BIENVENUE-POPE FRANCIS

Dear pope Francis,

Welcome to Ouganda! We are so excited to have you here. We have been anticipating your visit since about a year ago. Well, we hear some gossip overheard a conversation between you and your buddies on a plane (how is this even possible) that you had plans of visiting Uganda. Then later, we heard rumours that all that was a rumour.

I kind of don't know how you changed your mind and decided that you wanted to come to Uganda after all that. One thing I do know however, is that you made the right choice.

We Ugandans are such lovely people as you shall soon find out. We love visitors! When we are expecting a visitor, we shall out do ourselves. We clean up, buy new clothes, decorate, prepare lots of food et al. Now, you are just not a visitor, you are a pope!

I will tell you what we had to do ever since we heard about your visit; we have cleaned up the city, planted flowers, redone pavers (do you know those?-well they are used on side walks).  We even had to do a fundraising walk in honour of your visit.We have widened some roads, like the one you are going to use to go to your Ugandan vatican( i was told that is what it is called). You know I actually go by that road every evening on my way home. But just today, I noticed it had a fresh coat of tarmac on one end of it. I am actually happy that it has been made wider. That means that we shall no longer be stuck in traffic jam( that is what we call it here). Oh pope, let me take some time to tell you about this traffic jam nightmare. It is so annoying. Can you imagine being held up for upto 3 hours for a distance that should normally take 20minutes? I tell you! It is terrible, I hope you will not experience any of it while here. Just make sure your entourage moves very early in the morning, that is what I do to beat traffic in this town. Hmmm, I hear it can be worse in other places. Recently, I heard that some motorists were stuck in traffic jam for 3 days! Just over here in Kenya. It was both amusing and scary.

Anyway, I set out to revise for my French test this Saturday and I ended up just saying

Bienvenue! We cant wait to have you in Uganda.

TRAFFIC & HEADACHES

I live exactly 15minutes away from my workplace. Most times arriving early to work isn't an issue and neither is what time I leave work .

The last couple of days has seen an increase in traffic on the roads especially during evening time when everyone is rushing to go home . Last evening's traffic was the winner though. It took me over 3 hours to do a 15minute journey! I wish it was just the time, because one can say, it is the weekend so what was the rush all about. Well, not only did it take me 12 times as much time. It cost me quarter a fuel tank of fuel as well as a migraine headache. 

Here is why I hate getting stuck in traffic. It is so engaging mentally especially in Kampala where I live. Mostly, because I have to kind of watch all my mirrors at ago as well as care not to bash my front neighboring car, in a bid to prevent my neighbouring car to the left  getting to fix themselves into our lane. Do you feel my headache yet?

Well,  during such times, it is not uncommon to witness accidents mostly of drivers scratching each others' bumpers. Then there ensues a  strongly heated argument as the offended driver confronts the other party. For a while, there will be extra build up of traffic as  the rest of the drivers try to carefully drive past these two arguing adults. It always amazes me how people get accidents while moving at a speed of zero km/hr. Anyway, I witnessed  three of such incidents last night- sad. Even more sad is that I too was a victim of such an incident, not last night though. Trust me, I wouldn't be writing about it just yet. Such things tend to upset me too much and once I am upset about some thing, my mental state is to try and shut it out completely. As such, I didnot ever talk about the time I got knocked by one reckless driver at traffic lights. Just how annoying is that!!!

That is why am ever so thankful to God that a gun license is not easy to come by -in my country!

Have a splendid weekend and whatever you do, do not scratch your neighbour's car!