We then continued walking, and I've known Veronica is building some shops on land she owns so she can rent them out, but today when we walked by we actually saw them building which was pretty cool. It's crazy how we've just been here for fewer than 2 months and have seen so much progress with our own eyes.
These guys also called us over to photograph them playing a game, they called chess-o which was cool. It's on a board that looks like a double mancala board, minus the ends. It is also played with little marble like pieces, but I could not, for the life of me, figure out what was going on. I photographed for a bit and Pelin recorded, but next time I want to ask them to teach me.
Also, it's crazy how common malaria is. I'm pretty sure Mary has it right now, and Saleh had it, and I think this guy Ibrahim, a Peace Corps worker who usually only stays here on weekends, is around now because he has it too. I guess good to know it's not as serious as we all make it out to be (as long as you can afford to treat it).
We've been struggling with power and water- Friday morning we awoke to find we had neither. After Pelin and Kelsey went on an adventure for Pelin to get a haircut and Kelsey to get a dreadlock (which turned out to be 2 in the end), we headed to lunch then Namatala. The ladies were late, but this time it was kind of a good thing. It was game day at Child of Hope, with the grades competing against each other. For those with nothing to do, they had music playing, and all the kids starting dancing. After watching for a bit, Jessica, who loves to dance, decided to join in, and then Marjani and Jack and I joined the fun. Avery and Kelsey came in, too. I can't describe how nice it was to just relax with the kids and have a good time. While they did laugh at us a bit, they would pull us over to dance with them (and to have me take their photos). We taught them some of our dances, and they tried teaching us theirs, though how they can isolate different parts of their bodies so well I will never understand. (Unfortunately, the one day I was in the sun for an extended period of time was the one day I forgot to put on sunscreen and was wearing a tanktop...)
Marjani and Jessica dancing
A photo one boy took of me (but then the kids started fighting for the camera so I took it back)
Kelsey and Avery joining in
I didn't mention, but I wasn't feeling my best either (and I'm sure all that time in the sun didn't help much). I had scheduled to go back to Putti Village (where the Orthodox Jewish community is) and would have cancelled if I didn't know this was the last weekend I'd be able to go.
Avaran (my friend from the Jewish community who has visited a few times at the Casa), came to tell me he was going to change then would come back. Sometimes we have miscommunications, though, as he seemed to think I'd call him to come back, whereas I thought he'd just come back for me. Everyone left and I was left hanging out with Max (Mary's husband/ the security guard) and some of the teachers and kids who hung around... Betty let me borrow her phone and after a while through a roundabout way (calling Shira, the rabbi's wife, to call him) he finally showed to pick me up.
When we arrived Miram, Shira, and JJ (the 3 year old) were there to greet me warmly. Unfortunately, only a small group showed up Friday night, so we had to skip some prayers since there were not 10 men present. It was a nice service though, with great singing. Afterwards, we went and had dinner in Shira and Enosh's house. Unlike last time, when it was all men inside, Shira sat inside this time, so I felt like I was in the right place. Most of the conversation took place in their language this time, too, I think because they are more comfortable having me around. It's funny listening and hearing a few English words and a few Hebrew words thrown into the conversation, so I could often get an idea of what they were discussing, but didn't really understand. Then other times there was nothing I could understand, except maybe a few hand motions, and they would ask me if I could guess what they were talking about. (This happened throughout the weekend)
At some point I figured out that they were talking about the raid on the Entebbe airport by the Israelis after a plane was hijacked and the passengers kept there. I managed to chime into the conversation and asked if they ever saw the movie. They said that they've read about it but have never had a copy of the movie, so I'm hoping to send them one when I get home.
Since I wasn't feeling great I tried to get to bed pretty early. Then, I woke up in what I thought was the middle of the night, and needed to pee (figures since I'd had so much water on Friday). I didn't want to bother anyone, so I tried staying in bed. I also heard howling outside, which I thought was their dogs but was nervous was something else. Finally I couldn't take it (good thing, as when I looked at the clock it was only 11;15 and there's no way I would've made it till morning) and went to leave, but the door was locked and I was scared it would wake everyone when I tried to open it. I heard Miram coughing so I got her and she opened the door (turns out there was no way to do it quietly so I may as well have just done it myself). Anyway it was kind of a restless night with not feeling well, and at some point it poured, meaning pounding on the roof. (Sorry if this story was too much info...)
Saturday morning more people showed, I think around 15 men, 15 women, and around 30 children (I'm still impressed with how the children manage to stay relatively quiet). There was a little girl sitting in front of me (maybe 6 years old?) and I was showing her where we were, following along in the siddur (prayer book) with my finger, pointing to the words, and she was loving watching, though I don't think she knows any Hebrew yet. Yay I made a friend! (Though I don't know her name...)
Since it was Avaran's bar mitzvah, he read the first aliyah (section of the Torah), and gave the dvar Torah (talk about the Torah portion). This one he did in English, which was nice. Like we do at home, we threw candy at him when he was done, and the men danced around with him as the women sang "Siman tov u'mazal tov", a song of congratulations and job well done. I'm glad I got to be a part of it and see how they celebrate here, which is not different from how we celebrate at home. Just like at home, all of the kids ran around collecting the candy we'd thrown and eating it and sharing it.
When services were over and we went for lunch, I knew my place this time, and sat with the women. I was holding one of the babies, Akiva, and then his mom left and left me with him, so I sat and fed him some sweet potato, until I needed to eat so they just put him on the ground. It was weird watching him look for food on the ground. I think he ate a lot of dirt...
The synagogue has more seats now that they got benches (this is an improvement from when I was there 3 weeks ago)
Some of the men played draft, their version of checkers, and then Moses and Yosef (two guys in their 20s I think) decided I had been sitting too long and needed to walk around, so we wandered a bit and chatted about family and hobbies. Yosef told me in a year he'll come to the states and we'll get married since that's when I finish University. It's funny how they just say these things. He also wants me to sing for a recording he's making (he records some music) but I'm not sure that'll happen.
After a while the men had left, so I went over and played some draft with Avaran, finally getting pretty good and winning a few times. It's interesting how the men and women generally sit separately and talk separately. It was a nice afternoon, with lots of just listening, and a few walks, escorting people to go to their homes.
I learned that the woman who died was a woman who was part of Avaran's mother's clan, but not actually his grandmother. Apparently, also the same day, a young boy died suddenly, they are unsure why. This is the third child of that mother's to die of unknown cause, and it was her last living child. It's terrifying and incredibly sad that that can happen. Apparently the custom here is to give some money to the family who is affected, as many visitors come to mourn with them, but they become a burden because the family must then feed them but cannot always afford to. The money also helps to pay for the coffin, which is another burden on the family. For some reason Shira thought that westerners are scared of death, which I guess we are, but not in the way she thought. She seemed to think I wouldn't attend a funeral or visit the family, but I told her I have done all of that at home. It's often interesting what we are told of one another. (Another misconception that Yosef told me was that no one in the states lives on farms, they all live in cities and just go to the farms to work).
Sorry to suddenly switch topics, but they also spent quite a while discussing my hair and their hair. They told me the only way for them to have long hair is with a weave, which is nice since they can change it easily, but they wished they could grow long hair like I do. With how dry my hair has become out here, I think I see why theirs doesn't grow long.
As evening hit, Enosh and Shira were out, so I spent time with Miram and the kids. One of the boys was putting together a folder for his school work. It was interesting to see how he had bought the individual pieces to make a binder, instead of buying the expensive completed one. We then brought out the draft set again, and I beat Miram at her own game, as she said, the student beat her teacher. It was a nice evening, they brought out the radio and we listened to music as we sat around chatting and watching people play. The kids also took my camera and tried using it (it's easier in smaller groups like this).
Miram, me and Avaran
A bunch of the kids (Mose, Moses, Avaran, Raquel, JJ, Aharon, and I forget the last one's name...)
Sunday morning Shira talked to me about how I am like her sister and she must take care of me while I visit her, so if she ever comes to visit I will take care of her. She kept telling me how I should feel at home and my parents should be comforted that I have another home out here. She also sent a gift for me to give to my parents. She took a picture frame off her wall, took out the picture, cleaned it off, and told me I have to give it to my mom. (sorry to ruin the surprise) Maybe we'll send a picture frame back for her to put that picture in.
On our way back into town, Avaran and I stopped by Tarphon's house (another member of the community who was unable to make it out this Shabbat), and I got to meet his wife, Ruth, and daughter. They were recently married and gave me a bencher from their wedding. Ruth is from Nairobe, where they apparently have a much bigger Jewish community. I had no idea and would be curious to go sometime. When I asked her how she likes it out here, she said she's getting used to it (but didn't sound so enthused, it must be hard to leave home). Tarphon is in the process of translating a movie someone made about their community, which I hope to get a copy of when it's finished.
Thankfully Avaran had said we'd leave at 8, since we ended up leaving at 10, and then finally at 12:15 I said I really needed to leave Tarphon's and get home. (I also really wasn't feeling so well).
Back home we went to the pool, where it turns out they're having troubles keeping it clean so they raised the price from 6,000 to 35,000... aka we won't go there again. Thankfully we didn't have to pay and could just sit and order food and drinks instead.
Then Jessica and I had to do a quick turn around back to Namatala to visit Veronica. She was expecting more of us, but unfortunately everyone else was busy. Betty (a worker at Child of Hope) was there, which we hadn't expected, and another teacher, Ronald, came. While we waited for Veronica to prepare food (we'd hoped to just come take photos of her family and leave but that's never what happens), we went with her daughter, Shakira, who showed us their land and the kids, and we saw how they make bricks and she taught us to use a hoe. Then we played some hand games and marbles, and Shakira taught us this thing kind of like a handshake but with your feet. It was fun but confusing, Jessica got the hang a lot better than I did.
Digging
Playing marbles
Foot game with Shakira
When we went back, Veronica had made us spaghetti with butter and salt (yum!) and a delicious mix of irish (potatoes), matooke (starchy banana things), tomatoes, onions, and herbs. We had a nice time but were anxious to get back to do our work that was due Monday.
We were still having trouble with power and water, so we worked a while at Mount Elgon Hotel (despite the annoying pool prices). It's like at the beginning again, when power went on and off pretty often.
Yesterday I really wasn't feeling well most of the day, and it was a pretty normal work day. We did decide that for our last half week we're going to a group of Islands in Lake Victoria to relax and have a vacation (we'd tried to find cheap safaris but they were all booked and this seemed simplest and like a nice ending).
Then since I wasn't feeling great I tried to get to bed early.
I know it's a fast day, but since I haven't been feeling well I've decided I probably should keep drinking water, just stay away from snacks. I'm feeling much better today but don't want to risk getting sick again.
צוֹם קַל to everyone fasting.
It's crazy how quickly everything is wrapping up and we're getting to the end.
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