As a lot of you know, I love to celebrate my birthday. What can I say? I think it's worth celebrating the beginning of a new year in your life, especially if you are happy with where you are in your life or where you are hoping to go. You know? I think everyone should celebrate big...but to each their own:). Usually I would have jumped at the chance to celebrate all weekend...with my birthday on Thursday and St. Patty's Day today, it all just blends together for 5 days of fun (if you have the energy!). But this year was much much quieter than all of my other birthdays...and still very nice. I was taken to a local restaurant/bar to enjoy my first African/Ugandan beer...fittingly a Nile Special; and received 2 necklaces, one each from the 2 colleagues who took me out. It was a very nice night and very appreciated that they took the time to hang out with me!
For the weekend, I decided to head to Kampala to check out it's infamous (or notorious) nightlife. Staying with a a friend of a friend, Gerold, I had the chance to meet several of his friends...all foreigners/expats...and get a taste of their Kampala life. We enjoyed some gin and tonics (yum!), some dancing, some great food (I indulged in many foods that are unavailable to me in Lyantonde such as Italian, Chinese, and lots of beef/meat!), one of the popular casinos (I played pontoon, the Ugandan version of blackjack), we visited an orphanage which was amazing (the kids were all sooo smiley and happy; i fell in love with little Victor pictured above), and I even caught Charlie Wilson's War at the theatre. It was a wonderful escape from rural life, but I was so excited to get back here to the farm. It's seems that it will be important for me to find a balance between my rural life in Lyantonde/working with RACOBAO and exploring the country and meeting other foreigners. It just helps to have a sense of familiarity every once and a while...it's rejuvenating and, I think, necessary.
For the weekend, I decided to head to Kampala to check out it's infamous (or notorious) nightlife. Staying with a a friend of a friend, Gerold, I had the chance to meet several of his friends...all foreigners/expats...and get a taste of their Kampala life. We enjoyed some gin and tonics (yum!), some dancing, some great food (I indulged in many foods that are unavailable to me in Lyantonde such as Italian, Chinese, and lots of beef/meat!), one of the popular casinos (I played pontoon, the Ugandan version of blackjack), we visited an orphanage which was amazing (the kids were all sooo smiley and happy; i fell in love with little Victor pictured above), and I even caught Charlie Wilson's War at the theatre. It was a wonderful escape from rural life, but I was so excited to get back here to the farm. It's seems that it will be important for me to find a balance between my rural life in Lyantonde/working with RACOBAO and exploring the country and meeting other foreigners. It just helps to have a sense of familiarity every once and a while...it's rejuvenating and, I think, necessary.
So now, it is back to work...I realized while away that I only have 3 months left and with all that I hope to do with RACOBAO and exploring the country/region...I have to really get on it! So, now that I am adjusted to my new environment, I will start getting more involved with the work and begin to plan my different trips which include Lake Mburo Nat'l Park b/c it's only 30 km away and there are ZEBRAS; Queen Elizabeth Nat'l Park; Jinja for white water rafting on the Nile, a must do; and a trip to Murchison Falls in the north...lots of wildlife and country to be seen in all of these trips! Can't wait:).
I hope you're all wonderful! Lots of love...
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