Apwoyo!

So I can only write a little bit because I have only a few minutes left here in the internet cafe. This is day four for me here in Gulu and everything has been going quite well.

I have been spending most of the time in the Dwon Madiki office. It is a small two room building in a compound of a few other homes. The place is pretty nice and homey.

I have had the most time spending time with the neighborhood children. Though they are not in our program they hang around a lot. One girl I met who is 9 years old, named Diana is one of the most energetic children I have met. We will be sitting in the office and an overly excited Diana will run in and say, "Diana, COME!" Where we are going and what we are going to do is never certain but she always pulls me away to some adventure.

My first day here I played a game called fossi which was very fun. Two girls stand in the middle of a line of four sticks. One person stands in the center. The goal is for the person in the center to pick up all of the stick one at a time and drop them before the girls on either side hit them with whatever they are throwing (usually a sock). I played and got a few points but I think they were going easy on me.

It's fun to hang out with the children, but at some point the realization hits that the reason they are playing with me midday is because they are not in school. And even though we are sending children to school, we just don't have enough for everyone. And so these great kids miss out. It's hard to know that we just can't do more.

Every day at the office we also get served to meals: breakfast and lunch. Breakfast yesterday was tea and the most flavorful and delicious banana I have ever eaten. For lunch we were served rice and beans and cabbage. I was surprised how absolutely wonderful such staple foods could taste. We are really being fed well. Also there are quite a few restuarants around the area including one run by the Invisible Children people. They have a more Americanized menu and so last night I had pancakes and a smoothie! Yum.

Other than time spent at the office, I have been exploring the area a little and spending time with the Dwon Madiki folks in the hotel where we are staying. Every day we go to the office I ride there on a boda-boda, a motorbike of sorts. I was absoluted petrified of getting on one the first time but it has since gotten easier. And in fact it is quite a beautiful ride to see all of Gulu while riding on one. And I've learned the word mot mot which means slowly and that has no doubt ensured my safety.

Anyway, I am off now to the office where we are having a welcoming ceremony today. There will be food and dancing and speeches and I am very excited about it.

Until next time!