Embassy Visit and Kampala

Today I had to meet one of our UCU drivers, Moses and Dr. Watuulo to go to my embassy appointment to apply for my visa and meet up with all of the state department people supervising my position. We met at 6:30, but my appointment wasn't until 9. It usually takes about an hour and a half to get to the embassy, but because of the traffic and my first time there with security, Dr. Watuulo suggested we leave early. I had a meeting scheduled with the people in charge of maintaining English language programs in Uganda and a briefing with the security team. I am so lucky to work with awesome, supportive people at the state department and I look forward to utilizing lots of funds! The embassy feels like a prison and I was not a fan. It felt so far removed from Uganda, almost like a little America, but I know that the staff does goes out into the community a lot.  The security briefing was a bit scary, but most of the things were common sense. Kampala is a critical area for theft and crime, which is the highest rating the security team gives a city. Because there are so many people and cars, a lot of theft happens while sitting in traffic. So, I just need to keep my valuables away from the window and try to keep the windows rolled up. I am not really a fan of the city because it is way, way too busy and I feel exposed. I have to be hyper vigilant about someone snatching my things and I don't enjoy it. Some people on campus go really often to Kampala because there are a lot more resources, but I'm okay with staying in Mukono. Maybe I will change my mind as time goes on, but for now I am only going to go when necessary. Campus feels much safer to me.

It is comforting to know that there is an emergency number that I can call to report anything and the Marines will come running. The security officer encouraged me to call them about anything and everything, even if it's little. They said things often escalate before people tell them and then they arrive after the fact. They are very serious about protecting my safety because that is the reason they are here in Uganda.


 I grabbed this pic off the internet because I didn't want to take pictures, but this is basically what it looked like yesterday. The embassy "forbids" us to ride in these van-like taxis and boda bodas (which are motocycles). Because the taxis are so crowded, many Americans have compromised their security by being stuck in one. The boda bodas are just downright dangerous and they get into a lot of accidents.

I also got my boxes that I mailed a few weeks ago. I am still waiting for 2 more, but at least these have arrived so I can start planning my classes. They were a little beat up, but everything arrived fine. I am so thankful that I have the means to buy office supplies for the Languages and Literature department as well as donate textbooks. Joe game me a lot of books too! If you have an interest in donating supplies, especially teaching materials, please let me know. It's cheap to send through the mail because they go media rate to the embassy. It's a pain getting them to campus, but so worth it. My department has very few textbooks.


 
After my embassy visit, we headed to the Orange store to get my modem and SIM card. Orange seems to be the main cell phone provider here in Uganda. There are others as well, but Orange is the largest. I had already gone to a local place and another store in Kampala, but they didn't have a SIM card to fit my iphone 5. We had to go to the headquarters in downtown Kampala. They did not have a nano SIM, so they cut one to fit my phone. I was concerned, but it worked perfectly. The modem, however, was a pain in the neck. They worked for three hours on my Mac and finally got it to work. It seems that most people have a PC here, so experience with a Mac is limited. Nevertheless, I am connected and back to the land of the living!

This little thing is what gives me internet!

I came back home and crashed for a few hours, then made dinner. The stove that I have is fantastic, but the lighting situation can be tricky because the matches here are plastic and very short. Oh well, I just need to suck it up! I made some pasta with mincemeat (beef) and veggies. It was absolutely delicious. I have been eating a lot of Ugandan food, but it is nice to have something familiar. I did go to a huge grocery store yesterday, but there was literally nothing packaged that I recognized. I will post some pics of stuff I bought later. When in Rome...