Uganda Week 4 (Final week)

Is it really time to think that i'll be moving on soon? Is my time really up? Leaving the UK seems a lifetime ago, and a week left doesn't seem real.

I love my family...my parents were visiting my brother and his family, so decided (or i should say my nephew wanted) to have a birthday party in my honour. My nephew helped granny make a chocolate birthday cake. When they had the party cake, with "Happy Birthday Aunty Ona", took a picture and sent it via Text to me. Now if that doesn't make you homesick then you're hard hearted. It brought a tear to my eye. My nephew has promised to make another cake for me, when i get back in April, but then we will also be celebrating my brothers birthday...so there'll be 2 Chocolate cakes...mmmmmm

It's another week of the office, walking to and from "home" and into town for lunch. It's hot and humid, so drinking plenty of water - bottled of course. It's great being free to change plans at a whim, you just never know what good things come from it. This week looked like it could be a quiet week, by myself at the hotel...

Tuesday morning, the girls text to say that there were plans afoot to go to Ling Lings the chinese down the road. So that night we enjoyed a great night of fun and laughter, and good food.
Wednesday was girlie movie night, the girls (Rosie, Alex and Grace) were coming to Paradise for a girlie night, and some food. Alex was suffering from getting burnt and/or tummy problems so decided a quiet night in was in order. But Rosie and Grace came, and we enjoyed a movie on the laptop (now it is a small screen but we managed). Late night but great to relax.
Thursday i thought that i better get on with procedures and finalising the systems, so decided to work from the hotel, but enjoyed the benefits of working in the garden overlooking the nile in the sunshine - but under the shade of a tree. Don't want to get sun burnt, but getting a tan would be nice, normally go red first, but i have a year of chasing the summers so i can take it steady. Some work was done but not finalised.
Friday night - movie night at St Moses - do i stop over or get a borda borda back?
Late afternoon i got a text saying that my great uncle had died, he's the last of the blood relatives of that generation. A shock, and meant i was no longer in the mood for working, but a time to reminisce. That made my mind up, although i needed to be with people, i wanted space when i went to bed. As soon after work as i could, i walked across the old bridge - making sure not to stop as the soldiers would think you were going to jump so no stopping! - it's great views but no stopping and no taking photos from there. Being around the kids at St Moses gives you time not to think, but recognise that life is important, but also having fun.
Andrew, Barbara and I went up to Bukia (don't know if this is spelt right) to get dinner in...Rolex & Kasavo Chips. Also we went for a walk around the "village" to find a friend who was joining us for movie night. Andrew wanted a scary movie as he was White Water Rafting the next day, along with Melanie & Barbara (some of the german crew). But due to my situation, we changed plans and watched "Cool Runnings", but it took a couple of laptops and trying to work the projector before we got to watch it.
Saturday was rising early to get 1 more lot of procedures written (7am) before going to the office to meet up with Patrick. He had been in Kampala all week training, and so we needed to meet up to review the systems, procedures and new practices... although there were still 2 lots of procedures to write. The procedures needed to be written from Basic, what the aim of each job is, best practice, and how to do it, written in very basic language for people who have not really used Excel before.
We went off in the afternoon to visit William (who works at the hospital) for coffee and cake, and just to chat about life, faith, and the difference in cultures. Then some last minute shopping, couldn't leave with out buying my niece and nephew a little present or two. Met Jenny for coffee, and sorted out the plans for my last meal. Couldn't believe that it was my last night. In the end it was Rosie, Grace, Alex, Jenny and I for a meal, great food, and relaxed. The food was not only great but plentiful. The girls were meeting up with Andrew, the germans and some of the locals to go clubbing, i decided i wasn't up for it (too old or tired or needing to pack). Andrew looked in shock when we met him, they had been thrown 3 times from the raft and lack of sleep wasn't a good look, or was it the borda borda ride styling his hair? By all accounts the girls didn't get home til around 4am!
Sunday was pack up time, church and lunch in the garden with the girls. Final fish fingers and chips. Fish fingers are flakes of Tilapia fish, in bread crumbs. Salad included avacado. Then the special hire came at 3 to take me to Entebbe (1/2 hour from Kampala) to the Motel as my flight was at 7.15am, and needed to get there for about 5am.
My time in Uganda is up, is it really a month that i have been here (4weeks exact), am i ready for the next adventure..of course, but nervous to what lies ahead.
Next week....catching up with friends, some wild animals and an opportunity to relax. Weather..Sunshine, clouds, rain and hail...(all in 1 day)