New Year's Eve in Africa

Today was an early morning: we left for the Kampala market at 6 am. We first visited the outdoor market where dozens of people were selling their crafts. Holly and I learned the art of bartering and we bought a lot of stuff for a lot less than it would cost in the U.S. For example I purchased handmade beaded necklaces for 1,000 shillings which is around 40 cents. We saw a lot of different crafts and got some good ideas to bring to the village on Sunday. We bought some sample crafts to show the men of the village to get them more active in our program.

We then went to another market that was a little more upscale. Every vendor had their own booth and there was slightly more variety. Still we did not purchase much more since it was more expensive but I did buy a walking stick and a magnet (I have to collect a magnet for every place I have been).

We went back to the Adonai House, packed the car and had lunch before leaving for Mbarara. We stopped at the equator along the way where we were shown the Coriolis Effect, where water flows counterclockwise south of the equator, clockwise north and straight down on the equator. We stopped at the equator cafe and I had a banana muffin (very good) and Uganda coffee (not so good - but then again I do not like my coffee that strong). We continued to Mbarara and arrived around 8 pm.

We ate dinner at the Lake View Resort where residents were celebrating the new year with live music. It was very similar to an American celebration although people were sitting in chairs and not dancing which surprised me. We (the five team members, Charles and Christopher) had a very nice dinner with more traditional Ugandan foods. We celebrated Sue's birthday at dinner and presented her a card that Holly and Ashley made and a balloon. It may not sound like much but you have work with what you have!

One thing that has impressed me a lot is how hospitable the Ugandans are. For example tonight we arrived at the Hotel Serene (where we are spending the night) and we found that the computer room was closed. All I did was ask and the employees opened it up just for me. I think this is especially impressive since the new year is only 15 minutes away here in Uganda. The team is not celebrating it too much - we had a pretty long day.

Tomorrow we are leaving Mbarara around 10 to go to the wedding. We will then travel to Kabale and settle into the hotel we will be staying at for the next few days. On Sunday we will be attending a three hour church service in Muko and then will be singing at another gathering. Luckily the other four team members are good singers so my nails-on-a-chalk-board style of singing will be drowned out.

I hope you all are having a wondering New Year's! One last thing: I would like to give a shout out from Uganda to Jim McHenry. I hope that made your year.