Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Feb 24th
Went home teaching today. It took 4 hours and we only taught 2 people. People are so spread out and hard to contact.
So I've been thinking about AIDS a lot lately. I have decided that one reason AIDS is running rampant in Uganda is the lack of healthy child-parent relationships. Having solid relationships with your kids helps you steer them in the right direction and is specifically vital in sex education. Too many Ugandan parents send their children to boarding school from an early age (six or seven), adhering to the common misconception that children learn better in a family-deprived environment. When I asked one father about his soon-to-be engaged daughter, he said he didn't know that she had a boyfriend. I have had many other experiences akin to this one.
So besides bringing down the deeply ingrained boarding school culture, how do we stop AIDS? Although other African nations strive to emulate Uganda's highly successful anti-AIDS's campaign in the nineties, HIV in Uganda is currently on the rise. Why? Some think it's because kids are seeing people with HIV live long, symptom-free lives on the expensive Anti-retroviral medication (ARV). They say that the widespread use of this drug is changing HIV from an instant death sentence to a "curable" disease. One nurse said she heard kids say, "if I test HIV positive it's not a big deal; I'll just use the medication." Problem: in order to prevent drug-resistant strains, it's vital that you take the drugs for the rest of your life. Oh ya, don't forget that funding for this drug in Uganda is 90% external. So what do you think? Pulling financial support of ARV's forces people, too many times chaste, to suffer a prolonged death, while sustaining it's funding perpetuates complacency. Unfortunately there's no way to differentiate between someone who has, in fear of contracting HIV, been completely chaste (only to become HIV+ via blood) and someone who has lived immorally for years. Right now the use of ARV's is eliminating a consequence that seems necessary for the eradication of AIDS.
I have also wondered about the ABC program used in Uganda's successful campaign 18 years ago. Teaching (in order of importance) "Abstain, Be faithful, Condoms" the country dropped it's HIV+ rate by more than 10 percent. Since then, American NGO's started teaching an A only curriculum and now HIV is on the rise. Cause and effect? The government thinks so. I will be handing out thousands of government funded condoms on my upcoming tour of the islands. Now the question is if I agree with such an approach. It seems to me like supplying condoms is begging people to be immoral, no matter how strong your emphasis on A or B. I would love to hear some comments on this dilemma.
You can add to that question that of how one would elevate Uganda to self-sufficiency. Recently I have had some insight on the matter. I think Uganda has been fed, via media, the western hierarchy of education and needs to accept that vocational training is the key to economic stability here. Holistic economic development starts at the micro level: the employed. People may boast about being accepted into the finest Ugandan university only to watch their vocationally-trained peers exceed them in income and economic security. I am not saying that an Ugandan studying philosophy is sinning, I'm just saying that as a whole this country needs to change it's mindset.
Then again would that really change anything? A diploma guarantees literally nothing, while having the right friends ensures financial stability. On the job training can usually take the place of even the best vocational school. As I expounded on in August, jobs are rewarded to family members and close friends rather than the most qualified. This form of corruption hurts Uganda in two ways: it hinders motivation towards education and fills jobs with the incapable.
So many questions, so few answers.
I thought up the most interesting connection. The incumbent for last weeks elections, beefed up the military presence at the polls in unprecedented fashion. Undoubtedly, Libya and Egypt played a role in this decision, but I have thought of another motivating factor. All of Uganda is crying for jobs. Building up the military does just that. So as people headed to the heavily guarded polls last week, the army served as a subtle reminder to vote for the man in power. Tricky.
By the way, I visited the most destitute school this week. The place had classrooms 11 ft. square teaching 15-20 kids in a room. There were gaping wholes in the walls of the building. The boarding section had 2 kids per mattress at 8 beds per small room. I could tell from the surroundings that the malaria rates were through the roof. So sad! Especially when you realize that these kids could be sponsored to go to a better school for something like $20 a month. I videoed one boy saying he wanted to be a lawyer someday and attend Makerere (the best university in Uganda). No offense to that kid, but he needs a miracle.
On a more joyful note, I am loving teaching piano to the boys in our ward. They are gobbling up my teaching and now want me to teach twice a week. We also found out that the on campus cathedral is left open all day so our family will have lots of opportunities to practice the piano.
I am also reading The Social Contract, by Rousseau and loving it to pieces. Although the effects of the SC (the French Revolution) are less than honorable, I have no doubt the Rousseau was inspired. He has one chapter in which he proves that a government with out God is doomed to failure. The charged emotional aspect of the book (found in it's subtitle, "Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains.") is intertwined with deep philosophy. It's also interesting finding ways Robespierre deviated from Rousseau. Recommend this to anyone who likes philosophy.
So I've been thinking about AIDS a lot lately. I have decided that one reason AIDS is running rampant in Uganda is the lack of healthy child-parent relationships. Having solid relationships with your kids helps you steer them in the right direction and is specifically vital in sex education. Too many Ugandan parents send their children to boarding school from an early age (six or seven), adhering to the common misconception that children learn better in a family-deprived environment. When I asked one father about his soon-to-be engaged daughter, he said he didn't know that she had a boyfriend. I have had many other experiences akin to this one.
So besides bringing down the deeply ingrained boarding school culture, how do we stop AIDS? Although other African nations strive to emulate Uganda's highly successful anti-AIDS's campaign in the nineties, HIV in Uganda is currently on the rise. Why? Some think it's because kids are seeing people with HIV live long, symptom-free lives on the expensive Anti-retroviral medication (ARV). They say that the widespread use of this drug is changing HIV from an instant death sentence to a "curable" disease. One nurse said she heard kids say, "if I test HIV positive it's not a big deal; I'll just use the medication." Problem: in order to prevent drug-resistant strains, it's vital that you take the drugs for the rest of your life. Oh ya, don't forget that funding for this drug in Uganda is 90% external. So what do you think? Pulling financial support of ARV's forces people, too many times chaste, to suffer a prolonged death, while sustaining it's funding perpetuates complacency. Unfortunately there's no way to differentiate between someone who has, in fear of contracting HIV, been completely chaste (only to become HIV+ via blood) and someone who has lived immorally for years. Right now the use of ARV's is eliminating a consequence that seems necessary for the eradication of AIDS.
I have also wondered about the ABC program used in Uganda's successful campaign 18 years ago. Teaching (in order of importance) "Abstain, Be faithful, Condoms" the country dropped it's HIV+ rate by more than 10 percent. Since then, American NGO's started teaching an A only curriculum and now HIV is on the rise. Cause and effect? The government thinks so. I will be handing out thousands of government funded condoms on my upcoming tour of the islands. Now the question is if I agree with such an approach. It seems to me like supplying condoms is begging people to be immoral, no matter how strong your emphasis on A or B. I would love to hear some comments on this dilemma.
You can add to that question that of how one would elevate Uganda to self-sufficiency. Recently I have had some insight on the matter. I think Uganda has been fed, via media, the western hierarchy of education and needs to accept that vocational training is the key to economic stability here. Holistic economic development starts at the micro level: the employed. People may boast about being accepted into the finest Ugandan university only to watch their vocationally-trained peers exceed them in income and economic security. I am not saying that an Ugandan studying philosophy is sinning, I'm just saying that as a whole this country needs to change it's mindset.
Then again would that really change anything? A diploma guarantees literally nothing, while having the right friends ensures financial stability. On the job training can usually take the place of even the best vocational school. As I expounded on in August, jobs are rewarded to family members and close friends rather than the most qualified. This form of corruption hurts Uganda in two ways: it hinders motivation towards education and fills jobs with the incapable.
So many questions, so few answers.
I thought up the most interesting connection. The incumbent for last weeks elections, beefed up the military presence at the polls in unprecedented fashion. Undoubtedly, Libya and Egypt played a role in this decision, but I have thought of another motivating factor. All of Uganda is crying for jobs. Building up the military does just that. So as people headed to the heavily guarded polls last week, the army served as a subtle reminder to vote for the man in power. Tricky.
By the way, I visited the most destitute school this week. The place had classrooms 11 ft. square teaching 15-20 kids in a room. There were gaping wholes in the walls of the building. The boarding section had 2 kids per mattress at 8 beds per small room. I could tell from the surroundings that the malaria rates were through the roof. So sad! Especially when you realize that these kids could be sponsored to go to a better school for something like $20 a month. I videoed one boy saying he wanted to be a lawyer someday and attend Makerere (the best university in Uganda). No offense to that kid, but he needs a miracle.
On a more joyful note, I am loving teaching piano to the boys in our ward. They are gobbling up my teaching and now want me to teach twice a week. We also found out that the on campus cathedral is left open all day so our family will have lots of opportunities to practice the piano.
I am also reading The Social Contract, by Rousseau and loving it to pieces. Although the effects of the SC (the French Revolution) are less than honorable, I have no doubt the Rousseau was inspired. He has one chapter in which he proves that a government with out God is doomed to failure. The charged emotional aspect of the book (found in it's subtitle, "Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains.") is intertwined with deep philosophy. It's also interesting finding ways Robespierre deviated from Rousseau. Recommend this to anyone who likes philosophy.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Feb 21st
"I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives."
That quote is so true! I have spent the last three days doing loads of humanitarian/church service and it's amazing how much fulfillment I have felt. Yesterday was one of the happiest days in my life! I taught a ward piano lesson, lined up 7 schools to teach at starting wednesday, planned a trip to visit some impoverished islands in Lake Victoria, talked with a prosthetist, and worked with the elders.
Another reason I had such a great day was the fact that I held a conversation strictly in Luganda for ten minutes. Usually people break into English but this guy's couldn't afford school so he was forced to speak Luganda. I understood just enough words to get what he was saying. That was exhilarating to say in the least!
For a while I was sure that I could bring my family to live or even spend summers here, but now I'm having second thoughts. Without staying on a secure university campus, it would be tricky finding safe accommodation. International schools are expensive and few. "Why not just send your kids to a local school?" I asked one lady. She responded, "I'm not too excited for my kids to know all of the Ugandan species of goat and which breed the best." Apparently these schools emphasize applicable farming skills, as many of the kids won't make it to secondary institutions.
Uganda's education situation is weird. A college degree guarantees nothing. Families mortgage their lives to send their children to the best schools, only to have them graduate jobless. I just met a security guard who is probably making $70 a month with a masters (the PhD of Uganda). It feels like in America if you do a masters in mostly everything, you will find a job, with the PhD being the automatic. There are few large corporations, as nearly all businesses end up being street side shops and vendors. Their supermarkets are a little bigger than the floor plan of our old house. I guess you can relate this to congested one lane roads and the fact that no one owns a car.
So I've been thinking a lot about the whole "humanitarian aid promotes laziness" argument that some of my friends back home held. It's true, Africa needs to become more independent (more than half of Uganda's infrastructure is funded externally), but with high rates of Malaria/TB/AIDS/Schisto I feel this dependence is a little more understandable. All of those diseases attack people when they are in the prime of their lives, hindering their ability to give back to their society. With poor transportation/health it would be nigh unto impossible to kick start a successful economy. Of course culture proves a stumbling block to development, but that should be used as a reason to cut off aid. What about Brazil's rise to economic power? I've hear Salvador's laziness is unmatched worldwide.
I love the wardies! I tried to teach one dude how to talk in a Southern accent. I'm going to have to get him on video because his efforts are HILARIOUS! I want to get a video tour of Mukono/our house on this blog this week.
That quote is so true! I have spent the last three days doing loads of humanitarian/church service and it's amazing how much fulfillment I have felt. Yesterday was one of the happiest days in my life! I taught a ward piano lesson, lined up 7 schools to teach at starting wednesday, planned a trip to visit some impoverished islands in Lake Victoria, talked with a prosthetist, and worked with the elders.
Another reason I had such a great day was the fact that I held a conversation strictly in Luganda for ten minutes. Usually people break into English but this guy's couldn't afford school so he was forced to speak Luganda. I understood just enough words to get what he was saying. That was exhilarating to say in the least!
For a while I was sure that I could bring my family to live or even spend summers here, but now I'm having second thoughts. Without staying on a secure university campus, it would be tricky finding safe accommodation. International schools are expensive and few. "Why not just send your kids to a local school?" I asked one lady. She responded, "I'm not too excited for my kids to know all of the Ugandan species of goat and which breed the best." Apparently these schools emphasize applicable farming skills, as many of the kids won't make it to secondary institutions.
Uganda's education situation is weird. A college degree guarantees nothing. Families mortgage their lives to send their children to the best schools, only to have them graduate jobless. I just met a security guard who is probably making $70 a month with a masters (the PhD of Uganda). It feels like in America if you do a masters in mostly everything, you will find a job, with the PhD being the automatic. There are few large corporations, as nearly all businesses end up being street side shops and vendors. Their supermarkets are a little bigger than the floor plan of our old house. I guess you can relate this to congested one lane roads and the fact that no one owns a car.
So I've been thinking a lot about the whole "humanitarian aid promotes laziness" argument that some of my friends back home held. It's true, Africa needs to become more independent (more than half of Uganda's infrastructure is funded externally), but with high rates of Malaria/TB/AIDS/Schisto I feel this dependence is a little more understandable. All of those diseases attack people when they are in the prime of their lives, hindering their ability to give back to their society. With poor transportation/health it would be nigh unto impossible to kick start a successful economy. Of course culture proves a stumbling block to development, but that should be used as a reason to cut off aid. What about Brazil's rise to economic power? I've hear Salvador's laziness is unmatched worldwide.
I love the wardies! I tried to teach one dude how to talk in a Southern accent. I'm going to have to get him on video because his efforts are HILARIOUS! I want to get a video tour of Mukono/our house on this blog this week.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Feb 10th
So I've had some more sketchy internet problems and am now a whole week behind. This will be my third time writing this entry.
I've gone out with the missionaries three days in the last week, working hard. One day Elder Pukati and I taught 22 lessons and probably invited upwards of 50 to church. Twice we've visited Lugazi, a town more than an hour taxi drive away. Lugazi is home to some people who are active in the church, making the sacrifice to come each week by taxi. I figured out that one would spend 6 dollars a month to do the commute. No biggey right? Wrong. Police officers here start making around $50 a month, elementary/secondary teachers (with 3 years of university) at $80, and doctors (with 7-12 years of post-secondary) at a whopping $160. In other words if you were a police officer with three kids, it would take 70% of your income to join the LDS church. In order to reduce this financial strain, the elders are aiming to get a Lugazi branch up on its feet.
The area is hard! Lugazi is predominantly Muslim, which makes missionary work extremely hard. After reading some of the Koran myself, I can see this is rooted in their scripture. Frequently the book counsels against the dangers of listening to the doctrine of other faiths. The investigators we taught there attacked us with questions which seemed impossible to answer without sharing your testimony. Through it all my companion kept his cool finding scriptures to back up his faith. As it was clear these guys weren't really progressing, we've had to amp up our contacting effort. The new people we will start teaching next week look promising, something I'm more than excited about.
It's interesting how sharing a common belief in Christ can serve as a foundation for a testimony in the church. The elders always start lessons in Christian homes by emphasizing their love for the Savior and their gratitude for the Atonement. This seems to invite the spirit in a magnificent fashion.
I've had the opportunity to sit in on some amazing lessons with the elders (although I can't say I've participated much). One of my favorite was a lesson with Dennis, a guy born into a wealth household with lots of opportunities in academia. Unfortunately his biology courses had convinced him that God couldn't exist. He told us that his concerns had been fed through experiencing financial corruption in his church. Our lesson was probably 40% testimony with some truly profound moments. We closed with James 1:5, telling him that if he prayed, he would feel the comfort only found through the power of the Holy Ghost. He's doing great! We even saw him at church.
One evening I was walking back to the elder's apartment with Elder Pukati, a Zulu from South Africa. Suddenly a bunch of kids attacked me, yelling "mzungu, mzungu (white person!)." They wanted to touch my skin and feel my hair. After talking to them in some broken Luganda, I said I had to leave. They followed for about a quarter of a mile until Elder Pukati said he had had enough. He picked up a dead chicken off the side of the road and flung it into the middle of the cluster of children. One little boy picked it up and started chasing us. Luckily a parent came to the rescue.
It's funny how Ugandans treat their children. Mom's hold their babies a lot but then kind of ignore them when they hit a certain age. You'll see three year olds crying near the side of the road all by themselves. We seem to give our youngin's tons of slack, but they expect a lot of them. It's also ok for a stranger to scold/punish someone else's kid. I'm not sure I like this part of the culture.
Funny story: I was asking someone in church how one would say "sing" in Luganda. Unfortunately, he didn't hear me say the "g." I continued, telling him how much I loved to sin.
I'm teaching piano to some people from the church tomorrow and am going to be busy visiting less actives all week! I should also be going to the village clinic and the prosthetist in Kampala towards the end of the week.
There is so much more, but I've run out of time. Hopefully this blog will be a little more consistent someday!
I've gone out with the missionaries three days in the last week, working hard. One day Elder Pukati and I taught 22 lessons and probably invited upwards of 50 to church. Twice we've visited Lugazi, a town more than an hour taxi drive away. Lugazi is home to some people who are active in the church, making the sacrifice to come each week by taxi. I figured out that one would spend 6 dollars a month to do the commute. No biggey right? Wrong. Police officers here start making around $50 a month, elementary/secondary teachers (with 3 years of university) at $80, and doctors (with 7-12 years of post-secondary) at a whopping $160. In other words if you were a police officer with three kids, it would take 70% of your income to join the LDS church. In order to reduce this financial strain, the elders are aiming to get a Lugazi branch up on its feet.
The area is hard! Lugazi is predominantly Muslim, which makes missionary work extremely hard. After reading some of the Koran myself, I can see this is rooted in their scripture. Frequently the book counsels against the dangers of listening to the doctrine of other faiths. The investigators we taught there attacked us with questions which seemed impossible to answer without sharing your testimony. Through it all my companion kept his cool finding scriptures to back up his faith. As it was clear these guys weren't really progressing, we've had to amp up our contacting effort. The new people we will start teaching next week look promising, something I'm more than excited about.
It's interesting how sharing a common belief in Christ can serve as a foundation for a testimony in the church. The elders always start lessons in Christian homes by emphasizing their love for the Savior and their gratitude for the Atonement. This seems to invite the spirit in a magnificent fashion.
I've had the opportunity to sit in on some amazing lessons with the elders (although I can't say I've participated much). One of my favorite was a lesson with Dennis, a guy born into a wealth household with lots of opportunities in academia. Unfortunately his biology courses had convinced him that God couldn't exist. He told us that his concerns had been fed through experiencing financial corruption in his church. Our lesson was probably 40% testimony with some truly profound moments. We closed with James 1:5, telling him that if he prayed, he would feel the comfort only found through the power of the Holy Ghost. He's doing great! We even saw him at church.
One evening I was walking back to the elder's apartment with Elder Pukati, a Zulu from South Africa. Suddenly a bunch of kids attacked me, yelling "mzungu, mzungu (white person!)." They wanted to touch my skin and feel my hair. After talking to them in some broken Luganda, I said I had to leave. They followed for about a quarter of a mile until Elder Pukati said he had had enough. He picked up a dead chicken off the side of the road and flung it into the middle of the cluster of children. One little boy picked it up and started chasing us. Luckily a parent came to the rescue.
It's funny how Ugandans treat their children. Mom's hold their babies a lot but then kind of ignore them when they hit a certain age. You'll see three year olds crying near the side of the road all by themselves. We seem to give our youngin's tons of slack, but they expect a lot of them. It's also ok for a stranger to scold/punish someone else's kid. I'm not sure I like this part of the culture.
Funny story: I was asking someone in church how one would say "sing" in Luganda. Unfortunately, he didn't hear me say the "g." I continued, telling him how much I loved to sin.
I'm teaching piano to some people from the church tomorrow and am going to be busy visiting less actives all week! I should also be going to the village clinic and the prosthetist in Kampala towards the end of the week.
There is so much more, but I've run out of time. Hopefully this blog will be a little more consistent someday!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Feb 8th
Wow, lots and lots to catch up on.
So as you've probably guessed, our internet situation didn't get much better. An electrician accidentally cut our Uganda house internet cable, saying he would "fix it eventually." In other words, it will probably take a couple months to get full fledged internet. In the mean time we are doing a service that is per minute/broadband.
Let me start were I left off:
We stayed in Florence for three days, the first of which we spent in driving around Tuscany. Even with the drab winter flora, there were some stupendous vistas and castles. We stopped at one owned by the Italian cartographer Verazzano for a guided tour (apparently there's a famous bridge in NYC named after him). Expecting the dialogue to be centered on the history behind the castle and the man who built it, we were surprised when our tour guide spent around 90% of the time explaining the wine making process. Of course it quickly surfaced that our family didn't drink alcohol. Nope, that's right, we wouldn't even taste the wine produced at the castle. The tour guide concluded that we were ignorantly passing up his culture, and continued to explain the fermentation process.
I finally convinced my parents to let me go on a run! Liza and I ran something like 6 miles on hills draped with olive orchards. I think I probably pushed her a little bit hard, but it sure felt good.
The next day we went in to Florence. We found that our GPS was broken in the midst of a city filled with tight one way roads and no parking. Stress to the max. "Turn left in 100 yards... Turn around when possible... Turn right.... Turn around when possible." Again and again. Needless to say our family loved the street corner pizza shops and the ancient buildings.
After Florence we drove to Siena and Assisi, both of which are tied for my favorite Italian towns. As we were touring in the winter, we had them all to ourselves. Both are impressively constructed on fairly steep hills, with narrow cobblestone roads and grandiose cathedrals.
Next we went to Rome, staying in a flat literally 200 yards from the Vatican. Along with loads of Roman temples, we saw some more churches. Sunday we went to three hours of an Italian ward and walked along the Tiber towards a magnificent sunset.
All throughout Italy I was kicking myself for not learning enough Italian. I felt stupid asking for things in English and not being able to read street signs. I wanted to connect with the people and learn about their culture, both of which are impossible to do without knowing Italian. Very frustrating.
Now on to the good stuff, Uganda.
We arrived 2 AM Wednesday. As we hauled our luggage down the stairs onto the airstrip, we were welcomed by a swarm of mosquitos and a wall of heat. I got to freshen up on Luganda during the ride to Mukono, when I talked to our driver for nearly one and a half hours. It was SO much fun! I forgot how awesome these people are. Conversation is simple and carefree; you laugh at nearly everything. I told our driver: Ndi omumerika mwauvu (I am a poor american). He laughed for probably 2 minutes without talking. We both knew that was a huge contradiction.
Our first day on campus I showed my siblings around the facilities. The university was having elections for leadership positions in the student organization. HUGE deal. Hundreds showed up to cheer and cajole candidates running for office. Even a few small-scale fights broke out. Of course that terrified me. This was for student body positions! Can you imagine the real deal, a presidential election next friday?! Then I talked to some friends from church. They assured me that they won't be scary. "If there would be violence, it would have already started," my buddy Martin assured me, "We all know the current president will either win by vote or by corruption." If I'm not mistaken this guy has been in for two or three decades.
I took Liza to the fruit market yesterday. You walk past all of the shops on the main road until you reach a hill over looking a valley filled with metal roofed shacks, a place filled with poverty. I'm pretty sure she was shell-shocked. However she was happy when she found out how much we spent (in dollars) for our fruit: only 2 bucks for all we could carry back home.
I'm in love with these people! Talking to them makes me SO happy! I love striking up a conversation with some random person walking next to me on the street and trying to see how long I can last without speaking English (4-5 questions). I feel like you don't need to prove anything in Uganda, people will love you unconditionally. Since I memorized my testimony last time, I can break awkward pauses by saying "I know God lives," and other one liners like that.
Dad just got called as Sunday school president, Mom as Primary something, Hannah as a greeter in the primary, Cariel as ward pianist, and Liza (13) as Beehive advisor. Liza's excited to see what Ugandan YW advisors do (probably not what American ones do), and tell her teacher back home that she has the same calling. Funny. I think Mckay got a calling but I didn't catch that one. Maybe assistant greeter in the primary or something.
Tomorrow I am going out with the elders all day. The missionaries walk a lot (maybe 12 miles a day), so I'm planning on getting destroyed. I did learn how to invite someone to church today in Luganda, so that will hopefully be useful.
I'm thinking about diving into humanitarian business after the elections, hopefully starting next Saturday. I am somehow going to have to make a new Powerpoint for first aid and malaria with our limited internet. I'll find a way.
Best of luck,
Eric Reuben Smith
So as you've probably guessed, our internet situation didn't get much better. An electrician accidentally cut our Uganda house internet cable, saying he would "fix it eventually." In other words, it will probably take a couple months to get full fledged internet. In the mean time we are doing a service that is per minute/broadband.
Let me start were I left off:
We stayed in Florence for three days, the first of which we spent in driving around Tuscany. Even with the drab winter flora, there were some stupendous vistas and castles. We stopped at one owned by the Italian cartographer Verazzano for a guided tour (apparently there's a famous bridge in NYC named after him). Expecting the dialogue to be centered on the history behind the castle and the man who built it, we were surprised when our tour guide spent around 90% of the time explaining the wine making process. Of course it quickly surfaced that our family didn't drink alcohol. Nope, that's right, we wouldn't even taste the wine produced at the castle. The tour guide concluded that we were ignorantly passing up his culture, and continued to explain the fermentation process.
I finally convinced my parents to let me go on a run! Liza and I ran something like 6 miles on hills draped with olive orchards. I think I probably pushed her a little bit hard, but it sure felt good.
The next day we went in to Florence. We found that our GPS was broken in the midst of a city filled with tight one way roads and no parking. Stress to the max. "Turn left in 100 yards... Turn around when possible... Turn right.... Turn around when possible." Again and again. Needless to say our family loved the street corner pizza shops and the ancient buildings.
After Florence we drove to Siena and Assisi, both of which are tied for my favorite Italian towns. As we were touring in the winter, we had them all to ourselves. Both are impressively constructed on fairly steep hills, with narrow cobblestone roads and grandiose cathedrals.
Next we went to Rome, staying in a flat literally 200 yards from the Vatican. Along with loads of Roman temples, we saw some more churches. Sunday we went to three hours of an Italian ward and walked along the Tiber towards a magnificent sunset.
All throughout Italy I was kicking myself for not learning enough Italian. I felt stupid asking for things in English and not being able to read street signs. I wanted to connect with the people and learn about their culture, both of which are impossible to do without knowing Italian. Very frustrating.
Now on to the good stuff, Uganda.
We arrived 2 AM Wednesday. As we hauled our luggage down the stairs onto the airstrip, we were welcomed by a swarm of mosquitos and a wall of heat. I got to freshen up on Luganda during the ride to Mukono, when I talked to our driver for nearly one and a half hours. It was SO much fun! I forgot how awesome these people are. Conversation is simple and carefree; you laugh at nearly everything. I told our driver: Ndi omumerika mwauvu (I am a poor american). He laughed for probably 2 minutes without talking. We both knew that was a huge contradiction.
Our first day on campus I showed my siblings around the facilities. The university was having elections for leadership positions in the student organization. HUGE deal. Hundreds showed up to cheer and cajole candidates running for office. Even a few small-scale fights broke out. Of course that terrified me. This was for student body positions! Can you imagine the real deal, a presidential election next friday?! Then I talked to some friends from church. They assured me that they won't be scary. "If there would be violence, it would have already started," my buddy Martin assured me, "We all know the current president will either win by vote or by corruption." If I'm not mistaken this guy has been in for two or three decades.
I took Liza to the fruit market yesterday. You walk past all of the shops on the main road until you reach a hill over looking a valley filled with metal roofed shacks, a place filled with poverty. I'm pretty sure she was shell-shocked. However she was happy when she found out how much we spent (in dollars) for our fruit: only 2 bucks for all we could carry back home.
I'm in love with these people! Talking to them makes me SO happy! I love striking up a conversation with some random person walking next to me on the street and trying to see how long I can last without speaking English (4-5 questions). I feel like you don't need to prove anything in Uganda, people will love you unconditionally. Since I memorized my testimony last time, I can break awkward pauses by saying "I know God lives," and other one liners like that.
Dad just got called as Sunday school president, Mom as Primary something, Hannah as a greeter in the primary, Cariel as ward pianist, and Liza (13) as Beehive advisor. Liza's excited to see what Ugandan YW advisors do (probably not what American ones do), and tell her teacher back home that she has the same calling. Funny. I think Mckay got a calling but I didn't catch that one. Maybe assistant greeter in the primary or something.
Tomorrow I am going out with the elders all day. The missionaries walk a lot (maybe 12 miles a day), so I'm planning on getting destroyed. I did learn how to invite someone to church today in Luganda, so that will hopefully be useful.
I'm thinking about diving into humanitarian business after the elections, hopefully starting next Saturday. I am somehow going to have to make a new Powerpoint for first aid and malaria with our limited internet. I'll find a way.
Best of luck,
Eric Reuben Smith
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
England
Sorry for not updating this blog regularly; our access to internet has been limited.
Life's going great! Our fam had a ball with extended family in Brigham City before boarding our plane. Everything just kinda fell into place. Even with my mom's skepticism, we fit every ounce of medication for the clinics into our luggage. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the PVC glue I was bringing (stuff to make prosthetic legs) was flammable, so the airport security is sending my mom a citation thing in the mail. Too bad we won't see that for 8 something months!
When we arrived in London we loaded our mountain of bags into the huge 9 seater van we were renting and hit the road for Preston, a five hour drive away. On the way we saw a pile of rocks called Stonehenge, some university called Oxford, Shakespeare's birthplace, and miles of pristine British countryside. In Preston we stayed in the temple housing, used by people making long trips to spend time in the temple. There really isn't much to do in Preston besides loads of LDS church sites, so we visited a lot of them. This was the first place Mormon missionaries were sent outside of US/Canada, as well as President Hinckley's first area.
After two nights there we drove to the London temple, where we spent three nights. We did the city in freezing weather and since we are all packed for the tropical climate of east Africa, it was slightly miserable. However, the highlight was St. Paul's cathedral. We arrived for an hour-long choral performance that was out of this world. The high arcing ceilings created acoustics that were absolutely unreal and filled the church with reverberating music. Of all of the concerts I have been too, this was high on the list of top musical experiences. Amazing!
We had a superb Sunday in the UK. My teacher in priest quorum could have been a motivational speaker and his thick Scottish accent made his lesson all the more interesting. I loved chatting with the teenagers, nearly all of which opened conversations by excitedly asking if our family was moving into their ward boundaries. After church we visited some family friends from South Africa who were living nearby. Although living in England, both husband and wife were staunch South African in culture. Not only were their accents and mannerisms (they said malk instead of milk) more than entertaining, they seemed to see life through a different perspective than us Americans. That was refreshing to say in the least. We visited for five hours and could have stayed there five days.
We started Italy in Milan were we toured a big castle and the most magnificent church I have ever seen: the Duomo. The main hall of this cathedral stretched on for what seemed an eternity and the high ceilings towered above us. The next morning we drove to Venice, which is now officially the most beautiful city I have ever visited. The whole time I was itching to go on a long run through the city, but both parents thought I would get lost or mugged or something. I've decided next time I go to Europe I'm going to make sure a long distance runner comes with; running these cities would be heaven!
And now I'm sitting in a Villa thing in Florence. This blog is officially updated.
Life's going great! Our fam had a ball with extended family in Brigham City before boarding our plane. Everything just kinda fell into place. Even with my mom's skepticism, we fit every ounce of medication for the clinics into our luggage. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the PVC glue I was bringing (stuff to make prosthetic legs) was flammable, so the airport security is sending my mom a citation thing in the mail. Too bad we won't see that for 8 something months!
When we arrived in London we loaded our mountain of bags into the huge 9 seater van we were renting and hit the road for Preston, a five hour drive away. On the way we saw a pile of rocks called Stonehenge, some university called Oxford, Shakespeare's birthplace, and miles of pristine British countryside. In Preston we stayed in the temple housing, used by people making long trips to spend time in the temple. There really isn't much to do in Preston besides loads of LDS church sites, so we visited a lot of them. This was the first place Mormon missionaries were sent outside of US/Canada, as well as President Hinckley's first area.
After two nights there we drove to the London temple, where we spent three nights. We did the city in freezing weather and since we are all packed for the tropical climate of east Africa, it was slightly miserable. However, the highlight was St. Paul's cathedral. We arrived for an hour-long choral performance that was out of this world. The high arcing ceilings created acoustics that were absolutely unreal and filled the church with reverberating music. Of all of the concerts I have been too, this was high on the list of top musical experiences. Amazing!
We had a superb Sunday in the UK. My teacher in priest quorum could have been a motivational speaker and his thick Scottish accent made his lesson all the more interesting. I loved chatting with the teenagers, nearly all of which opened conversations by excitedly asking if our family was moving into their ward boundaries. After church we visited some family friends from South Africa who were living nearby. Although living in England, both husband and wife were staunch South African in culture. Not only were their accents and mannerisms (they said malk instead of milk) more than entertaining, they seemed to see life through a different perspective than us Americans. That was refreshing to say in the least. We visited for five hours and could have stayed there five days.
We started Italy in Milan were we toured a big castle and the most magnificent church I have ever seen: the Duomo. The main hall of this cathedral stretched on for what seemed an eternity and the high ceilings towered above us. The next morning we drove to Venice, which is now officially the most beautiful city I have ever visited. The whole time I was itching to go on a long run through the city, but both parents thought I would get lost or mugged or something. I've decided next time I go to Europe I'm going to make sure a long distance runner comes with; running these cities would be heaven!
And now I'm sitting in a Villa thing in Florence. This blog is officially updated.
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