I am getting so much done today!!! sorry for being so terrible at updating this thing. I have uploaded pictures of my house to facebook so anyone who is interested in the grand "before and after" can look. seriously, you would not BELIEVE what that house ACTUALLY looked like when I moved in. and unfortunately I did not get a picture of the amount of mosquito and spider bites that were on my arms and legs after only 2 nights spent in that house. (I promise to get better about taking pictures, too.) it looked like I had the chicken poxs. no joke. and I had a Ugandan tell me yesterday that "my skin has cleared up!" because he had not seen me since said bite incident. I am just thankful I did not get malaria!!!! and I know for sure because my friend Kate and I did 15 minute rapid malaria tests last week during a training session and both of ours came back negative. success. but yes, I have spent the last month fumagating, deep cleaning (seriously, did anyone actually know what cockroach egg shells looked like??? because I didn't until I saw them ALLLLLLL over my house), getting the water turned back on, FIXING all the plumbing, getting the electricity turned back on, painting, and buying furniture. last week was the first time in 4 months that my clothes have NOT BEEN IN A SUITCASE!!!!!!! it is the little things in life to take joy in, right? but I am very VERY happy with all the progress that has been made and have met some fantastic Ugandan friends along the way (which, pretty sure my house will still be in ruins if I did not know them!!!!!!!) but yes, all-in-all it has been a fantastic first month in Masindi. and I am REALLY looking forward to spending my next 2 years here!!!!
and speaking of actual WORK getting done while in Masindi for 2 years, I think I may have figured out what I am going to be doing at the hospital for the duration of my stay. My end goal is to have every woman who delivers a baby at Masindi Hospital leave with formal nutrition education so that way we can keep some sort of tally on who is and who is not recieving nutrition education in the area. I am going to be working with the nurses and design a lesson plan for them to teach new mothers and therefore create some sort of sustainability. I will also be creating speacialized nutrition plans for the post-surgery patients, pregnant patients, and patienst with HIV/AIDS. and then I also want to design some sort of cooking class, but that can happen with time (and when I figure out how to cook...). so that is all very exciting!!!
and although I am sad not to be home during the holiday season, I know Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to be just as memorable spent here. A group of Peace Corps Volunteers from my group and I are all getting together for Thanksgiving this week and cooking whatever we can that resembles some sort of American Thanksgiving. My friend is going to kill a turkey, which should be interesting to say the least.... and then Christmas will be fun because a group is getting together to camp out at Murchison Falls for a couple nights. (here is a link: http://www.game-reserve.com/uganda_murchison_falls.html) so anyways, I think this is all I have to update everyone on. I miss everyone back home!!!! and hope everyone is doing well!!!! ohhh yeah and I now have my permanent address for the next 2 years, so anyone who wants to send letters or packages send them here:
Maggie Ogden
PO Box 270
Masindi, Uganda
and they say it helps if you put crosses and Christian symbols on the packages so they are less likely to get stolen! just a tip??? ok talk to everyone later!!!! take care!!!!
