Uganda trip and cheerleader daughter

[Lavabe]

Since it is the only museum in Uganda, it covers everything from evolution to the Olympics to drugs taken by primitive Ugandans to ways of reducing Uganda’s carbon footprint.

Wait a minute... there are many more than EIGHT Baha'i Temples in the world.

In re: "drugs taken by primitive Ugandans ": although there is a science of paleoethnobotany that looks at human use of plants in a longer time scale, the use of medicinal plants in lieu of western medicine is practiced around the world, and has also given rise to many of the very drugs that we commonly use in Western medicine (e.g., curare, Madagascar periwinkle -- used for certain types of leukemia, etc...). These people are HARDLY primitive. As an anthropologist, unless you are talking about fossil hominin use of plants, I'd beg you to rephrase, as these rural people are NOT primitive.

I don't dispute the poor conditions of the medical clinic. I once overheated and was forced to attend one of these on my way to northern Madagascar in 1989. I DID get injected twice. Basically, the hospital was a cement slab with a little cover, and the doctor did use as sterilized a needle as he could find. No privacy. Yeah... the conditions you are describing are quite common.

I think now that you've experienced a little of life in a developing country, an intro course in cultural or medical anthropology would be REALLY useful. I think it would also be ideal for Rolvix, given his interests in global health.

I'm sure we'll have a fun time come Christmas at the devildeacs!!

Important question: in the nighttime sky on the Equator, what does the Big Dipper look like? Can you also see the Southern Cross there? Over here, the Southern Cross is easy to spot, and the Big Dipper is upside down. What do you see on the Equator?

STAY WELL!!

Lavabe, I don't think cheerleader daughter was calling present day Ugandans primitive, I think she was referring to Ugandans from days long before any of us were even a twinkle in anyone's eyes, like a couple of centuries, or a millennium or two ago.

Would you call Charlemagne, Queen Elizabeth I, Galileo, Linnaeus, and Nero primitive Europeans? Samuel Adams and Cherokees as primitive Americans? ;) They would all come from the same time period of which you speak.

Now Kyle Busch... OKAY, HE's a primitive American! ;) [BLATANT NASCAR JOKE, given Tilly's dislike of all things BLECH]

For many years even into the 20th century, many biological and cultural scientists who studied colonial subjects in rural conditions considered them to be primitive. Some of the effects of this terminology were to subhumanize people, and to justify colonial policies. A discussion of this appears in Stephen Jay Gould's Mismeasure of Man. There's also been much discussion of this in the cultural anthropology and museum literature as well. I would ALWAYS urge caution on the use of the word "primitive," as it has very serious connotations. Maybe EARLY would be better, if that is what CD meant. Or maybe she meant TRADITIONAL. Or maybe indeed, the museum used the word PRIMITIVE. I don't know.

As an instructor of undergraduates (and well, as CD's uncle), my comments to CD were directed solely to have her focus more precisely what she really meant... which is really one of the tougher things to do when you're bombarded with such a vastly different stream of information and senses from what you're used to. I felt that the Baha'i Temple comment was bizarre as written, and the "primitive" comment wasn't clear. Sometimes the words need to be refined to truly reflect what you're feeling and observing.

Playing the dual role of anthropologist and uncle is sometimes difficult.

[Lavabe]

Lavabe, I don't think cheerleader daughter was calling present day Ugandans primitive, I think she was referring to Ugandans from days long before any of us were even a twinkle in anyone's eyes, like a couple of centuries, or a millennium or two ago.

That's what I gleaned, too, that she was referring to decades or centuries ago.

YIKES!! Decades ago?!

Let's face facts, dd... we're just a couple of primitive Duke alumni!

[devildeac]

Lavabe, I don't think cheerleader daughter was calling present day Ugandans primitive, I think she was referring to Ugandans from days long before any of us were even a twinkle in anyone's eyes, like a couple of centuries, or a millennium or two ago.

That's what I gleaned, too, that she was referring to decades or centuries ago.

YIKES!! Decades ago?!

Let's face facts, dd... we're just a couple of primitive Duke alumni!

My African medical history knowledge consists of a couple hundred page book I read a year or so ago that our son gave me from Malawi. It discussed many of the medical pioneers in that nation, many of which were from the early 20th century, IIRC. Hence, my interpretation of decades ago (5-10 decades). What was described sounded quite primitive however ;) .

We are perhaps not primitive Duke alumni. Perhaps ancient would be a better term .

[TillyGalore]

Would you call Charlemagne, Queen Elizabeth I, Galileo, Linnaeus, and Nero primitive Europeans? Samuel Adams and Cherokees as primitive Americans? ;) They would all come from the same time period of which you speak.

Now Kyle Busch... OKAY, HE's a primitive American! ;) [BLATANT NASCAR JOKE, given Tilly's dislike of all things BLECH]

For many years even into the 20th century, many biological and cultural scientists who studied colonial subjects in rural conditions considered them to be primitive. Some of the effects of this terminology were to subhumanize people, and to justify colonial policies. A discussion of this appears in Stephen Jay Gould's Mismeasure of Man. There's also been much discussion of this in the cultural anthropology and museum literature as well. I would ALWAYS urge caution on the use of the word "primitive," as it has very serious connotations. Maybe EARLY would be better, if that is what CD meant. Or maybe she meant TRADITIONAL. Or maybe indeed, the museum used the word PRIMITIVE. I don't know.

As an instructor of undergraduates (and well, as CD's uncle), my comments to CD were directed solely to have her focus more precisely what she really meant... which is really one of the tougher things to do when you're bombarded with such a vastly different stream of information and senses from what you're used to. I felt that the Baha'i Temple comment was bizarre as written, and the "primitive" comment wasn't clear. Sometimes the words need to be refined to truly reflect what you're feeling and observing.

Playing the dual role of anthropologist and uncle is sometimes difficult.

Not sure I wouldn't call Charly, Liz, and their contemporaries primitive, though somethings they did could be called primitive. I would call their ancestors, who roamed England and France a boat load of years prior to them primitive.

I think cheerleader daughter, and several others here, are using the definition for primitive, which I pulled from Merriam-Webster, "of or relating to the earliest age or period : primeval <the primitive church> b : closely approximating an early ancestral type : little evolved <primitive mammals> c : belonging to or characteristic of an early stage of development " I don't think it's an insult to refer to people who had only basic or rudimentary technologies as primitive.

Shoot, in a few thousand years, we'll be called primitive.

[Lavabe]

I think cheerleader daughter, and several others here, are using the definition for primitive, which I pulled from Merriam-Webster, "of or relating to the earliest age or period : primeval <the primitive church> b : closely approximating an early ancestral type : little evolved <primitive mammals> c : belonging to or characteristic of an early stage of development " I don't think it's an insult to refer to people who had only basic or rudimentary technologies as primitive.

Shoot, in a few thousand years, we'll be called primitive.

If you go with devildeac's concept, you and I are primitive already. ;)

It IS wrong and insulting to use the term when you consider the role colonial policies had on hindering development of these countries. If you have no concept of this history in Africa, I suggest turning to the appropriate section in Perkins.

As for the M-W argument, basic or rudimentary technologies, you do NOT want to enter this discussion with a physical anthropologist. TRUST ME. I'm all set to discuss Oldowan / Mode 1 tools from 2.6 million years ago. Now THAT'S primitive.

Closely approximating an ancestral type? I don't think any anthropologist (biological or cultural) would agree with that line of reasoning. In fact, human DNA diversity is greatest in that region of the world, so little evolved, by definition, won't work either.

What the M-W definition is ignoring is the connotations of the word that have been used to justify colonial rule and subhumanization, and hence why it is a term that must be used under the most narrow of contexts, especially in this part of the world. Again, I strongly suggest looking at the anthropological discussions on it, as you'll get a better sense of how evil the history of the use of "primitive" became. I've already provided one reference. Gould's discussion and his use of the plates of Nott & Gliddon are chilling. There are PLENTY of other references in the anthropological, Africanist, and museum literature.

However, the most troubling aspect of your post is that you used M-W. Don't you know colchar's rule? We must all bow before Oxford! ;)

[Miles]

I think cheerleader daughter, and several others here, are using the definition for primitive, which I pulled from Merriam-Webster, "of or relating to the earliest age or period : primeval <the primitive church> b : closely approximating an early ancestral type : little evolved <primitive mammals> c : belonging to or characteristic of an early stage of development " I don't think it's an insult to refer to people who had only basic or rudimentary technologies as primitive.

Shoot, in a few thousand years, we'll be called primitive.

If you go with devildeac's concept, you and I are primitive already. ;)

It IS wrong and insulting to use the term when you consider the role colonial policies had on hindering development of these countries. If you have no concept of this history in Africa, I suggest turning to the appropriate section in Perkins.

As for the M-W argument, basic or rudimentary technologies, you do NOT want to enter this discussion with a physical anthropologist. TRUST ME. I'm all set to discuss Oldowan / Mode 1 tools from 2.6 million years ago. Now THAT'S primitive.

Closely approximating an ancestral type? I don't think any anthropologist (biological or cultural) would agree with that line of reasoning. In fact, human DNA diversity is greatest in that region of the world, so little evolved, by definition, won't work either.

What the M-W definition is ignoring is the connotations of the word that have been used to justify colonial rule and subhumanization, and hence why it is a term that must be used under the most narrow of contexts, especially in this part of the world. Again, I strongly suggest looking at the anthropological discussions on it, as you'll get a better sense of how evil the history of the use of "primitive" became. I've already provided one reference. Gould's discussion and his use of the plates of Nott & Gliddon are chilling. There are PLENTY of other references in the anthropological, Africanist, and museum literature.

However, the most troubling aspect of your post is that you used M-W. Don't you know colchar's rule? We must all bow before Oxford! ;)

I think I get it now. Fun reading.

[devildeac]

Just received an update from Claire and thought I'd share with CTN. Enjoy.

Dearest family and friends,

Today marks one month since we left the U.S. and four weeks since we arrived in Uganda. It has been quite an interesting experience so far, and I am sure there will a lot more coming for us in the next five weeks. We are nearly finished with the Safe Motherhood Intervention (only two days left), and next week we start follow-up appointments with some of the women that attended the clinic. We started gender-specific focus groups about family planning and safe motherhood practices. These have given great insight into their culture as well as ideas to build our program in the future. Next week I am in charge of interviews with health workers at the four centers where our clinics were held.
Our Rainwater Harvesting project has arranged some incredible things for the rest of the summer. They have made education curriculum, sanitation/education posters, trained counselors to teach in schools, and organized the building of water collection tanks - construction will begin soon.

I prefer to write topically instead of chronologically, mainly because day-to-day activities are somewhat boring, so here are just a few randomly organized topics. Hope you enjoy

Celebrations
-- Our first of four birthdays was celebrated on Wed, June 23. Tina turned 21 and wanted our group to go to an outdoor Chinese restaurant at Lakeview, one of the nicer hotels in Mbarara. It was good, “Americanized” Chinese food, and we bought ice cream after!
-- When the surveyors (for Rainwater Harvesting) finished their project, we had a goat roast to celebrate. Several group members went to a market, picked out three goats, and the surveyors cut them into small pieces then cooked the meat on skewers over open flame. I was not into that, so I asked one of our Ugandan friends to help me pick corn to roast. We finished at the clinic early, went into an adjacent field, and picked 40 ears of corn for 4000 sh. = $2! We were able to roast the corn over the fire, and it was delicious. We enjoyed the evening overall, especially because we met the student surveyors who worked diligently for us in the preceding months.
-- The pastor of the church I have attended twice invited our whole group to dinner last Thursday! Becky, one of our translators, organized the dinner to help us feel even more welcome in Mbarara and in their church. We arrived at 8pm but didn’t see the pastor until 9:30. Though we didn’t start eating until 10:30, and the meal was excellent. It was kind of him to invite us into his very nice home for dinner; we were all appreciative of his hospitality. We made it out before 11:30 and concluded that his dinner parties are no different than his sermons
-- Jorge Ferreira, a veterinarian and doctoral candidate working with NC State and Duke, came to Uganda before us and left this past weekend. He was very involved in our Rainwater Harvesting team among other projects. We were all fond of him and sad to see him go, so we had a going-away dinner for him last Friday. We had a great meal at an outdoor restaurant called Buffalo Resort. By the way, I love that we can spend time outside in the evenings without humidity or being attacked by bugs.

MMH/MUST shadowing
We have continued to shadow physicians at Mayanja Memorial Hospital and Mbarara University of Science and Technology Hospital every Friday morning. Dr. Mugerwa, the founder of MMH Foundation, allowed us to walk around with him on rounds, and he explained to us each of the patients’ cases. We saw women after C-Sections and premature deliveries, a mola [?] pregnancy (abnormal growth of unspecialized cells in the uterus), and other cases including a man that had been attacked by an elephant while poaching in Lake Mburo National Park!
At MUST hospital last week, we were stationed in obstetrics admissions and saw two deliveries! We also learned about common reasons for admission, such as incomplete or botched abortions, extended time in labor, and other complications that require C-sections.

*Weekend Trips*
Lake Mburo
For our first weekend outing, we went to Lake Mburo for a day. We left early in the morning on Saturday, June 26 and returned that night. We went on a guided walking tour for two hours – not on a real trail but through tall grasses. It was not the group’s favorite trek, but we were able to see zebra, impala, eland, warthog, and monkeys up close. We had lunch then saw a monkey eating muffins out of our van! We also went on a two-hour boat tour and saw lots of hippos, baby crocodiles, eagles, and other birds. Both of our tour guides were very smart and knowledgeable about the park and its animals.

Kabale
Last weekend a small group of four (Heidi, Josh, Jordan, and I) went to Kabale, a relatively small town in the mountains. We took “private” transportation that ended carrying 11 people in a 7-passenger car. We arrived in Kabale around 9 and had breakfast at a great rooftop café above the town’s cultural center/museum. A very kind driver took us to Lake Bunyonyi to canoe in dugouts to an island where we could swim, lay on the dock, and enjoy yummy tea and delicious snacks. We then paddled the dugouts over to another island called Bushara, or “place of the little birds,” and walked its circumference on a nature path. Our evening ended with a candlelit dinner (because the whole town had a power outage) that lasted three hours. On Sunday the same driver drove us through beautiful mountains and farms to a 30m waterfall. The falls were previously used to punish (kill) pregnant, unwed women; now the town, especially a very nice hospital nearby, uses it for hydroelectric power. Before leaving Kabale, we toured the cultural center and walked around town. It was a relaxing and fun weekend, and we learned our biggest lesson yet – everything works out in Uganda.

So there are my favorite highlights from the past few weeks! If it sounds like we are having the time of our lives, we kind of are, but there have been a fair amount of problems and complications. If you would, please pray for improved communication between group members and our Ugandan partners. I think we are on track with our projects, and we still have plenty of ideas up our sleeves that we may implement by the end of the summer or continue to formulate for next year. If you have questions, comments, prayer requests, anything, I would love to hear from you! Expect another expansive email in a couple of weeks!

[CameronBornAndBred]

So there are my favorite highlights from the past few weeks! If it sounds like we are having the time of our lives, we kind of are, but there have been a fair amount of problems and complications. If you would, please pray for improved communication between group members and our Ugandan partners!

Thanks much for the update and many vibes to the communication gods to work their magic.

[CathyCA]

What a wonderful report!

But what to do about those manic muffin-eating monkeys. . .

[TillyGalore]

What a wonderful report!

But what to do about those manic muffin-eating monkeys. . .

Wonder if they are related to screaming panic howling monkeys (did I get that right?)?

Sounds like cheerleader daughter is having a wonderful time. Prayers and vibes that communication improves and she continues to have a great team.

[devildeac]

What a wonderful report!

But what to do about those manic muffin-eating monkeys. . .

Wonder if they are related to screaming panic howling monkeys (did I get that right?)?

Sounds like cheerleader daughter is having a wonderful time. Prayers and vibes that communication improves and she continues to have a great team.

Not quite. IIRC, it was screaming howler panic monkeys, or SHPAM.

[captmojo]

What a wonderful report!

But what to do about those manic muffin-eating monkeys. . .

How would it work out if they were offered some goat????? and by candlelight, perhaps?

I'd pay money to watch that.

[TillyGalore]

Wonder if they are related to screaming panic howling monkeys (did I get that right?)?

Sounds like cheerleader daughter is having a wonderful time. Prayers and vibes that communication improves and she continues to have a great team.

Not quite. IIRC, it was screaming howler panic monkeys, or SHPAM.

I kind of thought I had the wrong. Thank you for setting me straight, devildeac.

[devildeac]

Wonder if they are related to screaming panic howling monkeys (did I get that right?)?

Sounds like cheerleader daughter is having a wonderful time. Prayers and vibes that communication improves and she continues to have a great team.

Not quite. IIRC, it was screaming howler panic monkeys, or SHPAM.

I kind of thought I had the wrong. Thank you for setting me straight, devildeac.

The only thing that helped me remember it was the SHPAM part .

[devildeac]

60+ dead in a Somalian terrorist bombing in Kampala, the capital city, about 3 hours IIRC away from our daughter's "home" in Mbarara. Why do Mr. and Mrs. devildeac all of a sudden feel that Uganda is NOT a safe country?

[ArkieDukie]

60+ dead in a Somalian terrorist bombing in Kampala, the capital city, about 3 hours IIRC away from our daughter's "home" in Mbarara. Why do Mr. and Mrs. devildeac all of a sudden feel that Uganda is NOT a safe country?

Very scary. Vibes for Cheerleader Daughter and Mr. and Mrs. devildeac.

[CameronBornAndBred]

60+ dead in a Somalian terrorist bombing in Kampala, the capital city, about 3 hours IIRC away from our daughter's "home" in Mbarara. Why do Mr. and Mrs. devildeac all of a sudden feel that Uganda is NOT a safe country?

Vibes to her and your folks worried at home. Will this change their plans at all?

[shereec]

60+ dead in a Somalian terrorist bombing in Kampala, the capital city, about 3 hours IIRC away from our daughter's "home" in Mbarara. Why do Mr. and Mrs. devildeac all of a sudden feel that Uganda is NOT a safe country?

I just saw this on the news and immediately came here to see where your daughter is staying. I'm sending thoughts and prayers and vibes, too. You keep a good thought, DD.

and a couple of hug for good measure.

[devildeac]

60+ dead in a Somalian terrorist bombing in Kampala, the capital city, about 3 hours IIRC away from our daughter's "home" in Mbarara. Why do Mr. and Mrs. devildeac all of a sudden feel that Uganda is NOT a safe country?

Vibes to her and your folks worried at home. Will this change their plans at all?

Don't know. Did not hear from her today but dukediv2012 did and she was in a planning meeting all evening. It's now about 630 AM 7/12 there now IIRC.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

60+ dead in a Somalian terrorist bombing in Kampala, the capital city, about 3 hours IIRC away from our daughter's "home" in Mbarara. Why do Mr. and Mrs. devildeac all of a sudden feel that Uganda is NOT a safe country?

Vibes to her and your folks worried at home. Will this change their plans at all?

Don't know. Did not hear from her today but dukediv2012 did and she was in a planning meeting all evening. It's now about 630 AM 7/12 there now IIRC.

Vibes and prayers for her safe return, whether now or on her regular schedule. I know you'll keep us posted.
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