I want to talk about road rage. I've recently decided to be bothered to get a driving license, and I'm already feeling impatient on the road. Slow pedestrian? Pensioner? They'll have me huffing impatiently. In Kampala, the roads are terrible. Minivans, cars and motorbikes squeeze into every inch. There aren't many rules. Except decide where you want to go, and then GO! Perhaps the sheer futility of road rage has resulted in the apparent low levels. I can barely get through a bus journey without irritably tapping my fingers against the side. I wish a Ugandan could come and drive on UK roads. I'm sure they'd love it. They have the patience of a saint, seemingly, and when I get back to the UK perhaps I'll be more patient just by thinking well, at least it's not like in Kampala.
I went back to Nando's, the car park shack, for lunch today. A rolex - egg rolled up in chapatti. Yum yum. I got talking with a man, Elijah. He told me about Uganda's seasons. The year starts off with the 'dry season', which isn't too hot. Then it becomes the 'wet season', which is it now. Then it becomes the 'hot season' which is 'too hot!' apparently. This is the season I experienced when I came 5 years ago. I remember the hot, stuffy nights. I liked it though. Then lastly it is the 'cold season', which is 'too cold!'.
In the back of my mind, I'm still thinking about everything Lawrence explained yesterday about slum living. I'm still thinking about Pauline. Background work as I sit outside and prepare my documents for data analysis.
I went to the shopping centre in Kampala today, to buy essentials. Mangoes, an avocado, french beans, onions, ketchup, tomato sauce. I found a recipe for tuna. Tomato sauce, chilli powder, onions, salt, pepper, garlic, then throw in the pasta and tuna. I'll try it for lunch tomor....NO I'M NOTTTTTT I'M HAVING LUNCH WITH ZEKE TOMORROW EEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was my first trip to the centre since the US embassy warning released 2 days ago. I'm going to avoid the centre at weekends. Except church, I'm still going to go to church. Now I understand why security is so high compared to 5 years ago.
I haven't been able to shake off my ponderings over the slums and all that jazz. I've been seeking time alone just to grapple with stuff. Is it just me who needs time alone to think about hard stuff when it comes up, or do other people feel like this too?? If you do things differently, do share :) Im starting to think my approach isnt logical, because 2 heads are better than one!
This evening i thought id be more sociable, so I hung around with a fun lot. They told me about how they'd run over a goat in Malawi, had to buy it off the owner, had to cut its head off because the owner wanted to cook it, and then put it on their bicycle and eventually ate it! Then there was a REALLY annoying guy who started talking really illogically about development, basically saying western people shouldnt go into slums and tell people that education is good or that they should find a job, 'if they are perfectly happy sitting under a tree doing nothing'. he was talking about the main argument for getting a job is 'to be better than your neighbour'. I don't know what kind of crap he is talking about. I told him to go and visit the slums and assured him that they wouldn't be perfectly happy in their unemployed situation. I tried to talk about how income brings the freedom to do what you want to, such as go to school, buy healthcare, and so on, and mentioned armatya sen's argument in 'development as freedom' which he snubbed, at which point i got fed up, but he left, luckily. He also said he doesn't understand ugandan culture or experiences. he's been here for a year and a half..has he not listened to anyone?! Sorry if im making things really simple, but surely to understand something you ask questions and listen?
So, I was annoyed, i went to the bar and I met a retired UK clinical psychologist who lectures in the uni and trains students at the nearby psychiatric hospital. We shared a mixture of cynicism and appreciation for qualitative research. The odd combination of finding something both useful and exhasperatingly futile. He has a son who is a 5th yr at manchester, and has applied for a grant from the UK medical research council to do a masters next year. I was really glad to hear about that! I had no idea that was available to us. Anyway, we spoke about psychology. It seems he eventually burnt out after 30yrs, and cant hack working with patients anymore so is just an academic now. I dont blame him. I think i'd last 2 days as a psychologist. I don't know how you're meant to listen to everyones terrible stories and not burn out?! He mentioned there is a great medical organisation in mbale which is really slick and i should visit it - he's going to give me the contacts. I'm excited for it, id like to go. he said his son wants to do a masters in stem cell research and 'growing kidneys' instead of using immunosuppressants for kidney transplants. he wasnt sure about this, saying it was all rather futuristic, but i said that without people like his son then medicine wouldn't really advance would it? He said his other son had studied international development but now didn't want to have anything to do with it because he's become really cynical about the whole thing. yes, its a temptation and a risk. I think the trick is to see the good things amongst the shit things that goes on, and to know that its all worth it even if just for those small good things. You won't find that line on good quotes ;) unsurprisingly.
Then i spoke to Lawrence. we are both really excited for tomorrow! im excited because im seeing zeke, and hes excited because its his day off and he's going to see the kids at compassion.
Ok friends, i'm off to bed! for the last day of waiting for the best day ever!!
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