I just inserted a countdown to my Ugandan departure!!
Just over one month to go!
til next time
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Little Surprises
Merry Christmas!!
It's been a bit of a whirlwind since the semester ended, but I'm finally back home typing away in the peace that can only be found under the warm covers blanketing my top bunk.
It's really quite strange to finally be packing and preparing for Uganda. Talking to extended family members about my upcoming semester for the past several days has certainly brought a more startling sense of reality. I'm leaving, really leaving, in just over a month.
I haven't even left yet, but I've found myself constantly surprised by things I wasn't quite expecting. Planning for a semester in any foreign country is much more than just leaving and returning a few months later. There's so much that no one ever tells you, and I think that's one of the reasons I decided to start my blog so early. It's been an exciting process, but at times a very challenging and confusing one.
Here are some of the things I know now that I wasn't expecting:
- Costs. Going to Uganda for three and a half months requires a lot of preparation. My health insurance covers the cost of some things, but not all. Shots, prescription medicines, visa fees, shipping and mailing fees, and transportation fees may not seem substantial individually, but when compounded can become quite expensive. I've had to purchase new clothes and shoes that are appropriate for the culture and weather, the right kind of sunscreen and insect repellant, and even a headlamp for when the power goes out!
- Shots really aren't that scary.
- Moving out of the dorm mid-year is really weird, yet oddly fulfilling. I'll miss my friends and roommate dearly, but I know that I have some exciting adventures ahead.
- People don't know very much about Africa. (Including me!) For a lot of people I think it is easy to lose sight of the fact that Africa is a continent, not a country. Over the past few months I started realizing that we learn hardly anything about the history of the countries of Africa in school, and I think it's a shame. There is a lot of misconception and a general sense of homogeneity when thinking about African countries, including Uganda.
- Saying you're going to Uganda for a semester is kind of unusual to most people. With just about every person I have told about my upcoming semester in Uganda, I've received three main responses:
- WHAT?! [I'm shocked that you, Shannon of such fair complexion and generally predictable behavior, would ever choose something like that, but good for you!]
- AWESOME! WHEN DO YOU LEAVE [and when can I visit]?! *high five*
- WHY [would you ever choose to go there]?!
- All of these responses are totally warranted. It's really difficult to slide under the radar when something like this comes up. Sometimes I wish people would just say "ok, cool" and move on, but reveling in the predictability of their response, or trying to guess which one will be elicited, is kind of enjoyable and funny at the same time. When this comes up, I usually have a lot of explaining to do, and even though I'm really used to the idea of going to an African country for a few months, most people are not. There's certainly a lot of answering the same questions over and over, and in the end, people usually think I'm crazy/weird/fascinating or some sort of martyr. It's really hard to convince people that I'm just a student studying abroad, taking on a new challenge. But somehow, it's ok. In fact, it's actually made me feel more at ease just rolling with the punches in general.
- People are extremely curious. People I haven't talked to in months or have little contact with are suddenly interested in what I've been up to; journeying to Uganda certainly brings about some funny things that don't happen during or before a regular semester at school.
- Predicting how I will feel this summer after the program is really hard. As I attempt to plan for what I will be doing this summer, I'm having a bit of trouble even knowing what state of mind I will be in. Perhaps I will want to take on another challenge and intern abroad for another 6 or 8 weeks; but maybe I'll just want to be home doing something locally. My family is moving this summer, so it adds a bit more to the decision. I'll need to pack everything for Uganda and for the big move a few months down the road. It's not a complaint, but it's a lot to think about even before the semester begins.
- Context is important. It is important to keep context in mind when considering in the things people say, how they act, the decisions they make, and the beliefs they have. There is a reason (or reasons) we do the things we do, and there is a certain motivation behind each action, as subconscious as it may sometimes be.
My initial intention of creating this blog was to provide a window for my family and friends back home to keep up with me in Uganda, but I can now see that it is just as much for me as it is for them.
til next time.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Betwixt and Between
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So much has happened since my last post. For one thing, I have a plane ticket. Last Thursday was my last of three pre-departure meetings with the Notre Dame Office of International Studies. I've had a couple more medical clearances, and I'm turning in my last (hopefully) piece of paperwork tomorrow. I'm in the process of applying for a visa. Heck, I've even started to think about how I will be packing up my dorm room.
It's been a very interesting semester. I like the word "interesting." In itself it is certainly "interesting" indeed because upon initial inspection, it seems to hold neither positive nor negative connotation and leaves much to the imagination. It's a frequented filler word that I tend to use when I honestly just don't really know what else to say. Interesting...
I had a couple of interviews for international summer service programs last Sunday. It's so strange to think that by the time summer rolls around, my Ugandan adventure will already be over. It's even stranger to think about how truly important it is to still be to be fully engaged with everything going on here and now without fumbling obligations to prepare for next semester, next summer, and next year. Thinking about jobs, internships, service, research projects, applications, exams, the beast that is senior year, living arrangements, money, endless papers, while still getting enough sleep every night is a tricky balance, but I guess that's part of what college is all about; a clever discernment to discover the balance of learning inside and outside the classroom. Yet, I don't mean this to sound like a complaint. I don't feel stressed, just rushed and a bit melancholy. I feel like time is slipping away from me sometimes.
Thoughts about college experiences are on a rather confusing polar spectrum. It's really easy to dramatize daily stresses. Yet, it is also very common to trivialize the emotions and experiences of college. I've certainly been gulilty of both. It's an odd thing. We want to learn, but with so many classes and responsibilities, we usually cannot give each class the attention we would like to. We're here to "work" but we or (for many of us) our parents are paying an incredible amount of money to be here, so there's a certain pressure get good grades. We have dreams, but for many of us, we know that we can never have our true "dream jobs." We're at a strange liminal period betwixt and between childhood and adulthood; we're treated like adults by the law and certain authorities, but yet we still depend on our parents financially and for countless other things.
It seems like so much of college is spent preparing, looking to the future. I wish it weren't so difficult to appreciate the present. I think this is one of the things I'm most looking forward to in Uganda: achieving a simple appreciation for the present. So simple, yet so powerful.
til next time.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Like Tears in the Rain
"All these moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain."
There are almost 7 billion other people in the world, and every single one of them is doing something right now. Sleeping, eating, running. Crying, dying, waiting. Discovering, inventing, destroying. Something. All these people have their own complexities, secrets, emotions, stories, problems, dreams. Every single one.
Each of us does things every day that few will ever know. After each of us is gone, these things will be lost, swept away like particles of dust, never to be known or thought of at night while drifting off to sleep.
Isn’t that amazing? Gone. Like that. Without any notice.
I’m beginning to realize that this is exactly why I want to get out into the world and see things for myself. It’s a matter of somehow understanding (or beginning to understand) the human experience. Right now people are doing things that I will never see in ways that I don’t understand for reasons I cannot comprehend. I won’t begin to know anything about other people if I do not meet them, live with them, and learn from them. It’s actually really similar to the idea of being in college and living with peers, just in a different setting surrounded by different people. (Okay, maybe a little different)
Today in my Archaeology class my professor showed us the scene from Blade Runner featuring the quote from above.
"All these moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain."
I found it to be quite profound, yet melancholy. Melancholy because I realize that we’re all more than tears in the rain and our experiences and feelings are incredibly significant to each of us, regardless of how they may appear to others when inspected with a critical and comparing eye.
Does any of this have value? I guess it depends upon what ‘value’ means. When reduced to economic terms, it probably has very little, if any at all. Does it matter to our society? On the surface, it seems not, but I think there is much more to be understood. It matters to me. It offers a sense of social memory, perspective, and worth, and that’s what’s important, right?
til next time.
Simplicity
Today in an anthropology class I was asked to write about my personal educational philosophy. On the surface, this doesn't seem too tricky. I've gone to school for fifteen years; I should have a pretty good idea of what education is and how I view it.
Wrong.
I felt incredibly challenged, and I asked more questions than I answered. Luckily, my professor has a very interesting educational philosophy herself that allows me to explore and question in such a way.
The next day another professor paid homage to The Silence of the Lambs proclaiming, "Simplicity. Of each particular thing ask: what is it in itself? What is its nature?"
Simplicity. Stripping away the incidentals to discover the principal.
In a way, as I wrote my essay, I was subconsciously trying to get there, to the simplicity of my personal philosophy. I certainly wish these wise words were in the back of my mind to remind me, though.
Sometimes people ask me, "Why Uganda?"
Why?
Because I want to go.
Yet, that doesn't really get to the principal, or does it?
Because I'm curious.
But why?
Because I'm feeling lost here in the Midwest part of the United States and feel like I don't have any perspective of the rest of the world and the people in it.
That sounds selfish. Shouldn't I want to heal the world or save the planet?
I do. But I'm not sure a semester of study in Uganda will achieve these things. Actually, I know it won't. I'm going to Uganda to get educated, in a different way. If I can come home changed, with a wider, more informed perspective, then I have the potential to do a lot more.
People don't need to go to Africa to change the world, but if going to Africa can open one's eyes to the incredible variety of the human experience, I say go. Just don't expect to change the world (right away at least).
Maybe my time in Uganda will help me to understand my own community in a new way so that I may better understand and aid the people I share a zip code with. Maybe I'll start to formulate what I'm going to do with my life. Maybe I'll simply grow a substantial appreciation for indoor plumbing.
I don't really know what's going to happen to me. The important thing is to embrace the experience for what it is. Expectations are deceptive, so I'm trying to keep an open and unformulated mind. Simplicity. It's new to me, but I know it's important.
In the end, my reflection essay was basically a mess, but that's ok. I'm learning, in my own way.
---------------
It is difficult for me to begin to pinpoint my own educational philosophy, but even more difficult is that after fifteen years of formal education, I cannot specifically say that I have one. Professor Oka told my International Development studies class, “Education matters if you can use it as capital.” I believe this is a very valid statement when concerning the merits of formal education and its goals: to give knowledge and perspective so that its beneficiary can have the tools to make a living and hopefully contribute positively to the world. However, I do not believe formal education is the only type of education, and I think it encompasses much more than a job or career path.
Education comes in many forms and from many places. Teachers are not alone. Parents, family members, peers, friends, elders, and even small children can often be the most formative instructors of ‘education.’ This leads me to the question, what is education, and what does it mean to be ‘educated?’ There are many things to be educated about, and for many reasons are people educated.
Notre Dame’s mission statement has a particularly interesting take on education:
“The University seeks to cultivate in its students not only an appreciation for the great achievements of human beings, but also a disciplined sensibility to the poverty, injustice, and oppression that burden the lives of so many. The aim is to create a sense of human solidarity and concern for the common good that will bear fruit as learning becomes service to justice."
I have to admit, in some ways this confuses me. What does it actually, concretely mean, and what are its practical implications? Theoretically, it sounds very noble, but is it feasible? At this point I am still trying to figure that out.
In essence, I am still floundering about. I don’t quite know my educational philosophy because at times I feel the things I learn outside the formal classroom setting are far more valuable and worthwhile than those picked up between the hollow cinderblock walls of a school building. In a way, it leads me back to a very substantial question: why are we here in the first place? Are we formally educated to find work? Are we supposed to work to live, or vice versa? And, how do all of these things relate to the emotions, feelings, and power of the overall human experience? What does “human experience” even mean?
I truly think that education is supposed to enhance the experience of being human, but sometimes it seems more prohibitive than anything else. It feels like a battle between the formal and informal aspects of education, and it consequently forms a bit of a contradiction. Formal education isn’t very forgiving and it provides nothing unconditionally. Informal education can be incredibly personally rewarding, but it is generally not appreciated on its own in terms of capital and economic value.
So, what is my educational philosophy? I’m not quite sure, but this question certainly gives me a great deal to think about so that I may begin to form a more structured opinion.
----------------
---------------
It is difficult for me to begin to pinpoint my own educational philosophy, but even more difficult is that after fifteen years of formal education, I cannot specifically say that I have one. Professor Oka told my International Development studies class, “Education matters if you can use it as capital.” I believe this is a very valid statement when concerning the merits of formal education and its goals: to give knowledge and perspective so that its beneficiary can have the tools to make a living and hopefully contribute positively to the world. However, I do not believe formal education is the only type of education, and I think it encompasses much more than a job or career path.
Education comes in many forms and from many places. Teachers are not alone. Parents, family members, peers, friends, elders, and even small children can often be the most formative instructors of ‘education.’ This leads me to the question, what is education, and what does it mean to be ‘educated?’ There are many things to be educated about, and for many reasons are people educated.
Notre Dame’s mission statement has a particularly interesting take on education:
“The University seeks to cultivate in its students not only an appreciation for the great achievements of human beings, but also a disciplined sensibility to the poverty, injustice, and oppression that burden the lives of so many. The aim is to create a sense of human solidarity and concern for the common good that will bear fruit as learning becomes service to justice."
I have to admit, in some ways this confuses me. What does it actually, concretely mean, and what are its practical implications? Theoretically, it sounds very noble, but is it feasible? At this point I am still trying to figure that out.
In essence, I am still floundering about. I don’t quite know my educational philosophy because at times I feel the things I learn outside the formal classroom setting are far more valuable and worthwhile than those picked up between the hollow cinderblock walls of a school building. In a way, it leads me back to a very substantial question: why are we here in the first place? Are we formally educated to find work? Are we supposed to work to live, or vice versa? And, how do all of these things relate to the emotions, feelings, and power of the overall human experience? What does “human experience” even mean?
I truly think that education is supposed to enhance the experience of being human, but sometimes it seems more prohibitive than anything else. It feels like a battle between the formal and informal aspects of education, and it consequently forms a bit of a contradiction. Formal education isn’t very forgiving and it provides nothing unconditionally. Informal education can be incredibly personally rewarding, but it is generally not appreciated on its own in terms of capital and economic value.
So, what is my educational philosophy? I’m not quite sure, but this question certainly gives me a great deal to think about so that I may begin to form a more structured opinion.
----------------
til next time.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Just Me
When I initially embarked upon this journey, I knew very little about the beautiful country of Uganda. I was certainly guilty, like many of us ‘Westerners’ are I think, of subconsciously homogenizing the entire continent of Africa into a single idea: one underdeveloped mystifying conglomerate. I didn't really separate or consider the different cities and countries and regions and people of Africa; I saw them plain and simply as "Africa," or "African." Out of sight and usually out of mind.
Images of thatched roofs and dirt paths, bony legs and hungry tummies, colorful scarves and exotic safaris danced through my thoughts in a sort of clashing and contradictory way when the mention of Africa was brought to my attention. It was a mystery to me: seductive and alluring at first, but yet dangerous and threatening. It was a far away land that was just out of reach, and maybe, just maybe, rightly so.
People were killed in Africa. Horrifying human hatred and genocide slaughtered millions in my own lifetime. Children were kidnapped from their families, given guns, and forced to murder their own neighbors. People were poor and incredibly hungry, starving to death in fact. Deadly diseases were diverse and ever so present. The water was dirty, the food foul. Guerilla warfare, AIDS, and environmental destruction had shattered the lives of so many.
I was supposed to have pity for the African people and their difficult, primitive, technology-starved lives, or at least that's what all the commercials and charities, and even the Church seemed to indicate.
Around here, you don't hear a lot about what goes on in Africa. We didn't spend much time studying Africa in school. The 10 o'clock news rarely divulged on anything African unless it involved oil, extreme turmoil, or claims concerning Barack Obama, and even these things were few and far between, not to mention incredibly vague (and rarely positive). Africa was not a popular topic of conversation among my peers, and very few people I encountered had even been there.
With a little bit of research and a lot of patience, I began to realize that many of the things I thought I knew were not only incredibly murky, but extreme, unfair, and imbalanced. As I began learning about the different countries that make up Africa and different people that make up those countries, I couldn't help but feel their sheer presence, vitality, ingenuity, and love. I started reading about their diverse cultures and traditions and their worldviews that seemed so very different from mine, yet somehow, exactly the same. Why? Because we’re all people, seeking the same basic things in life; we’re weaved as one, connected by the very fibers that make us who we are.
In many ways I am uncertain about traveling to Uganda. There are definite ideas that, as an American, I’ve come to accept. I used to never think about things like turning on the light, flushing the toilet, or throwing waste into the trash. I didn’t really consider it before, but truly, our supermarkets have no seasons (thanks Food, Inc). All children in this country are required by law to go to school. I wouldn’t think twice about the quality of medical care where I’m from. Strict laws protect the roads, food, and pretty much everything else we encounter. So many of these things are true privileges, and life in Uganda is a little bit different in many of these respects.
However, there are some basic rights that all people should have, but sometimes do not. Things like clean, safe drinking water; nutritious food; adequate medical care; and the opportunity for an education are different aspects that I will be learning about and fighting for in Uganda.
In many ways my semester will help me learn about others in a service-oriented framework, but my journey is also a very selfish one.
My life has been pretty orderly, but I must admit, maybe too much so. So many things have been painstakingly organized, prepared, and protected. I can hardly complain, but a strong part of me is hungrily searching for something more, or maybe, something less. I want to find who I am, without the needless distractions and possessions and obsessions. I don’t want to worry about being absolutely assured or perfectly right. Because the thing is, the world has no guarantees; and neither does life. Waiting to be completely safe and entirely certain can cause a person to lose out on the precious moments passing by. I’m finally beginning to realize that nothing can ever be truly certain. So, if everything in life is uncertain, why should this, my Uganda experience, be any different?
I’m leaving myself a lot of blank spaces. I honestly don’t know what my experience in Uganda will be like, and I have no idea the people I’ll meet. My future is very unclear, but I’m getting used to that feeling and I think I like it.
til next time.
Images of thatched roofs and dirt paths, bony legs and hungry tummies, colorful scarves and exotic safaris danced through my thoughts in a sort of clashing and contradictory way when the mention of Africa was brought to my attention. It was a mystery to me: seductive and alluring at first, but yet dangerous and threatening. It was a far away land that was just out of reach, and maybe, just maybe, rightly so.
People were killed in Africa. Horrifying human hatred and genocide slaughtered millions in my own lifetime. Children were kidnapped from their families, given guns, and forced to murder their own neighbors. People were poor and incredibly hungry, starving to death in fact. Deadly diseases were diverse and ever so present. The water was dirty, the food foul. Guerilla warfare, AIDS, and environmental destruction had shattered the lives of so many.
I was supposed to have pity for the African people and their difficult, primitive, technology-starved lives, or at least that's what all the commercials and charities, and even the Church seemed to indicate.
Around here, you don't hear a lot about what goes on in Africa. We didn't spend much time studying Africa in school. The 10 o'clock news rarely divulged on anything African unless it involved oil, extreme turmoil, or claims concerning Barack Obama, and even these things were few and far between, not to mention incredibly vague (and rarely positive). Africa was not a popular topic of conversation among my peers, and very few people I encountered had even been there.
With a little bit of research and a lot of patience, I began to realize that many of the things I thought I knew were not only incredibly murky, but extreme, unfair, and imbalanced. As I began learning about the different countries that make up Africa and different people that make up those countries, I couldn't help but feel their sheer presence, vitality, ingenuity, and love. I started reading about their diverse cultures and traditions and their worldviews that seemed so very different from mine, yet somehow, exactly the same. Why? Because we’re all people, seeking the same basic things in life; we’re weaved as one, connected by the very fibers that make us who we are.
In many ways I am uncertain about traveling to Uganda. There are definite ideas that, as an American, I’ve come to accept. I used to never think about things like turning on the light, flushing the toilet, or throwing waste into the trash. I didn’t really consider it before, but truly, our supermarkets have no seasons (thanks Food, Inc). All children in this country are required by law to go to school. I wouldn’t think twice about the quality of medical care where I’m from. Strict laws protect the roads, food, and pretty much everything else we encounter. So many of these things are true privileges, and life in Uganda is a little bit different in many of these respects.
However, there are some basic rights that all people should have, but sometimes do not. Things like clean, safe drinking water; nutritious food; adequate medical care; and the opportunity for an education are different aspects that I will be learning about and fighting for in Uganda.
In many ways my semester will help me learn about others in a service-oriented framework, but my journey is also a very selfish one.
My life has been pretty orderly, but I must admit, maybe too much so. So many things have been painstakingly organized, prepared, and protected. I can hardly complain, but a strong part of me is hungrily searching for something more, or maybe, something less. I want to find who I am, without the needless distractions and possessions and obsessions. I don’t want to worry about being absolutely assured or perfectly right. Because the thing is, the world has no guarantees; and neither does life. Waiting to be completely safe and entirely certain can cause a person to lose out on the precious moments passing by. I’m finally beginning to realize that nothing can ever be truly certain. So, if everything in life is uncertain, why should this, my Uganda experience, be any different?
I’m leaving myself a lot of blank spaces. I honestly don’t know what my experience in Uganda will be like, and I have no idea the people I’ll meet. My future is very unclear, but I’m getting used to that feeling and I think I like it.
til next time.
Friday, July 15, 2011
The Backdrop: A Brief Profile of Uganda
Full Name Republic of Uganda
Population 33.8 million (UN, 2010)
Area 241,038 sq km (93,072 sq mile--about the size of Oregon)
Climate Tropical; little annual variation (17-28C/63-82F) with rainy and dry seasons
Terrain Mostly plateau with a rim of mountains
Capital Kampala (2009 pop. 1.5 million)
Climate Tropical; little annual variation (17-28C/63-82F) with rainy and dry seasons
Terrain Mostly plateau with a rim of mountains
Capital Kampala (2009 pop. 1.5 million)
City of Kampala
Major languages English (official), Swahili (official), Luganda, various Bantu, Nioltic, and local languages
Major Religions Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%
Education 2008 primary school completion rate—56%
Literacy (age 15 and over who can read and write) 69.9%; male--79.5%, female—60.4%
Major Religions Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%
Education 2008 primary school completion rate—56%
Literacy (age 15 and over who can read and write) 69.9%; male--79.5%, female—60.4%
Government type Republic
Independence October 9, 1962 (from the UK)
President and Commander in Chief Yoweri Museveni
Natural Resources Copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, phosphate, oil
Agriculture Cash Crops—coffee (Africa’s second largest producer), tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, cut flowers. Food crops—bananas, corn, cassava, potatoes, millet, pulses. Livestock and fisheries—beef, goat meat, milk, poultry, Nile perch, tilapia
Current environmental issues draining of wetlands for agricultural use, deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, widespread poaching, water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria
Major infectious diseases: Food or waterborne—bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases—malaria, yellow fever, and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
Independence October 9, 1962 (from the UK)
President and Commander in Chief Yoweri Museveni
Vice President Gilbert Bukenya
Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi
Ambassador to the United States Perezi K. Kamunanwire
GDP (nominal, 2009) $15.7 billion (US: $14.2 trillion)
Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi
Ambassador to the United States Perezi K. Kamunanwire
GDP (nominal, 2009) $15.7 billion (US: $14.2 trillion)
Agriculture Cash Crops—coffee (Africa’s second largest producer), tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, cut flowers. Food crops—bananas, corn, cassava, potatoes, millet, pulses. Livestock and fisheries—beef, goat meat, milk, poultry, Nile perch, tilapia
Current environmental issues draining of wetlands for agricultural use, deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, widespread poaching, water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria
Major infectious diseases: Food or waterborne—bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases—malaria, yellow fever, and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
Monday, June 20, 2011
SunSCREAM: Lessons in Sun Protection!
The country of Uganda is situated right on the equator in east Africa. This is fantastic for weather and climate, but it creates a scary situation for the concentration of the sun’s rays on the skin. For this reason, the use of sunscreen is extremely important to stay healthy and happy! Skin cancer is relatively prevalent in my family, and with a very fair complexion, I am particularly at risk, so the most effective use of sunscreen is really important to me!
I talked to my dermatologist about the types of sunscreen that will be the best for me in Uganda. Most sunscreens can be classified into two main types: chemical and physical.
- Chemical sunscreens contain special ingredients that act as filters and reduce ultraviolet radiation penetration to the skin. These sunscreens usually contain UVB (rays responsible for causing sunburn and most skin cancers) absorbing chemicals and now contain UVA (rays responsible for the signs of aging; contribute to the development of skin cancer) absorbers as well.
- Physical sunscreens, usually referred to as sunblocks, contain ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide that physically block ultraviolate radiation; they provide broader protection against both UVB and UVA light.
She said that most of the sunscreen products sold in the US are made from chemicals that don’t protect the skin as well as formulas made with metals. These metals provide more effective physical blocks from harmful UVA and UVB, so these types of sunscreens are the ones I will want to stick with. The chemicals typically feel lightweight on the skin and are relatively non-greasy, which makes them pretty desirable for most people that hate the feeling of oily sunscreen on their skin.
She had three main recommendations for products to use:
- Blue Lizard (from Australia; sometimes found in stores; really effective)
- Soleo Organics (the best on the market; REALLY heavy, yet doesn't make you break out!; must order online)
- Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby (found in stores!!)
I went to the store to read the ingredients of (literally all of) the sunscreens I found on the shelves. Most sunscreens in stores do not contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. This certainly does not make them bad or ineffective, just not as effective as those that do contain those metal compounds. I actually found a Banana Boat baby sunscreen that had titanium dioxide, but not many others contained metals.
While sitting in the dermatologist's office I read something that stated that a person's risk for melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns. Yikes! So, slather on that sunscreen, I know I will!
All In
I got a letter in the mail from SIT today. I’m officially in! (after I’m cleared for a visa...) I received medical approval from my doctor, and I just have a few more immunizations to go! In my letter, SIT directed me to online resources containing pre-departure information, such as health guidelines, packing guidelines, a reading list, and international travel information. Wowee! It seems so early, but I guess there’s just a lot to be done!
There are six required readings and more than twenty recommended readings for my program. I’m going to start reading asap! The readings seem to concentrate on gaining an understanding of the complex process and components of human development in developing countries: the role of farming, business, and government, health concerns (especially AIDS), post-genocide reconstruction (like in Rwanda), grappling with poverty, and the role of colonialism and nativism, among other things.
I can’t believe it. In few months, I won’t just be reading about this stuff, I’ll be witnessing and experiencing it!
til next time.
There are six required readings and more than twenty recommended readings for my program. I’m going to start reading asap! The readings seem to concentrate on gaining an understanding of the complex process and components of human development in developing countries: the role of farming, business, and government, health concerns (especially AIDS), post-genocide reconstruction (like in Rwanda), grappling with poverty, and the role of colonialism and nativism, among other things.
I can’t believe it. In few months, I won’t just be reading about this stuff, I’ll be witnessing and experiencing it!
til next time.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Appointment #1...success!
I had my first pre-Uganda doctor’s appointment today! I got a physical examination, my first in a series of two Hepatitis A vaccinations, TB skin test, urine test, and hemoglobin test. I will have to go back to the clinic in two days to have the results of my TB test read, and I will get my second Hepatitis A shot in six months. I also received a prescription for my oral typhoid fever vaccination. I can decide whether I want to fill this prescription or get the actual shot, which lasts a few years longer than the oral vaccination does.
My doctor and I went over the various types of antimalarial prophylaxis medications available for the region of Africa I will be in, and I have to select which type I will to take. I am choosing between three types of medications taken in the form of pills that have various costs, side effects, and schedules. Some are taken once a week, while others are taken daily. Some of the side effects include upset stomach, sun sensitivity, and nightmares. I wonder what kind of nightmares..?/How exactly does that work?
I need to go to the health department travel clinic to receive my other vaccines, including the yellow fever shot. I will be finding out if I need the rabies and H1N1 vaccinations. I can also decide when I go there to receive the typhoid shot instead of the typhoid pill.
My doctor and I talked about the importance of using tons of sunscreen and insect repellant while I’m in Uganda. Main take-home points: I need stuff with a really high SPF and a lot of DEET! I need to bring a hat (especially because my scalp burns so easily!), and I’m supposed to wear long sleeves as much as possible. I'm not sure how much that will happen, but I'll try!
It’s strange to me because to pretty much anywhere else I’ve traveled before, I’ve packed the few days leading up to the trip. (I obviously never put off packing to the night before…) However, this one is completely different. For one thing, I'll be gone for about four months! I’m leaving at the end of January, but I already have to start preparing now. There’s a lot of stuff that I’ll need to buy and stock up on for when I’m in Uganda. There are also many medical, financial, and practical preparations to consider.
If I had sat in the doctor's office a year ago, or even a couple of months ago, waiting to receive the shots and the medical tests, I might not even have wanted to go to Uganda anymore. I might have changed my mind. I HATED shots, needles, finger pricks, doctor's offices, and all those crazy tests. However, today I can honestly say I really wasn't even fazed. I wasn't scared, or embarrassed, or anxious. I just did it. Granted, I looked away and thought of other things while being injected, but I still did it. I really do want to go to Uganda, and I'm realizing there are much worse things in the world than a few shots. I know all of these things are only being done to keep me safe and healthy, and in turn to protect the people I come in contact with. I don't want to come home from Uganda with a bunch of scary medical problems, so I am committed to doing everything I can now in order to minimize my risk of getting sick. It's all still kind of unsettling to think about, but I guess all I can do is prepare and hope for the best!
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travelers/drugs.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaria_prophylaxis
til next time.
My doctor and I went over the various types of antimalarial prophylaxis medications available for the region of Africa I will be in, and I have to select which type I will to take. I am choosing between three types of medications taken in the form of pills that have various costs, side effects, and schedules. Some are taken once a week, while others are taken daily. Some of the side effects include upset stomach, sun sensitivity, and nightmares. I wonder what kind of nightmares..?/How exactly does that work?
I need to go to the health department travel clinic to receive my other vaccines, including the yellow fever shot. I will be finding out if I need the rabies and H1N1 vaccinations. I can also decide when I go there to receive the typhoid shot instead of the typhoid pill.
My doctor and I talked about the importance of using tons of sunscreen and insect repellant while I’m in Uganda. Main take-home points: I need stuff with a really high SPF and a lot of DEET! I need to bring a hat (especially because my scalp burns so easily!), and I’m supposed to wear long sleeves as much as possible. I'm not sure how much that will happen, but I'll try!
It’s strange to me because to pretty much anywhere else I’ve traveled before, I’ve packed the few days leading up to the trip. (I obviously never put off packing to the night before…) However, this one is completely different. For one thing, I'll be gone for about four months! I’m leaving at the end of January, but I already have to start preparing now. There’s a lot of stuff that I’ll need to buy and stock up on for when I’m in Uganda. There are also many medical, financial, and practical preparations to consider.
If I had sat in the doctor's office a year ago, or even a couple of months ago, waiting to receive the shots and the medical tests, I might not even have wanted to go to Uganda anymore. I might have changed my mind. I HATED shots, needles, finger pricks, doctor's offices, and all those crazy tests. However, today I can honestly say I really wasn't even fazed. I wasn't scared, or embarrassed, or anxious. I just did it. Granted, I looked away and thought of other things while being injected, but I still did it. I really do want to go to Uganda, and I'm realizing there are much worse things in the world than a few shots. I know all of these things are only being done to keep me safe and healthy, and in turn to protect the people I come in contact with. I don't want to come home from Uganda with a bunch of scary medical problems, so I am committed to doing everything I can now in order to minimize my risk of getting sick. It's all still kind of unsettling to think about, but I guess all I can do is prepare and hope for the best!
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travelers/drugs.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaria_prophylaxis
til next time.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
To All the Squirrels of Notre Dame
(Purely for research purposes...)
- "Grasshoppers are a staple in Uganda. Sadly, they're not in season right now, and I have resigned myself to going without."
- "How can you not want to eat a big, 2-ounce grasshopper?"
- "Now, did you know it was filled with yellow stuff? It is. The bigger the grasshoppers, the more they taste like crab."
- "Squirrel? FANTASTIC!"
- "Well, I guess the moment I've been waiting for. The fabulous taste of grilled African squirrel."
- "Yummy."
- "Ah, that's good squirrel."
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Forms Fail
So, apparently I was supposed to send all of my confirmation, health, and other [slightly] important forms to the study abroad office at ND, and they were to make copies of them for their records and send them off to the SIT office in Vermont to reserve my spot for me.
Instead, I waited until the day before they were due, went to the ND post office with Mom on the eve of Matt's graduation, and overnighted the forms myself (costing a small fortune). I made no copies for ND office or anyone's records (including my own). Oops...my bad.
What's worse, now I have to explain this to OIS.....
On the bright side, SIT received my forms on time!
til next time.
Instead, I waited until the day before they were due, went to the ND post office with Mom on the eve of Matt's graduation, and overnighted the forms myself (costing a small fortune). I made no copies for ND office or anyone's records (including my own). Oops...my bad.
What's worse, now I have to explain this to OIS.....
On the bright side, SIT received my forms on time!
til next time.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
My New Blog!
I decided to create this blog in order to share my Uganda study abroad experiences with my friends and family back home! Why am I starting so early? My trip is still about seven months out, but I thought I would set this up now in order to familiarize myself with all of this crazy stuff before I leave. I also would like to document my progress as I prepare to depart in January 2012! I'm still getting used to the idea of pouring out my heart and soul to this silly little text box, but I suppose with time it will become easier. Yeah, this is awkward (sorry). Try to bear with me!!
I'm still figuring out how to format all the text and how to insert pictures. While I'm busy tinkering with all of the technical stuff, I will also be learning so much in the coming months. I want to learn all about the history and culture of Uganda and its people. I am trying to read and learn as much as I can before I leave the US in order to prepare myself as much as I am able. I know I will experience a sharp wave of culture shock upon arrival and during the months I spend in Africa, and my hope is to educate myself to make the transition a bit more fluid.
It's still hard for me to believe in a few months I'll be in Africa. AFRICA. Who would've thought? It's really weird for me to think about all of the differences between where I'll be and where I am now. It's so easy for me to take for granted so many things I now enjoy and have come to expect. Here at home I know that if I turn on the faucet I can count on clean water that won't make me sick (or kill me). In Uganda, I won't be able to depend on the safety of regular tap or or other sources of fresh water; not even to brush my teeth. I'll have to boil it myself, treat it with iodine, or find somewhere to purchase sealed bottled water for every little thing that requires the use of water. I'll have to be much more aware of how I use water, and how much of it I use. Here in the US we have the FDA, USDA, and other health organizations to monitor and regulate the things we consume. It's very different in Uganda, and as a foreigner, I am much more susceptible to disease from food than native Ugandans who have built up tolerance to certain types of parasites over generations. I won't have a regular cell phone in Uganda, and I probably will not be able to contact my family and friends very often. (which is the main reason I've created this blog!) Also, frequent power outages will make many electronic communications unreliable and kept to a minimum.
One of the things I am most scared about is getting sick while I'm abroad. There are so many diseases in the world that I don't even think about as a citizen of the US. Luckily, however, many of them are preventable. Today I did a bit of research on the vaccinations I will need to have before I leave. So far, I am expecting to receive the hepatitis A (2), yellow fever, H1N1, typhoid, and rabies shots (3). Rabies, I know, isn't that crazy? I also need to get anti-malaria medication and probably a couple of other items for "preventative care."
It's kind of a strange feeling for me, though, because I'm starting to think about how these things relate to bigger questions about human rights for all people around the globe. I'm getting a yellow fever shot so I won't die of yellow fever, but what about the people currently dying of yellow fever who can't afford shots or have no access to medical care? I was born in a wealthy country into a family that can afford and has access to these things, but does that mean I have more of a right to them than someone, anyone, else? I wonder the same thing about clean water. Water is water; it's fluid and viscous and owned by no one person or group. So why do some people have the right to safe water and others do not? These are the things I want to explore when I am in Uganda.
I have a doctor's appointment next week to have a physical examination and get cleared to go to Africa. I applied for my passport last week. I printed out my reading and packing and preparation lists today. It's all becoming more real to me, but I'm still getting there. It's hard to get my hopes up too much because there is so much uncertainty in that part of the world right now. I'm scared. I'm nervous. I'm unsure. I'm going to miss my ten minute showers of constant, flowing (clean) water, my wireless internet, my closet of clothes, my home. I'll miss my parents and my brothers and my sister. I'll miss my friends, and I'll miss my dog.
I want to learn how to live without all of the material nonsense, the distractions. I want to learn how to take care of myself in a place I don't know with people I've just met. I want to wonder about things that are worth wondering about, and love people who are worth loving. I want to show myself I can do it and I'm stronger than I think. Because I know that I can and I know that I am. It's going to be an interesting experience. I can't wait to make new friends and try new things. However, I know that sometimes it won't be fun. There'll be times when I'll wish I just stayed home, stayed in my safe little dorm room in PE. But I also know that I will grow, learn, transform, and develop immensely as a result of everything.
Bring it on.
til next time.
I'm still figuring out how to format all the text and how to insert pictures. While I'm busy tinkering with all of the technical stuff, I will also be learning so much in the coming months. I want to learn all about the history and culture of Uganda and its people. I am trying to read and learn as much as I can before I leave the US in order to prepare myself as much as I am able. I know I will experience a sharp wave of culture shock upon arrival and during the months I spend in Africa, and my hope is to educate myself to make the transition a bit more fluid.
It's still hard for me to believe in a few months I'll be in Africa. AFRICA. Who would've thought? It's really weird for me to think about all of the differences between where I'll be and where I am now. It's so easy for me to take for granted so many things I now enjoy and have come to expect. Here at home I know that if I turn on the faucet I can count on clean water that won't make me sick (or kill me). In Uganda, I won't be able to depend on the safety of regular tap or or other sources of fresh water; not even to brush my teeth. I'll have to boil it myself, treat it with iodine, or find somewhere to purchase sealed bottled water for every little thing that requires the use of water. I'll have to be much more aware of how I use water, and how much of it I use. Here in the US we have the FDA, USDA, and other health organizations to monitor and regulate the things we consume. It's very different in Uganda, and as a foreigner, I am much more susceptible to disease from food than native Ugandans who have built up tolerance to certain types of parasites over generations. I won't have a regular cell phone in Uganda, and I probably will not be able to contact my family and friends very often. (which is the main reason I've created this blog!) Also, frequent power outages will make many electronic communications unreliable and kept to a minimum.
One of the things I am most scared about is getting sick while I'm abroad. There are so many diseases in the world that I don't even think about as a citizen of the US. Luckily, however, many of them are preventable. Today I did a bit of research on the vaccinations I will need to have before I leave. So far, I am expecting to receive the hepatitis A (2), yellow fever, H1N1, typhoid, and rabies shots (3). Rabies, I know, isn't that crazy? I also need to get anti-malaria medication and probably a couple of other items for "preventative care."
It's kind of a strange feeling for me, though, because I'm starting to think about how these things relate to bigger questions about human rights for all people around the globe. I'm getting a yellow fever shot so I won't die of yellow fever, but what about the people currently dying of yellow fever who can't afford shots or have no access to medical care? I was born in a wealthy country into a family that can afford and has access to these things, but does that mean I have more of a right to them than someone, anyone, else? I wonder the same thing about clean water. Water is water; it's fluid and viscous and owned by no one person or group. So why do some people have the right to safe water and others do not? These are the things I want to explore when I am in Uganda.
I have a doctor's appointment next week to have a physical examination and get cleared to go to Africa. I applied for my passport last week. I printed out my reading and packing and preparation lists today. It's all becoming more real to me, but I'm still getting there. It's hard to get my hopes up too much because there is so much uncertainty in that part of the world right now. I'm scared. I'm nervous. I'm unsure. I'm going to miss my ten minute showers of constant, flowing (clean) water, my wireless internet, my closet of clothes, my home. I'll miss my parents and my brothers and my sister. I'll miss my friends, and I'll miss my dog.
I want to learn how to live without all of the material nonsense, the distractions. I want to learn how to take care of myself in a place I don't know with people I've just met. I want to wonder about things that are worth wondering about, and love people who are worth loving. I want to show myself I can do it and I'm stronger than I think. Because I know that I can and I know that I am. It's going to be an interesting experience. I can't wait to make new friends and try new things. However, I know that sometimes it won't be fun. There'll be times when I'll wish I just stayed home, stayed in my safe little dorm room in PE. But I also know that I will grow, learn, transform, and develop immensely as a result of everything.
Bring it on.
til next time.
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