optimism

they say you should live life looking at the brighter side of things. you know, like "half glass full" stuff. i, however, have almost always been a realistic. that means the glass is not half full, nor is it half empty - it just is what it is.

today, i decided to be more a little more optimistic. i woke up with a headache and felt nauseous (don't be alarmed - i feel like this every morning). i blame it on the one of many lovely side effects of my malaria medication. so, rather than feeling down and sorry for myself that i again didn't feel well, i decided to look at the bright side. if and when i get pregnant, i will be totally immune to morning sickness! now that's optimism for you!

lessons learned

my friend diane came to visit me in Gulu this past weekend. together, we learned 3 very valuable lessons that I want to share:

1. maize flour should NOT be used to make cookie dough. what you want is "home baking flour"

2. french toast should NEVER be made on non-stick surfaces, even if you use half a liter of oil to prevent burning and sticking

3. mosquito nets work best on beds, NOT couches

ugandan chickens vs american chickens

this morning, i woke up, and there was a what? a chicken. where? in our compound. somehow, it flew over our barbed-wired wall. those crazy hormone-free ugandan chickens! so crazy, that it eventually found its way to our gate and left. sadly, no chicken for dinner tonight...

playpens for babies!

so some of the guys at work were playing with this incredibly cute baby, and then put it in a cardboard box. i was quite shocked...but then...realized we do the same thing with our babies back at home! we call it a playpen!