No really - I am 28

It's already the month of May. I have been spending my week days creating user guides and spent half of the time training the SACCO employees. Everyday the bank manager shakes my hands and tells me that they will benefit greatly from the training. I think the manager is ever so grateful after finding out that the training course for the bank software costs $300 USD a day. Of course the software license costs $2,000. It sorta reminded how SAP and Oracle works where they sell the software for cheap and make bulk of the profit by "consulting" for their clients.

Speaking of the banking software, I found out that my grant proposal was turned down as FSD deemed it too "infrastructural." I found it ironic that FSD was paying salesforce.com tens of thousands dollars to "automate" its system but $1,000 grant request for the microfinance institutions lacked a business case for automation.

Shrug. You win some and of course you lose some. It's definitely a shame.

On a more bright note, I was walking up to town with Scott and his host brother Patrick who is 17. Patrick was complaining that he needed to have a stable job so that he can find himself a nice girlfriend. I asked Patrick if there was a certain age when Ugandans should get married and he replied that there wasn't any specific age.

J: Hey, so how old do I look?
Patrick: Which one? This one? (pointing at me)
Scott: Yes, this one.
Patrick: Hmmm... 21 or 22?
J: Nope try again.
Patrick: Huh? No way. 24
J: Nope older..
Patrick: Oh my god. Uh uh. You can't be serious.
J: Oh I'm serious.
Patrick: 26?
J: Older
Patrick: That's crazy. 27.
J: I am 28.
Patrick: How many kids do you have?
J: Oh I have eight.
Patrick: Oh, ok.

Here it is more believable to say I have eight kids than that I am 28. 

Living in Uganda - Update

I haven't updated the blog in some time... There has been a number of reasons for this.

First, right now Uganda is in the middle of rainy / monsoon season. Every morning I wake up to the sound of cacophony of rain drops pounding against the tin roof of my house. Imagine having a two year old banging a spoon against a metal pot. You probably think that's cute. But multiply that sound by ten-fold. Yes, it's very, very loud.

Rain means two things. First the electricity has 50 / 50 chance of going out. I have never heard the official explanation but I suspect that the rain means power lines get cut here and there thanks to fallen trees. Thanks to that I often sit in the office without power and lights. In addition, when it rains people do not go outside and everyone waits for the rains to stop.

Also, I have been heads down writing a grant proposal for my organization, South Buganda Teachers' SACCO. When I had arrived here, the manager had asked me to train them on this microbanking software. The organization had apparently paid $2,750 USD to purchase 3 used computers and this software but last week I discovered that the copy was actually a trial copy that was downloaded from the internet. So I decided to apply for a grant to purchase an actual licensed copy. After a week I finally completed the 10 page grant proposal and submitted it an hour ago.

On a side note, today people are waiting to watch the second leg of the UEFA Championship game between Lyon and Bayern. A typical scene involves a crowd of 100 gathered around a 22 inch CRT TV and stay glued to the TV until the last whistle blows. I'm going to pass and sleep early tonight so I can watch the Barcelona / Inter game tomorrow.

"It's Over" the Sequel

I just remembered a sequel story to the “It’s Over” entry I had posted earlier.

Maurice, our waiter at Bananah Chick, is a young guy in late teens who loves the Arsenal football team. We trade jokes and banter around whenever I run into him. Fennie, Scott, and I had swung by one night to catch the Real Madrid game on TV and grab something to eat. Maurice greeted me by shouting “Jay! From China!” I of course told him he looked Kenyan.

As we started to order our food Maurice rattled off which items were “over” in an animated fashion. Every time we asked for something that was unavailable, he would slap his hand against his head and groan “My God, that’s out too.”

Fennie had asked for some scrambled eggs and Maurice responded by telling her that it was “finished”. Hearing this expression for the first time, we asked if “finished” meant “over.” He nodded head and rattled off an encounter he had with few Germans few months back...

These Germans wanted to order some sausages that were listed on the menu. Maurice told them that “sausages are finished” but Germans mistook it for sausages being ready to be served . After thirty minutes, the Germans were livid from waiting.
German: Where are the sausages?
Maurice: It’s finished.
German: I know it’s finished so where is it?
Maurice: Not here.
German: What? Are you telling me that you don’t have sausages?
Maurice: Oh my God, Yes. That’s why I said it’s finished.

We all thought this was pretty hilarious.

"It's Over"

In the town of Masaka which is located about 15 minutes away from my host family's house, there are exactly two places that you can get "mzungu" foods. One is called Ten Tables which serves the typical steak and potatoes affair with the higher price and another is called Bananah Chick that serves omelettes, french toast, and fries.

Most foreigners congregate at Bananah Chick because of its central location and cheaper prices. Often we as a group go around past seven to grab something quick to eat. As it happens, I went to grab something to eat.

Bananah Chick's menu is short and simple featuring misspelled words:

• Scrambled Eggs
• Spanish Omelettes (eggs + vegetables)
• French Toast
• Slice of bread with Jam or Butter
• Samosas (vegetable + beef)
• Courted (quartered) chips (potatoes)
• Fried Chips (potatoes)
• Fried Fish

Doesn't offer a plethora of choices but it's a nice diversion away from rice and carb-heavy diets. Often the conversation with the servers go like this:

Me: Can I get a menu?

Server: Here it is.

Me: Umm, can I get a French Toast with Fried Chip?
Server: Umm sorry but French Toast and Fried Chips are over.
Me: Oh, okay... let me get some samosas - do you have vegetable ones?
Server: Umm sorry but samosas are also over.
Me: Hmm, how about beef samosas?
Server: They are also over.
Me: Shoot then what's available?
Server: We have fried fish and scrambled eggs.
Me: Oh good. I'll get scrambled eggs.

five minutes later...

Server: I'm sorry but the scrambled eggs are now over.
Me: Is there anything left?
Server: We only have slice of bread with butter and not with jam.
Me: Fine I'll take that.

Although, this sounds fictional, the conversation above takes place every time. Service here is like a box of chocolates - you'll never know what you'll get until you ask.

Living in Uganda

For once, here’s more of what I have experienced here in Uganda.

Living in Uganda
After I had landed in Kampala, my volunteer group had a chance to visit Makerere University which was a boda ride away from the city center. Makerere University was established in 1922 and is the oldest university in the Eastern Africa. We toured the campus and met friends of my staff/guide who were attending there…

Few days later, we drove from Kampala to Masaka where I am residing now. About half way through our 3 hour drive, we reached the Equator – Masaka is located about half a degree south of the Equator.

As seen in the picture below, there were three funnels – each located in the northern and southern side of the equtor as well as one on the Equator. We poured water and saw that water spun counterclockwise on the southern side and clockwise on the northern side…

The town of Masaka is a small town seen here – you can run into cows, storks, goats, etc while trotting around the area. You will also run into lots of schools housing tons of kids who call out “mzungu” every time you pass by.

And often times you see on the walls of schools there are slogans like this:

This is unfortunately due to the high rate of HIV / AIDS so it’s not uncommon to see ads that talk about “breaking the sexual network and living a healthy happy life.”

Here is my organization – FSD - which is located in the town.

My local FSD staff – Sarah – working hard here.

Here is where I live with my host family – awesome house that would be even better if it had a running water and in door bathroom….

Security in Uganda

In general, Uganda is very safe and crime consists of theft and pick pocketing. However recommendation is that you don’t travel late at night – here you will find street lights do not exist. Popular Nokia phones have an LED light built in…

On the third day here, we were negotiating a ride on a boda when my guide had his bag pack unzipped – he chased after him and tackled him to the ground… at which point the crowd came out to administer mob justice. Here due to a lack of strong rule of law, people become vigilantes and act accordingly. Often the thieves who get caught will be severely beaten, and some die. Our thief fortunately weaseled his way out and disappeared.