Signs

December 29, 2006
Always when you travel, there are funny signs worth taking note of. One amusing theme in Uganda is the Christian one. Small shops will choose names such as “Jesus is Alpha and Omega Retail/Wholesale Store” or “Trust in God Electronics.” This store needs to trust in God with the look of that electric pole leaning on the roof.





My favorite, however, is at a fast food place called “Christian Take-away.” Would you like your Christian crispy, original, or spicy?




Another odd sign that is up for the holiday is meant to discourage drinking and driving. In bold, large letters, one underneath the other, the sign says “Think, Drink, Drive.” In small letters in between each of these words, it says “before you,” but it’s hard to see the small letters when you’re driving by.



More signs:
The Miracle House of Electronics:



The El-ELion Hardware and Glory Church:



And... Mother Mary of the Most Holy Rosary Katwe Central Catholic Sub Parish:

Hey look! Whites!

December 28, 2006
Jon says that I don’t make my stories dramatic enough. He asked if I told about nearly getting carried away by man-eating mosquitoes. Well, sort of. I need to learn the art of exaggeration.

Today Jon, Josh, Audra and I tried once more to find the marsh on Lake Victoria that we couldn’t find two days ago. We had better directions this time, but it was still a bit vague. It involved driving for an hour on a bone jarring, whip-lash dirt road for about an hour. I seriously had a sore neck and back by the time we got there and back home. The area is called Mabamba and it claims to be a bird sanctuary with some rare birds. It’s anything but a tourist area. We were actually surprised to see other whites as we came near the place. Josh shouted out “Hey look! Whites!” just like the Africans are always saying “Hey, Mazungu!” There were only 3 other groups. We rented two canoes and were paddled out into the marsh from about 7:00 A.M. to noon for about $25 per boat. We floated through narrow channels looking for birds. Saw quite a few and it was just a lovely relaxed day in an area that most tourists and even locals know nothing about.

I leave here in 3 days to fly to Kenya. It’s gone by way too fast.

Boats & Birds

December 26, 2006

We decided to go to Lake Victoria today to bird watch. After trying to find a place a friend told Jon about and failing, we went down to the ferry landing and hired a local boat to just take us out on the lake to the marshy areas to look at birds. One of the boats was called “Titanic.” We chose another one.

Gabe, again, was just too cute. Paul, the boat driver, let Gabe take the motor. He was so happy with a big smile on his face. He is not afraid of anything, it seems. He let a boat driver pick him up and he just threw his arms around the guy like they were friends.


The girls dropped Jon, Josh & I off at a little forest bird area on the way home. We had seen some Black and White Horn-bills and Great Blue Turacos there earlier and wanted a better look. The birds were amazing, but the enormous mosquitoes ate us alive, even after spraying ourselves with repellent. All of us had big welts all over our legs. (This picture is of a King Fisher from the lake.)

Some musicians from Jon & Cher’s church came over tonight to sing and play music…just for fun. It’s nice to be around music again.

Christmas 2006

December 25, 2006
Christmas was a gift orgy for Josh & Audra’s kids, Raeleigh & Gabe. I really don’t know how healthy it is for a kid to get as many as 20 to 30 gifts to open on Christmas, not to mention the week leading up to Christmas.

Everything about two-year-old Gabe is utterly delightful. He is a happy child. He has a limited vocabulary of yes & no and a few other words, but understands exactly what you say. So we ask him, “Do you want more cereal? Do you want to get down?” and when you hit on the right question, his face lights up and he shouts out “YEAH!” It makes me laugh every time. He has gone on the bird walks and other long ordeals and is perfectly content.

Five-year-old Raeleigh is another story. She can be utterly sweet and charming and is way too smart for her age, but she is horribly self-absorbed and whines more than she’s happy. She thinks she is the center of the universe. Way too often she throws screaming tantrums over nothing, or rather when she doesn't get exactly what she wants. Jon & Cher (her grandparents) say they are working on a long-term plan of influence on her and she adores them, so maybe it will work. Let’s hope so. For me, when she cries over anything, I just look at her and feel not a stitch of sympathy, even if it’s a supposed injury. Raeleigh went out on the porch tonight and immediately started screaming/crying like she was hurt. Cher & someone else jumped up and went running to see what had happened. Audra (her mom) who was sitting closest to the door got up and strolled the opposite direction to the kitchen where I was. We just looked at each other I started laughing. She knows it’s just Raeleigh over-reacting and so doesn’t care. She gets fed up with Raeleigh quite often and just says “I’m finished” and Josh or someone else has to take over. Jon & Cher like to tell me that I was just like her. Please God, no.

We literally pigged out on.. PIG! (Ham, to be exact.) I ate two big slices and then felt ill. Too much, probably, after not eating pork in ages. Wine & pork…two things outlawed in Saudi which I’ve been indulging in here.

Josh & Audra had my name for Christmas and gave me a lovely green wool rug from Kenya. Jon & Cher gave me a cool Congo mask to add to my collection of African masks. It has a happy face on it rather than the more common scary ones.

Christmas Eve

December 24, 2006
Last night we made a Mexican Fajita dinner and did the traditional watching of “Scrooge,” the musical version starring Albert Finney. For those of you who have an aversion to musicals, you might not appreciate this movie, but it is truly very good. I don’t know how old it is, but our family has been watching it almost every Christmas since it came out (sometime in the 1980s, I think). We all sing along. It’s corny and fun. I miss singing.

The church Jon & Cher go to is made up mostly of local Ugandans. The singing is fantastic. Cher sang a solo.


After church we drove down to Lake Victoria for lunch at a local “resort” (so says the sign), which is actually quite a dive, but they serve fresh Perch from the lake with French Fries – the only thing on the menu. Quite good to eat but quite ugly to look at.

Afterwards we drove through the market where they dry out and burn the left over skins and bones of the fish to send to Congo. The smell defies description. Saw some regal Fish Eagles and colorful King Fisher birds – my favorite.

Bird Walk

December 23, 2006
Jon, Josh & I went on a bird walk in the hills around their house. These two are passionate about animals & birds and can name just about every bird in Zimbabwe and they are learning the Kenya/Uganda birds now as well.

They can see a bird flit across the sky, backlit, and say, “Oh! Look at that Crimson Breasted Yellow Tail Plantain Eater Bush Warbler!” This is only a slight exaggeration. The normal conversation is more like this: “It’s a Shrike! It looks like a Fiery-breasted Bush-shrike.” “No, I think it’s a Uluguru Bush-shrike.” “Could be, but I think I just saw the black ring around it’s neck, so that would make it a Four-coloured Bush-shrike.” Then out comes the book as they flip though to find the page with pictures of Shrikes. It’s quite amusing and impressive. I just like looking at the birds. They are amazing.

Killed by a Maasai spear

December 21, 2006

At the risk of revealing that I am actually a wimp (at least in this one particular area), I will tell about the cockroach. My family all knows that I have a phobia of cockroaches that began at age four when I stepped on one barefoot the first year we lived in the Philippines. Imagine the size of a 4-yr-old foot, and then imagine the mutant-ninja size cockroaches we have in the Philippines. Perhaps you will understand why I have a phobia. I can’t even look at them without my skin crawling, let alone get close enough to kill one and hear that repulsive crunch and see the oozing guts.

Just yesterday morning it occurred to me that I hadn’t seen a cockroach in Uganda yet. A miracle! What joy! Maybe they don’t have cockroaches in Uganda. I meant to mention this to Jon & Cher. So you can imagine how jolting it was when that evening I turned around from the bathroom sink to discover a huge, ugly, red cockroach standing right behind me. I managed to get out of the bathroom and close the door, knowing full well that the cockroach could get out under the door, but needing to distance myself from this horror.

Because my bedroom door is right next to the bathroom door, I didn’t want to take my eyes off of it. So I decided to text message Jon upstairs. “There is an enormous cockroach down here that you need to kill.” It cost me 50 cents. Worth the money.

Jon and Josh came down, armed with Jon’s Maasai spear and other various weapons. Knowing my brother, who still likes to torture-tease me like I’m a 5-yr-old, I went into my bedroom and closed the door while they killed it. They had a great time making fun of me.

At least I have a mosquito net to keep them off my bed…or so I thought. This morning, Josh and Audra told me they found a dead cockroach clinging to the INSIDE of their mosie net!! The nets have a pesticide on them to kill mosquitoes on contact, so it probably killed the roach, but not before it got inside the net. Now I’m scared.

Family & Boda Bodas

FOR MORE PHOTOS: http://imageevent.com/luannecadd/uganda


December 20, 2006

Josh, Audra, and Gabe arrived last night from Kenya – a 13 hour drive over terrible roads. Josh is Jon & Cher’s son, Audra his wife, Gabe & Raeleigh their son & daughter. Raeleigh was already here. It’s awesome to see them again. We went shopping in the huge Kampala market again today and rode Boda Bodas home. These are motorcycles and in my opinion, the best local transport as they can zip in and out of traffic. We ride on the back (even the kids) with no helmets and at our own risk. It is quite fun. American parents would be horrified, but there are so many ways to die here and I’m sure this may have a much lower risk than others.

I am getting my dog fix now…perhaps a little too much. Jon & Cher have Griffy, their full-grown Jack Russell, and Tess, a little Jack Russell puppy. Josh & Audra brought their Jack Russell, Asante, and we are dog-sitting another dog. And did I mention the pet chicken?