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Sunday, July 14, 2013

Stress Relief

By MV

This is the perfect stress relief any day, any time. It is a small, absolutely stunning holiday resort tucked away in a serene flower paradise. Ideal for long morning walks and lazy evening strolls as you catch a whiff of a variety of flowers, especially the beauties called lavenders. You can hide in the flower gardens, or sit on one of those small bridges, your doorstep or climb one of the trees and read a good book. You can also enjoy some of the finest cuisines...yum!

This little flower paradise is recommended for those seeking a slower pace of life away from our usual city chaos, pollution and STRESS! Here, even in a short time, I found that much-needed personal space to squeeze in some me-time. You just need to pick a flower, enjoy the fragrance; take a deep breath and smile… reflect and relax in total tranquility.

This is quite simply exotic beauty redefined by the Golden Sand Lake. I was here and I absolutely loved it. This is understated class in every sense of the word.


Perfect escape for...

...refreshing morning walks



An afternoon walk to a calming location where...

...you can sit there, read a book, sip some wine or enjoy the soothing river.

Or open your windows and talk to these blooms

And let this wonder calm you so...

...you can enjoy your evening meal.


Sunday, May 12, 2013

Project ideas

I've had ideas about starting some personal projects for sometime now. Whenever I think I'm ready to get started I hold myself, usually for no apparent reason, come to think about it. My Achilles heel  is that I feel everything  should be perfect from the onset... the right tools, right amount of money, best possible item to add to the mix, name it! I keep wondering how others started projects and gotten where they are. Could there be a magic formula?

Lately, I've started 'shaking' myself out of it. And, it seems to be working! Just need to do it more I suppose.

I've come across some inexpensive, yet practical ideas recently (actually I've been seeing them at a construction site next door, but I hadn't given them much thought!) that have awoken the creative 'little guy' in me. I think I'm ready to take on some enterprises by the 'horn' in ways that are creative, practical and inexpensive. Which means...starting small and improvising when necessary.


Inexpensive: A rain gauge complete with its casing, mounted on  a pole. It is raised high up to prevent ground splatter from getting into the rainfall measuring cylinder. 

Creative: A water tank sits atop rings of blocks. This would be a perfect setup for a beginning farm enterprise, wouldn't it? Of course barbed wire fencing would keep animals from knocking it over, if they are part of the farm.

Practical: Locally made beehives hang in a mango tree (can you spot the second one?). The hives are made of discarded wood from a construction site. With 5-10 of those one could start a honey processing enterprise, and later upgrade to modern hives with the proceeds obtained.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Holiday hiking

A homestead in the mountains.

This past Christmas holiday was quiet and tranquil - just what I was looking forward to. I spent the holidays up in the mountains of Eremi in Metu. One main activity that I found refreshing, besides catching plenty of naps, was hiking. The scenery up there was simply breathtaking and the people were friendly.


The mountainous landscape of Metu still fascinates me like it did many many years ago when I first visited. It is even more amazing when you consider the plateausque beauty of Eremi. The mountains has two distinct plateaus (from what I could tell), making it seem like two different mountains. At each plateau one finds settlements. Eremi trading center is on the first of the plateaus, with schools, a church, a health center and a forest reserve. The second peak (above Eremi trading center) is steep. It has always beckoned to me, but I hadn't had the chance to climb it.


Hiking is much more fun when it is done in a group. So the day after Christmas, a group of us set out to explore the highest peak. We set off after lunch since our destination was quite far away. The heat of the afternoon dictated our pace. Midway into the hike I was fully drenched in sweat and breathing like a spent ox. And that was before we had even begun to climb our intended peak.



The hiking trail through the forest reserve in Eremi.


A dry season stream bed that runs through the forest reserve in Eremi.


Starting the climb - the steep part of the hike!

The trail ran right through a forest reserve, which offered welcome relief from the sun. The hillside was steeper than I had anticipated... my chest heaved, and my legs trembled with every other step that I took. We made it to the top of the plateau after a while following a brief rest on the rocks. To my amazement, the top of the plateau was relatively flat with minimal disturbance. It was as if time had stood still here.

There is a community that has settled here for decades. From the distance (to an extent, lack of) between the huts and homesteads, it appeared the community had a closeness about it.


A section of the plateau on the mountain.

We made our way past the homesteads, intent on going as far as our legs could carry us. Along the way we came to a clearing with many kinds of wild fruits... and that abruptly marked the end of our hike. We sampled some, and gathered what we could. Our party then made an about turn and retraced our way down the mountain. The descend was much easier. Even with the fatigue the experience was worthwhile!

Some of the wild fruits we gathered. Locally called itiaviri (I don't know the English name!), the fruits sprout from rhizomes below-ground. This fruit has the aroma of passion fruits, but with a stronger taste.


These two boys, residents up the mountain, were kind enough to pose for a shot with their toy cars made from motor oil containers, with carefully cut-out flip-flops for tires.


A close-up of the toys... simple, yet creative!


Descending home!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Local technologies: A pictorial

Ever wondered how rural folks, those that live away from the hustle and bustle of city life, get on with their lives? Here are a few ideas to give you an insight... quite amazing!

A permanent 3-burner earthen stove that uses firewood. Once lit, it keeps the heat going even after the firewood has been removed... quite energy efficient.

Another earthen stove. This one is inside a hut, away from the elements. The flame is from charcoal.

Chicken pens for laying hens. The structure also doubles as dish-drying rack. Quite unique!

A mobile chicken pen. This one is used mainly for keeping a hen and its new chicks to protect them from birds of prey and others predators.

A permanent chicken pen for older chicken. It is raised to protect the birds from snakes and other ground predators.
 
Baskets to protect young tree seedlings from wind, mowers, and grazers. The baskets are weaved from bamboo.


Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Local dialects and the English language

I'm a stickler for correct spellings. That is not to say that I intentionally look out for spelling errors on every printed piece of paper. It just happens that way. 

Now, the question I have is: do spellings really matter, especially when the message is clearly understood? I'm referring to spellings in the English language here.

Perhaps not. Considering the multilingual nature of many Sub-Saharan African countries (and perhaps of other countries of the world as well), in my opinion it would be difficult for every one of us whose first language isn't English to get all spellings correct, more so if one picked up the English language later in life. Granted, some spellings may change the meaning of a word entirely, but others may not.

In some instances, one's own local dialect (Uganda has over 40 local dialects) may dictate how they spell a word. That is because many of us tend to write, pronounce, or spell certain words the way we see or pronounce them in our own local languages. In other instances, we tend to alter the positions of certain letters in a word, often by mistake. At the end of the day if the message has been driven across, maybe that is what should count. Unless it is newsprint, a publication or an English language exam, of course.

Here are a few 'misspellings' to chew on.


It's clear which team he roots for... which happens to be the one I root for as well.

That may translation to hot cycle park... but you know exactly what is being referred to, don't you?

Land for sale - that's the meaning.

Great customer service and business awareness. This note was pinned on the wall of a barbershop (salon). The word 'saloon' has been used for 'salon'. Anyway, take the message wholesomely. Could have been a slip of the mind or fingers, or simply a case of 'lost in translation'. Heck, Mary and Merry sound alike. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, too!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The dry spell that isn't

Mahogany trees at different stages of leaf-shedding during the dry season. The grass in the foreground isn't faring any better.

It is supposed to be the dry season during this time of year in the greater northern region in Uganda, which actually includes West Nile. Typically, the dry spell starts sometime in October, peaks in January/February and tapers in March.

It came as expected, gradually warming its way into November/December. The annuals yellowed their leaves and many have already dropped them. One unique aspect in Uganda is that the dry spells come with the great Monsoon winds that blow over from the Indian Sub-continent, often exerting their effect in West Nile due to the high elevation in most parts. The mornings are often chilly (akin to early autumn weather). If not moisturized, the skin turns pale or even cracks, and takes on the appearance of cobwebs.

The past three weeks have been particularly dry with scorching sunshine and no winds. It's been so hot that catching some shut-eye at night is close to impossible. However, in the last three days the weather has taken a turn for the better with the winds returning accompanied with rain. In fact, as I post this blog its falling hard..."when it rains, it pours!"... so it is said. Briefly, that is the unpredictability of our weather in West Nile. Of late it is indeed becoming increasingly unpredictable. A sign of global warming, maybe?


Grass burning is common here during the dry season.

Dry leaves litter an avenue

A maize field scotched by too much sunshine, high day temperatures, and drought. 

Going down fighting... even when it is time to call it a day, the sun sets with a bang!

One positive: Mangoes are in full bloom.

The occasional rains revive seasonal streams giving the cows something to be joyful about.