Finally did something pretty cool worth posting about.  I have been living in Lompoc, CA at Vandenberg Air Force Base.  I work on the launch pad for the SpaceX Falcon heavy, and it’s amazing.  Some of the cool folks I live with decided we were going to skydive today.  Some pictures can be found here for my friends not on facebook.  

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2960004526645.142451.1457490021&type=1&l=f9a20ef67d

The pictures are awesome.  We fly over the coast line, our launch pad, my house and some beautiful mountains.  I can’t wait to do it again in two weeks!  Next weekend, I will be in San Francisco visiting my lovely Anna.  She is running a half marathon!!

So, leaving Uganda was one of the most epic adventures yet.  Surprisingly, I was chilled out about it the whole time.  Jessy came on the day of departure at 6 am to get my bags and put them in his trunk.  Then, I went to big church with the team.  I visited Lawrence in the Sunday school for a little bit.  at 1 pm, church wasn’t over, so I went to look for Jessy and go.  We left and we were having a good time playing music in the car and we hit a jam.  It was a classic Ugandan traffic jam.  There were two lanes, but both lanes were full of people trying to overpass each other and it was raining.  For a lot of the time, we were at dead stops.  At one point it was one guy holding up the traffic, so Jessy got out with some other drivers to try to get him to move his car.  He refused even to the police.  I had about 2 hours before my departure, and I knew I wasn’t going to make it.  Car fulls of people were turning around and one guy who was white asked if I was going to the airport.  He said I should just turn around and go home, because I wasn’t going to make it.  He had already missed his flight.  There is only one road leading in to the airport, so I figured everyone would be stuck in the same situation.  After about 3 hours of being in traffic, we made it to the airport.  We rushed in, and we were 5 minutes after my original departure time.  They told me, the flight was delayed but I couldn’t get on because the check in counter was already closed.  Turns out the crew was in the same jam as me, so they had just arrived and boarded.  I went up to the main office, and there were about 15 other people in my same situation.  They were being rebooked for the next day but paying fines of 90-180 dollars for a no show fee.  I tried to argue my case, and they told me my fee would be 500 dollars because I was flying into the US.  I wasn’t having it, so they booked me and said to come talk to the manager the next day.  Jessy and I called Mark, my team leader, and he told us to come stay the night at these awesome missionary friends house in Kampala.  So, we went and had some 4th of July BBQ after waiting in the traffic another 3 hours to leave the airport.  The next morning, I lounged around a bit and read then we went back to the airport to find the manager.  He wasn’t there when he said he would be, and we waited a total of 4 hours for the manager.  I talked to 3 different representatives and finally I got to the head guy for Entebbe.  I had about 45 minutes before I missed the next flight.  I basically told him I couldn’t afford the 500 dollars and I was just a student.  He asked for my student ID and said, “I have been a student before, I will waive the fee.”  I was so happy, and so was Jessy and my mom and Mark.  Wooooo, but as I was about to board they told me I would probably have a 300 dollar fee in NYC with Jet Blue.  I was just like whatever and got on the plane.  I made it all the way home without paying any fees woooo!!

So, I had a great day bonding with some of the Lira interviewees.  I am madly in love with my two little guys Ocen and Alex, they shared their stories with me.  I will update more when I get home I guess.  Tomorrow is my last day at the village and then on Sunday, Jessy is driving me to the airport while half our team goes to Lira and the other half remain for a few days.  Fausta is coming to take away the computer, so I will update when I am home on the 4th.

So, I guess that is my new nickname for this project.  In the course of about 2.5-3 weeks, I have pitched the idea and been approved for a book and collected interviews and pictures to fill the book.  I am currently at a count of about 20 children interviewed for about 1 hour each, 2 administrators, 2 mums, an aunt and lots and lots of pictures, over 600 of kids in the village plus specific kids for the book.  I am sleeping at the orphanage again tomorrow to finish off the kid interviews and videotape these last two.  They are both from Lira and have very powerful stories of survival on their own. One of them is a little girl, who wandered the bush alone after her family had been killed by the LRA in Northern Uganda.  She lived alone in the IDP camps before she was offered a spot to go to school and live at the Lira Orphan Village.  She is currently here in Southern Uganda to finish her primary education before moving on to secondary school.  There is another little boy, but I am not fully aware of his background.  I have drove just about everybody crazy working on this project, because I refuse to stop or take breaks….ever.  I am very determined to collect as much information to make this as perfect as can be done in a small period of info collecting.  I have my dear sidekick, Jessy, who has translated for almost all of my interviews and helped me track down kids and mums every day some days all the way until 10 pm.  Also, Natalie and Tiffany were awesome at the secondary school, and Kristin has lent me her camera like a boss, and last but not least, Faustin has given me a laptop and internet modem to work with.  I have the best supporters.  Meh, I wish I wasn’t leaving this place so soon, but I also miss the structure and activities back in the US.  I am excited to get back and prepare for my epic interview.

So Saturday was crazy going to the secondary school.  We had a huge day of interviewing back to back.  At one point, the computer died and the power was out so I completed the interviews by hand.  Some of the kids from Lira shared their stories with me and they were very difficult to listen to as well as speak to.  I didn’t know how to be exactly sensitive to their stories and their backgrounds.  The kids are amazing though each interview just intensifies my love for them.  There were three kids that without me urging told me they want to be Aerospace Engineers when they grew up. Two of them didn’t even know that’s what I studied.  The third one wants to be an Astronaut, and I brought him an Xcor hat, AdAstra Magazines, and a NASA book bag.  He was so pumped about everything.  

Sunday there were baptisms in the Ridar pool which were a lot of fun for the kids.  I have some nasty oozy blisters on my back so I spent some time typing up the interviews.  

Today, I was able to work on a few interviews and received permission to sleep at the orphanage for one to two nights to finish up.  The kids are so amazing here, and I love them all.  I also learned to make chapatti om nom noms so tasty.  Judy, my good friend came to visit me, and she is going to bring my god baby, Alexis Kendra, to visit me on Thursday.  I am pretty excited to see my lil chubby baby girl.  

Unfortunately, this evening I had maybe one of the worst experiences I have ever had period.  The news like I said here is very graphic, and the mob justice is very prominent.  On the news this evening, there was footage of a little boy being beaten for stealing, and he was maybe 8 or 9 years old.  The crowd was punching him in the face and just beating him so hard.  I was so upset I was yelling at people to translate what was going on.  Then, the crowd pulled out pliers and on television it showed them start to cut off his fingers.  It was all because he had stolen something.  He was just a little boy being taught not to steal by having his fingers cut off.  It was so graphic, and I was so upset that I went to the stairs and bawled.  It’s so difficult to think of how often that happens and how abused children are all over the world.  I had a few nightmares from some of the kids’ stories they told regarding their escape from the Lord’s Resistance Army in the North.  The interviews are so interesting and so inspiring, but all the stories I have heard about the past have been extremely difficult to cope with this year.  I am so upset about the little boy on tv. 

So, today I got up and decided I wanted skin cancer real bad.  Just kidding.  I went to the kids’ soccer and netball tournament.  I was given special permission to walk with the kids from the village to the tournament.  It was a pretty epic journey, but it was so much fun.  A few of the kids I am interviewing are involved with the soccer and netball teams either as managers or players.  It was a lot of fun, and between the lower class and the upper class kids, we had six teams at the tournament.  The kids did so well and they all cheered each other on even though the older kids’ school was competing against the younger kids’ school.  When I was there, the teams won all four games that I watched, and the celebrations were so much fun.  Every time one of our teams scored a point both schools would rush the field , and we would sing for a little bit.  I was so excited that one of the team members lent me an awesome camera that I forgot to put on sunscreen.  I know most people probably don’t believe that, but I have honestly been putting sunscreen on.  I took about 600 pictures in 2 or so hours.  There were some really great pictures of the kids in action and celebrating together.  I bought the team managers ice cream, because I don’t think they knew they had been designated managers for the day.  The orphanage has about 10 or 12 different teams, and the best of all the teams are chosen for offsite competitions.  They alternate games between two teams for each sport.  So, one group of boys plays the first game in uniform then they switch uniforms with each other for the next game.  It was so sad watching some of the kids get told to go back to class, because they would not be going with the competition team.  The managers are kids from the teams who are designated to watch the kids’ school uniforms and shoes while they play.  So, we had some ice cream and watched the kids get ready to play.  I saw a few other white people there at the tournament, 3 to be exact.  I love the awkward hello all white people give each other when we see each other here.  Pastor Eve, Mum Betty, and a few team members showed up to watch for a little bit.  It was awkward, because I had to sneak off to take a boda boda home.  I was way too late to walk back and make it for class.  So, then I interviewed the doctor who works in the orphanage regarding his background and inspiration to do his work.  I showed Henry and some other kids some spacex videos, because I found out Henry wants to be a pilot.  I can’t wait for tomorrow, I get to meet up with my super bright little buddy who wants to be an astronaut.  He is at an extremely competitive secondary school in the area.  Needless to say, I have become a lobster and this is what I look like.  

Happy Birthday to my awesome cousin!!  I love you.  Today, I finally got Henry a pair of shoes, and he was pumped about it.  I gave him a Boston Red Sox shirt as well.  He looks like a little baller as usual.  I have been conducting interviews today, and I think I have a fever…bleh.  I have a sore throat and I am pretty weak.  Hopefully, it will go away fast.  I am going back to the secondary school on Saturday to do interviews.  I am looking forward to it.  

So, the crazy, busy days have started here.  Every morning, Natalie and Tiffany and I attempt to wake up at 5 am….then we roll over and go back to sleep. Then around 6 am we get out of bed.  I try to study a little bit in the morning and have some cornflakes and soya cup (it’s like a chai tea….aka crack cocaine, it’s so delish).  Then at 7:50 am we meet in all our teams before heading to the orphanage to prepare for the day. Today we fit 35 people in the bus to head over at 8:30 am.  It’s a pretty great picture. at 9 am today we began distributing shoes and sandals to the kids starting with the babies. It was a lot of fun, but the kids and mums can get super picky which is expected.  We spent 3 hours in this room piled with shoes, and we saw over 100 kids today.  It’s so fun when you find a pair they really like, because the kids will get so excited.  The boys absolutely love soccer cleats event though most of them can’t walk in them.  After that, we broke for lunch, and I ate posho with the interpretors which is kind of similar to rice and beans.  I ate with my hands like a boss.  I got pretty messy.  at 1:30 we return to meet as a group before the children’s program begins. We talk about the songs and crafts and get everyone on the same page.  Then at 2 pm 150 little first and second graders pile into the main haul in their cute little uniforms.  I lead singing, which I am pretty sure is making me lose my voice.  Realistically I just shout songs and they sing along haha.  We then break up into small groups, and I am the team leader with about 5 helpers, and I have fifty kids in my class.  I was so happy, because Henry, our sponsor, is in our class.  Yesterday, I brought a modem to the orphanage and skyped my mom with him.  He was all smiles for the rest of the day.  At around 4 pm the kids’ program ends, and I go to find people to interview for the book until about 6pm.  At that point, a group of us walks back to the Ridar.  It’s about a 30 minute walk, and we walk through the food and other stuff market.  Yesterday, this guy who was a head taller than me said, “oooh this one is my size” and he tried to grab me.  It was pretty funny, and I said something snarky back to him in Luganda.  He was surprised by that.  When we get back, we have dinner and I try to study again for a little bit. Then Faustin comes over, and we work on math until about 11:30 or 12.  It’s a crazy hectic day, but I really love it.  I really love all the time I get to spend with my cute little babies.  Moni, Mustafah, Paul, and Princess find me every day.  Dan comes only for about 30 minutes at the end of the day, because he gets home so late from school.  Henry is always lurking, so I try to play cards and color with him whenever I have the chance.  I am learning some awesome information in the interviews!!