An update from Kampala

Okay so my updates have been few, far between, and slim to no information. But things will improve, i promise. I am halfway through training in a small town near Kampala, which has one internet cafe - and it is gut wrenchingly slow. They also frequently lose their internet for various things like loss of power, losing connection, or my favorite - when someone steals their powerline during the night.

So thats the bad news. The good news is that I just got my site assignment for the next two years this week! I can't say exactly what village it is (peace corps policy) but it is essentially in the outskirts of Kampala. I went and checked it out today and the school is gorgeous. It is a secondary school with about 700 kids (s1-s6) which is about age 13-20. I will be teaching the younger ones (s1-s3) in physics and some other math classes. I will also probably be helping out at the primary school right across the street whenever I have time.

I will probably only have 4-5 classes a week, which will leave me time for other things. Oh, and the reason i say my communication will get better is that the school has a computer lab setup with internet! so no more 30 min sessions in the Kampala internet cafes (which take a dsl connection and run them through a switch to feed about 30 computers). So starting in mid april (when I swear in officially as a Peace Corps volunteer) I will then move to site - and will have about a month until the kids are back in school for their second term of the year.

Also....I found out that my house has a toilet, running water, electricity, and a privacy wall with a gate. So for peace corps standards I will be living pretty good. The toilet is a huge relief as my pit latrine squatting muscles (quads) are definitely not what they should be.

Another plus about my site is that being in Kampala I will be able to travel very easily - especially to the southwest towards rwanda and tanzania which is gorgeous and mountainous. The taxi parks (google Kampala taxi parks....its quite a site for american eyes) have small minivans (which i have seen up to 23 people piled into - me included, but i hear they can fit even more) that will take you essentially anywhere in the country for a resonable price. about 2 dollars per 100 km's....if my math is right. 4000 shillings can get me to my training site in 2 hours - and we're exchanging the dollar at about 1700 shillings right now.

so we have now entered the rainy season here....still on the front cusp - so we will continue to get more rain each day until it peaks in about a month, i think, then the rains will slow for about a month then another dry season. Right now we can pretty much count on a 3pm thunderstorm each day, which is great for cooling down the afternoons. Last few nights it has rained consistently throughout the night - i know this because i have no ceiling in my bedroom, just a tin roof. but i'm not complaining...its a great steady sound to sleep to.

so i'm down to 4 mins...i hope i have answered some questions and will try to get another update soon, with pictures! - forgot my camera cable today...doh. and if you're not satisfied...hold your britches...things will improve when i get to site as i will have much much more free time (pretty much have training from 8-5 mon-sat, then 2 hours before dark, which i am supposed to be home before....and i will have internet close by!

miss you all.

Much love from Africa,
Eric