Say no to sugardaddy's

Since coming to Uganda I have to say I have seen some of the most hilarious public notices and road signs of my life. Everytime I see them I just die laughing and wish I could share them with you all... I know some of you in particular would just love them. Just today our group was traveling back from visiting an "epicenter" of change for the organization Hunger Project (where we spent the day having a demo on local basket weaving, mat making and "tie and dyeing"-which I have to say was the day I felt most touristy since coming here...but it was really neat) We also got an amazing tour of the community garden they have started (by the way mom--this part made me think of you because they had some really good compost ideas that I'll have to pass on to you)... Anyways, on the drive home I noticed this road sign that simply stated "speed kills" which, would not be so funny except that this particular road has so many pot holes that half the drive is spent at a crawl maneuvering around them.

I have tried to write down as many of the other ones as I could because they are just too great... here are a few...

learn self defense in order to protect yourself from rapists who can infect you with HIV --a poster in a local councelman's office

stay out of dark corners
sex is not the answer
teachers are always loyal
delay sex
avoid sharing sharp objects
premarital sex is risky
be a role model

all of these came from various school sites. Uganda has a policy? rule? guideline? stating that all gov. schools must be "talking schools" and so they literally have little signs with these kinds of statements all over the campus.... a great idea, but very funny for an outsider.

Besides scouraging the country for new signs to add to my list, I have also been doing some productive things as well. I have started studying the language Runyonkore- a bantu language used in the southwest part of the coutry where I will be staying for my 2 years...I am also starting to feel a lot more at home here. I feel comfortable walking around the community by myslef and some of the kids have even started yelling "bye Sarah" instead of "bye Muzungu" when I walk past ( I know this doesn't seem like a big deal but trust me...it is an accomplishment of a lifetime:) )

I also have to just take a moment to describe how beautiful the countryside of uganda is!! There is papyrus growing everywhere and this past weekend I got to travel (via public transportation--which will DEFINITELY take up an entire blog of its own in the future sometime--quit the experience) to this little town in the east part of the coutry. For being such a small country, Uganda has such a versatile landscape. the east looks completely different than the central...there are a bunch of really neat rock formations but there are also fewer trees. I visited some current PCV's while there and we climbed up onto of this one rock and I kid you not, as far as my eye could see there was undisturbed countryside with just a few little mud hut communities sprinkled here and there...each with their own little garden and field... i really love those moments because I sometimes find myself forgetting that I am actually in Africa. At night, when I am resting in bed listening to my ipod (i know...I'm spoiled--but it really only works about once a week when I have been able to charge it) I totally feel like I'm back at home (minus the mosquito net and lack of electricity of course) just doing the same old thing. It takes those moments like on the top of the rcok...or when I ride my bike (yes, with my helmet and yes, in a skirt, and yes, frequently in the rain) through town and I pass a cow that has stopped traffic to groom itself, or see a pile of pineapple on the side of the road that is taller than I am, or half naked children with protruding stomachs running out to greet me, or a huge billboard sign that says... "you may WANT these material things (picture of car, phone, perfume) but do you NEED HIV? Say no to sugardaddy's"... and I think... only in Africa:)