Driving in Kampala is a little like taking a bath with a thousand daggers. You can't avoid getting nicked, you just try to make it through without getting sawed in half. My newest baby is the Toyota hatchback that - Inshallah - will save me from a boda boda injury/heart attack the next nine months. There are ancillary costs involved with having a car here - gas, maintenance, bribery, pot hole anger, traffic, bribery...making it through an errand without raising the blood pressure is really difficult.
I'm also paranoid about car theft, car jacking, slashed tires, and general envy that is already facing me from having something that most people around here don't. It worries me. But then again, I think about early December, winter break, Africa by overland, and my heart gets racing again. This time in a good way. Adventure. Savanna, mountain rivers, gas stoves, firewood, campgrounds, hippo songs, mating calls, sunrises, and I get excited.
Not much has changed here. I did a workshop for scholarship winners at the embassy last week that went swimmingly. Ten students for a power point presentation on the college personal statement, SAT essays, and the academic essay.
This is week four in the academic semester and we've finally got full turn out in both my classes. Students are nice, interested, curious, and willing to learn, so far.
The rainy season is definitely here...has been since I arrived, really. Cooler temperatures too. Dan has been planting peas in the garden. Lots of weavers around the house. Haven't seen any monkeys in a couple weeks but I'm sure they're around. There is word that the house next to me is about to be converted into campus security, which would either make me a) even safer, or b) completely vulnerable.
Great additions this year to the house include:
a) starbucks ready brew packets.
b) Big 5 pull-up bar that acts as my home gym
c) head lamp (for those unexpected power outages at 7pm)
d) the new novels and literature anthologies (thank you, Uncle Dick, Barb, Lenna, and Paul)
e) the DVD player
f) the DVDs (thank you, Paul)
That's about all I can think of for now.
I'm also paranoid about car theft, car jacking, slashed tires, and general envy that is already facing me from having something that most people around here don't. It worries me. But then again, I think about early December, winter break, Africa by overland, and my heart gets racing again. This time in a good way. Adventure. Savanna, mountain rivers, gas stoves, firewood, campgrounds, hippo songs, mating calls, sunrises, and I get excited.
Not much has changed here. I did a workshop for scholarship winners at the embassy last week that went swimmingly. Ten students for a power point presentation on the college personal statement, SAT essays, and the academic essay.
This is week four in the academic semester and we've finally got full turn out in both my classes. Students are nice, interested, curious, and willing to learn, so far.
The rainy season is definitely here...has been since I arrived, really. Cooler temperatures too. Dan has been planting peas in the garden. Lots of weavers around the house. Haven't seen any monkeys in a couple weeks but I'm sure they're around. There is word that the house next to me is about to be converted into campus security, which would either make me a) even safer, or b) completely vulnerable.
Great additions this year to the house include:
a) starbucks ready brew packets.
b) Big 5 pull-up bar that acts as my home gym
c) head lamp (for those unexpected power outages at 7pm)
d) the new novels and literature anthologies (thank you, Uncle Dick, Barb, Lenna, and Paul)
e) the DVD player
f) the DVDs (thank you, Paul)
That's about all I can think of for now.
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