Mazungu! Where are you going?!

Hello!

I'm sorry I haven't posted in while. You see, after Gulu I kind of lost momentum because I know longer had a plan. There are still places that I'd like to go and see like Sipi Falls and Lake Mburo, and I still wanted to volunteer at the KCCC but I was waiting for Marissa and Kelsi to come and I had NO idea what we were going to be doing for the next THREE weeks until the rest of the EDGE people come. It's not very easy to be in a very foreign place alone and not know what you're doing for the next three weeks, so it was a funky time and I didn't want to post and worry anyone. :)
I am fine though. I actually had a fabulous day today. I finally feel like I can get around this city! I'm not even really that scared to cross the roads anymore, and I'm getting much better at ignoring the cries of Mazungu! How are you? Where are you going? I love you! Give me your number! etc. It's pretty funny really. But I was so, so proud the last couple days at how well I've been able to get around using only public transportation and walking.
I met with Godfrey from the KCCC today and we made a plan for me to volunteer there starting Monday next week until Friday. Marissa and Kesli plan to go to the island July 1st (although this hasn't exactly been confirmed yet) so I'll meet them there. If I am absolutely loving it at KCCC I can stay longer, they are very flexible. I'm really excited about the chance to spend a week there. I'll be rotating around to see all the different programs they do, so I'll really be more of a shadow than a volunteer, but I am totally okay with that. I think I'll learn a lot and hopefully get some ideas for Lingira (the island).
As for updates since my last post I went to Gulu to visit my friend Boaz who I met two years ago when I did the Ulpan in Israel and haven't seen since. It was fun to see him and I got to hang out with him and the five other Brown students he's with. I also got really lucky because they had a trip to Murchison Falls planned and already had a van and a driver that their NGO provided, so I got to go with them and a trip that usually costs about $200 was only about $50! The best part was seeing giraffes!!! We got really close to them too...I really, really love giraffes. The rest of the trip was pretty similar to Queen Elizabeth National Park - we did a game drive and a boat ride and saw elephants, hippos, antelope, waterbuck, water buffalo, etc. It was really cool.
After that I spent two days in Gulu just sort of hanging out, walking around, and meeting people. I made one friend named Tony who is a nurse at Gulu Hospital and who invited me over and told me his whole amazing life story one afternoon. Gulu was very, very different then Kampala. It felt MUCH smaller and easier and more laid back.
So anyways, that's bascially what's going on. I accidentally drank coffee today so I'm wired out of my mind and probably won't be able to sleep at all tonight, which is not very fun when you're sleeping in the dorms with like 15 other people...
OH! Also, we don't really have plans for the weekend. The organizations that the other girls want to meet with will be out of comission for the weekend as well the KCCC, so I am trying to plan a little weekend trip for us. I am hoping we can go to Lake Mburo where you can do forest walks and see zebras!! I'm not sure though, it might be a little too far. There is a different forest reserve called Mpanga which might be more realistic. We'll see. Okay! well I hope that all is well with all of you!!
Love!
Shelly