Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.
Isabelle Eberhardt, The Nomad: The Diaries of Isabelle Eberhardt
It's been a fantastic week since I last wrote. I spent the end of last week running errands around Kampala, particularly securing my research permit from the National Council of Science & Technology. After filling out some not-unreasonable paperwork, I showed up at the NCST office and was floored by how fast and smooth the process was. Afterward, I sat down to talk with two young Ugandan bloggers who are the founders of Uganda Speaks, a site focused on promoting young Ugandan voices in addressing Ugandan issues. Our conversation provided a lot of food for thought, particularly regarding the intervention of the western world in Africa. That evening, I met up with a friend from undergrad for a delightful evening of dinner, wine, and great conversation.
On Friday, I joined my cousins at a going away party for an Embassy staffer. I didn't meet her until the end of the party, only to discover that she's from Denver and graduated from high school with several of my friends. The party was a lot of fun and afforded the opportunity to talk with State and USAID folks and get some input on and reactions to my research topic. Hanging with my cousins and their colleagues has put diplomacy and state-sponsored development work in a whole new, very practical light.
Last weekend, we headed to Jinja and the source of the Nile with some of my cousins' State Dept and USAID friends. My cousins are serious campers and have rooftop tents on their Land Rovers, so our setup was impressive. We enjoyed two days of swimming, sitting around the campfire, and exploring the Nile headwaters by boat. The most striking aspect of the boat trip, aside from the knowledge that we were floating over the source of the world's longest river, was the array of birds--kingfishers, fish eagles, cranes, cormorants, pelicans, egrets, storks, ducks, hornbills, and so many more. Uganda is a bird-watcher's paradise.
As we continued down the Nile from the source, our boatman guide pointed out a huge pillar on a hill overlooking the source where John Speke, who "discovered" the source, once stood. Coincidentally, my cousin lent me Adam Hochschild's "King Leopold's Ghost," a fascinating, disturbing history of the Belgian Congo, the only colony ruled by a single man, and not a state, and the resulting int'l human rights movement that emerged once the atrocities committed by King Leopold's forces came to light. It's a great read for Africa and human rights enthusiasts, alike.
It's been so wonderful to have the opportunity to relax, explore, read, and catch up with family during the first two weeks of my time in Uganda. Having the time to sit still and move a little slower has impressed on me just how hectic life has been during the last year and a half of grad school. 3 jobs, an internship, a full course load, and an active social life have been hard to balance. It makes me to eager to move on to the next step and a more predictable schedule.
Next week, I move on to Gulu, in the north, where I'll embark on my field research.
'Til next time, thanks for reading!
Africa is mystic; it is wild; it is a sweltering inferno; it is a photographer's paradise, a hunter's Valhalla, an escapist's Utopia. It is what you will, and it withstands all interpretations. It is the last vestige of a dead world or the cradle of a shiny new one.
Beryl Markham, West with the Night
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| Camping in style |
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| Lake Victoria |
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| African Openbill Stork |
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| Little Egret |
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| The Source |
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| Sunrise over Lake Victoria |
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