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.