Random Happenings

It has a week and somethigs days of rain and grasshoppers, and it (the rain) has made it hard for me running around on 'open roof' (boda boda). Today, I got out of the house dressed so well only to turn around after a 20min rise, go back home and cahnge clothes because my pants were covered by mud. Well, at least the air was purified by some morning rain.

Talking about grasshopper: it was by sister's birthday on Saturday (which she had no idea it was) and she loves grasshoppers, so I went to Nakasero market (right in the middle of the city) to get her some. The boda boda man took me right infront of all these huge baskets full of raw and cooked one, of course, separated. As soon I got back on the boda, I saw people sneezing and covering their noses, and immediately, there was a traffic jam, and my nostrils started burning. Soon I found out that a few yards away, the police had releazed sneezing gas (people called it tear gas although they were covering their noses). It was such an uncomfortable thing and I am grateful that I was not any closer to the source. I cannot imagine how the people at the Constitution Square felt.

Well ladies and gentlemen, the reason there was sneezing gas was because an opposition party (Kiiza Besigye's Forum for Democratic Change) was banned from using the Constitution Square to launch its party cards. When people assemble, peacefully, the police used the gas to disperse them. The reason for doing this, at least as given by a representative of the government via radio, was that they were congesting and poluting the city. Ladies and gentleman, we have a democracy!!!

Oh, something random, I have recently found out that I was in the Burundian airport when the preseident to Rwanda, Habyarimana, was short down in 1994. I, Peter and others had traveled to Germany with Buganda Road Primary School for a children's festival. I do not remember if we were supposed to land there in the first place or we could not land in Uganda at the moment, but I remember being confused sitting for hours in an empty airport. There were no explanation, I guess because our guides did not want to scare us. When I returned to Uganda, I just heard and saw the aftermath of the genocide, but I never connected my time in Burundi to the events of the genocide.

This past Sunday, I ran the 10K MTN race in 55min. Well, it might be slow for many of you, but it's really fast for my sister Esko! I did not get a certificate because, as a true Africa, I missed the deadline, but I ran with friends from DFCU Bank, a major sponsor of the marathon. The money raised went to lots of wonderful causes, and I came out feeling great about myself. There was a 42.198K and as always, the first 5 men were Kenyan. A Ugandan woman redeemed us by coming first and a Kenyan, second. A funny moment came when I and another girl were passing all these men, and as we passed one, he started yelling to his fellow men that they should not let women beat them. I wanted to tell him to save his energy, but I needed mine as well. Well, we left him...struggling!

And the good news...I have an intership at the International Law Institute (ILI); they are such good people and they are willing to help me find the job and experience I am looking for. I was originally brought in to manage their database (thanks to all the skills obtained from the International Students and Scholars Office at BC and at Children of Uganda), while helping with random special projects. Well, technology did it again, it failed us when we needed it most, so I was put on a special project - taking minutes in four discussions on the Legal Empowermenr of the Poor. ILI is partnering with the High Level Commission on the Legal Empowerment of the Poor, based in NY and chaired by Madeline Albright and Hernand DeSoto. These discussions are part of a global dialogue that is focusing on the linkage because poverty, property and law. The four areas of discussion are Labour Rights, Access to Justice and the Rule of Law, Property Rights, and Entrepreneurship. Participants have ranged from representatives of tiny grassroots organizations to ministers. They have been such intriguing discussions and I have learned a lot.

One of the interesting things I learned in the entrepreneurship discussion was that in 2003, Uganda was ranked the number 1 country with the most entrepreneurial spirit and it was second to Peru in 2004. I guess you are wondering about the terms of the survey (I guess that is what we call them). Well, the survey was based on how many people start a business every year. However, when it comes to success rates, we are in the top three worst. As the presenter put it, 'we are a factory for burying our enterprises.' There you have it - we learn something new every day.

I am going to also take minutes this coming weekend in the overall conference with the four groups, with many more participants from all over the globe. I am excited!

I hope each one fo you is doing well. To all my American friends, Happy Thanksgiving. Someone eat a lot of pumpkin pie for me, but do not rub it in my face.

Lots and lots of love!