Wasuze otya nnyabo?

Since I am supposed go to Luwero, where is located north from Kampala. It takes one-two hours buy bus. People in Luwero they speak Luganda as a local language. Most of the people in Uganda they speak good English (best in east Africa as I heard) but some people may not speak English, especially kids and parents. So, it is important for me to learn Luganda.

This is the first day to learn Luganda. We took a bus from dormitory. The language school is located in southwestern part of Kampala. The first day we learned greetings and self introduction in Luganda. Since I am not good at language, it was hard to catch up what the teacher said. But I feel it's important to speak out instead of thinking about the structure of the language. We learned Luganda from English. Since Luganda is a local language, there are not always suitable translation from English to Lganda. This could be another reason why it was hard for me to learn. Even so, we spent almost four hours to learn Luganda. Since I learned a little, I am going to write my self introduction.

Nze Kenya.(I am Kneya.)
Ndi mujapani.(I am Japanese.)
Ndi musomesa. Nsomesa okubala.
(I am a teacher. I teach math.)
Mbeera mu Wobulenzi, Luwero.
(I stay at Wobulenzi, Luwero.)

In the afternoon, we went back to the office and talked to my coordinator. I have got two shocks from her. The first thing is that primary school teacher in Uganda is not regarded as a good job compared to the teacher in secondary school. In order to be a teacher they have to take the test after they have got qualification. And the qualification for primary school teachers is the easiest one to get. Even their wage is half compared to the secondary school teacher as I heard. The second thing is that, this is actually very good, normally students in Uganda they started to learn English at the 4th grade of primary school. But students at my school they stated to learn from the 1st grade. This is because people think that it is important to start learning English when they are young. The local language may be complicated for the kids they think.

Anyway, since I am adult and going to the primary school in Luwero, I have enough reason to learn Luganda. It seems hard but I will do my best!!

Kenya@Kampala

Owino Market

Today I went to Owino Market where it is located in the central part of Kampala. It is not far from Nakasero market where I went to yesterday,

The big differences between Nakasero market and Owino market is that Nakasero is the place where people sell vegetables, meats, fishes, and fruits as what we see in Tsukiji and Ameyoko. Compared to Nakasero market, Oiwno is the place which is a kind of slum. People can sell the stuff but at the same time we can see thier lifes. People hang out thier laundly and they have thier meals outside. I storongly feel that this is Uganda and this is the developing countries.

We went to a snack bar in the market. There is a woman who works at the market and she offered us to sit the table. She cleaned the table by using duster, but the water in duster include mad. But I respected thier hospitality and said to my stomack "be strong!!"

We ate Rolex, which is made by rolled egges with tomatos. It seems like tortilla. The taste is fantastic!! Since there were not a lot of foreigners and tourist they also respect us. We enjoyed lunch.

After that we went to the mosque which is located in the old Kampala area (west side). The mosque is huge. Two girls who I went with they had to ware scarf. We went inside the mosque and after that we also went to the tower along with the mosque, We went up 80m by walking corkscrew. The view from the top was amazing!! We can see the place where we went and seven hills in Kampala. There was a guide who told us some famous places in Kampala. I saw a building which is very close to my dormitory, Nakasero market and Owino market as well. What I feel from the view is that those places in low geografically is that where poor people lives. Compared to that rich people lives where it is on the hill. I strongly feel that there is a big differences between the poor people and rich people. That is what I feel strongly feel today. Of coruse it's tough to see around market because we have to be care our stuff every moments but at the same time it is good thing to know about the reality of the people. It is good to stay at dorm on Sundays but I want go out and touch thier culture as much as possible.



 Kenya@Kampala

Nakasero Market

Today is the first Saturday since I came to Uganda. I went to Nakasero market with my friends.

Compared to Tokyo and Kampala, my dormitory is central part of Tokyo or Yamanote area such as Minato-ku but when it comes to Nakasero market it is like Ueno and Asakusa area where I was born, or Shitamachi area. I like the atomoshere in Shitamachi-area.

We went to the market to buy some fruits and had a lunch at a snack bar. It was my first time to eat Ugandan food. We ordered Posho, whish is made of maize, Cassava, which is made of cassava, and Matoke, which is made of banana for cooking with fish or meat. We shared them but I personally ordered Posho. The taste of Posho is nothing. It's very weak flavor. Once I tried it in Tanzania. It is similar one and people called it as Ugari. So I ate Posho with chiken but I prefer Matoke. Some people say that school lunch in Uganda may eat Posho everyday. I hope that I will eat Matoke everyday instead.

Anyway, overally I enjoyed staying in Nakasero Market. People are kind and talktative. And they speak very good English. Of course I could touch how hard thier lives especially those who runs a store. I could help them but I'm not a billionaire or tourist. If there is comthing I need to buy I will go to Nakasero market again. It is hot but we can find something new, which means it's worth visiting.

Yuji@Kampala

Arriving in Kampala!!

Three days have passed since I came to Kanpala, Uganda.
When I arrived at the airport walking along the ramp I strongly feel that I will come here again someday in the future as a development specialist. It was may be because I saw some passenger plain as well as WFP and UN aircraft.
As I have expected the airplain from Haneda to Entebe, where the international airports locates via Dubai was perfect. I think Fly Emirates is the best airlines. Flight attendant was so beautiful and servises were perfect. We could order two beverages during a meal.
After arriving Entebe, we, group of twelve got on a bus to Kampala. Kampala is located about 40km northeast from Entebe. While I was on the bus I saw Lake Victoria. It was huge and seemed like a sea.
It took about one hour to Kampala, We passed some villages along with the main street.
After arriving Kampala, we saw some skyscrapers. The traffic was busy but I liked the atmosphere.
Since we came here we stayed at dormitory and we went to JICA office in Kampala. We have a meal in restaurant and bought some food and cooked in our domitory. I think we don't know much about the reality of Kampla. We are supposed to stay at dormitory for the next one month and we won't have a training for both Saturdays and Sundays. Since today is Frinday, I will go out and see around the city tomorrow. I can't wait to go to and see how the society of Kampala works. I'm excied!!

Kenya@Kampala

Leave for Uganda on 28th of June

After my long journey in Europe the year in 2009-2010, I came back to Japan and started to be my senior school year. I graduated from my university in March 2011.
After graduation I enrolled online university in order to get a licence working as a primary school teacher in Japan. During that year I worked at after-school, a care of schoolchildren and kindergarden as well as cram school. It took three years to get a licence, and luckly I found a job working as a teacher at public elementary school in Tokyo. I worked there for about three years and then, I decided to apply for JOCV program. There are several reasons but mainly I thought I am the one who can do that and I want to be the one. 
Since JICA(the organization which this program provides) chose me to be a teacher in Uganda, I accepted the requiment and then, officially I will be a teacher in Uganda.
I will leave for Uganda on 28th of June. I miss some part in Japan but this is what I wanted and I am really looking forward to working as a teacher in Uganda. I will update this blog as much as I possible. I am glad if you follow me:)) Thank you kenny much!!

The Day before Leaving

Before taking a flight back to Japan, two things that have been obsessed.

One thing is that about the amount of my luggage. The luggage which I can carry onto the plain limitted up to 20kg. As you know, I will fly with my bicycle which is about 15kg and which means only 5kg left that I can carry with aeroplain.

The flight company which I am going to take with is Scandinavian Airline System (SAS).
Acoording to the ticket agency in Paris where I bought a ticket told me that almost all company except for BA (with a few) cannot allowed to carry on your luggage more than 20kg. Even so, I can carry my bag up to 8kg into the cabin which I hope that is not strictly limited.

However, since I took a French lesson as well as reading some books in Paris, my luggage must be heavy more than that I thought.
Few days ago, I went to post office to buy a cardboard which I can send it to Japan (40 Euro up to 7kg). And I sent it with 7.5 kg. The madan at the post office was fine.

Even so, still I have a tent and sleeping bags and clothes which are supposed to bulk if I try to pack into my bag.

Yesterday I was walking on the street in the sentral part of Paris.
There were several homeless who are begging for money from the people on the street. I asked a man who was sitting on the street if he need my clothes and sleeping bag with in English. Whether he could understand or not, he told me "Yes" and I gave it to him the one I had. Before giving it to him, I felt that I was little bit scared to communicate with those people.(Even it's normal that I am asked at least once in a day from the begger that I can give them money on the street.) Mostly, because of the language I know.

I was almost started to cry when I gave those things to him (actually those cloth to him were given from the Japanese man who I met in Paris), I feel so sad that a lots of people begging for money or something on the street in Paris. That is reality.

Things happens sometimes without any reason.

I lost my teddy bear which I have been traveling from Bulgaria. The name of the bear called Bul. I don't know where I forgot to take that one and even I didn't noticed before few hours ago when I started to packing for tomorrow. I called to the hostel I stayed if they've got the bear but they didn't. For the rest of the day, I will ask those places where I've been in Paris in the past one week in order to find Bul. Probably he was in my bag a week ago but I am not sure since when he left from my place.

Yuji @ Paris France, 47

First of February

The last day of January, I went to St.Denis to meet Beate again.

She has gone to back to Germanty with evening flight and I met her yesterday again just before she took the flight.

Sometimes people are meeting with new people but at the same time we have to say good bye at some point.

I learned a lots from her. She is very open minded and honest. We talked a lots whatever we want.

Yesterday after we said good-bye I felt that I really sad and want to do something different to.

Firstly, I went to a bar to take a beer(It's very rare for me to go to a ber especially when I am alone). I watched a football match and hand-ball match between Croatia and France. Since I didn't feel that I wanted to stay there I left to my hostel close to Bastille, which is the hostel I really love.

After that at Nord station, I bought a tabacco, actually that was my time in my life to buy that one and then I took it with walking though I normally really hate the people who walks to take a cigarette.

Then I bought a wine to drink for a night. It was a moment that I did whatever I want.

At hostel fortunately I met a Japanese people and we started to talk with Japanese drinking wine and talking what we each other have done in Europe. I know that I am supposed to go back to Japan in a week but even so, I really miss to speak Japanese.

With him and with a girl also from Japan today we went to musse de Rouvre.

Talking with Japanese people with same language as well as same culture makes my sometimes happy!!

January was the month to study French but February seems to be a month to enjoy with Japanese people.

Yuji @ Paris, France 44