Category Archives: Everyday liviing

25/06/22: return to the UK, the countdown is on!

My two year stint in Uganda is coming to an end. So wonderful to be here! Students and colleagues have been fantastic, really appreciated the opportunity to get to know some wonderful people running homes for vulnerable children, I’ve met Stanley the artist, engaged with a lovely church, all in the Pearl of Africa, aContinue reading “25/06/22: return to the UK, the countdown is on!”

01/05/22: getting round Kampala on the back of a boda (2)

About a year ago I wrote this post about getting round Kampala on the back of a boda, or boda boda, a motorcycle acting as a taxi. It is remarkable how quickly something which starts of as completely unthinkable becomes entirely normal. A number of colleagues stop and offer me lifts in their cars ifContinue reading “01/05/22: getting round Kampala on the back of a boda (2)”

17/4/22: school is returning to normal!

A very happy Easter to you as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! With a week off school. Hallelujah once again! Meanwhile, at school there is a very satisfying sense of things returning to normal. Since the beginning of the pandemic, when school has been in session on site, we’ve adoptedContinue reading “17/4/22: school is returning to normal!”

09/01/22: banana trees are fascinating!

One of the many great joys of spending time in two very different countries in different continents is the sense of awe and wonder at things which would seem entirely normal if one only ever lived in one place. Occasionally this happens going back to the UK, I well remember returning from Dar es SalaamContinue reading “09/01/22: banana trees are fascinating!”

17/10/21: using an oven without a thermostat

When I came to live in my little house here in Muyenga, Kampala, last November, I was pleased, albeit not terribly surprised, to find that the kitchen had a gas oven. Great! Thinks I, can do some cooking! The gas supply is from a canister which is kept in a cupboard next to the ovenContinue reading “17/10/21: using an oven without a thermostat”

3/10/21: the longest power cut I’ve ever experienced

I was just about to set out to school on Monday last week at my usual time of 7am – when the electricity went off. OK, no big deal, happens from time to time. I remember when I was in Tanzania reflecting that you could tell people who were familiar with this part of theContinue reading “3/10/21: the longest power cut I’ve ever experienced”

19/9/21: boat trip on Lake Victoria

In this blog post I described the walk from Muyenga, the suburb of Kampala in which I’m living, to the shores of Lake Victoria along a train line. Once you’re there you can take a boat ride on to the Lake and explore some of the nearby islands. So last Sunday that is what IContinue reading “19/9/21: boat trip on Lake Victoria”

13/8/21: so sorry we couldn’t save you, Rex

In my very first blog post on this platform I mentioned Pass and Rex, the compound dogs where I live. Their job is as guard dogs, so they are kept in their kennel for a good bit of the day so that they are only dozing at night, ready to start barking at huge volumeContinue reading “13/8/21: so sorry we couldn’t save you, Rex”