Friday, October 16th, 2009

Friday, October 16th, 2009

So…my Mom scolded me for not updating the blog for a few days. I explained that I was busy…but per usual Momma Dukes ain’t taking no excuses from her boy.
“You need to make it a priority.”
Okay Mom.
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Soo…since I had to write my NYU column AND update 3 days of the blog today I woke up at 5:00 AM (BEFORE the Muslim prayers) and started writing. I was a machine. By 10:00 AM I had finished everything – woo hoo! Its funny, but when I write I keep my left thumb extended skyward for no particular reason – it’s the only finger that I don’t use when I type. Anyways – I had extended it so high for so long that I had muscle spasms in my thumb when I was done. It was shaking and I couldn’t control it for like two hours – haha. Ahh, the perils of being a writer. Can I call myself a writer yet? I don’t know.
After my grueling write-a-thon I had to go to Light HS with Connie. Before Connie and I headed to Light HS we had to pick John up at Cornerstone where he had had meetings earlier in the day.
“Connie, how are we going to get John from Cornerstone to Old Taxi Park?”
“Boda boda.”
“Umm…John doesn’t ride boda bodas.” (After John saw how boda boda’s drove he decided there was no place for 68 year old man on them).
“Oh – then I don’t know.”
Long story short I had to frantically try to get a special hire (taxi) to meet us at Cornerstone and take us to Light HS. I was able to get Mad Max (my favorite special hire driver) to agree to meet us at Cornerstone at 1:15.
It was 12:30 by this time and Connie and I made a dash for Kampala. We took a matatu to Old Taxi Park and then boda boda’s to Cornerstone. My boda driver scratched the side of a truck with his mirror and kept going. They are really crazy.
When we got to Cornerstone Connie looked at me.
“Why are we leaving so late?” She exclaimed. “Why didn’t you make it earlier?”
“Connie – why is it my responsibility to make sure we’re on time?” I replied, slightly perturbed. “I went out of my way to make these reservations after you told me to have him pick us up at 1:15.”
“Joe – you need to know to factor in traffic.”
Grr…I bit my tongue.
We exchanged a few other pleasantries and then I excused myself to get a scone and coffee at “Rocks and Roses” a small English restaurant next door.
I was still perturbed when Emily and John arrived.
“Whats the matter Joe. You look really peeved.”
I was pretty angry – I’d had a long day ALREADY after writing for a few hours. I was on a short fuse. Okay, I’m done complaining.
Mad Max picked up Connie, John and myself and we went to Light HS. It was a good lesson and I think John enjoyed himself.
At one point John and I had to go outside to use the facilities. WHOAH – they were outhouses and the smell was bad enough to knock you over. It was pretty terrible. I literally cant breath near those things. John was pretty happy I had instant hand sanitizer with me.
Afterwards we went home – and by this time I was so tired I was practically sleeping in Max’s car.
John and I were alone when we got back so we went out to dinner across the street. John is still new to Uganda and hasn’t had many Ugandan food staples. The funniest part of my day was when we ordered food. We got cassava (think long, skinny, dry potatoes), beans, rice and avocado. They brought us the cassava dry, with nothing on it. John bit into one and the expression on his face made me laugh out loud.
He pulled it out of his mouth and puckered his lips.
“Oh.” He said. “Oh yes, that’s very undistinguished.”
The food is just so bland it almost doesn’t have taste. Now he understands why I walk around with Tobasco sauce.
While we ate we conversed with some locals – hey I’m getting to know a LOT of people around here – Hassan, Edith (the owner who I call Momma Uganda since she feeds me so often), Winifred, Joseph and a slew of other people that are occasionally around.
ALSO - apparently I have a secret admirer in the community as I was told that a woman that “is usually chopping around in the banana fields” near where I live invited me to her daughters baptism on Sunday.
I STILL got it. ☺

Not the most exciting day – most of it was working on this blog. Thanks to those of you who write me encouraging emails. It’s a lot of work – but it’s a labor of love. ☺