November 2009

The moon is huge, full outside. In a sky that is touched by its silvery light, soft darkness.

I am seated at home. Just finished a big supper. Full, sated. Happy.
We had a visitor, a friend. He has escorted him. And, I have just come in.

The day has been turbulent for me. Emotions edgy, brittle; I found that I was too incensed by bill related things.
I have to admit, I am human. And, I am doing lots of pulling and pushing. Far above my capacity. That is what is wrong with causes. One can be so completely absorbed that one forgets to live.

So, today, even though the Monitor had the reaction to the bill as front page news, I didn’t post it. It was a defence, of Uganda under attack, by foreigners. Normally, I would have been my cutting self. This time, I felt exhausted, on a Monday morning, with an uphill fight that I am convinced I cannot win.

Yet I fight, because I must. Lying down to die is not an option.

A meeting in the morning. World AIDS Day tomorrow, I missed an interview.

This enlighting stuff is brought to you by:

We, the people who light up Uganda with electricity, the people who looked at all that water in the Nile and while tourists ooohed and aaahed, we went to work to squeeze that free resource through some tube-like devices, and we made Electricity…Yes, we did. Brilliant us…We also control productivity; in ALL senses. Yes, when factories burgeon, it is because we have hearts, we let them do their thing…And when we turn the lights down low(we love Lauryn Hill btw), when we turn the lights low, or switch them off all-together, we furnish another kind of productivity (wink wink)…there are now about 31 million Ugandans, thanks to us, and to alcohol and many intarekcho socio-economic reasons…but mainly thanks to us. You all know how you like to get oogy woogy when we do our thing..And many big shots in town have our hot line; they call us up when they need to get into compromising, ahem, situations and we do the load-shedding.

 

This is inspired by this post by one of my fav people..and a bit of encouragement by this poet right here..(yes click and read..and be in happiness..)

Food mojo is back!!! Woop! Yes it may be inspired by some interesting people..but whatever the case may be..it is back..I’m learning to make chappoz..(yes find me  on twitter and my twit pics and be amused). The first ones were hard..but slowly and surely, I’m getting there..they get softer and peelable by the day!!! Actually find myself making proper food most days…which is a contrast from my days of eating bread like I’m being paid…

New music…lemme just post some pics of my new favourites:

N’dambi….The Pink Elephant album…plus I love her big hair!!

It is a common practice that many Ugandans in the Diaspora trek home to cerebrate the Christmas festivals with the families. Therefore this year’s Conference code named “Home is the Best Summit -3” will be held in Lira on 23rd December 2009, Kampala on 29th to 30th December 2009, and Mbale on 4th January 2010. Home is the Best Summit - 3 because it will be the third Conference to organise under such a theme.

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Forget about loveforget hateforget hurtforget her. Forget about rejectionforget heartbreakforget loneliness

"And the parched ground shall become a pool." Isaiah 35:7We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in us, then is the time that Satan comes in with his temptations, and we are apt to say it is no use to go on. Instead of the vision becoming real, there has come the valley of humiliation. "Life is not as idle ore,But iron dug from central gloom,And batter'd by the shocks of doomTo shape and use."God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience. Think of the enormous leisure of God! He is never in a hurry. We are always in such a frantic hurry.

I just listened to a great report on 60 Minutes about how gold miners and smugglers are financing the continuing war in the DRC. How Gold Pays For Congo's Deadly War The price of gold set another all-time record this past week. There's demand for gold for investments, for circuits in cell phones and computers, and, in this holiday season, for jewelry. But there's another price being paid for gold that you probably haven't heard about. Gold and other minerals are funding the deadliest war since World War II. More than five million people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Years ago, the jewelry industry banned the trafficking in so-called blood diamonds, but the same hasn't happened with gold.

I have just completed Dan Browns First book Angels and Demons (prequel to The Da vinci code) featuring Historian Robert Langdon. Ok i know i am late at this but i have a perfect explanation to dissuade anyones perked interests in my 'slackery' Most of my friends read the two books already, but hey, i was brought up catholic, and have always had an innate lethargy when it comes to reading conspiracy buff's theories. That said however, i tend to understand why Browns books have sold millions of copies - 'the da vinci code' for example sold millions of copies when it just got released years ago. i think Browns books give some sort of release to those who have always battled with the theory presented in the Bible about the dawn of humanity and all, the story of Jesus et al, more so those who - fraught with mishaps in their lives - have been deigned to present a cynicism of the whole concept of christianity. i stand firm and believe.

I kept looking at her from the corner of my eye.

This post is possibly related to one of those escapades that seem to derail me off balance. Things that want to stick by me and stay with me. The thorough thought of it makes me want to get a stick shove it right through my intestines and pluck out that piece of the grasshopper leg that I swallowed. I belch. Disgusting I know. That’s it. I think am too high on those grasshoppers. Yummy. I have too many of them.

I am

seated in the living room sofa. The door, the windows are open, and the clean clear air spills into the room.

Music, slow, steady, one of  last decade’s hits. Ronan Keating’s remix ‘When you say nothing at all’ on Capital FM. That station is hoarse. Don’t know why, the reception at my place is not so good. But, that is the one I want.

But, wanted to tell you of the sun kissing the leaves outside. Gold light on the deep green of leaves. Banana sail fronds lazily flapping in the skies. Peace, quiet. Except for the high voices of happy children playing.

A day for god’s own creation. True, I am feeling good. Very, very good.

Nothing like a long night asleep in my lover’s arms to wipe out a long grumpy day. To make all things right.

Soon, very soon, I will be going out to roam the city. Oh, he is off on his own. Sometimes it is better not to ask….. Spilling too many secrets here, aren’t I?

Bet I have intrigued you.

Want to share photos I took today.

good evening ladies and gentlemen….there’s over 300 million pounds worth of artillery on display in the majestic nou camp…..the pitch is littered with talent, bucket loads of the stuff. kaka…is not easy!

Thanksgiving break has been awesome! Five days all to myself? No interruptions, beautiful quiet– YES! Fist pumping the air! It took me about 17 hours to get my old braids out [7.00 p.m Friday to 11.30 a.m Saturday], but no matter– I had the time and the inclination, plus I had TV. Any of y’all remember Silver Spoons? Hilarious show!
Anywho, I had everything set up real nice: hair appointment at Lucky’s African Hair Braiding Salon out on Jamaica, got my laundry did and my room cleaned up. I showed up at the salon at 4 on the dot, just rearing to go. Dreadlocks! Whatagwan!
The sense of nostalgia that hit me as I walked in almost bowled me over. The plywood boards on the floor lifted up on one end when you stepped too heavily on the other end. The TV was placed smack dab in the middle of the salon–at an elevated spot, of course.

We the people of Uganda are hereby registering our complaint and protest regarding the authoritarian style of governance with which the 23 year, sitting executive, is running the country with all the semaphores of an impending civil war.
We are vehemently protesting President Yoweri Museveni’s, intent of running the nation of Uganda in an authoritarian manner. He has broken away [...]

Actually, think about it, and it is. A Golden Chance.

Opportunism is not a bad thing, but liberal thinkers take time to grasp it like conservatives would do....

Hello folks, This was yet another long weekend in kampala as Friday was a public holiday in honour of Eid Aduha a day when muslims worldwide celebrate by sacrificing animals. Animal rights activists must have been turning in their graves. Those alive must be admitted in hospitals on drip since many innocent creatures were murdered. On my part,  I celebrated Friday by taking my family out to Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort to chill. Upon arrival, we met the Ihas. Joseph Iha works as the General Manager/Credit with Equity Bank (U) Ltd. His wife Elizabeth and two of their children; Will and Ted came to visit him since it was a long weekend and they were celebrating their anniversary on Saturday (yesterday). We ate fish after which the two families went about on a boat ride to take a tour around the Munyonyo area. It was quite an interesting experience and much appreciated by everybody. The highlight of our boat ride was the sight of local fishermen who have since turned to sand mining.

din't think i could let the month go by just like that, with hardly any more than 4 posts, now could i? It's been a hectic month and my mind and fingers along with the pens...key boards have had a hard time coordinating to produce anything magical or worth reading , so my brain has stored all that i hoped to write and i hope that when this season of business in someway becomes manageable (coz i see myself busier) then i guess i shall put something down worth guzzling.)not forgettingmy Literature teacher passed on... i recieved the message with shock and memories of her flashed before my eyes in little snapshots, snap!playing scrabble at her home after running out of school to avoid being dragged onto the field for 100metre runs on the shool's sports day with her daughter, who taught me to be a rebel.snap!

Sir Loin, fiercest bull in all of Bundibugyo District, died in his pasture of complications of a septic knee joint Saturday night. He was four (maybe).

Sir Loin, widely known for his strength and savagery, was most highly regarded for his studmuffin, chick magnet abilities. The husband of DMC (Dairy Milk Chocolate) and the father of a Gernsey exotic known as "Truffle", he left his genetic mark on a district with few true blue-bloods.

His owner, Dr. Myhre, dragged his 900 pound carcass to the nearest trash pit with his truck and pushed him in with the help of six strong men.

On November 26, 2009, Museveni’s Langi  minister of Lands, Omara Atubo, told a symposium on decentralization, women land rights and citizenship in Kampala, that: “His highness the Kabaka stopped being the Ssabataka when he was given the 360 square miles by the British.”  Milton Obote’s kinsman did not explain to the meaning what the word “Ssabataka” means. Omara Atubo is Museveni’s current point man in the NRM campaign to put the control of the majority of Buganda land in the hands of Banyankore, Banyarwanda, Bakiga and other foreigners. In private, like Milton Obote and Yoweri Museveni, Omara Atubo is known to passionately despise Baganda. According to a reliable source: “Omara Atubo has only UPC blood in his and veins the idea of working for a Munyarwanda, Museveni. However, because he hates Baganda so much, he is willing to work with devil to destroy the Kabaka.” What our source told us is consistent with another statement that Atubo made on Novermber 26, 2009.

This morning we moved RMS: shifted our missionary-kid school from a half of a former girls' dorm at Christ School, up to a vacant mission house (the former Tabb house). This will free up space at CSB for more teacher housing. And it will make use of a very spacious home that SIL graciously allowed us to inherit. There is a whole library-room for books, and probably three times as much space inside and ten times as much outside as we had before. We are so grateful.
From the Lee and Herron days, through the Leary, Tabb, and Myhre era on to the Massos and Barts, Fillyaws, Pierces . . .we've accumulated a serious number of books and great curriculum and resources. But moving it all is quite a monumental task. Ashley and the other teachers worked hard to organize for weeks, but the final effort would have taken us days instead of hours were it not for the willing and able teens we are blessed to have around. Fourteen boys and Julia, to be precise.

Have you ever been late for a meeting, ever needed to carry a cow for the smallest penny, ever needed to fly through traffic like it never was, ever wanted to sit really close to your loved one? All this is simply a roadside away! Yes, that’s how easy it can get! Exclusive for the small ones: If you are not cautious, you get thrown off during the ride and… still have to pay if you are not out of sight! Piece of advice: Before you sit turn his side mirror to face you!!! Safe journey or rather enjoy your flight! Esther Gensi

Overcast. A Saturday

Am recovering from last night. Sadly, I am also at work...! Sometimes the guilty are punished multiple times.
Yesterday was Eid day. A public holiday. And, well, we went out. And, I went dancing, while he kind of disagreed with my schedule. So, since it was my schedule, I went ahead to act stupidly.... Only excuse is that I am also human. Oh well, we live and learn. Again.
Now, the head seems sort of light, and I am in need of water, and some extra hours in bed. But, I have to soldier through the day.
To our running topic...
I have to say that I still expect the bill to be passed. We have about one chance in 100 to have it stopped. Or stalled. And, how can we achieve that? International condemnation. Pressure on the religious heads who dare to advocate genocide. And, if the Ugandan medics dare come out and take a stand. The latter is almost impossible to achieve. They are also homophobic. It is an unpopular topic.

This morning, at 6am, my phone started ringing.I tried to ignore it but it was insistent. I finally got up and looked to see it was my friend, Monique, calling.I picked up and said, "Are you crazy? I am not getting up this early to talk to you unless you have discovered some growth of an unspecified nature or have just been visited by Martians...otherwise, forget it!"She laughed her perfectly dismissible French laugh and said, "Today, I made a bastilla!"I sat up and tried to clear my head. This was a big announcement.