Beginning of my time in Uganda

After a rough flight from Brussels to Uganda, the students and our professor arrived in Uganda on September 3rd. Once we got all our luggage together and boxes for our textbooks, we took a 16 passenger bus to our place of stay for that evening which was a Catholic Convent in Kampala. The bus ride was as expected... very bumpy and chaotic. The bus stalled about 50 feet from the gate to get into the Catholic Convent with the bus tipped in a giant hole. From there we walked with our belongings to the Convent where we had rooms equipped with storage spaces and bathrooms for each student to stay. The next morning we enjoyed a typical Ugandan breakfast then packed up and went on our way to the city center of Kampala for shopping before heading the UCU campus to unload at our dorms. I am staying in a crapped room with 4 roommates. On our floor we have 3 showers, 3 sinks and 2 bathrooms (squatty pottys). the people on campus are very friendly though it takes some getting used to with the constant staring. One of the biggest adjustments along with not having a toilet is the food. Every meal except for breakfast consists mainly of beans and rice with meat once week and never any fruit. One of my favorite things about the dining hall is tea time. The chai tea here is so delicious and I look forward to it every day! Also, some of the other girls and I have been running and setting up times to go to the gym which has been really fun! Though I have not officially started school yet (I will on Monday), there have been lots readings, some assignments (forum postings) and a quiz to complete. Before settled down into my studies, I have been enjoying walking around and getting a feel for the campus life and checking out what they have to offer for welcome week. During welcome week they have had a bunch of market stands to gather school supplies, clothing, shoes, jewelry, bedding, and much more. After days of just venturing within the campus gate, we went shopping around the city center of Mukono where we stocked up on groceries and other essentials including a fan for every room. All in all, I am pleased with how things are going and how well I am beginning to adjust. I cannot wait to start my clinical experience and hopefully fulfill another role on campus of joining the women's soccer team! I will do my best to continue posting on my blog throughout my semester in Uganda and hope you continue to enjoy reading my blog :)