Just another week: Sinkholes and Civets

Just when we thought life really couldn't get much more unpredictable, the last week really has had some bizarre moments. In fact, most of the unexpected 'did that really just happen??' moments occurred within just 24 hours and there are still several weeks left of this term to go.

The rainy season blew in the other week with very heavy deluges of rain bringing welcome relief from the intense heat and dry boreholes. We both blame and thank our dear UK visitors, (Neil and Judith), for bringing the 'chilly', (it's all relative), British weather with them.

Indeed, the rain was very welcome but, overnight, the torrents of rain exposed a potentially, massive sinkhole beside & under the boys’ latrines ... HOWEVER, at least it happened in the daytime and nobody fell in. It was a close thing and needed urgent attention, completely upending the day’s schedule for one of us. IF it had caved in, it would have added new meaning to the phrase ‘long drop’. Just doesn’t bear thinking about ...

Our work permits ran out in March & our phones were cut off immediately, while the lengthy, administrative approval takes place  ... HOWEVER, we hear the new ones are ‘in the pipeline’. We wait on, trying not to chew our fingernails.

A young teacher’s phone was stolen from the staffroom, much to his frustration ... HOWEVER, it was returned safely and mysteriously a few days later. The culprit strategically placed the phone back in another staff office,where it was bound to be found -  much to the owner's relief.

Our visitors left all too soon and have gone home for a rest ... HOWEVER, they had been kept very busy & useful, mentoring/training at Connect and visiting Gulu (Judith), setting up a small Coding club & doing techie support at WTA (Neil), not to mention taking part in some READ for Life/Connect discussions with us all.

Returning back to WTA after a weekend away, with our esteemed visitors, brought us into the end of an immense, gridlocked traffic queue on the wrong side of Kampala, with still many hours to go. (That will teach us to dawdle at the Equator Line taking tourist photos and drinking flat white coffees) …  HOWEVER, mobile data and Googlemaps led us offroad onto bumpy, murram roads - known locally as ‘getting a Ugandan massage’ . The new route took us across swamps, circumnavigating Kampala to reappear, just before dark, onto the main road a mere 40 minutes from home. We cut an hour off the traffic-jam route; it was brutal but worth it.

Mirembe House became an overnight animal rescue centre with a tiny civet ‘kitten’ which was brought to 'wannabe vet' Jerry for treatment. It had been found in someone’s ‘garden’ while they were planting. It was extremely weak, frightened and dehydrated … HOWEVER, after 24 hours’ rest, food supplements of sugarwater and watermelon, it revived enough, (even purring), to be returned to the same location and a reunion, hopefully, with its mum. Sigh… we so nearly acquired a feline friend. 

Power and internet continue to be laughable prospects on many occasions ... HOWEVER, we appreciate them very much when they reappear, so that we can use the oven, print documents, log on, have warm water, even check our visa status ... and best of all, stay in touch with the outside world. It really is the little things that count.