One last thing

I know I said I was done sharing the trip to Kenya but there was one, very important, thing I forgot to tell you. Kenyans love Ed Templeton! He was on televison everyday, his face was on t-shirts and billboards, his art was displayed at bus stops. It was strange because I'd imagine the average American doesn't know who he is. Seriously, I don't think anyone in Kenya knows who he is either. I made up that stuff for no good reason. Maybe I thought it was cool, or it would confuse you, maybe its the type of thing Ed would do... The truth is, on our way to the airport I did spot a Toy Machine sticker on the back of a car sitting near us in traffic.

you can't make this stuff up.

Joyeaux Noel

In my last post I said, with some confidence, that I would post again soon. I'm sure you must be asking yourselves "How can jbinuganda be so confident about his interweb access when, after all, TIA?" Well, my confidence comes from one place--France, because that is where we are spending Christmas. As they say "TIF" where the internet works just fine. So I'm here in les cite des lumieres chilling (cause its cold) and hopefully posting lots of pictures while I can. Joyeaux Noel et Bonne Annee. Paix

Trip to Kenya pt 2 part 3

I think these photos will wrap up the trip to Kenya; and its high time considering we took that trip a week before Thanksgiving.

First I fed this ostrich...


...then I ate its friends for dinner.


Rescued baby elephant. I didn't rescue it but I saw it.


More flamingos in Lake Nakuru. I recently heard there was a documentary made about
them (or the ones at Lake Naivasha) I haven't seen it but maybe you want to...?


The Rift Valley is one of those things that can't be captured in pictures or even really described.
A guide book said something about it stretching from the Middle East to somewhere in Africa
but I didn't really get the details. I also did not read the wikipedia article I hot linked. I went there you read it.


Whu'chu know 'bout bein' eaten alive?


Or being eaten by me after being grilled?

We tried to get as close as possible to this elephant. Right after I took this picture it took 5 steps straight toward us and shook its head as if to say "NO" then turned around and walked away. We let him be after that.


The widlerbeast migration happened just before we got there but there were a handful around.


Crested crane. It should look familiar to you.


...and just like that I'm 30.


Melissa took tons of pics of the trees, for good reason though. Some were pretty amazing.







Things are good. I'll be posting again soon. Take 'er easy.
peace

Trip tp Kenya part 2 part 2

Aight, here we go.
I got the interweb working ok for now so here are a few pics. Not everything I wanted to post but this is it for now. Things are good. Peace.



jb in uganda

lake nakuru

buffalo

the lake is covered in pink flamingos

Trip to Kenya pt 2

Time is running out at the internet cafe and the computer is only halfway working. I'm uploading as many pics as possible. A trip to Lake Nakuru, day 2 in Masai Mara, and dinner at a restaurant called carnivore.... we ate crocodile. I turned 30 somewhere in there too.
You know what NEVERMIND (all caps means I'm angry)! This computer won't do what its supposed to do so I won't post pics this time. Maybe some time this week I'll post a bunch but in the meantime TIA.

Trip to Kenya pt 1

About a week or two before leaving the states Melissa's mother called saying she would be in Kenya for a conference around November 21. She wanted to know if we wanted to come to Kenya or if she should come to Uganda. I thought about it for a second and then thought 'What am I thinking about?' Of course I want to go to Kenya. When's the last time I had the chance? When will be the next time?
So we spent a week in Kenya. It was good to see Melissa's mom. We stayed at a nice hotel not for from the city center. Nairobi is like the New York City of East Africa. Lots of hustle and bustle--people and cars everywhere. You can buy a bootleg DVD with 80 movies on it. We spent a little time in and around all that. Nairobi is very developed; in that its pretty westernized. Colonization and globalization have made for an interesting dynamic. Traditionalism and shopping malls are side by side for better and worse. I appreciate the traditional more because I've been to the mall before.

USA!!!!

We did the exact opposite of going to the mall. We went on safari. A day trip to Lake Nakuru and 3 days in Masai Mara. The pics are spread out over a few computers but here are some from a visit to a giraffe center and our second day in Masai Mara. I'll post the others when I can.

Jason and a giraffe

Melissa and my future mother-in-law

Trip to Gulu

We are back in Kampala after spending a few days in Gulu where Melissa will be doing most of her work. Its about 5 hours away and the ride is murder so there is no wit in this post--assuming there had been some in others....?
Things are great so far. There's lots of good food, the people are friendly, I finally see what people mean about dry heat being bearable.

I fought this bat off with my bare hands... and a broom (before we went to Gulu) The bats in Gulu are 5 times as big... I will not be fighting them.

These motorcycles are everywhere. They're called bota botas. They're like taxis. I wanna buy my own so please contact me about donations 'preciate cha!

Emmy (tall one) Opio (brown shirt) Marvin (dark shirt) Achen (pink pants) are the all-stars of the Gulu Region Football Club. Here they are getting ready for the African Cup of Nations. What they lack in size they make up for in.....style....?

Achen is the goalie.... when she's paying attention.

That's me taking it all in. I am also making a weak attempt at growing a beard. Seriously, it won't be there next time you see a pic of me.




You see what I'm saying about the bats. Click the pic and zoom in on one. You can also see that it is daylight. But why should they bother hiding? They're huge and roll about 200 plus deep.

The ride to and from Gulu is nuts. 5 hours. The road is paved most of the way but its still not especially smooth. Where it is not paved it makes your teeth rattle and I mean that as literally as possible. Where they are doing construction they put speed bumps the size of mountains every few feet. You can't go more than 20 kph (very foreign huh?) and they go on for what feels like miles.

peace.

T.I.A.

First off.... I'm sorry there are no pictures yet. There are pictures I just don't have them with me. I mean I have them with me but I can't bring them up on the computer. Its not my computer. I'm at an internet cafe with only a few minutes left (so you'll forgive typos) this keyboard is kinda crazy. There are letters I've never seen but when I push them I get this \';~$%#$-- which are things I've seen. What I mean is I don't have the right wire to plug in the camera. Its cool though b/c I can come back soon w/ the proper gear in hand.
I say all that to say T.I.A. That is how I was welcomed to Uganda. This is Africa (TIA) The reason people say it is because thats just how it is. You can read for yourself in the first paragraph--not everything goes the way it should all the time. TIA. I'm saying it to you for having to read a boring post. Say it to yourself. Honestly, I'm not saying it. I've been here 2 days and I love it. My nose is really stuffy but that is from staying with my sick sister before breathing recycled air for 16 hours. Not to mention jet lag like a mug! All-in-all its great. I'm in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. We may make a trip to Gulu (the "bush") tomorrow. I'll post pictures as soon as I can. Til then time's up. TIA.
Peace

Farewell Transmission

Melissa and I are leaving for Dulles Airport in about an hour. We'll be traveling for the next 24 hours or so before we arrive in Uganda. I'll send an email to everyone and update the blog as soon as I can. Thanks for all the phone calls and wishes. Be good. Peace.

WE did it

Just before 11pm Tuesday November 4, 2008 we knew Barack Obama would be the next president of the United States and the celebration started immediately. I was at a friend's house in Silver Spring, MD. We smiled, laughed, hugged, screamed, raised drinks, cried, and sighed. We had done it. Everyone in the room had not only voted for Obama but also volunteered for the campaign. Sure we all follow politics but none of us ever participated beyond voting. This was ours. We had worked to make our country better even though we sometimes doubted the country was ready to be better. The excitement in the room was palpable--we had to do something. We were happy to find people doing something in the city.

Washington, DC was amazing. I have never celebrated the way we did. An entire city, made up of all people, in the streets. ALL PEOPLE. White, Black, Hispanic, Asian--AMERICAN! All of us proud of what we had done and hopeful for a better future. Age, race, gender, orientation, nationality didn't matter--we hugged stangers. All of us excited--we had taken a stand--our voices were heard! WE DID IT!!!

We had defined our generation...

2a.m. in front of the White House

3a.m. U Street

Lets get to work.

November 4, 2008 11:00pm EST

The most incredible event I have ever been a part of.

Apartment Available

I moved out of my apartment on Euclid Street in Northwest DC on Halloween. My homie E came by a few days before to say peace. As we talked he looked around and said "Its been an era." He's right--Its been about 4 years on Euclid. 4 important years. I was 26 when I moved in and now I'm almost... well, you can do the math for that other dirty number when I moved out. It has been an era.

I have tons of memories (good and bad) of the apartment. But nothing will change the fact that moving sucks.

4 years worth of stuff--and dirt all sorted and lifted and given away and tossed out and dragged across town. This move has made me reconsider sentiment. I found stuff from 11 years ago I had been saving just in case or because I thought it was special. I threw it away. The times were great the stuff was useless.

This weekend I was in Ohio dropping some things (winter clothes, books, and other items that won't be used in Uganda) off at my parents' house. While I was there I had the opportunity to do something I have never done. I visited the county board of elections and cast a vote in person. In 2000 and 2004 I trusted that an absentee ballot with my name on it went somewhere, was filled out properly, and returned with a vote for the "good guys." This year I was in Ohio; where early voting is taking place, as it is in 30 other states--you really have no excuse. I had the pleasure of casting a vote for Barack Obama.

There are a number of reason why you should also vote for Barack Obama. Race is the least of them, but if that's your thing more the power to you. I have some good friends who live in either the Bible Belt or the Rust Belt who are on the verge of being duped into 4 more years. I know some of you just love endless war, private health care you can't afford, failing housing and credit markets, and poor public education. Maybe you think big businesses need more money. Maybe you think its about Jesus....? Like I said duped. If you're one of the people hanging your hat on those things I am not talking to you. If you are a thinker this is for you.

Vote for Barack Obama if you ever hope to see me again. Read this blog and mark my words. A vote for Obama is a vote to get me to come back to America one day. Please trust that if John McCain becomes president I will NOT be coming back here. It would not be because I hate John McCain or because I love Barack Obama--I've never met them. It would be because the American public was silly enough to ask for more of what has hurt them so much. We proved we were up for it in '04 and I will not do it again.

So if you take advantage of early voting or wait until the 4th please consider our friendship when you go to the polls. Either that or start saving for a plane ticket.

So this is it....

Alright, it took some time to name it but here it is. I have a blog. While its not the most important step in moving out of the country; it is something I wanted to have done before I left. I have to thank my coworker Erin for the longitude and latitude idea. 0°19′N 32°35′E is where Melissa and I will be living and you're all welcome to visit.
So far I've gotten lots of shots, we have tickets, and we're packing. I'll be updating when I can to keep everyone current on the haps. Talk at you soon.