Worldwide Phenomenon

When I tell people I just got back from Uganda the question is always "Why were you in Uganda?"
The answer is worldwide phenom Melissa Adams. She's brilliant! So brilliant in fact she designed a project that The U.S. State Department and MTVU chose to fund and document. The project focused on the use of a hip hop (also a worldwide phenom) as music and dance therapy for war affected children. If you click her name up there you can learn all about the research, the work, the kids etc...
I know what your television and the radio have convinced you to buy isn't always good for you; but don't under estimate the positive influence hip hop can have on people. Especially when you put it in the hands of positive people.

guess who's bizack!

So I think I may change the name of the blog soon. I'm back in DC and that makes the title of my brilliance inaccurate. jbindc right? That's what I think too--I'll let you know soon. Now that I'm back and working on interweb that moves at the speed of light you would think I'm going to post pics galore, but between my missing camera and fried computer no such thing is going to happen. Melissa's computer is loaded with pictures but her computer is still in Uganda with her. Her project blew up and e'rybody wanted in so she'll be expanding her project for a few months. In the meantime I'll teach your 7 year old how to read for a nominal fee.
If you peep the blog often enough I'll let you know before the name changes so you don't think Uganda isn't there any more. I have a new cell number too. If you have it call me (or my parents), if you don't have it email me, if you don't have my email address hit me on facebook, if we're not facebook friends... and you don't have my email address... and you don't know my number...
peace.

Happy Go Skateboarding Day

the best spot in Gulu...?


I tried to make the most of it.

The worst time I've had in Uganda

I came to Uganda with the knowledge that I may get sick; amazingly, since November all I've had was a cold. That all changed last week. I spent Monday night shivering because I was so cold. Tuesday morning I woke up covered in sweat, feeling like I was hit with a baseball bat 26 times, and a little feverish. I wasn't too panicked but I thought this was the end. Before writing my last will and testament, Melissa and I went to the hospital to get my blood tested for everything. The symptoms for so many diseases are the same and if you don't catch them early your brain may boil.
When they took the blood I had a slight fever which was good because they're more likely to catch whats wrong if I'm symptomatic. Still somehow my test came back negative for everything and I was just imagining the ridiculous pain. I ended up being diagnosed with clinical malaria and prescribed something or another.
I went home and sweat some more and slept and ached and kept sweating and so on. Melissa took my temperature every 20 minutes and it was never good news. After 3 days on the meds I felt a lot better, but still not good enough to leave the house or eat a full meal. A day or two later I had a headache so bad I couldn't see straight and wouldn't go away. I survived that weekend and woke up Monday morning feeling like I was on top of the world. A feeling that made sense me because I can't remember feeling much worse than when I was sick.
The moral of the story is don't stop taking your antimalarial meds even if you do come up with a good reason.

...and pics and pics and haha haha haa

This started out as a story about something but instead has turned into a picture party, YAY!
enjoy

Weak beard attempt #134--this is as close as I came.


Walter and Patrick are brothers. I loved Walter's t-shirt


I handed the camera to a 12 year old bgirl called Esther at a breakdance practice and ended up with 3 of my favorite pics so far.






He kept going up.


Bboy Alex showing the youngins how its done.


My man Apollo grittin' on 'em at Kyoto in Kampala.


Zoom in and look at this thing.


Oh, you mad 'cuz we stylin' on you.


See you next time.

skaters sans frontieres

A few blogs back I mentioned a skatepark here in Uganda (thanks to flynn and hp and skatedaily). I showed up at a skatepark in a "developing" country and figured I would show them how to ollie and be a hero. While I was warming up ('cause I'm old) I'm checking out some pretty well made quarter pipes and flat banks. As I'm flopping and flailing all over myself, about 5 local kids pump through the whole park super fast.... so I won't be showing them that. In short, these kids KILL this park. I could only watch--my mind was blown!
These pics are from what was scheduled to be a competition sponsored by Mountain Dew. Mountain Dew had lots of great ideas and promised to kick in lotsa cash but pulled out the day before. It will henceforth be known as Mt. Poo.
Sponsorship or not these kids had a ball. Me and this guy Shawn were asked to put on a mini demo and I don't think either one of us landed a trick--li'l embarrassing.

The crew. OK one banner but I'm not sure why--Tony Hawk Foundation had nothing to do with this.

The boneless one!

He powered this front lip across the whole quarter. I used my dope filming skills to capture the action!

A kid, a kid, and a board.

After seeing these kids this shirt is only half true on me.

He didn't land this but he landed the next one. Another kid did a frontside grab off the 7' extension and had to have been about 3' above it.

CLOWNIN!

All I could do was hold my board and smile.

Click this link to see more about skating in Uganda, watch the videos, write an email and tell them how amazed you are.
www.ugandaskateboardunion.org

the latest

My Main Mayo Chuck D (hearts) NOLA. I've only been there twice but I can (shovel) it. Chuck recently found some info to help us undo one our government's most recent and most offensive mistakes http://www.makeitrightnola.org/ Donate, spread the word, take some action.... otherwise they'll feel free to do it again right.

How are things where you are? In Uganda it is the rainy season so its cold and wet everyday; which is different form hot and dry but not really better.
Melissa and I moved into a nice little 3 bedroom house that has no electricity. We also only own a bed and some dressers so the place is a a bit cavernous but its cool.
Mangoes are in season but that's a blog post of its own.
English football is huge here and as a sports fan I couldn't help but be swept up by the Premiereship. ARSENAL!
A while ago I mentioned a skate competition in Kampala. It was postponed until this weekend so I should be able to share some news soon. However, writing my plans on this blog almost guarantees they won't happen.... fingers crossed.


OH SNAP!!!

...kid again

I like WTWTA. I also like Spike Jonze. I am a fan of the Arcade Fire. Put 'em all together and what do you get?
http://www.wtwta.com/trailer/
I think it comes out in October.

Pics and pics

A good friend recently left Gulu for a holiday in Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania. While she is traveling she let us use her mobile internet device. Its surprisingly fast. Here are the pictures to prove it. We'll actually be buying one soon and have pretty regular interweb access at home.

B Girl freestyle head spin.

50-50 at Kampala's best street spot (reppin' the home team)

We had a brief stint in the Army. I was a Sergeant!

Arafat (national dance contest winner) teaching some guys how to get bizzy!

I rock plastic shoes in case of mud.

I had planned to post more pictures but that's really just too much to ask for. I'll post more soon enough. I emailed some folks about a skate contest coming up in Kampala. (Knock on wood) I'll have something to show you from that. Hope you're well. Peace

shoulda woulda coulda

I've been back in UG from Paris for about a month or so. In that time I found an internet connection that by UG standards is lightning fast, by US standards it ain't bad either. In the few weeks I've been using it I should have posted pictures of the rest of the trip to Paris or some more adventures in UG. Truth is I was gonna do it today but I forgot my flash drive. Sorry.
Melissa and I are planning to be in Gulu tomorrow for about a month (en shalah--TIA) which means super limited interweb access. There's no such thing as a high speed connection powered by a gas generator so....
I know the posts have slowed down a bit but that's because we're really settled in and living a pretty routine life, which is obviously a great thing. I'll go lurker style one day and take a photo dump but in the meantime I'm happy to report not much hap'nin. I hope all is well where you are. I'll catch you on the flizip! Peace.

Parisians ain't havin' it

A common Parisian practice is protest. People take to the streets fairly often for all sorts of reasons. I've heard about sex workers demanding rights even though prostitution is illegal. A parade of persons with disabilities who wanted their voices heard. Melissa was one of thousands opposing China's hosting the Olympic Games despite their human rights atrocities worldwide.
So after seeing the latest haps in Gaza this week we knew we would see the French speak out against Israel's actions and probably be able to participate ourselves. We had no idea it would be so easy. The protest passed directly in front of her mother's apartment. From the balcony we could see a few hundred police walking backwards in front of thousands, probably tens of thousands of people. We were able to literally walk out the front door and straight into the crowd which was miles long.


It went on like this as far as you could see.



Bush almost got what he deserved as far as Arab shoe culture goes. This guy had his on a stick. It was freezing outside but some people walked barefoot so they could hold their shoes in the air.

All the chanting was in French but some of it was very clear.

Jinja

Jinja (not ginger like I thought I heard) is on Lake Victoria and is the closest town to the source of the White Nile. Its about an hour away from Kampala so we went for a day trip in early December. Here are some pics. Happy New Year!



A guide took us around on a boat (you can see it over on the left) to different spots where we would get out and walk to see where the rapids were especially impressive and where there were natural springs.