I am back

Well I am back in a very wet England. Its great to be back even though it was so hard leaving Uganda, lots of tears but I know it was the right thing to do. Just need to work out what the right thing to do next is! Small task ahead!
I have had a great time since I have been back, I had only been back a day and my Ugandan friend Martin, who was visiting people in the UK came to stay for the weekend. So I still had a piece of Uganda with me, we had a great time together and I was sad to see him go.
Since then I have been spending lots of time with my family, seeing mates and catching up on sleep!
I went away this weekend with some really good mates in north Devon, I had such a nice time catch up with them all and got to do one of my most favourite things, surfing! I have not been in the sea for 2 years, and even though it was freezing i loved it! They all came surfing as well and they are now all hooked, which is great for me! Even though I have some sea related injuries, i have mega blisters on my hands and my left ear is completely blocked so cant hear that well! But it was so worth it!
I am off surfing again this weekend with my sisters in the same place, Croyde in north Devon. I think it one of the most beautiful places in the world! Cant wait!
So today I am off to London to have a medical and to check I have not gone mad over the last 2 years! I hope to be in London for a few days so if your in London give me a call.

Glastonbury!

My parents are the best!
They have got me a ticket to Glastonbury festival this summer!
How cool!

Sexy!!

Gomez's are not flattering!

Mary and me, looking lovely!

Sexy ladies-Flora, Gill, Mary and me!

Gomez's are not made to make me look attractive as the pictures show!


This is the tradation dress for women in Uganda. I went to my friends, Martina and Jasinta's Introduction on saturday which is like the traditional wedding, even though its more like the equlivent of an engagement in the uk


All my Ugandan friends were very impressed with me wearing a Gomez and commented on how smart I looked but in my eyes I thought I looked like a big glittery sack of poatoes!

It was a great day, very long, it was meant to start at 1pm, i think it started about 3.30pm so only 2 and half hours late!

Gomezs have so much material and layers, to make you look bigger ( big is beautiful here!) that I was soooo hot, a very sweaty betty!

Even though I looked huge, shinny and was very sweaty it was a great day and was so pleased I was able to attend the Introduction



Jasinta, Martin and me!

My not so exciting life!!

So last week we made what was mean to be a day trip to Kampala for meetings but the truck I was driving ended up breaking down so I had to spend a night in Kampala, which was good in that I got to see friends but as I was not prepared to stay the night I ended up being quite minging by the time i eventually reached Mbale. Its the most horrible thing putting really dusty, dirty clothes that have already been worn for a day back on after a shower! You need to do the journey from Mbale to Kampala to understand how dirty you really get!

I had such a slow journey home as the truck would keep on overheating, I needed to get it back as it was not mine!! The shower I had when I got back home was one of the best I have ever had!! I felt like I needed to use bleach to get my skin free of the dust and grime I had accumulated in the last 2 days!

So the weekend was quite chilled as most of my good friends are away so I turned to the wonder of dvd's to keep me entertained. I watched far too much 24 on Saturday, so spent all Saturday and Sunday night dreaming I was a secret agent working with Jack Bower, not sure I am up for working for the US government but would be up for doing something with Jack Bower though!

As you can probably tell I am missing my friends and I can wait for them to come back in a weeks time so I will have people to talk to! Even at work I am by myself as I am trying to get all my office work done so I can spend more time at the project in my last weeks.
I did have my lovely friend Martin over last night but was more of a technical night of setting him up with blog site and a skype lesson and talking lots about his introduction that is happening on Saturday. An introduction is like the local engagement party which has more weight that the wedding really. I am so looking forward to it even though I do have to wear a gomez, the traditional dress, so next week expect to see some very funny pictures of me in a shinny dress with far to big shoulders!! You will see what I mean!!

As I type this I have just had an invite for dinner tonight, hooray!! Getting a social life back, the best type as I dont have to cook!!!

plasters

I only have 7 weeks left until I leave Mbale. So things are getting quite strange here now and I guess they will be like this until I go, my main topic of conversation with people is about me leaving, ‘Why I am?’ ‘Why I can’t stay?’ and the dreaded question of ‘What I am going to do next?’ Which for most of these questions I am either bored of answering the same thing or I just quite simply don’t know the answer yet!

Don’t get me wrong am still loving it here and enjoying my time but feel I should explain how I feel about life at the moment with the use of the ‘plaster metaphor’, stick with me, it makes sense to me!!!

At the moment it feels like when you have a plaster on, you have had on for a very long time and its really stuck on and you have got quite used to it being there. It has become very comfortable but you know its time to pull it off, now what I would do if this was really just a plaster not at metaphor, is to pull it off quickly, have the pain in a short and intense way.
It feels like my life is like the plaster pulling off situation, now I have a plaster to pull off, I know its going to hurt lots (leaving that is!) and in way as much I don’t want to go yet but I wish it would just happen now like ripping that plaster off quickly but instead I have to peel it off slowly knowing that the pain is going to go on for a long time and will especially hurt at the end when it is stuck on all the hairs of you arm!!

Hope that makes sense!!!

plasters

I only have 7 weeks left until I leave Mbale. So things are getting quite strange here now and I guess they will be like this until I go, my main topic of conversation with people is about me leaving, ‘Why I am?’ ‘Why I can’t stay?’ and the dreaded question of ‘What I am going to do next?’ Which for most of these questions I am either bored of answering the same thing or I just quite simply don’t know the answer yet!

Don’t get me wrong am still loving it here and enjoying my time but feel I should explain how I feel about life at the moment with the use of the ‘plaster metaphor’, stick with me, it makes sense to me!!!

At the moment it feels like when you have a plaster on, you have had on for a very long time and its really stuck on and you have got quite used to it being there. It has become very comfortable but you know its time to pull it off, now what I would do if this was really just a plaster not at metaphor, is to pull it off quickly, have the pain in a short and intense way.
It feels like my life is like the plaster pulling off situation, now I have a plaster to pull off, I know its going to hurt lots (leaving that is!) and in way as much I don’t want to go yet but I wish it would just happen now like ripping that plaster off quickly but instead I have to peel it off slowly knowing that the pain is going to go on for a long time and will especially hurt at the end when it is stuck on all the hairs of you arm!!

Hope that makes sense!!!

Mount elgon- we made it!

We had an amazing time, the mountain was HUGE. It was a crazy amount of walking and the altitude affect kicking in so that was my excuse for being slow!!!
so here our trip in pictures

at the start, feeling great!!!


already taking a break!!

another break but look we are higher up!


in the tent, I have never been so cold at night so we took to snugging lots to keep warm!





Day 2, feeling and defiantly looking rough! nearing the peak



getting to the peak and the clouds were amazing






at the top, we left the peak and found shelter so we could have a cup of tea!

going down, they called this part the wall of death, I loved this part!!!




finishing at the lovely lodge and with a very well deserved beer!

off to the mountain we go

Mum and dad have arrived well, got here on Friday and as I type should be having a relaxing day at the pool whilst I am working.

Tomorrow we head off to start the Mount Elgon climb, well we actually start walking on Wednesday morning, early i think!!

Here is a small picture of it so you can picture what it is like, just imagine me, mum, dad and my 2 mates from Kampala, Flora and Helen struggling up the mountain!!

By the way the mountain is the big thing in the background, I don't think this picture does it justice!!!!