Tips and tricks

Straight from the pros themselves, here is the lowdown of different tips and tricks that should help anyone that wants to share in a place like Uganda. 

Street-smarts are a good thing to have when in Kampala. The government is corrupt, and the people can be desperate due to poverty. The thinking process is simple. White=rich.

"Hi, I'm an oblivious white guy with money!"

That makes you (Caucasians) a target. And target you they will. So things like backpacks can really put you in a bind if you're not careful. It fact, its a bad idea to walk around with something valuable in a backpack. An effective and favorite way to rob someone is to slice open the bottom of a backpack or bag while it’s being carried. Then, of course, everything drops to the ground and its easy pickings. If you have things like a camera, a phone or a wallet, or a laptop (etc) in there, then they are officially gone. Be alert.                                                                                                            (TARGET--->)
 

Your wallet should be in a belt that sits under your shirt. Wallets in back pockets are kind of an invitation, especially in a white guy like me. Flashing around a chuck of money is a bad idea too. Have some 'ready-cash' is a side pocket to pay for things like bus tickets, taxi fares, etc etc. 

Mobile phones? Avoid using those in crowded areas. You know how easy it is to grab something out of someone's hand while they are distracted? Very easy. I mean, I have never tried it, but I would only assume that it is easy. *shrug* 

Don’t put bags down on the ground if you’re standing on a road or street. Also an easy invite. You’ll eventually and naturally get into a certain mind-set after a while and will know when to be cautious and when you can let your guard down a little.

LaurenBerk, Flickr.com

The Ugandan’s are super friendly, and generally very open and kind. But before you go getting all in their face with a good chatting session, stop and realize it’s good not to give away too much information. And ff you want to take a picture, just be discreet about it and put your camera back safe somewhere.

Keep in mind that you will be doing LOTS of walking, so You will want good walking shoes or nice summer-weight hiking boots. Similarly, You will want clothes that are light weight. Oh, and easy to wash. Drying quickly doesnt hurt either. Along those lines, there is a lot of red clay around Fort Portal, so you will want slacks that don’t show dirt easily. 
There is still a good amount of things that I was told, but it is very specific to my circumstances, so unless you're really looking for that sort of thing I wont post it. If you are, however, drop me an email and let me know what you would like to know. If I know, I'll tell you, if I dont, I'll try and find out. 








Oh, and one last thing,

Bring deodorant for the whole trip. It is not available there in the country.

"Always standing after a fall, always braving the worst of storms. See you at the top."

~Trevor B

What do I need to do to prepare for Uganda? Part 2

Featuring LaurenBerk's photos from Flickr.com

Round two, people. Now we tackle the Ticket realm. Tickets will be one of the highest expenses, so expect them to put a bite into your wallet. There are, however, a few tricks to defeating this beast. Grit those teeth, it might get rough in here. (Look, an African tree!)

I am not the best at finding tickets, but with some helpful suggestions and support, I did just fine. First recommendation, miles. Airline miles, that is. After you rack up a few thousand Airline miles, you can get a free ticket. I use Alaska Airlines, (makes sense, seeings how I am from Alaska) and I got a free ticket from Alaska to NY. (Insider tip, you can borrow miles from other people, and combine them to yours! Ask your friends!) So that saved me a couple hundred $$'s. Then, the ticket from NY to Uganda cost me about $1,200-$1,300. But even if you find a price around there, KEEP LOOKING. For reasons that man has yet to fully comprehend, ticket prices change drastically. The cost dropped a few hundred a few days after I bought my tickets! So don't be afraid to take your time looking. Go all over the net, talk to friends, talk to travel agencies, so on and so forth. Now, it might seem like a lot of effort, but if you are dedicated to it, you can literally save hundreds of dollars, money that can go towards food, transportation, rent, etc. And in Uganda, even $20 can go substantially farther(further?) than it could in the USA. Search, search, search!
Now, a word of caution. Lets say you find a really good deal, but you say to yourself: "No, I can get better! I'll just wait another day or so!" Easy, buddy. Thats where you can get yourself into a deep depression by watching your good deal slide by and escape. So while sometimes it can be very helpful to sit back and give it some time for that perfect deal to come a long, once it is here, dont let it go! Its a double edged blade, really.

LaurenBerk, Flickr.com

Alright, mindset time. *pops knuckles*
For some reason, mankind has struggled with a foe that puts up a fight so severe that many have never seen the flag of victory. Who is this foe? Themselves.
"What?!"
"That makes no sense."
"Trevor, You're confusing me."
"What?"

LaurenBerk, Flickr.com

I know, I know, hear me out. People's minds can lead them astray and crush their hope and ambition like a plump, juicy grape. (mmm) So, I hate to say it, but it still happens, even today. And it can happen to just about anyone, with anything. Determined to rock a lecture you have to give for school/work/etc? What happens the tragic moment that you notice that no one seems to be paying attention and that your jokes are falling flat on the floor? You panic, and you start to fumble! Suddenly all of the confidence and zeal you had begins to deflate. Now you are a sweating, shaking, and visibly nervous rag-doll up on the podium. Your mindset turns against you, and you bring about your own downfall. Yep, it happens. And it can do so in just about anything in life. So there is a certain mindset that you have to get into in order to really get the most out of your experience if you are going to Uganda. Otherwise you can find your greatest foe to be yourself. Here are a few suggestions.

LaurenBerk, Flickr.com

 1. Remember, this is a third world country. Poverty is strong and relentless. The people will have such a different living standard than you are used to, and it can shock/disturb those that were not prepared for it. Even if you think you've prepared yourself, you haven't. Expect less, never more. You'll be more prepared than ever before if you set your mind low and work your way up as you go. Some houses are literally 4 metal sheets for walls and a metal sheet for a roof. Oh, and a curtain for the main doorway.

LaurenBerk, Flickr.com

2. Throw away everything you're expecting. One friend in Uganda told me that he thought he had a really good idea of what it would be like, but once he got there it was completely different. He had a huge learning curve to battle. Everything he thought it would be was wrong, and he had to fight off the old mindset and readjust. So basically, open up your mind and roll with the punches. As soon as something disturbing comes up, accept it as normal and mentally move past it. DONT.FOCUS.ON.IT.

3. Even when it hurts, grit your teeth and clinch your fists. A the moment, a difficulty seems overwhelming, but if you fight through it and refuse to let yourself get into a funk, then you'll look back on your adventure with pride and confidence that you have what it takes to come off the victor.

4. Find joy and awesomeness in the simple, little things in life. If you are expecting everyday to be a huge, mind blowing adventure, you are going to be disappointing. Learn to love what most people overlook, and when you are back home you will have a far greater appreciation of your experience.

Alright, that about wraps up this post. Next time, I am going to include tips on what to do, bring, expect, all coming from the experts that have lived there for years. *Poke* (comment), rate, or email me for requests, questions, complaints, food. You know, the normal stuff. :]

LaurenBerk, Flickr.com

Ps. Don't be afraid of taking naps. They rock.

~Trevor B

What do I need to do in order to prepare for Uganda?

Alright, this time I am going to talk about the different types of preparations that it takes for traveling to Uganda. Hopefully this helps out some for those that are thinking of going to Uganda, or just ones that are thinking of going anywhere in the needgreating field. This post is all about getting ready for Uganda, but it applies elsewhere.

Mine is good until 2016

1) Get your passport checked! If you cant go out of the country because your passport is expired, then you cant do anything! The last thing you want is to have to cancel tickets because you didnt know your passport was no good. It takes a few months to get a new passport, so make sure you check this long before you get a date for leaving.

2) Now you need to make sure that you have enough $money$, and find out how much it takes to stay in Uganda. It is a cruel world that depends on money, but in this system of things it is an evil we must use. For myself, I have a place for $220 a month (everything included) in the best part of Fort Portal, and then the food is also cheap, about the same as rent for a month. Internet costs $20 a month. Jobs pay up to nothing in Uganda, and they are hard to find as is, so its best to have money in pocket and live off of that. However, some brothers have internet jobs that allow them to make just enough to move to Fort Portal.
By the way, currently $.082=2,000 shillings. (the currency for Uganda is called Shillings)Yeah, so 45,000shillings is not really that much, even though it sounds like a lot. Anyways, as regards money, there are always a lot of unexpected fees and expenses, so always, always give yourself a lot of buffer when you are budgeting.

Pick your favorite color, little Timmy!

3) There are shots that you need to get at this point. Yellow fever and Hepatitis are two big ones, but you can find out the specifics by visiting a health center or making a few calls to the hospital or such. They have lists of the different things that you need in the different parts of the world. Sometimes there are places that can offer discounts for the reason that you are leaving, such as the ministry. Sometimes they even clear you of charges for the shots, but other times getting shots can be pricey. ($100 a shot sometimes) You have to do your own research. Especially with Hepatitis, there are different variables that you should ask about and decide for yourself what you are willing to take and what you are willing to leave out. Also ask them about when you start the shots (as sometimes it might be as soon as a month, or so I am told) As for Malaria, I was told that the pills you need are cheaper in Uganda and easy to get.

4) Now, lets move on to another area of the planning process, the visa. Lets say you arrive in Uganda. You can then purchase a tourist visa for about $50, and ask them to write it for 3 months. Then, after 3 months you can easily extend it for another $50 right in Fort Portal. Super easy, super cheap. I like the way that sounds.

5) What to wear? For field service, they wear short sleeved button up shirts (meeting shirts) and no tie. (AWESOME) The pants are normal, nice looking slacks that can take a lot of walking. I would not suggest an actual suit, as that might not take the punishment that the terrain would dish out. Breathable, too. Thats nice to consider. There is a lot of red clay, so lighter colored pants would show this very well. The shirt should be breathable as well, and not silky or delicate. Something that can take a little mud and dirt, but still looks nice. Shoes should be fit for walking, and some brothers have even used tennis shoes or other types of walking shoes. For the meetings, ties are used, but suit jackets are not too common. I was told that I didnt even need to bring a suit jacket if I didnt want to. To be honest, having a shirt that is not full of holes and frayed will make you better off than most of the people there anyways, so it is not something that you should worry about as regards 'fashion'. I was also suggested not to make it 'flashy'. Simple, clean, etc, etc.
For casual, dont worry too much about impressing them. Shorts are nice for relaxing, a sweater or something like it for night time, comfy shirts, etc etc.

6) Climate! According to the brothers that have served in Fort Portal for 3 1/2 years, the hottest it gets is about 82 degrees. Dry heat. So that means that you WILL sweat, but once you get into the shade, you will cool off. (Heads up, being a third world country, they do not have deodorant. BOTH you and them will stink) At night it gets to the low-mid 60s, so something like a sweater would be nice. When it rains, it pours. I am told that the climate is a nice, balanced blend of most elements, excluding extreme colds. (Shout out to my Alaskan kindred!)

7) Short bit about culture. Uganda is filled with people who are generally very, very nice. As a white person (or anything but black) you will stand out to the extreme. You will be the center of attention, and people will be very interested. That is something to get used to. Belief and interest in the bible is also very, very common, as most everyone has a belief in one way or another. The difference is that they are very logical and humble in their beliefs, and can easily see the faults with the false religious teachings(many times on their own). They may have been raised believing that Jesus is God, but once shown the bible's answer, they will laugh at their old beliefs and see the truth of God's word. They truly, honestly, and humbly yearn to learn more about the truth, and will go to great efforts to do so. For instance, when you get a call on the initial visit, many times you can expect them at the next meeting. Bible studies are like leaves on a tree because of the genuine interest that is found in their hearts.

Alright, I will continue to update different things that I have learned about getting ready for Uganda and such. Hopefully this will give us a good idea of what it is like to prepare for Uganda, Fort Portal area.

~Trevor B

Shout outs

So, this really doesnt count as an official post, but its more like a halfpost. I wanted to thank most of the people that I can remember that have read my blog so far, even though I havent gotten to the real meat of it yet. So thanks, all you readers who have yet to abandon me, here is a drink to you! (Mountain Dew) *Sip* Thats some good Dew.

• Blaine
• Jen
• Kim
• Joanne
• Zech
• Jack
• Matt
• Bradley
• Trevor (cheating)
• Lacy
• Kels
• everyone else I forgot.

Feel free to leave comments or drop me an email. Suggestions or requests are appreciated, and I would do my best to fill a request. For instance, my Malaria post was requested, so I did a little research, and boom.
A few things that I am working on before going to Uganda:

1. Strengthen my back. They dont have backs to the chairs in the hall there, so I want to be used to that.
2. Trimming up and getting a regular exercise program to do every morning.
3. More of the mindset that I am going to a poverty stricken world, and that there are things more important than having that coffee or snack.
4. Getting more of an appreciation for the Bible and Teach book and to stop taking it for granted.
5. Inline with that, stop taking most of what I have for granted. Food, nice clothes, a nice bed, you know, the comforts.

Thanks for reading!
~Trevor B

Aaah! Its attacking!

(Random Picture!)

Wait, Malaria is bad, right?

Africa seems to have the highest concentration of Malaria.

Symptoms: 

• Anemia- Alright, not good.
• Chills- Eh, not too bad.
• Coma- Wait, what? Seriously?
• Convulsion- Oh snap...
• Fever- I suppose I could do that...
• Headache- Aspirin?
• Jaundice- What? ( a yellowish discoloration of the skin) OH. Gross.
• Muscle pain- Constantly, I assume.
• Nausea- Shoot...
• Stools, bloody- ...oh snap.
• Sweating- And its hot, too.
• Vomiting- Fluids! I need fluids!
  
  

  

  Um. Gross.

  
  So I did some research. Turns out, Malaria is caused by a parasite bug that is transmitted from one human to another by the bite of infected mosquitoes. Little punks. In a human, the parasites take off to the liver, where they grow up big and strong into another form, the merozoites. These then make themselves at home and enter the bloodstream and infect the red blood cells.
  Once there, they do whatever it is they please, and multiply inside the red blood cells. Now, that may not seem like such a big deal, but once they get inside these cells, the cells dont like it one bit. They then rupture within 48 to 72 hours. If you hadn't known, that rupture infects more red blood cells. Don't think you're sick even after that little mosquito sucked on you? The first symptoms usually occur 10 days to 4 weeks after infection, though they can appear as early as 8 days or as long as a year after infection. Then the symptoms occur in cycles of 48 to 72 hours. Nasty, nasty, nasty. Thankfully, the outcome is expected to be good in most cases of malaria with treatment.
  
  Here is a quote from Google Health. Hopefully, that is a legitimate source...
  "Most people living in areas where malaria is common have acquired some immunity to the disease. Visitors will not have immunity, and should take preventive medications. It is important to see your health care provider well before your trip, because treatment may begin is long as 2 weeks before travel to the area, and continue for a month after you leave the area. The types of anti-malarial medications prescribed will depend on the area you visit."
  
  I am working on these details. They seem rather important, you know? It doesnt seem like something that I should just let slide.
  Alright, thanks again for reading. Questions, comments? Drop me an email or leave a comment. :D
  ~Trevor
  "I dont like getting sick. One could say, I'm sick of it. Get it?"
  
  

Japan, too?

 むちゃでむぼうとわらわれようと、いじがささえのけんかみち！



Yep. After Africa, I am going to Japan to need great. I know what you're thinking:
"Why would he do that? They dont even need any help, right?"
"Huh? What are you talking about now?"
"Why would Trevor want to go to Japan to need great? Dont they have like, a million and a half publishers there?"
"Near 3 million, I heard!)


 かべがあたっらなぐってこわす！

Most people dont seem to realize that Japan is an Island nation, and quite beautiful indeed. It has very diverse terrain.

Actually, about 221,000 publishers. Give or take. And they are doing quiet well, actually. So why would someone choose to go to Japan when they dont seem to have a great need? Well I am not going to Japan to help the Japanese field. I am going to Japan to help the English field.Therein lies the great need, according to the Japan Branch Office of Jehovah's Witnesses.

After writing the Japan Branch (through my congregation's service committee), I got a reply that gave me two different congregations near Tokyo that have a strong need. After a lot of praying about it, I chose one and wrote the C(oordinator)O(f the)B(ody of)E(lders) there, including my email address. After a while, he emailed me, and now we are working out the details. He gave me a brief overview of their congregation. 11 publishers, 2 elders, 1 ministerial servant, and 10 Pioneers. All native Japanese speakers other than one native English speaker.. Unfortunately, in August they are becoming an English group instead of an English congregation. They received this direction from the Branch office. Now, they have part of their meetings in Japanese, and part in English. Their field service, too, is a mix of the two languages. Once I arrive, I will have to prepare to give talks in both languages, and serve in the field ministry in both languages.
 みちがなければこのてでつくる！
Jehovah has been blessing me in this, as well. It seems that everything that needs to happen to get the ball rolling just presents itself to me on a golden platter! Remember that perfect game of Tetris? It seems like it is at it again!
Anyway. I am focusing on Uganda, but while I have time I will be working out all the details of moving to Japan, like finding a job, finding a place to stay, choosing dates, etc. It has taken a few months to prepare for Uganda, but we also put sort of a rush on it. With as much time as I have now to prepare for Japan, it should be a lot easier! Well, I hope so. My main problem is money, to be honest. Uganda and Japan need greating adventures certainly take a lot of the green stuff. (Seeings how Japan is one of the most expensive places on earth) Oh well. The way I see it, money was made to be spent, so once I get the numbers up, I can blow them on furthering my service to Jehovah! Ah, good times. Better times to come, but still good times here.

Thus, you are now updated on a small aspect of my life. Here is a little 'trevortimeline' for your viewing pleasure!

Thus, I bid you all a temporary farewell. I'll update the blog with an 'Africa' related post next time! Thanks for reading!

おれをだれだとおもってやがる？！
"If no path exists to our destination, we will carve one out with our own hands!"

~Another much appreciated friend

あばよ、ね？

~Trevor