hillary's uganda journal - july 21

Today the choir got their new outfits! They are SO amazing!! They all look so cute!!

While they were practicing Peter was just going CRAZY with the dance moves! At first he didn't realize I was watching him and
he was just going all out. But then he saw me, so then it kind of became a show. But it wasn't like a "look at me aren't I funny?" kind of thing, he just really thought he was doing some good dance moves and that it was entertaining me because he was so good! haha

It's kind of a joke that we have here, whenever we see a group of dancers who are all doing the same thing, like on tv or something, but then there's one person who's off, it's always "they have a Peter in their group too!" But Peter's just too flipin cute to try and fix.

Then I went up to the secondary school, but they were doing inter-house competitions for music dance and drama. SO I just shot around with my friend Jolly who is in Medical school here. We were doing a freethrow shooting contest and I killed him every time. but it's ok, I didn't have to be nice. He's one of those guys who thinks he should be on AND 1, he thinks he has all the moves, so he needed to be humbled a bit. haha

I'm really excited for church tomorrow! The choir is performing during the service!! I can't wait!

hillary's uganda journal - july 19

The kids at Lusaka were taking exams today. It seems like they are always taking exams! And each time they tell me they were so simple, I wonder what the point is in the huge number of exams when the kids already know all of the information!? I think the teachers are running out of things to test them on, but they won't give up that easily. At any chance they get, with any new piece of information, they need to be tested. Semi-stupid to me, I can try all I want to try and get a rebellion started from the kids, the school system here is intense. But these kids never complain about it, so no use in my trying to stir things up, I guess. haha

Anyway, I spent most of the afternoon sorting through beans. I learned what they call them in Luganda, but it was a long word and now I forget. I was sitting on my little stool next to a bag that had, before lunch, held a whole bunch of meat, so there were millions of flies. Everywhere. It was a pretty relaxing afternoon though, I had a lot of time to listen to the conversations around me and to think. I admit my thinking wasn't as deep as you couldv'e asked for. It mostly consisted of how itchy I was. What with flies constantly landing on me and all the bugs I had to take out of the bucket of beans with my fingers. I felt like there were bugs crawling all over me. But, I am getting pretty good at sorting through beans. Ask anyone, they'll agree.

hillary's uganda journal - july 15

Today I went to Sunday School for the first service and then went up to the main church. But during the first service, the older boys run the Sunday School. And they were so cute! Especially Julius (not my julius, he's an older one in the choir) He was so cute with all the little kids! I also asked Mahad if he would come to church, but I asked him at the beginning of last week, so I thought he probably wouldn't remember. But he was there! And this is really cool because his family are all Muslims. But I wish I had done Sunday school today, because sometimes I think it's a little iffy. Because it's so long, I think the teachers run out of things to talk about. And so they get onto things that have nothing to do with the Bible and these things seem to take up most of the time because apparently they are easier to talk a lot about. (haha) Lecturing the kids on good manners and stuff. But oh well. At least he came. I hope he got something out of it.


Bruno and me

Then another church was supposed to come and play against us in basketball. But they weren't organized, so they didn't show up. :/ SO I just hung out at the school for a while, watched part of “The Terminator.” (haha that movie is weird. I am not a fan at all.) But we didn't play basketball at all because all the guys were either home, sick, injured, or playing in the chess competitions. SO it was pretty uneventful there.

Oh, I also went to Yvonne's house today, and the whole family was there except for Morris. Mama Yvonne was like, "You've been lost these days!" Which means that she hasn't seen me for a long time. She also tried to convince me that Monica is learning English, and if I ask her how she is doing she'll say she's fine. But, of course, she decided that she was going to be shy. But it was really fun hanging out with them for a while! I love that family!!

Bridgett and Yvonne

hillary's uganda journal - july 14

Today I went to my first actual African wedding!! It wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be, it was really long. SO I spent most of the time outside hanging out with my kids because they had shown up at the school for a choir practice that didn't end up happening. But it was really fun to see all the decorations and the beautiful dresses! And the wedding was bright green!! Oh my gosh! I loved it! And Veronica was the flower girl. She was KILLER!! She was so cute I couldn't even handle it!

hillary's uganda journal - july 13

Today was a parent visitation day at the primary school. So, they didn't have classes, they all just had to sit there, being bored, while the teachers talked to one parent/student at a time. So I had the choir finish their letters to their sponsors. I noticed that a whole bunch of the kids, including Yvonne, were staring at me so I was like, “What?” and Yvonne goes, "he thinks I look like you!" SO apparently my dream of becoming an African is finally coming true!!

As I was working the kids also kept coming into my office to talk to me because they didn't have anything to do. It was so much fun! I wish everyday could be as relaxed for them as it was today so they could hangout with me more. They don't need school, right?


A message from Anita to her sponsor Kelly.

Bruno, Yvonne, and Jane all wrote me letters and they were sooooo cute! This was Janes:

"Dear my friend Hillary
I great you in the name of Jesus Christ. I love you. I thank you for being my friend. I love your family. I love your hair so much. I wish I had hair like yours. I like dancing. Do you like dancing? I like singing. Do you like singing? My best song is Joy is coming in the morning time. 

May God bless you so much. From your friend Nakigozi Jane Bye Bye! 

And I will never forget you in life and death I will never and every forget you because I love you so much and you love me to because your my good, loving friend. I will never and every for get you."

:)

I am really excited to give Courtney her letter from Blest Deborah. It is really cute. It starts, “Dear my lovely Courtney Sell…” (haha so cute.) Here's a picture of the two of us...


Then Jane came in with a storybook with like 10 stories in it. She said she couldn't read them, then went through and told me each of the stories from her memory because apparently she had them all memorized. So then she asked me to read “The Little Red Hen” in her class. So, I went to the back corner so I wouldn't disturb the teacher and stood on a bench and shouted the story to the 60ish kids in there that were in a huge pile of bodies right in front of me. They all liked it a lot and the parents who were waiting were all entertained I think. I think here just think I'm weird. But that's all right. Then, Eric said that I lied to him because I went to the p.3 class instead of his p.6 class. So I went in there next and they asked me to read a book to them. I didn't think they would be very interested in hearing me read a little picture book because they are older. But they insisted. So I read “Daniel and the Lions Den” and “Cinderella” to them. When I would look up some of the kids were just staring at me, totally mezmorized. (Haha) But now my throat hurts.

All right, so I'm getting pretty sick of the African guys. As soon as the fact is established that we are both single, I'm up for grabs. No matter how little English they speak, or how completely and totally pointless of a conversation we might have, I'm white. They want to marry me. One of the little boys at the primary school's uncle saw me when I was waiting to walk Mahad up to the secondary school where he lives. He looked nice, so I just smiled at him. Big mistake. He didn't stop staring at me. And when I was leaving he had his nephew came out and told me to wait because he wanted to talk to me. But I left anyway. So I was up at the school talking with some of the basketball guys and HE HAD FOLLOWED ME UP THERE!! ugh. So, I had to talk to him. This is how the conversation went after he introduced himself: 

Him: “How are you?”
Me: “Good, how are you?”
Him: “Good....how's life?”
Me: “Uhh great. How about you?”
Him: “Good.” (long pause.)
Then he repeated the whole conversation again.
Then, Him: “SO, can I have your address?”
Me: haha NO!!
Then he finally left. phew!

hillary's uganda journal - july 11 part 2

This was on the 11th, I forgot to write about it, but I thought it was funny.

I watched the p.4 and p.3 debate today. It was so crazy! For one thing there were more than 100 kids in there! And for another, there were, obviously, two sides, and both wanted to win, so it was pretty much madness. With a lot of clapping, stomping, and shouting. But there was also organized shouting that apparently would encourage the person debating at the moment: "She's our girl! She's our girl!" haha 


The topic of the debate was, “Is rainfall better than sunshine?” Julius was on the Rainfall side, and after he had given his argument, he pointed over to the opposing side. "Do you drink sunshine or water!?" It was really funny and dramatic. The Rainfall side ended up winning so they all jumped up and started running around outside.

hillary's uganda journal - july 12

Today we went to Lugazi!! I was really excited! I wasn't able to find Harriet though. I asked the head teacher if he knew who she was, or if she lived close by. But he couldn't even remember who she was. So, I didn't get to see my little twins. :( I hope I get to see them next time I go though.

I got to meet Nakitende Olivia. She's the child that is sponsored my friends, David and Lisa and their kids Austin and Abbey. And oh my gosh!! She is the most ADORABLE girl ever!! She was really shy though, and wouldn't smile or talk to me or anything for a while. She sat on my lap for a long time and I tried to get her to talk, but she was happy just sitting there not saying a word, staring at this strange white person speaking words she'd never heard before or couldn't understand because I butchered the Luganda so badly. But, she started warming up to me a little later. She started smiling and playing with me, but she'd still hide behind her friend a lot, or hide her smile behind her hands. It was so cute! Here are some pictures of her in the yellow dress...

hillary's uganda journal - july 11

Today I was having the choir kids write letters to their sponsors. I thought I had told Jane before that my aunt and uncle are here sponsors, but apparently she didn't know, because when I told her, her face absolutely lit up!! She immediately turned around and told her sister Anita the news, and anybody within earshot for that matter. A little later after she had written her letter she comes running up to me, "Hillary, I'm going to go get my stickers!!" Let me tell you, this is a big deal. They love stickers here. You're pretty darn special if you get stickers on your letter!

Later I was walking up to the secondary school with Mahad and a few other kids and Jane told me that Monica missed me!! I'm not sure if you all remember this, but Monica is Yvonne's baby sister who was scared of me and would not smile in my direction if her life depended on it! So that made my day!!

On the way home I stopped by Yvonne's house because I hadn't seen her all day because she was busy during the letter writing time. So I met her cousin, I think her name is Claire. Anita and Jane were there, and there were a few other kids, but I couldn't really tell who they were because it was dark. Then Monica saw me, RAN UP TO ME, AND GAVE ME A HUG!!! WHAT?!

My life is now complete.

hillary's uganda journal - july 10

Today we went to Troas. I had all the kids, who are sponsored, write letters to their sponsors. This took a long time because they need a lot of help since they're still learning English. There was a class in the U.S. who did “Hope for the Holidays” and got a whole bunch of stuff together that they wanted me to give their boy in Troas and some of his friends. The boy’s name was Innocent.

We had a lot of extra stuff so we asked him to bring a couple friends to get some gifts too. So, he came out holding the hands of a boy named Mukasa Eric and a little girl named Christine. It was so cute!





Then I read “A Bugs Life” to some of the kids. I really don't think they understood me too well, but they laughed at me when I made funny voices. So at least it was entertaining for them.

Then a group of kids decided they wanted to test me on my knowledge of Uganda. I think it gave them a lot of joy finding out how ignorant I am. haha

hillary's uganda journal - july 8

A pastor from Kenya preached at church today. I think it was really good....I got lost a few times, but he was really expressive and he told some really funny stories. So I liked it. Then afterwards I watched one of the house competitions between the “Kings” and the “Apostles.” They are both teams that don't really know how to play basketball and all they do is foul each other and almost break the backboard when they chuck the ball up there. The final score was 18-10, after four 15 minute quarters. It was insane! haha

But I had Mahad and his older sister Vanessa to entertain me when the game got too crazy to watch. Mahad and Vanessa are the gatekeeper’s kids. They live at the secondary school and go to St. Mbuga primary school. I am pretty much in love with them! They are so cute!! I'm kind of confused though because I think they are muslim, but Mahad told me they go to the mosque and also go to church. Sooo...maybe they're both? I don't know how that works, but yesterday they were telling me how they were going to go to church. But anyway, I hung out with them all day and before the basketball game we watched a Nigerian movie together. These movies are ridiculous! Everyone loves them for some reason, maybe because it's the only thing that's available. Maybe I just got spoiled by “Lord of the Rings.” But they are partially in English and then randomly in Luganda, but the mouths are off because they were made in Nigeria with whatever language they speak. And I really can't tell when they're speaking Luganda or when they're speaking English because the sound is so bad. But these guys can't get enough of these movies.

hillary's uganda journal - july 7

Ok, so this takes a little bit of explaining. I'm not the only American in the apartment right now. There are five other people that got here about a week ago. They aren't with ICN, but they did come with ICN last year, so that's how I know them. But anyway, one of the ladies had some kids come over today because they are sponsored by some friends of hers. So, we got to hang out with five kids from the choir. I read some books to them and colored with them. It's so amazing how well behaved they are and how they can sit for hours just listening to someone read to them. Kalongo David was the only boy there and he is SO adorable! He reminds me so much of my cousin Spencer and so I just love hanging out with him!

Sorry I keep saying things like this, about how people remind me of my family members....

I guess I'm missing them a little bit.

hillary's uganda journal - july 6

Today I went to a football game for the secondary 2 and 1 team. It's kind of like their JV team, I think. We lost 2-1, so the guys were pretty upset about that, for a little while at least. That is until something more exciting happened, like a goal in the game played after ours, then they forgot all about their game. haha. I think I have so much to learn from their attitudes about sports.



The only thing that was kind of bad today was that the field we played at was in the middle of town and had every secondary student from everywhere gathered there. And I think I was the only girl and definitely the only white person. SO, I drew a lot of attention, which I am not a big fan of. Some guys thought that they could be sneaky and they all think I have money, so they tried to get me to come to their school and support their football team because they don't have enough money to have a team or something. Then they were trying to get me to tell them how they can contact me. Good thing my phone was stolen, so I wasn't even lying when I told them I don't have a phone. Then they tried to steal my camera. haha

Some of the guys that I know from the football team were talking about this whole ordeal after the game, and they were saying how those guys were bad news, but how I was just too sharp for them. They apparently had heard the whole conversation, but of course they just left me to fend for myself and didn't say anything. How nice of them!

hillary's uganda journal - july 4

Alright, so I found out that that actually wasn't Julius's mom. So good thing I didn't beat her up. Sam told me that in Uganda it is really, really looked down upon when people have children outside of marriage, and so they try to cover it up, I guess. So, since his mom abandoned Julius after she had him, this other lady decided to take him in as a son. I think it's a fairly new decision though, because he's always told me that he doesn't have a mom. So anyway, that's that, this lady is his mom now I guess.

I only got 1 1/2 hours of sleep last night, don't ask me why. I just laid in my bed for hours. So I was extremely tired today! I spent half of the day in and out of naps at my desk. Then at 5 I went up to play basketball, even though it had been raining all day. My flip flop also broke so I had to walk up there barefooted, which apparently is a crazy thing for a Ugandan to witness. So I had even more staring at me than usual. There's millions of kids here that don't have shoes, but when a white person goes barefoot it's weird, I guess. But it's so much easier walking barefoot in the mud than with flip flops, I'm thinking about starting a trend one of these days.



Bruno, Julius, me, and Masad

When I got to the school I couldn't find any of the guys at first, so Joseph (one of the boys in the choir) wanted to teach me chess. As he taught me, a huge crowd gathered. Which is pretty unnerving since it's a really difficult game with too many rules, in my opinion, that takes a lot of concentration. So, I had everyone telling me what move to make, and after each move telling me what I SHOULD’VE done instead. And then they decided that I wasn't playing up to their standards, so they ended up just moving my pieces for me. I'm not quite sure if it was very educational for me, but I think I got the gist. And I even WON! But I can't really claim that victory for myself. It was a team effort. haha

hillary's uganda journal - july 3

Today I met Julius's mom! Last year he told me that he had never met his mom. And then his dad died in the spring, I think, of last year. And apparently his mom heard about it and decided to come back and start being a part of her son's life. She came to the school yesterday just to visit and see how the school was, because, I'm not sure, but I think Julius still doesn't see her much, like he is living with someone else. So, she came with his little sister who might be one and a half or two years old. He says she is his real sister, from his mother and his father. But I don't know how that works. I'm just really confused with his family. But it was nice to get to meet her. Even though it was really hard for me to be civil to her because she had caused so much pain in my little boys life. I kind of just wanted to punch her in the face. But I controlled myself.

hillary's uganda journal - july 2

I bought Bruno a cake today! I really wanted to buy the icing to write something on it myself, but they don't sell that. And the guy in the bakery part wouldn't let me write it myself, so I had to be content with brown writing and not as cool as I would've made it. I also wanted a soccer ball on it because he loves it so much. But the dumb guy didn't know how to draw a soccer ball. Even though, before he started on it, I asked him specifically if he knew how to and he assured me he did. Then he drew it on and it didn't resemble a soccer ball at all except that it was a circle. SO I made him take it off. (Like the ungrateful American that I am. Haha) But Bruno loved it of course because he is so thankful for everything! He probably gave me 10 hugs!

hillary's uganda journal - july 1

It was Bruno's birthday on Sunday. I remembered that it was his birthday when we were at church and here’s how our conversation went…

"Bruno is it your birthday today?!"
"No, it was yesterday"
"Oh I thought it was July 1st"
"Oh yeah, it is, I thought yesterday was the 1st."

He didn't even know what day his birthday was on! He was so cute. I didn't have anyone to sit with, so instead of going to Sunday School he sat with me in the big church. I didn't want to sit in front of the church like I usually do because there were other bazungu there, so I don't think I'm special anymore. (“bazungu is luganda for white people…plural of “muzungu”) But that's ok, it was nice having all the attention on them instead of on me for once! And when they saw me I felt like I was just one of the Ugandans with my little group of kids who sat with me up on the balcony part of the church.


Joseph and Bruno

After church, I went to the secondary school to watch their house competitions for basketball. It was interesting. I'm not really sure how they split up the teams. Apparently the “Judges” team has all the ones who have played the longest. And they pretty much slaughter the “Apostles,” “Prophets” and “Kings.” (haha) Doesn't sound too nice, huh? Although, I wouldn't necessarily call it slaughtering, since no one has a really good shot, not many baskets are scored throughout the game. Bruno and Julius and Mahad came and joined me up there too. Bruno has been my buddy lately! He didn't leave my side the whole time I was watching the games! And he isn't a big fan of basketball, he's a football (soccer) player, just like pretty much everyone else here. So it was really cute that no matter how bored he was watching those games, he just wanted to hang out with me!

hillary's uganda journal - june 27 & 30

June 27th
Today I had pineapple for breakfast...for a snack...AND for lunch. I thought I was in heaven!

But that's not even the most exciting thing that happened today! I went to the villages of Kassanda and Kamusenene to do sponsorship work. It was so much fun! First of all I told everyone my favorite village was Lugazi, and then I added Kitongo onto that one. But I don’t think I can have favorites anymore because every village I get to spend more time in, I fall in love with!


It is so much more relaxing when I get to go just by myself instead of with a huge group of Americans. I get to play with the kids more and its not so hectic and crazy. There was a little girl in Kamusenene whose name is Kemigisa Rose. All I did was ask her what her name was and gave her a hug. But she would always catch my eye in a crowd of kids and smile hugely at me. And then later she got on her knees in front of me (which is kind of a sign of respect) and gave me a mango. It was really cute. Here's a picture of Rose...

Then I met a boy named Tumwesige Peter and he was absolutely adorable! I noticed him right away because you just can't ignore a smile like his. It's impossible. I called him over to me, but he decided he was going to by shy and sprinted away as fast as he could. And then it became a game to him, he'd wait till I looked at him and then he'd run away laughing. Here's Peter in the background. See what I mean?


Once we got all the paperwork filled out, and all the kids wrote letters to their sponsors, we went back to Kassanda and did the same thing.

Filling out the sponsorship papers has a good and bad side to it. It's really fun getting to spend a little bit of time with each child and to find out what their favorite class is, and what they want to be when they grow up, and to hear their stories. But it's really hard for me to force the history out of these kids, who live every day trying to escape and move on from their past.

Najjuma Jesca was the first girl in Kassanda that I talked to. She is ten years old and has one brother and three sisters. And she only has a mom. Her dad was a construction worker who fell off of a building and died a few years ago. Now her and her four siblings will grow up without their dad. As she talked to me she tried to hide the tears that streamed down her face. I can't even imagine what she's feeling. I cannot relate at all. I am so thankful for that, but it also makes it easy to just forget how much suffering so many other people go through. To just write down their lives as a statistic, as some good information that will lead some heart in America to be moved and want to spend $30 a month to try and help a child move past the pain that that they’ve experienced. That thought makes me sick right now. I don't want Jesca to just be a number. I wiped those tears off of her face. It was real. I wish I could write her pain on this blog so you might understand that these children don't just need school fees. They need love…and so much of it. By sponsoring a child, we're filling a void in their lives. We're part of their lives now, they think about us every day, even though we're on the other side of the world. It's amazing the huge impact that we can have on them by just showing them a little bit of that love that they desire so badly.


June 30th
I was going to go to a burial today. Sharifa's dad died yesterday. I'm not really sure what happened, it all happened so fast. I just found out that they had taken him to the hospital and he was suffering from ulcers, I think, and that he was unconscious. Then the next thing I heard is that he had died. Sharifa is the little girl near Kamusenene who had a problem with her bladder (it was on the outside of her body). Two years ago we got her surgery to fix it. She lived in a village close to Kamusenene and they were all Muslims. But after the huge sign of love than many people from ICN showed toward this suffering child, they wondered why were so different. Her whole family, who were devout Muslims, became Christians, including her father. That is such an encouraging story, that even though we're sad about the death of her father, I am so excited that we can know he's in heaven right now. I just feel so badly for Sharifa, she has gone through so much pain, through ridicule from all the children in her village before she had the surgery, to now with her father passing away.

But, I didn't go to the burial because it was really far away and it's a really long ceremonial thing, so I went to the studio with the choir. They recorded two songs, Majesty and Joy. It was pretty uneventful. Some kids would be recording on one side of the room while the rest had to quietly sit on a mat on the other side of the room. I don't know how they could sit still so long. I couldn't. Yvonne sang this song to me on the way home:

Hillary
I love you
so much.
I love you!

Haha! It was to the tune of one of the other songs they sing in the choir.

Eric decided that I needed a bodyguard, so he didn't let me out of his sight, but then on the way home he fell asleep on my lap. What a great bodyguard!

Editor's Note: For new pictures from Hillary in Uganda, inlcuding photos from things she described in earlier posts, click here

hillary's uganda journal - june 25

Today might have been one of the most tiring days since I've been here! I woke up after just a few hours of sleep to make the mandazi. Then I got everything together and took a boda boda over to the school.

Our friend, Justin took this while he was here in Uganda. It's the view from the back of a boda boda.

I was there by 10:30ish. I went in the "middle class" (right above "baby class"-it goes baby, middele, top then p.1, which is like first grade) I helped them with a numbers worksheet. I was helping a couple of children with theirs, when one of the teachers came up to me and said to one of the kids: "You sit over here!" (the desk in front of me) Then she said to me, "He'll just distract you." Ummm. Well, he was the one that really needed help, but apparently not right then...the ones that need the most need to wait, I guess...? (haha)

It was kind of an interesting situation when I walked in to the class, the two teachers helped the last few kids finish their papers, which took a long time because there are always those kids that need a lot of extra help. Meanwhile, the rest of the class were all in the back of the classroom laying on a huge mat. It was just really funny to see. But that classroom was really fun. They are so ADORABLE! And when it's in a classroom it's even better because at that age is when they mostly find joy in attacking me, so that can't happen in a classroom. It makes things so much easier. Then they sang me some songs before it was time for them to go home. For one of the songs, they would pick one child out and they would do a solo (it wasn't really singing, it was kind of a chant). It went like this:

"My name is Esther I love Jesus.
Jesus. Jesus my Savior. I love Jesus.
Oh yes i do do do."

And they had a little dance with it. It was ridiculously cute!

Then I finished getting my lesson ready for the afternoon. I'm not sure if I've talked about this on here, but the teachers decided that I was going to teach an english class today. I was pretty stressed about it, but once it got here it was fine. It was pretty fun! Except for the fact that games are an unheard of thing in the Ugandan classroom, so the learning games that I did with them were a little out of control. (I'm now semi-understanding what the crazy hitting teacher was thinking!) But they all had a lot of fun, and hopefully learned something.

We were learning about polite language. I thought that there would only be so much that could be taught about this, but Ugandan people aren't a very polite people. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just the culture, to be harsh and demanding. So it was probably a good thing they told me to talk about this topic, because I don't think a Ugandan teacher could really get the point across. So they told me the class was from 2:00-2:40. That's fine, I can handle anything for 40 minutes. Even 45 seven to nine year olds that are all at different levels in their knowledge of the english language. But, of course, it wasn't 40 minutes. It was Africa time. I was in that classroom from 2:00-4:10!!! It was CRAZY!!! But I never had a time where I was awkwardly standing there, not knowing what to say. (Might be one of my worst fears) So it was ok, we spent the last 20 minutes playing a number game, which really has nothing to do with english. But, learning how to speak politely, thrilling as it is, can only be dragged on for a limited amount of time.

Then, I started to walk up to the secondary school. I love walking around Lusaka, especially when the primary school kids are out. I hear various forms of my name being called out where ever I go (Hirary, Hillaly, Hirry, Harry, Helen, herra, just to name a few... the list is endless.) It's probably the most difficult name they have ever had to say. Considering I am, to my knowledge, the ONLY GIRL named Hillary in Uganda! Yeah, highlight girl part. If there are any Hillary's, it's a guy. A fact which I have been told on many occasions after I repeat my name 6 times. Then they realize no, they aren't mishearing me, I said it, I have a man's name. But I still love it when they all call me, just to say "hi," whenever they see me. I just wish I could remember all of their names! It'll come.

Then I went to the secondary school to play basketball. Because this isn't just a 3-4 times a week thing, they want me to come everyday! Which is just fine with me! So after I walked up the path with hundreds of eyes on me the whole way. ("please don't trip please don't trip"), and then finding someone that would actually talk to me rather than just staring at me dumbfounded, I eventually found out the guys were at the football fields. So I walked back through the tunnel of eyes and started walking to the fields, But I met them on their way back to the school. So I played basketball with a few of them untill it was too dark to see the ball. We played 3 on 3 for like 2 1/2 hours. It was pretty tiring. And, they aren't too shabby, they're mostly like any street ball players. They just need some coaching, that's all. On my team I had one of the tallest guys I've seen at the school and the shortest guy. And let me tell you, we were KILLIN'! It was really fun because I feel like I'm getting back in the rhythm so all the crowd (everyone, of course, was watching the game) would go crazy whenever I did anything. It's really encouraging! I should come here more often to play basketball! (haha)

hillary's uganda journal - june 24

There is a rat in my room. I know there is. I saw it move in my closet for a brief second before I screamed and ran into the hallway. The problem is finding it. I have to wake up in a few hours. Now, how the heck am I supposed to fall asleep while being paraoid that there is a rat sleeping right next to me?! thats what I'd like to know. I then proceeded to thoroughly search everything in the house by kicking each thing and shining my flashlight on it. But no luck. You're probably wondering why I am so scared of a little rat. I'm in Africa! I should be used to these kinds of things right?! Wrong. There's just something creepy about rats. They're too quick and spazzy. You never know what they're thinking and what they're going to do next. Kind of like chickens. But I am slowly working on that fear of mine, with all the chickens running willy nilly all over the place here.

So... now I am the "mandazi lady." For some reason everyone loves my mandazi! I don't get it, it's an african food, they shouldn't be begging ME to make them! But they do. Hopkins and Pastor Dithan have already gotten a bagful each and they're complaining that I need to make more for them. Oy, this could get tiring. I think I need to start a mandazi business! Not only will people come to me because I am white, but these are darn good mandazi! (haha) So I am making mandazi in the morning. Lots and lots of it because I'm making some for all of the teachers at St. Mbuga also.

hillary's uganda journal - june 23

Well I had a dilemma today. My computer crashed. Or at least it was threatening to, apparently. I really have no idea, I'm not technologically smart at all. This is just what Sam Straxy (one of the choir directors) was telling me. He came to figure out why I couldn't burn pictures onto DVDs (I needed to transfer the sponsorship pictures onto one so I can send the pictures back to ICN), and he ended up almost breaking this computer!! And this would've been a HUGE problem because I don't have any copies of those pictures anywhere. Oh man! I thought they were totally gone and I had no clue what I was going to do! But thank goodness he is a computer geek! So, he figured it out, and even got a DVD made! woohoo!

The choir had practice tonight, so I went to that and learned some new songs with them. Every time I see them they are learning new songs! And let me tell you, you guys are in for a treat when they come to the U.S. They are amazing!! So, with new songs, they only learn the words, the steps come later. But, in Uganda, there's no way that you can have songs being sung without some kind of movement. So they go to the extreme! They all break out there own crazy dance moves! All on beat too! Well, all of them except Peter that is. He dances like no one's watching him and like it's the most normal thing to do. But man that kid is out of control!! Vivian and Glory are so cute! They are always standing right next to each other. And no matter what the rest of the choir is doing, they are always doing the same exact thing! They just feed off of each other, A little foot movement moves to arm action, to head bobbing, until they are both jumping and spinning and dancing at the same moment! But when it's a slow song they can always be seen, hand in hand, swinging their arms to the beat. It's adorable!

I played basketball for the first time since I've been in Uganda!! It was really fun! And it was hot out, so I got to work on my tan! Double whammy! Only I had to wear my stinkin' ankle braces. So... I could get a funky tan. Dumb things.

But I have a funny story with the whole basketball thing. I went to the head master at the secondary school to see if anyone was going to be playing basketball today so I could join in. So... he called up the guy in charge of athletics at the school, who was at the fields with the football guys. And apparently a lot of them play basketball. So he told them to come back to the school to play. The next event happened so fast. All I remember asking was if I could play basketball with them every once in a while and then I heard that I'd be training these guys 3-4 times a week! WHAT?!

At the primary school I ask to observe some classes... "Oh, you want to sit in on some lessons? OK! You can come teach next Monday!" (Which is actually happening, wish me luck!) "Oh you want to play basketball? Sure! You're the new coach!"

It's funny how things work here. It almost reaches the point of manipluation. But I don't mind it, it's stretching my comfort zone! And I am actually really looking forward to these new experiences! We'll see what else the Ugandans have planned for me!!