Tuesday, December 3, 2013: Thanks For Stopping By, Giardia

            Well I’ve had my first in-country illness. It happened at probably the worst time, too. For the last few days at Kulika we had teacher boot camp. It basically consisted of a four-day course of how to effectively teach in Uganda. Sample lessons, making lesson plans, constructing classroom materials, etc. A crash course in teaching was necessary because we start our two weeks of practice teaching, called School Based Training, this week! Not only that, but there are many of us, including me, that have never taught before. I substitute taught the last few months before leaving, but that’s much easier than actually being the teacher. So we learned a lot about teaching, and how to be effective in a Ugandan classroom, due to it being much different than America, but I think most of it will come after experience in the classroom when we get to our sites.

I woke up Friday not feeling the greatest. It was like every part of my body was battling something. I took some meds and pushed through; luckily there was a bathroom around the corner of the classroom. (TMI? Sorry.)  It was the last day of teacher boot camp and since we had the weekend mostly off we were going to have some drinks and play games and celebrate being done. I managed through one beer and went to bed. I woke up Saturday with a 102° fever that ended up reaching 105° at its peak that day. The worst part was my stomach. I get stabbing, painful cramps that put me in the fetal position, but even that doesn’t always help. I won’t go into details about my illness, but if you’re intrigued just Google Giardia. Luckily the medical team visited today and the doctor gave me some legit meds so hopefully I’ll be feeling better soon. On Sunday we traveled to our next site, Shimoni Primary Teachers College, to begin our two weeks of practice teaching. You know what it’s like to travel on a bus in Uganda while sick? The worst.

            Shimoni is a decent college. It’s no Kulika, but it’s definitely helping us get a better idea of Uganda. There’s your choice of Turkish toilets or pit latrines and there are showers, if the water is working, but they only have one temperature – ice cold. We’re living in the dorms and right now there are eight of us to a room, but once more students move out we should be able to spread out. When we first got here on Sunday afternoon it was a million degrees and I had a fever and felt like I was dying. We had to wait for what felt like forever, in the middle of the hottest part of the day in a room with the most uncomfortable chairs, until the dorms were ready because there was some miscommunication. I was not a happy camper. Everything just seems ten times worse when you’re sick. Had enough of my complaining yet?

There is a small group of students who will stay at the PTC until our time here is done so that the volunteers who will be teaching at a PTC can practice teaching them and then those of us, me, who will be teaching at a primary school travel to a primary school down the street. Technically the students are done with school and supposed to be on break, but both the schools are withholding the students’ scores in order for them to stay for an extra two weeks so we can practice teach with them. I guess it’s legal because it’s Uganda. Yesterday we watched our trainers teach and today was our first day! I only had one lesson; there was only silence. I did a read aloud in P6 and it was the hardest thing to get any of the students to talk and answer questions. Maybe it was a bad lesson, maybe the students couldn’t understand me – I’m not quite sure of the reason but I’m sure things will get better as the weeks go on! At least I hope. It's also not fun in the least teaching while sick, but I have to go because I definitely need the practice. We teach in the mornings until lunchtime and then eat lunch together at Shimoni. In the afternoons we have more sessions (my fav!) and we’re done between four and five. I haven’t really eaten since Friday, due to the nausea, but I’m not mad about missing out on matooke. I do have to get something in me soon, though. My fever is down and almost back to normal; my stomach still cramps, but not as often as before, and the medicine will hopefully help clear it up. What’s the Peace Corps in Uganda if you don’t get sick at least once, anyway?