I got a new name!

Why hello everybody!

I know it's been awhile but...1. I needed to gather info to talk about and 2. my internet does not seem to want to work in the West Nile region.

So here's the low down~

Tiffany is now (*subject to be changed) Project Advisor for the Arua Organization for Rural Community Development (somehow it becomes ACORD).
-the organization apparently works with red pepper farmers (co-op?), other agriculture projects, and education. All this I got from a third party source as both my counterpart and supervisor apparently live and work in another major city more than 5 hours away by bus...
--anyhow, I'm still not 100% positive who my counterpart is now or where I will be staying except that it should be in Arua.
---I know nothing about agriculture!!! =( I thought pineapples grew on trees. Apparently, they grow from the ground. And there are no coconuts in Uganda. And strawberries spread across the ground. Yata yata yata...you get the point. I don't know agriculture. Unfortunately, I don't have a green thumb either...I killed the poor orchid Jon gave me in a week even though I followed mom's instructions of care (sorry Jon!). But I am excited to be working with farmers on co-ops (and getting red peppers!) and I have ideas in mind for the education aspect and hopefully can introduce some marketing concepts among other things. Also, one of the women in my group has work that's given me plenty of ideas...and the women in town have given me plenty of ideas.

So about Arua...
1. Arua= prison? Apparently, Arua hill used to be a place to keep prisoners or something like that
2. ...it's beautiful!
3. There's electricity (sometimes), running water, a golf course, and a HUGE marketplace where I can get a ton of stuff.
4. certain streets here make me feel like I'm walking around an American town
5. I met a Chinese lady who runs a grocery store here. But I don't think she'll give me any discounts =( Damn Chinese and their money...

And on the way up to Arua...
1. I saw elephants!!!!!
2. I saw huts!
3. There was an amazing set of rapids, a waterfall, the Nile river, etc
4. Let's just say public toilets are uhh...really public and not so sanitary
5. The terrain changes so many times! From plains to rolling hills to brush etc (and all currently green thanks to rainy season)
6. oh, and it's a 7.5 hour bus ride from the capital to Arua

So today, I got a new name! I went to the bus station to buy a bus ticket home. As I write down my name for the ticket and greet the guy. He says to me, "I give you a new name, Lugbarra name. Ayikoru. Means happy." LOL, so I am now Ayikoru. Cool!

Earlier in the day...as we were walking to town, I saw bow and arrows! Here's the conversation:

Me: What are the bow and arrows for?
Vendor: To shoot birds, animals, and thieves in the night.
Me: To thieves in the night? Like security?
Vendor: Yes, intruders.
Me: -___- Great, so security in Arua are bow and arrows and dogs (and the occasional night guard)
Brady: And machetes!
Laura: Ya, we saw lots of machetes in the market.

Soooooo... that has been the last couple of days. Tomorrow I should hopefully meet with my counterpart and figure everything else out. We'll be here until Tuesday and head back to Wakiso on Wednesday. Embassy party on Thursday and more training.

Thanks for staying tuned!

Tiff




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Tiffany Tai

www.caldigit.com
www.tibbyme.tumblr.com