Welcome! Agandi?

It has officially been one week that Daryl and I have been in Uganda! We arrived here last Friday half past 10 o'clock at night at the Entebbe airport and then stayed at Entebbe Backpackers before walking up the next morning and getting a ride through a friend to Ishaka, where we would spend the rest of our time here for the summer. On the way, however, we stopped at the capital, Kampala, where we were able to see how busy and congested the city was. It was a big difference compared to our final destination of Ishaka, where there is bountiful land and small shops and stores that line the roads before Ishaka Adventist Hospital grounds. This place is where we will be staying at the Medical Director's house on top of a major hill, where anyone can see the rest of the small town of Ishaka. Even though a week has not been long enough I feel as if I have gotten a taste of the food, customs, and language here. Everything in Uganda is slowed down to a much relaxed pace compared to the fast scheduled atmosphere of America. When someone here in Uganda says they will arrive at, for example, 2 o'clock that person really means he or she will arrive between one hour to two hours later. As well there are so many different names for different types of food. For example there are many types of banana, which have different tastes and uses. There is matooke, which is one of the staple foods here and is eaten almost at every meal. But there is also gonja, which is a regular ripe banana, and also "sweet bananas", which are mini bananas that are super sweet. Lastly for the languages spoken here there is a hierarchy that can be used depending on where a person is at. English is at the top for international use, Swahili is then next, then Luganda (which is a uniting national language), and lastly the local dialects, which in Ishaka is runyankole. However most people here speak their native dialect. We are also just getting started with the research that will be done here and have only been able to go to one site or village for sensitization with the Ishaka Health Plan, which is the group we are working with, but I am looking forward to this coming week!

 

This is a view from on top of the hill of where we are staying at and we can view the town of Ishaka below.

8,000 Miles from Home with No Cheese in Sight

Hello from Ishaka, Uganda! Alex and I have been here for one week now and are loving it. We have been working both in the Ishaka Health Plan office and in the field this week, but we have also had time to explore Ishaka and the neighboring towns in the meantime. Since we will be working closely with IHP this summer to conduct research regarding community-based health insurance, the staff have been showing us the ropes in Ishaka and have taught us so much already.

Ishaka Health Plan staff and field workers: Susan, Kyankwenge, Susie Acuff, Kakunta Daniel (IHP scheme manager), Daryl Stephens (me), Alex Boss, and Elisa. We have really enjoyed getting to know the staff this week and have learned so much from them about the language and the culture. We know they will really take care of us when Susie is gone!

The view from the guesthouse at the top of the hill- below is the Ishaka Health Plan office and more of the hospital campus. Unfortunately, this picture does not show how big this hill actually is- nor does it show the crazy owl that supposedly attacks people as they walk up at night. Still, gotta love the view!

As we were leaving the village of Nyakashebeya after a sensitization about the Health Plan, many of the children from the school (who had patiently been waiting outside of the gate for us) decided to chase after the car to say "bye" to their guests. Some of them made it pretty far, but I guess it's not everyday that you get to see a muzungu (white person) in the village.

We had a "day off" on Friday to explore some of the places we will be going for our retreat in a few weeks, and we just casually saw some elephants chilling by the side of the road. Life in rural Africa is pretty great when you get to see such amazing sights as this.

And finally, the view from our abode- known here as the Medical Director's house. Bushenyi and Ishaka are beautiful, and I am so grateful to wake up and see this every morning (it is really hard to not wake up with all of the goats, crows, roosters, and even a donkey making noise early in the morning, but then again, it's all part of the package!).

(Ana- left, Amaka- right)

Boa noite, friends and family! This post will hopefully show you just a bit of how great Floripa has been! It's strange that we've only been here a few days, because it already feels like a home...but Amaka, Ana and I love it :) We start our lab work next week, so for now we're just exploring. I'll write a longer post giving more details soon, but for now- enjoy the show!

My first flight from Dallas to Miami! I think I heard English only when they gave the first set of safety directions. The Sao Paulo and Florianopolis participants all met in Miami to fly to Sao Paulo together.

 My first EVER international flight. It was definitely the largest plane I've been on. Have you seen the commercial with the toddler that comes and apologizes to the woman for "repeatedly kicking the back of [her] seat?" Yep... it was right.. doesn't happen in real life. Luckily the little soccer player/drummer behind me and I had the same sleep schedules! (PS- the food isn't bad)

Every seat had a TV for entertainment; I watched a little of Whoopi Goldberg Presents: Moms Mabley. 

 Landing in Florianopolis! The picture almost does the colors justice, and the mountains- much greater in person! Perfect weather. 

 This is our pousada-- a lot like an apartment anywhere else. Let me just tell you though, the best part is the view!

 This is right outside.. no more than 30 steps to where Ana is standing! It's part of the Lagoa da Conceicao.

 This is the jar we thought would never be opened. We tried hot water, cold water, knives (we were careful, don't worry), banging it-- all of the girls gave up! Luckily, our landlord Duilio is right upstairs. This is the kind of thing in the rental agreement right? Opening jars? He is basically the strongarm around here, and so nice!

 All of the walls around our pousada are covered in great art like this!

 This is just a short walk from where we live! This is more of the lagoa and you can even see the place we use (dark blue sign) to buy cheaper fruits and vegetables (1.69 reais per kilo... just put anything in the same bag for weighing)

Today we went to the mall to buy our Brazilian phones-- this is the view from the food court! (get your stuff together Galleria and Northpark) Can you see the McDonald's reflection in the first photo?

 A better view of part of the Lagoa from the top of the hill. Just past that is the ocean (whited out a bit)!

 Here is another view--you can even see our pousada in this one! Can you find it? The sand dunes on the other side of bridge are a visit for the future... more on that later! - Elizabeth

Eu amo Belém!

(Photo: view of the city from Belém Soft Hotel)

Teera and I have been in Belém less than a week, and have already been exposed to new people, ideas, and culture, rich in history and pride! The introduction we received to our visual psychophysics project was thorough and allowed us to dive right into our work! The instructors have been extremely helpful, inside and outside of the laboratory, providing us with tips on how to be successful in our work and gain the most from this invaluable international experience.

Belém is a beautifully warm city, with a historical culture and extremely hospitable residents. As an American, I felt welcome in Brazil the moment I arrived at the Brazilian airport in Rio de Janeiro. My Portuguese is limited compared to the natives, but they have made me feel very comfortable communicating in Portuguese, which has already helped me to expand my dialogue significantly.

Since arriving in Belém, Teera and I have submerged ourselves into Brazilian culture, enjoying native dishes such as picanha and pão de queijo, listening to native music, and more importantly, watching fútbol! The neighbors around our temporary residence are extremely pleasant, and love to talk with us in Portuguese and in English, sharing tales of their country and suggestions on sites to visit. We have already begun collecting data for our research project, with plans for completion well before the end of our stay. Our time in Belém, Para is already shaping up to be wonderfully irreplaceable and I am truly honored to participate in such a life-changing experience!

Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now

The title of this post seemed apropos to kick off this year's MHIRT student journeys. The saying is also the title of the first book of essays by Dr. Maya Angelou, who the world sadly lost yesterday. Dr. Angelou got this title from the chorus of an old gospel song that went:

Well, I started out travelin' for the Lord many years ago,
I've had a lot of heartache, I've met a lot of grief and woe.
But when I would stumble, then I would humble down,
And there I would say I wouldn't take nothing for my journey now

As you all set out on your life-changing adventures, know that while you may experience - as the song says - some heartache, you may meet grief and woe, and you may stumble, it is important to remember that all of these things are important parts of your journey. Some days you will be filled with awe. Some days you will be overwhelmed by both the beauty and the poverty that surrounds you. Some days you will be frustrated. Some days you will be homesick. Some days you will be inspired. Some days you will be excited. Some days you will be confused. Some days you will be humbled by the kindness of strangers. Your worldview will change. You will learn new things about research. You will learn new things about yourself. You will learn what patience truly means. You will make memories and friendships that last forever. You will be sad when it is time to return to the U.S. You will definitely learn new things about soccer!

Trust that no matter where you are on your journey, that's exactly where you need to be.

When you return, if someone were to ask you if you would trade this experience for anything in the world, I promise you will say "I wouldn't take nothing for my journey now."

I will leave you with one more quote from the incomparable Dr. Angelou

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends." -Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now (1993) p. 12.