It requires a lot of will power to stay Ugandan; different stories in the media make people do Google searches to see if there are countries out there that can adopt them. You had expect that after doing the search once, one would never try to look again…till the next big story hits and all rationality is thrown out the taxi window.
This year, if you are still Ugandan, you’ve been tempted quite a number of times but here you are, still standing. We, comrades in the struggle, applaud you.
As a child with your nose pressed against the window, looking outside at all the children frolicking in the sand, making sand castles and eating sand and boogers, it’s easy to see how well things look on the other side of the window. It takes a bit of effort to wipe your breath off the window pane, look around and see things to be thankful for in your house.
I recently went across the border; not too far to get an accent but far enough not to have to look both ways before crossing a one-way street anymore. While in this not-so-distant land, I noticed, in a way I would never quite paid attention to, a few things that we do have in our house
Weather
The land I was in was cold; so cold, flies huddled together for warmth. The sun did not come out at all. On the strange days that it peeped out, it would come out like an employee at 4.58pm-showing all signs that it would rather be elsewhere.
Here though, the sun is like an employee on payday before a four-day weekend-happy and motivated. When the weather acts up and goes gloomy, it’s only for a while-the sun later comes out and puts in enough time to make-up for its time away.
Food
We do have quite a bit of variety. I had never given this much thought till I went for a high-end buffet that turned out to have only rice and posho. The horror. Such felony. Down with the management. Anything short of four different types of food is tyranny
People
We are generally approachable and easy-going. We many times go out of our way to help. Till we become MPs that is.
Nice one.
Talk about cold climate and limited food variety and one of Zambia or Malawi immediately comes to mind. I have been to Malawi the past couple of weeks and boy, oh boy! The place was cold (I was told it was winter).
The food is basically limited to rice and nsima(their version of ugali), while relish is beef or chicken. Even a high-end functions!
Thanks Dan. Strange how it is so easy to take such basics for granted; haven’t been to either though from Zambia’s music, I’d love to visit