In the six weeks, we managed to help our daughter and son-in-law and the new arrival, spend time with friends and colleagues, consult with various groups regarding their work and how we can foster and encourage what they do, spend some time on the site of the new orphanage at Kiboga, attend and make presentations at the inaugural IDEAL (International Deaf Education Advocacy and Leadership) East African Deaf Summit with 50 Deaf youth leaders from the five East African nations, visit a major community building project in Mukono District, visit our son-in-law's parents and spend time with the children and young people our daughter and son-in-law care for. We even managed to find a great little coffee shop in the Ntinda shopping centre.
While we were in staying in the guest house in Kigoga, we experienced 2 earthquakes - one a 5.2 and then a 5.4 a day or two later, followed by a significant aftershock. Everything shook for a while, but thank God nothing cam down on top of us. Ugandan 'security' often locks you inside your buildings, so we had no 'exit strategy' apart from throwing a steel chair through a glass door and hoping the steel security door wasn't locked. And on the way back from Kiboga to Kampala, we witnessed the aftermath of a fatal truck accident - a truck carrying a large load of acid which spilled with devastating consequences, including at least one young man dead, beside his vehicle.
Our daughter and grandson returned to Australia with us for the next 6 weeks so the cousins could get to know each other and for our three girls to have some time together as sisters and catch up a bit before the arrival of our middle daughter's third child, a little girl born on August 31. In a short time we have gone from 2 grandchildren to 4 - two boys and two girls. She also spent a lot of time attending to personal matters that you can't deal with from Uganda,as well as raising awareness and much-needed funds for their children's home work in Uganda. All the while, my son-in-law is shouldering the bulk of the work to finish the new buildings and move the children in.
The new arrival was born just a week after our eldest returned to Uganda, so unfortunately they missed seeing the latest cousin/niece. Skype will have to suffice for now.
And then a week before our daughter returned to Uganda, the Australian Federal Election was called for September 7 and I began work running a polling booth for 3 weeks prior to election day. Today (Sept 15) is the first chance I have had to stop and return to my blogs in 14 weeks. Before the election work started, I did a week of 12-hour night shifts driving US sailors from the George Washington around Brisbane, and the election work continues for another 2 weeks.
While we were in Uganda, several of us got some kind of cold or flu and that took its toll; in addition, I had a rather nasty fall on a broken footpath as I was getting around Kampala. It was the kind of injury that only rest would help, so I was somewhat limited in my comings and goings for a time.
All in all, we achieved a lot and had a very interesting time - albeit rather stressful at times. Am I back to 'normal' life yet? I'm not sure I have a 'normal' life any more - perhaps no such thing exists.
Cheers,
Kevin.
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