Wednesday, 10:30 am. The power came back on, amazingly. Everyone is surprised, and the rain is finally letting up from torrential downpour to moderate flow.
I've also got a good list of things to do today with power. Hurrah for electricity! YAY Edison!
Wednesday, August 3, 2005
Ha!
Someone clearly had a rougher night than I last night during the blackout, because there is candle wax ALL over the toilet seat.
***********
In other news, happy birthday to
dshadow!!
***********
The power came back on just as I headed off to a slothful sleep last night after being unable yet again to stay awake for our record Star Wars marathon. Unfortunately, when the power goes out, we turn off all the UPSes in the office because, without power for SO long, they cheep and eventually scream and well, it's horrible and annoying.
Thus, although power was returned, the router plugged into a UPS wasn't back on, so I couldn't surreptitiously download my 7 emails. Just as well, because, by the time I had woken up, the seven emails had turned into 18. I downloaded 9 of them, but now the remaining nine has turned into eleven!
I feel so loved.
The trouble being, of course, that it's taking forever to get those 11.
*************
Something that no one ever expects anyone to say who lives in Africa:
I'm freezing.
Absolutely, totally freezing. After I moved rooms, I had relinquished my guest room blanket, and had been using just a sheet. But last night, I curled into the tiniest ball that I could make and shoved my hands into any warmth that I had left and just chattered through most of the night.
Today is a big rain day, which means that any day visitors that had wanted to go to the island will just have to wait. It's not safe to travel out on the lake when there's thunder and lightning.
Last night was particularly fun, mostly because it was unexpected. I didn't realize the power had gone off until my mac display settings change. When it's plugged in, the screen doesn't go to sleep for a long time, but when it's on battery power, it goes to sleep probably not even 2 minutes after your last input. Ohhhhh teh d0rk.
Another evening without power seemed so unappealing, and Terry was planning on going to Lake Vic for dinner, so I just decided I'd come along!
Lake Vic, being a big hotel, has tons of generator power, so an outtage there is really no big deal. So, we walked over, and ate some food.
I ran into Gavin, the guy Liz had picked up Saturday night, which was ass-awkward, especially considering he was already wooing another young fool. Those airline stewards! They hide under the cover of effeminacy, but really, they're dangerous!
Also, the power just went out. Damn. I'm told that a daytime outtage usually spells doom because it means they're "working on the line" during the day and it'll be out until 6 pm. Hmph.
I'm glad I got most of my net stuff done this morning.
Okay, back to last night. After dinner we boda boda'd to the Four Turkeys. I got my second marriage proposal since I've been here from my driver, but for some reason, I still have no urge to be Mrs. Boda Boda.
The Four Turkeys is basically a bar with a pool table in the back. We went and had two more drinks, and had great discussions about mostly everything. It was nice to have conversation. *thunder crack*
We looked for boda bodas to take home, but there were none, so we walked a bit and finally a single guy came and I hopped on, after trying and succeeding with some price negotiation.
I got home, and the power was still out and Annie had waited up for us, worried that I didn't have a key to the front door gate (I did) but it was so nice of her to do. I've been in her shoes!
We headed upstairs to the common room and started on Hoth, but it was sadly not to be, as both Terry and I started falling asleep before even seeing an Imperial Walker. Not a good sign!
Either way, it was quite a nice night. Provided the power returns, we'll watch Empire again tonight!
And today, I need to figure out what work I'll do with no power. Bah. Stupid Outtage.
***********
In other news, happy birthday to
dshadow!!***********
The power came back on just as I headed off to a slothful sleep last night after being unable yet again to stay awake for our record Star Wars marathon. Unfortunately, when the power goes out, we turn off all the UPSes in the office because, without power for SO long, they cheep and eventually scream and well, it's horrible and annoying.
Thus, although power was returned, the router plugged into a UPS wasn't back on, so I couldn't surreptitiously download my 7 emails. Just as well, because, by the time I had woken up, the seven emails had turned into 18. I downloaded 9 of them, but now the remaining nine has turned into eleven!
I feel so loved.
The trouble being, of course, that it's taking forever to get those 11.
*************
Something that no one ever expects anyone to say who lives in Africa:
I'm freezing.
Absolutely, totally freezing. After I moved rooms, I had relinquished my guest room blanket, and had been using just a sheet. But last night, I curled into the tiniest ball that I could make and shoved my hands into any warmth that I had left and just chattered through most of the night.
Today is a big rain day, which means that any day visitors that had wanted to go to the island will just have to wait. It's not safe to travel out on the lake when there's thunder and lightning.
Last night was particularly fun, mostly because it was unexpected. I didn't realize the power had gone off until my mac display settings change. When it's plugged in, the screen doesn't go to sleep for a long time, but when it's on battery power, it goes to sleep probably not even 2 minutes after your last input. Ohhhhh teh d0rk.
Another evening without power seemed so unappealing, and Terry was planning on going to Lake Vic for dinner, so I just decided I'd come along!
Lake Vic, being a big hotel, has tons of generator power, so an outtage there is really no big deal. So, we walked over, and ate some food.
I ran into Gavin, the guy Liz had picked up Saturday night, which was ass-awkward, especially considering he was already wooing another young fool. Those airline stewards! They hide under the cover of effeminacy, but really, they're dangerous!
Also, the power just went out. Damn. I'm told that a daytime outtage usually spells doom because it means they're "working on the line" during the day and it'll be out until 6 pm. Hmph.
I'm glad I got most of my net stuff done this morning.
Okay, back to last night. After dinner we boda boda'd to the Four Turkeys. I got my second marriage proposal since I've been here from my driver, but for some reason, I still have no urge to be Mrs. Boda Boda.
The Four Turkeys is basically a bar with a pool table in the back. We went and had two more drinks, and had great discussions about mostly everything. It was nice to have conversation. *thunder crack*
We looked for boda bodas to take home, but there were none, so we walked a bit and finally a single guy came and I hopped on, after trying and succeeding with some price negotiation.
I got home, and the power was still out and Annie had waited up for us, worried that I didn't have a key to the front door gate (I did) but it was so nice of her to do. I've been in her shoes!
We headed upstairs to the common room and started on Hoth, but it was sadly not to be, as both Terry and I started falling asleep before even seeing an Imperial Walker. Not a good sign!
Either way, it was quite a nice night. Provided the power returns, we'll watch Empire again tonight!
And today, I need to figure out what work I'll do with no power. Bah. Stupid Outtage.
Tuesday, August 2, 2005
Rocky First Day
I had my official first day of work today. I planned to pick up my first Long Stay Visitor.
Liz told me that she was coming tonight at 9 pm. But when we got a call this morning saying she was waiting on the pier to go to the island, it was rather surprising.
As it turns out, she was supposed to get here on Saturday and there was just some sort of miscommunication between she and Liz.
So, we didn't have accommodation for her on the island, and things were a bit manic and frantic.
Oh, and into that having to negotiate all this while in the middle of the staff meeting!
If I was expecting more respect here than I got before, I was mistaken. I don't know whether it's an African thing or whether it was because I was super new and junior, but people just kept talking OVER me. Like, not even interrupting. It was as if I wasn't talking.
And yea, it was a little unsettling.
Overall, lots for me to do but I really do just have to sit down and suss everything out first.
I was also pleased to finally find a way to upload pictures, too. It brings things full circle.
What I didn't expect was being called to dinner around 7! I guess it's because of Debby's return to the house, and my unfamiliarity with it, but she cooks dinner and we sit out on the veranda and eat and drink wine.
MY GOSH was it fun. We laughed and laughed, and Debby told absolutely wild stories about her incredibly interesting life, and really, I think it might be the most fun I've had since I got here.
Also, it was far better than my usual dinner of Nothing.
So, I intend to do some real work today, and maybe tonight finish the third episode of the webcomic.
I'm glad people enjoyed the pictures! I'll endeavor to take more soon!
Liz told me that she was coming tonight at 9 pm. But when we got a call this morning saying she was waiting on the pier to go to the island, it was rather surprising.
As it turns out, she was supposed to get here on Saturday and there was just some sort of miscommunication between she and Liz.
So, we didn't have accommodation for her on the island, and things were a bit manic and frantic.
Oh, and into that having to negotiate all this while in the middle of the staff meeting!
If I was expecting more respect here than I got before, I was mistaken. I don't know whether it's an African thing or whether it was because I was super new and junior, but people just kept talking OVER me. Like, not even interrupting. It was as if I wasn't talking.
And yea, it was a little unsettling.
Overall, lots for me to do but I really do just have to sit down and suss everything out first.
I was also pleased to finally find a way to upload pictures, too. It brings things full circle.
What I didn't expect was being called to dinner around 7! I guess it's because of Debby's return to the house, and my unfamiliarity with it, but she cooks dinner and we sit out on the veranda and eat and drink wine.
MY GOSH was it fun. We laughed and laughed, and Debby told absolutely wild stories about her incredibly interesting life, and really, I think it might be the most fun I've had since I got here.
Also, it was far better than my usual dinner of Nothing.
So, I intend to do some real work today, and maybe tonight finish the third episode of the webcomic.
I'm glad people enjoyed the pictures! I'll endeavor to take more soon!
Monday, August 1, 2005
The Endless Evening™ (aka Saturday Night)
It all started with a plan to go to "Lake Vic" ...i.e. the Lake Victoria Hotel for dinner. It was, essentially, both Julia and Liz's last night, and we thought it might be nice to go and have dinner.
What I didn't know, was that much, much more was being planned!
Julia had spent the last couple days in Kampala, and she had bought new Belly Beads.
Belly Beads are a traditional Budanga custom, of wear strings of seed beads around your waist, and the more beads you wear, the more womanly "aura" you're supposed to have.
But you have to graduate to new strands, and it's bad luck to have even numbers of strands. Julia had been wearing the same beads since she got to Uganda, which was years ago! She decided it was time for a change, so she had bought strings of beads in Kampala and thought that it would be nice girl bonding to all put some on.
Which is why I am wearing my very first belly beads. I'll graduate soon, probably! But whee for now!
After that, we went to "eat" at the Lake Vic but really, it was code for "sit in the bar and drink"
Oh, and I forgot to mention that, for the first time since I was in Kampala in 2002, I rode a bodaboda (the motorcycle taxis). In Kampala, there is CRAZY traffic, and really, riding it was terrifying because he weaved between cars and really, I thought I might die. But Entebbe is a much smaller town, and there is almost no traffic, and riding the boda was justexhilarating! The air was cool, and we went fast, and I was this time, wearing pants instead of a skirt! Yay!
Anyway, we got to the bar and there were a bunch of drunk guys from Safair there (another South African Airline).
I've lost my train of thought. I'll finish this entry in a bit.
What I didn't know, was that much, much more was being planned!
Julia had spent the last couple days in Kampala, and she had bought new Belly Beads.
Belly Beads are a traditional Budanga custom, of wear strings of seed beads around your waist, and the more beads you wear, the more womanly "aura" you're supposed to have.
But you have to graduate to new strands, and it's bad luck to have even numbers of strands. Julia had been wearing the same beads since she got to Uganda, which was years ago! She decided it was time for a change, so she had bought strings of beads in Kampala and thought that it would be nice girl bonding to all put some on.
Which is why I am wearing my very first belly beads. I'll graduate soon, probably! But whee for now!
After that, we went to "eat" at the Lake Vic but really, it was code for "sit in the bar and drink"
Oh, and I forgot to mention that, for the first time since I was in Kampala in 2002, I rode a bodaboda (the motorcycle taxis). In Kampala, there is CRAZY traffic, and really, riding it was terrifying because he weaved between cars and really, I thought I might die. But Entebbe is a much smaller town, and there is almost no traffic, and riding the boda was justexhilarating! The air was cool, and we went fast, and I was this time, wearing pants instead of a skirt! Yay!
Anyway, we got to the bar and there were a bunch of drunk guys from Safair there (another South African Airline).
I've lost my train of thought. I'll finish this entry in a bit.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Yuck
I somehow ended up in the house entirely on my own tonight, because Liz and Julia left earlier in the day, and Debby doesn't return until midnight.
I had to feed the dogs, and Liz had said that Lilly would come by with dog food, as we were out. But 6 pm came, and Lilly hadn't come, and the dogs were swarming me for food.
I figured if I could just call Lilly that everything would be okay. So, I called her and interrupted her Sunday and asked her if she was coming with the dog food.
In her hurry, Liz had forgotten to tell Lilly about the dog food, so Lilly had to run over to John's and get it.
I was so relieved when she came, but also embarrassed because it had been the "policy" to cover up any puppy accidents with newspaper, and there was newspaper everywhere, and there were dishes in the sink, and it was just terrible.
I'd managed to strip the beds upstairs, but I hadn't gotten around to cleaning the downstairs yet.
She could see I was a little overwhelmed, so she helped me make tea for the night guard and to tidy a little.
Anyway, she left as I was trying to defrost the meat for the dogs' dinner.
I've never actually seen anyone make the amalgam of meat and rice, and I knew the rice had to be boiled, but no one said if the meat had to be cooked!
And, well, the meat looked sort of rare. I wasn't sure what to do, but the dogs were so hungry that I just figured that someone would have said something.
But then I didn't know how much rice to put with how much meat, and how the bowls should be laid out outside so that one dog didn't get left out or get their food stolen. Or, for that matter, where the four bowls were.
I managed to find three, and after about 10 minutes of searching I found a bowl under the water tank that's bottom was half missing. But it was the only other bowl I could find!
So, I brought them into the kitchen and loaded them up with food, not before having to mix it together -- the rice and the raw meat-- with my hands. BLLLAAAHHHGGGGRRR it smelled so bad and there were tendony bits pulling apart, and just the SOUND of it.
... I remembered why I don't eat red meat, and I'll admit I dry heaved a few times.
What I wasn't counting on was the puppy, who had already been fed, scrambling and stealing food from the big boys and ending up eating so much that he could barely fit through the bars of the gates on the front door. He was just furry and rotund!
Anyway, so everyone ate, and I think I did okay. I washed all the dishes and tidied everything I saw that could be tidied, and now I'm just trying to finish packing! And then I think some Return of the Jedi is called for.
::yawn::
My fingers stink. Blech.
I had to feed the dogs, and Liz had said that Lilly would come by with dog food, as we were out. But 6 pm came, and Lilly hadn't come, and the dogs were swarming me for food.
I figured if I could just call Lilly that everything would be okay. So, I called her and interrupted her Sunday and asked her if she was coming with the dog food.
In her hurry, Liz had forgotten to tell Lilly about the dog food, so Lilly had to run over to John's and get it.
I was so relieved when she came, but also embarrassed because it had been the "policy" to cover up any puppy accidents with newspaper, and there was newspaper everywhere, and there were dishes in the sink, and it was just terrible.
I'd managed to strip the beds upstairs, but I hadn't gotten around to cleaning the downstairs yet.
She could see I was a little overwhelmed, so she helped me make tea for the night guard and to tidy a little.
Anyway, she left as I was trying to defrost the meat for the dogs' dinner.
I've never actually seen anyone make the amalgam of meat and rice, and I knew the rice had to be boiled, but no one said if the meat had to be cooked!
And, well, the meat looked sort of rare. I wasn't sure what to do, but the dogs were so hungry that I just figured that someone would have said something.
But then I didn't know how much rice to put with how much meat, and how the bowls should be laid out outside so that one dog didn't get left out or get their food stolen. Or, for that matter, where the four bowls were.
I managed to find three, and after about 10 minutes of searching I found a bowl under the water tank that's bottom was half missing. But it was the only other bowl I could find!
So, I brought them into the kitchen and loaded them up with food, not before having to mix it together -- the rice and the raw meat-- with my hands. BLLLAAAHHHGGGGRRR it smelled so bad and there were tendony bits pulling apart, and just the SOUND of it.
... I remembered why I don't eat red meat, and I'll admit I dry heaved a few times.
What I wasn't counting on was the puppy, who had already been fed, scrambling and stealing food from the big boys and ending up eating so much that he could barely fit through the bars of the gates on the front door. He was just furry and rotund!
Anyway, so everyone ate, and I think I did okay. I washed all the dishes and tidied everything I saw that could be tidied, and now I'm just trying to finish packing! And then I think some Return of the Jedi is called for.
::yawn::
My fingers stink. Blech.
Useless
I promise that I'm working on the entry from last night in between watching Empire Strikes Back and sleeping. I've barely gotten to sleep today -- between "waking up early" and then going to the Lake Vic hotel to meet some Forest Walkers with Richard, it's been more interruption than sleep at this point.
I'm supposed to meet with the Bead for Life girl today and I guess I could radio the island but I'm not really versed on radio protocol yet and know a few of the things I'm supposed to say, but by no means am I ready for a solo call.
What I'm realizing, however, now that Julia and Liz have left and Debby isn't back yet and I'm alone in the house is that I'm useless.
Yes, I know where some things are. But I went to make pasta, because I realized around 4 pm that I'd yet to eat anything all day, and I found the matchbox to light the range.
There was ONE match left inside it, and inside my head I thought with a chuckle "Oh, wouldn't it be funny if this match somehow failed"....
Promptly, upon the first strike, the match snapped in half. I struggled to try to light it anyway by holding it tightly altogether too close to the match head. But it seemed the striking service was somehow wet or crappy or something, so it just failed as the match continued to splinter.
So, I decided to find another matchbox. Ha! What a joke. I rummaged through every shelf, cupboard and cabinet with no success. Starving, I tried to make toast. We have a toaster oven, so I took some bread from the fridge and put it in the toaster.
Another failure, I couldn't get the toaster to initiate. Try as I might, pushing down the lever didn't lock it or start it.
This is why for lunch/dinner, I had a cold-bread-from-the-fridge and butter sandwich, with a lime Fanta. (Wanta?)
And I'm still annoyed and upset about my dress. ::sighs more::
People all left here in sort of a chaotic hurry today. They left sort of a mess of dishes, and, well, other mess. I agreed to strip the beds, but did they leave the other mess for Betty tomorrow or is it for me to clean? I don't want Debby to come here tonight and think I've wrecked the house...
Julia didn't have much money left, so I lent her 23,000 Ushs (about $10). Then, I was told by Richard later in the day that the only ATM I could use was at Entebbe Airport. Which is not within walking distance. I'd have to take a boda boda. Which costs money. Which I don't have, because I lent it all to Julia.
D'oh!
Anyway, even if Liz comes back today from the airport, she can still sleep in her room but I'm gonna have moved my stuff in. I think unpacking will be really cathartic.
I'm supposed to meet with the Bead for Life girl today and I guess I could radio the island but I'm not really versed on radio protocol yet and know a few of the things I'm supposed to say, but by no means am I ready for a solo call.
What I'm realizing, however, now that Julia and Liz have left and Debby isn't back yet and I'm alone in the house is that I'm useless.
Yes, I know where some things are. But I went to make pasta, because I realized around 4 pm that I'd yet to eat anything all day, and I found the matchbox to light the range.
There was ONE match left inside it, and inside my head I thought with a chuckle "Oh, wouldn't it be funny if this match somehow failed"....
Promptly, upon the first strike, the match snapped in half. I struggled to try to light it anyway by holding it tightly altogether too close to the match head. But it seemed the striking service was somehow wet or crappy or something, so it just failed as the match continued to splinter.
So, I decided to find another matchbox. Ha! What a joke. I rummaged through every shelf, cupboard and cabinet with no success. Starving, I tried to make toast. We have a toaster oven, so I took some bread from the fridge and put it in the toaster.
Another failure, I couldn't get the toaster to initiate. Try as I might, pushing down the lever didn't lock it or start it.
This is why for lunch/dinner, I had a cold-bread-from-the-fridge and butter sandwich, with a lime Fanta. (Wanta?)
And I'm still annoyed and upset about my dress. ::sighs more::
People all left here in sort of a chaotic hurry today. They left sort of a mess of dishes, and, well, other mess. I agreed to strip the beds, but did they leave the other mess for Betty tomorrow or is it for me to clean? I don't want Debby to come here tonight and think I've wrecked the house...
Julia didn't have much money left, so I lent her 23,000 Ushs (about $10). Then, I was told by Richard later in the day that the only ATM I could use was at Entebbe Airport. Which is not within walking distance. I'd have to take a boda boda. Which costs money. Which I don't have, because I lent it all to Julia.
D'oh!
Anyway, even if Liz comes back today from the airport, she can still sleep in her room but I'm gonna have moved my stuff in. I think unpacking will be really cathartic.
WELL POOP
I discovered that, while I slept this afternoon, Basil, the older puppy, ate my brown dress that I wear all the time (I wore it last to George's wedding). He literally ripped the top half to shreds. I've had that dress since about 1994. I met gmonger in that dress. To date it.
Perhaps I'll take it to Titus to be turned into a skirt.
::sigh::
gmonger in that dress. To date it. Perhaps I'll take it to Titus to be turned into a skirt.
::sigh::
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)