An “Ordinary” Day
What’s an “ordinary” day like for us? When we are in town, we never know for sure what the day will hold, but there are some common things that usually happen.
First of all there is the drive to the office—about 2-3 km (not quite 1 mile)—which can take 10-20 minutes, depending on the traffic. As we leave our house we often encounter cows or goats or chickens –and always bicycles and motorbikes (called boda boda) as well as cars. There is a view across the valley to the hill where the office is located. We pass many little shops along the way. There are three corners that are usually congested.
After we make our first turn we can see ahead—to the traffic and to the local market. We pass a “washing bay” along the way as well as a “hardware” shop. The market has busy vendors along the road getting ready for the day. More congestion and we are at the office.
Monday mornings we spend time in devotions and on catching up with each other’s activities. Our song this week was in Luo:
Ipoore me amara (x4) You are worthy to be loved
Ipoore me awora (x4) You are worthy to be praised
Ipoore Rwot Ipoore (x4) You are worthy
Obanga tima Kica (x4) Lord have mercy
We work at our computers much of the day—writing and responding to email, reading, responding to, and writing reports, entering data in the MCC database, working on financial items. We may have visitors and discuss MCC’s program and partner locations. We may work at organizing papers and boxes from the last 25 years. We may hear a band marching down the street or spend some time watching the new building going up across the street.
Uganda has rolling blackouts. Up until about 2 months ago, when power went off suddenly in the office, we would be caught with “unsaved” files on our computers. We recently purchased new inverter batteries that kick on when power goes off. It has been a big help.
Lunch is usually at a nearby spot. At the end of the day, we again face the traffic. We often go home a slightly different route, but the congestion is all the same! And Daisy is very happy when we arrive home!
December 21st, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Is the washing bay an on-the-road car wash? Couldn’t tell from the pictures. Do you have to get it washed? Also, what is the surface of the road? How does traffic nowcompare to when you were in East Aftrica before?
December 23rd, 2011 at 8:31 am
The washing bay is in an area beside the road. I’m taking the picture looking out my side window. Most of the roads in Kampala are paved but many have huge potholes. I wish I had a video camera to show how everyone weaves side to side trying to avoid the holes–doesn’t matter that a car may be coming toward you!
There is so much more traffic now than before. City traffic is horrendous. Traffic in rural areas has also increased in the last years. Motorcycles are everywhere. We don’t remember them from before. (If you chance to see Andrea after Christmas, ask her about the traffic. This morning as we drove around Kampala she was in the front seat, she vacillated between clutching the door handle, sucking in her breath, or just laughing and shaking her head not believing what she was seeing!
January 16th, 2012 at 10:31 am
I noticed Ron had a bottle of Pepsi with his lunch. Is Pepsi common in Uganda? Coca Cola dominates in Kenya; the only place to find a non-Coca Cola product is in a large supermarket.