Mzungus On the Town!

I made a really good Mzungu ("white-ie") friend yesterday at the apartment / hotel I am staying at. Alexis, a medical student, has spent several months in Zambia, Malawi and Northern Uganda and is on her way home to Chicago. She has never had the chance to explore Kampala yet, so we decided to join Mzungu forces and be tourists together. I am proud to say that I never got us lost - although deep down I was convinced I had - despite going into some of the biggest crowds I have experienced in Kampala. I cannot even begin to describe the shopping district. Building after building, floor after floor, salesmen after salesmen hawking their wares calling out "Mzungu look at this! It is your size!" (Ugandans apparently think I am pudgy ...) Alexis was looking for some football jerseys to bring home for family, so luckily this is my No. 1 skill, so I made sure she went home with top quality at top quality price (I LOVE TO HAGGLE, OH MY GOD). We took a couple boda rides (and even felt adventuresome and doubled up). Sidenote: before I leave, I want to do a "Boda cam" where I attempt to film a portion of the ride from the passenger's perspective. My lord is it exhilarating. We made some amazing purchases. Ironically, one of my proudest finds was a Toronto Blue Jays jersey and a Drake shirt. Again, the inside joke (with myself) that sometimes I forget that I've left Toronto ...

Enjoy these photos!

The shopping area. That is a lot of people. Now multiply by a 1000. And you still won't be close to how many people we saw shopping and selling. I must have spoken with 150 shop keepers at conservative estimate today.

Again, that is a lot of people!

I enjoy this candid photo that Alexis snuck of explaining how to take the following picture with the hustle and bustle in the background. 

"Two Canadians". Alexis told everyone that she was Canadian who asked. I had to field all the Canada questions. 

T-Dot, T-Bizzle! Rep-resent. There is a whole series of these, some featuring my Drake shirt. I manage to look like a douche in all but this one, where I was mid-joke. 

I took some pretty terrible photos of a soccer field here. The more interesting story was that after I looked at this photo I noticed that under the soldier's arm there was a barrel of a gun pointed at me. The soldiers were there because the Minister of Sport was showing up later to open / rename the field. We heard about the politician showing up and calmly, quietly took off at a fast walk. 

A Part of This Complete Breakfast & Thanks a Latte!

There is definitely not a shortage of food options in Kampala. If you name the cuisine, you can find it: odds are that it might taste better than you're used to in North America. I have had some of the best Indian food I've ever had here; I have also pizza at the restaurant / cafe downstairs which will probably lead me to never look at pizza the same way again. During lunch at work, I have some of the local fare, served daily for a very reasonable price (I'll take a photo eventually). 

For my fast mornings (stumbling around my apartment, shivering after my cold shower, trying to find my phone and keys), I decided that I will start having breakfast in my apartment. Lo' and behold, after a little bit of searching, I found Kenyan Peanut Butter, Egyptian Jam and some Kenyan fruit juice (pictured above)! Alongside a little yogurt, this is the breakfast of champions. 

On weekends, and evenings when I'm doing some homework, I come down to the Cafe downstairs and enjoy some amazing coffee. I've become friends with the barrista, Moses, who makes one mean latte. Moses is really passionate about the whole coffee-making process (from growing, to roasting, to preparing drinks), and has become a self-taught latte artist, learning from videos on You Tube. Today he walked me through the Latte making process and I took a couple photos of him.

An Introduction

About me: My name is Conrad and I am embarking on a six-month adventure in Uganda. While this will be somewhat of a travel blog, I should add a disclaimer – I am not by any definition of the term “a traveler”. My passport is very much a blushing bride, with all of her pages very much still all in white. While other travelogues might regale with useful tips, tales of daring adventure and bashful attempts at sounding modest in the face of rapidly changing adversity, this space will be more part of a Mr. Bean Goes to Africa meets Seinfeld, Kampala edition. While I am quite quick on the draw in rural environments (my former farming colleagues might violently interject at this point), my ability to get lost (I once got lost in my friend’s girlfriend’s house: true story), stumble into awkward situations, and meet a random selection of sit-com situations and personalities is what will keep YOU, THE READER coming back. While every piece of writing one endeavors has a hope of reaching a wider audience, I am first and foremost writing this for myself, my family and my friends: hopefully so those closest to me can vicariously witness as I evolve from Mr. Bean to a Bill Bryson.