araalinuga: what was I thinking?

MLK Day (belated)

2012-01-17T22:26:00.002+03:00

MLK Day (belated)

How could I forget?

Perhaps it's because I'm out of the classroom. Otherwise, I'd have had students dreaming and writing their dreams for a better tomorrow and making their dream books out of cut-out card-backed photo-copied colouring sheets of Martin's head.

Instead, I forgot. So, I went to YouTube this morning, downloaded the "I have a dream" speech and made everyone in the admin office listen to it with me. When Dr. King began with, "I am happy to join with you today..." our business manager asked, "Is that Mitt Romney?"

In an effort to promote a greater understanding/appreciation of the ideals Dr. MLK promoted, I sent the following email to the teaching staff:

This week's PSHE theme is 'Accepting differences/Inclusion'. I invite you to take a little time and watch the YouTube video below; it is of Martin Luther King, Jr's "I have a dream" speech.

You may choose to have your students watch it (years 5 and 6) and discuss the ideas of integration and equality. With younger children, the "I have a dream" statements (towards the end of the speech) can be a jumping off point where the children can talk about their dreams for a better--more inclusive--world.

I also came across my current favourite MLK quote: ‎"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education."

Training for the Paris Marathon is coming along wonderfully. Yesterday I had my first enjoyable run! At the end I wanted to keep on going. Wisely, I didn't. You know, too much of a good thing. The biggest challenge I'm facing now in booking a flight. I've literally got to finish the run then hop on a plane back to Uganda. School starts back the following day (16th April). The school has generously granted me that day off, but many of the airlines that go between Entebbe and Paris either do not fly back on the 15th or they leave too early for me to make the flight after the run. And the ones that do... well, I'm trying to work out my best option. This weekend it will be done. Hopefully.

Finally done with It

2012-01-14T16:26:00.000+03:00

Finally done with It

The year is 1990 and we are all terrified in the back TV room at Robbi D.'s when Pennywise proclaims: I'll kill you all. After regaining our wits and courage, "I'll kill you all!" became a sort-of catch phrase for us tweens and teens. Similar to Bill and company, twenty-plus years later, I was summoned back for another round with It; this time in book form. And today I finally conquered--all 1104 pages of It.

To answer those gnawing questions (Timothy, why now? Why this book?) I'll quote myself as quoted by Beatrice Lamwaka in the Books They Read article of the 17th December edition of the Saturday Monitor:

I watched the movie while I was a child and the movie was horrifying. The movie meant a lot to me and my friends when we were young so in a way, I am reminiscing my childhood. I haven't read Stephen King in 15 years.

I agree with the brief review on amazon.com that 'King's depiction of youngsters is extraordinarily accurate and sympathetic. But there is enough material in this epic for several novels and stories, and the excessive length and numerous interrelated flashbacks eventually become wearying and annoying', except, I'm not sure if I ever found anything annoying. Truth be told, I had no idea how long the book was when I began it--one of the benefits of a Kindle--and after much reading and little progress in the percentage area, I had to use the internet the look up the quantity of pages. Truth also be told, that I occasionally took breaks from reading It, most humoursly to read The Santa Land Diaries in the Semien Mountains. Maybe, like Richie, I needed the dose of humour to conquer It--all 1104 pages of It. (I also just downloaded the 1990 miniseries, so a movie night is on the horizon. Join me?)

Perhaps now I'll give Understanding Girls with AD/HA another go. I even put Rushdie on the back burner during my affair with Mr. King. Hmmm... I wonder who I'll be taking to bed tonight.

I did not hate myself 98% of the distance

2012-01-12T23:02:00.004+03:00

I did not hate myself 98% of the distance

Today's was the first run that I did not hate myself 98% of the distance. That's a good thing, I guess. Hopefully, I'm getting over the hump, and my runs will become fun and inspiring once again. I realise I've not mentioned the distance of any of my runs so far. That is in part due to the fact that the wristband broke on my GPS watch, and I'm procrastinating instead of getting it repaired. It's also due in part to the fact that I'm quite embarrassed by the short distances of my runs. I think by next week, I'm be more on track and, therefore, a bit more open about my mileage.

Kampala is hot these days. Really hot. So hot that friends are sending my messages admitting fears of melting. So hot that teachers are requesting amendments to the school's dress code to allow shorts. True to form, I did a little research, and this is what I found out about keeping cool in hot climates (click on the links to read the full source article).

Taming Temperature

Loose, light (in both colour and weight), long-sleeved shirts will keep you cooler than T-shirts. And, in most climatic conditions, cooler than other short- (and non-) sleeved tops as well.

In very hot weather, though, most of the heat that your body is trying to eliminate has been absorbed from its surroundings. Light-coloured garments that cover your skin will dramatically curtail that absorption, greatly reducing the heat that must be dissipated.

Sure, lots of people in New Orleans wear short-sleeved shirts; people often wear what they believe will keep them cooler, rather than what actually will. But I was in New Delhi, where the temperature was 115°F (46°C) when I first wrote these paragraphs, and the great majority of local residents were wearing long-sleeved clothing.

In order to promote the circulation of air necessary to the evaporation of perspiration, hot-weather clothing should additionally be both loose-fitting and porous (air-permeable). How porous? Enough so that air can pass through it without serious restriction. Here's a simple test. Make an "O" with your mouth about the size of a typical beverage bottle (1" / 2.5cm), and stretch a piece of the fabric in question over it. If you can breathe comfortably through your mouth (not your nose), the cloth is sufficiently porous for decent evaporation; otherwise, it isn't.

All of this holds true for the lower part of your body as well. Long pants/skirts/dresses of an appropriate fabric will keep you cooler than shorts of any length.

20 hot tips to stay cool

Heat is trapped by synthetic fibres, but cotton absorbs perspiration and its evaporation causes you to feel cooler. [So do linen!]
Eat spicy food. Although this may be the last thing you fancy in hot weather, curries and chillies can stimulate heat receptors in the mouth, enhance circulation and cause sweating, which cools the body down.
Eat small meals and eat more often. The larger the meal, the more metabolic heat your body creates breaking down the food. Avoid foods that are high in protein, which increase metabolic heat.

How to cool yourself without air conditioning

Wet your wrists and other pulse points with cold water. Use a piece of ice wrapped in a face cloth, to continue after the coolness wears off. Constantly cooling off the wrists will also cool off the body. Never use just ice; make sure it is wrapped in a towel or something similar. Studies show that this will reduce your core body temperature by as much as 3 °F (1.5 ºC). The relief is almost immediate, and will last for up to one hour!
Drink water, even if you are not thirsty! You must replace fluids lost in perspiration to prevent dehydration. Oral re-hydration may be accomplished by drinking an electrolyte-balanced beverage. The electrolytes help to make sure you don't lose vital minerals through sweating. Adding ice will also help cool you off. Avoid lemonade, iced tea, and other sugary drinks (see the Tips below). Ice does not actually help you cool off if it is in water you will drink. Cool water does, but the colder the water the more energy your body spends making it body temperature so that it can use it.
Try a few minty products to cool your skin: slather on lotion with peppermint (avoid your face and eyes); shower with peppermint soap; use a minty foot soak. Mint refreshes the skin and leaves a nice cooling sensation.

Personally, I love the heat, and I love to sweat. I like imagine that the sweat pouring from my body during a good, long run is actually melted fat escaping my bulging belly, arms, thighs, back, etc.

Today's Plod

2012-01-11T22:48:00.001+03:00

Today's Plod

I plodded along with marathon training today and got a run in this afternoon. The stress release from such a run was much needed after today's failed attempt at a simple bank transaction. Oh, Stanbic Bank, you are a mighty special institution!

My running style lately truly feels more like plodding; I feel so tired, exhausted even after rest. I'm having such a difficult time getting into this running thing again. I hope I snap out of it soon. While on my afternoon plod, I noticed this:

madman creative. Wow! Now that is creative (assuming it is an ad agency as I strongly suspect it is). I've never seen Mad Men on Bravo, but I don't live on Mars, so I know that it is immensely popular. So if the creator of this agency proves to be a creative as its name suggests, then I cannot wait so see ads like these hit the billboards:

Oh, and I think today I committed myself to buying a new sofa. Blame it on the runner's high.

Right.

In the BARTH room?

2012-01-10T22:23:00.001+03:00

In the BARTH room?

Yes, that's where Barth lives on.

Marathon training update: there was no running for me today; I took a rest day. I hung out at Fas Fas, still trying to finish It.

How could I forget this one?

2012-01-10T00:29:00.001+03:00

How could I forget this one?

MFK: Are you serious? Do we really have to hike through this herd of baboons?

Guide: No, they are not baboons. Baboon is a negative name. They are mountain monkeys.

MFK: Ok. Is there no other way? Why are we hiking through this herd of mountain monkeys? Do we really have to?

Guide: Yes.

MFK: Why?

Guide: Because it's nature.

Timothy: Here, puppy, puppy, puppy!

Today marked one week since I began running again (theoretically training for the Paris Marathon). I'm not sure how far I ran, and since it was on the hash, I will not even try to map my run online--too many check backs and running through sewage ditches. It was a fun/good run. However, it is quite humbling to know how fit I was at the end of October and how unfit I am at the beginning January. Stamina: where did it all go? Tomorrow might be a swimming day. I'll be back on the streets on Wednesday.

not laziness

2012-01-08T11:52:00.002+03:00

not laziness

Ok. Many distractions. Much to do. Priorities out of sync. Whatever.

A friend scolded me for not chronicling my marathon training experience for the Nairobi Marathon--which I completed on 30th October 2011. A missed opportunity? Perhaps. Well, I'm registered for the Paris Marathon, which will take place on the 15 April 2012, and I think I officially began my training program this week. After taking a complete running break for the entire month of December to give my knees a much needed break (not laziness, I!), I've tried to get myself back in the streets this week. I successfully managed to do this three times; I successfully managed to talk myself out of a run only once. Overall, not too bad. The biggest triumph was getting my rear out of bed and out on a run this morning. True, it was a very short run, but, hey, where were you?

I have a tendency to start blog projects and stop before completion. Let's just see how this one goes.

Paris.

15th April.

2012.

On the topic of missed opportunities: Oops! I almost did it again. For two weeks in December, I took a trip with three FABULOUS friends to Ethiopia. Somewhere along the way, I found the need to channel my inner cheerleader? For a humourous account and lovely photos of our Abyssinian hijinks, read Robyn's blog. She's definitely on it better than I am these days. I'll simply say that I have never visited a more beautiful place on this planet than Ethiopia; this was the most special holiday I've taken to date. And I'll leave you with my three favourite quotes that I overheard during our northern trek.

"You should pay the people and get them out of the park," said the Norwegian man to who I interpreted to be his Ethiopian tour guide.
"I liked that we did not see many people during our tour. I guess that means you should keep the population low. Yeah, that would be good," said the Norwegian man's wife to who I interpreted to be his Ethiopian tour guide.
"Sit down! Girl, this is not a matatu!" said Kelly to the young woman who stood up to get her bag from the overhead compartment as the plane was touching down in Entebbe. The plane had not even slowed down to taxi into the terminal.

Easy. Breezy. Beautiful.

2011-10-24T21:20:00.001+03:00

Easy. Breezy. Beautiful.

I've always had a thing for cover girls, and Cover Girl cover girls have really done it for me in the past. My two favourites being

Drew Barrymore

and Niki Taylor,

in that order.

Ok, so Drew's stint as Cover Girl is still in the present, but isn't she lip perfection personified?

This month, October 2011, I add one more cover girl to my list of favourites: Becca Schwartz.

Oh, WorkZine, you just became exponentially more welcomed in my inbox each month. Thanks to this exposure, I'm sure Becca will attract quite a bit of attention, and she might have difficulty selecting only one guy among the many who will want to be her suitor. Well, lucky for us, Becca has put thought into polyandry.

Imagine the law made it mandatory for you to marry four husbands and each had to be from a different country, which countries would you choose from and why?

US - being American, I’ve found that it’s usually Americans who share the values and beliefs of mine that matter. Plus my mother has informed me that if I have her grandchildren and keep them somewhere in Africa, I will be dead to her - this way, my American husband could keep the grandchildren in the US, close to Jaja.

Senegal - It’ll give me a chance to work on my French and Wolof skills and (assuming I also get citizenship in Senegal with the marriage) free travel within ECOWAS - important for business. When I lived in Senegal, I was proposed to at least 3 times per week so it may be good to actually take one of these guys up on it someday. To be clear, it wasn’t really that I’m all that, it was that I may hold the key to a magic visa/green card for them. Also, Senegalese men tend to be quite tall and handsome.

Sweden - I’ve got the dark and handsome with the Senegalese fellow so I’ll even it out with light and handsome from Sweden, you know the model type. Plus the EU passport will come in handy.

Uganda - I’ve lived here too long not to include one of you guys. I guess maybe you’ve grown on me :)

Isn't it so cute, the way she is able to speak using emoticons? Not only is she cute, guys, but she can probably out sing all of us in a Rent sing-a-long, and she's an expert in solar power marketing. She can light up your life.

Easy.

Breezy.

Beautiful.

Cover girl!

That's enough about Becca ( I gush, I gush). I want to give a bit more credit to WorkZine. I began receiving it around edition 28 (Becca's issue is 37). I really like the concept and the platform they give to writers (seasoned and those learning the ropes, yet have something to say). Check out their website: www.theworkzine.com. You can also listen to a podcast of an interview with the managing editor of WorkZine, Abid Were.

...the best dressed rebel in history.

2011-10-23T22:05:00.000+03:00

...the best dressed rebel in history.

(Insert nominee's name here)

I'm just kidding.

The Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon is one week away! Stacy and I have put in the training (she perhaps better than I), and it's hard to believe those four (plus) months of literally pounding the pavement have passed by so quickly. Back are the days when 21 kilometers constitutes a "short run". I wish I could say that gone are the days of extra flab on my stomach. It seems I've become leaner in almost every other region of my body except the stomach area. Lipo might be the only solution for that pesky area.

I declare this week a week of rest and healthy eating... Let's see how long that lasts. I hope I'm more successful at this than living off of 300k for one month. I only have seven days to try and live right.

I'm already sort of failing. My goal is a 9:30pm bedtime, and it's almost 9:45. To be fair, I am writing this blog post in my bed. Wearing only a pair of thin boxer shorts. (How's that for an image in you head?) So technically, I've achieved my goal for the day.

This post will be short and sweet.

There's just one more book quote I'd like to share, then it's lights out. Or maybe I'll squeeze in another few pages of The Satanic Verses.

"You're going to be the best-dressed rebel in history," says Gale with a smile. (pg 43, Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins)

I read all the Hunger Games books earlier this year. Please, believe the hype; it's a fantastic ride. Gale gives my favourite quote of the entire series in the third book, Mockingjay. I love the satire of our obsession with celebrity and style.

Seriously, though, a great book club discussion could be guided by the question: Who is the best dressed rebel in history?

But no one ever asked mammy how she felt about it.

2011-10-21T15:54:00.004+03:00

But no one ever asked mammy
how she felt about it.

I recently finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. The verdict: I liked it. However, I wasn't sure I would. It came highly recommended by Sybil. However, I read one person's opinion that referred to one of the main characters, Skeeter, as "weak... when she finally started dating" and I didn't think I could handle a southern-belle version of Bella Swan. Well, Sybil's recommendation and the hype surrounding the film version won out, and I downloaded the book.

I finished reading The Help more than a week ago, and I planned to blog about it, but I never got around to it. This morning, I was lying in bed finishing up the second season of Glee, watching the prom episode, and the result of Kurt Hummel winning prom queen provided the catalyst for me to finally write this post.

So Kurt was declared prom queen, and he fled the auditorium/gymnasium/wherever the prom was held in tears, pursued by his boyfriend, Blaine. And this is what Kurt had to say: "We thought that because no one was teasing us or beating us up that no one cared. Like some kind of progress had been made. But it's still the same ... All that hate, they were just afraid to say it out loud, so they did it by secret ballot." It's a very touching scene of the show, and I recommend you head over to Jezebel .com right now and watch it.

This scene with Kurt and his resulting sobs to Blaine made me think a statement that Mae Mobley makes to Aibileen on page 392 of The Help: "Miss Taylor says kids that are colored can't go to my school cause they're not smart enough." This remark from a fictional child in 1964 to the woman who cared for her struck me like that proverbial ton of bricks. 1964. In Mississippi. I grew up in Florida, graduated from high school in 1994 (30 years after The Help is set), and remember being told very similar statements, in Sunday school of all places, as late as the early 1990s (a harsh reality to face, such bullshit was still institutionally passed on in America... how many years after the Civil Rights movement?). Reading Mae Mobley's words in 2011 brought back a wave of memories I had repressed of the racist indoctrination I received growing up. (By the way, the Sunday school teacher who pompously expounded on my intellectual superiority base on the lack of melanin in my skin, had a black dog named Ni**er and sons who trick-or-treated dressed as Klansmen in white robes. Such fond memories of my home town!) And being a fairly sensitive person, I really needed to discuss the feelings that were triggered by this. I was surprised by my current naivete and a little shocked that the the same lies that were used to teach racism to children in the 1960s was still being used to teach racism to children in the 1990s. My assumption is that the lies are still being propagated to children today. (How's that for optimism?) Since Sybil is the one who recommended to book to me in the first place, I went to her with my thoughts and emotions (I hate using that word). And she said to me, "It just goes to show you that despite all the progress we claim to have made, shit ain't changed."

Like Kurt said, "We thought that because no one was teasing us or beating us up that no one cared. Like some kind of progress had been made. But it's still the same."

The same. Yeah, the hatred still abounds.

Below is a quote from one of today's online discussions about the recent death of Gaddafi and the reactions/comments of people from around the globe.

"Well, at least now i know that arab africans are called 'sand niggers'...oh, how developed is the west!"

Was that a vocabulary lesson she really needed to have?

It gets depressing.

Nobody likes to see a crazy lady with an axe in her hand.

Pink Cupcakes and Black Bosco

2011-10-20T16:55:00.002+03:00

Pink Cupcakes and Black Bosco

Last weekend was better than I could have planned. The 32 kilometer run that turned into 28 km instead still left me buzzing with endorphins for the rest of the day. Becca was, as usual, a pleasure to meet for dinner. Sunday's pink cupcakes bake and delivery left me with a smile and reaffirmed that I have amazing women in my life. (Keep squeezing your boobies, girls! Not just in October.) Sunday evening I reconnected with an old friend, and that truly brought me happiness. As Angela stated it earlier that day, "It's hard to find amazing people, but somehow we do. And it's like a miracle every time!"

Another small joy that contributed to the culmination of a fabulous weekend was reclining back in my comfy-chair under a throw blanket and reading The Ballad of Black Bosco by Ernest Bazanye. I mentioned Ernest on my blog once in a post back in 2007. Keeping up with his blog address can become your new pastime. But his writing and brilliant social commentary are the treasures at the end of the wild goose chase.

The Ballad of Black Bosco is a pretty impressive novella; it even has it's own facebook page! According to which, it is about "two Kampala boys. One becomes famous, the other becomes rich." Bazanye describes the process of not finding a publisher in true Bazanye wit on his blog:

What does a novelist do when he or she (he in this case) finds himself in a country where neither Penguin, Random House, Barnes nor Noble ever set foot? Does he fly to America? But he wasn’t given a visa. So does he then not write the novel. That’s what I did.

Or that’s what I thought. Until the idle typing I had been doing in between bits of actual work at office began to take the shape of a real story and not a blog post, so I just went ahead and wrote it. I had a novel there.

So, what does a novelist do when he has a novel and Random House, Penguin, Barnes and Noble still haven’t called? He lets the novel gather dust on a C-Drive somewhere.
Actually, I wrote this so long ago, the computer I typed it on is actually junk now. It was in 2007 those prehistoric ends.

So what does a novelist do when he finds it on a backup CD and thinks, hey, someone might enjoy reading this?

He puts it up online and says, well, if you want to read it, please take a look. It’s funny. You might like it.

Like it, I did.

I even highlighted some quotes that left me LOLing and ROFLMAO using my new, nifty Kindle:

"I knew that voice. I had to turn the radio up really really loud for that woman I recall. I remember I had to switch from the BBC to Capital FM to drown her out, and ended up having to listen to Celine Dion for an hour."

"Al fresco means it is outdoors but there are no flies."

"Doc asked the hooker on his lap to move her hairweave out of his face for a minute so that he could make his point that it was wicked and vile."

And my personal favouite highlight:

"Why do we need Ugandans to sound like Americans? The market for American accents has alredy been cornered. By Americans."

Bazanye's masterful skill at writing in that horrible Ugandan-style-fake-American accent led me to wonder if he were guilty of penning the finger-nails-down-a-chalk-board irritating script for that ad from our-logo-is-the-colour-piss-after-several-days-of-not-drinking-water-and-you're-super-dehydrated-after-a-night-of-binge-drinking telecom company.

My favourite quotes may not make much sense right now, and that is because they are out of context. I know. So take advantage of the free download of The Ballad of Black Bosco and have a laughter-filled read over the weekend. And as our friends over at The WorkZine say, "After you download and read, please go [to] the Facebook page of Black Bosco here and tell the writer to not make you laugh like that again."

Musing Over Moon Over Manifest

2011-09-20T17:45:00.001+03:00

Musing Over Moon Over Manifest

(Or if you like acronyms: MOMOM.)

I took advantage of the two days I've had to take off from work thanks to my viral friend, influenza (kind of a pretty name, don't you think?) and finished reading Moon Over Manifest. When I started the book, I wasn't sure I'd like it. Depression era and the Midwest do not make my favourite setting for a story. The Wizard of Oz was bearable because Dorothy Gale wasn't in Kansas anymore.

Well, I'm glad I read it. There's a reason it won the Newberry Medal and was a New York Times Bestseller. Some of the best writing is on page 144:

...I thought I knew a thing or two about people. Even had my list of universals. But I wondered. Maybe the world wasn't made of universals that could be summed up in neat little packages. Maybe there were just people. People who were tired and hurt and lonely and kind in their own way and their own time...

...I admired how Ruthanne knew what I did not. That Lettie hadn't had her fill of gingersnaps. With six kids in their family, she had more than likely given up her own cookie and traded something for an extra one to share with us...

...If there is such a think as universal--and I wasn't ready to throw all of mine out the window--it's that there is power in a story. And if someone pays you such a kindness as to make up a tale so you'll enjoy a gingersnap, you go along with that story and enjoy every last bite.

Moon Over Manifest was a story within a story that detailed the making of a story. Yes, that's right. You'll need to read the book to get what I'm lousily trying to explain.

The makings of a good story, as described in MOM

To write a good story, one must watch and listen
When she tells a story, she's sort of removed from them. She's the storyteller.
Telling a story ain't hard... All you need is a beginning, middle and end.
As much as I had a need to hear her story, she had a need to tell it. It was as if the story was the only ablm that provided any comfort.

Two more quotes I have to throw in for good measure:

"Sometimes, when folks move on, it's hard to look back. It's not their fault."

"The Baptist church, normally home to only the purest of Manifest citizens--meaning the ones who had parents and grandparents and even great-grandparents born in this country--was suddenly filled with strangers. Each held his or her own jar or jug of either Velma T.'s elixir or Shady's whiskey."

Reading Moon over Manifest was a real treat. Abilene Tucker is part Tom Sawer, part Jean Louise "Scout" Finch and altogether a very memorable character. Part of the ending was perhaps sweeter than I would have liked, but there was a twist I did not expect. And yes, I did have tears in my eyes as I approached page 342.

Spewing Words Like Spray Paint from a Can

2011-09-12T22:27:00.000+03:00

Spewing Words Like Spray Paint from a Can

"Blogging's not writing. It's graffiti with punctuation."

I saw Soderbergh's latest film, Contagion, yesterday afternoon. It's been described as a 'cold' film, and that's probably why I enjoyed it so much.

Now, going to a public toilet to urinate after watching Contagion, I did not enjoy that experience quite as much. The friend I went to see the film with would not use his bare hand to open the door to the restroom; he used a handkerchief shield. Über cautious? Or just plain smart?

I quit.

2011-09-10T22:30:00.000+03:00

I quit.

After only nine days of my intended-to-be-month-long experiment. I quit. I don't know how they do it. I do now know how Ugandan school teachers live on their salary in the current economic atmosphere where inflation is 21.4 percent. Even being generous, not including rent or house cleaning services in my budget, I found out I cannot make it on only 300,000 Uganda shillings per month, not in Kampala. Sure people do it, but life should be more than just survival, and as I mentioned before, there is a BIG difference between filling one's belly and being properly nourished.

And properly nourished I've not been. That was a hard reality for me to face on Thursday evening when I was on my evening run (of only 6.4km), and I found it almost too difficult to complete. Skipping meals does not facilitate marathon training. As I realised how spent I was and unhealthy I was becoming, I considered pressing on, like the guy in Supersize Me when he discovered the severity of the health risks that sprung up during his McDonald's experiment. Then I came to my senses. It's just not worth it. Yes, it's easy to assume that I live high on the hog and that's why I failed. Assume what you like, but even James Mwase, the chairperson of UNATU, Jinja branch says that a teacher's salary cannot buy them maize flour for 15 days.

There's a lot more the salary cannot buy. At the point of quitting, my flat was without:

fresh vegetables;
eggs;
laundry soap. (A friend recently questioned the frequency in which the drivers employed by her agency washed their clothes, pointing out their odoriferous state. I asked how much the drivers were paid. She wasn't sure but speculated around 400,000 UGX per month. I replied, "Exactly." If she wanted better smelling drivers, their earnings would either have to be altered or the soap could be provided to them. When you can barely feed your family, fragrant laundry soap is not a priority.)

Basically, I was out of the basics. Nothing fancy.

Other things that really cannot be afforded on the current salary are newspapers and books. I strongly believe that keeping up with what's going on in the world and sharing it with my students is a very important role I have as a teacher; therefore, access to this information is crucial. Reading culture, reading culture, reading culture. I've heard this term thrown around in Uganda since I arrived in 2002. How are teachers going to recommend or get children excited to read books they've never read, seen, heard of? How are people going to find time to read if they are too busy battling starvation and just trying to survive?

It has been said that an increase to the teachers' salary would be 'subversive to national development'. It's also said that an increase of less than 50 percent can heavily impact the economy. We're talking about an increase or salary of less than 300,000 UGX (just under $100 US) each month. Is it really the teachers' salaries that are subversive to national development and heavily impacting the economy? Come on.

Quality education comes with several price tags, and one of the greatest investments a school, district, nation has to make to deliver a quality education is in its teachers.

Dogooding

2011-09-07T21:53:00.000+03:00

Dogooding

Under the headling: Teachers Divided Over Strike was this photo

with the caption, "An American volunteer helping to teach pupils... on Monday."

I still hope this is a stock photo with an incorrect caption. In case you're unaware, teachers have been on strike, demanding a salary increase. To sensationalise it, the media are reporting that teachers are demanding a 100 percent pay raise, emphasising the 100 percent. The reality is, considering what they currently earn (273,000 UGX per month before taxes), even after doubling their salary, it will still be very low; they're actually not asking for much, especially when you consider that some people working in public office earn 15,000,000 UGX or more each month. 100 percent of very little is still very little.

It would really make my blood boil to know that this volunteer whose 'intentions were so pure', instead of relieving poverty, is actually tightening its grip by undermining teachers' efforts to earn a livable salary in Uganda.

Call it what you like. I call it a scab.

Whose needs are being met? The children's to learn? The woman's to feel she's doing good? The teachers' to be able to eat and support their families?

Where are Jack "Cowboy" Kelly and David Jacobs when you need 'em?

...that we got a ton of rotten fruit and perfect aim.

A summary of today's expenses:

3,000 UGX for lunch

Total: 3,000 UGX

Remaining with 199,700 UGX

Tip for those low on cash flow: keep busy at work. The more you work, the better you can ignore hunger and the less time you'll have to go somewhere you'll be tempted to spend money.

Pre-8pm Crash

2011-09-06T20:34:00.000+03:00

Pre-8pm Crash

So, I'm reading this fantastic book, Moon Over Manifest. Problem is, I'm suffering from exhaustion. 8:00pm, and I'm out like a light. The plus side: I spend no money.

A summary of today's expenses:

3,000 UGX for lunch

Total: 3,000 UGX

Remaining with 202,700 UGX

Tip for those low on cash flow: go to bed early. Boring? Yes. Inexpensive? You bet your ass.

Back on Track

2011-09-06T00:26:00.001+03:00

Back on Track

Well, sort of.

A summary of today's expenses:

3,000 UGX for lunch

5,900 UGX for dishwashing soap

Total: 8,900 UGX

Remaining with 205,700 UGX

Tip for those low on cash flow: birthday parties are manageable with loans from friends.

Expensive Diversions

2011-09-04T23:31:00.002+03:00

Expensive Diversions

I never really realised how expensive my running pastime was until I restricted myself to a very limited budget. I run. I'm training for a marathon. I assumed that after covering the biggest training expense, the shoes, running would be pretty cheap.

One word: hydration.

I blew 9,700 shillings today on rehydration/refueling alone. Then there was the expense of getting from the ending point of my 21km run back home. I did public transport, took a taxi, and that cost me an additional 1,000. So just over 10,000 shillings, my maximum daily budget, was spent before midday today.

This really got me thinking. If I'm spending this much money on simply keeping myself healthily hydrated, how is the average teacher in Uganda able to keep a healthy diet? There is a BIG difference between filling one's belly and being properly nourished.

In only the four days I've been conducting this experiment, I've caught myself cutting back on or skipping meals entirely in order to keep my daily expenses low. I'm discovering that it is exceptionally difficult, if not next to impossible, to eat adequately on the salary that the teachers are currently earning.

So, it's been reported in the paper that "the government, beginning tomorrow, will use its head teachers to roll-call all its teacher" and that absent teacher are to be punished. But who's going to roll-call the head teachers? From my own experience, I'd expect it to be more likely to not encounter a head teacher at school than there be absent teachers. I worked at a school where the deputy head teacher pretty much only showed up on the first day of school and never appeared again, yet he still drew his salary every month. There was another school I worked with where the head mistress missed 13 out of 20 school days, repeatedly. I won't deny absenteeism of teachers also being a problem. However, many times when I'd discover the whereabouts of teachers who was not at school, I'd find them digging in a garden. Hmmm... I wonder why?

I must be honest and confess that I splurged tonight. My friend, Barbarah, is in town from Malawi. I've not seen her in over a year. Another friend from Uganda who lives in the US is also in town, so we all got together at Katja's Kitchen in Bugolobi. How could we not, right? Yeah, my budget for the next week is ruined. I spent 25,000 on my meal and drinks. Yikes!

A summary of today's expenses:

9,700 UGX for hydration
1,000 UGX towards transportation
25,000 UGX for dinner splurge
6,300 UGX for milk and tomatoes

Total: 42,000 UGX

Remaining with 214,600 UGX

Tip for those low on cash flow: stay away from restaurants of any form.

Day Three, with Failure in Sight

2011-09-03T13:59:00.000+03:00

Day Three, with Failure in Sight

Day three of my little experiment has left me less-than optimistic about it's outcome. I'm pretty sure I'm going to fail to get through this month on the 300,000 shilling budget I gave myself, and that might be a good thing. I'm thinking that might be what I intended to prove in the first place.

While staying on a tight budget is proving to be very difficult to me, my determination has led me to be a bit more creative with my Saturday activities. Staying at home would be too simple, and, let's face it, dull. So free activities I found myself doing today:

visiting Afriart Gallery and drooling over new works of art by Ronex;
visiting Ivuka Arts and narrowing down my search for an Anwar painting to three;
and a book orgy at Isha's.

Babs has arrived in KLA and is as gorgeous and fabulous as ever.

A summary of today's expenses:

5,000 UGX for beverages with a friend
20,000 UGX towards tranportation

Total: 25,000

Remaining with 256,600 UGX

I'm going to end this post with a clip from Maurice's show last night.

I'm afraid I'm gonna need an angel to carry me through the rest of this month.

Tip for those low on cash flow: adopt the mantra, Free is for me!

Maurice's Night

2011-09-02T13:30:00.000+03:00

Maurice's Night

Completely spent and exhausted after only two full days with the kids back at school, I went home to catch a quick disco nap before the Maurice Kirya concert at the Serena Hotel tonight. (No, I've not fallen off the 300k wagon; I've had my ticket to the show for weeks now.) Over the years, I've seen Maurice perform several times and in various venues. Maurice is a gifted live performer; his talent and the energy from his shows has not yet been captured in his recorded music. His has always been a fantastic show to catch, and tonight was no exception.

madandcrazy did a live blog of the build up to the show and then the show itself.

If you were not one of the fortunate ones who attended the show last night, head on over to madandcrazy for a periodic breakdown of the evening.

At one point in the show, Maurice channelled Chris Kattan's SNL Antonio Banderas.

Yes, when the performance hall was boiling, Maurice threatened to unbutton his jacked... and. then. he. did. Too sexy! Too sexy!

I've also got to mention that when the bodas came on stage during the performance of, you guessed it, Boda Boda, I was taken to the arrival of Maureen Johnson to the 11th street lot during a live performance of Rent (at 5:30 in this clip).

The only thing to do is jump over the moon.

In order to continue with my experiment, I skipped any and all after-partying and came home.

A summary of today's expenses:

3,000 UGX for lunch

6,000 UGX for beverage at venue

Total: 9,000

Remaining with 281,600 UGX

Tip for those low on cash flow: make friends who know people.

1st September

2011-09-01T23:59:00.000+03:00

1st September

3,000 UGX for lunch
4,000 UGX for transportation
2,400 UGX for water and milk

Total: 9,400 for the day.

Remaining with 290,600 UGX

Tip for those low on cash flow: learn where the free stuff is. I spent the evening at an art exhibition where there was an open bar and finger foods came around quite regularly.

300K Challenge

2011-08-31T21:36:00.002+03:00

300K Challenge

I can blame this wild hair on expressive and modern dance revolutionary, Isadora Duncan. She's the one who said, "What one has not experienced, one will never understand in print." Perhaps some of the blame goes to Break Away. If they would have left that damn Benjamin Franklin beer quote on the ABCs' t-shirts back in 2001, Isadora's quote might never have come to my mind.

Ok, so the plight of Ugandan school teachers has been getting a lot of press lately. With the soaring cost of living, they are finding it hard to live on the meagre monthly pittance they receive, some as low as 273,000 Uganda shillings (approximately $98 US). Being an educator myself, and having worked closely with primary schools in Uganda as a Peace Corps Volunteer (2002-2005), the cause of Uganda's school teachers is near and dear to my heart. Sadly, even as a Peace Corps Volunteer working in rural Hoima more than 9 years ago, I received about 100,000 shillings more per month than what teachers are earning today. Even more sadly, inflation in Uganda is a bit OOC these days and is currently around 21.4 percent. Ouch.

I left volunteer life over six years ago, got me a bit more education and experience and now have a pretty good position at an amazing international school in Kampala. I'm not going to specifically reveal my current income status, but I will indicate that it is well over 20 times that of a teacher in a government funded UPE school in Uganda.

So here's the challenge: live on 300,000 Uganda shillings in Kampala during the month of September. Why? I want to better understand what I read about in the Monitor, what the teachers are going through.

I'm not so naive that I believe it will be the same thing. There's no way. My rent (already paid through November) is more than triple the school teacher's monthly salary. I refuse to un-employ my housekeeper just because Isadora Duncan inspires an experiential learning experiment, and there is no way I could pay her on 300,000k if that's what I really earned, so her salary is not included in that. However, all utility bills, food, transportation and entertainment will be.

My goal is to blog each day about my experience and give a breakdown of my expenses.

Are you ready?

I'm not sure if I am.

First a month a fasting, now a month on 300k. October better be decadent.

The President of Ramadan?

2011-08-30T19:36:00.005+03:00

The President of Ramadan?

So Ramadan has ended, and many people in Kampala (and the world) celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr today. One of my favourite activities to observe on this day are the Muslim families dressed in their flowing clothes walking together to prayers in the morning. The colour scheme includes a lot of black and white, but it is mingled with rainbows of colour with sparkly sequins thrown in for good measure.

Apparently, there are some significant health benefits to fasting, so I decided to get in on the fasting action during Ramadan this year. Plus, I was curious and just wanted to share the experience with some of my Muslim friends and colleagues, to know what they physically go through during the 29-30 days of this month. I was raised Mormon, and my family fasted the first weekend of every month, so fasting was nothing unfamiliar to me. What was unfamiliar to me was fasting for multiple, consecutive days.

Oh, and have I mentioned that I'm training for the Nairobi Marathon in October? Fasting. Long-distance running. Not a great combination. And I'm not the wisest person, so I put them together anyway. When a friend of a friend heard about what I was doing, he insisted that I could not (not should not, but could not) fast and keep training. On that particular day, I was feeling very Will & Grace-ish and I asked, "Who made Ali the President of Ramadan?"

My level of maturity astounds me sometimes.

Over the past month, I became obsessed with two activities: fasting and running. What was originally intended to be a one-day experiment turned into 20 days of the 29. I know, crazy, right?

Luckily, for most of Ramadan, I was on holiday from work, so I could spend many hours lying on a bed, watching dvds. But all convenient things come to an end, and returning to work was a true test of my stubbornness, or will power; call it what you like. I honestly do not know where the energy came from. Obviously not from glucose.

Well, today marked the end of Ramadan and the beginning of a new month. Families went together and prayed. I went to a coffee shop and had a hamburger. Ok, later I was invited to a Muslim friend's home for 'pilawo'. I truly felt honoured as this was the first time I'd ever been invited to share in Eid-ul-Fitr festivities. One of my favourite parts of sharing food on the rooftop deck of his house: seeing the neighbour's cows eating out of an old bathtub.

I think my heart's more likely to benefit from my regular running than from my sporadic fasting, but my time fasting (and being tired and a bit weak) did give me time to reflect on many areas of my life (some I'd intentional avoided reflecting upon in the past) and to also appreciate how fortunate I am to be able to make the choice to not eat a meal or two. I was hoping to be humbled and shed a bit of pride. Maybe I did, but I still find myself too easily provoked and ready to quarrel with security guards that want to scan me with a metal detector wand even when I'm in my skimpy running clothes. Where the hell am I gonna hide anything?

Stimulation

2011-08-25T23:14:00.004+03:00

Stimulation

I recently finished reading The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson.

I'll make my review in four words.

Best. Coffee. Advert. Ever.

...but not as sweet as

2011-08-17T17:07:00.003+03:00

...but not as sweet as

Long before the Orlando set of The All New Mickey Mouse Club was graced by the divine presence of Ms. Britney Spears, there were DeeDee, Tiffini, Chase, Damon and Albert, who later evolved into The Party--Hollywood Records' premiere recording act. One of the singles (I think the third) from their debut album, The Party, was Sugar Is Sweet, as ballad as sugary sweet as its title suggests.

The song compares the sweetness of sugar to the sweetness of honey, but we all know that pound for pound, honey is sweeter, literally and figuratively. Consider, when sugar cane is processed to produce sugar,

"the organic acids, protein, nitrogen elements, fats, enzymes and vitamins are extracted or destroyed; on the other hand, hydrochloric, phosphoric and sulphuric acids, lime and other foreign substances are added. While honey is Nature's own sweet, untouched by human art, sugar is a concentrated, denatured and polluted substitute, a produce, as a rule, of sugar-cane, robbed by superheating of most of its natural and valuable constituents. Honey and other simple or natural sugars, like that in dates, figs, raisins, etc., are live physiological sugars which contain the germs of life, while industrial sugars are anti-physiological, dead or, as a matter of fact, murdered sweets."

It's a mistake to lump sugar into the category of "food" because it has no nutritive value. In fact, the current misuse (shall I say abuse?) of sugar can be referred to as a modern nutritional disaster. While one might feel disappointed to not be able to plunk 4 spoons of sugar in his/her cup of tea, or a parent may whine and complain that his/her child will not drink milk or whatever without added sugar (I worked with a woman whose child refused to drink water!!! unless it was laced with juice or some sweetener), it is absolutely not necessary for one's survival. The reality is that too much sugar can make one's life a bit less pleasant. Diabetes, anyone?

I mention honey because it is a realistic substitute for sugar. Bee keeping has been practised in Uganda for over 200 years, and some pretty fantastic honey is produced; my favourite is from Kisoro. Not only does it have a higher nutritive value and anti-microbial qualities than sugar, frankly, it tastes better in a cup of tea. In addition to honey, Uganda is blessed with so many natural sugar alternatives, that lowering the cost of table sugar should not be enough motive to destroy old-growth forest.

As B put it yesterday:

"Cheaper sugar or save Mabira Forest? Let's save Mabira Forest!"

Oh, and by the way, not only did The Party's DeeDee make an amazing Nessa in Wicked,

she clock quite a few performances (to put it modestly) as Kim in Miss Saigon.

Oh, What's Love [of Sugar] Got To Do With It?

2011-08-15T13:24:00.007+03:00

Oh, What's Love [of Sugar] Got To Do With It?

Perhaps it is a little bit tacky to attempt to link the tune and question posed by Ms. Tina Turner in 1984 to the sugar/Mabira Forest controversy of 2011, but that's what's stuck in my head. It's like a far inferior remix. But the other day when I was on one of my marathon-training runs, my training partner kept asking the question: What's sugar got to do with it? Tacky is what tacky does, so there it is; I did it.

From yesterday's headlines: Mabira must go, Museveni tells district officials. (I acknowledge that the Press Secretary has claimed the President was misquoted, but as a commenter on the article put it, "We all know what the president said...") Misquoted or not, Mabira Forest is once again in danger. I knew this was coming. As soon as Museveni rushed to the sugar plantations after the price of sugar went up, I knew that Mabira Forest would soon be on the chopping block again.

(Insert flashback to 2007 here: receiving SMSes advising a boycott of Lugazi sugar; school children writing letters to the editors, local and national leaders, pleading with them to save the forest and giving them reasons to do so; a peaceful protest-turned violent in Kampala which lead to the death of three.)

"Ugandans can survive without sugar, but they can't survive without oxygen or a green environment."

Museveni's rapid and, in my opinion, extreme response to the sugar price increase leads me to ask, why? Sugar is not necessary for people's survival, and 4 spoons of sugar in a cup of tea should be considered a luxury. In contrast, the response to the rising costs of necessary commodities (staple foods and fuel) was lackadaisical at best. According to past logic regarding food prices ("When the food prices go up, the farmers are very happy. If prices have gone up, this is good."), this increase in sugar prices is a "good" thing and should be making people happy. Right? Why, then, the need for the destruction/giveaway of Mabira Forest?

And to say that the riots of 2007 were "led by Beatrice Anywar" is slanderous. The case against Beatrice Anywar for her involvement in the terribly, sad and unfortunate 2007 incident was withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecution late last year, and according to a BBC news report, the riots were sparked off a little differently: "People were demonstrating peacefully when there was a misunderstanding with police. All of a sudden they opened fire." "They" being the police, as they are the ones with the guns. Disagreeing with political actions and campaigning to save a forest do not equate to inciting violence. But there is a movement to equate political opposition to terrorism.

The timing of and the events surrounding the Mabira Forest giveaway lead me to believe that someone (or multiple someones) is (are) manipulating the current economic frustrations for personal financial gain. If I were an investigative reporter worth my weight in salt, or sugar, I'd be sniffing out a whistle-blowing story.

"You can't degazette and gazette a natural tropical forest at will. They take hundreds of years to grow... Mabira is not a maize shamba."

...nothing personal

2011-08-13T14:42:00.002+03:00

...nothing personal

I write what's on my mind, usually it's bullshit and doesn't mean anything. When life gets real and the bullshit disappears, I don't have a lot to share. When things get too personal the façade goes up; when things get too personal, I don't want to share anymore. Call me selfish, selfish in a way, but respectful of privacy in another. 100% moody.

Happenings. My greatest commitment as of late is to marathon training. 30th October is the Standard Charter Nairobi Marathon, and I will be running in it. Beginning marathon training is always difficult because I know what's in store and how much time it will require, but once I get into the groove, I love it. Primarily, I love what it does to my body and mind.

Last weekend, I was able to integrate the Buganda Road Race into my marathon training schedule. Last Sunday was a beautiful, not-too-hot-not-too-cold day. It was a wonderful morning for a good 10km run.

As my holiday is coming to an end, I'm hoping that I may be able to focus my mind beyond the personal and, let me honest, emotional. Hopefully that will equate with more frequent blog posts.

Have a fabulous day!

Poolside with Anderson Cooper

2011-08-03T22:28:00.003+03:00

Poolside with Anderson Cooper

I know it's a little late, but I finally got my hands on Anderson Cooper's Dispatches from the Edge. I couldn't put it down; it was worth the wait. Most of the reading was done poolside at Royal Suites, which appears to have turned into my new reading nook. But what better place to have a date with Andy? Ugandan weather is hard to beat, and the blue skies and sunshine of the past two days have been perfect for sunbathing and getting lost in the pages of a good book.

As if it were an example written to make a point in The Glamour of Grammar, Anderson's use of short, powerful sentences is masterful. I also appreciate his honesty in story telling and the way he weaves his life experiences into the fabric of catastrophic world events that have taken place over the past two decades. He does this without getting preachy or sounding self-righteous, which I find many writers fail to do.

There were so many parts I wanted to highlight and refer to in this post, but reading poolside left me no marking tools, so I'll refer to my favourite section towards the end of the book since it's still fresh in my memory. In the hardback edition, it begins halfway down pager 189. Anderson describes a night out at the Deja Vu strip club that opens back up in New Orleans less than four weeks after Katrina's destruction. Dead bodies are still left rotting in the streets and elsewhere.

...Beneath some colored lights, a handful of girls bump and grind on the bar, rubbing their breasts in patrons' faces. The place is filled with the storm's flotsam and jetsam: cops and soldiers, National Guard, Border Patrol, Customs--you name it; they're all here, their badges and guns badly concealed. They're clutching dollar bills, horny as hell and twice as bored.

Another favourite moment: Anderson referring to Kelis and her song Milkshake, not just mentioning it, but including some of its lyrics.

I'm a product of the Channel One era. I remember having the news programme beamed into my high school classroom each morning. I cannot say I remember Anderson Cooper from those days, but I do remember Michelle Ruiz and the turtle necks she always wore (we'd jokingly say she was hiding hickeys; we were only 15) and Lisa Ling. In case you're like me and do not remember Andy from way back when, Oprah, in her own magical way, dug some footage out of storage for us.

Bridesmaids (aka Grace Adler: The Milwaukee Years)

2011-08-01T12:58:00.004+03:00

Bridesmaids (aka Grace Adler: The Milwaukee Years)

I had a great time with Angela, Wendy and Jonan on Saturday night. The four of us went to watch the Amy Wiig comedy, Bridesmaids, at the new Cineplex at Oaisis Mall. After being flipped off by one of Kampala's worst drivers (saying a lot; she was stopped in the oncoming traffic lane on her cell phone) and entering the cinema hall fifteen minutes late, I was stressed because I hate missing the first few minutes of a film. Alas, I was a little early; the projector operators finally got the focus correct for a half-hour late start of the film.

Bridesmaids is laugh-out-loud hilarious and has been compared to The Hangover, which I've never seen, so I cannot confirm or deny that. It starts off very raunchy, in fact the couple seated beside me got up and left after the first five minutes. I, on the other had, love a little raunch. As I mentioned, I found the film to be funny; however, original it wasn't. It had Will & Grace written all over it.

These three events had me leaning over Jonan (who unfortunately got the seat between Angela and I) multiples times during the screening to whisper to Angela: This is so Will & Grace.

There is a scene near the beginning of the film where Annie and Lillian are stealing exercise in the park. In season 6, Grace Adler does this in Me and Mr. Jones (episode 3) when she does not want to pay for exercise classes that will help her tone up for her sex life.

Annie's mother attends AA meeting, but she's not an alcoholic. She likes the people she meets there; it's like a group therapy session. In One Gay at a Time (season 7, episode 3), Grace Alder attends AA for the free food and free therapy, which she says for Jews is "like winning the lottery."

Then there's the tennis match scene. An annoyed Annie takes out her frustration on rival, Helen, by blasting her with a tennis ball every chance that she gets in the match. That's exactly what Karen Walker does to Grace's (at the time) husband, Leo, when Grace brings him along (uninvited) to the tennis club in episode three of season 6, Home Court Disadvantage.

Grace Alder is the comedic prototype of the approaching/just past 40 neurotic single woman looking for love, longing to be married. It seems like she inspired writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo in more than one way as they scripted Bridesmaids. I propose credit be given to Grace Alder and the various Will & Grace writers by giving Bridesmaids an alternate title, Grace Adler: The Milwaukee Years.

"What Kind of F*ckery is This?"

2011-07-26T14:35:00.005+03:00

"What Kind of F*ckery is This?"

As flawed and imperfect as I am, and as many mistakes as I make on a daily basis, I cannot help but to notice and be immediately attracted to the errors of others.

Monday was a day of big-time editing mistakes, and I'm loving it!

My favourite comes from Nation Media's The East African. This is an accompanying photo to the article entitled "Will Tenager South Sudan Rebel Against Daddy Museveni?" in it's print publication:

Take notice of the caption below the photo.

Now, I have a hard time accepting that this 'gaffe' was not intentional. I have a feeling that someone was willing to make the apology that will indubitably be forthcoming and just did it.

Then there's the Today Show. When reporting on the death of Amy Winehouse, someone, "...sleepless peon or tasteless commedian?...", made this bungle.

Dancing On My Own

2011-07-10T11:18:00.005+03:00

Dancing On My Own

Not everyone can pull it off.

By 'it', I mean carry a music video while dancing solo.

Janet did it in 1987.

Britney did it in 2000.

Robyn is doing now.

Phenomenal women doing it phenomenally.

They remind me of the amazingly choreographed solo dance performances that take place almost daily in my living room.

Amazing.

The Republic of South Sudan

2011-07-09T09:59:00.004+03:00

The Republic of South Sudan

9th July 2011

Michael Kiwanuka

2011-07-08T23:59:00.000+03:00

Michael Kiwanuka

Michael Kiwanuka opened for Adele last night at the iTunes Festival London 2011. I wasn't able to watch the show because the speed of the internet provided by my Orange stick in Kampala was not fast enough to accomplish the stream. I did manage to download his EP, Tell Me a Tale (The Isle of Wright Sessions), from iTunes and watch a couple of his videos on youtube.

If you are interested in more of his music, his myspace page is pretty good, a bit of free music.

I Will Sing=California King Bed. Credit Given?

2011-07-07T11:54:00.004+03:00

I Will Sing=California King Bed.

Credit Given?

In case you missed the interview/conversation with Maurice Kirya on Sanyu FM yesterday, I've got to share with you this interesting tidbit.

First listen to the acoustic guitar intro to Maruice's song, I Will Sing, from his album Misubbaawa, released 14th December 2009.

Now have a listen to the acoustic guitar intro to Rihanna's California King Bed, from her album Loud, released 12th November 2010, almost a year later.

Coincidence? Hmmm...

But where would The Runners, Priscilla Renae and Alex Delicata, the 'writers' of California King Bed, have had the opportunity to hear Maurice's music before penning the song for Rihanna? Have you heard of iTunes, where his album Misubbaawa is available for purchase? Or the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas, where Maurice performed in March of 2010?

Someone is getting paid for that music. California King Bed is not just the sixth single from Loud, but it is also being featured in Nivea's '100 Years of Skin Care' add campaign.

Like I said, someone is getting paid for that music; let's hope our friend, Maurice, is getting a cut.

The Power

2011-07-06T14:06:00.003+03:00

The Power

Today's Monitor headline: Firms Cut Power Over Government Debts

Today's New Vision headline: Power Plants Switch Off in Protest

Text message from UMEME (the main electric company in Uganda): "Dear Customer, we regret to inform you that UETCL has informed us of a generation shortfall of 50MW day and 120MW peak resulting into both day and night emergency load-shedding."

Gee! That sounds like fun!

The source of the problem for all of us who work hard to pay our power bills on time? No, it's not being blamed on drought and a low water level of Lake Victoria this time. Oh... the government only owes around 300 billions shillings to the supplemental electricity suppliers.

It is predicted that the load-shedding will cost about $400 million in business and services. So it looks like the February elections just got a bit more expensive to the Ugandan people. Factoring this in, how much will the MPs allowance increases and those fancy new cars actually cost the Ugandan workers and tax payers?

These days in Uganda, if it's not one power crisis, it's another. This time the power happens to be electricity. And you remember what President Museveni had to say about electricity during an interview in April: "When a country has no electricity that's a sign of bad governance."

Ok then.

There, he said it.

I don't need to add any more.

No Hope

2011-07-05T23:20:00.003+03:00

No Hope

Last Saturday was the Kampala Hash House Harriers' annual Kampala-Jinja Relay. I once again ran with the No Hope team. This was my fourth relay with the hashers and as a No Hoper. It was great fun to be reunited with my teammates and get to know some new faces during our cross-country trek.

The Jinja Relay is by far my favourite hash event of the year; it's been one of the highlights of the year since 2007. (Unfortunately, I missed last year's run because it was held later in July, and I'd already flown to the US.) One day, someone had the brilliant idea of finding a route through village, sugar cane plantation, forest and eventually over the Nile river from Kampala to Jinja and dividing the almost-90km distance into 17 segments. Then it was decided that teams of 9 would take turns and relay run the course, with the non-runners going by caravan to the next check point.

It was a beautiful day. It was a HOT day. The latter made the run quite a challenge, but like Elle Woods, I like a good challenge. And my masochistic tendencies drive to taking pleasure from the pain of going that extra mile and making it up that last hill.

Potential Toll of a Bell

2011-07-03T15:50:00.006+03:00

Potential Toll of a Bell

I can only write this post in a light-hearted manner today because the potential disaster was fortunately averted.

One of today's headlines in the Monitor was:

Kasese School Uses Bomb as Bell

When I read that, I thought some over-zealous chemistry teacher of some mischievous science geeks decided to play a practical joke on some school goers. Well, that wasn't the case. Turns out, as the headline says, a school was using a bomb as a school bell.

If you've ever visited schools in Uganda, you may have noticed that many reuse old iron wheel rims as their school bells. They beat them with iron rods to indicate the beginning and end the school day, class sessions, lunch, etc... They are hung at the schools like the one in this photo.

Well, I guess someone found a piece of iron in the ground that looked like it could serve the same purpose, and hey, it was free. In a place where cash is a very limited resource, it would make sense to try and reuse what must have been viewed as a rather useless hunk of junk.

Little did they know it was an unexploded bomb. Imagine teachers and students, day in and day out during the school year, beating on this metal bomb hung in the school yard to call school to order?

I wonder how long they used it before it was recognised for it's actual purpose. Fortunately, no one dealt it a strong enough blow to detonate it, and a happy ending can be written: it's been removed from the school and will soon be disposed of.

The Myth of the Night Dancers, Abasezi

2011-06-26T22:49:00.004+03:00

The Myth of the Night Dancers, Abasezi

Seeing this amazing show one time just was not enough, so I was back at the National Theatre again tonight for a second dose.

The dance company, Tabu Flo, put together the best dance performance I think I've ever seen, and I'd argue that it was probably the best show I've seen put on at the National Theatre. The choreography was incredible. Tabu Flo have been praised for their seamless blend of hip-hop and African dance. The dancers put their heart and soul into the show and wove an enchanting story without having to speak a word. Along side the dancers, I think the lighting technician was one of the stars of the show. I have never seen lighting done so well in Kampala. I was entertained from start to finish and was left wanting more.

Watchword: Polygamy

2011-06-25T23:58:00.002+03:00

Watchword: Polygamy

Lynne and I watch The 19th Wife today and loved it. It disturbed and inspired a good bit of conversation. The 19th Wife in many ways was your typical Lifetime film: woman in conflict finds strength and comes out a survivor in the end. This film was recommended to me by a friend last month, but the copy I was loaned would not play in my laptop or in Lynne's dvd player. Unfortunately, I lost the copy of the dvd, so I ordered a new one from Amazon.com along with the book, The 19th Wife, on which the film is based. Now I've been able to view the film, and the book is on my summer reading list. David Ebershoff, the author of The 19th Wife, should be pleased that the film did send me to the book, and I will have a chance to get to know his Jordan along with is boyfriend, Tom, and their dogs, Elektra and Joey.

After viewing the film, we began season 1 of Big Love. (My life has become quite thematic lately.) What a contrasting portrayal of polygamy in modern America! In contrast with the sympathy we felt for the wives in The 19th Wife, episode one of Big Love sparked our sympathy for Bill Paxton's Bill Henrickson. We did not make it past episode today. I also bought season 2 of the HBO series. Along with Glee season 2 and Gossip Girl season 4, Big Love is on my summer viewing list.

You Blink and You Miss

2011-06-24T23:58:00.002+03:00

You Blink and You Miss

Lower you eye lids to moisten you eyeballs for only and moment, and the world changes. Hmmm... or is it pretty much on repeat? Same characters. Similar stories. A few surprises sprinkled in. Ever so entertaining. Maybe I got that wrong. Is the world changing or are we stuck in a primetime sitcom?

Britney releases an incredible new video for one of the best dance tracks she's ever produced.

Spiked boots, skull donning Mousketeer ears, fuck-you attitude and all: Britney's on top and in top form in this clip, inspiring the taking on of one's freak tonight like no one else can.

Ssebs gets the boot... again.

Madame Kaz is accused of abusing funds... again.

Men RUSH for circumcision... agai... Wait. I think for the first time in history. Rush? Really? Wow.

"Together with his peers, they arrived at the mobile clinic as early as 8am in the morning to halfheartedly give it a try."

BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Going for male medical circumcision is one of those Master Yoda "Do or do not. There is no try." moments. Once that little calamari ring is cut off the peen, it's done. There's no, "Well, I tried it and don't like it. I would like to exchange it for my original."

On Books and Circumcision

2011-06-21T22:29:00.003+03:00

On Books and Circumcision

If you check my book list on the sidebar of this blog, you will see that I just finished reading Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Oh shit! That's what I have to say about that.

I really hope that Mockingjay is in the library tomorrow.

Tonight I started One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. So far so good; I've already laughed out loud, and I've not reached 50 pages. Linda Sue Park calls this book "a rarity: a book that is both important in its contents and utterly engaging in its characters... with the tremendous bonus of being beautifully written." Beautifully written indeed:

They call it littering when you carelessly drop things. They call the careless folks who drop things by a cute name: litterbug.

There's nothing cute about dropping things carelessly. Dropping garbage and having puppies shouldn't be called the same thing. "Litter." I had a mind to write Miss Webster about that. Puppies don't deserve to be called a litter like they had been dropped carelessly like garbage. And people who litter shouldn't be given a cute name for what they do. And at least the mother of the litter sticks around and nurses her pups no matter how sharp their teeth are. Merriam Webster was falling down on the job. How could she have gotten this wrong?

Not so beautifully written: this blog. What else? Well most newspaper articles I read. Unfortunately, most of the good writers save their stuff for wall posts on facebook. (Go figure.) Regardless of the quality of the writing, the stories can be quite interesting, or at least amusing, and often still informative. Medical male circumcision is hot news these days,

and I guess it should be considering the affect it has on reducing the risk of HIV infection (60%). However there are other risks involved with this reduction of risk:

Women were also complaining that men who undergo circumcision refuse to use condoms during sex, claiming they it was no longer necessary. It was noted that sensitisation was needed for men to understand that condoms are useful in preventing the transmission of HIV even after circumcision. In Kapchorwa, there was confusion regarding MMC and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

“There is a fear that promoting MMC may increase the FGM in Kapchorwa which was banned in this country,” Dr Lydia Mungherera, the Executive Director for Mama’s Club, explained. “People there think FGM in girls prevents the risk of HIV in women after learning that MMC does so in men.

And that my friends is one of the negative consequences of miseducation or lack of education in general.

Yikes!

No Mistaking

2011-06-18T17:10:00.006+03:00

No Mistaking

There's no mistaking that Ms. Spears is on top and she's hot, bitch.

(My new motivation for working on the abs!)

If Rolling Stone says so then, I'm going to accept it as the Bible truth; it's been my holy book for over 20 years now. And since I will not be in the US this summer, thus, missing Brit Brit's tour, I'm just going to have to take their word for it. I loved it when they compared Britney to Bob Dylan, next they said that Blackout was "possibly the most influential pop album in the last five years," and then there was the recent review that referred to Britney as avant garde. Oh, Rolling Stone, now I'm blushing.

But you don't have to simply take mine nor Rolling Stone's word for it. YouTube is on fire with footage of Britney's recent Femme Fatale tour launch in Sacramento, California.

Besides using up the GBs of my internet subscription today viewing Britney concert footage, I attended the school's swimming gala at Royal Suites. You could not have asked for sunnier weather. However, when the event was over, and the children left, almost instantaneously, the weather turned.

Betty, William and I were stuck under the shelter of the pool bar. Luckily, Uganda's champion barista, Mark Okuta, is employed by Royal Suites and provided us with hot beverages as we waited out the cold winds and torrential rains of the storm.

And then there was boda-boda polo. I couldn't make it this morning due to the gala, but I cannot fail to acknowledge the battling beauties who took to the field.

Now that's what I call super sexy!

Passing

2011-06-17T22:58:00.006+03:00

Passing

Let's see...

This evening I went to the opening of a new exhibition at Afriart Gallery called Wear or Dare. I choose dare.

I also read this article from yesterday's online edition of The New Vision. (I know. I keep asking myself why I keep reading it, too.)

Reverse discrimination, you say?

Well, let's pretend I'm a banker reviewing your application for a loan.

Hmmm... Who is this Salim Saleh? Let me do a quick google search...

Oh!

Now seriously, why do you think the banks are dodging?

When It's Not There

2011-06-16T19:14:00.004+03:00

When It's Not There

When I was little and we used to plead with our mother to buy something for us using the argument, "It's cheap; it's only a dollar." She would smile and simply say, "Everything's expensive you don't have money."

And with no money, all 45 of the teacher colleges in Uganda closed this week. Reading this news made me very sad. I wish it could be said that considering the abundance of high-quality teachers happily employed and doing a GREAT job providing top-knotch education to young people the country over, including the rural area, there is no cause for alarm. I wish I did not feel so cynical and could think that the situation will quickly be resolved and it is not a disaster. But the reality is fighter jets and the likes.

This really makes me sad. Many dedicated educators, parents, communities have sacrificed so much--blood, sweat and tears if you will--to improve the access and quality of education for children in Uganda. Dedicated teachers in numerous (if not most) schools have carried on in overcrowded and under-resourced classrooms day in and day our for many, many years. The teacher colleges receive less than a dollar a day per student enrolled to cover student needs, including meals. Well, not when there are 420 million shilling cars (notice the plural) that need to be bought.

Yesterday the Ugandan shilling weakened again, to what is being referred to as an all-time low. I don't know if that's an exaggeration, but I do know that despite driving my rent down (yay!), it's going to send the price of just about everything even higher (boo!). It's beginning to get crazy. I seriously do not know how some people get by each day.

In more-upbeat news from Uganda, there was a central total lunar eclipse last night.

I totally swiped this photo from a neighbour's facebook page because my camera is not capable of snapping such shots. I'm so happy that I did not miss out on this. Thanks, i, for the kind reminder at 7:30. Although it did not begin here until just after 10:00pm. It was a bit cloudy in Bugolobi, so at times I was not sure if I was seeing an eclipse or cloud cover. But when the moonlight was gone, there was no mistaking what it was.

Determination

2011-06-15T18:10:00.005+03:00

Determination

"I am here surrounded by the police. I can see they are positioning themselves and I don't know what they are planning to do. I was just walking and it is something that I am determined to do; that I can walk in my country unhindered because that is my right."

Well, it looks like others are just as determined to not let it happen.

Priorities. Priorities. Priorities.

When this shit and this shit and this shit (beware, the photo with the linked article is disturbing) are going on...

One might be provoked to employ the fake Ugandan language invented for the Broadway stage and declare:

Hasa diga eebowai!

But them's fightin' words. Let's look at the bright side:

Import taxes are being removed from hoes!

Anyone up for some retail therapy?

When Real Life's Getting More Like Fiction Each Day

2011-06-14T08:41:00.006+03:00

When Real Life's Getting More Like Fiction Each Day

It seems to me that someone was groping around for a story, but all Dennis Ojwee ended up grasping was:

Just when you thought it was safe again to travel to Northern Uganda. Kony may be gone, but the snakes have found there way in, and they're not looking to make any friends.

So, if after watching Book of Mormon: The Musical (which, by the way, just won nine Tony Awards), you have a hankering for visiting Uganda, and if your plans include a visit to Acholiland, be sure the bring along your black stone... And if you forget, don't worry, I know where you can buy a nice one for a good price.

But if you truly believe, aren't you supposed to be immune to the snake's venom?

30 Years and We Need More Angels

2011-06-12T19:05:00.004+03:00

30 Years and We Need More Angels

Today, I found the most exciting news of the year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second right here. Love it. Love it. Love it. It makes the world a better place.

A lot of effort is given everyday by many to make the world a better place. For more than 30 years now, a tremendous amount of money, other resources, time, effort, love has been put into combating the reality of AIDS.

Thirty years.

I recently bought the dvd of the HBO production of Angels in America. I've never seen it before. I began watching it last week with a friend, but ended up falling asleep. Not that the show was boring, but we began watching it pretty late, I'd had a long day, and I simply could not stay awake. I'm giving it a second go with another friend right now as I blog. We're on part two.

I guess the timing is appropriate, considering the subject matter of the play. (The script is fantastic, by the way.) I remember seeing highlights from the original Broadway production on E, when E was new and pretty much only showed movie previews and broadway news. The scene of the encounter between the drag queen homosexual and the young Mormon woman is an amazing one that really made a humourous impact on my young teenaged mind.

Memorable.

The play was written almost twenty years old, yet the script and issues addressed are no less powerful. My friend and I are talk, talk, talking. By the way, Mary Loiuse Parker is an amazing actress.

I know, it just seemed like the kinda thing a mentally-deranged, sex-starved, pill-popping housewife would do.

Ok, we just finished part two. Oh, my. The final scenes of abandonment and betrayal: heartbreaking.

More to come, I'm sure.

There's so much in life that tears us down and makes us feel less than (fill in blank). Why add to that? Why not do the opposite?

The Difference Between Neighbours

2011-06-11T21:09:00.002+03:00

The Difference Between Neighbours

One of my favourite Dolly tunes is Two Doors Down.

It reminds me of road trips with Holly and Dana, especially those regular late evening commutes between White City and Marianna.

Proximity is not an indicator of behaviour. What goes on in one home may be very different than what is going on two doors down, or even just next door. For instance, take Uganda and Kenya. The responses of the two governments to the situation of soaring prices of food and fuel are very different. When one leader insists that there is nothing his government can do to stop the skyrocketing prices, the equivalent leaders next door assure citizens that measures are being taken to cushion them from increased food and fuel prices.

Kenya's president states, "I am fully aware of the hardships being faced by Kenyans due to increased food and fuel prices."

In Uganda, citizens get, "If prices have gone up, this is good."

Is what is good for the goose good for the gander?

The answer is, yes, when inquiring about vitamin B, and by vitamin B, I mean Britney Spears.

It looks amazing. Sadly, I'm not visiting the US this summer, so no Femme Fatale for me.

Lake Albert Cycle Safari

2011-06-05T22:42:00.015+03:00

Lake Albert Cycle Safari

This weekend's journey to Lake Albert was super fantastic. Originally, I'd looked forward to spending the three-day weekend doing as little as possible in order to catch up on some well-dervered rest after the pretty event-intensive weeks/weekends I've been having. However, I could not pass up on such a golden opportunity as to be able to a) go to Hoima; b) cycle to Lake Albert; c) visit the Lake Albert Safari Lodge. A golden opportunity, I mean this trip had my name written all over it from its inception.

So now it's another Sunday night on the brink of exhaustion, but the memories gained make it all worth it.

We were a team of eight, braving the journey together, which turned out to be excellent for me since I don't know a damned thing about bikes, and I had three punctures on the almost-72 kilometer journey (on within the first five minutes!). I was pedaling on a borrowed bike, so there are few small repairs to complete before returning it.

The views on the route to Lake Albert are absolutely amazing, not exactly what you'd expect to see in Uganda. I shared my photos with a Ugandan friend tonight, and he was surprised by the geography of the area. That is one of the fantastic attributes of Uganda, there are many diverse environments in such a small country.

Also amazing at Lake Albert:

The sunsets!

While the wildlife might not have been too unique, what was unique was the proximity you could get to it.

My favourite component of any journey is great conversation with great people, and we had no shortage of it. I am so fortunate to have so many very interesting people from very diverse backgrounds in my life. The perspectives on the many issues we discussed were just as diverse. I was a bit of a Debbie-downer the last night at the lake as I did not join the crew at the campfire for the evening shooting of the breeze. Instead, I opted for an early bedtime, which I greatly appreciate at the moment.

Another highlight of the trip: doing little on Saturday but lounge, sleep and read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games is a post-apocolyptic The Lord of the Flies meets Survivor. I, like Stephen King, thought it was violent and jarring and 'couldn't put stop reading'. I also agree with John Green of The New York Times and think that the book was 'Brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced.' It was very disturbing. I don't want to spoil the story for anyone, so I'll say I never thought the Games would ever begin; I had a whole other idea for where it would head.

The Cow Needs a Wife

2011-06-02T23:40:00.006+03:00

The Cow Needs a Wife

Back in February, I had the opportunity and pleasure of watching a rough stage production of Angella Emurwon's play, The Cow Needs a Wife. It was performed in a small semi-theatre with horrible acoustics, and some actors still used their scripts, but it was a thoroughly enjoyed show. Angie's script is very clever and quite hilarious.

About four months later, The Cow Needs a Wife made it's debut tonight at the Uganda National Theatre, and I attended it with a group of friends. The production was polished up, included sound effects, a better set, and an amended cast (so glad Richard Obonyo was given a chance to shine in the lead role--a fine actor and a great guy to work with).

Below are some details about the play.

The Cow Needs a Wife
by Angie Emurwon
Winner of Third Prize in the 2010 BBC African Performance Playwriting Competition

Set in rural Uganda, The Cow needs a Wife is the story of young Mamboleo who finds himself under pressure to raise money to buy a cow so he can pay a dowry (bride price) to his girlfriend’s family. In this endeavour he enlists the help of his wealthy Uncle Motoka, but almost immediately after buying his cow the prospective bride refuses to marry him! His family insists that he find a replacement as he cannot have the cow without getting married......... and so unfolds a series of hilarious events in his quest for a bride.

The 1986 Nobel Prize Winner for Literature, Wole Soyinka who presided over the 2010 BBC African Performance Playwriting Competition, described it as, ‘...one of the zaniest plays I have ever encountered.... I loved its sense of mischief, its light-heartedness.... I thought it was a successful comedy.

If you are in the Kampala area, I highly recommend catching one of the few remaining performances.

If you are not fortunate enough to be in Kampala, sorry. You can listen to a production of The Cow Needs a Wife (originally written as a radio play) on bbc.com.

Tomorrow's the beginning of a long journey: cycling from Hoima town to the Lake Albert Safari Lodge. Once again I'll be away from internet for a while, so no blogging.:-( But there will be wonderful tales to tell when I get back. :-)

Mesmerised by the Power of Oprah

2011-05-30T22:51:00.007+03:00

Mesmerised by the Power of Oprah

After 25 years, Oprah ended her show last week. I remember seeing the Oprah show for the first time when I was in the fifth grade. The Armed Forces Network (AFN) is a little behind with the episodes, so Oprah continues there, for a while at least. On tonight's episode, Oprah revealed her favourite guest ever. I've never been an avid Oprah viewer, but I could not leave Lynne's house until Oprah revealed who her favourite guest was: Tererai Trent.

What makes Tererai so special? I'll let her explain (quote take from Tererai's website):

My name is Tererai Trent I was born and raised in rural Zimbabwe, and my dream growing up was to have an education. I met a woman who inspired me to believe in my dreams; I buried a list of my education goals under a rock where I used to herd cattle. I believed in achieving these against many challenges. The rock where I buried my dreams solidified and grounded me in many ways. I was at peace since I knew I had made a pact with the rock to keep my dreams alive!

Today, I hold a PhD, which allows me to work all over the world, because other people cared enough to help me fulfill my dreams.

Tererai wants to build schools in Zimbabwe. Besides Oprah giving her 1.5 million dollars to achieve her goal, Tererai sells t-shirts that say Tingoma--It is Achievable. Can you even imagine the number of t-shirts she must have sold after this episode on which Oprah named Tererai her favourite guest? Well, increase your guess by two because Lynne and I placed our orders tonight. Yes, Lynne, we just spent $31 each ($62 total) on a t-shirt. The two most frugal people on the planet. Frugal, but with giant hearts. We care. And want to build schools. In Zimbabwe. Did I mention we care? Big hearts! Giant. Enormous.

Or are we simply under Oprah's spell?

If you, too, would like to invest in the future of education for the girl child in Zimbabwe and have your own Tinogona t-shirt, visit Tererai's website and place your order. Even if you're frugal, you can have a heart.

Am I on Glue, Again?

2011-05-29T20:58:00.009+03:00

Am I on Glue, Again?

It's been a really fantastic day. Besides the short run I went on this morning (sorry, Robyn, I cheated; it was not my intention; it just kind of happened), I spent the day reading, sleeping, reading some more, napping again, a bit of grooming, reading, sleeping. Ah, it's been lovely.

But my day was not completely stress free, and stress has a name; his name is Waldo.

I am gradually falling in love with the Apple Apps Store. With just the click of a button, fantastic new applications are added to my laptop. Brilliant. Earlier this week, I downloaded Where's Waldo: The Fantastic Journey. In addition to the reading and sleeping I accomplished today, I worked my way through a few levels of this children's game. Let me just say that playing Where's Waldo was the highest stress point of my day. Seeing those stars disappear as time elapsed send my heart racing and probably added two more knots to my back. Oh, and the humiliation of having to repeat two of the levels because I did not complete them with the minimum of three stars remaining added a third knot, this one right at the base of my neck on the lefthand side.

It was fun! Definitely worth the $2.99 I paid.

I had another Elle Wood's moment today and had to ask:

I thought it either had to be that or The Monitor printed it April Fools' edition two months late. But it was neither. Just the reality of the world we live in. The entertaining world we live in. The simultaneously sad world we live in. I'm gonna share my story though links.

Start with this one.
Next read this one.
Finish with this one.

Oh, I laughed. I laughed out loud (LOL).

Sad, sad laughter.

Peaceful

2011-05-28T18:18:00.004+03:00

Peaceful

This year's trip to the falls was probably my favourite one yet. Nature was not very friendly to us; it rained the entire first night we were there, providing oodles of mud to make the hiking trail more than a bit slippery the next morning. Within the first five minutes, three kids were on their bottoms. One fell more times than she took steps forwards during the first bit of the hike. My neck and back muscles tensed as I waited for the first tears and cries begging to return to the lodge. But they never happened. They may not look like it on the outside, but these kids are tough. They quickly learned to laugh at themselves, get up and move on. (They couldn't dust themselves off because dust was not available; they were covered in mud, and it would only smear and make their hands dirty.) I did open my mouth and gape a bit with astonishment, and I also swelled a bit with pride.

After a while (and with the help of three additional porters to hold some children's hands to keep them from falling too much), we were pros. So much so that when we encountered a group of young hikers coming up the slippery, muddy path we were heading down and noticed that they were 'dressed to impress' and wearing sandals and flip flops, bewildered by the poor choice of footwear of the 'novice' hikers, my kids had a good laugh, and their teacher, perhaps inappropriately, encouraged it and joined in. But seriously, flip flops. On a hike? In the mud.

Even with the weather, this trip went off like clockwork with no crises to deal with: no breakdowns from the kids, no electronics (which were not allowed on the trip to begin with) going missing, no tantrums over the food, no one thinking everyone else was against him. It was three days of enjoying each other's company and enjoying nature. On the last day, packing up, setting off and getting home to Kampala was a breeze. And we breezed back into town about an hour and a half earlier than anticipated.

Arriving early gave Betty and I a chance to dropped our baggage off and set off to town to witness the five o'clock protest. As I posted before, the walk to work campaign now includes making noise at 5:00pm each day of the week. Working in my cocoon in Bugolobi, I never really know what is going on in town. Betty was in town on Tuesday and told me that what she saw/heard was unexpected and pretty amazing: horns hooting, people banging on doors and gates, jerry cans being beaten, screaming, hand clapping. And after the protesters made their statement, they went back to business as normal. I had to see/hear it for myself.

Going downtown with Betty was like a trip down memory lane. First, we rode tandem on a boda boda. When's the last time I did that? Walking down past Radio One towards Nakasero Market and then proceeding towards the Old Taxi Park, I'd not done this on a busy weekday afternoon since my days as a Peace Corps Volunteer. When five o'clock finally arrived, this is what happened:

And it went on for several more minutes than what you see here. Now, if you notice in the video, business is still able to carry on; there's no major disturbance; it is a non-violent demonstration.

As the noise subsided, Betty and I made out way back up to Kampala Road, stopping first at the Chinese supermarket and buying the last package of nori (more should be here sometime in July). We took a taxi back to Bugolobi (again, something I've not done in a long time, and the time it took plus the recklessness of the driver reminded me why I gave up on matatus a long time ago). After a pop-in at Afred's, I was off to meet up with Lynne, Kevin and Brandon, all three of whom I served with in Peace Corps.

Friday was a peaceful day on so many levels.

Can You Say Kapachorwa?

2011-05-25T06:31:00.005+03:00

Can You Say Kapachorwa?

Well that's the destination of today's mission, taking the kids camping. Tucked in the foothills of the mountains in Eastern Uganda are Sipi Falls, a series of falls that includes one of the most picturesque waterfalls you will ever see.

So I'll be away for a few days: no electricity=no internet=no blog posts.

But while I'm on the topic of things related to pictures, isn't this a great photo?

"My name is Obama, of the Moneygall Obamas. I've come home to find the apostrophe that we lost somewhere along the way."

I would love to sit and have a pint with him. That would be a fantastic conversation.

Give a Hoot

2011-05-24T18:21:00.003+03:00

Give a Hoot

Who needs fiction when reality is just so damn entertaining?

I'm really surprised at how productive my day has been and how worthwhile this afternoon's staff meeting was. After yesterday's revelation by President Museveni that, "The problem with Ugandans is that they are indisciplined, unserious, alcoholics and extravagant," I'm surprised my colleagues and I ever manage to get anything done. We must be seriously talented. Or maybe I'm the one who is seriously talented, taking up the slack for their indiscipline and unserious-ness. Wow! I'm pretty awesome. And the alcoholism, well that explains a lot, giving me something to aspire to.

So this week, hooting was added to the walk-to-work campaign because the opposition want to "tickle the government". You ask, "What if I'm not in a car because I'm walking to work?" This is still the walk-to-work campaign after all. "Whoever cannot hoot, will bang a table, calabash, saucepan or any tool or instrument that can produce noise for five minutes."

Back when the walk to work campaign was just beginning, I wondered if it would have longevity, and it's inspiring to know that the peaceful protesting through civil disobedience has not fizzled out, even after being responded to with so much violence from the government.

However, the reaction of the powers that be has not been as positive. The police have vowed to arrest the hooters, calling them illegal. The hooters have not consulted them (the police), so their hooting is illegal. Plus the hooters are contributing to noise pollution which can cause fatigue and headaches. You know what else causes headaches? Police batons, so hooters beware!

Remember when giving a hoot was more peace, love and granola bar crunchy?

Touched by a Goddess

2011-05-23T22:14:00.004+03:00

Touched by a Goddess

Yesterday I ran in The Source of the Nile Marathon in Jinja. Well, there was no full marathon, so I only did a half marathon (21km). It was great fun, a fantastic time with fabulous friends. I never go to Jinja; I'm one of those rare types that does not care for that river town. It is quaint with some cute eateries, and there are plenty of activities to be done, but it takes something like this run to get me to pay a visit. In fact, the last few times I've visited (the last being almost two years ago) have been in relationship with a running event.

As with the Two Oceans Marathon, I ran with my camera and put together a little video that chronicles my experience at The Source of the Nile Marathon.

During the run, my Goddess of Gorgeous kept popping into my thoughts; it was like Babs was there running with me for several of the kms. I'm not sure what triggered the thoughts, but I really hope that we have the chance to run together soon. Malawi is kind of far away.

Speaking of goddesses, one is being particularly gracious to us these days. Take last night for instance; Britney Spears performed not once, but twice on the Billboard Music Awards stage.

First she joined Rihanna to perform their number one hit, S&M, to start the show,

and the show's finale gave her a chance to be on stage with her future tour-mate, Nicki Minaj. I must say I was not overly impressed with Ms. Minaj's performance. But seeing these two performances really put a smile on my face and made me happy. I hope they did you too

Today's Post is Brought to You by the Letter 'I'

2011-05-20T23:59:00.002+03:00

Today's Post is Brought to You by the Letter I

How many words can you think of that begin with I?

Your list might include:

incompetent
irritating
insecure
impolite
irrational
impassable
intimidation
ignorant
iridescent
imbecile
incomplete
immature
indisciplined

These are a a few of my least favourite words. I'm exhausted just looking at them, but to deal with them... I need a break.

Java Makes Your Prostate Cheer

2011-05-19T23:26:00.008+03:00

Java Makes Your Prostate Cheer

According to a study performed by the Harvard School of Public Health:

Those who downed six or more cups of coffee a day had a 20% lower risk of developing any sort of prostate cancer, and a 60% lower risk of lethal prostate cancer. Even those who were more moderate, drinking one to three cups per day, were 30% less likely to have lethal prostate cancer — and the benefits were the same, regardless if the coffee was decaffeinated or not.

The Press and The President and Enemies and Frenemies

2011-05-18T19:42:00.009+03:00

The Press and The President and Enemies and Frenemies

Two groups of people I would never want to piss off are librarians and the press. They both wield great power and protect our access to information. Try and stop 'em. You know you're gonna lose... but someone always tries.

Journalists in Uganda have imposed a news blackout on the East African country's government in protest against what they described as rising brutality against reports covering demonstrations over high prices.

"We are sick and tired of unprovoked police brutality against us as we go about our work," Ssebagala Wokuri, an official at the Human Right Network for Journalists told reporters on [13th May 2011].

Ever the charmer, President Museveni gives his view:

"The media houses both local and international such as Al-Jazeera, the BBC and Daily Monitor and NTV are enemies of Uganda's recovery and they will be treated as such."

Recovery. The first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem. Then you blame the media and call them your enemy.

But do you know what you really have to watch out for? Frenemies.

Or enemends.

Good Ol' Boys and a Girl Next Door

2011-05-17T18:21:00.007+03:00

Good Ol' Boys and a Girl Next Door

I walked into my office today and found a large Ziploc freezer bag full of books on my desk. The fist question that came to my mind was, "Who the hell put guided readers on my desk?" followed by, "Why?" Turns out they were not guided readers at all, but books that I had recently requested a friend to get for me. See why I shouldn't be so quick to judge? America's sweetheart and favourite girl next door gave the best advice when she sang in 1958: Don't jump, jump to conclusions. I am eager to become acquainted with the new editions to the stack of books on my coffee table which are patiently waiting to be cuddled with and devoured on the sofa, in the recliner, in public, on the floor and in the bed. My new crushes are

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool,

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins,

Marching for Freedom by Elizabeth Partridge.

I have another excerpt to share from the book I'm reading now, They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. The idea of the KKK alone disturbs me. Where I grew up, the Klan were part of the local mythology. I remember Heath and Daniel, merely boys at the time, dressing up as Klansmen one Halloween and roaming the streets of White City trick-or-treating. Graffiti under the drawbridge, besides informing the world about how good Debbie Dunnigan was, illustrated the esteem at which the community's youth held the idea of the Ku Klux Klan. But I digress, my excerpt for today is:

Today, psychologists explain that people who join groups such as the Ku Klux Klan are insecure and feel a need to belong to something that makes them feel powerful and superior. Perhaps W.E.B. Du Bois, historian and civil rights leader, understood Klansmen best: "These human beings at heart are desperately afraid of something," explained Du Bois. "Of what? Of many things, but usually of losing their jobs, being declassed, degraded, or actually disgraced; of losing their hopes, their savings, their plans for their children; of the actual pangs of hunger, of dirt of crime."

Sound like any group of people you know? I'm afraid of comparing any group to the KKK because I think that my judgement may be too harsh. However, Du Bois' assertion does seem to describe the motivation of many current-day groups. Some groups (good ol' boys) within political and government organisations automatically come to mind, as do the recently-booted-out-of-power dictators and their cronies. People use fear, intimidation and force to cling to power because they fear the loss that might happen next.

Now to cleanse ourselves of the negativity which comes from even mentioning hate groups, corrupt leaders and the like, our sweetheart, Annette.

Waragi Laughing

2011-05-15T18:35:00.012+03:00

Waragi Laughing

I have now completed the round trip journey from Kampala to Jinja and back. I am relieved and pleased to announce that I did not hit any children darting across the road; that is my biggest fear when passing through the trading centers along the highway. It happens sometimes (I've never had a personal experience, nor do I want to), and it's tragic.

Thanks to Stacy's continued birthday celebrations, I was motivated to:

finally buy new tires for my car;
get out of Kampala for a weekend.

When I was in South Africa last month, I commented on how picturesque it was. Sometimes it is easy to forget how beautiful it is in our own back yards. Uganda is an amazingly beautiful country. With all that's been going on lately, it has been so easy to get distracted and focus on the negative characteristics of the country. But I have to be careful and remember that I am very lucky to live where I do and make an effort to also enjoy simple and complex pleasures and natural wonders that abound.

So the reality check that Stacy's continued birthday celebrations provided allowed me to enjoy:

the pleasures of the amazing views from the bank of the Nile River;

being a wordsmith during an intellectually stimulating game of Scrabble with worthy, genius opponents;

developing new massage techniques during impromptu twilight therapy sessions.

All views were not pleasant. The hooks along the wall of the shower room were eerily similar to hooks I once saw along the wall of another type of "shower room".

An uncomfortable film could be filmed in this room.

I arrived home early enough today to enjoy a lazy Sunday in my Flat. I popped in a DVD of No Strings Attached. Peter Travers, whose opinion I usually trust and agree with, wrote that the plot of this Ivan Reitman film starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher "has been recycled since cave dwellers first drew pictures on walls." I agree. However, the script left me hysterically laughing out loud frequently for an hour and forty-five minutes. I cannot guarantee that the ease at which I was induced to laugh was not facilitated by a few ounces of waragi. All the same, I give value to this "generic piece of plastic."

Samples of my favourite lines from No Strings Attached:

It seems kind of like carefree.
It's like a peanut allergy, like an emotional peanut allergy.
Don't dress up your penis, ever.
I can't focus on my porn with all this real sex going on around me.
Did you make me a period mix?
We're sluts, Emma, we're dirty, dirty sluts.
No, we don't need her; make her leave.
You look like a pumpkin, bitch!...
Ring! Ring! It's the pumpkin patch; they want their pumpkins back.

We're not pumpkins!
We're ladies!

Well you're so orange!

Hey, someone call Charlie Brown! We found the great pumpkin!

That hole is my bitch.
That's why they call him Bones.
Because he loves Lil' Wayne, ok? You don't know everything about your dad.
I think I'm gonna do it all the time. It's gonna get weird.

I know, the lines are out of context, so they may not immediately spark laughter. Just watch the film. You'll see what I mean. It won't be wasted time. Oh, and a few ounces of waragi might help.

Bounce

2011-05-14T21:24:00.004+03:00

Bounce

Love, love, love Kelis.

The weekend is here. It's been a lovely day. It began with a good run with Robyn and Marie, then breakfast at my favourite refueling station, Cafe Javas. Rushed to shower, rushed to pack, and off to The Haven for Stacy's birthday celebrations. Scrabble has never been more fun nor more scenic than when played at a table overlooking the Nile River. Fabulous sundowners (which I recently learned is truly and East African English term) prepared us for a fabulous evening. The South Africans manned the braai.

Still looking forward to the good times ahead.

Peace.

Blowin' in the Wind

2011-05-13T23:59:00.001+03:00

Blowin' in the Wind

I really do not like to hear children sing. It just weirds me out, make me feel uncomfortable. The kids from the school's choir performed Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind during assembly yesterday. Now I've just said that I do not like children singing, but it makes me happy to see them perform. (Discuss that one for a while and figure it out.) I was so happy to see them on stage and enjoying their expression. Before I knew it, the words to the song were triggering many thoughts in my mind and bringing some emotions to the surface. Think about all that's been going on in the world news headlines lately (violence in Libya and Syria, jubilation over Bin Laden's death) . Think about what's been happening, locally, in Kampala lately (police and military brutality and general difficulty of many to acquire the necessities of life). How many roads must a man walk down?

Mom came to mind as I listened to and processed the lyrics, and I went onto iTunes to download Peter, Paul and Mary's harmonious version of the song that brings back pleasant childhood memories.

It turned into a Blowin' in the Wind shopping spree on iTunes. I felt like I must have Dylan's original version, and I could not resist folk- and protest-music icon, Joan Baez's, cover of the tune.

It was my discovery Etta James' soul-laced disco (with vocals that made me think of Annie Lennox) version of Blowin' in the Wind that etched a smile on my face. Highly unsuspected and entertaining.

I just love Alanis and think everything she does is emotionally real and pretty great. I didn't find her version on iTunes, but stumbled across it as I prepared this post.

Yes, how many times can a man turn his head, pretending he just doesn't see?

Rumours

2011-05-12T21:30:00.000+03:00

Rumours

At work yesterday, one of the teachers at the lunch table warned us of potential troubles that might ensue during today's inauguration. She said, "You know Besigye is going to try and have his own swearing-in ceremony at Constitution Square on 12th May."

Oh really? Now that would have the potential for disaster, except I didn't believe it was ever true. I've been following the news

pretty closely, and I did not recall ever hearing Besigye say that or read a quote from him related to him having a simultaneous swearing-in ceremony. Where did this rumour come from? Well, if you do a basic Internet search, you will find that one publication has printed a story about Besigye's planned swearing-in ceremony where he "hopes intoxicated youths will cause havoc" (I'm sure that's just what he wants.), and that rag is The Red Pepper.

The other place you will find the supposed simultaneous swearing-in ceremony referenced is during an interview Museveni gave on 21st April on a talk-shop program Mugoba Nsonga on Bukedde Television and Bukedde FM (both Vision Group-owned, which is government owned). When the subject of Besigye's swearing-in came up, the President commented, "Besigye to swear in on May 12 as President is not wise and it will not happen. Anybody who will involve themselves in that, I feel sorry for them..." I feel sorry for anybody who would use a Red Pepper article as a source of information. As Susan O'Chola de Roy succinctly put it: "that's trash journalism."

Besigye's swearing-in is just one of several vicious rumours I've heard circulating around town over the past several weeks. When Besigye was shot with a rubber bullet in the finger, the message I received made it sound like he'd died. Gossip is very ingrained in our society. Some find the spreading of rumours to be fun and interesting, and I must admit that I've enjoyed an earful or two of gossip in my life. However, during certain times, under certain circumstances, and related to certain issues, rumours can be very dangerous.

I'm reading a fascinating book right now call They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group. The author, Susan Campbell Bartoletti, explains the role of rumours during the Reconstruction Era in the South of the US, but I think her explanation holds true in most times and situations:

During times of crisis or uncertainty, people often resort to rumours, or stories circulated without facts to confirm the truth, to help them cope with anxieties and fears. Of all the rumours, racial and hate rumours are considered the most dangerous because they are divisive and create hostility that can lead to violence.

When rumours with no factual confirmation begin to be spread around as truth, when tabloids begin to be read as legitimate newspapers, we have a problem. Likewise, when seemingly legitimate news outlets with large audiences present rumour-based material as fact, the problem grows exponentially. Then I get fed preposterous rumours at the staff lunch table.

Sharing is Caring

2011-05-11T16:43:00.002+03:00

Sharing is Caring

Two stories about sharing as laid out on the New Vision website:

On the playground today, M7 won't share power, but the MPs will share office space.

I think someone might be in need of a Care Bear stare.

Sisters Are Doin' It Again

2011-05-10T20:31:00.006+03:00

Well Done!

Sisters Are Doin' It Again

They walked. They walked with symbols of work expected of their gender (sauce pans, mortars, etc...). They walked in protest, but they also walked in peace.

Women in white carrying their demands in hand, proclaiming their concerns walked for peace on Monday. I read on the internet today that the spirit that the suffragettes in the UK possessed in the early 20th century was lost in our world. Uganda at times seems a world away from the UK, but some sentiments are universal and do not depend on locale. I hope that Monday's display of solidarity of women for a cause important for all within their society, even when there was the potential for personal harm and/or arrest, is a sign that the spirit is reviving.

I'd read about the planned walk in the newspaper, but the first I heard/read about how the protest went down was via this photoblog (thanks for the link, Kelly). Seeing the photos of the women marching strongly with their placards made my heart swell a bit. This walk had nothing to do with votes (that's a right women have had for a while in Uganda); it was about food and brutal treatment of fellow Ugandans, but I could hear the raspy voice of Mrs. Banks cheering on: Well done, sister...!

Cast of the shackles of yesterday!

Shoulder to shoulder into the fray!

Our daughters' daughters will adore us

And they'll sing in grateful chorus:

Well done, sister...!

My life is one big musical, and I could not pass up the opportunity to get down to this one:

Sing it ReRe and Annie Lee!

Who Do You Trust?

2011-05-09T23:03:00.008+03:00

Who Do You Trust?

Words. Words. Words.

As much as I did not like the book, The Book Thief, one important point that it clearly made is the power that words have to bring about good and to bring about great evil. Words have power, hence the words grammar and glamour both coming from the same root and alluding to being skilled at casting spells.

The media cast thousands of words upon us daily, stung together to report to us world event and express various viewpoint on multitudes of issues. Supposedly, their role is to keep us informed about what's going on in our communities and the greater world around us. But from the looks of the newscasters on Headline News, Fox Network and other news outlets, it definitely appears that other values are being embraced and that money (increasing the possibility of misinformation) could be the name of the game. But one does not have to look at foreign or international news outlets to see this. Our local news sources here in Kampala are playing a frustrating game with the public.

Today's reports about the blocked DP rally do not agree on important details.

9th May 2011

From The New Vision: Kiyaga accused the opposition of hoodwinking the Police by first expressing intentions to hold the rally at Kololo airstrip, only to change it a few hours to the set date.

“DP wrote a letter informing us that they intended to hold a rally at Kololo. Arrangements were made on Thursday to meet the organisers at Kololo but they did not turn up,” he explained.

“On Friday, they communicated that they had postponed the rally and changed the venue to Constitutional Square. We shall not allow this.”

From The Monitor: A national opposition rally that was supposed to take place yesterday at Kololo Heroes Grounds was cancelled at the last minute after police blocked it. The Democratic Party was the organiser of the rally, though it had been meant for all opposition parties.

“Police told us they had no problem with it but said the management of the grounds is under President’s Office. They demanded for a letter from the office showing that we have been cleared to use it (ground),” DP president Norbert Mao said.

The recent riots were a very sad event. What really went on? How many people really lost their lives due to excessive use of force? How did all those people get shot if, as one paper reported, the police only used tear gas, batons and water cannons.

29th April 2011

The New Vision: In return the Police and army used tear gas and batons to disperse the rioters.

The Police also used a water cannon truck, which constantly released a colored, itchy liquid into the people.

The Monitor: A police an officer was among the total 84 registered at the medical facility by 12:30pm, many having sustained gunshot wounds. Children and women are among the victims....

The shootings occurred in Katwe, Owino and the Old Taxi Park. Bloody chaos flared up in that congested market due to agitation over earlier arrest of some of the vendors there.

Sometimes, it does not take a reporter to muddle what's really going on. Some people succeed at doing it all on their own.

From Museveni, addressing religious leaders at the closure of a post-election 2011 conference organised by the Inter Religious Council in Uganda (IRCU): "If the religious group gets a donation from government, that money is from the taxpayers of Uganda. I am not selling my cows to give you gifts,” he said.

From Museveni, at the consecration of Bishop Reuben Kisembo in Fort Portal: “People who criticise my donations to churches are wrong because I am a Christian and it is God who helped me go through the liberation struggle to date,” President Museveni said before donating Shs10 million to the new Bishop of Rwenzori Diocese, Reuben Kisembo, who was consecrated yesterday in Fort Portal town.

When I give donations I will be giving back to God what he gave me because donationsare meant to help poor people of God," Mr. Museveni added.

Who is the money from again?

What's its purpose?

To borrow a favourite quote from Elle Woods:

I'm well aware that stories can be told from different angles, and I've had my own experiences with having my words twisted or being quoted out of context. However, I cannot help but think that some of what is being written/said is intentionally being spun to confuse the public and/or incite emotions.

"Who do you trust! Hubba, hubba, hubba! Money, money, money! Who do you trust? Me? I'm giving away free money."

Still Good in the Sack

2011-05-08T21:43:00.003+03:00

Still Good in the Sack

As I said before: It's like riding a bicycle.

This has been a week of fantastic celebrations. Ib's Thursday b-day was magnificent. Friday was Cinco de Mayo on Seis de Mayo and lots of fun with work colleagues. Saturday was a day of pampering at the spa and lounging in the sun by the pool at Emin Pasha to celebrate the day of birth of the fabulous Sibyl Rolle. When I say her first and last names together, I think of Cabaret's Sally Bowles, and the voice Alan Cumming (and don't forget the bring her back when you're finished with her) as the MC comes to mind: The toast of Kampala, Ms. Sibyl Rolle!

Sibyl's celebration was an all-day affair and went into the night. Dinner was at Il Patio. That's two special dinners I've attended in the same number weeks. Being a creature of habit, I sat at the same table in the same chair and was served by the same waiter, Sale, both times. Sale knows how to take care of a large party and surely can hustle. There were about 16 of us, and he served us alone. Drinks were served promptly, meal recommendations were made, all orders were correct, and we never lacked what we needed/wanted. That is why Sale should always be generously tipped. My dinner of Risotto was delicious going down, but because I do not digest rich and oily foods well, it all came back up in an unpleasant and not-so-delicious fashion at about 4:30am.

From Il Patio, some migrated to Cayenne where it proceeded to rain. Well, no one rains on Sibyl Rolle's parade, not even mother nature. A report on facebook this morning asserted: Dancing in the rain in white pants, totally worth it :)

I did not progress to the dancing bit. I went to bed because I had a two-hour run to do at 7:30 this morning. It was a fantastic morning for a run, but it all got bit creepy towards the end of the run. Police were everywhere. Truck loads of them were passing by with sirens on. I have no idea what was going on. Robyn also made an account of it.

Assessment week at school begins tomorrow. It should be a pretty easy week if people can just keep their stress in check. I'm going to try to watch Blue Valentine tonight. Let's see how far I get before I fall asleep!

Super-Duper: Somebody Please Tell Nicks Who the Eff I Is

2011-05-07T23:39:00.002+03:00

Super-Duper:

Somebody Please Tell Nicks Who the Eff I Is

I am Timothy Hatcher...

Super Bass and its accompanying video are two more reasons why Ms. Minaj is my current teenage crush.

Imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery, right? Well, Nicks has some pretty high-profile peeps offering up their best and sincerest attempts at flattery.

Selena Gomez's cover has already made an appearance on my blog. It's just so fun!

Taylor Swift's (aka T. Swizzle) rendition is, well, interesting. I feel about as uncomfortable watching her do it as she looks doing it. Very awkward moment for all of us.

There are also hordes of unknown imitators uploading their flattery to YouTube. I have a soft spot for acoustic covers of hip-hop and pop. I cannot wait for Britney to record an album of acoustic versions of her dance hits. I really do enjoy this acoustic cover of Super Bass I stumbled upon today.

At first I thought she was going to rap it, and I felt embarrassed for her, but then she picked up the guitar and made me happy.

Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass!

Cinco+Uno=Seis de Mayo

2011-05-06T21:50:00.007+03:00

Cinco+Uno=Seis de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo was never enjoyed more than it was by me yesterday. That celebration will go down in my personal history. It was another United Colors of Benetton ad: America, Uganda, sushi, Thai curry, Islam-inspired art and brownies. Life's just more fun when we mix it up a bit.

The celebration took on another form today, and Mexico was not forgotten. After school, margaritas were mixed, avocados were mashed to make guacamole, a few colleagues/friends met at my flat and enjoyed the evening with me. This was the forth time this week that I played host. Loved it.

Around 8:00pm, I migrated over to Afriart Gallery for the opening of Fred Mutebi's exhibition: Wood Collection Since 2000. It was fantastic, fantastic, fantastic. His was my favourite exhibition since George Kyeyune's in September 2010. Mutebi's wood prints were like nothing I'd seen before. He's now been added to my list of artists whose work I must acquire a piece of. I would've loved to have been able to red-sticker a print tonight, but that was not in the stars. This is the piece I wanted to put the red sticker on:

comparing politicians, presidential candidates to be specific, to marabou storks and their appetite for garbage.

Lots going on this weekend! An early bedtime is my desire this evening.

Goodnight.

Not plastic, please

2011-05-05T11:52:00.000+03:00

Not plastic, please

(Actually, you should bring your own damn bag.)

I really hate plastic bags.

Questioning Discomfort

2011-05-04T22:26:00.007+03:00

Questioning Discomfort

In the introductory pages of the brilliant 2004 'tween' novel by Blue Balliett, Chasing Vermeer, the following quote from Charles Fort can be found:

One can't learn much and also be comfortable. One can't learn much and let anybody else be comfortable.

So much has occurred recently that has caused me a lot of discomfort. I'm pretty sure that I've made some people I know--and some that I don't-- fairly uncomfortable lately (making others uncomfortable is a talent I think I was born with), and I can guarantee that I've been up to making myself pretty comfortable on a regular basis. Am I learning loads? I'm not sure. I'm not sure if Fort's quote still rings true when transposed to connect discomfort to learning. Can one be comfortable and learn? Does discomfort bring about learning?

I'm a sharer. It's what I do. What I think I share the most is my opinion. I cannot read something I find interesting and not tell someone else about it. I cannot watch something I find amazing and not recommend it. I cannot be unimpressed with exhibitions and treatment of visitors at MishMash exhibitions in Naguru and at least not mention it on my blog (still processing that one; more details may or may not come). Yes, as Fort stated, I cannot learn much and let anybody else be comfortable.

Can't do that thing, that keepin' still. But you're fucked if you speak your mind, and you know, uh huh, you will...

I'm not very original; I simply pass on what I see, read, hear, experience. Oh, gossip, how I love thee!

Mentioning love, on reflection, I think that it could possibly be my tendency to share what I learn about myself (at times over analyzing motives and feelings) and other issues that I won't shut up about and perhaps beat like a dead horse that make partners/potential partners uncomfortable. Thus, straining (if not damaging, if not ruining) any relationship we might develop. Hmmm... I'm sure more reflection will stem from this, and I know that what I learn will very likely make me very uncomfortable. Damn you, Charles Fort and that damned quote!

Remember, I'm a sharer. I watched this video today on YouTube (thanks to Phillipe's link), so now I have to share it.

I was disturbed a bit by this short animated film. The animation in itself could be funny/entertaining, but the subject matter is too serious and sad, i.e. disturbing. "The big people" have a tendency to get away with murder (both figuratively and literally). I hope that the medium used to covey this message will have the intended impact. But where besides YouTube is it being shown? Will the intended audience see it enough for it to be an effective ad?

I'm going to end this post on a positive, comfortable topic, so prepare yourself to not learn anything. My Zanzibar Christmas 2010 books came in the mail today!

This is the first photo book that I put together, and I'm exceptionally happy with it. Great times. Great memories. XOXO

Wishing I Had More to Say

2011-05-03T23:01:00.003+03:00

Wising I Had More to Say

After work, I swam. I needed to get my workout back on, so I put in 1000m today in hopes that I'll keep it up. (Gym, Pilates, swimming, running, healthy diet, and I still have a gut. What's up with that?) Then I spend most of the evening preparing dinner. It went well, I must say. Thanks to a friend's recommendation, I attempted Thai corn fritters. Wow! It's amazing how good a simple recipe can taste. I once again made a Thai red curry, this time using lamb. Lamb? I know. I also questioned what I was doing since it's usually either chicken or beef. I decided to mix it up a bit. The resulting flavour was fantastic. The down side was that the coconut milk I bought in haste was not fantastic. The meat and milk cancelled each other out, and I was left with a mediocre curry. After a short break from eating, it was time for desert: rich, chocolate brownies. I topped them with a mixture of fresh cream and condensed milk. Delectable!

Lady Antebellum's new single was released today. They quickly becoming a favourite band of mine about a year ago. Their music was first recommended to me via an SMS from Kenya. From there, it was basically love at first download. Just a Kiss is the title of LA'a new single.

Loving it. Just downloaded it from iTunes and it's on repeat.

And on that note: Just a kiss goodnight.

XOXO

Discomfort

2011-05-02T22:34:00.005+03:00

Discomfort

Yeah, you can see that my attempt at viewing the world in a more pleasant light was short lived.

As I was driving to school this morning, my phone gave the tell-tale tune of receiving an SMS. I don't read SMSes when driving (more dangerous in my opinion than actually talking on the phone while driving, but probably still less than an old friend, Suzy, who used to read novels as she drove the interstate back and forth between Jacksonville to Tallahassee), so I waited until I was stopped at the school's gate and read the short message while the guard rolled the mirror underneath the perimeter of my car to inspect for explosives. To my surprise, and discomfort, it was an gleeful message informing me of Osama Bin Laden's death and the resulting jubilation in the US, as seen on CNN.

The former terrorist leader executed a tremendous amount of evil in the world and thousands of innocent people lost their lives as a result. That being said, I'm very uncomfortable seeing footage of people actually celebrating someone's death. A sense of relief or feeling that justice has been served is one thing, but euphoria and parading in the streets cheering, I feel, are inappropriate. As a facebook friend put it, and I agree, "I think this column sums up my feelings on the issue quite well."

I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy....--Martin Luther King, Jr.

On a lighter note...

Finding this product on the shelf at Nakumatt tonight caused me a tremendous amount of discomfort:

Kitara Wine

Everyone loves a good tomato wine, right?

If the fact that this wine contains farmented (sic) tomatoes does not cause you a bit of concern, just think, of the 58 words on the label, four are misspelled. While it's only almost 7%, it's the label of a product that is being marketed and trying to be sold. Spellcheck anyone? How about simply asking a friend to proofread? Be presigious... This sounds like a drunken slur. I wonder if the person who typed the label did so after a few rounds of wine tasting.

(Slap to the forehead)

I could've had a fermented V8!

Good Intention

2011-05-01T22:57:00.006+03:00

Good Intention

I feel like I might be getting a bit carried away with certain negative sentiments. I'm an optimist at heart. I am. However, I feel like I'm painting too dark and negative a picture of the world in which I live. Which, in the end, makes me feel a bit gloomy.

I decided early on today that I was going to flip the coin and show the other side. Besides the obvious rubbish going on in Kampala and Uganda right now, there is greener grass. My objective today was to highlight that green grass.

Sunday morning runs are great for getting to know the city... except (and here's where I start to fail) after riots. Men in uniforms are patrolling everywhere. Roads still blocked off by lorries have a less-than-positive effect on one's runner's high. Burnt tires left on roadsides chase my imagination into undesirable territory.

I still say that Cafe Java is the best place to refuel after a morning's run. (Ok, back on track.) It makes me happy that they are consistently good. (See, I can say something nice more than once about the same restaurant. It's not often, but I can.)

Brunch at Lynne's, yes, that was fantastic. (Eye on the plot.) More delicious food than 17 of us could tuck away. Besides that... Well... (Here is where I get stuck. My intention was good; at least a tried, right?)

This is one of those rare occasions, so take note and remember it. I'm going to take Thumper's Dad's advice.

Coca-Cola Memories

2011-04-30T16:37:00.009+03:00

Coca-Cola Memories

Finally it's time.

Children's and young-adult literature hold a special place in my heart. I would argue that some of the most important, interesting and challenging topics and themes address in contemporary literature are done remarkable well if not the best within the pages of books targeting these age-brackets. Maybe I'm expressing symptoms of Peter-Pan syndrome, and I'm refusing to grow up, or it's the angst that I feel that provokes within me a wannabe-teen mentality. It could just be that I'm simply immature. Whatever the cause or reason, and regardless of it's value, I'm a fan of books earmarked for young readers.

Of the books I've read since the beginning of this year, two titles have really stood out: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly and A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. Fabulous, fantastic reads. The protagonists in these two books could not be more different, Callie T. of The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is a young girl from a privileged family on the verge of womanhood in 1899 Texas. A Long Walk to Water's Salva is forced to abandon his childhood in war-torn southern Sudan in the 1980s and 1990s. The characters are from separate worlds; however, no matter where you are in the world (or in time since 1899) you can always enjoy the fizz and unmistakable flavour of a caramel-coloured Coca-Cola.

These books are beautifully written by highly-regarded authors, and the descriptions of the first time Callie T. and Salva experienced the taste of a Coca-Cola and what it meant to them are the most beautiful adverts The Coca-Cola Company never had to pay for.

Young Calpurnia describes her experience at the Fentress Fair:

I still had fifteen cents left over from babysitting during the harvest... I considered spending some of it on the brand-new drink we'd all heard about, Coca-Cola...

I turned my head back on Mr. Grassel and pretended to study the red-and-white advertising bunting overhead... Then it was our turn, and we each paid our nickel for a Coca-Cola. We carefully carried our fizzing drinks outside. Travis lifted his to drink and exclaimed, "Oh! It tickles!" I held mine up and felt
the
bubbles dancing against my lips, then sipped it, feeling it burn in my throat, raw and sweet and unlike anything I'd had before. How could you ever drink milk or water again after this? We both downed the stuff greedily and straightaway ran back into the tent to stand in line again... We drank them more slowly, looking at the rising bubbles and making them last. We both felt extraordinarily peppy and, I would say, extremely refreshed.

When Salva is being resettled to the United States from a refugee camp, onboard a flight from Nairobi, a flight attendant offers him a beverage:

She smiled. "Coca-Cola? Orange juice?"

Coca-Cola! Long ago, Salva's father had once brought a few bottles of Coca-Cola back from his trip to the market. Salva's first taste had been startling--all those bubbles jumping around in his mouth! What are rare treat it had been.

"Coca-Cola, thank you," Salva said. And with each sip, he remembered his family passing the bottles from hand to hand, laughing at the tickly bubbles, sharing and laughing together....

Like Coca-Cola or not, you must admit that the brand is responsible for some pretty special and memorable ads. Would Santa Claus be as significant in American culture without the assistance of Coca-Cola? Would we all want to teach the world to sing? These two books, set in different times, with extremely different characters, addressing very different issues and themes demonstrate the signifiant role that Coca-Cola plays in our lives. I'd bet that we all have a special Coca-Cola-related memory. I have many. Grandma always had 'cold Co-Cola' waiting for us in her 'fridge' on a hot summer's day. When we wanted a candy bar from Kirkland's Store, we used to wander the neighbourhood (even plundered neighbours' sheds) to find empty Coke bottles we could return for the deposits.

Our memories provide Coca-Cola's best advertising. In fact, I want to head out to Jazz Supermarket and pick a Coke right now.

Others' Words

2011-04-29T20:23:00.004+03:00

Others' Words

I just don't know what to say. I'm going to borrow a friend's description: dumbstruck. Being dumbstruck, I need to use the words of others to make my post today. Most are from local newspapers; articles are linked so you can read the quotes in context and get a broader scope of the events of the today. Some quotes are from facebook updates, and I did not link them to protect privacy.

“The economy is beginning to develop and we are feeling the pressure which is good,” the President said.

Dear Mr President, yes! there is sthg u can do about prices: isnt this exciting news? U can cancel those pretty new jets! More exciting? U wont need to look to fuel levy for 700Bn to fund a third of Karuma dam- what with saving trillions!!??

"But police has acted professionally. They have controlled rioters not to loot other peoples’ property. I am satisfied police have stopped looting which is part of the aim for the organisers of these riots,” stated Museveni.

I ve heard lots of nonsense e past few weeks saying police had no choice but 2 block e walk 2 work but 2day was an insult 2 all Ugandans.

When he arrived at Kalerwe, he came out of his roof top and waved the FDC sign.

He went to Mulago round-about but by this time, he had attracted a crowd and started throwing stones at the Police.

"We have expressed our concern about what appears to be harassment of Dr. Besigye," Johnnie Carson, the assistant secretary of State for African affairs.

Tonight I kept vigil for Uganda & it's slide deeper into the political abyss :( "Insomnia v. Insanity" Truth is: I was too horrified to sleep without risking nightmares!

Mbabazi disclosed that the Government asked the DPP not to object to Besigye’s bail so that he could attend the dialogue: “The Government requested the DPP, although the DPP is supposed to be independent, so that Besigye can represent his party at the meeting.”

In return the Police and army used tear gas and batons to disperse the rioters.

The Police also used a water cannon truck, which constantly released a colored, itchy liquid into the people. Uganda Red Cross Society said two people died as a result.

The Police shall continue to cooperate with the public and other security agencies to maintain law and order, prevent crime and ensure the safety and security of the country.

18:12 EAT: Kampala Metropolitan Spokesman Ibin Ssenkumbi has confirmed five deaths. He identified three as Ssemuga Kanaabi, Sam Mufumbiro, a resident of Kibuli but killed at St. Balikuddembe Market, and Frank Kizito, who was shot in Busabala. Another two were shot in Bwaise and Bweyogerere, Ssenkumbi said.

17:36 EAT: The Uganda Red Cross Society has confirmed the deaths of two men, fatally shot in riots that broke out in Kasubi and Najjanankumbi. URCS secretary general Michael Nataka said the society has attended to at least 200 people, of which 139 were referred to hospital – 20 of these were bullet wounds. Nataka said the bulk of the injuries came from Kasangati, Kiwatule/Ntinda, and Najjanankumbi areas.

Over 100 people have been admitted at Mulago hospital with injuries they sustained this morning during city riots.

Uganda Red Cross secretary general, Micheal Nataka, has told reporters at Mulago that ten sustained live bullet wounds. Others, he added, inhaled too much teargas.

A police an officer was among the total 84 registered at the medical facility by 12:30pm, many having sustained gunshot wounds. Children and women are among the victims.

Grumble, grumble... Gunshots in my neighbour hood. Oh, when the bullets hit a person, then they are stray. But, only the police and army firing....

“There are many injured people here but I don’t have the figure of how many are injured or dead. We are too busy now,” says Mulago Hospital Spokesman Dan Kimosho.

Government Chief Whip, David Migereko, has told a news conference at media center that normalcy has returned to most parts of the city that witnessed chaotic scenes in the morning.

Can you pick out which ones are government propaganda?

We got the kids safely home; that was a major concern of mine today. I went straight to the gym from work for an intense workout (maybe too intense, left nauseated) to relieve some stress. I feel a migraine coming on. I don't think a good night's sleep is going to resolve these issues, but I'm still hoping for a better day tomorrow. There's the optimisms peaking through the clouds.

Police Brutality

2011-04-28T22:51:00.011+03:00

Police Brutality

So much for the light-weight, jovial blog post about Coca-Cola memories I'd planned for today. A YouTube video of NTV's coverage of Kizza Besigye's fourth arrest related to the walk to work campaign left me mouthing the word: disgusting, and put my thoughts of Callie T. on a back burner.

This disturbing footage of the disgusting, inhumane treatment of Dr. Besigye today penetrated the safe cocoon in which I live/work and had had a lovely, happy and productive day. It was hard to believe that this violence had taken place in the same city--just a few, short kilometers away.

In my mind played the screams of a young Ricky Lake, as Tracy Turnblad in 1988's Hairspray:

Police brutality!

An imprisoned Penny Pingleton joined in the protest:

Police brutality!

But this is not 1963 Baltimore, John Waters is not directing the action, and I really doubt that Besigye is in his prison cell ironing his hair in another form of protest, soon to emerge into freedom dancing The Roach.

The reality is what was caught on camera and broadcast on today's news.

And the world is taking notice: BBC, Huffington Post, Aljazeera, TIME, The Wall Street Journal.

Last year it was the Bahati 'Kill the Gays' bill, and this year is becoming spray with tear gas and beat Besigye and other non-violent, civil-disobedient protesters. What's going on?

Kampala 2011 and Birmingham 1963

Eerie.

By Candlelight is More Romantic, Right?

2011-04-27T20:21:00.004+03:00

By Candlelight is More Romantic, Right?

It was back to work for me today. Because of my track record, I was pretty afraid I'd sleep through my alarm this morning, especially because I stayed up way too late last night writing my blog post, which should not have taken so long to write. Except when I'm sleepy and rushing myself, errors just seem to pop out of nowhere. When proofreading before posting, I ask, "Who wrote that?" or think, "I have no idea what I mean by that." Then I post, re-read what I've posted and find some more mistakes. Eh, all in a day.

I had a pretty sizable 'to do' list today, and surprisingly, I ticked off all of the items. Yes, there was a lot to get done, but the tasks were apparently easier or less time consuming than I thought they'd be. I'm either getting better at my job or just not being as careful with tasks as I was before. Either way, the work was completed, and the results (so far) seem positive. ...We'll see.

I was in the kitchen again this evening. I'm in the process of baking a lasagna. I've not made one in years, and this afternoon reminded me of why I don't really enjoy doing it very often. It's not that lasagna in itself is difficult to make. It's the the process of having to go to at least four different supermarkets to find all of the ingredients; I've spent a good part of two evenings collecting the simple things I needed. Who has time for that?

I've also whipped up some buttercream icing to go on top of the chocolate cupcakes I would like to bake for dessert. As the goddesses would have it, the power went out just moments ago. I'm sitting in the dark, can't use my mixer and really do not feel like beating cake batter by candlelight.

Lasagna and buttercream icing. Everything eaten by candlelight is more romantic, right? Tempting, but I think I'll pass. Funny thing is, I spent all that time in the kitchen, and now I do not feel like eating. I hate wasting food.

My Benetton Ad

2011-04-26T23:15:00.005+03:00

My Benetton Ad

I prepared Thai red curry tonight for the second and best time in my life. The curry paste makes all the difference. Fortunately the tub I found at a Cape Town Spar turned out to be pretty good. (I know, random). Unfortunately, it won't last forever, and curry paste is not so easily accessible in Kampala. Fortunately, I bought two tubs of paste in Cape Town, so I hope to host several curry dinners while I can. Tonight was a lovely success with two beautiful guests (Leo and Lynne, and we all realised that each one of us is one of six children. 666. Beastly, I'd say) who contributed spicy conversation to our already peppered meal.

During our meal, of course the topic of my recent participation in the Two Oceans Marathon came up. Ok, I admit to forcing the unsolicited viewing of my homemade video, but that's not where I'm heading with this narrative. Leo asked if there were any Ugandans running that day. At the International Friendship run on Friday, they announced that Uganda had four runners registered. Unfortunately, I did not meet any Ugandans during the run; however, I would have loved to.

During the International Friendship Run, a representative of each country ran with their country's flag. I did (kinda) meet the woman who ran with Uganda's flag.

She's the one in the green shirt. It's hard to see the flag, but look down by her leg.

Maybe I'm narrow minded, but I was surprised to see this mzungu woman representing Uganda in the run. I think I was even more surprised that I didn't know her. Kampala's not a huge city. The ex-pat community is not so large. The running community is even smaller, and the ex-pat running community, well, is a community I know well. And let's face it, I know a lot of people in Kampala. I might not be friends with you, but I usually know who you are from a distance. Or we have met and just didn't hit it off. I'd never seen this woman before in my life. That really sparked my curiosity. Robyn and I made our way over to meet this woman (because I'm so friendly... hahahaha!). We walked up the Ms. Uganda, and Robyn politely asked, "Are you running for Uganda?" The woman, looking annoyed, turned around huffed, "Yes." Then turned back to her friends and did not give us any notice.

Whoa!

Oyo mukazi ki akutte bendela?

I'm not going to make a public judgement here, I'm just going to attribute her response to pre-run nerves. We all get them right? But I'll admit to being put off and a bit annoyed, until I thought, "Hell, I'm here to have a good time, enjoy a new city and a fantastic, fun run."

It made me think back to when I was a Peace Corps volunteer sitting out in front of Kato's restaurant, having a conversation with him about one of his trips to Switzerland when he was in the business of textiles. He said no matter where he was, if he saw another African, he'd be so happy and go to meet them. His observation was that Europeans did not behave in the same way; they'd often ignore each other and not show signs of happiness to meet others. This situation would definitely prove his theory correct.

Oh well, her loss. I met some pretty terrific people over the past week, people from all over the world. It was like a picture-perfect Benetton ad, as was tonight's dinner: from diverse backgrounds, enjoying a delicious Thai dinner in Kampala, Uganda prepared by an American. Oh, and varying degrees of being clothed. Most importantly, we were all so very photogenic.

Bend Into Leaning

2011-04-25T22:15:00.004+03:00

Bend Into Leaning

Well, I'm home.

I succeeded in getting up at 4:15 this morning. My cab was on time this time: 5:00am pick up. My flight from Cape Town set off at 7:00am without a hitch. It was the 2:00pm departure from Jo'burg that gave a little hiccough. After boarding the plane it was announced that our take off would be delayed. Of the three toilets on board the aircraft, two of them were not working. Making a 4-hour flight with 2/3 of the toilets on the plane out of order would have turned into a very shitty situation. They kept us on the plane while they made the repairs, would not even let people disembark to use a toilet--saying that if people were let off the plane they wonder away and prolong the delay.

About an hour later, the problem with the toilets was rectified. And we were off: up, up and away!

The rest of my journey home was without event. Vincent was at the airport to pick me up. (Fortunately for him, I was able to shoot him an SMS to make him aware of the delay so he didn't waste time coming early to the airport.) There was a bit of traffic on Entebbe Road, which did slow us down a bit.

I'm home now.

Suddenly the raindrops that fall have a meaning.

I Dreamed of Jeanie

2011-04-24T19:46:00.007+03:00

I Dreamed of Jeanie

Today's journey took me to Stellenbosch for wine tasting. Wine is my second favourite export from Stellenbosch because they produce it oh so well. My favourite export from Stellenbosch, my absolute favourite is Jeanie J.

Stellen B. is Jeanie J. to me. XOXO! My life just wouldn't be the same.

The tour took us to the estates of Tokara, Muratie, Simonsig and Warwick. It was an entire-day outing, and today, of all the days I've been in the area, was the best for such a tour because the weather was rainy and cold. While the views from the vineyards were not as stunning as they might have been on a clearer day, being indoors with fires in fireplaces and sipping glasses of some spectacular red wines was a pretty good day to spend a cold, wet day in SA. We tasted some pretty good whites as well. I'm no connoisseur of wine, but I do aspire to one day be able to differentiate and identify the various scents and flavours influenced by nature and terroir that are captured by the vignerons, winewakers and vintners who then share them with us.

My little holiday is drawing to a close. I leave for the airport at 5:ooam. (This is the third time in the past seven days that I've had a 4:00am wake up. Ridiculous!) It's been a fabulous time with lots of memories made. However, I'm really looking forward to returning to Kampala and my wonderful peeps, including Jeanie J--hopefully accompanied by a nice glass of wine.

The Big Day: Two Oceans Marathon 2011, Cape Town, South Africa

2011-04-23T22:38:00.008+03:00

The Big Day: Two Oceans Marathon 2011, Cape Town, South Africa

I don't believe in omens, good or bad. If I did, I would have had serious doubts about the 21 kilometers I was planning to run this morning. In order to have plenty of time to get all sorted out at the starting site before the race, I was up at 4:00am (insanity, I know). The cab was ordered for 5:00am. Bad omen: he was 20 minutes late. Another piece of bad luck: we couldn't find the guy we were supposed to give a lift to the race site, so we ended up wasting even more time. Oh, and then because of our late departure for Newlands, we got caught in messy, slow-moving traffic. In the end, Robyn and I jumped out of the car and speed-walked down the hill to get to the starting line on time. We'd worked too hard preparing for today to let a series of unfortunate events keep us from achieving our moment. (Which was the theme for this year's marathon: This is your moment. Cue Whitney Houston... Give me one moment.... racing with destiny... Ok. Stop!)

The morning was cold. I was not fond of that. Guess what happens whenever over 14,000 bodies squash together in a confined area to push their way towards a starting line: it warms up. Yet another plus for body heat. Robyn and I did not have much time to get too cozy with our neighbours because we only made it to the starting area exactly one minute before the signal was given for the race to begin. ...And we were off... Kind of. We were only able to shuffle our way forward a bit and dance in place a lot (also helpful to keep warm when one is scantly dressed). 14,000 (+) people take up quite a bit of space and do not move quickly.

(At the starting line while waiting for the human mass to move forward)

Because of my seeding and late arrival to the venue, I was in the far, far back of the amoeba of people moving as one on the streets of Cape Town. I'd never been in such a crowded half-marathon before. I've only ever run the MTN half-marathon in Kampala two times, so that's not much experience. In Kampala, more than double the number of people opt for the 10km run than the 21km or the 42km runs. The number of participants in today's 21km race was comparable (but less, I believe) to the number that run the 10km in Kampala. After my experience with congestion on the run today, I can only imagine the chaos that occurred and the resulting frustration during the the infamous 2009 MTN Marathon. The streets stayed crowded this morning for the entire duration of the 21km run. It was not until after the first hour of the run that I finally gained enough freedom to move about and run as needed, and I was able to make up for a lot of lost time.

If I had to choose one word to sum up my experience with today's run, it would be inspiring. I was inspired by the positive energy the exuded from everyone and surrounded me. I was inspired by the encouragement we gave each other. The streets were lined with people clapping, cheering, playing instruments, beating frying pans, giving support. I was inspired by the level of fitness of so many thousands of people. There was an 82-year-old may running with us. I did not overtake a 70-year-old women until just meters before the finish line. I hope to achieve a similar level of fitness as I age. I was inspired by the progress I could feel that I've already made with my personal fitness. I felt so good along the route and ran more strongly than I ever have. Yes, it was an inspiring day.

(Running 'the world's most beautiful marathon')

I've officially competed in three half-marathons, and I've completed two full marathons, but it was not until the Two Oceans Marathon that I was awarded a participant medal at the finish line. What a fabulous, pleasant surprise! I am so proud of that medal. Getting here was not easy. I had to go outside of my comfort zone. But I didn't just step outside of it, I took a running start and did an olympic-distance long jump out of it. It was the first time I travelled a significant distance to compete in a race, and it was also the first time in a long time that I travelled on my own to an unfamiliar destination. I really do not love big crowds, yet I had to endure one when collecting a marathon kit and another one today at the start and, well, for pretty much the entire run and after. Overcoming my insecurities was worth it.

(Basking after the big finish)

I ran with my little Canon digital camera and filmed a few bits at the beginning, along the way and the finish line. I've pieced together a little video. I've blogged two times before about the power of Nicky Minaj when running. Today Kelis, Britney, Kanye and Lillian joined Nicky on my race-day playlist. Roman's Revenge is the soundtrack for my video. The footage is a bit shaky, Blair-Witch-Project-maybe-make-you-sick-when-watching shaky. Oh, and the language in the song is a bit rough, so beware if you have delicate ears. Enjoy!

My trip to Cape Town is not ever yet. Wine country is on the itinerary for tomorrow.

Robben with Robyn

2011-04-22T23:34:00.004+03:00

Robben with Robyn

Go ahead and laugh. I've been sitting on that alliterative pun all week, and I finally get to use it. Robyn finally arrived in Cape Town, and we've... well, walked a lot since said arrival. Tomorrow morning's the big run, and we both turned in for an early night. That 4:00am wake up will be sounded by an annoying alarm (which I'll probably sleep through) sooner than I'd like it. Unfortunately for me, I'm not sleeping; I'm blogging. However, I'm in bed, so that must count for something.

Before setting off on the boat for Robben Island, Robyn and I had a packed schedule today. First was the International Friendship Run, which set off from the V&A Waterfront and made a loop around the Cape Town Stadium to end up back at the Waterfront. There were more than 1000 runners from over 70 countries (more than double the number of countries represented at last year's Football World Cup, a good year for international exposure for South Africa). I was one of 195 Americans. Part of the run included a charity event at which we, participants in the run, took a break from running and distributed pairs of shoes to needed school children. The distribution of the shoes took place just outside the stadium.

My two home countries, the flags were appropriately set up side by side at the run's finish.

The visit to Robben Island was quite fascinating. It was more than I'd expected (there was a bus tour, then a walking tour), and it lasted more than 3 hours. While the island has a rather tainted past, it is a very lovely place; the view of Cape Town and Table Mountain from Robben Island is spectacular.

The prison is empty now and serves as a kind of museum. Past political prisoners serve as tour guides, and you cannot help but get an eerie feeling as you try to imagine the lives that were once lived within the thick stone and concrete walls and behind those bars.

There were no hot-crossed buns for me this Good Friday. There were not even any cupcakes that I planned for today because Charly's was closed. I did not even get to do the financial damaged I predicted at the marathon expo because all of my sized items had sold out by the time I went with Robyn to pick up her kit. For a few moments, Good Friday was not looking so good to me.

All it took was some fabulous food to prevent the sour mood from setting in. There will always be other fabulous cupcake shops, and saving my wallet today means it may live to shop another day!

Today's All About the Penguins

2011-04-21T23:19:00.014+03:00

Today's All About the Penguins

There's so much I could write about today. But I'm choosing to follow my mother's example and change the topic to avoid having to face issues that are truly unpleasant. D.E.N.I.A.L. Come on, Pollyanna, let's get this post together. If you feel let down by this avoidance of reality, feel free to visit www.montior.co.ug and imagine what I'd have to say. Today, it's all about the penguins.

During my first year of teaching at the elementary level (2005-2006), I did a unit with my students in American Samoa on penguins. We read Mr. Popper's Penguins (one of my all-time favourite books which I'm sorry to hear that it's been made into a film staring Jim Carrey), made posters to advertise a penguin show, researched different species of penguins around the world, watched March of the Penguins, and in PE we raced along the road carrying penguin eggs (aka rolled up socks) on the tops of our feet.

Everything we did was related to our investigation of penguins, and it was a very enjoyable learning experience... Well, at least for the teacher. One of my students chose the African penguin (also know as the black-footed penguin and once known as the jackass penguin because of the jackass-like noise that it makes) as her research topic. I'd never heard of penguins in Africa before, and I've been fascinated with them ever since.

When I decided to come to Cape Town for the Two Oceans Marathon, going to visit the penguins at Boulders Beach was high on my 'to do' list. Well, today I did it. The penguins were visited.

Figuratively ticking that item off of the proverbial list made me very happy.

As the penguins waddled around, I kept expecting Bert to jump out from behind one of the huge rocks and begin dancing with the little birds.

As it turned out, he didn't. No worries. It was still a 'lovely holiday', even without Bert.

More About Prices

2011-04-20T20:07:00.006+03:00

More About Prices

What a fabulous day I had it Cape Town today! Annika, it was a real pleasure to have lunch with you and catch up. Yes, you should definitely go for the 21km on Saturday!!!

I went to the Two Oceans Marathon Expo today at the Good Hope Center. Loved, loved, loved it! Fortunately, I had not exchanged money before going to pick up my running kits, so I could not succumb to temptation... No matter how much I wanted to. With prices beyond me current budget, I could only afford a chocochino today, but come Friday (when I return with Robyn), I might be reporting an entirely different story.

Annika picked me up from the Expo (it was raining cats and dogs at one point) and took me to a nearby bakery for lunch and a delicious gossip session. Charly's Bakery is like one of those bakeries you see on a TLC or FoodNetwork reality TV show. It's quite funky and colourful, and the food items deserve their reputation in Cape Town. Charly's quickly became my favourite place in town. With it's tasty baked goods and prestige, the prices are still very reasonable: cupcakes cost less than those of a Kampala joint I can think of whose quality just does not compare. I wonder if a couple of boxes of goodies from Charly's would survive a trip back to KLA???

Practically around the corner from the bakery is the District 6 Museum. Prior to this trip, I was not aware of District 6. I am so ignorant about so many topics. But I guess that's why I love to travel--to improve my awareness, knowledge, experience with, and understanding of topics, issues and circumstances in the world we live in. My, my, my, the visit to this museum really stressed my out and set my stomach acids a churning. And I believe that is a good thing.

District 6 is an example of the price that some people have been willing to pay for 'development'. District 6 is an example of a price that should never be paid for 'development'. I cannot even imagine what it must have been like to be displaced in such a way--a refugee in one's own country, not fleeing war or natural disaster--to make space for 'developments' you were never intended to enjoy. Sobering.

From the museum, I wondered to the National Art Gallery. On my way there, I stopped by a fantastic independent bookshop that inspired and helped clarify an ambition I carry around with me.

Besides some of the permanent pieces on display, the gallery was showcasing photographs by Ernest Cole. Cole, from Pretoria, was South Africa's first black freelance photographer who moved to New York in the 1960s--exile, a price he paid to express what he needed. Cole published the controversial House of Bondage (which is a book I'd love to have if you're looking for gift ideas), a stark look at Apartheid in black and white, in 1967.

This was my favourite photo of the exhibition. The look in his eyes and sweat; he's determined to learn and get the hell out of his current situation.

Humiliation: at times the price of survival.

I found this photo to be the most disturbing of the exhibition.

Art is often considered a luxury, and having the luxury of a national gallery in which to treasure and exhibit art for the benefit of others now and in the future can only be done when a country:

a) values art;

b) is not paying high prices for other priorities.

Tomorrow's priority is penguins.