(N)emey

7/21

Some members of my group have come down with something but are still able to work.  I, fortunately, have dodged that bullet so far so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can make it through the next 5 days unscathed.  Work was great until the last 30 minutes when it decided to downpour for 45 min. and the rooms flooded!  Rain is like a blizzard here. Literally no one goes anywhere when it rains.  So we had about 15 bodies crammed into one and a half rooms.  We fed them bananas for a snack...worst. idea. ever.  The room stuck like rotting bananas for about 2 hours.  As usual, I channeled the “Dorcas” side of the family and was running around trying to make sure all of the electrical things were off the ground. We got everything cleaned up quickly after so it wasn’t bad.    

We didn’t know if our language instructor would show up but lo and behold, in waltzed Ali Said in his black cap, Tom Selick moustache, and blue aviator shirt at 5:47pm.  So the learning continued.  I can officially put sentences together! Tu liku ega Lusoga mangu mangu.  (We are learning Lusoga quickly!)  I am actually quite impressed with Ali Said, our teacher.  He, apparently, was also impressed by how quickly I caught on and said that he hopes I come back so I can continue with my Lusoga.  Sorry Mom! :)   We learned that the letter "n" is the most difficult letter because it changes the sound of the word in a very irregular way.  For instance, "n" (the sound as if you were saying "never") is the personal pronoun "i."  But when you want to say "I am" (N Liku)  it actually sounds like "n diku."  Weird.  Hence the title for today's post which Tara coined yesterday (Tara I'm giving you credit for this ingenious pun!) It is quite an easy language to pick up and I’m really glad that we’re taking the lessons! 

Saturday we were supposed to go to the blind/deaf school to do a project with the kids but it got moved to the following Saturday.  Instead I’m going on an ATV tour through some villages and Bujagali Falls; I’m really looking forward to that.  Then packing and off I go on Monday. I better enjoy my last days here! 

I love their carved doors here!

Internet cafe. 

Jack Fruit: tastes sweet but the texture is like seafood or squid specifically.  I couldn't choke it down.

FLASH FLOOD!!

Tara freaking out in the corner because we were trying to move everyone into one room. MASS CHAOS! Polly and I tried to move what we thought was a cardboard box until we saw a baby under a bunch of blankets on there! It was so funny! Thank God we didn't pick it up too high!