Kulika Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

I hope you are all very well and enjoying the snow and cold weather. Today is warm yet again, around 80 or so, needless to say it was not ‘beginning to look a lot like Christmas.’ Or at least in the way I am used to. Most of the PCVs in Uganda traveled to Kampala (the capital city in Uganda) to spend the holidays together. We had several parties/dinners thrown for us the past few days by staff at the embassy. It was great to go for some home cooked food and really wonderful to speak with people who knew what I was saying. I have never appreciated Americans more in my life. Not that I don’t love Ugandans, because I do! However, there is just something comforting about being able to hang out with people who know where you are coming from esp. around the holidays. Incase any of you are thinking of going into the foreign service, they are set up with some pretty swank accommodations. Christmas this year was by far the hardest one I have experienced as of yet. It goes without saying that I missed my family and friends more than I can say however, when I think about all the orphans I work with who will never even get to know their family, being away for two years seems much more manageable. Plus I will be home in less than 6 months for the wedding of the year. For Christmas day, a few of us got up to go to church in Kampala. We piled into a Matatu (taxi) a long with 25 other people, Matatus are suppose to hold 14 ppl max. We sang Christmas carols the whole way to church, we even got a few Ugandans to join in! On the way there we stopped by a gas station for a classy Christmas breakfast of juice and crackers, now for you this may not seem exciting, but try eating posho and beans every single day and it will be more superb than any other food. They were selling a mini keyboard so, of course I had to go play and sing some more carols. While tooting around on the piano, I notice three barefoot, big bellied children running around outside playing in the dirt and shrieking with glee from whatever treasure they had found in the mud. All of a sudden it really was beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I am now on my way back to sight – sad to leave my friends, but am excited to get back to work.

Thanks for all the holiday phone calls and cards! Have a happy new year and joys holiday season!

Ps. Marty and Lea-the toilets flush counter clockwise on this side of the equator. I took a video for you, but it is to big to load, so I will have to show you when I get home.