organize your face

so ugandans speak english so funny. its like they were taught more advance words than simple words. warren - of the bukinga tribe of which im learning part of the language because its what they speak here - says "ORGANIZE YOUR FACE!" instead of "smile!" when taking a picture. HAHA!!!! oh and he also said "ladies should be sure not to wear shirts so short that reveal your umbilical cord." HAHAHAHA

anyway, the internet is slow, sporadic and only on the weekends. havnt gotten to the school yet but we are in kabale, half an hour away. we will go there today. so much has happened so il'l just give you a couple quick stories of all of them.

the markets here are huge, so many fruits and vegetables (and smoked tilapia for mom and dad). everyone here's SO HEALTHY . i feel im eating the healthiest i ever have. fresh fruits huge avocados, jack fruits, passion fruits, bananas and pygmy bananas (haha they're mini bananas!). but yeah, much healthier.

and yes madeleine, the african sunsets are stunning:)

my team is 2 brit girls, 2 brit boys, 2 irish girls, and joe and i, the token americans that get made fun of 24/7. they keep askign us to wear our Bush t-shirts. i just cant seem t find mine. juuust kidding~ on that note i saw a ugandan in Kampala wearing a john kerry campaign t-shirt! hahaha. none of us knew each other before, which i think is much better. its a fun group, lots and lots and lots of laughter.

Edirisa.org is the nonprofit we work with here. it means window. its run by a white man miha the slovenian, whoe married to an ugandan bukinga woman here, a beautiful interracial couple. they have two kids who will grow up spaeking slovenian, bukinga, kiswahili and english. We are staying at their hostel on the weekends because we'll be in town so we cn get internet (our school is half an hour from here and remote remote remote). tehir hostel is 2 bucks a night uSD. pretty dece

it is absolutely beautiful here. the birds are huge and beautiful. it is rolling lush green hills this really is 'the pearl of africa' and 'the new zealand of uganda.' they call whitepeople 'muzungus' . its ilke gringo or haole. hah. anyway might go gorilla tracking in a couple weeks, migtht go to rwanda this weekend to see the genoicide memorial (its an hour away from kabaletown where i am). definately will go to Lake Bunyoni with my group to canoe and trek. giotta be cautious when taking pictures so as not to be disrespectful. tourists often treat the locals like animals or like a peculiar phenomenon in that way. its sad but they just walk right up and snap pictures of them. so i will take sporadic pictures of them but just the ones i come to know. and of course, the kids when i meet them:)

i never want to leave.im sorry but its true, ugandans are so much happier than americans. i mean HAPPY and content if you were to try to explain depression to them they wouldn't even get the concept. i think its because they live in such community with each other. six kids for each wife (haha and six wives for each man.... just kidding, but seriously sometimes). kids everywheer people everywheere. just happy and co0ntent. i never want to come back but i have a fiance at home:) by the way happy five year anniversery today matty!i love you!!!!!!

moral of the story is: its getting better and better here by the day, even though i cant imagine it getting much better...and it just does. i want so badly, actually im a bit desparate, for all you to come here and spend some time with ugandans, work with them and live with them if you can. it sucks cuz you cant possibly conceive or visualize what it is youre missing out on by not coming here and not knowing these friends here in uganda and their simple joy. we debate coming to africa because of money, time, and other restraints. ugaandans just dont operate that way here, and once you get here you will never look back at your life the same way....people always say it about africa its almost cliche. but its true and they're right and you should listen to them! <3

i leave you with..... some bukinga language from the rukinga tribe
aghandi = how are you?
nige = i'm fine
hehe

begin teacher training tommorrow and teaching friday. will update on that next week. much love

Love,
the suz