Wow, three weeks since I last blogged? No good reason, just busy with life.
First off, I got my car back on Friday! It's good as new; the bodywork and new parts match perfectly, and you'd never know it was in an accident. And the owner of the truck who hit me did in fact pay for all repairs. That kind of thing really restores your faith in humanity.
I have several things to blog about, most of which need faster internet than I've had lately to upload photos, but I wanted to at least check in and say I'm still here. Kampala is still wonderful, though I've had a few moments of grumbliness (yes it's a made-up word) when the smoke from burning trash, the smog of diesel emissions, and the blatantly bad and dangerous drivers gets to me. I luckily have some fun escapes planned soon which will get me out of the city.
One great thing about Kampala is that people can easily visit here. And since both my undergrad and grad work focused on Sub-Saharan Africa in one way or another, a lot of my friends are working in sectors that bring them through the region on a fairly regular basis.
Last month a friend from grad school came through on TDY, bringing her husband with her, and we had a great time while they were here. I wasn't able to get out of town on safari with them, but it was a great excuse for a dinner party in their honor and try out new restaurants.
And this weekend, a friend from college came through on the first leg of her TDY trip. She and I were in South Africa at the same time eons ago and had a blast exploring Cape Town when she came to visit from Pretoria, so we're continuing the tradition of hanging out in Africa. She stayed at my apartment part of the visit, to my cats' utter delight. Callaghan, who is a bit hesitant around strangers, fell for her immediately and insisted on being on her lap all. the. time. Luckily she loves cats.
Anyway, I love having people come visit, and I have two guest rooms at the ready! Kampala is a fairly quiet city, but it's a great base for exploring this amazing country (and region).
I'm slowly making my apartment into a home; things are starting to go up on the wall. It's a slow process as I deliberate and change my mind frequently about where to put things, but I'm putting my new power drill to good use! There is still a big pile of boxes to go through, but I'm making progress.
One thing I'm enjoying is having a great kitchen to cook in. I spend each weekend trying out new and time-tested recipes and experimenting with things like making cheese (I am a super beginner in this hobby!). This weekend I made vichyssoise, one of my favorite childhood summer treats, and it's as wonderful as I remembered. Tomorrow will be beef stroganoff (I found sour cream!) and fresh corn on the cob. And, as always, fresh fruit on the side.
C'mon, don't you want to visit?
First off, I got my car back on Friday! It's good as new; the bodywork and new parts match perfectly, and you'd never know it was in an accident. And the owner of the truck who hit me did in fact pay for all repairs. That kind of thing really restores your faith in humanity.
I have several things to blog about, most of which need faster internet than I've had lately to upload photos, but I wanted to at least check in and say I'm still here. Kampala is still wonderful, though I've had a few moments of grumbliness (yes it's a made-up word) when the smoke from burning trash, the smog of diesel emissions, and the blatantly bad and dangerous drivers gets to me. I luckily have some fun escapes planned soon which will get me out of the city.
One great thing about Kampala is that people can easily visit here. And since both my undergrad and grad work focused on Sub-Saharan Africa in one way or another, a lot of my friends are working in sectors that bring them through the region on a fairly regular basis.
Last month a friend from grad school came through on TDY, bringing her husband with her, and we had a great time while they were here. I wasn't able to get out of town on safari with them, but it was a great excuse for a dinner party in their honor and try out new restaurants.
And this weekend, a friend from college came through on the first leg of her TDY trip. She and I were in South Africa at the same time eons ago and had a blast exploring Cape Town when she came to visit from Pretoria, so we're continuing the tradition of hanging out in Africa. She stayed at my apartment part of the visit, to my cats' utter delight. Callaghan, who is a bit hesitant around strangers, fell for her immediately and insisted on being on her lap all. the. time. Luckily she loves cats.
Anyway, I love having people come visit, and I have two guest rooms at the ready! Kampala is a fairly quiet city, but it's a great base for exploring this amazing country (and region).
I'm slowly making my apartment into a home; things are starting to go up on the wall. It's a slow process as I deliberate and change my mind frequently about where to put things, but I'm putting my new power drill to good use! There is still a big pile of boxes to go through, but I'm making progress.
One thing I'm enjoying is having a great kitchen to cook in. I spend each weekend trying out new and time-tested recipes and experimenting with things like making cheese (I am a super beginner in this hobby!). This weekend I made vichyssoise, one of my favorite childhood summer treats, and it's as wonderful as I remembered. Tomorrow will be beef stroganoff (I found sour cream!) and fresh corn on the cob. And, as always, fresh fruit on the side.
C'mon, don't you want to visit?
