Uganda

The minute I stepped off the plane and smelt that familiar burning trash smell I knew I was back in Africa. This time though, stepping into the taxi on the “passenger” side, I realized I was in a different region, because that’s where the driver sits (I continue to screw that up). The British colonial system of driving on the left seems strange, and so does hearing English (I’ve only previously visited French speaking African countries). Just 5 days after arriving, I also have realized how hard it is to get around the bustling and sprawling city of Kampala. Biking will not be an option, walking is too far, and driving a car, while possible, is pretty scary around here with the amount of people going everywhere every which way at most hours during the day. So I’ll take the infamous boda boda for now, which is also pretty scary, but maybe my best option to get around.

I did not have the chance to get over jet lag as I started at my new position at Fenix International the very next morning after I arrived this past Sunday late-night. I’ve been living at the office in a guest room while I get my bearings. It’s a very interesting eclectic group of new co-workers. Some are British, some are Ugandan, and a few of us are from the States. Several staff, both U.S. and surprisingly Ugandan, are really into ultimate Frisbee, which I joined in for a pick-up game. It felt sort of surreal playing ultimate Frisbee in Uganda and then people talked about getting pizza after the game and I for a minute forgot where I was. Some moments it feels like I am just in any other metropolitan area minus the crazy animals and dust everywhere.

I did my first “road” trip the last two days for work going to the lovely city of Jinja (yes sounds like Ninja), where the river Nile ends (or rather the source is found, which is weird because every other river in the world flows in the opposite direction I think). I had a crazy 2 days – went to an enormous sugar plantations owned by some Indians, a Virginian missionary’s house, met a hunched back crazy old Jewish white dude who was convinced he’d met my co-worker somewhere (he hadn’t), got  a flat tire driving with my co-workers several hours in the bush, went to a club where no one danced -dozens of Ugandans were there staring at the England-Brazil friendly soccer match, ate some amazing local food and then some amazing Indian cuisine another night, and drove for hours on some of the bumpiest worst roads to get to these tiny villages to talk to them about the Ready Set.

Overall, things are going well, but I have no idea where I’m going to live yet and I have very little orientation of this city yet. What makes matters worse in part is that the numbers for street addresses in Kampala are not necessarily in order (2, 3, 4, etc.). Much more to write but I’m off to explore Friday night in Kampala…Oh, and a monkey walked by my desk the other day (it’s a half inside/half outside cool type of office).