Slower Times in Entebbe....

Ki Kati...Oli Otya? Hello Blog Followers!

I am writing this on the Saturday which is my last full day in the Jane Goodall Institute house and then I am off to Ngamba Island tomorrow! Things have been moving at a slower pace the past couple of days which I am really happy about because it has been an extremely busy couple of weeks (but I have enjoyed all of it!) Here is an update of the past couple of days...I got back from the visit with Ronald on the Tuesday afternoon (with the chicken)haha! Tuesday was market day so Beth and I went with the girls from the office. We searched through the clothes and produce for bargains...I got two shirts for probably $2.50 canadian. If you can bargain down things can be super cheap. I realised something at the market though that evening as we were walking with Jacque and Tracy from the office. As we were browsing some people were making comments to them in Lugandan. Beth and I realised that they were being harassed for associating with "muzungus". They ignored them of course and kept walking with us but it was strange to see. After the market we met up with some of the others from the office and had a drink at the local bar. I also tried some street food called "Rolex" (yep, just like the watch) that everyone was telling us we had to try. It is actually called rolled eggs but somehow it evolved to Rolex. It is basically a chipati and egg fried together, so delicious! Wednesday I worked on an article for New Vision on the campign, it is still in the works bt should be informative once completed. Roasted chicken was on the menu at lunch and I bet you can guess who's chicken that was!! That night I got to go running for the first time since I arrived, I have been so busy I never got the chance before this. It was very surreal to run around the botanical gardens (they let me run in there for free) and realise that I am running in Africa...Part of the gardens is a rainforest and it was so relaxing to run under the canopy and watch the vervet monkeys in the trees above!! I love it, the vervets are everywhere playing together and swinging through the trees. I almost ran into one at one point. I came back that evening and Beth had made a great pasta dinner, really sweet of her! That night I got Skype working and was able to see Ethan walking for the first time!! He is getting so big and is the cutest thing. I really do miss my nephews...I love you Dylan, Cullan and Ethan! Thursday I continued to work on my article and then Beth and I went out to eat at the Gately Inn. The Gately has some great food, and we ended up trying their thai that night. Yesterday was my last day in the JGI office and it was a little sad to be honest...I really love working with everyone here. In the afternoon I went with Jacque to speak to some teachers at Bugoma School. We mostly discussed getting the Roots & Shoots Partnership in Understanding program going, which is basically pen-pal communication between R&S groups in a developed and developing country. There has been trouble making it work in the past but they are going to try again. We also discussed our "No Plastics" campaign to them and talked about having a Skype conference call between Bugoma school and the attendees of the R&S youth for action workshop in Canada in April which I will be helping with. Last night Beth, Anna, Jacque, Tracy, and Susan met up at a restaurant in Entebbe called 4 points. It is a great place with TONS of food from all over. This was to be a celebatory/goodbye event since I am of to the island on Sunday. After that we wnt to a couple of bars in Entebbe and had a great time dancing and talking...Saturday today, Beth and I have just been watching movies and relaxing. I am going to head down to the wildlife centre when I am finished writing this and spend some time watching the chimpanzees (although I will be in chimp heaven soon enough!) Tonight we are heading to Kampala and Anna is going to show us around and we will stay at her place...I just got news that the health checks have been posponed by two weeks so there will be a change in plans...

Pant-hoots,

Shannon