A Full Week of Info: Super Long Account :)

Hello from Uganda!

Much has happened in the past week and here is my super long account of it:

NYC

After the hard goodbyes at XNA, Lanie, Rachel, and I boarded the tiny plane out of Arkansas. Lanie described Rachel and I as “a bunch of five year olds” due to our excitement of being on a plane for the first time (I was on one when I was six, but do not remember it). After a connection in Charlotte (which introduced me to a “real” airport), we flew into NYC. Because of the side of the plane on which we were sitting, I saw Lady Liberty and Ellis Island as we flew over them. Beautiful. We went to Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Jekyll and Hyde Club, Chinatown, Central Park, Top of the Rock, F.A.O. Schwartz, American Girl Store, Lego Store, and M&M store. Pretty much amazing, pictures on FB. Navigating the subway system was an adventure in itself but we managed to get where we needed to be. Of course, I got to visit my school, Fordham, where I will go in as a Freshman in August. It was amazing and I can’t wait to live there for 4 years! The girl who was graciously showing me around is in the BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) program in the dance department. She took me inside the Alvin Ailey studios where they have classes and rehearsals. It is a BEAUTIFUL studio overlooking Manhattan. We stayed at the Pod Hotel which was awesome. It was small but “hip and metro”. Rachel and Lanie bought a small gnome (like the Travelocity gnome) and took pictures with it all throughout NYC, it was funny the kinds of places they put him.  

Traveling

Monday night, I packed up my suitcase again and we headed for JFK. I was worried about my luggage weighing too much or that they weren’t going to let me bring certain things (like the wonderful snacks my dance girls gave me) but they never said a thing the whole trip. Lanie helped me navigate the airport and eventually I made my way though the very crowded security and to my gate. The plane, Airbus 280 with Emirates, was much more comfortable than the others so far, which was good because it was a twelve hour flight. It was so big that there was an upstairs level for first class and business, and the lower level was for economy. They provided everyone with blankets, pillows, tooth brushes and tooth paste. The entertainment system was very elaborate with TV series, any new music out there, and all the latest, and some classics, from Hollywood and Bollywood.  They also served the most amazing food (for an airplane)! Every entree was a choice between three options and for dinner I chose salmon which came with spinach, mashed potatoes, potato salad, cheese and crackers, water, my choice of a drink, and tea or coffee afterwards. Then for breakfast, it was pancakes wrapped around poached apples, fresh fruit, orange juice, and coffee or tea afterwards. Because of all the time zones we were travelling through, we ate dinner right before the sun appeared and we ate breakfast right as the sun went disappeared. Sadly, I was never able to get more than two hours of sleep at a time because there were  so many babies that all decided to cry at different times. I sat next to two men from India and had a couple of conversations with them.

Dubai

When we landed in Dubai, I was supposed to meet a man who was a friend of a friend at arrivals. He was going to make sure I got to my hotel safely. I followed all the signs for arrivals, but, of course, I ended up at the wrong terminal. I got my passport stamped, exchanged some money, and eventually found Unni who took me to the hotel. Quick note: at arrivals, there was a men’s waiting area and a women’s waiting area, however, other than quite a bit traditional clothing, that was the only blatant cultural difference I saw.  After getting checked into the hotel and getting three different food vouchers (which was all provided by Emirates because I had a twelve hour layover), I asked Unni if he thought the night tour they were offering would be safe because I didn’t want to be in Dubai for twelve hours just sitting in a hotel. He made a quick call and said, “Here, my driver and I will take you to all the places on that tour that they were going to charge you $30 for.” AMAZING!! He took me to the Emirates towers, the seven star hotel, the beach side royal palace, the Palm Island, the Atlantis hotel, and the tallest building in the world.

Notes from Dubai:

·         It is oddly clean, no liter.

·         Everything contrasted NYC in that everything was sleek, clean, and bright.

·         Not a single piece of liter or anyone on the side of the street.

·         There was not any graffiti except for things that looked like they were intended to be there.

·         I did not see a single police officer while I was there.

·         All of the architecture was beautifully done and I got the impression that each architect was trying to outdo the previous ones.

·         I got the strange feeling that it was a home that was amazing for the wealthy, but not so sure about the lower or middle classes.

·         As we drove through Knowledge City, Unni informed me that the prince is trying to put every building into categories so that all the residential places are together, schools and universities are together (knowledge city), the shops are together, and the offices are together. Interesting.

·         Unni also said that Dubai was a place that was hit very hard by the recession and because of that, a lot of the developmental work was only left 60% - 70% complete.

We stopped at the seven star hotel and Unni jumped out saying, “Here, I will take your picture.” So we did. He told me that there is an amazing water park right next door complete with an underwater restaurant. We drove through the palm (a group of upscale residential buildings on an island that is shaped like a palm tree if you get an aerial view of it) and stopped at the hotel Atlantis. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Too much to describe, pics on FB. Unni also told me that most of everything in Dubai had been developed within the last 15 years. We went to the tallest building in the world and stopped on the side of the road to take pics. I had to lay down to get a good picture. That was my favorite part of the tour. It was absolutely stunning. After many thank yous, Unni took me back to the hotel. He was such a help and a blessing!! I got dinner with Max, a Vermont native who was traveling to Calcutta to teach English for a few months. Dinner was very interesting as well because of the wide variety of foods that were there. Arab, American, Indian, and Asian were all present. My favorite dish had to be fish with curry. Something I have noticed about the culture there was that juice is VERY popular, just like soda is popular in the US. Dinner was also interesting in the fact that I heard so many different languages and saw so many different people there (it was the main hotel that served the airport). I think I saw/heard Arab, Indian, Finnish, African, English, Australian, French, German, and so many others. After dinner, I headed back to my room for a shower, a quick email, and about three hours of sleep. I am so used to being with people, that a hotel room to myself was quite weird. Got up, got ready, scarfed down breakfast, took a shuttle to the airport, went through security (which was a lot less strenuous than JFK thanks to the TSA), and found my gate. From security to my gate alone was probably a mile long walk itself. I was in Emirates’ home terminal and of course, like everything else in Dubai, it was beautiful. Everything was sleek and shining, there was a two story water fountain/fall, glass elevators all the way around, huge columns, and two story triangular shaped windows. There were small LED lights everywhere to decorate everything, but no wires. The entrance to the terminal itself was shaped like a big wave with different colored lights all along it. Someone said it looked like they were at

the disco.

More Traveling

 I assumed that I would be boarding the plane after I went through my gate like at the other airports, but there was a separate waiting area between the gate and the plane. While waiting, I met a man named Backy who was on my same flight the night before. He is a native from the Philippines but has lived in NYC for the past 50 years. He was going to meet his wife in Entebbe, where she was working on a contract for the UN, and they were going to start on a two week safari that will lead them through Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. He was a very interesting and kind man to talk to. Our flight was delayed a bit due to regular engineering checks, but once we boarded, we went down two escalators, took 10 minute bus ride to the plane, went up the steps, and were finally to our seats. Our plane was to stop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia before taking off again for Entebbe, Uganda. Sitting next to me was a 14 year old girl who was traveling with her family. They had been to visit their father who was working for the UN in Cambodia and were now flying home to Addis Ababa. Her name was Emma. About half way through the flight, Emma chose to watch Eclipse. Since I hadn’t seen it, I asked her about the story plot. She then proceeded to explain the Edward-Bella-Jacob love triangle to me as we flew into Africa. These are the moments I hope I never forget.  After we landed in Addis Ababa, Emma and her family, along with the majority of the passengers, left the plane. Only a handful was left to fly to Entebbe. While waiting for the plane to take off again, I talked to the young man behind me who was from L.A. He was going to film a documentary on the HIV/AIDS problem in Uganda. This is my favorite part about flying, especially alone, because you get to meet all the different people from all around the world either flying home or away. Coming into Uganda, we flew over Lake Victoria and into Entebbe.  I started getting very excited when I started seeing huts and fishermen.

“The Pearl of Africa” – At last…..

Entebbe/Kampala

When the plane landed, it honestly felt like something magical. You can make fun of me all you want, but there is something magical about having something you wanted so much for and worked so hard for finally come true. I got my visa, found my luggage (which is a dream come true in itself that it didn’t get lost; I was holding my breath the whole time the luggage carousel was going around) and cleared customs. Once outside, I found Sherry Meyer, the lady who is hosting me at the radio station she manages, Radio Pacis. We took my luggage out to the car where Fr. Tonino was waiting. He is the main priest over the Radio Pacis (it is Latin and is pronounced PA-chis). They both gave me a warm welcome and are very nice people. We started our drive to Kampala, the capitol city about an hour outside of Kampala. Kampala is the only true “big-city” in Uganda and is still quite small. There are skyscrapers, tons of taxis, shopping malls, and most everything you would see in a big city. Everything is just a lot dustier. The traffic is absolutely horrendous. If you have ever been to NYC, Chicago, or any other big city in the US and thought the traffic was bad, this was ten times worse. After a while I stopped watching and worrying and just sat back and waited for our first fender bender. But it never came. Fr. Tonino is a great driver. We went to a shopping mall to get some groceries. The first store we went in, Game, is much like a target but with the organization and presentation of a resale shop in the States. Next, we went to a super market where I got some cereal, milk, sodas, broccoli, grapes, kiwis (apparently you can’t get the last three here in Arua), peanut butter, jelly, pasta, butter, and bread. Then we went to MTN (a cell phone service from South Africa) and I got a phone for 34,000 Ugandan shillings (roughly $15) and some airtime (minutes and text). By using this phone, it will be a LOT cheaper than using my USA phone which is 50 cents a text and $3.94 a minute. Using this phone, I can send a text to my roommate for 50 shillings (roughly $0.02) and a text home for about 220 shillings (roughly $0.10). After getting all of our shopping done, we went to a Comboni Mission where the three of us all had rooms rented. After dinner, I showered and fell asleep utterly exhausted. We left Kampala at 6am to avoid the rush hour traffic. I would HATE to see what rush hour is like. There are hardly any traffic lights, so you just go by the lights from your car, and there are taxis and motorcycles weaving in and out like mad drivers. Plus, there are people who go out and clean the streets in the morning and it is SO dangerous because they go out to clean when there are no cars, and jump back out of the road when none are coming. I am so glad my motion sickness medicine was working amazingly, because otherwise it would

have been a very uncomfortable experience.

Road Trip

Once out of the city, everyone breathed more easily. We had about a seven hour drive through country and occasional town and I got to see most of Uganda in that stretch.

Notes on the drive:

·         Palm trees are everywhere

·         Many people stare or wave at Mazungu (white people)

·         Goats and chickens just kind of walk anywhere

·         The children are on holiday, so they were all running about

·         I saw UN trucks, UNICEF and USAID signs, and an office for Habitat for Humanity

·         The traditional round mud huts with the thatch roof are the normal residence

·         We passed many women and children carrying large yellow containers going to fetch water; Sherry says that most Ugandans still don’t have access to clean water and don’t usually boil it.

·         The country is beautiful

·         People will ride on whatever kind of transportation they can find; there were a couple of trucks that were carrying cargo but also had about ten to fifteen people crowded on the back.

·         Most women still where skirts here but I did see a couple of “daring” ones who wore pants

·         We crossed two different branches of the Nile, one with stunning waterfalls/rapids.

·         Soldiers are posted along the main roads to make sure cars are not over loaded. Apparently they are bribed very easily because there is much corruption in the government right now.

·         We saw small brown monkeys (I forgot their correct term) and MANY baboons

·         I SAW TWO ELEPHANTS ON MY SECOND DAY IN UGANDA!!!! That was also something magical; right out of a picture book. They were both there minding their own business in the long grass. One had about five white birds on him.  

·         AND HIPPOS!!! They were down in the water and you could only see their heads and noses.

·         So many mango trees….

Arua/Radio Pacis

When we arrived in Arua, we went to Radio Pacis where everyone greeted Sherry and Fr. Tonino with smiles and waves. They helped me carry my luggage to the house that I will be staying in. Sherry showed me around and explained that it was built for Comboni Lay Missionaries and Radio Pacis gets two new ones every year. The ones who come to Arua are usually from the German speaking provinces. Since there is only one Lay Missionary currently, Maria, I will be staying in one of the two bedrooms of the house. I can’t wait to show you pictures! I have a bed with a misquote net, shelves, drawers, and desk, a walk in closet, a bathroom with a flush toilet, sink, and shower. In the house, there is a living room and a kitchen. The kitchen has a small oven and stove, a sink, two cupboards, table and chairs. There is a washing machine on the back porch and a clothes line for drying clothes. I really can’t believe it. I don’t feel like I am living in Arua, Uganda at all. It is very different than what I thought it would be. After Sherry went back to her office, I unpacked my things and slept for about 14 hours.

Mass is held at 7:30am Monday through Friday, so I went this (Friday) morning. Then, one of the members of Radio Pacis (it will take me a while to remember everyone’s names) showed me around the compound. It honestly looks like something plucked right out of paradise. The buildings have white walls with blue tin roofs, the yard is trimmed and the sidewalks swept, flowers and vines grow over the white compound walls, the vineyard (that they use to make and sell wine to raise money for the project) has just been plucked, the garden is tended to, and everyone has beautiful smiles on their faces and are incredibly welcoming. They have three recording rooms, a reception desk, a computer lab, conference rooms, work stations, a finance office, a music office, a printing room, and a 24 hour security. After the tour and introductions, I went back to the house. No one had lived in my room for a couple of months and Maria had been in Nairobi for two weeks, so the house had its fair share of dust and grime. So, with the help of the cleaner for Radio Pacis, Florenza, we put in some elbow grease and cleaned the bedrooms, living room, kitchen, and patios for about half the day. It looks and feels so much better in here now! Afterwards, I went to visit Sherry and got the grand tour of her home. It looks like God plucked it right out of Kansas and plopped it down in Arua for her. She has a screened in porch (her pride and joy), a living room, a HUGE kitchen (her other pride and joy) including a dishwasher, a study/exercise room, and then her bedroom and bathroom. She tells me that she frequently does much entertaining with visitors, travelling priests and sisters, and the other Westerners in Arua (which she says are about 70; I have yet to meet any of them). She generously gave me some vegetables from the garden and some Parmesan cheese that Fr. Tonino brought from Italy last time he visited. Then, I went to the finance office to exchange my money and set up an account where I will keep my money until I need it. I must say, the money from Dubai and here in Uganda is a lot more colorful and interesting than our US Dollars. My first thing to buy with my new shillings (after reimbursing Sherry for the phone and groceries that she bought me) was an official Radio Pacis lanyard to put my keys on. :)

Maria arrives home from her conference in Nairobi tomorrow morning and then we have a retreat on Saturday and Sunday for the women’s bible study that I have been invited to join. On Monday, Sherry is going to introduce me to a couple of places where I might be able help while I am here. Hopefully, Maria will be able to take me into town and to the supermarket this weekend. I am really excited to see what all is there! My internet is very uncertain, so I will be on when I can. I will also post pictures when I can too. Until then, to get in touch with me, write a comment below, facebook me, or email me at meggoodwin57@yahoo.com.

Hopefully, this gives you all the information that you were looking for. I still have PLENTY to write but I need to get some sleep now.

I miss and love you all!

God Bless,

Meg

P.S. I am snacking on some of my trail mix all the dance girls gave me. Thanks Caity :)