Here I am with two other Peace Corps volunteers in the Rwenzori mountains! My travels with other volunteers this school break really made me think!
Last week, I had an incredibly large Indian dinner with two other peace corps volunteers in Kampala. Don't worry, this does not happen often! Besides the roast lamb, cumin sauce fish, and chicken tikka masala, complete with paneer, rice, and great cheese appetizers (who said that I would be starving in the peace corps?!) there was some interesting talk about our lives and service. The two volunteers work as teachers in rural areas and don’t come to town too much. One talked about his previous service in Kenya. He, an engineer volunteering as a secondary teacher, spoke fondly of his previous village, where he taught and gardened, much like he does now. He experienced that ideal service deep in the bush with no power and water, relying only on his humble radio for BBC and quarterly letters from home. Really engrained into the small, dusty community’s day to day life, he said “At first I was bored, but then I experienced a kind of nirvana, where everything became very interesting.” This is what I expected from Peace Corps. To really enter into the mundane, difficult, but natural and peaceful day to day, hand to mouth life of rural Africa.
Last week, I had an incredibly large Indian dinner with two other peace corps volunteers in Kampala. Don't worry, this does not happen often! Besides the roast lamb, cumin sauce fish, and chicken tikka masala, complete with paneer, rice, and great cheese appetizers (who said that I would be starving in the peace corps?!) there was some interesting talk about our lives and service. The two volunteers work as teachers in rural areas and don’t come to town too much. One talked about his previous service in Kenya. He, an engineer volunteering as a secondary teacher, spoke fondly of his previous village, where he taught and gardened, much like he does now. He experienced that ideal service deep in the bush with no power and water, relying only on his humble radio for BBC and quarterly letters from home. Really engrained into the small, dusty community’s day to day life, he said “At first I was bored, but then I experienced a kind of nirvana, where everything became very interesting.” This is what I expected from Peace Corps. To really enter into the mundane, difficult, but natural and peaceful day to day, hand to mouth life of rural Africa.
Two weeks before that, however, I was swimming with some other volunteers (again, where is the suffering we planned). I spoke to one who spends much of his money on his internet modem and The Economist. He is able to connect his community and organization to many outside resources, and has started a big plastic recycling project. He is also learning French for two hours a day and really preparing himself for his future career.
At one extreme, I would like to completely just dwell in my community, which I did for my first three months here. Gardening, having five hour conversations with people, introducing myself to every one, walking everywhere, and drinking a lot of milk tea—it is a kind of mundane bliss. On the other extreme, I need to prepare for my future career and bring new ideas and resources into my organization and community. What I hate about this is that, to be successful, I cannot be fully in one place. I must be a bit here and a bit there. I need to finish my master’s international research while doing programs in my community, while teaching at the school, while preparing for my future career, while communicating with people back home. I am finishing my master’s, researching the funding strategies of private vocational schools in Uganda (which is more difficult but also more interesting than meets the eye). I have decided to apply to the foreign service when I finish peace corps and am now reviewing for that while re- learning Arabic, which requires some studying (thank goodness for solar power, a mini laptop, and Rosetta stone). I also want to be in shape, and am doing daily jogs/ bike rides (No, sorry, but despite that Indian food, I can still only afford one plane seat home) I must also, however, continue learning Runyancore and spending time with people in my community. I am teaching three courses (life skills in two schools, business class with three different classes, and computers) leading three after school activities (drama, writing club, and debate) organizing three community groups with a sister (men’s group, farmer’s group, and group for parents of disabled children), organizing one health seminar for both schools, doing administrative work at Mazzoldi, and, of course, enjoying the prayers, meditations, and mass at my convent and parish. Whew! I am now a bit serious about life, work, and the future. I’m sorry to say that I am moving pretty fast (despite the dusty, crowded and slow taxi system) and am not experiencing a bored nirvana. Contrary to popular belief about peace corps, I am not sleeping a lot nor am I laying out on any beaches—I, however, have to remember to fully enjoy this experience, not letting the busyness make it pass too quickly!
At one extreme, I would like to completely just dwell in my community, which I did for my first three months here. Gardening, having five hour conversations with people, introducing myself to every one, walking everywhere, and drinking a lot of milk tea—it is a kind of mundane bliss. On the other extreme, I need to prepare for my future career and bring new ideas and resources into my organization and community. What I hate about this is that, to be successful, I cannot be fully in one place. I must be a bit here and a bit there. I need to finish my master’s international research while doing programs in my community, while teaching at the school, while preparing for my future career, while communicating with people back home. I am finishing my master’s, researching the funding strategies of private vocational schools in Uganda (which is more difficult but also more interesting than meets the eye). I have decided to apply to the foreign service when I finish peace corps and am now reviewing for that while re- learning Arabic, which requires some studying (thank goodness for solar power, a mini laptop, and Rosetta stone). I also want to be in shape, and am doing daily jogs/ bike rides (No, sorry, but despite that Indian food, I can still only afford one plane seat home) I must also, however, continue learning Runyancore and spending time with people in my community. I am teaching three courses (life skills in two schools, business class with three different classes, and computers) leading three after school activities (drama, writing club, and debate) organizing three community groups with a sister (men’s group, farmer’s group, and group for parents of disabled children), organizing one health seminar for both schools, doing administrative work at Mazzoldi, and, of course, enjoying the prayers, meditations, and mass at my convent and parish. Whew! I am now a bit serious about life, work, and the future. I’m sorry to say that I am moving pretty fast (despite the dusty, crowded and slow taxi system) and am not experiencing a bored nirvana. Contrary to popular belief about peace corps, I am not sleeping a lot nor am I laying out on any beaches—I, however, have to remember to fully enjoy this experience, not letting the busyness make it pass too quickly!
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