Most of my entries found on this site are usually just stories of things I have done in Uganda (or area). Since time is coming to a close here in Uganda and I really haven’t done anything exciting enough to write about (WOW I went to Nairobi again) I thought I would share a few things I have been thinking about of late.

I have realized how common I have become here in Uganda. In certain areas of town I am bound to run into someone (if not many someone’s) who I know, or more so, people who know me. Few days ago while eating at an Ethiopian restaurant a waitress recognized me from Church. In some ways its nice having so many people know who you are, as you tend to get better deals/service on things, as well as they know what you want (like when I go to restaurants). It also has its downfalls, as I am becoming common to those people who want to take advantage of me, or use me for money, jobs, etc. Even though I am pretty good at determining people’s true intentions and am pretty careful it still begins to turn into a nuisance.

Lately little things are beginning to eat at me. Things like having a minibus driver try to cheat me out of 100 USH (roughly 7 cents Canadian) by charging me more than everyone else on the taxi. It isn’t the money that makes me angry it’s just the fact they are trying to cheat me, and no one likes to be cheated. When I first arrived I was too afraid to say anything to people trying to cheat me, but now I tend to fight them. Just the other day when JP (who is back from the UK) and me where coming back from town it was another case of a taxi driver trying to get more money from the whites. This time however we had taken the taxi where it had its price marked, thus after getting out of the taxi I refused to remove my hand from the seat until I was given my rightful change. Often times though I now just give up, I give in, stop fighting. Other things that eat at me is when people assume things about you just because your white (used to be “Hey Muzungu Bin Laden is over here” now its “Hey Muzungu Sadam is over there”). It really gets to me though, and at times you can really start to thinking all Ugandans are out to get something from you, which is the greatest shame of all. The best cure is to think of all the good friends in country I have.

With all that said I think I do OK for myself these days. My understanding of the language is at a level where if I really took it seriously I could start to be dangerous. I feel I understand the culture here quite well also, and I think most of my friends will tell you I fit in quite well.

Anyway its about 35 days until my departure from Africa. 35 days till I return to reality (what is my reality, maybe Africa is my true reality ;) ), or rather the western world. It is a bittersweet feeling I have towards leaving. Uganda has truly treated me well, but it has also left me a year away from those that I love, and my life in general. Anyway this day had to come, actually it came once in December and I decided I wasn’t going to have it, but now I have to come back (The incentive of seeing a certain band might be one cause of this!) and I am truly looking forward to it.

The world has changed a lot in the past year; I have changed a lot (even skinnier haha) in the past year. I think life will be a lot different on return, at least from my standpoint, as for everyone else who knows. To quote Pearl Jam “driftin’ driftin’ driftin’ along, feel like going back there but never for very long, sometimes I wonder if they know that I’m gone, I’m just driftin’ driftin’ along”.

As for the future who knows, I will take life one step at a time like I have always done. And well right now I have a few steps to do first. Uganda, Germany, Southern Western USA, and most importantly a little place I like to call home…