, there should be more places in Arica offering this treatment. Apparently there are some American surgeons coming over next month to stay here too.

Wonder if they're fit young men...?

Lots of love,
Xxx

http://cure.org/hospitals/uganda

Work

Work

Well, seeing as this is my one week anniversary of arriving at the TACC offices, I thought it was about time I wrote about work seeing as that’s the reason I’m here – well, until my mega trip starts in April.

I’m starting to find my feet a bit more now and have begun to work on a few documents for TACC. One of the main problems I’m finding is that all of their documents are very, very techy. Not necessarily technical about climate change, but they don’t seem to have any jargon free, public facing documents that explain in simple terms what the project is about, what they can offer and what they are hoping to achieve.

So, guess what my first job is!

I’m also going to be spending time trying to establish a website for the project.

It’ll be a tough job mind - I haven’t seen this many acronyms I don’t understand since my first day in the Agency.

Talking of which, I’ve been there for 10.5 years ago now. Can’t believe I’ve known my FRM Three that long! You’d better not have been to Starbucks without me.

And apart from Sarah C, I’m the longest serving member of the Comms team. How did that happen? Now that is scary. Although I have decades and decades to catch up on before I can compete with Sarah.

She’s gonna love me for that.

I was very glad to find one work tradition that transcends the world though.  Despite the roasting temperatures, elevenses here consists of coffee and a deep fried doughnut-but-not-a-doughnut that is making a very negative contribution to Operation B&S.

Other stuff about work

• I’m pretty sure people here don’t say hello or goodbye on the phone. I find that weird.
• I didn’t realise just how much I took simple resources such as paper and printing for granted. Reading 200 page documents on screen makes my eyes boggle and I didn’t realise how many notes and amends I make on print outs. 
• One of the most frustrating things about working is the EA laptop that I have brought with me. I haven’t been able to access work email or personal email properly from here despite being assured it would be fine. If it wasn’t for facebook and my iPad, I’d be scuppered.

Other stuff about life

• Now I know understand Anthony Worrell-Thompson etc al staged a coup when they wanted more sausages in the jungle. I don’t know what I wouldn’t do for an M&S tomato and spicy Italian sausage ready meal. (Still don’t get the stealing cheese thing though)

• I’ve been trying to learn Mali from one of my housemates. He’s exceedingly polite and encouraging when I try, but can see him holding back a smile at my attempts to sound West African. Actually, it’s pretty similar to the look of distain / pity I get from Deiniol and Curig when I do my best, “iawn sti? Champion!”

• I washed my clothes for the first time last night (only had one pair of pants left!), so Dan Lewis, you have some serious competition in the Who Knows How To Use The Washing Machine In The Guest House rankings.

                                                                                                 

• Any more news on becoming Dr UgandAnge, Ange?!

• Lovely, lovely, lovely Steve, next time we skype, you need to tell me how you managed to Dr Who style tardis-ise my rucksack – you truly are the Master of Packing! I’ve put everything I don’t need until my trip back into it and there’s barely room for anything else! Repacking may be challenging.

• Gill, even though I should have married Mark, not you (but not for *that*, eww. No offence Mark, but I’m pretty sure you feel the same way too!) I love ya to bits! Operation Thaw is on track thanks to you!

• For those that care, Operation B on track, Operation S not so much. #Notsoamazeballs.

• Apologies to all those who now have texts from me in txt spk. I know how much I rant about how it irritates me back home, but grammar costs – and it ain’t cheap from here! Lol.

Rugby and being passionate in my bedroom

Despite placing myself under house arrest on Sunday due to a severe dose of ChavvyBritAbroaditis, Quite a few amusing things have happened here, my favourite follows...

The electricity was off for most of Sunday so I spent a lot of it praying to the rugby Gods for it to come back on for the game against Scotland.
God was obviously listening and with His mighty power, flicked the switch back on about a minute into the game and made me very happy.
(If ever there was any unequivocal evidence that God is Welsh and chose Leigh Halfpenny to be his right hand man, surely this is it! )

Thanks to one of my lovely colleagues (take a bow Andrew Johnson) who installed some sort of app on my iPad, I could listen to it quietly in my own room and not disturbing my housemates.
So imagine my surprise, if you will, when I walked out and had the following conversation with one of them.

Me : I'm very happy because Wales just won the rugby.
Him : Oh good, I am happy for you. How do you know?
Me : I listened to it on the internet in my room.
Him : Ahh, I see. I wondered why you were being passionate in your room.

Ooo er!

In other news :

* I bloody hate these giant cheeping, chirping, sodding, bloody crickets. What have they got to be so happy about at 5.30am? Shurrup mun!
And you, whatever animal that thinks its clever to go woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo (always seven) right outside my window, you can shurrup an' all!

* Actually, it can be very difficult to tell avocados from mangos in this place, ok Facebook 'friends'?!
I'll do an online Name That Fruit photo competition soon, then you'll realise how easy a mistake it was to make!

* Looks like my prickly heat is about to kick off. Great. Now I can add red, spotty and blotchy to my increasing list of attractive qualities.
(Other recent additions include sweaty, sticky, shiny and covered with a light but constant sprinkling of orange sub Saharan dust) . Niiice.

* One of my housemates has bought some of that minging fruit and put it in the fridge. Result - buzzing fridge that honks of feet. ***Dani makes vom noise***

High light of the day : Rebecca trying to sort my Connect 2 issues out on my behalf

Low light of the day : waiting in after work for a call about my Connect 2 issues. Still waiting. Thanks for trying Bec!

Nos da ffrindiau.

Oh, and Mam - stop Skype and face timing me! I told you it didn't work in Africa! X

Update for Christian* as requested ...

* Little baby brother

1. Very uneventful day. Electricity off so mostly read book (usually around A5 size, have pages in with words printed on them) and listened to music.

2. Prayed electricity comes back before kick off - c'mon Cymru. (It did)

3. Had salad for lunch ; red onions, green olives, avocado, tomatoes, mozzarella and salad dressing

4. Toilet paper in the guest house is stretchy, like it's got elastic in it

5. Comedy tan (burn) lines still prominent.

That better baby cakes?!

X

Ps, next time we FaceTime, put a top on! I don't need to see your nips!

Sunburn, Aaron Ramsey and boda bodas

Well, I've had a really lovely and relaxing day today.
Mostly.
I was really, really looking forward to a nice long lie in, but the cheeping crickets, loud builders, trucks delivering what sounds like boulders to the side of my room and dawn morning prayer that begins at 5.30am at the mosque behind the guest house saw to it that that didn't happen. I'm wearing ear plugs tonight.

So after my plans of a lie in were thwarted, I made my way to Mount Elgon Hotel, one of the local hotels with a pool. So I diligently applied my factor 30 'Once' sun tan lotion before leaving the hospital.

Once, ONCE my arse! I put it on about four times during the day and still burned to a crisp. Apparently, these malaria tablets I'm taking can increase your skin's sensitivity to sunlight - and boy have I found that out the hard way today!

On the way there, I stopped off at the sports fields at the top of town to watch a game of football. When I say I stopped to watch, what I mean is I was hot, knackered, my shoes hurt and I wanted to stop walking so used the game as a valid excuse to stop.

A bloke with perfect English came up to me and started talking to me asking me if I was ok, if I was lost, did I need help? Despite not actually saying it, I assume what he actually meant was it's really weird to see a white person here, let alone a white woman watching a local football game alone and taking photos.

So Ken and I started talking and he asked me which football team I support (that's a question a lot of people ask. I think I should start to make something up soon as the incredulous look on their face suggests not liking football isn't the done thing here!).
When I told him I didn't like football because I am from Wales and a lot of Welsh people prefer rugby, he responded, "but isn't your team good? With Aaron Ramsay as your captain, and so young." The best and most informed response I could give him was to shrug my shoulders and say "Meh. But my friend taught him French."

Think that confused him more.

Did you teach him Rach? That'll be another way out of future awkward football-related questions.

Alternatively, if anyone would like to provide me with a brief summary (no more than 250 words) of the current state of Welsh football, that would be very much appreciated.

Anyway, by the time I arrived at the hotel, I was knackered as it was SERIOUSLY hot today, even the locals were saying so, including Ken.

It was so weird being in there as it was like a tiny little ex pat community, full of white people. After only seeing five other white people since being here (and two of those were Sue and Alex!), it was just really, really odd to be in the majority again.
I did meet some lovely girls though who I swapped numbers with. I think a few of them are working in local schools here, and one works for an NGO who has been in Mbale for three years now. It would be nice to make friends here.

I had planned on being there pretty much all day but had to come back as there weren't any loungers in the shade and my skin was on fire.
'Once' suntan lotion indeed!
Should be called Three Full Applications Plus Top Ups To Face, Feet, Ears And Shoulders And You'll Still Bloody Burn.
(I look like "hey, you - red lobster" night in Hawaii Hels!)

I face timed my friend Cath earlier, who didn't deny my new temporary body art looked utterly ridiculous. That's the thing about friends, eh? Their brutal honesty and willingness to laugh at your misfortune!

And then on the way back, I went on my first ever boda boda!

Ugandan women ride side saddle style but my instinct was to full on straddle and grab onto the bloke. However, but after some advice from one of the girls I'd met earlier, I decided to go down the side saddle route as she wisely advised me, "it's easier to jump of if you sense something's going wrong". Eek!
She also advised me to tell him very clearly to go slow. The roads in Mbale are not great by any means. Even the tarmac roads having huge gaping potholes that sometimes take up half of the road. The dust track roads are even worse.

However, my driver seemed quite adept at avoiding death by taxi-bike. I'd have preferred it if he'd have avoided them a bit wider, but I'm here to tell (you) the tale so can't complain suppose.

Enjoy the frost people!

Cam bisni
(That's good night in a local Mali language.
You know the saying, when in Uganda, learn Mali!)

Photos :
The view from the Mount Elgon hotel
Local football teams playing the Ugandan Coca Cola league (so says Ken)
My bedroom and tasteful fleece blanket I've never use.

Work, home and life so far ...

Written on Thursday, posted on Friday, although parts were rewritten in haste as the electricity went off and I lost a lot of stuff I’d written.

I’ll try to upload the photos I refer to later.

Thank you / Diolch!

Just wanted to say thank you very much for all your lovely messages and texts. As the internet here tends to be quite sketchy, I’m not very good with coming back with individual responses, so I’ll try to cover everything on facebook / here.

Please don’t think that means I don’t want you to send any though, they’re lovely and make me smiley. (Or should that be smily Ann?!)

The Office

I met with Rebecca, the TACC Project Manager, this morning who gave me a quick overview of the project, how it is structured and the linkages between TACC and the three local districts (Mbale, Bududa and Manafwa).

But despite this explanation, I still don’t completely get it. It seems very, very complicated with so many local, national and international stakeholders involved.

We’ll be going over my Terms of Reference (ToR) tomorrow so by then, I’ll hopefully have a clearer idea what I can realistically deliver in the months I’m here. Up until now, I’ve been doing desk research and trying to get to grips what and how TACC will deliver.

The electricity in the office (pic of office below) beeps and flicks on and off without warning which can be frustrating. I certainly have it a lot better here than Sue and Alex do though as I don’t think either of them have electricity. In fact, they don’t even have offices! As a result, I worked from the hospital for a few hours this afternoon because we have an electricity back up generator which means I can read the millions of pages worth of documentation I need to do.

The office is about a 15 minute walk away from the hospital down a very dusty orange ‘road’ – see below. I leave the hospital looking half decent and am pretty sure I get to the office covered in bright orange dust looking like a tramp / something out of TOWIE. I’ve certainly learned the hard way that even though white and cream clothes are good for keeping cool, they certainly don’t look good for long!

Home!

So as I’ve said, I’m living in a guest house on the grounds of the CURE hospital in Mbale. Until today, there was an Irish medicine student who is doing her main placement in Kampala staying here who was an angel sent from heaven to help me get to grips with this place!  

Becky taught me how to get places, what things cost, gave me advice on places to stay, where and how to catch boda bodas and how NOT to mount a boda boda!

Sorry Bec, but you just looked hilarious and your departing squeal was the icing on the cake! It may only have been a very short time, but it was really lovely living with you – I hope the next housemate is as fab and knowledgeable as you are!

I had a tour of the hospital today too but I’ll write another blog about that as it deserves so much more than a passing mention, but I can honestly say it was one of the most heart breaking, inspiring and generally awesome (not in the cheesey American ‘that’s cool’ way but as in I am totally and utterly in awe of the work they do there) things I have ever done / seen and definitely the most humbling.

Venturing further into town

As my confidence here is growing, I ventured further into town tonight and did a bit of shopping. I didn’t find many of the places I was looking for, but to be fair, I didn’t have a map!

I did, however, stumble across the Mbale rugby club in the middle of a training session! They looked most amused when I sat down and watched them for a while.

So now I know when the Mbale Elephants are next playing – who needs the Six Nations?! Wonder where I can get one of those giant foam hands and learn a Go Elephants routine?! I’m sure I’ll blend in with the locals…

See photo below.

I also bought some of the massive ugly fruit that is sold in the market. I can honestly say it was disgusting and smelt of feet (I’m not saying whose but Cath, Ffion, Gwion, you’ll know) and tasted rank. I still have no idea what it was – something like jaka, yaka or haka?? Am I the only one who thinks it’s rude to say ‘pardon’ more than three times before faking a knowing nod and saying, “Ahh, I see”?

Photo below.

I’m still not very good at the haggling thing though. Having briefly seen the conditions some of these farmers work in, I don’t mind getting charged extra for goods we’d pay up to ten times the price of back home. I bought a huge mango yesterday for about 15 pence and who knows if that was what they call an inflated ‘muzungo’ price? I honestly don’t care.

I still need to explain a bit more about the markets, I know, but I’ll do that some other time. But yes, they really do have the fish and meat laid out on tables in the heat! And no, I have no intention of buying any.

However, I still haven’t found the Mount Elgon Tourist Office or the bus station so it looks like I’m staying in Mbale for the weekend! But maybe that’ll be quite nice actually as I could go and chill out at the Mount Elgon hotel which apparently has a nice pool.

***Update – having consulted a map, it turns out I did see the bus station after all, I just didn’t realised that’s what it was. It’s very different to Cardiff Central you now!***

Stuff I have learned today

• I need to switch the hot water switch on unless I want a freezing cold shower - despite the fact that it is a zillion degrees heat outside and that water from the kitchen hot and cold taps are scalding and boiling respectively.

• People don’t take milk with their coffee. And they thought I was weird for not having sugar or ginger (yup, ground ginger!) in mine!

• People in the market buy live chickens and carry them home in black plastic bags.

Current location from swanky GPS thing :

No idea. Need to reread the instructions on how to use it. Sorry Stevie! I’ll learn to use it by the time I’m on the road, promise!

Last text I had, who was it from and what did it say :

From Alex saying, Been trekking in the National Park. A hard, long trek but now reached the other side of the mountain. Just arrived at a school in middle of nowhere, don’t think they know what to make of me!

I can imagine – I can’t go anywhere without kids laughing, pointing, waving at me, wanting to talk to me, touch me, hold my hand and I’m in the town where I’ve seen a grand total of 4 other muzungos by now - I bet he’s the first white person they’ve ever seen!

Hope I get to trek up mountains at some point.

Last thing I ate :

The leftovers of the really minging pesto / pasta / tomato / onion concoction I made last night followed by a Marie biscuit bequeathed to me by Becky!

Stuff I wish I’d brought with me

• My denim shorts that Manda and Ffion banned me from bringing because they were too heavy
• Another skirt – good job I didn’t listen to you and leave it at home Ffi!

Love to you all back home, especially the ones that need it most. I miss and love you and am sending virtual cwtches your way.

XXX

First full day in Mbale

After staying the night in Kampala, Edward, our Country Manager, picked us up from the hotel yesterday to take us to our assignment locations.

Before we left, we had a briefing from him which went through the history of Uganda, the dos and don'ts of being here as well as some more info about where Alex and Sue will be staying. We also got ourselves Ugandan mobiles and sim cards so it's cheaper for us to call home.

Luckily for me, the EA assignees from last year stayed in the same place as I'm staying so I felt like I knew what to expect. I'm staying in a guest house in the CURE children's hospital in Mbale. There was a programme made that's still available on Channel 4 OD about the work they do there. It's amazing and really humbling. It's called unreported world if you are interested.

The journey here was quite interesting and we saw loads of stuff that just blew my mind! And the roads are something else ... I now understand why I was recommended to bring a sports bra by every woman I spoke to who has been here!

I was dropped off at my accommodation first and was pleased as punch to see there was wifi! (but more on where I'm staying later but I'll try to post some photos below) then dropped Sue and Alex off at their hotel (As they have further to travel, they stayed in Mbale for a night).

We went out for food in the night and I had fish and rice ... and it was food with a face fish! I felt really pleased with myself for managing (I think) to hide the alarm on my face with I saw this fish staring up at me with its beady little eyes following me wherever I went.

Anyway, it didn't take long for me to get to sleep when we got in. Sitting around on planes and in cars is tiring work.

Work. That reminds me...

I turned up for my first day at work today but they weren't expecting me! They knew I was coming, but didn't know when.
So as the project manager wasn't in, I had the day off to explore.
Although to be honest, I didn't venture very far as I'm pretty (very) geographically challenged. I managed to get myself to town and back via a local market which I thought was quite an achievement though.
The market experience is a whole other story though...

Current location
Mbale CURE children's hospital guest house. My 'flatmates' are an Irish medicine student and two neurosurgeons - a significant step up from the housemates I had in Swansea and Cardiff...! ;-)

What was the last thing you ate?
Pineapple from the market which was cut up in front of me - it was gorgeous!

What do you wish you knew yesterday?
That I would have the day off so I could have had a lie in!
Fish here doesn't come filleted. Although I suppose I knew that, I was just being optimistic!

High point
Not being totally ripped off in the market for my veg. Two thousand shillings for an avocado, five tomatoes and some onions. I have no idea how much that is, but I've been told that's about right!

Low point
Almost getting covered in flying fish scales in the market. Ych a fi!
Wanting to buy some local veg but realising I had no idea what it was or to how to cook it. I think I need lessons in African cooking. Or cooking in general. I ended up having pasta and pesto, just because I knew I could do that!!

Trying to be match made with what looked like a 16 year old boy by his 13 year old sister!
Actually, that was very funny so it could also be a high point - Hey muzungo (name for a white person), you like my brother? You want to marry him and be my sister, yes?

The photos below are of the guest house. My room is a mess so you can wait to see that... Although I have a very fetching fleece tiger blanket in my bed... Lovely!

We've arrived!

(I wrote this after being promised there was wifi in our hotel – there wasn’t!)

Sue, Alex and I have just got to out hotel in Kampala after a fairly uneventful journey. Luckily, we were one of the flights that managed to leave Heathrow today with only a short delay … but I almost wasn’t on it…

As I went to drop my luggage off (which, incidentally, was .9kg below the limit – get in!), the lady at the desk looked a little puzzled at the slip of paper the check in machine had given me. Turns out that I was somehow on a reserve list rather than having an actual seat booked! But after a heart stopping few minutes, she confirmed I did have a seat and that I was able to fly. Phew!

Everything worked pout for the best though as I had a lovely double seat all to myself.

Well, I DID have a lovely double seat all to myself until the air stewardess apologised profusely for not seating me next to my husband – and beckoned Alex over.

“Eh? My what? Husband? I’m not married. And I’m certainly not married to him. I mean, he’s lovely and all, but we’re not married. I’m not married to him. We just work together.”

At which point, Alex looked a little put out and said, “Ok, you didn’t have to put her right so quickly and with such enthusiasm.” Sorry Al.

Sue didn’t fare so well with her seat though and ended up being stuck in the middle of a row of three randoms. Lucky for her she’s so teeny tiny!

So after 10.5 hours of sitting on the plane, we finally arrived at Entebbe airport and were met by Alex and Ali who took us to the hotel we’re in now.

Aa it was dark when we arrived, we didn’t really get much of a chance to get any first impressions.

We’re being picked up by Edward, Emerging World’s Country Manager tomorrow who’ll be taking us to Mbale.

Quote of the day :

Alex : You know people who have toes?

Um, yeah. Why? Do you know people that don’t then?!

Current location :

Fairway Hotel, Kampala, Uganda

Last text I had and what did it say

From Kira saying Wow, glad you made it. The score was 23 21 to Wales!

Last thing I ate

A British airways sandwich masquerading as something to do with chicken

What do you wish you knew yesterday?

That I had .9kg left on my luggage allowance

That I would see two blokes on a motorbike carrying another motorbike – that would have made a great photo!

Best thing to happen today?

We won the rugby! Wish I’d have seen it.

Kwaheri salama.

Hwyl Fawr Cymru, Hello Heathrow!

I thought it was about time to start this blog of mine that I’ve been alluding to for months so here it is – I hope you don’t have high hopes. It’ll probably end up being an incoherent rambling of stuff that runs through my mind. Which can be an illogical and confusing place to be at times, even for me.

So I’m writing my very first blog from a hotel room near Heathrow and I’m totally stuffed. I’m too tight to pay the extortionate amount of money they charge for food here so in a ridiculous attempt to keep warm, I put on almost  all the spare clothes I have in my hand luggage, scrunched my shoulders up to my ears and shuffled across to Marks n Sparks to get tea (that’s dinner to people who live further down the valley and posh people).

After getting back, I sat cross legged on my HUGE bed (I can lie across it, arms and legs stretched out and there’s about an inch spare), stuffed my face with a duck wrap, salt and vinegar crisps and a heaven sent lemon cheesecake. Then I felt guilty about eating all that junk whilst watching that dating show with the skinny one from Max and Paddy so decided to write my first blog in an attempt to redeem myself and hope that made the calories I've just consumed vanish.

So, this is what I’m doing and why …

I’m off to Mbale in Eastern Uganda to work for two months for a UN Development Programme called TACC which stands for Territorial Approach to Climate Change. After this, I’m taking time off from work to travel from Uganda to Cape Town so I’m not back in Welsh work until July which is fantastic – as someone said to me, “It’s like mat leave without the inconvenience of having a baby to look after!).

I’ll write more about the assignment and the work I’m doing once I’ve arrived and settled in but in the meantime, for those of you who are interested in doing something similar in the future, have a look at this – http://wales.gov.uk/psmwsubsite/psmw/personaldev/international/?lang=en

But the assignment and additional travel time this means I’m going to be out of the Land of my Fathers for 5 months. I’ve been saying my goodbyes for about two weeks now to a variety of people, places and animals. It’s been quite emotional at times, with a fair few tears shed (none mine though, I can’t wait to be rid of you all) across South Wales.

I’m missing out on loads of good stuff that’s happening at home whilst I’m away though – new babies (singles and doublers), hens, stens, weddings, significant birthday parties, insignificant birthday parties – and that’s not even to mention the Six Nations. Although to be honest, it’s probably for the best that I’m not there for the rugby this year. I need a year off from the Six Nations Morning After Guilts. You know that horrid panicky feeling when you wake up with NO recollection of what you did the previous night?

I always seem to get led into all sorts of trouble on international days, but they are stories that will hopefully never see the light of a computer screen. After all, Auntie Bet or Nanny June may end up seeing this…

(See, I warned you this would ramble!)

Anyway, even though I know this is going to be an amazing experience followed by the trip of a lifetime, it’s been really hard saying goodbye to people and places I love. I’ve had so many lovely, thoughtful and generous messages, meals out, meals in, cards, texts, emails and pressies, so thank you all so very much.
They (and you) all mean the world to me and I’m going to miss (most of you) loads.

I’m just about cream crackered now so I’m not going to write any more and I’m signing off from my first blog. I’d like to say all future blogs will be fun, witty and entertaining, but in all honesty, the chances are slim. They’ll probably be mediocre at best.

Here are the answers to some of the questions I’d agreed with some of you before leaving :

Current location from swanky GPS thing :

No idea. It’s packed in my rucksack but I’m in room 3217 of a hotel near Heathrow!

Last text I had, who was it from and what did it say :

It was a photo message from my friend Helen who has just brought twin number two home. Good luck tonight Hels!

Last thing I ate :

A lemon cheesecake from MnS. About 500 calories but bloody lovely!

What did you wish you knew yesterday?

1. It was going to snow. Heavily!
2. Shiny (as is something that shines) is spelt shiny, not shiney
3. How lush MnS lemon cheesecake is.

Nos da.

XXX