16/02/07
It's Friday evening of my first quiet week here! Having worked Monday and Tuesday, I was able to take the last couple of days off, and am almost feeling human again! Just to illustrate how life here in Uganda can be frustrating, although my days off were good, I wasn’t able to so what I’d wanted… At least the matatus went fine, but my internet connection in my usual café was very slow – I think a couple of other people sharing the connection were updating their entire system. After uploading my last couple of blogs, I tried to download emails, but 180 was too many, and it timed out. My next stop was a different internet café, with a pay-as-you-go connection on a different network, which at least let me download my mail. Many thanks to all who’ve been in touch! Uploading all the email I’ve written over the last few weeks was not so successful.
Then the place I was hoping to stay didn’t have any spare rooms (it should have been a reasonable room in a hotel with swimming pool, etc), so I ended up in a dorm at one of the backpackers hostels. Actually it was OK, but no facilities to speak of, and it was so hot that night that I got hardly any sleep and was able to just lie under my mosquito net perspiring… And then trying to send emails again on Thursday morning – the wireless network was down. Such is life. I ended up coming back fairly early in the day, and at least managed a couple of hours sleep in the late afternoon, and then a good night in my own bed.
Today has been reasonable – with two surgeons, the workload wasn’t particularly heavy. My housekeeper got all the laundry and ironing done, so I have clean clothes for the weekend. I haven’t yet got her cooking for me – I need to get a bit more food, and then write down some recipes for her. She’s very keen to learn how to bake too. I just need some time to teach her (assuming I can remember myself!). I’m going to try and get her a cookbook – there’s one around called “My East African Cookbook” which was written by a Muzungu out here for a while and basically is lots of western food recipes that can be made with food that can be got here in Uganda! Having said that, tonight I had Sausage & Mashed potatoes for dinner, and you can’t get much more British than that!
And now I’m off for the weekend. Just as well – as there are only two of us here just now, I’m on-call for surgery again on Monday for the week! I’m heading into Kampala again with a couple of the other Muzungu doctors. We’ve managed to book rooms at the place I was hoping to stay at earlier this week, so the plan is to try once more with the internet, and then head across for some pool and poolside relaxation for the afternoon. Then on Sunday we’ll meet up with Dr Rory who is in Kampala with a vehicle, so we can get a lift back, and get a big supermarket shop on the way. Small things like this have become very important!
I think I promised some amusing tales in my last blog… One of the funniest (at least to the locals who were watching) was on one of the recent cycling trips I took with Dr Rory. The trails around the area are perfect for mountain biking, and everywhere we go we’re greeted with the sound of children (and adults) calling “Hey Muzungu, how are you?” – Sometimes the littlest children get so excited by this activity that they burst into tears! Considering we cycle lots of the trails frequently, you’d think they’d be used to us by now, but Muzungu-calling is obviously a sport that they don’t get tired of! Two things spring to mind about our latest trip.
First was Dr Rory stopping under a fairly uninteresting tree which happened to have a vine growing up it with an unusual gourd-shaped fruit. We had to stop while he found a huge stick to try and collect it… part dismantling a hedge in the process! The locals (and probably me as well, if I’m honest) all thought he was a bit daft!
The second, and certainly funnier, incident involved some of the older kids. A few of them decided to play chicken with us as we cycled along (actually not the best of expressions, as we’ve almost killed a few chickens, not to mention piglets, goats and dogs, which have nearly failed to get out of our way as we’ve been cycling!). These kids wanted to stand in the road, and get out of the way at the last minute, and we actually had quite a laugh with them! At about the same time one of the kids on a bike of his own decided to race us, and managed to overtake Dr Rory. He just about passed me too, but I wasn’t having any of it, and due to my lighter bike and many gears I was able to leave him standing. I know, you’re going to tell me I’m not at all competitive really! All good sport, and having overtaken at least one Muzungu, he was very happy!
On a slightly more serious note, if you were looking for anything to pray about for us out here, I’m sure Dr Peter would appreciate some prayer as he recovers from his illness. Christiana, wife of our German surgeon, managed to turn their vehicle over on the road from Luwero to the hospital yesterday – she was shaken but not hurt, fortunately, but she would benefit from getting through the next few days without delayed reaction. And as ever, the main work of the hospital in treating patients is only possible with God’s help – definitely please pray for the ones who are needing treatment from me!!!
And may God bless your own work, in whatever form it make take, whichever country you are in just now.
Steve
No comments:
Post a Comment