Day 1 - Mukono

I spent all of day 1 at Sam and Jenny's house and they were so gracious. I took a sleeping pill so that I could rest on Saturday night, but I didn't fall asleep until after 3. I slept for 6 hours and then woke up. Jenny prepared breakfast of tea, bread, and bananas. Then I went back to bed until lunch. I think I slept another 4 hours. I was so jet lagged. I've learned not to fight jet lag, but with this short of a trip, I want to really try to force my body to adapt. I don't have the time to get adjusted naturally. Jenny woke me up for lunch and she made a delicious dinner of goat, rice, and Irish potatoes. I there is some requirement that you have to be a wonderful cook before you get married. Jenny passed that test with flying colors.

Notice the Cardinals shirt I brought for Sam...yep, representing!

Sam snapped this picture as I was moving while trying to rest, but nonetheless you can see how much I love this girl. I've really missed Jenny. She is such an awesome friend. We spent so much time talking, laughing cooking, and painting each others' nails during my fellowship. It was so nice to reconnect. Her husband Sam is awesome too. He spent a lot of time running with me and encouraging me. I truly missed them both. 

After lunch, my friend Solomon came by. I taught with Solomon and I really made a connection with him. His brother even brought me things from the states when he came to visit. He is an amazing teacher and researcher. I can't wait to see what all he does in the future. 

Finally, my friend Daniel arrived from Masindi. He is my escort and body guard for the week! I'm so thankful for my friendship with Daniel. We have both been through a lot in the last year, so it is nice just to catch up with each other after 6 months. I love Daniel's hospitality. He brought me coffee and gnut paste that I hope I can get it into the U.S. We will see. He also brought some for Jenny along with some roasted casava and pineapples. After catching up with everyone, I packed for Rakai and Kitgum. I will be gone until Friday and then return to Mukono for my last few days.

Flight to Uganda

I've always loved flying and I'm not sure why. Maybe it is because I didn't fly much when I was young or to take long vacations. But every time I book a flight and step on an airplane, I get a huge high that is incomparable to anything else. For my flight to Uganda, I was scheduled to fly through Washington, DC, Brussels, Rwanda and Uganda. But when I arrived at the airport, my flight was delayed, which caused me to be re-routed through Chicago and London. I don't usually mind getting re-routed through another country as long as I get to my location around the same time. The first flight to Chicago was uneventful and very fast. I'm always amazed that the flight to Chicago is only 40 minutes. I sat next to a girl who was going across the pond for the first time and she was very excited. Her name was Maria and she was traveling to Ireland. She just graduated from her graduate program and was going to visit some friends. We ended up sitting just a few rows from each other on the London flight. Dinner on the flight over to London was okay with a salad, manicotti, roll, and a brownie. I was disappointed that there wasn't free wine because I have always had free wine on international flights. I was also disappointed with the entertainment because it was very old and outdated. Most of the flights I have been on over the past few years had an adjustable screen with many movies, tv shows, games, and audio channels. There were a couple good movies playing (One Hundred Foot Journey), but definitely sub par compared to others. The scariest part of the journey was the landing. We approached Heathrow to land, but suddenly the plane engines roared and the plane headed upwards. I quickly realized something was wrong and we were not landing. On the approach to land, it was very windy, so I figured it was unsafe and that is why the pilot aborted. Sure enough, the pilot came on and said he was going to try again after he circled around. He landed the plane and all was well. I think that is the first time I have been scared on a flight. My mind kept wondering what was going to happen if we ran out of fuel or had to be diverted. But we landed and all was well. 

I was able to get some coffee and French toast with yogurt and fruit. It was a nice introduction into the British world. Of course, I didn't have pounds, so I had to change my money. I tried to FaceTime with my family and friends thanks to the free wifi but only my friend Alex was awake. We chatted for a bit and then I read my book while I waited for the flight to Entebbe. 

The flight from London to Entebbe was comfortable and I began to get really excited. I sat between two Ugandans swapping stories about life in the developed world versus the developing world. The contrasts are startling to say the least. I wish I could express in words how comfortable I felt on this flight. From the local language, Luganda to the way people say "sorry" for when you when you drop things, I felt so at home. This flight was with British Airways and it is the first time I have taken them. I would take them over again. They where absolutely wonderful. My favorite part was when I asked for spicy tomato juice, the flight attendant shook a bottle of Smirnoff vodka at me and asked if I cared to have something to liven it up. I was thrilled to have a Bloody Mary after so many hours of travel. They also offered wine with dinner and my neighbor next me asked for another bottle and gave it to me. No, I didn't get off the flight drunk, but I did enjoy my glass of wine and took the other bottle for the road. 

When I arrived at the airport in Uganda, I was surprised at the changes because of the Ebola epidemic. I had to fill out a questionnaire about my health and then waited in line to see a nurse. The nurse asked me a few questions and then took my temperature. The adults were separated from the children and since I didn't have any children with me, my line went quickly. My temperature was a normal and I was free to go. Usually I can get through the visa process rather quickly, but this time it took a while because there were big three planes at once. My biggest recommendation about visas is to get them before leaving your home country. This saves you a lot of time and eliminates any corruption when the staff tries to charge you more than the required fee. 

I breezed through immigration and went to look for my bags. I didn't see them, so I took the opportunity to change my money. The girls behind the exchange place were arguing over who could help me, but finally settled on one and I changed my money. I was happy with the rate because it was Shz2600=$1 and I think I could probably get even more in town. Just six months ago the rate was 2400 or 2500. I guess the dollar is gaining strength. I changed my money, found my bags, and then went out to find my friends. My friends Jenny and Sam were waiting for me and I found them as soon as I exited the airport. I squealed with joy and gave them big hugs and we headed to their house in Mukono. And once again I was in my home away from home. 

MIDTESOL Conference 2014

One of my favorite events of the year is a conference run by MIDTESOL (MidAmerica Teachers of Speakers to Other Languages). The conference is on a Friday night and Saturday, but I had to attend a work session with the board on Thursday night. I am the K-12 interest section leader on the board. So, after teaching all day on Thursday, I made the drive down to Warrensburg, MO to University of Central Missouri. I arrived just in time to attend our work session at 7:00 p.m. I was not able to really contribute much from Uganda last year, so I was really looking forward to this time with other freaks like me. The meeting went well and I feel like we accomplished a lot.

Comfort Inn - Lees Summit

Comfort Inn - Lees Summit

Day 1 - Friday 
I woke up early to make the trek from my hotel to UCM. Our board meeting started at 9, so I left about 8 and made it on time. I love board meetings because I get to learn about the inner workings of the organization. We discussed the budget, various reports, and the next conference for 2015. This is a rich time for me to talk with colleagues from Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri. I definitely need to do a better job reporting on K-12 from all perspectives, versus just Missouri.

After our meeting we had delicious food for lunch. I forget how much food we eat here and I enjoyed every minute of a luxurious lunch.

The first session I attended was called "What should they read? Motivation and readability for ELLs in the common core." The person presenting had a lot of great research about readability and offered several text analyzing tools. This session gave me some time to collaborate with my colleagues and discuss the challenges of common core and reading with ELLs. I know this is trivial, but the presented sounded like Kermit the Frog, which was a bit distracting to me. It really reminded me of when one of my best friends had her tonsils taken out and sounded the same way. Ahh, memories.

After that long workshop, I headed to the plenary for short business meeting and a session entitled "Good Readers Are Fluent Readers: Giving Reading Fluency the Attention it Deserves" by Fredricka Stoller. She was phenomenal. She was really inspiring and helped us to really focus on reading fluency.

There was a happy hour after the plenary, but Megan and I headed to Heros to have dinner. The lines at the MIDTESOL were just too long and we were starving. I ordered a martini and a cheesy barbecue burger and it was delicious. I ate the whole thing.

We headed back to the hotel and crashed. I knew I had to get up at 6 a.m. the next day to prepare for my presentation.

Another fun thing about parking on a university campus is parking tickets. I guess I didn't park in the correct place and got a ticket for $50. Apparently, it goes down to $25, if I pay it by a certain date. I talked with the conference leader and she told me to appeal it and they will take it away. So, we will see.









Day 2 - Saturday
Day 2 started with an early wake up call at 6 so that I could get to the university in time for my presentation. The drive was incredibly foggy, so I was glad I left early. I was also glad that I arrived early because there were students taking an ACT examinations and a marching band competition that I had to fight in order to get a parking space. I arrived in my room in plenty of time and fidgeted with technology until everything was ready.

The presentation went well and I had about 10 participants. It seemed that they were quite interested in a fellowship and they asked a lot of intelligent questions. It definitely feels good to be on the other side of the fellowship and speaking from experience. I always feel a sense of pride when I see my favorite people or kids that I taught in Uganda. Feel free to check out my presentation via Prezi.


MIDTESOL Presentation 10.25.14


I also attended a session on Project Based Learning by the presenter from the plenary, which gave me a lot of ideas for projects. I attended a session about instructional coaching and sent an email to one of my district administrators because I feel like it is something that would enhance our understanding of ELL. I also attended a section about Twitter and I created an account. I hope to use it more in the future.

Then, we had lunch and I led an interest section on K-12. I was really interested to see what topics we would discussed. Most of our time was dealing with Kansas teachers because they are struggling and are responsible for many schools. So, we brainstormed ways to help them and also made connections. I love leading interest sections because it allows me to meet so many teachers who are also dealing with the same issues in other districts. This particular conference just focuses on Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa. We did have several other states attend too.

After lunch, I hosted a session with Dr. Song and she was talking about ELL literacy skills. She was a funny presenter and very entertaining. She is a teacher in elementary and teachers for Kansas State. I helped out with the technology piece and flipped slides for her.

The last session is called Keeping it Real for Kids: Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships to Make Dynamic Learning Experiences for Every Student by Dyane Swokorowski. She was incredibly energetic and inspiring. She is the Kansas teacher of the year and had a lot of good examples for keeping things relevant for kids. After the session, I drove back home and it was a gorgeous drive. I am not much for driving (I would rather fly), but it was a nice trip since we are at the peak of fall.

The Racial Divide

I know it has been a month and a half since I blogged, so I felt it was time to get back to it. I absolutely love blogging and now that school has settled down and I am in somewhat of a routine, I thought I would try to be more consistent.

I have had so many changes since I last blogged including going back to work, breaking a bone in my foot, starting my dissertation, registering for an intro to Judaism class, etc. But today I would like to focus on an issue that is very close to my heart. If you live in St. Louis, you are aware of the racial divide that was portrayed in the news to all of the country after the shooting of Mike Brown. I absolutely love St. Louis. I did not grow up here, but I have lived here since I was 24 and I love it. We have beautiful parks, a world-class zoo, museums, bike trails, many religious organizations, good schools, diverse community, etc. It is affordable and you get a lot for your money. I always complain about being landlocked and the fact that Lambert is not really an international airport, but other than that, it is a great place to live. But bubbling under that surface is this racial divide. I don't understand judging someone based on their culture, race, skin color, religion, gender, sexual identity, etc. I never have and never will. That being said, I am a white woman and I can only speak from my own experiences/perceptions. I have rarely faced prejudice. I faced a bit of prejudice in Uganda for being a liberal woman and my religious beliefs, but it was a far cry from the prejudice I have heard from friends, seen on the news, and read in books. I try really hard to make sure I am informed about how marginalized people feel and keep my ears open.

I am currently reading That's the Way It Was: Stories of Struggle, Survival and Self-Respect in Twentieth-Century Black St. Louis by Vida Goldman Prince. I saw this book at the library and really wanted to read it. The author interviewed thirteen different people who grew up in St. Louis and lived through the civil rights era. I have only read two chapters, but it is fascinating to hear people talk about places I go to today and how things were at that time. I can't help but put myself in their shoes and listen to their oral histories about how things used to be...and still are today.

As a teacher, I feel it is my duty to make sure my students know the difference between right and wrong. They need to be able to evaluate things critically and carefully. I want my students to make decisions based on what is right for them, not what is popular. I had an incident with one of my students last week that caused me to reflect about the current events. I rarely have behavorial problems with my students, but they sometimes have problems with other students. I teach ESL (students who are learning English), so all of my students represent other countries. The majority of my students are Mexican, but we do have a smattering of other countries including El Salvador, Togo, DRC, Ivory Coast, Vietnam, Laos, etc. My student got into a physical fight with another student and was suspended from school (as was the other student). I had a chance to talk with him after the fight and he kept saying to me, "Ms. Cardwell, he called me African. He was making fun of the way I spoke English. He's been bothering me for two weeks." It literally tore my heart out of my chest. We are a caring school and we take bullying very seriously. We listen to students and take their feelings seriously. We now have a lot more staff that are trained in how to deal with serious issues that are students face. I asked my student why he didn't tell me and he admitted that he thought it would stop. This incident provided me an opportunity to remind my student that we must tell adults when something is bothering us and we must solve things peacefully. We must talk through them and educate others. I couldn't help but think of the Ferguson protests and how things have turned violent again. In fact, this week there were businesses damaged (again) and I can't help but wonder why? Why would people damage businesses in their own community? Why would people drive business owners away?

In my opinion, if I am willing to destroy businesses in my community, I have no other choice. This would be a last resort solution. I do not have control over anything, so I am going to control what I can. This just feels wrong to me. Everyone should have a choice. Is this a case of right and wrong or a case of having to put up with prejudice for so long, it just explodes? I am not sure, but I know something has to happen so that all people feel loved and accepted. I don't like labels and I don't want to put people in a box. The idea that I should act a certain way because I am a woman or white abhors me. I am a human and I get to decide the way I want to act. That doesn't give me an excuse to break the law or destroy property. That is a right and wrong issue. But I should be able to walk down my street (on the sidewalk) without being harassed by law enforcement. I should be able to walk into a gas station to buy a coffee without being followed. I should not get pulled over just because of my skin color. I shouldn't have to worry about a police officer shooting me because I reach for my driver's license. I should be able to apply for a load to get a house or car because of my credit and not because of my appearance. I want every student who comes through my door to feel respected and loved. I want every parent I encounter to feel I respect them for who they are and value their choices. I was not put on this earth to judge you, but to listen, learn, and respect you because you are beautifully made. 

I do like some of the positive steps that my city is taking in order to bridge the differences and discuss the beliefs about other cultures. They are offering forums and there is a screening for a locally made movie at the history museum. The media has advertised various events to help Ferguson residents and business owners. This is a step in the right direction, albeit a bit late. Maybe we could be more proactive instead of reactive. The shooting of an unarmed teen in Ferguson was just a manifestation of what has been happening for years. It is our duty to make it right and listen to each other. Regardless of your belief of what happened that night, we need to learn from this situation so that it may never happen again. 

Out of Shape, Parties!

Out of Shape
I am out of shape. I have only gained a few pounds during my time in Africa, but my body has changed shape and gone soft. Seriously. In Africa, I walked a lot a ran a few times, but really didn't do much to challenge my body. Before I left, I was boxing 3 times a week, running at least 10 miles a week, training 2-3 times a week, and biking at least once a week. I lost muscle in my arms and legs and my middle seemed to grow. I can't fit into my size 8 jeans or dresses. I even bought new jeans to be more comfortable. I also can't run more than a quarter of a mile at a time, which really, really pisses me off. How is that possible after running 6 half marathons? All this is to say that I have to get in shape. I also saw these pics from the gay PRIDE parade and it upset me. Yes, I am petty, but I want to get back in shape and have my firm, hourglass figure.

So, I have started a full out assault on my exercise program. So here is my weekly routine:

boxing 3

running/walking 3

weight training 2

yoga 1-2

rest 1

I am trying to rest one day a week and would like to incorporate some biking soon. I just need to take my bike in to get serviced because the tires are flat. I will work on that next week. I am also sleeping 8 hours a day and trying to drink a lot of water. I have not attacked my food choices yet, but that is next. I am not focusing on weight loss yet, but that will come with better food choices and exercise. I just want to become strong again. I need to be patient, but I am not by nature a patient person. I would like to be in shape enough to run a half in October. We shall see.

Welcome Back Party

We had party last night and hosted about 30 people. It was nice and small. We grilled hamburgers, turkey hotdogs, brats, and mushrooms. We also had lots of chips, veggies, potato salad, pasta salad, and desserts. We always have a signature cocktail and the Singletons made a delicious summer drink with white wine, white soda, limeade, and strawberries. It was delicious and didn't last long! We had so much food and drink, but it all worked out well. I am still having a hard time adjusting to things here, especially the excess of everything. My heart is still very much with Uganda and they people I met there. I am so glad to be home, but the differences are still quite shocking to me. 

patio is ready for drinking

food!

signature cocktail 

notice the custom made apron by Natalie

Fourth of July Celebrations

I have decided to keep writing my blog about once a week even though I am no longer out of the country. I love that people actually care about my writing and it is an easy way for me to reflect on the week.

This past weekend I celebrated my first holiday back home since leaving for Africa. Fourth of July has always marked the beginning of summer for me. It is the time when everyone gets together and celebrates our freedom and independence. My celebrations usually consist of good BBQ, outdoor concerts, and fireworks. This year was no exception. I wasn't exactly sure how my 4th was going to work out because my friends were spending time with their families and my family wasn't having anything until the 5th. But earlier this week, my friend, Wagner decided to come into down and visit my family. He had not been back to St. Louis in SEVEN years, so it was good for him to come back and share some time with us.

The festivities here usually start around July 3 and this year our celebration, Fair St. Louis, was moved to Forest Park because there is construction happening down at the Arch. Forest Park is just a couple of miles from me, so I thought for sure I would see fireworks on July 3, 4, and 5. But to my dismay, I could not see any fireworks. On Friday morning I went to the grocery store to stock up on food for the weekend. The boys were going home because it was Joe's mom's birthday and Wagner was coming in so I wanted to make sure there was plenty of food in the house. As I walked into the grocery store, I could not get over the variety. I know I have been home for a little over a week, but this is the first time I have stepped into grocery store since being back. My wonderful roommate stocked my fridge with delicious foods, so I didn't need to go to the store. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed with all of the choices. The cereal aisle alone was too much. I got what I needed and got out.

On Friday afternoon, my friend Wagner came into town. I haven't seen Wagner in about a year. We divorced nearly seven years ago and that was the last time he saw my family. It was good to be together and talk about our lives. We visited some of the sites, had lunch, and headed down to Fair St. Louis. Fair St. Louis is our celebration for the fourth of July holiday. There is live music and fireworks each night. We parked close to Forest Park, but had to walk quite a lot to get to the fair. Once we got in, we stood at the top of the hill to watch the performances.
A man approached us and said, "Are you guys alone?"
Wagner and I just looked at each other and didn't really know how to respond. One of us squeaked out, "yes, why?"
He said, "My wife and I have two extra VIP passes and we thought maybe you could use them."
We gladly took the passes and then discussed whether it was for real or a trick. We decided to go into the VIP tent and check out the perks. The tent was nice with some free food and expensive drinks. We quickly realized there were better seats down the hill so we left the VIP area and found a place in the grass to relax and watch the concert. After the concert, we headed down to the Grand Basin to watch a tightrope walker, which was really cool. Then, we started heading back to the car. We didn't have the patience to wait out the fireworks, but we saw a lot of them on the way home.

The life of a resident...

The next day we headed to Creve Coeur Lake to get some exercise...me - running; Wagner - paddle boarding. Then, we headed over to mom and dad's where they had a BBQ waiting for us. It was so good to go to my parent's house and visit with my family.

Kelly and Kennedie

Baby girl!

Wagner and I

Wagner and Josh

Wagner, Mom, Ella

Wagner and Ella 

After visiting with the family in Alton, we headed over to my sister's house for some dinner and drinks. Kristin lives pretty close to me and it was on the way home. Kristin and Josh made delicious food with wine and desserts.

Then, we headed to Club Viva to dance at one of the popular Latin clubs here. It has been a long time since I danced merengue and salsa and I am pretty sure I made a fool of myself, but we had a good time. Wagner headed back to D.C. today and I really enjoyed the time we had together.

Workout Report
boxing 2X
running 3X (8 miles)
weight training 2X
I was a workout fiend before I left for Uganda, but during my time there, I only did a lot of walking. Therefore, I lost a lot of muscle tone, strength, and endurance. I have only gained about 7 pounds, but it is noticeable to me and my clothes don't fit the same way. So, I am on a mission to get back in shape before I head back to work next month. I would also like to run a half in October...we shall see.

Overall, it has been a pretty good first week. I am hoping to get into a routine this next week and work on my dissertation along with workouts.