h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Any researchers on this continent besides myself and Willem?

Yeah, so it's a long shot...

I'm going to Uganda in the summer...

Wanna have an East African Researchers Meet Up? Depending on the timing, I'll probably be in Nairobi! It's only, what? 12 hours by train...

What's bringing you to Uganda, if you don't mind my asking?

I'll be visiting my mum, who's going over there for just over two months. She's going there mostly for the experience, but also to exchange information and work with local school teachers (she'll be just graduating a teacher degree).

My cousin's father comes from Uganda, and so we'll be staying with his family.

It should be a great experience, I'm looking forward to it.

What can you tell me about the continent?

What can I tell you about the continent? Whew...

Let's see, it's a bit south of Europe, over to the left of where India used to be....

No, I dunno. I'm sure Uganda is pretty different from Nairobi, in some ways at least. One thing that I've noticed, which I'm told is generally true in Africa, is that it's paced differently from the Western World. Nobody is in a hurry, and if you are then you're kind of amusing. I've learned not to schedule more than one thing per day.

For example, yesterday, I was supposed to look at some land where someone I know is planning a project. Looking at one piece of land, I figured, would take a couple of hours, since it's not far outside the city. First, we went to someone's house and sat in his sitting room for an hour. Then we drove to a restaurant, and hung out for 15 minutes in the parking lot, waiting for a politician. With him, we drove to about 4 different pieces of land, spending 30 minutes at each, before we got to the one I was supposed to be seeing. After that, we all went to a club for beer and beef until morning. I had to bow out before it was very late, which wasn't too rude, but was somewhat odd, I think.

What else... people are very friendly. They shake hands a lot, and will feed you all the time. Take your malaria pills, come with an open mind, try not to look very wealthy or to carry your passport around, and you'll have a great time!

I have no idea what Uganda is like compared to Kenya (Nairobi, mostly) as far as crime goes. Nairobi is a cut-throat den of thieves. If someone warns you to look out for con men or pick-pockets, it doesn't mean that he/she *isn't* a con man or a pick-pocket. (Who, me, learn that the hard way? Never!)

If I think of anything else, I guess I'll post it here, and if you have any questions you think I can maybe answer, just let me know!

Uganda is supposed to be largely crime-free, when compared to Nairobi and some other African countries. I'll post more about it later.

Really? Cool. I'll be interested to read what you have to say about that. Maybe I'll consider moving there...

Frankie, the only thing you need to know about the continent is that once you have felt the African sun on your back, you never want anything else!