Merry, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year All My Loved Ones!!!

Wow, it has been a month since I last wrote you. You know how the end of year is. Today is my last day at my internship this year - I am coming for another two months next year. I cannot remember if I told you this, but I am meeting such interesting people here at the International Law Institute. One of them is a lady by the name of Eva Jhala from Zambia. She is a guest lecturer here and a drafter of all kinds of laws. She drafted the Zambian constitution and their water laws. She has also drafted laws for Rwanda and several other African countries. She is willing to help me with my water stuff (research and all). It looks like the new year will bring good things.

I am going to the village tomorrow to see my grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins. I had wanted to spend Christmas there, but I have been invited to an area of Uganda I have never been to - Fort Portal- in the west. I am going with an interesting group - Rose, of course, Dr. Ian and his wife (the hosts), their adopted son, and two girls from Gulu (formerly abducted by Kony in the north). I think it will be a merry time.

Well, other than working hard, there has not been much happening, but of course there is always something worth telling in Agie's life and here it is:

One day at work, we were sitting on the roof of the building saying goodbye to a co-worker when all of a sudden we see smoke coming out of a grass hatch on top of a house and two boys with buckets of water trying to put it out from below. A co-worker then called the fire brigade, who asked for her number and I quess their caller ID was showing a different number and the representative got into an argument with her about how she was lying about her number. Then we were left in horror watching and hoping that this grass and poles do not come tumbling on the boys - I think they were so afraid of what their boss (or someone) would do that they refused to leave even when there were sparks flying everywhere. Amazingly, the fire truck came in about 10-15 minutes - a record time! I guess it helps that the house was in one of the richest areas in Kampala.

Another interesting one: While talking to my supervisor, Elizabeth, a non-practicing Kenyan lawyer, I discovered that until 1996, women lawyers in Engand where not allowed to present in court wearing pants. Since we practice "common" law in East Africa, it is still the case here and we do not know when we will come around. Elizabeth also told me that one of her friends was yelled at by a judge for 10 minutes before a trial because her earrings were not proper for his court. The judges are also extremely strict about hair, and the funny thing is they still wear those white wigs - talk about black men and women wearing those white wigs - talk about obstration of....

Well, have a wonderful season. I have not had Christmas here in 10 years. I think I am in for a treat. I love you all and I am thinking of you as we enter the new year. Thank you for having been part of my life this past year and many prior. I am grateful for your friendships!