Safe and Sound

I made it to Kampala safe and sound! It's really good to be back. Fighting jet lag has been tough after getting in late Tuesday evening. I've enjoyed getting to meet the new interns and seeing all the EMI staff again.

It didn't take very long to get back to work. While all the new interns are going through the office orientation, I have been put right to work doing some surveying. Today, I was at a Watoto childrens village in Suubi (about an hour away) and tomorrow I leave for Gulu for a couple of days (about 5 hours away) and there is even more to do next week. Later, I will be going back to Gulu to survey several hundred acres in the African bush. It has been hectic, but fun.

A funny thing happened as we were trying to get lunch on the way to Suubi village this afternoon. After we pulled to the side of the road, at least half a dozen men rush to our windows to sell us food. This is how the conversation went:

Vendor: "Do you want some meat?" (while shoving many sticks skewered with meat in our faces)

Our car: "What kind of meat is it?"

Vendor: "It's meat!"

Our car: "Do you have any chicken?"

Vendor: "No, but take this." (Hands us a stick of what looks like beef)

Our car: "Is it chicken?"

Vendor: "It's meat."

Our car: "Do you have any chicken?"

Vendor: "No."

Our car: "Well, whats that?" (Pointing to one of the lighter colored pieces of meat that looks like chicken)

Vendor: "It's meat."

Our car: "Yeah, but what kind of meat?"

Vendor: "It's meat."

Our car: "Is it chicken?"

Vendor: "No, it's meat."

Our car: "Yeah, but what kind of meat?"

Vendor: "Breast."

Our car: "Breast from what kind of animal?"

Vendor: "Cow."

There must have been something lost in translation. That's when we gave up, ended the conversation, and just bought some roasted bananas. There's never a dull moment.