Nursery graduation

Graduation (also called commencement), in the academic sense, is the ceremony of conferring an academic certificate, diploma, or degree to students (graduands). Graduation takes place at all levels of education, right from the lowest level (nursery) to the highest level.

The last two days (Thursday and Friday) have been graduation days here in Arua. As is the norm with all graduations, the air was filled with anticipation, excitement and joy among the parents, teachers and pupils/students alike. From what I've observed, the most excitement is usually among the nursery school pupils.

In the two days of graduation, I've seen two sets of nursery schools proudly march with their graduands from a central location in town (Christ The King Church) to their respective schools. Both sets were accompanied by police officers and a youthful marching band -- they were colorful. One of these nursery schools happens to be in my work neighborhood. Here are some pictures taken from the office balcony.

The school van that took the graduands to the marching starting point.

The Springs Nursery/Primary School graduands march to school for a graduation ceremony at their school, accompanied by well-wishers and parents.

The band leader artfully spins his staff. A police officer (to his right in florescent green) was present to keep law and order.

The band members playing the marching music.

All marching in: The young graduands marching their way to school as the teachers (in the background) keep them marching in unison.

Some of the parents that accompanied the graduands on the march.

The procession slowly makes its way to the ceremony venue.

Tis the merry season!

It is that time of the year when multi-coloured string lights hang on shop windows, and on live trees on streets, and even on house, bars, or café patios. If you live in the city or large town, chances are that this time of year is when department stores and large supermarket chains stream classic Boney M "season songs" and many more from overhead speaker systems.

This is the season for Christmas! Ah Christmas - the time when Christians and non-Christians alike take some time off from their hectic lives to make merry. The time when people gather as families or with loved ones to share sheer joy.

Most importantly this is the time when Santa Clause (Father Christmas) rides his sleigh into town (surprisingly in the still of the night) bearing gift items on children's wishlists - but only for boys and girls who have been good. So I was told as a kid. 

On cue, this time of year my taste buds yearn for something local. By this I mean local menus, from foods such as njiki-njiki (fresh sesame source), osobi, dry meat in idi (sesame paste) and porridge seasoned with iti (tamarind fruits) to local brew (kpete). I guess it's a Pavlovian effect.

So this is the time when I get to retreat away from the glaring lights of the city. I like the quiet and tranquility of the "home" life - my ancestral or tribal place - the place I truly call home! I often enjoy listening to the history lesson from my elders on our family's lineage or on our numerous family relations. Sometimes I'm told stories about myself when I was a child, things which I don't remember from way back then. Most times they sound like music to my ears. Such tales are often told after sunset. Other times I use the "free" time to reflect on how the year has been for me, and how I can improve as a person so as to make myself and all the people who are dear to me better. 

In short, I love this time of year and always look forward to it.

Some images from an earlier Christmas.

Children on the way to a community festival pass by a homestead.

How time flies by: the lady in this picture is my cousin, and she baby-sat me as a kid many many years ago... bless her heart!

This little fellow was my neighbour; he came to visit whenever he could. 

On the way to get some local brew on Christmas eve.

Not my cup of tea

What a morning! Oh, it's a Monday morning lest I forget. I often wonder why Monday mornings are generally dull for me. Could it be because of the weekend hibernation? Perhaps. As a matter of fact Monday is my least favorite day of the week. And this particular Monday feels no different.

To begin with, I didn't feel like getting out of bed this morning. Physically I felt all beat up - a result of domestic chores all weekend long! Anyway, after the usual morning routine and a cup of tea, I dragged myself to the office. Despite the workload on my desk, the first hour-and-a half felt like ages for I was in a daze - like a zombie. Usually a cup of tea brightens me up, but this morning I needed two more cups of tea just to shake the cobwebs off my brain. By the time I was up and running it was already mid-morning!

Only a few people I know love Mondays. So it doesn't seem to affect me alone after all. Through trial and error I discovered that morning stretches or skipping (jump rope) exercises do me wonders. Unfortunately, I wasn't up to the morning exercises this morning. I guess that partly explains why my morning was so hazy!

Roadside sights

As a frequent traveler, I've come across sights and scenes that are often amazing and interesting in equal measure. Here is a collection (pictorial) of a few.

Harvesting grass. Women and girls transport their grass harvest home, which will be used for roofing their houses. This harvest is done in the dry season when the grass is fully grown and the its drying process has began. 

The coke side of life. A large coca cola-shaped kiosk stands next to other make-shift sheds along a busy highway. Such sights are common in Uganda, and provide travelers with water or other refreshing beverages while on the go.

Roadside venders interacting with travelers aboard a bus hoping to interest them (travelers) in their merchandise. The good range from food items to art pieces and stools. 

A lady stands next to her stock of grinding stones and pots that are on sale. The grinding stones are used for grinding grains while the pots are often used for holding drinking water, cooking , or serving local brew. 

A cluster of mangoes hanging on a tree trunk along the roadside. The mangoes ended up in a polyethylene bag and came with us. 

Buying more mangoes.

A women's group sell shea butter oil (in those plastic bottles on the tables). The oil is got from the shea nut tree, which is common in the West Nile region.

Pick-up truck transports cargo from a farm to town.

Women selling their vegetables at a roadside market.

Fishermen casting their nets on the River Nile in Pakwach. 

Crunchy grasshoppers

We're so getting this again...right? I used to hate these things, until I discovered a recipe (if you can call the simple addition of onions that!). Today, I saw vendors adding spices and all sorts of veggies. Me thinks that is stretching it. It kinda kills the taste, completely. So, here goes the crunchy little delectables.

This post is graciously shared from The tamarind tree shade

Moving house

Remember the fairy tale story of Goldilocks and The Three Bears? If you don't, find it at the end of this post.

The significance of the story is that some people like their stuff (be it a house, car, etc) large, others like theirs middle-sized, and others like theirs small. Admittedly, size is relative but others like their stuff just right, just like Miss Goldilocks!

We recently moved from one apartment to another. The apartment that we moved away from is a one bed-roomed one. It had its own advantages which we exploited to the fullest. For instance, it was small and cozy, and the size made moping and dusting manageable. However, over time the size became a disadvantage - small kitchen, small bathroom.

We've been on the look out for a bigger apartment, specifically two bed-roomed, for the last four months or so. As luck would have it, we found one (more like it found us) with precisely the  exact features we had looked for. On inspection of the apartment, we decided right away that it looked and felt just right. Naturally, we were excited!

Stuff everywhere in this room! With a busy work week it will take a while for some of these to find their rightful places.

Now, the thing about moving is the packing and unpacking. On the day that we moved, a big part of the day was spent packing and by ferrying the packages from the "old apartment" to the "new one". By the time we were done ferrying the last items to the new place, it was already dusk, and fatigue had set in. In our bid to move in the same day, we placed things according to their respective categories; kitchen things were all placed in the kitchen, bedroom things went to the bedrooms, etc. As I post this, most things are still lying everywhere in their respective rooms.

Taking shape! The living room was one of the rooms that we set up first.

And finally the living room was transformed to this...

Some art pieces to brighten up the room.

Now that looks...fabulous!

And a little toast to go with a job well done!

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The Story of Goldilocks and The Three Bears

There was once a little girl named Goldilocks, who went for a walk in the woods. Soon, she came upon a house. In the house lived three bears - Papa bear, Mama bear and Little bear. Each bear had its own porridge bowl, chair, and bed. Papa bear was large and liked his porridge hot, his chair hard, and his bed firm. Mama bear was middle-sized and like her porridge cold, her chair soft, and her bed soft. Little bear was small and liked his porridge warm, his chair small, and his bed comfortable. The three bears were taking a walk in the woods while their porridge cooled when Goldilocks came upon their house. She knocked and, when no one answered, she walked right in.

At the table in the kitchen, there were three bowls of porridge. Goldilocks was hungry. She tasted the porridge from the first bowl, but it was too hot. So, she tasted the second bowl of porridge, but it was too cold. Then she tasted the last bowl of porridge, and found it just right! So, she ate it all. After she'd had her fill Goldilocks decided she was feeling tired. She walked into the living room where she saw three chairs. She sat in the first chair to rest her feet. She found the chair too big. She sat in the second chair, and found it too big, too. So she tried out the last and smallest chair. She found it just right. But just as she settled down into it to rest, it broke into pieces! Goldilocks was very tired by this time, so she went upstairs to the bedroom. She lay down in the first bed, but it was too hard. Then she lay in the second bed, but it was too soft. Then she lay down in the third bed and it was just right. Goldilocks fell asleep.

As she slept, the three bears came home. "Someone's been eating my porridge", growled the Papa bear. "Someone's been eating my porridge", said the Mama bear. "Someone's been eating my porridge and they ate it all up!" cried the Little bear. "Someone's been sitting in my chair," growled the Papa bear. "Someone's been sitting in my chair", said the Mama bear. "Someone's been sitting in my chair and they've broken it all to pieces," cried the Little bear. They decided to look around some more and when they got upstairs to the bedroom, Papa bear growled, "Someone's been sleeping in my bed". "Someone's been sleeping in my bed, too" said the Mama bear. "Someone's been sleeping in my bed and she's still there!" exclaimed Little bear.

Just then, Goldilocks woke up and saw the three bears. She screamed, "Help! Help!" And she jumped up and ran out of the room, out of the house, and away into the forest. And she didn't returned to the home of the three bears again.

Golden oldies, a must when in Arua

Many of us with regular 8-5 workdays (sometimes longer depending on what one does) need a little breathing room out of 'that box' called an office. It may be a spacious corner office with two 'bus-sized' French windows, but every now and then some of us need to get out and breath or taste the sanity (or insanity, which ever way you look at it) that is outside of the grind of the workplace - just to let loose or unwind!

I know of quite a few people whose preferred unwinding technique is to pick up a good book and read it from cover-to-cover. Others prefer to lace up their running shoes and simply pound the road (actually, this is recommended for the able-bodied for it has many physiological and health benefits). Some will unwind with music. They will play their favorite selections from CDs, phones, ipods and of course tapes (yes, those 'Side A and Side B' things still do exist in these parts, even in this dotage!). And then some, myself included, like some of both music and sports.

Arua, the town, is quite a unique place. It has a blend of people from the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Somalia, and not to miss a beat, Uganda - oh well, East Africa! I'm sure there are people from the other AU and UN nations as well. In short, Arua is a melting pot of sorts. And believe it or not there is a place for each and every folk in Arua to go and unwind, irrespective of their tastes, likes and preferences. There is certainly a niche for the noise lover, quiet lover (noise hater) and the in-between to hang out.

As for me, I'm an in-between kind of guy, leaning towards the quiet. I found the perfect niche that suits my senses not far from my place of abode. The place is called Heritage Courts, located in Anyafio adjacent to West Nile Golf Club. It is reasonably large with a spacious dinning room, exquisite lawn, two gazebo-styled shades, and one large mini conference-sized balcony. The place has multiple large flat screen televisions for sports fans and news fans alike. However, what takes me there is their live band, the Flamingo Band, that plays on weekends (Fridays-Sundays). Flamingo Band's specialty is the oldies, the sweet golden oldies! Amilo (Tabu Ley), Mario, Transpolo (Franco), De Mi Amour (Franco and Madilu), Frere Edourd, Fanta Rumba (Madilu) - remember those? These and similar hits help me unwind especially after a long week (by the way, each of them can take you on a 10-km ride when on the road - they are great for long distance trips). Did I mention that the core of the band is Congolaise? They know how to string their stuff, literally! 

As far as recommendations go, I would definitely recommend Heritage Courts to those oldies lovers who ever venture to Arua. I must add, I discovered this place with a very special lady who makes my heart beat and my globe rotate! This has become our place and our band. 

Ah, oldies never get old!

The entrance to Heritage Courts. Great avenue that is welcoming!

A portion of the garden with the performing stage in the background.

The Flamingo Band performing on stage.

A close-up of some of the band's members.

Not so sweet jam in the city

We all love fruit jam (at least many people I know), but not traffic jam! If you live in Kampala or its suburbs, I'm sure you would agree with that assessment or can identify with what I'm talking about.

Kampala is the capital city of Uganda, with a population of approximately 2.5 million. The city is quite a colorful, vibrant place, especially on week days when a sea of people and vehicles fill up every open space! On a busy day, one gets the impression that the population of the city is either a misrepresentation or an underestimation. In most cases the number of people seem to double (it could be just an illusion!) probably because of commuters from neighboring cities or towns like Jinja, Lugazi, Mukono, Kajjansi, Entebbe, Bombo, etc. Many of the commuters are employees in the city while others are traders and/or venders. 

When 'padding' is the faster option of managing the jam. Pedestrians walk past a line of vehicles stuck in a traffic jam.

With all the commuters comes a corresponding rise in the volume of traffic (way too many vehicles!). Unfortunately, our road networks and systems are too archaic and outdated to handle the rise in vehicles. Factor in haphazard driving - the law of the jungle or survival of the craziest (which ever suits you) - and you have a mess! Many of the motorists that I've observed are careless or insensitive drivers (or both) who feel they have the right-of-way at all traffic intersections. Commuter minivan drivers are the main culprits here. They have a habit of weaving in-and-out of traffic lanes with total disregard for other motorists. Some will even straddle lanes, just for the heck of it!

Another group of vehicles that are now a staple of the city (and most towns in Uganda for that matter) are the passenger motorcyclists. They are locally known as boda-boda riders (or simply boda-boda). The boda-bodas are very handy in certain situations, for instance, if one is running late and must make it to an important appointment no matter what, then they are the best bets. However, they can be a nuisance to public safety in my opinion. Well, they tend to break almost all traffic regulations. In traffic they will pop up from nowhere and freak the heck out of an unsuspecting motorist (these guys can cause even the strongest of hearts an attack one day!). At traffic intersections, they often congregate in front of vehicles and shoot in every-which-way to get a head start irrespective of whether they have the green light or not (sometimes it amazes and amuses me in equal measure just seeing them do their thing). They have an insane habit of riding very close to pedestrians. Why? I have absolutely no idea! Because of this habit, two people that I know have had a limb broken each, by reckless boda-bodas on two separate occasions while they walked.

Having careless drivers and insensitive commuter minivan drivers is bad enough for a traffic jam. Now for the worst case scenario, throw boda-bodas into the mix during rush hour. What do you get? A thick, heavy traffic stew of traffic mayhem! It's worse following a rainstorm! How can this problem be solved? For starters, getting citizens to obey traffic rules by, say, driving in an orderly manner. Then building modern roads that are wide with multiple lanes.

A traffic officer attempts to solve the ever-present  traffic  puzzle during  rush hour.

I got caught in a traffic jam not long ago. I was from a meeting at one end of the city and was heading to the end of the city through downtown. On a normal day this cross-town trip often takes, at most, 15 minutes. I departed from my meeting location at exactly 4:30 PM, traffic was flowing normally. I thought to myself "well, at this rate I'll arrival at my destination around 4:50-ish PM. Little did I know that there was a pile up ahead. All roads leading into and out of the city were packed with vehicles bumper-to-bumper. This turned out to be but a normal day! By the time I had realized what was happening, it was too late to turn back to use an alternate route (alternate routes are longer, but often faster). 

Moving at break-neck speed, tortoise style! The traffic was so thick that "N" was the only gear to engage for long periods or even turning the vehicle off. It can be frustrating, but happy thoughts and music make good company in such a case. 

Traffic inched its way forward - at a tortoise's pace - as the clock ticked daylight away. Motorists honked their horns at every opportunity to hasten the pace, but to no avail. Some were visibly agitated, but that didn't make the situation any better. Music from one of the radio stations kept me company. And happy thoughts, too! I checked the clock and noticed that 2 hours had elapsed yet I hadn't made it out of downtown yet.

Bumper-to-bumper days! This is commonplace in Kampala during morning and evening rush hour on weekdays.

Which way now? Even 'boda-bodas' that are usually adept at beating traffic jams sometimes get stuck, too. 

Caught some great sights like this one, which I wouldn't have otherwise  seen. The traffic jam has a good side to it after all!

I finally made it to my destination well after 3 hours! I have a general motto (for time-keeping) - 'start early to arrive in time'! A 'stitch in time...' so to speak. Unfortunately, on this particular day it didn't work, not because I set off late, but because of factors beyond me! I haven't given up on it though.

Kabale, the land of many hills

Kabale is located in southwest Uganda, approximately 420 km (260 mi) from Kampala (by road), and sits at 2,000 m (6,600 ft) above sea level. It was the destination of our visit mid this month. The visit was very special -- to witness the wedding ceremony of a dear friend, a friendship that goes way back to our college days (boy, that last part sounds ancient!). Being the road warriors that we are (personally, I'd take a good road trip any day!), we set off on this trip at 1:00 AM on a Friday, aboard a Rwanda-bound bus. The tiring events of the previous day (Thursday to be precise) saw to it that sleep beckoned as soon as the bus pulled out of the terminal.

Kabale town (in the far distance) nestled among hills.

The first part of the trip from Kampala to Mbarara was uneventful, but quite a smooth ride owing to the good state of the road. The bus made a small stop-over in Mbarara for "interested" passengers to perform their respective bodies's biological functions. The second part of the trip (from Mbarara to Kabale) resumed shortly thereafter. I must have fallen asleep somewhere when the trip resumed because I was awoken by a gust of very cold air at around 4:00 AM. I peered out the bus windows, but there was nothing to see except a thick blanket of fog. The winding climb to Kabale had begun! The bus engine hummed as it made a steady climb up the hills. The higher we climbed the colder it got! When we finally got to the summit of the highest hill, we began the final leg of our trip -- descending to Kabale town.

Animals graze on a hillside.

A church and a homestead on a slope. The communities here live in harmony with the environment.

On arrival we took a cab (driven by Steven, a jovial fellow) to our hotel, checked-in, and had breakfast. After our rest, we sought out Steven to give us a quick tour of Kabale. One of the many spectacular things about Kabala is the breathtaking scenery. It has so many hills, each with its unique picturesque features. In fact, the landscape looks as if it was taken out of a postcard! Because the hills are so many, Kabale is locally referred to as the Switzerland of Africa!

Mist as seen here is an integral part of the morning.

A site worth visiting while in Kabale (if one has time, that is) is Lake Bunyonyi, about 7 km (4.3 mi) from Kabale town. This lake is nestled among hills and sits above Kabale town. This lake is so calm and peaceful, but it has neither fish nor other waters of any kind - quite interesting! (I'm sure there is a why question somewhere there, but the answer to that is for another day!).

Beauty and the tranquil!

Enjoying the breeze on a diving plank on Lake Bunyonyi

Following our tour, we prepared for our main objective of the trip, the wedding ceremony, which took place the following day (Saturday afternoon). It was a good and well-attended one (Congratulations and happy trails to the couple!).

Excited about the lake!

L-R: Alfred, Robert (the groom) and Patrick (the bestman).
All three were college classmates back in the day.

We set off on our return trip to Kampala on a Sunday morning, so we could get more of the scenery and catch sights we missed during the night travel.

Heading home, leaving the mist behind.

One little point to note is that to people not accustomed to Kabale, the place is very cold especially early in the morning (the mornings are often covered in mist and fog, particularly during the rainy season) and at night mainly due to its elevation. So, if you are planning a trip there, travel warm!

A multi-purpose golf course

What is a golf course? 

Here is a definition I came across. A golf course is a grassy patch (turf) that comprises a series of holes (usually 9 or 18), each consisting of a tee, a fairway, rough areas and other hazards, and a putting green with a flagstick (i.e. the pin) and hole (i.e. the cup), all designed specifically for the game of golf (I must admit I'm a fan of golf).

For the lay, a golf course is a place where golfers (amateurs and professionals alike) go to play a game of golf either for fun or otherwise. For an enjoyable experience the holes must be meticulously maintained or thereabouts, depending on the type and standard of golf course.

Ever heard of a multi-purpose golf course? If you haven't, well, they do exist -- albeit not in most places. 

A view of the club house from across a fairway.

There happens to be one in my neighborhood - called the West Nile Golf Club. It's an 18-hole public golf club with a serene park-like setting, and a beautiful club house. A quick internet search returns a lot of positive praise, which range from "well-maintained" to "what a joyous course" - I'm sure it was indeed! From what I gather, it was built in 1955. A beautiful acacia-lined avenue runs through the course, offering welcome relief from the sun for pedestrians and strollers on a hot, sunny day. When one visits the club house, they will be treated to an array of winners plaques neatly and artfully placed on one wall, suggesting that this used to be the place to be for the who-is-who of golf's elite in and around these parts of the country (oh, you can thank me for the brief overview later!).

The acacia-lined avenue through the golf course... it's simply so cool!

Fast-forward to the present, 2012 to be exact! The course still has the beautiful club house. However, that's all. The club house is bare - no golf memorabilia of any kind. On the outside sits a full-length swimming pool that is dry. The course itself now looks anything but a course! The turf is overgrown and seldom sees a mower. And when it does see one, the many different surfaces (tees, fairways, roughs, greens) are all cut at the same height, making it difficult to differentiate between them. However, there are volunteers who do it for free, daily! Cattle! (I'm not sure you would have guessed that one correctly!).

A look at one of the golf course holes. Can you tell the different surfaces apart?

Grazers roam the course as they get their fill.

Parts of the golf course are used by school children to play football (soccer) as well as training for cross-country meets (long distance running/athletics). There is another group, the youthful idlers, who tend to use it as their hangout of choice, a leisure park for heaven-knows-what. This I find particularly disturbing!

The favorite pastime. Young men playing football on the course.

Despite all these obstacles, one often sees small groups of young golfers playing a round of golf, especially on weekends. Obviously they are making do with what they have. At least golf is still alive - but barely.

School boys walk across a putting green (or what is left of it) on their way home from school.

It is a shame that such a beautiful golf course has gone to waste. It is no longer the "well-maintained" and "joyous" course of old built for golf, but rather a "multi-purpose" course that is multi-functional. I'm afraid it will turn into an ordinary park one day!