Kampala

I went to Kampala yesterday. It is huge and very dusty. The traffic is insane, there are no traffic lights and people pass whenever they can. It was hot, and our driver didn't know the city very well. We had meetings with people in the Ministry of Local Governance, The Uganda Human Rights Commission, and Uganda Local Authorities Association. Mostly not that productive really. One interesting thing is that the Ministry gets to see our modules and has to approve them. This is an idea that makes me really uncomfortable, like what if they want us to take stuff out, its not good for academic independence and integrity. But it doesn't seem to bother Father Max at all. Asking about it was kind of a culture clash moment, he really didn't get my concern at all.

We had lunch at the Equatorial Hotel, a very posh place. The food was delicious, and so much variety of cooking styles. It looked very grand and kind of colonial, I can picture British men in white suits planning their domination of Uganda there, but today all most all of the patrons are black.

And I finally got a cell phone! Of course, calling Canada is crazy expensive, but I'm glad that I can, at least once in a while. It is a rather old Noikia model, but it'll do the trick.

Elizabeth, the teaching assistant who is the other person in my office came with us, and it was the first chance we've had to really chat. She has a wickedly witty sense of humor, and I am very glad to make a new (female) friend.

One the way back to Nkosi we stopped and Elizabeth and Max showed us coffee trees.