Carol Bontekoe

This blog has been keeping track of my adventures since 2004. The stories and the adventures have come from my college dorm room to Uganda, Peace Corps Kyrgyzstan, learning Dutch in the Netherlands to living in the wilds of Homer, Alaska. I went back to school in Amsterdam to study Theaterwetenschap (Theatre Science) at University of Amsterdam. And now my adventures as a Fruit Fly, a Sexy Unicorn, and creating a movement with Team Sparkle in Chicago.

Sunday, July 11, 2004

Lizards, roomies, and a prince

Well most of the volunteers are gone this weekend so it should be kinda quite I do have have church tomorrow though and I get to play with Kids today. Most of the volunteers are either white water rafting the Nile this weekend, or have gone to Rwanada to see the Memorials which I guess are amazing, and the rest have gone to Kenya for a Safari. Lots of exciting things to do. I think next weekend I think I am going White water rafting down the nile if we get enough of the volunteers to go. The Reverend we are staying with and is in charge of us I just found out is a Prince. All of us newbies thought it was amazing and the older volunteers were like, "yeah!!! How did you guys not know he was a prince?!?!?!" As if they knew before they came. Those of us who are planning on going rafting next weekend will be going around where his tribe lives and his family estate is, so he said he might be able to show us around some if we have time. Owwwwwwww.... I'm living with a prince, that makes me one step closer to living with Prince William or Harry either way is fine. hahahahahaha. He doesn't exactly live like Eddie Murphay did in Coming to America.I got my roommate ina few days ago she is from Chester England and talks very fast, and almost always seems nervous. Like someone is about to hit her or something. I mean Kelly is a totally sweet heart, she is 21 and a nursery school teacher back in the U.K. But a.) She has pretty much no common sense that is why she teaches nursery school and b.)As anyone who went on study abroad with me knows I ahve lot of truble with accents. And I'm finding most specifically the Manchester area, because James(another volunteer) is from Manchester and I never understand what he is saying either. I just smile and nod politely. And laugh when they laugh and make a serious face when they make a serious face. Really have only understood about 12 words Kelly has said. The animals here are kind of crazy. And yesterday I was in my room with Gypsy(real name Rosalee, if you get the nickname you get otherwise too bad) and Kelly, when one of the lizards that had been on my ceiling fell on me! I hadn't been freaked out by any of the animals until that happened and I freaked out. I mean it landed on me! And then was in my Bed!!! Granted it was a smaliish lizard, but we all still went running out of my room. I had forgotten my misquotio netting which I found out is actually more to keep the cockroaches and lizards off of you than the mosquitos. When we came running out og my room we found Maeghan out there showing everyone here toe. A Jigga Worm had crawled into it. Peace got it out of her toe before it could lay eggs. Yesterday was just a weird animal day. The moral of this story is..... yeah I don't really do morals. But if you got anythingout of it good for you. I'm still falling in love with Africa more each day. but we'll see in 6 weeks. Yesterday was my first day delivering food to people dieing from AIDS they were all very friendly and very nice. I do know some Luganda now so I can talk to them a little. "Oliotia" is "How are you?" and "Gynede" is "Fine" and Walaba is "Good bye" and "Wabali nyo" is"Thank you very much" Knowing those helps you get by.Today I went shopping with one of the new volunteers for some supplies I bought a East Africa Social studies Book for 9,800 shillings and a world map for about 18,000 shillings. Its about 29 U.S. dollars total. But I really wanted them for my class. And I'm willing to give up trying to go to Manchirion(sp) Falls to help these kids out. These kids WILL understand how far away michigan is from Uganda if it kills them. And that I can not be Kanayo's mother(she is from Japan). Fortuantly the map has lansing on it so I can mark it and show them that and then show them where they live and maybe teach them why apples grow in Michigan and not in Uganda. I'm excited we'll see what I can do.

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