Uganda!!

short on time, but here are a few pictures. Will post muuch much more later when i have a free moment and a fast internet connection (internet cafe's are horribly slow and costly).

3 of 7 of my homestay siblings. I have been living with them in luweero for about a week now. they are trying to fatten me up i think. feeding me lots of matoake (a very bland banana) and rice, beans, cabbage, beef, ground maize, spaghetti, etc etc etc. they are awesome and are teaching me lots of luganda (my local language)

this is the sunrise in kampala at the hotel we stayed at. sorry, wish i could show you more...stay tuned....love you all

tuna laba gana (we will meet again)

last night at home...

...popping the cork for the packing party (no, not andre...they splurged on me ;)



3 hours later...

....and many tough decisions (ie: washing hair and shaving with bar soap for the first 3 months) but i am a half a pound under the 80lbs peace corps limit! (does not include 25lbs carry on bookbag)

Packing...

So if you're wondering what one takes to africa for two years see below (there's another pile of clothes on the other side of the room):

p.s. - jenny: if you look center-top-right in the middle of the picture frame - that's the shamrock ;)

From Big Easy to Big Rumble

I've got a lot of very overdue thank you's to take care of before I take off tomorrow. the many friends and family who have made leaving so much more difficult but have given me many memories to lean on while I'm in africa.

First of all the many goodbye trips and parties....my brother and kevin for an unforgettable trip to new orleans. Just a quick run down of our weekend from a music perspective follows: dirty dozen and rebirth brass bands on night 1, galactic side project night two (with the great souls from florida and the first of two neville's we'd see), russell batiste funk project on night 3, and some kickin swing jazz on night 4...after meeting the rocktometrist and my new pen pal missy :) and that's just the music we saw, we'll leave the unmentionable events to rest.

Going way back to october thank you to terence, melissa (brandon - gl with your new bunk bed partner), the flea band (and company), and the lowboys for an awesome pre-going away going away party....you guys are the best. oh and jerry for kickin it late night and finishing our task at hand, how'd that happen anyway?

The fred crew for a fiasco filled weekend starting in richmond....jesse thanks for not stopping completely at the bus stop, raymond for making it all the way down from pa, and tom for providing that good ol' hetman face in many pictures and the worst planned move ever recorded, and rick for, well being rick....and everyone in fred for a great night, and for going out swinging - stay classy fredericksburg. i'll miss you guys especially and will sport the craziest socks ever in africa. also kelli (also for your great letter [which i packed]), april, and the howards for fattening me up before i leave, don't hog all the goldfish savannah...send some my way.


I can't thank you all enough, and I'm sure i forgot some people but there are just too many great friends to mention. I sincerely hope to keep up with you all while I am gone, and your letters and pictures will make the time away so much easier.

Some other thank you's i need to send out are to those who made leaving (well-prepared) possible: aunty in seattle for the last minute items and St. Philip's for your unbelievable support both before I leave and hopefully during my service. Finally my parents for their consistent support throughout this whole process and for tying up many loose ends this last week and beyond - I can't thank you enough and love you both tons.

love y'all, see you in a couple years.
-eric