Link to Article on the Summer Overview (Video to Come Soon!)

Attached is a link to an MGH article, overviewing the progress made this summer on the therapy project. Thank you for all that everyone has done!

https://giving.massgeneral.org/music-therapy/

Days 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, & 35: Wrap Up

July 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, & 11: This last week has been tiring, yet fulfilling. I will not delve into detail on the day-to-day recaps of these days because a) that would take an eternity to write b) honestly, this past week has flown by like the speed of light, and the days have blended themselves together. I am currently sitting in the Entebbe International Airport, waiting to board my flight to Amsterdam, where I will meet my family. This has been the first sliver of quiet time I have had in quite awhile (or when I have had quiet time, it turns into "nap time," not "blog writing time").

     These last days have been full of project continuations, as well as project start-ups. The psycho social program is thriving, and more people have shown interest this past week. Carlos is a music teacher from Columbia and has a classical training background. Noortje brought him over to the clinic and unlike Julio, who used drums and vocals, Carlos brought mini violins and rhythm objects. The kids were fascinated by the violins, and considering that they had probably never heard of a violin, I thought they played well. Carlos greatly enjoyed the session and wants to attend more of them; he is also training Allen, who will be the project leader. I am so thankful that the program has been successful, and it would not be where it is today without the help of so many people who have guided me along the way. There have been countless driving forces behind the project, and I cannot express my gratitude towards these people.

     With three days left before Kampala, we (Noortje, Sarah, and I) began to assemble the supplies for the malnutrition ward redecoration (fruits, vegetables, paints, wall decorations, signs, etc.). Although Noortje and I purchased the materials during my first week, we did not find time to create the end products until these past couple days. I was able to see the painted ward (the baby blue lightened up the dark space, and you can now actually see inside) and the vegetables (we ended up cutting out around 200 pieces of fabric vegetables); however, because the power was out for much of this past week, the carpenter was unable to finish creating the market shelves and signs. Therefore, I was unable to see the finished ward in person, but hopefully, they will finish the renovation this week. The head of the ward is excited about our "market themed" decorations, for she and other nurses can use them to educate patients on nutrition. 

     On my last night in Mbarara, the guest house held a big pizza-making gathering, and most of the people who I have had the pleasure of knowing on my trip were there. The people who I have met have been nothing but kind and inclusive. The expat community has truly gone out of their way to make my stay vibrant, eye-opening, fun, and safe. Without this group of people, there would have been no weekend trips, morning runs, or pizza parties. They have all facilitated my integration into life in Mbarara, and I am so grateful for all they have done.

     I have just spent the last day and a half exploring Kampala with Sarah and Noortje. Kampala is the capital city of Uganda, and it is worlds away from Mbarara, as far as architecture, cars, shops, and food (we three have literally eaten our way through Kampala: green and mint lemonades, Indian cuisine, fish, Mediterranean wraps, and of course, ice cream). In short, I was really roughing it in Kampala, enjoying the palm trees with an iced latte in my hand. When we arrived in Kampala, I kept "ooo-ing" and "ahh-ing" at all of the "modern" buildings (a.k.a. buildings built in the last 20 years) and the paved roads; I could tell the effects that tourism has on the city. It was hard to believe that only an hour plane ride away is the humble town of Mbarara. 

    Today, Noortje and I went on our last run together. It was all through the hilly neighborhoods of the Kampala elite. The run was for sure one that I will remember: I can not move my legs and standing up takes more effort than a normal 50 jumping jacks would. After showering and a scrumptious breakfast (I ate scones, so I figured "scrumptious" is an appropriate word to use) Sarah, Noortje, and I went to the dog shelter, where Sarah and Noortje adopted their beloved dog, Tuscker (they claim it is the smartest dog in the world. . .motherly pride). There were 90 dogs, and many of them had bloody ears and transparent ribs. One would think that after spending five and a half weeks in an oncology center, I would be tough enough to face anything, but these dogs did me in. We left the shelter, Noortje pleading Sarah to take home another dog (Sarah's answer was a blunt "no") and went to lunch, where we talked of nothing but food for the entire meal. This afternoon, we drove to Entebbe and ate our last meal before I headed off to the airport and bid my farewells.

     This entire experience in Uganda has been eye-opening and life changing. Not only have I grown as an individual, but I have learned about and lived in a different culture. From the fundraising early last year, to the actual implementation of the program, I could not have asked for things to play out better than they have. I have met and worked with so many wonderful people throughout my journey; my eyes to the world have now been opened, and I cannot express my thanks in words to all of those who have helped me and the project.

     Stay tune to a video that I will post in August (probably) that was made by the film crew in Kampala!

Days 26, 27, & 28: Video Crew, USB Letdowns, and 'Merica Day in 'Ganda

July 2, 3, & 4: On Thursday, a film crew from Kampala came to Mbarara, with the purposes of capturing the progress that has been made in the cancer ward over the past month. The previous night, I had dinner with them and went over the "filming" schedule, which included a music session, patient education talk, interview with parents, patients, and nurses. We drove over to the oncology clinic early the next morning in their big truck (a rare sight in Uganda), to make sure we set up before patients began to arrive. I found it neat to see how creative this Ugandan media group was. Considering how literal and book-oriented the classrooms are here, it was a breath of fresh air to see these young adults, whose brains function and see life in a more artistic way.
      Not wanting to waste any time, we began filming the session. Julio took out the instruments and handed them to the kids who had arrived when the clinic opened its doors. The camera crew had wanted seven patients in the session, but unfortunately, not enough patients had arrived yet (there were six). We sent Noortje out in search of a random kid wandering in the hospital. Within minutes, she arrived with a smiling, wide-eyed girl, who was eager to be on film. The girl came around and gave all of the mzungas hugs and then went over to the film crew and gaped her mouth open when she saw all of the high-tech equipment. Our "pediatric oncologist patient actress" was not the only person who was interested in the film crew's set up; throughout the session, people passing by peered through the windows, asking what the cameras were for. The patients' eyes were fixated on the screens and microphones. It was slightly difficult to draw their attention away from the film group, but eventually, the film crew was content in that they were able to successfully record the therapy session.

Nurse with Carrie the Cancer Doll

      Immediately after the music session, we tracked down a nurse to run the patient education talk. Although this program will be implemented more-so over the next month, the crew thought it would be a strong addition to have on the video. Earlier this week, Noortje deconstructed a doll (did a little doll surgery), and created what I now call, "Carrie the Chemo Doll." Yes, I was creeped out by the idea and am still skeptical by the doll whose hair falls off and has an IV wedged into her arm, but the patients were entertained with Carrie, and it led to quite a bit of discussion among the nurse, parents, and patients. I urged Noortje to start a side business of making chemo dolls (I have given her a hard time with this doll). The education talk was actually the first one that the ward has ever had, and honestly, I was impressed with the amount of questions that arose throughout the talk. Who would have thought that something this simple and basic could relieve so many "grey clouds" from parents' minds?
     After the education talk, Allen and a man from the camera crew interviewed parents and patients, while I went out in search of a nurse to talk to, as well as a random passerby that could act as a parent. The film crew thought it would be a wonderful idea to have me interacting with nurses and parents as transition moment; I, however, was not so into the idea of having more screen time. If you had asked the little-kid-me to be in a film, I would have died of happiness, but now, a great awkward bubble appears when I have to track down and talk with random people who do not speak my language. None-the-less, I found both a nurse and parent (the parent was completely puzzled throughout the entire interaction) to join me on film. Both were confused because here is this crazy white girl with exaggerated hand gestures flagging you down to be on a video. At least they did a great job acting like they were having a good time!
      Back at Little Woods (a hotel and restaurant across the street from the guesthouse), Julio and I both had our individual interviews about the program and our experiences in Uganda. Between having to deal with the constantly moving clouds, the construction happening to our right, and the lawn-mower to our left, finding periods of time to record the interviews was difficult. It was a never-ending session of asking everyone to be quiet, but once we called it a wrap, I was really glad that we had filmed all of what is happening in the oncology ward because it will be a wonderful tool to use in the future and a momento to fondly look back on.

- - -

      Yesterday, Julio left to return to the States. I cannot express my gratitude towards him, for he really kicked off the psycho-social support program, and he was able to do so in such a short time frame. If it were just me setting up the program, who knows where it would have ended up. . .probably no where close to where it stands now!

      Besides saying goodbye, not too much happened yesterday. The internet was down for the majority of the day (a usual occurrence in Uganda), so blog writing and sending emails was out of the picture. Trying to make myself useful, I decided to go into town and print the inventory and the patient education brochures. After downloading the material on the USB, I made the trek into town, in search of a printing store. It took me twenty minutes of walking around until I saw a sign for the store that Noortje recommended. Once inside, I gave a man my USB stick, only to find that the computer could not read the USB. With no luck, I tried the six other computers in the office. Tired and frustrated, I left the shop, realizing that the only way for the stick to be read is to delete all the existing files. . .I am not about to delete the "existing files." Disappointed in my uneventful outing, I went back to the guesthouse to find the internet still off (going out into town is fun, but it zaps the energy out of you quickly). 

      I am one of those people who is a little snappy *cough, cough, very much so* when upset (trust me, I am working on it, but it surely is not easy!). I retreated to my room to buzz off some steam and the little homesickness I felt. After having some alone-moments reading my book, I acknowledged how stupid I was to get upset over something so trivial as the USB. . .I could easily borrow someone else's (Maggie's mental growing moment. . .I sound like one of those kindergarten problem solvers).

      For the rest of the day, the power decided to take a slumber and shut off, so I devoted a couple hours to reading and the gym.

- - -

      Happy 4th of July! I do not think I have ever been overly excited for this holiday, but today I am feeling the red, white, and blue (I do not know whether it is physically not being in the U.S., or if I have overnight become ten times more patriotic). I began the morning with the expat morning run ritual, in hopes of creating some space in my stomach for all of the eating that was to be done later in the day. I made the mistake of eating breakfast before the run and I definitely did not receive the "runners high" on the run (it was more like "if we don't stop soon, I am going to hurl"). I made it back to the guesthouse without getting sick. . .hallelujah!

      After a catch-up FaceTime call with my parents and brother, I headed out into the city center with Noortje, Sarah, and Ryan to grocery shop for our American-themed dinner. The girls were in charge of making the apple pie (I made the dough) and salad, while Ryan took on the meat. Inside Nakumat (the supermarket for the times when we do not feel like going into the Central Market), we went over to the meat counter to discover that there was literally no meat. There was no frozen meat, no fresh meat, nada. Ryan asked a store employee what happened to all of the meat, and the employee responded, "The meat people and products did not meet the standards." I thought 'Oh gosh, to not meet standards in Uganda means something must have gone really wrong.'

      With the pie supplies, but no meat, we went to the expat complex, while Ryan went to a local chicken farmer to pick up chicken and bacon (must have been a pig farmer too). We whipped up an extremely good-looking apple pie. I tested to make sure all of our ingredients were edible along the way (a.k.a. excuse for dough and crumble eating). When we were finished, we brought the pie up to Ryan's house and played corn haul with the other expats. We were able to find a 4th of July Pandora station to play throughout the duration of the evening. I was horrified by my corn haul skills. The bean bags were flying all over the place and hitting people, and I think over the course of the game, I placed two bean bags on the actual board and none went through the three-point hole. 

      When it came time for dinner, I held nothing back. As Sarah says, "This is 'Merica day, the uncontrollable fat eating feast". . .isn't that Thanksgiving? Oh well, in Sarah's world of eating, there are multiple "stuffing yourself" occasions (I am starting to like this world). I left the compound feeling full and content with my American meal resting in my belly. All I needed was the fireworks and it would be complete!

Day 25: Cutting Vegetables and the Needs Assessment

July 1: Yesterday morning was dedicated to malnutrition-redecoration preparation. This "active task" required sitting at the dining room table for four hours and cutting out carrots, eggplants, pineapples, tomatoes, and corn from fabric (there is now a visible welt on my thumb from the unforgiving scissors). By the end, I could not keep my eyes open. . .who would have thought that an arts and crafts project could be so mentally exhausting? *Maybe my mental strength needs a few more workouts if cutting things is what I consider tough.* Besides the thumb sores, the morning was relaxing and most everyone in the guesthouse used this time as an "in-house work session."
      In the afternoon, Noortje, Julio, and I headed to the oncology ward to perform a needs assessment. While Noortje and Julio were hunting down Dr. Becky, who is always busy, as she is the sole doctor in the cancer center (she is not even an oncologist, but will be attending school in Britain this fall), I created an inventory for the music and art supplies. Allen will use this inventory to make sure that everything is intact and in one place. Once I finished taking pictures and posting them on a document, I joined the others in the office for the needs assessment meeting. When hearing the responses to the questions, such as "How many patients do you see?" and "Do you have a steady supply of drugs?," the difference between the Ugandan hospital and American hospitals struck me. It is baffling that a center can function without a pharmacist. There are three nurses for every thirty to fifty patients. This small hospital serves an area of eight million people. There are so many places for improvement that it is difficult to decide where to start first. It is important that I state these facts not with a pessimistic mindset, but with the thoughts of the countless opportunities for growth. In order for the clinic to thrive, we need to think in terms of positive development. In this next year, the oncology department will hire six new nurses, a pharmacist, and at least one oncologist. Many minor steps will need to be taken in order to achieve the goals, but I do believe that as cancer's prevalence continues to rise, issues will need to be addressed quicker, and more focus will be placed in this department.
      Our meeting ended half-way through the twenty-page assessment, for Dr. Becky had yet another meeting to attend. Meanwhile, Noortje, Isabel (an i-Search student), and I journeyed to (can you guess where?) aerobics. Halfway through the session, the director announced that we would cut the aerobics session short and for the second half, learn Zumba (a workout that involves repetitive dance moves). The Zumba instructor came into the gym with a flat-cap on and Converse, and I immediately knew this "Zumba" would not be for me (an already extremely challenged dancer). Noortje and I glanced at each other when the instructor started playing the dullest music ever and thrusting his hips. For any of you who have participated in a Zumba class, you may understand how important the music is. . .the music makes or breaks the fun of the session: this music was awful. Now, I have taken a Zumba class in the U.S., and I will be honest and say I thought it was hilarious and amusing, but once the Ugandan class started, I knew that Ugandan Zumba was not for me. I made a fast break from the room before I had to start doing the moves, Noortje and Isabel in tow. We retreated to the weights and lasted for about five minutes before we gave up (my arms are not the strongest to say the least)!
      For dinner, I met with a film crew from Kampala, who are producing a video pertaining to the oncology clinic. Earlier, they had come to film the color run, now they will be filming my project (the music and educational components), and later in July, the crew will be filming the visiting doctors and nurses from MGH. The purpose of the video is to show the progress that is being made in the ward and to document these initial progressive stages.

Days 22, 23, & 24: Productivity

June 28, 29, & 30: Although the title of this blog post is "Productivity," Sunday was my least productive day yet. I made the "Sunday as a day of rest" motto a reality. I spent the day reading and watching my pirated movies. The problem with the pirated movies was that two-thirds the way through the movie, the disc would automatically eject from my computer, leaving the ending a mystery. I became quite irritated when "Good Will Hunting" turned static with twenty minutes remaining and when "What to Expect When Expecting" turned out to be a psycho-horror movie (I guess they pirated the completely wrong DVD). With no more movies left to watch nor books left to read, I gave into an early night's sleep.

- - -

      When I woke up yesterday, I felt ten times better and went on a run with Noortje. We discussed what should be accomplished in the thirteen days I have left: 1. Finish creating the chemotherapy-education brochures and posters. Yesterday, I met with the head nurse of the oncology department and asked her what are the most pending problems that are related to a lack of awareness of cancer treatment among patients. After coming up with a list, I began to make the brochures, which will be handed to parents in the form of a packet. In this packet will also be a calendar, which the nurses will write on, showing the parents the days of the clinics and what they should be doing during the weeks. The head nurse was a supporter of the calendar idea because there is currently a lack of organization in the scheduling (it is amazing how something this simple can help so much!).

Current Pediatric Oncology Room

      I learned that in the middle of July, a large group of doctors and nurses from MGH's oncology clinic are visiting and working at the Mbarara hospital. A couple of the nurses who are coming have shown a keen interest in the program that I have started up, as well as in the educational aspect of the clinic. They have emphasized the importance of therapy for patients (especially children), and will work to see that the program is continuing successfully. The nurses also want to contribute to educating the pediatric oncology patients on their treatment, and they wish to strengthen the links between social services and patients' families. We are currently trying to figure out which areas of the clinic require the most help. Tomorrow (July 1), Noortje, Julio, Dr. Becky, and I will conduct a "needs assessment" of the oncology ward, using a universal hospital needs sheet. This assessment will prepare the doctors and nurses who are traveling to Mbarara in July and will give them a little insight into what the ward lacks and how they can best address these issues.

Allen with a Child at the Health Fair

      The second task that will need to be fulfilled is finding a skilled person who is dedicated to coming to the pediatric oncology ward every Tuesday and Thursday to continue the music and art therapy sessions. For awhile, I was worried that we would not be able to find someone who was good with children and who would also be dedicated to coming to every clinic. Today those worries disappeared. While watching Julio and Allen in the clinic this morning, Noortje had the brilliant idea of asking Allen if she would be willing to run the sessions. Allen, the young woman, who has served as the translator for the duration of my trip, is beyond kind, dedicated, and has a profound love for kids (kids gravitate towards her). She has an energy level that never wavers and an admiration for her town of Mbarara. After discussing this option with Julio and another doctor, we all agreed that hiring Allen would for sure be a wonderful step forward for the program. When we approached Allen with the offer, she was over-the-moon and kept repeating "I am so so happy to do this! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Over the next couple months, Allen will attend Skype calls with MGH therapists, so that she can learn the most effective ways to run sessions in the ward. Noortje and I are working on creating a formal job document for Alan, which will list the salary and the tasks that must be done with the job. I could not be happier with this outcome!
      The third and final task is painting and redecorating the malnutrition ward. Noortje and I have purchased all of the materials for our "market themed" renovation, and we just need to find a person who will paint over the walls. We have the templates for our vegetables and chickens, which we will attempt to make out of fabric. Roughly patching up holes in my shirts is about as far as my sewing skills have reached (these poorly sewn patches normally become undone by the end of the day). I am off to go cut some fabric for our chickens (Lord only knows how my chickens will turn out. . .the craft might be a little too ambitious to make, considering my past failures in the "world of sewing").

Days 20 & 21: Health Fair Take Two

June 26 & 27: Yesterday, I had to say goodbye to Natalie and Krista, who headed home to the United States. I would be lying if I did not admit that I was yearning for home a little, but I am sure these next couple weeks will be a blast and will fly by. 

Sarah with her "A+" Lungs

      After eating an early breakfast, I went to the Health Fair in the morning and measured more heights, weights, and waist circumferences in the vitals tent. The location of the fair was the same as the day before, so we just received the people who had not made it on the opening day. There were not as many participants, which was nice because I had more time to walk around and visit the other tents. I also held a lot of babies whose moms were taking tests in the stations. Fortunately, none of the kids went to the bathroom on me, so that was a plus. During the time when the traffic flow was low, Sarah, Krystal, Katie, and I took a few of the tests that the tents offered. We took the pulmonary function test, and let me tell you, it was extremely difficult! When taking the test, subjects have to take the deepest breath possible and blow forcefully into a tube for six seconds (do not worry, they use different tubes for all participants). You would think six seconds is not long, but it is when you have to blow out the air as quickly as you can. I thought I was going to pass out, and of course, everyone was laughing at me each time I failed to blow out for the full six seconds. After five tries, I finally was able to achieve one good test, and the monitor said that my lungs had "normal action." I guess my results were better than Katie's, who was told she had an obstruction (we are assuming this is not true). Sarah's monitor said that she had "A+" lungs, so her lungs were the clear winner for the day, and she was quite happy about her victory.

Typical Ugandan Meal

      The Health Fair managers put together a lunch for all of the workers and volunteers, and it consisted of local Ugandan food. Krystal and I decided we would be adventurous and try a little bit of each food that was offered, for I have yet to try many of the "interesting" looking foods. The first food we tried was matoke, which is the staple food here in Uganda. Matoke looks like a green banana, but is then boiled and mashed up like a potato. The thought of mushed up bananas is revolting to me, but matoke takes it to the next level because there is no sweetness to the starchy food; it is quite bland with a little bit of a bitter end taste. I only took one bite of matoke. The next food was millet, which was honestly the most tasteless food I have ever eaten. It was a sticky paste that had the consistency of dough. Again, I stuck to one bite only. Then, we tried boiled cabbage, and I will admit that it was not bad at all; in fact, it was quite tasty. In Uganda, instead of peanuts, they have g-nuts, which are essentially the same thing. Except, when in the form of a butter, g-nuts do not form a brown mixture like peanuts do. Instead, they form a purple-y mixture that sort of resembles blueberry vomit. In spite of the appearance of the sauce, it tasted almost just like American peanut butter, minus the added sugar and preservatives.
      After lunch, I decided to return to the guest house in the blood car because I was exhausted. I talked with Julio, who had been working with the oncology and psychiatric wards to see how the psycho social program will play out. I was so happy to hear that everything is going better than planned; the occupational therapists in the psychology ward are loving their training, and the patients absolutely adore the music sessions. Moms are asking if there will be music every hospital visit, and they say that their kids greatly enjoy the time. . .it is the highlight of their day! A weight has now been lifted off my shoulders, knowing that the program is off and running, and it seems as if it is headed in a positive direction. There is now a sustainable element with the interest of the occupational therapists, and that is ultimately what I wished for. Next week, we will continue working with the therapists and the pediatric oncology ward (I will make awareness pamphlets and posters as well as participate in the music sessions).
    As night approached, I started to feel a little sick (hopefully it was not from my lunch because everything was cooked, or so it seemed). Because being sick in Uganda does appeal to me, I spent the rest of yesterday and today catching up on work from the U.S., reading, and watching movies. It is nice to take a little rest!

Days 18 & 19: Eggplant Croquettes and the Health Fair

June 24 & 25: Yesterday, we prepared for the arrival of James' mom and Krista (the MGH Development Officer). James, Natalie, and I wanted to surprise both of them with our improvement in the kitchen, so we all set off to the market to purchase items for the dinner menu. James went with Pauline (the MGH Guesthouse keeper) to buy three live chickens, while Natalie and I searched for zucchini. We were set on making zucchini pancakes, but when we went to the market, no one had zucchinis, and when we walked through the isles of the supermarket, the zucchinis appeared as though they were infested with diseases. Funny thing is here, the moment a food goes out of season, not a soul can find that food anywhere. Devastated about our loss, Natalie and I stood in the cheese section of the supermarket for thirty minutes, looking for vegetarian recipes on her phone. We ended up deciding on an eggplant croquette recipe, and thank goodness that there is never a shortage of eggplant in Uganda.
      Once we returned to the guest house, Krista and James' mom had arrived, and we were all surprised to see James (not the most adventurous eater) holding live chickens in his hands. While I was too scared to watch the killing of the chicken (I have previously experienced the murder of a chicken firsthand and do not wish to see it again), I heard all about it from the spectators.
      For dinner, we were hosting over twenty people, so Natalie and I set to work on making our eggplant croquettes (it was a little ambitious, I must say, although the name sounds fancier than the look). After hand mashing eggplants and making handmade breadcrumbs, for there was no masher nor breadcrumbs, we added the rest of the ingredients and placed them in the pan. The appearance of the croquettes was anything but appetizing; however, none were left by the end of the night, hence, we must have done something right (or everyone hid them under their plates). The dinner itself was lovely. Because it was James' last night in Uganda, we had a little celebration and slideshow honoring the work that he has done. I will definitely miss him once he has left, but I bet he is beyond excited to leave me and Natalie, who have filled in the spot as "mom" and "bossy older sister" (these past three weeks have had their fair share of bonding moments for Natalie, James, and I).

- - -

Health Fair

      Early today, Natalie and I headed off for the parish, where HopeNet performs its field work. The organization is holding a health fair for the people of the parish, as a way of saying "thank you" to the villagers for allowing studies to be organized in their homes. There are ten tents, which all serve different purposes (vitals, EKGs, pulmonary tests, blood work, HIV/AIDs testing, etc.), and the participants of the fair follow a procession through the stations. Natalie and I were in charge of handling the kids, and we had planned on making paper plate masks; however, upon arrival, we learned that neither the paper plates, nor the scissors, nor the string had made it to the field. We ended up cutting used cardboard and had the older children draw with the crayons. For awhile, I was holding the cutest little baby. Caught in the adorable-ness of the infant, I started to swing her around and hold her above my lap. When I was looking up at her, she was smiling widely and twitching her eyes. I thought 'how happy this baby is. . .I am so great with kids.' A few moments later, I felt wetness seeping through my skirt, and I looked down and saw a huge puddle of baby tinkle all over my just-washed skirt. 'No, I am not good with kids. . .the baby was just so happy that this horrible, white sitter picked it up, so that it could relieve itself.' I was left with a wet skirt for the majority of the morning.

Maggie's Tinkle Skirt

      In the afternoon, Dr. David, Krista, James, and James' mom stopped by the health fair before Dr. David, James, and James' mom left for the airport. After a tour around the grounds, we bid our farewells, and Natalie and I headed back to Mbarara in the "blood car" (the car that transports the blood tubes). Once in Mbarara, Krista, Noortje, Natalie, and I went into town to buy fabric and ingredients for tonight's dinner. We also stopped in a shoe store, where all of the leather shoes are made by hand and beaded in the store. Because of our fondness for aerobics, we took Krista to the class. She did not bring exercise clothes on her trip, so she ended up wearing her pajama pants. Going into the class, we all did not anticipate the intensity that the instructor was going to bring. Throughout the session, he kept yelling at us to "work harder...move!" During the arms and abs portion, there were definitely some curse words thrown around and mumbled by us struggling mazungas.
      For dinner, we made delicious Japanese pancakes, and we all enjoyed our last dinner together before Natalie and Krista head out tomorrow.

Day 17: Music in the Ward

Music Therapy Session

June 23: The oncology ward held its open clinic today (the open clinic takes place every Tuesday and Thursday). Julio, Allen, and I brought the music supplies over to the pediatric ward, and while they prepared for the session, I went with Noortje to set up a meeting with the psychiatric ward. When we returned to the cancer center, we heard music escaping from the windows of the children's room. In the small room were nurses, a few doctors, and all of the kids and their moms. One of the older patients taught the other children and Julio a local song, and immediately, everyone began to join in. A nurse pulled me over and said, "I have never seen half of these kids smile, and now they are smiling." Adults stopped by and peeked through the windows while the kids took solo moments on their instruments. The one problem we encountered was space! The oncology center has only three rooms (registration room, an adult room, and a pediatric room), and because there is only one room for the nurses to administer chemotherapy to the kids, we had a limited time slot to be with the children. In the future, we will work with the nurses to figure out a schedule, but in the meantime, it was satisfying to see the patients with grins on their faces.
      For lunch, Natalie, James, and I went to Café Arc, which is one of the few restaurants in town that I eat at. Natalie and I ordered quesadillas and James order gnocchi...I think we were the first people to ever order these "worldly" dishes, for it took a good two hours for the food to come out. Natalie and I realized that we had forgotten supplies at the guesthouse, so we briskly walked back to grab the materials (running was out of the picture after eating the quesadilla).

James in the Malnutrition Ward

      At the malnutrition ward, we attempted to make a "Thank You" card for James' mom, who arrives tomorrow, for his parents made it possible for there to be a playroom and an enlarged kitchen for the ward. Our "brilliant" idea was to have the infants stick their feet or hands in finger paint and post them on a large board. Then, we would take a picture of James and the kids and place the photo in the middle. This plan did not go so well. We first poured out a load of red paint, and the kids thought it was blood, so everyone started screaming (not off to a good start). Then, we used blue paint, and the kids were fine until their moms placed their feet in the paint. This lead to more wailing. Finally, we concluded that we had enough hand and foot prints and left the babies in peace.
      For dinner, Natalie, James, Sarah, and I headed over to a restaurant for a cooking lesson. We were making burgers. Once we were all in the kitchen, the chef appeared with his two su-chefs and pulled out the meat. Sarah innocently asked the chef what part of the cow we were using, and the chef's answer made me vomit in my mouth: "the meat 70% cow bone and the rest ground up with flesh." Immediately, I asked if I could make a veggie burger instead...I figured it is best if I do not come down with Mad Cow's Disease while I am in Uganda. By the end of the cooking lesson, I decided that I would not eat out for awhile, and I do not want to see the kitchens of the restaurants that I am eating at. We all went home and ate James' Lucky Charms and Pauline's chocolate cake (that is what I call a "nutritious dinner").

      

Day 16: Witch Doctors, the Alphabet, and Manicures

June 22: After the morning run, I met Julio, who is the (music) therapist from Mass General Hospital. Julio arrived the previous night, and I am grateful that he is ready and willing to set to work. Having no time to waste, I toured him around the hospital before our meeting with Dr. Becky (the head of the cancer clinic). During the meeting with Dr. Becky, we discussed the most prominent problems that the ward is having to deal with. An issue that resonated with me was "awareness of the cancer treatment and side-effects." The effects of chemotherapy are unknown to many of the patients because the nurses, for the most part, are uneducated on the topic. When patients' hair begins to fall out, or they are greeted with nausea in the morning, they become scared and think that the chemotherapy is working against abolishing the cancer cells. In truth, the chemotherapy is fighting against the cancer, and these health related issues are side effects; however, patients are not aware that hair loss and nausea are common among chemo patients, and often, they do not return to the hospital, therefore, stopping their treatment. This "awareness" problem could easily be fixed with the help of brochures for the patients and posters for the clinic, which would depict the process of chemotherapy, complete with the side effects and how to manage the side effects.
      Additionally, nutrition has become a problem with cancer patients, especially with infants, toddlers, and adolescents. Patients lose much of their appetite, and care-takers do not know how to provide edible amounts of nutrient rich and vitamin filled food. This issue can also be addressed in the pamphlets and posters as well; if care-takers are provided with the information about the nutrition for patients undergoing chemotherapy, the likeliness of malnutrition diminishes. Within the next two-and-a-half weeks (my last weeks), I will work to create the posters and brochures for the oncology ward.
      While talking with Dr. Becky, the topic of "witch doctors" arose in discussion. Unbeknownst to many Westerners, witch doctors are ubiquitous throughout much of Africa (mainly in rural parts). When villagers notice signs of illness, they first consult the local witch doctor, whose opinion is highly regarded by the community, and in many cases, trumps the opinions of doctors who practice western medicine. These witch doctors have no professional medical background and will give their clients local remedies. Life-threatening cases, such as cancer, are not curable via homeopathic medicines; people with severe illnesses need to go seek help at the hospital. In order to educate witch doctors on which patients need to visit hospitals, the psychiatric ward is traveling out into rural towns to meet with and teach the witch doctors.
      After the meeting with Dr. Becky, we visited the psychiatric ward. Later this week, Julio will sit with the occupational therapists and join in on a couple of their sessions. Our hope is that we can create a joint affiliation between the psychiatric ward (social services) and the oncology ward. When walking through the ward, we saw the filing room, and let me tell you, you have not seen a mess until you have seen the filing room. There are colored folders everywhere (apparently there is a method to the order in which the files are distributed). Dr. Godfrey (the head of the psychiatric ward) explained to us that the hospital has been given computers; however, the computers do not have the database program, which the hospital needs in order to organize patient backgrounds. If the hospital continues to keep track of patients through a paper and pen system, not only will they need to find more storage space, but it will lead to a greater level of disorganization and inefficiency.

Alphabet for Malnutrition Ward

      During "rest time," Natalie and I bought a large piece of paper and used markers and paint pens to create an English alphabet poster for the malnutrition ward. The reason for doing this was the kids in the ward are missing school, and a few of the older children have shown interest in expanding their knowledge of the English language. James was our cheerleader as we colored, for we banned him from coming close to the poster board, in fear that he would mess it up (he has proven to be quite the reckless chef in the kitchen!). We spent awhile coloring and coming up with foods for the alphabet (for X, we went with Xigua, which apparently is a Chinese watermelon...the kids in the ward will now be learning Mandarin as well). The paint pens leaked a little on the nice table, so frantically, Natalie and I scurried to rub off the paint before it soaked into the table (that took a good thirty minutes to scrub off).
      When we were finished with the poster, we walked over to the malnutrition ward, in hopes of playing with the kids and hanging up the poster. Upon arrival, we learned that the chef was missing, and the chef had the keys to the playroom: we were locked out. I have come to learn that these kind of spontaneous events are called "T.I.A.," meaning "This is Africa." With no access to the materials we needed, James, Natalie, and I decided to venture into town. We bought local fabric for lanyards, and went to a tailor who is currently assembling the lanyards (these are great gifts for our friends back at home).
      After dropping James off at the guest house, Natalie and I went to California Nails, which is the "it" salon in Mbarara. We walked into a small room on the second floor of an old building. The sound of Ugandan pop music was coming out of a small, black TV in the center of the room. We asked for two manicures and sat down in chairs. A woman came over to Natalie and placed a towel around her body, leaving the arms out. We gave each other a look before the manicurist began to lather exfoliating salt all over Natalie's arms (I mean from the finger tips to the shoulder blades). Natalie kept giving me glances, and I could not look for too long because I thought I was going to die from laughter. When the woman poured the salt over me and started to rub my arms, tears started to well in my eyes: she rubbed and grabbed my arms so tightly. She pulled flesh from my arm that I did not know existed, and my arms turned the color of a stop sign...literally, the color of a stop sign. We then moved on to the filing portion of the manicure. The lady took out a knife to file my nails, and it strongly resembled a kitchen knife. As soon as she placed the "filer" to my fingers, I told her that I did not need the filing. The color portion of the manicure was by far the most relaxing part...no welted arms or butcher knives. In the end, the nails turned out well, and it was by far the cheapest manicure, as well as the most painful manicure I have ever received: $3.00.

David's Rockin' Second-Hand Outfit

      At 6:00 p.m. a large group of expats attended aerobics. David, who just arrived from the States earlier in the day, was the star of the session. Earlier in the week, Natalie, James, Noortje, and I went to the second-hand clothing market to buy David an eclectic outfit for aerobics. We bought him a 70's-styled collared shirt, complete with black see-through flesh stripes, as well as a Sponge Bob hat with 3-D glasses. I must say that he came across as the stereotypical American, dad tourist who wears all the wrong clothes while on vacation. He was far from hitting the Paris Fashion Week runways.

Maggie and Natalie Busting Out Some Moves

      Aerobics was as hard as ever, but we busted out some dance moves when some of the American songs appeared on the playlist. During the abs section, I was struggling to the point that an expat came up to me and whipped me with a towel and said, "looks like you're having a hard time there." I consumed all of the calories that I had burned during aerobics at Lord's Bar, where I ate a freshly prepared chicken and chapati (the local form of bread, which is similar to Naan).

Days 14 & 15: Color Run & Lake Buyoni

June 20 & 21: Yesterday was the day of the Color Run. For those of you who have not organized a running race before, let me tell you, a lot of work must go into it. We woke up at the crack of dawn, and Natalie, Noortje, and I piled the supplies into Noortje’s car. Then, we drove to the Mbarara University of Science and Technology’s soccer pitch, and James followed behind in another car. At the field, we set up registration and met with the volunteers, who then headed out to their separate stations at each of the kilometers. We sent the volunteers off with buckets filled with paint powder and water bottles to squirt the powder on the runners. 

      As the sun began to rise, runners started to show up and sign in (a member from the parliament came!). I was in charge of registration and handing out t-shirts to participants. People came in their jeans, skirts, and with their babies (I think there was a mom who came just for the free shirt and left. . .shhh). We made the race free of entry, and it was a walk-in, not pre-registration.
      I had never run a color run before, so I was not entirely sure what to expect. Natalie and I took the "caboose" of the run to make sure that everyone was okay (and so that our shin splints did not murder us). After the first two kilometers, we were covered from head to toe in orange and pink paint. The third kilometer took place on a dirt road in a valley, and because of the recent rain that Mbarara has received, the road was more like a mudslide. Runners and boda bodas were sliding all over (so long for my clean-ish shoes). At the end of the third kilometer stood the red station, and the volunteers at the red station literally dumped buckets of powder over our heads (I am told that the paint is non-toxic, and I pray that it is true because I inhaled a whole lot of paint powder throughout the morning). The red station was at the bottom of an imposing hill, but with our mud-caked shoes and newly-dyed, red skin, Natalie and I began the haul up the hill. We ended up having to stop half way because we were laughing so hard: our shoes felt as though they weighed around ten pounds each, and when the red dye mixed with sweat, it created a mixture that looked like wet blood (we were covered in sweat and red dye aka it looked like we were bleeding all over).
      The rest of the run was filled with laughter and the occasional panting that running brings. We finished the race in a cloud of yellow powder. My time may have been the slowest I have ever run a 5k, but thank goodness I will never have to see the time because in Uganda, they do not time races. Besides the fact that I finished at the pace of a tortoise, I had such a fun time, and it was a special event to be a part of (not many people can say that they have participated in a Color Run in Uganda).
      After the Color Run, I performed the daunting task of washing off my paint-soaked clothes, while attempting not to ruin my bathroom. Because the shower curtain only covers half of the shower and the drain is in the middle of the bathroom, red water ended up flooding the room (great, so now someone is going to think there was a homicide in my bathroom). 

- - -    

Lake Buyoni with James and Natalie

     The evangelist in town has resulted in a massive crowd in Mbarara, and Natalie, James, and I decided to escape for the weekend (it is also their last weekend before they leave Uganda). We piled into the van and drove down south, close to the Rwandan border, to a haven called Lake Bunyoni. Here, the weather is cooler, and the views and scenery are sublime. The lake is surrounded by green, forest-covered hills. Many of the residents here are involved in agriculture, so many of the facades of the mountains serve as farms. 

Natalie and Maggie on the Canoe

      We arrived at Lake Bunyoni close to dusk, so we were unable to participate in any outdoor activities. Tired, we ate dinner early, and while we ate, we were entertained by the interesting and eclectic playlist of the hotel’s restaurant (we listened to “September,” “Toxic,” “Pocket Full of Sunshine,” and “Wrecking Ball”).
     After a full-night’s rest, the three of us (along with Katie who accompanied us on our excursion) set off in a canoe to explore the 27 islands within Lake Bunyoni. Out of the 27 islands, only one is equipped with electricity, and there is another island that has a school and hospital. We visited the island with the school and hospital and hiked around the island. A church service was taking place as we passed the island’s church, so we poked our heads into the sanctuary. The entire congregation was singing to the rhythm of the drums.

      When we arrived back at the hotel, it was time for lunch, and then we set off back to Mbarara.

Day 13: Setting Up for the Color Run

June 19: The menacing grey sky kept me inside for most of the day, but of course, I went on my daily morning run. The running outing this morning was eerily quiet (maybe the rain was keeping the Ugandans inside). When we arrived back at the guest house, there was a checklist of items to retrieve for the Color Run that needed to be completed by the end of day. Natalie, James, and I piled into the van and drove to the center of Mbarara. We had to buy over 30 liters of water, two ten foot poles for the banner, flour to distinguish the route from the rest of the roads, and print out maps and directions. I thought that I was going to drop I was so tired!
      After our long shopping extravaganza, we returned home and made flags, assembled the binders, and prepared all of the Color Run items to go into the cars. Within an hour after lunch, we were all extremely tired and retreated to our rooms for a nap (I might have napped for three hours).
      When I woke up, everyone was still in their rooms, so I wandered into the common room and looked around the bookshelf. I was over-the-moon when I realized that the bookshelf not only had books, but movies too (the majority of the movies in Uganda are illegally burned and sold for $1.00, but hey, they serve their purpose!). I hit the jackpot…being deprived from a single show or video for two-and-a-half weeks was a struggle, but it was probably a needed cleanse for my brain. Pushing all of my “no-video” motivations aside, I ended my video cleanse in that moment: I searched for all of the romantic comedies and snuck them to my room (they now sit in a pile by my bed).
      At five, we drove across the street (yes, drove, because the street had turned into a mud river) to attend a meeting for the Color Run volunteers. We basically just ran over the different stations and how to correctly spray the paint without exploding it all over the runners.
      For dinner, us three kids made good ol’ Annie’s mac and cheese (I will never stop loving this meal), and then we all went up to our rooms for an early night sleep (aka watching two rom.coms.).
      Overall, it was a pretty mellow day; however, it was a rest day that was much needed.

Day 12: Translations Gone Wrong

June 18: Last night there was quite the thunderstorm in Mbarara. At around 9:00 p.m., the power flickered off and did not come back on until 9:00 a.m. this morning. When the power goes out at the guest house, that means that the power in this entire area (including downtown Mbarara) dies. The storm kept me awake for awhile, and I ended up sleeping for only five hours because I had to wake up early to run. On the run, the dirt roads were flooded with trash from the night before, and there were little rivers that ran along the sides. Further into the run, it started to thunder and pour rain, and we even saw a street lamp burst into flames...that was when we decided we should probably head back to the guest house.

Color Run Shirts

     Once in the guest house, Natalie, James, Noortje and I started to fold shirts for the Color Run. The Color Run is a 5k that will take place this Saturday, and it is raising awareness for cancer in the community. There will be five stations at each kilometer, and each marker has a certain color. Volunteers will be at the markers and throw paint powder over the runners. Because of the evangelist that is in town, the route has had to undergo many modifications, but in these next couple days, we are trying to finalize the route and make sure that the volunteers understand what it is that they are doing!
      After folding 150 shirts, we went to the hospital and handed a few shirts out to the faculty and volunteers. Natalie and I then returned to the pediatric oncology ward after lunch with art supplies. Allen (our translator) was with James and Noortje, so we were left with an interning male nurse. We brought supplies to make name tags (complete with lanyards that we had made by a local tailor from a Ugandan fabric). The children were excited, but tired after their treatment. When Natalie and I had finished explaining the project to the nurse in English, the nurse then shouted to the kids exactly what we had said, but he spoke to them in English. They all looked at him with confused faces, and I asked him if he could explain it to them in their local language. Either he did not know how to speak the most common language in Mbarara, or he chose not to. After visually explaining the process to the patients, the children understood what we were making and set off to work. These young kids were fantastic artists! Their elephants and dolphins were far superior to my elementary flowers. In the end, they all appreciated the lanyards and name tags, and these will be useful because many of the doctors and nurses do not know their names.
      Right as Natalie and I were about to leave, the nurse came up to us and asked for our phone numbers. Thinking that he needed them for future questions or concerns, I put down my Ugandan number. Then the nurse asked us to write down our Facebook names. I gave him a skeptical look...the chances that there is a "Mbarara Hospital Pediatric Oncology" Facebook page are slim to none. We both told him that we did not have them. Then, we said goodbye to the sweet children and left the creepy nurse. Thank goodness we normally have Allen to help us!

Making Pizza

      The driver was busy, so Natalie and I had to walk the mile from the hospital back to the guesthouse. I thought I knew the way back, but I ended up going off track for twenty minutes. When we finally found the right path, we realized that we would have to walk through the evangelist crowd. The security line stretched far back, and the sun was beating on our backs. After a thorough pat-down from a security guard, I entered the field. There were so many people waiting for this man...it was crazy. Natalie and I searched for a way through the crowd, so that we could return to the guesthouse. We ended up having to walk through the main crowd, but I can now say that I have been part of an evangelist event (I think that will be my first time and my last time at one of these gatherings).
      Once at home, I took a little nap, and then we headed over to Ryan and Lisa's house to make pizza. Ryan gave us kids the low-down on the chemistry behind making dough and how baking is all about the ratios. We assembled the dough and then wiped down the table (James made quite the mess). After making our pizzas (James stacked four crusts together to make his), we all sat down and delved in. I must say that my tomato, pesto, goat cheese, eggplant, onion, and basil pizza was delicious. We left their house feeling content and full as can be.

Day 11: Strolling in Mbarara

View from Guest House

June 18: We (the expats) started off the day with an early morning run through the dirt roads. Kids on their way to school and adults on their way to work greeted us as we ran down the streets; however, the boda bodas were not so kind and kept honking at us, even though there was plenty of room on the road to share. When we arrived back at the guest house, Natalie and I had a "stretch session," looking out over the hills of Mbarara as the sun rose.

Daniel Kolenda, the Evangelist

      After a breakfast of eggs, mango, and passionfruit, Natalie and I walked over to the malnutrition ward. As we were heading over, we passed a huge field that was filled with men who were setting up a stadium-esque structure for an evangelist who is coming tomorrow. The "Christian Crusade" is drawing people from all over East Africa to this field that is a quarter mile from the guest house. There are posters of the speaker posted all around town, and from the looks of it, thousands of people show up to the event. We might escape to a quiet lodge on Saturday, after the Color Run takes place, for there will be massive amounts of people crowded close to the MGH Guest House.
      The cancer clinic was closed today, so we went to the Nutrition section of the hospital. The malnutrition ward was quiet today, and a lot of the children were having their morning nap. We went into the play room and drew and threw the ball with a couple of the kids; however, most of the children today were babies. We learned that upon the arrival of infant and toddler patients, most patients can not sit up by themselves, so it takes a lot of energy for them to come into the playroom, let alone pick up a ball. There was a five year-old boy whom we taught numbers one through ten and part of the alphabet. This "mini-lesson" gave Natalie and I the idea to make a giant poster with the alphabet and numbers (this will now be our night-time project).
      We walked from the hospital to a restaurant, where we met with a couple adults who work in the psychiatric ward at the hospital. I am going to collaborate with them, so that the cancer center can have a joint affiliation with the psychiatric ward at the hospital. The specialists that we met want to be trained in music and art therapy by a professional, and this is where Julio will help. Julio (professional therapist) is coming next week, and during the lunch we came up with a plan for what we will do while he is here. Ultimately, the specialists will help keep the program running.

Clothing Market

      After lunch we went to the Central Market to buy some vegetables for dinner, and then we headed back to the guest house for an afternoon "siesta." Noortje came by in the late afternoon and took us (Natalie, James, and me) the main Mbararan clothing market, which is basically a handful of tents with second-hand clothing from the U.S. and U.K.. I did not find it hard to restrain myself from searching through the piles of clothes; however, James went crazy in the market when he learned that he could buy soccer jerseys for $1.00. We went on a mission to find the worst work-out clothes possible for the director of the program, David. I think we found some awful looking clothes for David to wear to our next aerobics session: a Spongebob Squarepants hat and a large collared t-shirt with stripes made out of black, see-through mesh.
      For dinner, we quickly whipped up vegetable stir-fry in the kitchen, and after we ate, we had a cookie making/dance party in the kitchen. The only hurdle we ran into was that when we were trying to turn the oven on, we realized that we had to take a candle-lighter and physically light the oven on fire. . .scary. After that little blip, the cooking went smoothly, and the result was delicious cookies!

Days 9 & 10: Bugoye

View from Lunch

June 15 & 16: Yesterday (June 15th), James, Natalie, Sarah, Noortje, and I drove three hours to Bugoye. The drive was absolutely stunning; we drove through rural towns, and the landscape looked as though it was a mix of the Italian countryside and the luscious and steep Chinese mountains. Lakes were everywhere, but with the lakes came more mosquitoes (I am now completely covered in mosquito bites). We arrived at our lodge, which was hidden away on a long dirt road. The buildings in the lodge were composed of reclaimed wood, steel, and other materials. Being the design freak that I am, I spent awhile observing the interior and exterior of the lodge's building. Because of the long drive, most of the day disappeared before our eyes; we spent the rest of the day reading beside the pool because of the unbearably hot weather (but I cannot complain. . .the lodge was gorgeous!). Dinner was served outside, and the rural location allowed the brilliant stars to clearly appear.

- - - 

Little Girl Playing with Puppet

Maggie with a Few of the Kids

      In the morning, we woke up early and drove an hour-and-a-half to Bugoye, which is a town to the north of Mbarara. We first visited the main health center in Bugoye and met with a few of the doctors and expat doctors from MGH. After a short visit, we all drove up the precarious, windy road through the mountains to a small village. Today, three surrounding villages all congregated in this one village for a "health check," which is conducted by local nurses and doctors once every two months. The participants were mainly mothers and children because the males in these communities typically do not believe it is their place to attend these family-based clinics. The group of people met in a large community hall, and after a brief introduction, we set out to work. James, Natalie, and I brought socks for making sock puppets with the younger children. We brought 48 pair of socks, but greatly underestimated the number of kids: there were 150. Some of the kids made sock puppets, but we ended up giving out the socks to the mothers of children who were weighed for malnutrition.
      The kids here take adorable to the next level: there are always smiles on their faces, and they are constantly watching out for each other's backs. While Natalie and I helped weigh the younger children from a scale that hung from a tree, James taught some of the older children the art of the "selfie." Because most families do not have cameras or phones with cameras, the local kids love to see pictures of themselves. After each selfie, we would show them the picture on our phone, and the kids would always meet the photo with high-pitched giggles.

Maggie Trying to Catch the Children in an Epic Game of Tag

      After most of the younger children had been weighed, we headed down to a field that was surrounded by tree covered mountains. James started a soccer game and I started/was thrown into a major game of tag. This tag game was more like "Maggie chasing kids-that-run-record-fast across the field for two hours". . .I think I tagged one kid over the course of the game. By the end, I looked like I had just jumped out of a pool, but the Ugandan kids appeared as though they had just gone for a quick stroll down the block. I had such a great time with the kids, and this moment definitely has become my favorite moment of the trip, so far.

Some of the Children Who Played Tag

      At the end of our time, we all gathered for a picture. The kids followed us to our van, and for a moment, I was scared that they were going to tip us over (so this is what it is like to be famous and mobbed). They all waved goodbye as we drove down the road. These children are so happy with so little. . .there is a lot to be learned.
      I cannot say much about the ride back because I was zonked out, but when we arrived home, we made a quick dinner, and here I am writing the blog now.
      Good day:)

Day 8: Biking Through the Reserve

View from Rwakobo Rock

June 14: I guess the sounds of the wildlife at the Rwakobo Lodge allowed me to fall into a deep sleep, for last night I slept without waking up once (which was a first). I set my alarm for 6:30 a.m. because Lisa, James, and I were going to bike throughout the wildlife reserve. Dressed in my black leggings (girls cannot wear shorts) and cotton t-shirt, I walked to the main lodge, but I did not see anyone. I was positive that we were supposed to meet at 7:00 a.m.; however, my "positive assumption" was wrong, and I found myself with an extra 30 minutes to spare. To scared to make the trek back to my cabin in fear of running into an unexpected visitor (baboon, snake, etc.), I climbed to the top of a big rock and watched the sun rise. The sublime views were calming and soothing, and I (a person who can normally not sit still for more than ten minutes) sat on top of that rock, watching the sun peek over the distant mountains, for the full thirty minutes.

Cow

      When I returned to the lodge, I greeted my biking companions, and was introduced to my bike. So, the bikes in Uganda are a little different than those in the United States: 1. the frames are built for like a 5'4" person, and I am a 5'9" person 2. the brakes are shifted, so that the brake for the front wheel is on the right, and the brake for the back wheel is on the left. Adjusting to these two differences took some time, some back pains, and some falls, but these adaptations made for a beautiful bike ride. We rode on dirt foot paths through cow pastures, and we saw zebra, mongoose, eland, and jackal. I was so fortunate to be able to go on this expedition! The sun was not at its peak for the first part of the ride, and we were pushed along by a nice breeze, and of course, by our pedaling feet.
      By the last hour of the bike ride, the sun had risen quite high, and we were left with all uphill routes to the lodge. Wanting to work off the delicious brownie I had consumed the night before, I made a pact to myself that I would not walk my bike...bad decision. For 95% of the time that we biked up the hills, I was convinced I would pass out or throw up. I moved at like 1 mile an hour on the lowest gear. My feet just moving in thousands of circles, but my bike was moving at caterpillar pace. *I have given up any and all hope that I will become a professional cyclist.* Arriving at the top of the mountain, were Rwakobo Lodge is situated, was one of the best physical feelings in the world. I dropped my bike, took off my helmet (talk about bad hat hair), and ran to my room to shower off.
      After a late lunch, we drove back to Mbarara. The afternoon was pretty low-key: I responded to a couple emails, and I made flyers for Kids' Week. Kids' Week is going to take place next week in the hospital. This is the week when Julio (who is coming on Saturday) and I will be officially starting they psycho-social program. We will  be training the people who have shown interest in sustaining the program. I also packed a couple supplies to take with me to Bugoye, which is where we will be heading tomorrow, and then on Tuesday, we will help in a health clinic. 

Day 7: Rwakobo Lodge

June 13: One week has now passed by, and I have four left to go. The time has flown by, and I feel as though I am finally settling into a daily routine.
      On Saturday, Natalie, James, Ryan, Lisa, and I headed up to Lake Mburo National Park, which is a wildlife reserve an hour away from Mbarara. On our drive, we stopped at the regional cultural museum. We wanted to make the museum visit quick; however, we did not realize that the museum was a tour-guide only. Our "speedy museum visit" ended up taking an hour and a half, for the tour guide went through each and every artifact in the museum room. We did learn some interesting facts about the history in Uganda (brides are carried in a coffin-like structure to their matrimonial ceremony), but I thought that my legs were going to give out. Eventually, Lucas (the driver) rescued us from the tedious tour and told us that we were losing time. We climbed back into the van, and drove to Rwakobo Rock Lodge, where we dropped off our baggage and ate lunch.
      The Rwakobo Rock Lodge is situated on top of a hill that overlooks that vast wildlife land. At lunch baboons were ten feet away from us, and around thirty cattle passed me as I walked back to my hut. My hut, which I had all to myself, was called "Python." So it must seem appropriate that when I walked back after lunch, a huge snake was situated right in front of my door. Without thinking, I screamed, and the snake quickly slithered away. I am not sure where it went. I frantically jumbled the key into the lock, and flew into my room and slammed the door. After catching my breath, I looked up at the thatched ceiling and saw five, giant lizards. I am not too scared of lizards, but I would rather not room with five of them. I also saw many bees and bugs, but I noticed a can of insect kill. To say the least, by the time I had killed most of the bees, the air in my room was probably poisonous, due to the heavy amount of insect killer I sprayed. Knowing that I could not lure the lizards and other insects out of my room, I grabbed my water bottle and went back to the main lodge.
      At the main lodge, the five of us piled into a great big Land Rover safari car. Natalie, James, and I climbed on the roof, while the rest sat in the actual seats. As soon as the car began to rumble down the dirt road, my sweater and arm became tangled in a thorny tree that I had not ducked down for. We saw zebra, giant antelope, mongoose, baby warthogs (my favorite) and other animals. The car stopped at the base of a rock, and we all exited the car and climbed/rock climbed up the rock. The views from the top were stunning. Surrounding us were the sounds of wildlife and views of the green reserve. We carefully slid down the rock (I might have tripped a couple times) and stopped midway. The boys made a fire while the girls prepared drinks. We sat on the rock for a couple hours and watched the sun fade away into a starry night.
      Back at the lodge, I realized that I needed to take some medicine and had to go to my tent to retrieve it. I tried to be mature and keep my cool as I headed back to my hut in the dark, but once I heard the first strange noise, I started to pick up the pace. I have never run so fast in my life. My flashlight was waving around frantically as I sprinted on the long path. I could hear hundreds of noises as I sprinted to my hut and back to the main lodge, and Lord knows what was producing those noises.
       After dinner, Natalie and I were talking about the eeriness of the night, and ultimately, we decided to have a sleepover because both of us (mainly me) were too scared to sleep alone in the wilderness. Thankfully, I survived the night with only a few mosquito bights as a momento.

Day 6: Malnutrition Ward

June 12: Once again, the day started off by venturing to the Mbarara Market; however, this time, manilla envelopes were not needed. Instead, Natalie and I bought liters upon liters of paint, brushes, and cleaning supplies. Again, we received skeptical looks as we walked through the streets of Mbarara with mops, buckets, and fabric. These materials are going to be used for cleaning and redecorating/repainting the malnutrition ward at the hospital, which is currently quite unsanitary, considering the amount of food that is consumed in it. This project will take place at some point in the next or following week. The nurses in the ward cannot express how thankful they are for our time and help.

Central Market

      While we were in the Central Market (the Central Market is where farmers bring their yielded crops to sell at unbelievably cheep prices), we could not help ourselves from buying the avocados (which are ginormous), mangoes, and pineapple. These three foods taste utterly delicious here, in Mbarara...unlike any other avocado, mango, or pineapple I have ever had. For three avocado, three mango, and one pineapple, our total purchase amounted to a hefty $2.50.
      After lunch, Natalie and I went to the malnutrition ward with our translator, Allen. Adjacent to the malnutrition ward is a play-room that was recently donated to the hospital. The room is bright and cheerful, and the patients love to play in the room; however, the room lacked materials to entertain the patients with. In the afternoon, the children from the malnutrition ward come into the room with the nurses. We brought over some of the supplies that I purchased, and the children had such a blast playing with the toys, coloring, and participating in musical games and songs. Most of the patients were younger, between the ages of three months and three years, but there were a couple older children. I gravitated towards one girl who was ten years old, and although we had trouble communicating, I learned that she had a passion for learning English. She read a book to me and then I helped her to write English words out on a sheet of paper, and she drew pictures that pertained to the words. Her desire to learn English was amazing: here is an ill child, who despite her sickness, wants nothing more than to learn.

Malnutrition Ward Play Time

      One and a half hours into the play session, the drums were brought out, and immediately, the nurses started singing traditional Ugandan and African songs. At first, the children were shy, but then they started to clap their little hands along to the beat. The patients began to smile (one young girl had the biggest grin on her face), and some of the five and six year-old patients began to dance (there was one boy who definitely knew how to bust out some moves). People passing by the room heard the music and peeked in through the open window and smiled when they saw the children dancing and clapping. Music is such an integral part of the culture here, and often times, Ugandans use music to define themselves. The nurses and patients all had such a great time, and a few kids even cried when they had to leave for their before-dinner-rest.
      At home (aka the MGH Guest House), Natalie and I attempted to cook a dinner made from the vegetables we bought at the market earlier that day (we were going to make chicken, but once I realized I would have to de-feather it and pull out its intestines, that idea quickly evaporated). We sautéed zucchini and eggplant and boiled a couple potatoes. For dessert we made a mango and avocado salad. The dinner was tasty, and I am excited to cook more!