11. Flip flop disaster!

Sunday 11th November 2012

Woke quite early and decided to try out the shower which is when I discovered I had packed two right flip flops as opposed to a matching pair. Despite what you are thinking it was an easy mistake to make...... Peter and I were both given matching footwear at a Spa day we enjoyed last year – so as I shuffled outside to the shower doing my best to walk in a straight line – I was imagining Peter experiencing similar difficulties back home once daylight reached the UK! There wasn’t much pressure in the shower but the water was good and hot which was the main thing. As I got dressed I had a closer look around the bedroom which revealed a few interesting features I hadn’t noticed the previous night. The most intriguing item is the blank pine picture frame on the wall opposite the end of the bed just to the right of the door. There is no backing, just four pieces of wood about one and a half inches thick which frame the whitewashed walls. I initially thought it was a mirror so was trying to use it (obviously unsuccessfully) to dry my hair. Just above the “mirror” to the right is a small square picture hanging at a jaunty angle on a nail sticking out from the bottom of a painted corner shelf – more than a bit bizarre! I must take a photo later and see whether it is a look that might catch on at home.

 

Philip (he and Eugulas are responsible for cooking for all the guests) had left breakfast on the dining table for us to help ourselves. Tom hadn’t surfaced at this point but Sarah popped in to have breakfast before we headed off to Chapel for 9am. I’d had a bit of an argument with the toaster earlier (so haven’t used it since). Cutting the bread a bit thicker than intended meant that it was necessary for me to ram the slice into the slot fairly forcibly and I foolishly thought that if I just cooked it for a bit longer it would crisp up and then I would be able to spear it with a fork and pull it out. Wrong. The bread here (which of course I had no idea about) is more of a cake consistency so trying to get it out with a fork proved impossible – it was just crumbling more and more with every attempt. In the end I got about 20 small squashed pieces which made an interesting accompaniment to my banana. After the flip flop and toast experiences I wasn’t expecting anything else to go pear shaped..... but again I was wrong. After welcome prayers, the first hymn was announced. As I looked around for a non-existent hymn book, I noticed that the words were being projected from a laptop onto the white wall at the front of the chapel above the altar. I hadn’t thought about bringing my glasses, so for an hour and a half I enthusiastically joined in all the foot tapping and clapping but was unable to make any vocal contribution as I couldn’t read a word. Another thing I hadn’t expected was being asked to stand up and introduce myself to the congregation, without any prior warning. Talk about thinking on your feet! After the service I met several members of staff and volunteers including George and Doreen who spend 6 months every year at Kisiizi. George runs the Electricity Company and Doreen organises the community goat programme. Sorry Peter..... don’t be surprised if your Christmas present this year turns out to be a sponsored goat for a local family.

 

After lunch at Rose Cottage (beef stew, green beans and potatoes, followed by passion fruit) we decided to have a team walk up to the communication mast. It was a bit further (and steeper) than I imagined but after a bit of a struggle I did make it – and I was really glad I had persevered. There were fantastic views of the lush countryside surrounding the hospital and the opportunity to engage with many of the local people on the way up and down. We were joined early on by Benjamin, a 12 year old local boy who two years earlier had accompanied Sarah and a previous group on the same walk. He actually proved to be a very interesting guide pointing out various fruits and flowers and translating when we met another group of children who couldn’t speak English. One useful bit of info he gave us was that cobras eat gooseberries, so from then on whenever we saw a gooseberry bush we kept well away just in case any snakes were slithering around looking for a late lunch. He told us a lot about his school, his forthcoming exams and his ambition to be a pilot. He also cleverly mentioned that somebody from a previous visiting group had given him a guitar which he was learning to play, and then manoeuvred the conversation around to laptops, before asking if any of us had a laptop with us. Don’t worry, I wasn’t taken in and have not promised to give him mine when I leave! It was amazing watching the women and children walking up and down with full baskets on their heads and babies wrapped in blankets tied on their back, as sure footed as mountain goats whilst I was hanging on to whatever I could whilst slowly edging my way down the path. The children just love having their photographs taken and then like to see themselves on playback, giggling away and pointing to each other when they see their images captured on the camera. When we got back to the main road we met Benjamin’s Mum who it turns out has one of tiny little shacks near the school selling fruit, veg, nuts etc. She’s also got a sewing machine in there and makes lovely bags from African material. Not surprisingly, I bought one which I am still deciding whether to keep for myself or use for a Christmas gift. I wondered about giving Benjamin some money for being our guide but I can see the issues this would create. Children then come to expect a reward and their motivation for showing hospitality to visitors completely changes. So I gave him the rest of my packet of Mentos and he seemed pleased with that and the promise of some Christmas pencils from Carolyn. It was like some of the desperately poor people I have seen living in sheds I wanted to help. Giving them 40,000 shillings (£10) would probably feed their family for a month or more but you can’t help them all and if you help one family does that then cause resentment amongst their neighbours who haven’t received any extra money? It’s a difficult one to answer and is something that I know I will find very difficult whilst I am here.

 

It had been a wonderful afternoon a really good introduction to Kisiizi which is a beautiful place, and I have been overwhelmed by the friendliness and warmth of all the locals and hospital staff we met today. Everybody smiles and says hello, asking how you are. They may be poor in terms of money and possessions but they are rich in their happy and contented outlook to life. I felt quite humbled when I got back to my room and thought about all we have in the UK, and how much we just take for granted. I think this trip is going to be a life changing experience for me.

 

After dinner I went down to the round house for a couple of glasses of wine with the rest of the group and on returning to Rose Cottage discovered that 2 Australian medical students had returned from their trip to Bwindi to see the gorillas, and David the Kisiizi engineer from Ireland had also arrived – so there are now 5 of us in Rose Cottage and adjoining outside bedrooms, so I had better make sure I am up early tomorrow if I want to avoid a queue for the shower!