The Chronicle of InLight

SO I'm back in Chigago

2009-02-13T10:59:00.001-08:00

I know it's been a loooooong time since I've blogged. Sorry to leave you hanging like that. I intended on blogging very often while I was in Uganda but in the midst of the trip I realized how impractical it was for me to do that. I found myself choosing between going places and participating in activities & going to the internet cafe to get my nerd on... soooo I decided to make the most of my stay in Uganda and really do my thing and write later. Coming now are the series of events, thoughts, experiences from Uganda in Chronological order so you get what I would have been writing if my typing skills were 3x as fast (as they will be next year when I return).
Enjoy and Comment with any questions. I'd love to answer them.

Much Peace!

Super

My 1st day of teaching

2008-12-30T09:28:00.001-08:00

So this is the Sharing Center. Is that Him? Abramz! I recognized him from the pictures online. Abramz is the founder & director of Breakdance Project Uganda. BDPU teaches Hiphop dance & Culture to over 400 youth and adults across Uganda. I'm still on charge to be here with these guys that do the same work I do in Chicago with the the University of Hiphop & Stick and Move. There's so much to talk about like F.E.W. & the Zulus but it's 5 o'clock, it's time to get started.

This is what I've been working hard for the last several months to do (actually years)& now I'm here! The vibe rich even before we touched the dance floor. Everyone was anticipating this moment for months. The excitement and anticipation was boiling over. It felt like many of the bboys were thinking, "That's him. Hm. Can he get down? Let's see what he can do." I'm stretching and warming up outside trying to get my body up to speed from the time change. The room we were supposed to be in was being used for a special event; so soon all 60+ BBOYS & BGIRLS trickled on over the concrete porch across from the basketball court. There are some rough spots but we pay them no mind as we create our cypher and commence to rocking the beats. OH MY GOD! These are some High Power Africans! and man do these brothers have Style! The dancers range from around 7 yrs-26+ yrs old and their rhythm is AMAZING! The last time I had this much fun was back in the days of Promontory Point! (remind me to make a wikipedia entry about the breakin practices at the Point) We are on CHARGE about each others style and talent. I feel so at home.

I've been looonging for cyphers like this. In Chicago many people are confused about the dance. They think it's about how much you know how to do. That's all wrong; It's how well you do what you know how to do. Everyone has the basics too and if not, they're eager to learn. The kids can jam with the professionals and they're holding it DOWN too. Of course they have yet to become as strong or know as many moves as the senior artists, but they are COLD with their tops, down-rocks, and freezes. I'm so grateful to participate in circles where dance is the conduit for our Pure expression of joy.

They gets DOWN! They are impressed with my skills as well. They way they look at me is so familiar. It's the same way I saw Smoke, Kwan, Pharoah, West Rock, Shamrock, The Twins, (I could go on & on with this list) when I was coming up. Those Guys were and still are some of my biggest inspirations in Hiphop Dance and when they move... MAN! it's something that's keeps me motivated even now. The Hiphop Scene here is still young too. In America we have access to generations of bboys who have been contributing to the artform for decades. Now I'm here doing things that they have never seen in person. It's time to SHARE! They certainly have the ability it's just that they have yet to have people to demonstrate the movements they way we do in the States & in other countries. Seeing some one in the flesh busting em is so empowering. Subconsciously you say to yourself "It's very real now & I can do it too".

It's amazing the Creativity in the Youth. Their Transitions, Throw-downs, ins & outs of their freezes, footwork & Rhythm are out of sight. (if you don't know what I'm talking about is come learn @ one of my master classes when I return) Their Learning Capacity is off the charts too. I did tracks 1 time and 3 of the guys picked it up immediately! (Tracks are when one does a head spin on a 45 degree angle spinning with only their their hands touching the ground every rotation) Awww Silky Silky, we're going to get alot done while I'm here.

Here at the Sharing Center there are new people coming every practice and most of the time is used to share the art with the new emerging dancers. It's amazing how it works. Young people 10 yrs old are leading classes teaching teenagers and vice-versa. The kids from the slums & the kids from the more developed areas come together and Jam. This is truly breakdance for social change. I really would love to get together with the more advanced bboys so we have more focused intense sessions. Then Abramz pulled my coat-tail informed me that we got another space at The National Theater to train with the more advanced bboys, teachers, and the young prodigies 3 days per week. YEAH, It's on.

Talk to you soon

Much Peace!

Lyantonde here we come!

2008-12-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

Early rise for me.

We have some things to do before the 4 hr bus ride to Lyantonde. I had to exchange my Dollars for Shillings, get a mobile phone, a power adapter/converter so I can plug in my American gadgets with out them blowing up. The exchange rate here is crazy. The value of the dollar changes everyday so 2000 Ugandan shillings = roughly 1 dollar. So 50,000 Shillings = 25 Dollars so on and so forth. A meal at a local restaurant cost 1000- 2000 Shillings. A large bottle of water cost 1ooo Shillings. Mangos are 3 for 1000 shillings. I'm in Heaven. So I've come to the conclusion that Everything cost too much in US!! Text messages are the way to go here too.

So after a fascinating morning of navigating the hilled streets of Kampala, Grant & I are off toLyantonde. On the way out Grant got a bag of "fene" from the restaurant @ the hotel & it was delicious! (Wait till you see the pictures it's not what you think) This fruit is where the makers of bubblegum got the inspiration for the flavor. Now I know why Fene aka jack fruit isn't allowed to be grown in the US. It would make bubblegum extinct and the economy can't take it! I had to grab one for the road. So we headed to the Bus park to hop a ride to the country side. We get to the Bus Park and the ticket price is doubled because it's Christmas time. So we reluctantly pay 20 Gs (20,000 shillings) for the ride and enter the bus to find out there are no more seats available. I felt like Forest Gump on the 1st day of school. Then the conductor sent me to the front and offered me an makeshift seat. It was suitable so I accepted and soon we were off on the narrow redish brown dirt roads to Lyantonde. Still sleepy from the Flight I'm trying hard to keep my eyes open because the scenery was so beautiful! The beautiful people walking by, cows and bulls with horns that are 2 feet long poking out of their heads! The Hills are Majestic. Every 10-15 minutes we pass a market place with colorful shops that are so organic. Selling baskets, Clothing, Sugar cane, Sandals, Matoke (fried Bananas), Seats, Straw, hats, floor coverings, MTN Cards, and all types of items in the everyday lives of all these people that look so familiar. After passing through what seemed like 20+ towns. We arrive to our destination, Lyantonde. We grab my bags for another intense work out carrying them to Grants House. On the way we were greeted by the villagers curiously looking at the Mazungu (What Ugandans call White folks) and the Black guy with all of this hair. "Osibiotya Sebo" (O-see- bee-o tya Say-bo = How's your day sir?) one said speaking to Grant & I. I already learned how to respond in Lugandan "Balunji, Oliotya Saybo" ( Good, How are you Sir?) I replied, the Brother responded & we continued on carrying all these makeshift weights. Soon we arrive @ Grants place.

After settling in for about an hours Grant invites me to The Rock. I'm like "The Rock?". "Yeah Let's go" he said. So off we go up the hilled roads to the rock or the big stone as the Kids call it. and when we get there I'm speechless at the view. It was almost overwhelming. My eyes weren't prepared to see such beauty just yet. I was so used to seeing mans attempts to create beauty in a boxy steel building and concrete streets when the earths Natural beauty was hidden away from our sight. Now I'm feeling the energy radiating from the enormous vibrant hills, lush vegetation, the Fresh air overflowing through my nostrils into my lungs, the clear blue skies with light clouds reflecting the golden sunset into my eyes, with beauty in every direction as far as the eye can see. This is astonishing. Even the animals were chilling out enjoying the evening.

This is So Fresh! The people are so beautiful & pleasant, I feel at home even though I had only 6 words under my belt at the time. Oh man it's time to study!... well after a nap.

Everywhere I go I inform native speakers that I'm learning Lugandan and I do my best to communicate in the native Language. Everyone joyfully helps me and tunes up my Speaking and adds on to my vocabulary. I feel so welcome here. In Lyantonde I spend the majority of my time toting my colorful note papers writing new words and phrases, gathering keys strenghteningthe communication connection with my kin folk that speak Lugandan. I can order food, let people know I'm a vegetarian, find out how much things cost, Introduce myself, give compliments & most importantly ask "How do you say _______ in Lugandan?" So my vocab is growing at a swift pace. Everyday I return to common places with more to say surprising them with my fresh additions & the fruits of my studies. Man I'm going back to Kampala soon to Build with Break dance Uganda soon. They may wanna battle so I better be ready to jam. So Grant & I are on some Rocky training. We jogged through the rural roads hitting the turns that incline to the rock & around the humongous ant mounds on the scenic route back through town then returning to Grant's place. That jog was like no other. After that I got Grant to do a deck of cards with me and the soreness that followed felt so good! We're ALIVE!!!

Soon I'll be rocking with Break Dance Uganda I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and getting busy! Check back and read about it in my next blog coming soon.

Talk to you soon

Inner & Outer Peace!

Super InLight

aka Jonathan

I'm here!

2008-12-18T07:49:00.000-08:00

Peace!

I made it here to Uganda Safe and sound. Today is the 1st day that I've had internet access for a good amount of time & I have a lot to fill you in on. The Plane rides were very long however they were amazingly comfortable. The air transit was 17hrs in total. First Chicago to Amsterdam then from Amsterdam to Entebbe. I only had 50 minutes to get from one plane to another @ The Airport in Amsterdam so I was power walking through this HUGE place looking for some any vegetarian food I could find which was no where to be found so I ended up having to get a smoothie from this shop where one 12 ounce smoothie was 4.5 Euros! (I Sitting next to me on the plane from Amsterdam to Entebbe was another traveler headed to Uganda from the U.S. I'm headed to Uganda to teach with Break Dance Project Uganda, it turns out that she'll be crossing paths with Breakdance Uganda too! I said "word" & she was like "wurd?" what does that mean?
So I explained it to her & she Started using it in our conversations over the next 7 hours. She's pretty cool especially now that she knows how to say word properly.

I arrived in Uganda around 10 pm & was greeted with a warm welcome by the Ugandan People @ the Airport Cheering! I stopped, smiled, & waved at them for a moment enjoying the love. Then they started playfully laughing and pointing; That's when I realized they were cheering for their family members around me. I started busting up That was a good laugh and a wonderful way to start a visit to a new country. So I looked to my left & saw Grant & Branco signaling for me to come. Grant is my friend who works with Project FOCUS and Bitone Troupe in Uganda. Project focus is an arts based organization that works in Chicago & Uganda & Bitone Troupe is a Troupe of young Artists/Dancers/Musicians/Singers who Gets DOWN! with the traditional Ugandan Music. Branco is the founder & director of Bitone Troupe (Bi-toe-nee) & a professor of Music @ one of the Universities in Kampala. These guys are mad cool and gave me my intro to Uganda.

Carrying my bags to the Hotel where we spent the 1st night in Kampala let me know how tired I was and I was ready to have some of the coolest sleep I've had in a loooong time. There was so much going through my mind. What am I about to experience? Where's the bathroom? What in the world is this hole in the floor? Oh. Oh really... Yo, now I think Toilets should be like that in the U.S. for real! So be prepared when you visit my house in the future because I will have one. So after getting 8 hrs of scattered sleep over the past 2.5 days I was ready to lay it down and enjoy some refreshing rejuvenating rest and that's what I did.

Read about the next Day in the next blog coming to you FRESH from the Mother Land.

Inner & Outer PEACE!

Super InLight

aka

Jonathan

I'm Leaving in 7 days!!

2008-12-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

Wow it's coming up quick! It just hit me last Saturday like a Splash of cool water on the hottest day of the year. I'm getting more & more charged everyday
My classes are culminating this coming week. Everyones excited about their performances and I'm looking forward to them too. I'll post some videos of the young ones rocking on here later.
Speaking of performance I'm ready to rock this One Man show Friday (TOMORROW!!) and then a few more days till I'm Hittin the Skies.

in the mean time. COME TO MY SHOW!!

Much PEACE!!

Graphics

2007-01-12T23:19:00.000-08:00