Practicum, Last day at home, "The Shower Club"

(From my window at homestay - sunrise)

First things first, my practicum this week... Well, if nothing else it is interesting. I spent Tuesday washing clothes (squatting and by hand) and then playing with the school kids for about the last hour I was there. Wednesdays are my long days, I am there about 10 hours, and it will be a little more next week now that my home stays are over. I went through the blind children's profiles and talked with my field director for about two hours (there are not really any rules regarding confidentiality here). Then I took about an hour and a half walk around the entire area - all the gardens, up and down hills, jumped little rivers... I got a major workout haha. Then he showed us the pump for the water. We fed the pigs. Then I served lunch, and then went and had my own lunch. Then the other girl that is a social worker there came and we washed clothes again, and then learned how to milk a cow. There are pictures I just have to get them from her!!! Then we watered the garden. It was kinda funny, because the guy in charge of the garden kept telling us that if you did not water the cabbage it would die, but that if you did water it then it would grow back... I am sure he thought we must be completely clueless. Ha.

As for home stays, as hard as it was some days, it is probably one of the most memorable experiences of my time here, and my life. I will never forget these past two weeks. My time there ended well, I may not of gotten all my homework done last night, but I did have a good time with my family. I told them that I had not gotten the pictures printed out for them yet, but that I did have something else for them. I gave them two 'America' Old Navy shirts, earrings, two packs of silly bands, and a candle - all from the U.S. They were so excited. They were shocked that the candle had scent and were all passing it around smelling it. The kids and I sat on the floor and opened the silly bands. They loved them. The about 15 year old girl who helps around the house was playing with them too, and they were all fighting over who had the most, Betty was putting them on too, and the baby was grabbing at them. It was so funny.

We then watched some weird movie called something like Her Power... It had something to do with Tribal Sacrifices, and was in English but then dubbed over in Luganda, so you heard bits of English, but as it would start about 3 seconds later the Luganda would. It was.. interesting to say the least. We then ate dinner, ironically I ended up eating on the floor with everyone else, mainly cause I was already sitting there. It was just funny cause they usually have me sit at the couch. I stayed up till about 10:30 with them and then went to bed.

This morning was pretty normal, but Betty walked me to school with some of my stuff. I am gonna go back and visit to take my pictures, and since I love sugar cane I think one day Betty is gonna bring me some which is really fun!

(Mama, Vivian, Isaac, Betty, Arnold, Mama Vivian, Dorean)

As for the Shower Club... Well, you know how in the States on someone's birthday you give them spankings? Here they give you a... shower. Yesterday was one of the guys (Arissa) birthdays. As soon as I walked up the hill from home stays I see plotting. They had locked the poor boy in his room (there is a blot inside the room, and a padlock on the inside.) Once they had all their buckets full, they went inside and it took about 10 minutes but they dragged him out, and as you can see below, gave him a shower. It was QUITE entertaining!