Phase II: Jump on the School Bus!

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Wow, it's been a while since I last updated this puppy, but I'll give you the coles notes of a very eventful past few weeks.

I've not left Tororo with very conflicted feelings. I've grown to love the humble little town that I've called home for a month or so. The people have treated me with love and respect (and curiosity!) and have really enjoyed the simplicity of village life.

A few odd things I'll miss:

-The bats that swoop just overhead and consume those bastard mosquitoes
-The brief fright of walking down a pitch black road (no electricity remember!) thinking you're all on your own until someone smiles at you from the darkness revealing nothing but white teeth ala Alice in Wonderland
-Eating with my hands in mud huts
-Above all: The wonderful people I've met.

Things I won't miss:

-The celebrity of "mzungu"
-internet which takes FOREVER.
-Darkness at 7pm. Oh and that effing rooster that crowed every morning at 3am. I was hoping he'd be dinner every evening.

Sadly, I've become a bit jaded and cynical about the idea of development as a whole. I was hoping to leave inspired and excited about the possibility of further study in this field but the toxicity of corruption, greed that I've witnessed has dampened my optimism. I've learned that "aid" is (often) not the ideal that I envisioned of altruistic individuals fighting to help solve big problems that effect real people. Though I'm sure that is true for many individuals, they seem lost in a system characterized by competition, self interest and prestige.

Since leaving Tororo, I've reconnected with an ambitious team of high school students from Burnaby along with Gabrielle Tambre, a fellow teacher. We've spent time in Kampala getting oriented but have spent most of our time in Masaka and the surrounding villages. In sum, we've been mostly participating in cultural exchange events and visiting schools, orphanages, hospitals and clinics. It is my hope that the students would obtain a unique perspective of the world by meeting and seeing places and people that they might not ordinarily encounter. I have undoubtedly learned more in a week of travel than I would in a year of school. I hope this would be a great start for this impressive group of students.

Along the way, we've had a few days and long bus rides inQueen Elizabeth National Park for some good ol' safariing. Saw lots of lions, elephants, cobs, water buffalo... ya know... just another day 😊. A trip to "Chimp Island" out of Entebbe was good times too! Crap... internet cafe shutting down...

See ya all soon!

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