An update from Dave & Becky
I’ve never been the best at dealing with unexpected changes to the plan. I like to know what I’m doing, I like to know where I need to be and at what time. It means, from time to time, I find myself growing frustrated in those moments where unexpected disruptions crop up and delay me or completely alter my carefully constructed plans.
Technically it was our second Christmas in the country of Uganda, but we were so recently arrived before the first one that the memory seems slightly hazy. Our possessions, Christmas tree and decorations included, were still in transit at that point, and we were without many of our home comforts.
I’ve always loved rainy mornings. There’s something about waking up to the patter of raindrops on the roof which I find incredibly refreshing and relaxing, and it’s definitely something I got used to living in England. This morning we woke to the sound of rain, and while it’s a familiar sound it’s also quite different. The sound of the rain is magnified on our metal roofs and is often punctuated by incredible claps of thunder. Its also substantially heavier than the endless days of drizzle I remember. Even the smell of it is different; desperately desired water falling on the dusty ground of Africa creates a different scent to droplets falling on tarmac and well laid lawns.
The morning started well. A gentle breeze wafted the curtains in our bedroom and we enjoyed waking up a little bit later than normal. The reason? We had to take a trip to Face Recognition, in order to convert our UK driving licenses to Ugandan permits and so we had to wait for the office to open.
In honour of Dave’s video for this month, A Day in the Life of Dave (watch here!), I thought I’d use my preferred skillset to tell you a bit more about my daily routine here in the beautiful country of Uganda. It’s a bit more of a challenge for me; unlike Dave I don’t have a set time to be at work and to come home, or a clearly defined role to determine my days, but there is still plenty to occupy my time.
I think it’s fair to say this week hasn’t gone according to plan.
We’re in the rainy season here in Uganda, and while it reduces the temperature beautifully and leaves us with luscious green grass and plants, it also leaves the roads in a constantly worsening state. Dave’s drive to Kajjansi airfield, the base of MAF here in Uganda, has grown increasingly bumpy over the last couple of weeks.
Uganda is a beautiful country; rich and verdant, with delicious fresh fruit and vegetables, and loads of different plants supporting an incredible diversity of birds, insects and more. There are a couple of factors instrumental in producing this wonderful ecosystem.
