Day 1: Jetlag, Taxi Parks, and Infectious Laughter

After sleeping for 18 hours on our two flights yesterday, most of us struggled to keep our eyes shut last night. Our hotel is just over the hill from the largest mosque in Eastern Africa, so we listened to the prayers called out every couple of hours and the dogs howling in response, and then eventually the squaking of the birds, as we saw the sunlight grow stronger through the curtains.

Today, we spent time with Joan and Julia's friends Morris (Cosma Foundation) and Donovan, who helped us navigate our negotiations with a waiter who wanted to serve us three times as much lunch as we had ordered, and taught us to count to ten in Luganda. We also met Keneth (Hope for African Children), how has the most infectious laugh I have heard in a while, and Charles (Cosma Foundation), who was incredibly welcoming.

We spent the morning in the new and old taxi parks in Kampala (seas of taxis that head out of the city in all directions -- catching the right one seems to take a great deal of skill). I hadn't fully anticipated how much attention our group, primarily made up of white girls, would attract on the streets of Kampala. Sometimes it was unnerving to have people shouting at us in a language we didn't know, physically grabbing us to get our attention and sell us their wares. I couldn't quite tell when we were being mocked and when people were being friendly. Someone told me he loved me while a group of us bartered for earrings -- unclear in that case! Still, the market place was exhileratingly busy, and overall we enjoyed it.

In the afternoon we went to meet a friend of Julia's who is a journalist at an independent newspaper. He is one of the most articulate and passionately opinionated people I have ever met. I know we were all blown away by his ideas about foreign aid, democracy in Africa, and the future of this country. Personally, as an aspiring journalist (maybe), I was inspired to see someone so intelligent and charismatic, and so devoted to positive change, making his mark through journalism, teaching, and the spread of information.

Tonight, we're going to take it easy. I think we all need it. Jetlag, be gone!

~ Nora