讓 我 歡 喜 讓 我 憂…………………….

愛 到 盡 頭 覆 水 難 收

愛 悠 悠 恨 悠 悠

為 何 要 到 無 法 挽 留

才 又 想 起 妳 的 溫 柔

給 我 關 懷 為 我 解 憂

為 我 憑 添 許 多 愁

在 深 夜 無 盡 等 候

獨 自 淚 流 獨 自 忍 受

多 想 說 聲 我 真 的 愛 妳

多 想 說 聲 對 不 起 妳

妳 哭 著 說 情 緣 己 盡

難 再 續 難 再 續

就 請 妳 給 我 多 一 點 點 時 間

再 多 一 點 點 問 候

不 要 一 切 都 帶 走

就 請 妳 給 我 多 一 點 點 空 間

再 多 一 點 點 溫 柔

不 要 讓 我 如 此 難 受

妳 這 樣 一 個 女 人

讓 我 歡 喜 也 讓 我 憂

讓 我 甘 心 為 了 妳 付 出 我 所 有.

Tea with Dr. Anne Merriman…………………….

Jovial moment with Dr. Anne.

I felt very honoured to be invited to Dr. Anne Merriman’s house for tea the other day. The moment I sat down and had my tea cup filled, I know I will be embarking on another interesting journey of knowledge from a dynamic lady who had done wonders to humankind.

This is her biography;

Dr. Anne Merriman Biography

Dr. Anne Merriman graduated from UCD Medical School in 1963 and is internationally recognised as one of the leading Hospice Movement pioneers in the world, and the undisputed leader of the Hospice Movement in Africa, a continent to which she has devoted close to a quarter century of her professional life. Anne was born and raised in Liverpool. She enrolled in the UCD Medical School in 1957, was a devoted Mater student and, after qualification in 1963, she did her internship in the International Missionary Training Hospital in Medicine in Drogheda. Then, over the first decade of her post-graduate career, she completed three two-year stints in three Medical Missionaries of Mary hospitals in South East Nigeria. This was interspersed with posts in Drogheda, Dublin and Edinburgh, during which she successfully took her MRCPI and MRCP Edinburgh as well as diplomas in Child Health and Tropical Medicine. She then returned to the UK for almost 10 years in order to look after her incapacitated mother and, during that time, remarkably, she was able to complete her training in Geriatric Medicine and was appointed as Consultant Physician and Clinical Lecturer at the University of Liverpool, and subsequently as Senior Lecturer in Geriatric Medicine and Honorary Consultant in the University of South Manchester. Then she moved back to be nearer to her mother in Merseyside where she became head of the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Whiston Hospital.

After the death of her beloved mother, Anne took a new direction – both career-wise and geographically – first by becoming Associate Professor to USM in Penang in Malaysia and then as Senior Teaching Fellow to the Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine in the National University of Singapore. It was during this seven-year period that she developed her interest in Palliative Medicine and the Hospice Movement. She became a Founder Member of the Hospice Care Association of Singapore and made major contributions to that discipline, not only in Singapore, but also in South East Asia generally.

Dr. Anne Merriman receives an Honorary Fellowship of UCD’s Medical School, in recognition of her lifetime’s work.

In 1990, Anne was invited to be the first Medical Director of the Nairobi Hospice in Kenya, which opened in January 1990. During her time in that role, she realised the terrible suffering of terminally-ill patients in a country where oncology treatment was available only for the privileged few, and where patients tragically only presented at a late and often incurable stage of their disease. Dame Cecily Saunders, the legendary foundress of the International Hospice Movement, asked her to publish her views on palliative care in Africa. As a result, Dr. Merriman received numerous invitations from a variety of African countries requesting her to assist in setting up palliative care services along the lines of the model that her team had successfully pioneered in Kenya. This “Merriman Model” was the inspiration that was to drive the development of affordable and locally accessible services for the African subcontinent in the ensuing decade. In 1993, Hospice Africa Uganda was founded. Under Anne Merriman’s leadership, this introduced a model system of terminal care customised to developing countries with limited resources. She founded the Palliative Care Association of Uganda and was its founding Vice President. On a continent-wide basis, she became a founder member of the African Palliative Care Association.

Anne’s academic career and discipline saw to it that she has published extensively – over 90 articles and five books, as well as serving as editor and peer-reviewer on several journals. She still receives multiple speaking invitations to address learned associations and organisations all over the world. The driving motivation behind all of this for Anne Merriman is her passionate commitment to bringing affordable and culturally appropriative palliative care to all of Africa. In 2007, the School was delighted to confer on Dr. Anne Merriman its highest award – Honorary Fellowship of the School, in recognition of her lifetime’s work.

Original site http://www.hospiceafrica.ie/news_annmerriman.htm

I happened to google more and found this site about her written by a Singaporean – http://todayinsingapore.wordpress.com/2009/09/09/doctor-with-a-heart/

Living in Uganda allowed me to meet people from all walks of life who shared a common goal, the betterment for fellow human being.

When Paths Cross, Life Can Change.

Bazaar, Bazaar……………………..

Its that time of the year again where you can see Organizations setting up bazaars to catch the crowd of Christmas shoppers. Some were there to sell their used stuffs while others were there to raise funds for the needy. We were invited to two bazaars this year, one at US Embassy and the other at Hospice. This was the first time we did bazaar sales with our products. I wanted more brand awareness and it is working. People were inquiring about our locations and further discussions were arranged.

We could not capture any moments at the Embassy due to security reasons but still we had an equally productive time there. At Hospice whom we got to know Dr. Anne Merriman, had a more friendly, casual environment. She was also a Founder Member of the Hospice Care Association of Singapore and made major contributions to that discipline, not only in Singapore, but also in South East Asia generally. Nonetheless, we enjoyed both the outings. Jonathan helped out with the photography on this occasion.

Hospice Africa Uganda

Stands and stores of various Uganda's art and craft on display.

"My honey boutique" at the bazaar.

Doing our bit of contributing back to the community.

Sharing of information on our product.

Other products that were on sale.

Jonathan helping out with photo taking at the bazaar.

In the still of the night…………………….

Retro.

Electricity just went off and I could hear the thunder rolling from a distance. Woke up to close the windows before the rain got in. It’s going to be a heavy one. Couldn’t get back to sleep so I decided to pen down some thoughts.

Had my camera close by and it diverted my attention. I began toying around with it for a while. I had not really meddle with most of the function since I bought it beginning of this year.

Wanted my picture to look retro. Took a snap at my beside table using the black and white mode. The burning kerosene lamp brought out the “60’s feeling”. Turned out to be nice and cool.

The stillness of the night, the sound of the rolling thunder from afar, the chilly air that slowly seeped into the room and the warm glow from the lamp reminded me when we used to visit our grand mother when we were young. The house was big with 2 bedrooms during that time for we were staying in a flat that only had a curtain to divide our bedroom from the living room.

Although I don’t really know my granny much, somehow that tough lady kind of impression lingered on my mind. She passed on many years ago and I heard she went while sleeping peacefully without waking up. I think this is one of the best way to leave the world……peacefully without any pain or suffering. I believed she had lived a wonderful life having so many children and grand-children.

I guessed during that time, most women had this heavy responsibility of procreation. More importantly producing male off springs.

I could recalled vividly that I saw a picture of my proud granny holding my eldest brother showing off his precious little “bird”. My brother was the first male grandson for our generation. Can’t imagine it took place nearly 50 years ago. Where did all the time went?

Come to think of it, life just rushed by all these years. I only picked up bits and pieces of memories here and there. Most of it were left behind when I came here.

Tomorrow, it is going be a beautiful day .

Do you find this logical?…………………….

Extra 15% service charge for more than 5 people.

The other night when I was in Masaka, we went to this restaurant to have dinner. I was very surprised to see this clause on the menu. An extra 15% service charge will be imposed if there are 5 guests or more!

I find it very funny and I am still wondering what is the logic behind. I thought they should be happy to have more customers coming in for meals but instead, we are being penalized for bringing more guests to dine there.

When I asked the waitress, she told me it was because there are more work, so they have to charge extra for the work. I cannot imagine this answer she gave. Was this instruction given by the management? Now what if we were to split our group of 5 into two tables coming in at five mins interval. This mean we are having two tables, one with two while the other with three without them knowing we are together. That extra 15% service charge will not be imposed. In fact I think having to serve two tables is more work! Strange right???

I know this restaurant is run by some charity organization but I feel that doing business this way in the name of charity is not right. There must be still some sense of logic in business practice. If people wants to donate, do it with a heart and not forcing it down one’s throat. In fact I would be more willing to donate if it was not imposed this way. Worst of all, I would not even think of going back to the place and will definitely not recommend anyone to dine there. Sorry for me to say this.

Goodbye Ying……………………

It was a sad birthday present for me. I laid Ying to rest yesterday. The vet told me her condition had not improved and all effort to revive her pancreas had failed.

The vet told me that in the morning, she was trying with much effort to move around and once in a while would walked towards the entrance, looking towards the car park, and then walked back to hide under the bench. She was as if looking for my car, to see whether had I arrived. She was holding on for me one last time.

Left for Masaka at 5am and by the time I was back in Kampala in the afternoon. I rushed to see her. When I reached the hospital, she was already in great pain. She had difficulty in breathing. The vet told me that she had developed a chest infection, conjunctivitis and her heart is not strong enough to pump. They did all they could.

The Vet Professor advised me it was time for me to let her go, to end her suffering. Even if they were to inject booster a few more times, the chances were very slim for her to recover. Her body had already broken down.

I got to know about this condition from him and online. German Shepherds are very prone to this condition call Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency. Some can pull thru while others are unable.

The vet performed Euthanasia. I was holding her. Her muscles relaxed. She suffered no more. Within a month, I lost two of my closest friends here

A time for reminiscence…………………….

Yesterday was a good milestone to review my life here. How far had I come and how far more the road will be. I can feel the ripple effect from the economic downturn in Uganda. Things are slowing down while some other countries are already on its way up.

Just last month one of my German shepherd died and today I am bringing another of my dog to the vet to check what is happening to her. She hasn’t been eating and was always hiding in my room sleeping. She had to be put on drip because she was already suffering from dehydration.

Blood samples were extracted and I brought it to the lab to run some tests. Results came back that she was diagnosed with pancreatitis. The doctor told me it could be due to anything, ranging from contaminated food to hereditary. In order to understand more, I goggled and found this site very useful, http://www.vetontheweb.co.uk/pet-clinic-detail.asp?id=213

Ying on drip.

The laboratory was just next to the apartment which I stayed when I first came. Time really flies. It has been a long time that I had not come back to this part of town. I used to eat at a restaurant, (Sam’s Restaurant), just next to it. While waiting for the results of the test report, I decided to celebrate my birthday in my small little way, giving myself a treat at this restaurant once more.

The very first apartment which I stayed.

Sam's restaurant.

My birthday treat - pepper steak.

2001, I came here with a colleague, Sandra Wu. We were supposed to conduct a feasibility study on Uganda’s market on a certain type of self igniting fire extinguisher from Japan. Beekeeping was never our study and this fire extinguisher business never took off.

We were so enthusiastic with the whole project because everything and everybody seem to be in favor with the product. We went to all relevant authorities, business organizations and fire departments. Everybody wants it. We even did a life demonstration at the fire house in Kampala and many people came to watch. It was a big hoo haa event. End of the day, it was only hot air! At that time, Uganda has no buying power at all! Most people are still waiting for hand out from NGOs.

It was indeed a great paradigm shift for me. Being inexperience then and took everything at face value. Culturally it was a 180 degree turn compared to where I came from. Generally the people are mild mannered and they will never give you any opinion other than, “good”, “it’s nice” even when they don’t like it. We only managed to convince a few big Companies to purchase a number of them.

It was on the last few days before my return trip to Singapore for a briefing that Uganda Investment Authority invited me to attend an investment meeting on Apiculture. It was there that I met Professor Horn and we had a very long discussion about this industry. Our direction shifted and we never looked back.

9 years had passed and the experienced gained was priceless. It was bundled with much ups and downs, joy and sorrow, frustrations and satisfactions.

Living in Uganda was and is still not easy. Investing in any business here needs to be very careful. It is true that Uganda had improved in many ways but still it is landlocked. Road transportation is a killer. To make matter worse, most of the roads are very badly maintained with lots of potholes sprouting up whenever the rainy season comes. I believed Uganda could have been mistaken for Mars from afar with all these lookalike craters, (potholes).

Anyway, my birthday wish this year is to stay healthy, stay positive, focus on the training school and to look forward for this new challenge, hopefully becoming one of the most productive and comprehensive beekeeping training and resource centre in East Africa. Happy birthday to me .

They don’t understand the meaning of confidentiality and security…………………….

Last Saturday, I went to my regular bank, Standard Chartered Bank, which I thought to be a world class, high standard bank, where I do all my transactions. I had a shock of my life when I wanted to check on my account to see my balance. I approached one of the customer relation officer at one of the open concept station, sat down in front of her, gave her my bank account number and you know what she did? She simply log onto the computer, search for the account, wrote the balance on a piece of paper and loudly recite the amount to me! Everyone in the bank turned and looked and me, thinking out loud as if saying, “Wow! you have so little money in the bank, might as well keep it under your pillow!”

I went, OH MY GOD! I told her, “Have you ever thought that I might NOT be the account holder? I might have gotten the number somewhere and just handed it to you and there you just simply blurt out the balance without even first asking me for any identifications to make sure I am the rightful owner!”

She simply gave me that “why are you doing this to me” aghast look. She did not even recognized her confidentiality and security lapse and was trying to rebut by saying she was trying to be customer friendly and not to agitate the customers by asking too much questions.

Yes, I know she was being helpful by not asking too much, but as a professional especially in the financial industry, there is no excuse to overlook such things. Definitely I would not mind if she were to ask me all the security and identification issues. I would had felt much better coz at least I know my money is safe with them.

The banking industry still has a long way to go in terms of customers confidentiality. This incident had brought me back to another case where I was making some transaction at DFCU bank. Every teller has a money counting machine to assist the teller to count money. The most intriguing part was that the digital counter which shows the amount being counted was place in such a high position that the whole queue, or I should say, the whole bank can see how much money was being counted! Ha!

No wonder there are so much robberies and snatched thieves. They simply wait inside the bank to see who is going out with loads of money and then hijack them along the way.

I really hope those who are in charge of security in the banking industry see this post and to finetune the system and plug the loophole.

I felt sad or ashamed, not because that now everyone knows I am a poor bloke, but it was that the bank officer did not realized how serious the repercussion would had been but instead thinking that we as customers are making life difficult for them. Wrong attitude.

For you…………………….

Happiness is being able to be what I am, where I am and who I want to be with for no one can hurt my feelings without my permission now.

- Lesster

A Sunday to myself……………………

Uganda weather is really unpredictable now a days. It was so sunny this morning and I wanted to give my dogs a wash down. After cooking breakfast, the next thing I knew. the weather changed and now it is raining cats and dogs. The rain really hit hard on the ground and everything that were not tied down went scattered everywhere.

 

I had decided to tidy up my room. It has been a while that I did not do it . Adjusted the orientation of my bed to make more space. Jonathan is coming next month and I had shifted my work into my room. I kinda like it now coz its so convenient for me to work and to watch all the Cantonese and Korean series Melissa gave me when I was back home beginning of this year.

True enough, the weather in Uganda and life is running on the same line……..unpredictable.

Yesterday, I received another sad news from Melissa. She told me our friend’s husband is diagnosed with brain cancer. It all started when he first experienced spouts of giddiness in July, the docs diagnosed it as vertigo. Next, when he experienced acid reflux, they prescribed him anticid. Then when he experienced pain in the back, they dismissed it as muscle pull. Only upon persistent request for a scan (which was intended for the stomach and colon) did the report finally (accidentally) pick up spots in one of the kidneys. Further tests confirmed it’s cancerous. within a short span of 2 months, the cells have gone into the blood stream and a tumour has finally been detected in the brain.

He’s only 50 and we knew him since our early 20s. He goes for annual thorough check-up yet all the tests couldn’t pick up any signs or symptoms of the deadly cells! yet they say we are very advanced in our medical field! how so?

Sometimes I wondered, is it because technology had advanced so much that it can detect every single problem which had already existed in our bodies. When we are not aware of it, we simply live life with not much worries. But once something wrong is detected, our worries are then amplified, worries and stress takes over and finally one give up fighting.

Life goes on…….

After the rain, went out to the garden to pluck kangkong for lunch. The sweet potatoes, maize and kangkong are growing well with the rain.

Steamed rice and kangkong

A simple joy in life. Steamed rice and fried kangkong for lunch. One can never asked for more.

My approved work permit.

Got my work permit renewed recently. Hopefully this will be my last renewal because Ugandan Investment Authority told me that they are going to recommend me for permanent residency once I cross my 10 years mark. I cannot imagine I have been living in Uganda for 9 years now. Will this be my home? I wondered……..

If you had stayed too long in Uganda…………………….

1. You thought the signs on the toilet are in Luganda – MALE is pronounced as “mar-lay” and FEMALE is pronouced as “fee-mar-lay”

2. You read the road work sign as “GO, SLOW MEN AT WORK”

3. When you wanted your staff to work on something immediately, you tell them to do it, “NOW NOW” instead of a single, “Now”

4. You drink beer with a straw

5. You keep your money in your socks

6. 7 o’clock in the morning is 1 o’clock to you

7. You become an expert in avoiding potholes on the road

8. You pronounce ginger as “geen-gir”

9. You only lift your eyebrows as a sign to agree on something

10. Found ants in your soup – your reaction according to the number of years in Uganda,

a) Scream, complain, demand to see the manager and want to sue the restaurant. Have the soup changed and ask for free meal (stayed less than 2 years).

b) Simply pick the ants up and continue to slurp the soup (stayed 2 years to 5 years).

c) Gobble down the soup together with the ants (stayed 5 years and above).

A friendship that lasted 63 years…………………….

Rest well, dear friend!

Tricia passed on this morning. She was one of my first 4 dogs that I brought home when I first came to Uganda. It was just like yesterday when I answered to an advert on the supermarket wall, saying that they had young German shepherd puppies for sale.

When I went there the following morning, I saw 8 puppies running around. 4 caught my eyes and Tricia was one of them. Paid my deposit and collected them 3 weeks later because the owner wanted to make sure they had reached 12 weeks before they were separated from their mother. Imagine if they were to know their destiny, how sad it will be for them

According to the calculation, Tricia should be 63 years old when she left. The doctor did a postmortem on her and she was diagnosed with liver cancer. She had been very strong last few months for I did not noticed anything peculiar in her daily activities. It was only 1 week ago that I saw her struggling to walk on her hinds. This had happened to her other siblings and they recovered. She did not make it.

Just 2 days back, she lost her appetite and show signs of giving up. Initially I thought she had indigestion or worms. So I contacted my vet and he came and gave her vitamins and antibiotics jabs. Nothing changed.

By evening time, she was already lying sideways and had difficulty in breathing. I carried her to the verandah and gave her milk which she did not responded well. It was getting cold outside and I brought her into the house. At least she will stay warm.

Come this morning when I went to see her, she had already passed on.

Looking back, I can say Tricia is really a fine guard dog. She was obedient and intelligent. She gave me many happy memories and puppies too. Most of them were given away to friends.

Writing this passage had also made me realized that I could had given them more love and tender care. They are really man’s best friend.

Uganda 47th Independence day…………………….

Uganda 47th Independence Day - News article by Cyprian Musoke and Steven Candia (New Vision)

UGANDA marks 47 years of independence from British rule today with celebrations at Kololo airstrip.

An array of VIPs is expected to attend.
Among them Southern Sudan President Salva Kiir and Liberian President Sirleaf Johnson as well as ministers, MPs, civil servants, religious and traditional leaders and diplomats.

As in previous years, the opposition parties said they would not attend the celebrations, arguing that the event has become an “NRM affair”.

The theme for this year’s Independence Day celebrations is: “Unity, a key factor in protecting Uganda’s destiny and independence.”

The theme was chosen because of the recent divisions in the country, said the Minister for the Presidency, Beatrice Wabudeya.

Uganda has known eight presidents since the British Union Jack was lowered and the Ugandan flag hoisted, some of them lasting for only a couple of months.

The first post-colonial president was the Kabaka of Buganda, Sir Edward Muteesa II. He was ousted by Milton Obote, who in turn was overthrown by his army commander, Idi Amin, in 1971.

When Amin’s brutal dictatorship fell in 1979, Prof. Yusuf Lule and Godfrey Lukongwa Binaisa had brief tenures.
Disputed elections were held in 1980 that made Obote bounce back. His second term lasted for five years. He was toppled by Gen. Tito Okello Lutwa in July 1985.

Lutwa’s junta was shortlived. It was swept away in January 1986 by Yoweri Museveni after his National Resistance Army waged a five-year guerrilla war.
For the last two decades, Uganda has seen relative stability and development, characterised by economic growth, increased revenues from taxes and a growing GDP.

Real GDP per capita has tripled in the last 20 years, according the UN Human Development Report, from $515 in 1987 to $1,454 in 2005.

Social indicators have also improved, although not fast enough for Uganda to reach its targets under the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Adult literacy has increased from 43% of the population in 1970 to 58% at the time the NRM took power and 74% today.

Under-five mortality went down from 224 per 1,000 births at independence to 195 in 1986. It has stagnated at around 135 since the beginning of this decade, below the 56 per 1,000 births target. The number of people living below the poverty line stood at 55% by the time Museveni took power. It went down to 31% in 2005 but has since gone up again to 37%. More efforts towards poverty alleviation are needed to reach the 2015 target of 28%.

Access to safe water saw the biggest jump. Only one-fifth of the population had access to a safe water source at the time of both independence and the NRM take-over. This went up 46% at the end of the 1990s to reach 64% this year, according to the 2009 World Health Report.

Life expectancy has improved from 43 years at independence to 52 years today. In the 1990s, however, it saw a sharp drop – to 41 years – as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Uganda’s population has grown five-fold in the last 47 years, and its urban population more than 10-fold.
There were only 6.5 million Ugandans at the time of independence, 341,000 of whom lived in urban centres.

Today, Uganda’s population is about 31 million, while people living in urban centres have reached almost four million. About half of Uganda’s population is under the age of 15.
The Police yesterday issued guidelines to ensure smooth traffic flow around the venue of the celebrations. Upper Kololo Terrace will be closed to traffic from 6:00am till the end of the function.

Guests with vehicles bearing red stickers will access the airstrip via Elgon Terrace and will park before the Heroes’ Corner. Invited guests with blue stickers will access the venue through Wampewo Avenue and park near the main entrance.

The public can access Kololo via Wampewo Avenue and park near the main entrance, while Wampewo Avenue will remain one-way from the roundabout to the airstrip.

Meanwhile, several party leaders have indicated that they would not attend. DP president Ssebaana Kizito said the celebrations had become an NRM affair.
“I will not attend because the aspirations we fought for at independence to get our own government have not been realised. Like Jomo Kenyatta used say: ‘It’s not yet Uhuru.”

FDC spokesman Wafula Oguttu said his boss was out of the country. “But whenever we attend such functions, the President begins abusing us, yet he is the one who invited us.” Miria Obote said she would travel to Arua to celebrate the life of her late husband, Milton Obote.

Memorable pictures captured during filming…………………….

During the 10 days filming, the production team and I really had a great time! All of us were chatting non stop during our waking hours which started from 6am till 11pm everyday. I remember when we were back from the west, we reached Kampala around midnight. We could hardly open our eyes while having our dinner at Nandos.

What had happened were beautiful memories that we will cherished for the rest of our lives. Below are some of the memorable photos captured ad hoc while the filming was going on and during breaks. Only recently I managed to extract some time to have them posted up. Priceless.

Belinda trying out some glasses at the airport transiting from Dubai.

Entebbe Airport. Somehow it resembles Paya Lebar Airport in the early 70's

Nas was trying to capture as many scene as possible. Traveling from the airport to my place.

Cows are a status symbol in Uganda. The more one has, the richer he is being recognized. This is an Ankole cow.

Children in Northern Uganda gathering around to watch the filming.

Children in Northern Uganda gathering around to watch the filming.

A quiet little girl sitting and waiting to see what is going on.

Toddlers are excited and curious because deep in the villages, it is rare to see "Muzungus".

A bicycle is a luxurious item in the village.

A child enjoying the photo session.

Nas and curious onlookers.

Sheau Huei getting into the picture business.

Nas getting help from the village kids.

Beautiful sun setting in the West. Timeless.

Capturing moments.

Its a long road.

This crater lake shaped like the Africa Continent from afar.

Fresh fish from the lake.

A walk in the Queen Elizabeth National Safari Park.

Belinda and I at my apiary.

Sheau Huei in front of the salt lake.

This german guy's name is "diesel". He has been cycling all over Africa for the last 20 years.

Diesel was passing Uganda at that time. He was on his way to Congo.

Stopping at the Equator for a break.

A nice surprise visit and to dine with him…………………….

Having a short chat with Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng before dinner during his visit in Uganda.

Mid autumn night…………………….

Was letting the dogs out last night. Took a shot at the moon since it was mid autumn. Had not had this festive feeling for a long long time.

Full moon on mid autumn.

Giant mushrooms…………………….

It’s that time of the year again where giant mushrooms are beginning to sprout in the North. You can see the villagers lining up their mushrooms along the highway. Each one cost about Ush4000 (S$3). They are tasty and rich in vitamin A as I was told.

These giant mushrooms are wild. They can only be found in the North during the last quarter of the year.

They come in different sizes. I got this having a diameter around 28cm.

According to some findings, these mushrooms are rich in vitamin A.

Sek’s 49th…………………….

This year we got Karl to help us prepare a 25kg pig for roasting. Time really flies living in Uganda. Its Sekaran’s 49th birthday. This was the first time we roasted a complete at his home. Usually its either Mary cooks, pot luck or going to a restaurant.

Although the Singaporean / Malaysian community is very small here, but we are closely knitted. Living harmoniously and sharing is more important than trying to outshine each other, trying to claim who is better or which recipe or dish belongs to which Country . There bigger things to do in life than dabbling over small issues as such. What goes around, comes aroud. Happy birthday Sekaran. Hope you enjoy the evening

Peter helping out with the roasting.

Sekaran looking at the ready supper.

Karl serving Annie.

Sekaran cutting birthday cake.

10 Secrets to a Stress-Free Life…………………….

Start Small

Don’t overwhelm yourself with big changes. Alter one small thing—a morning habit, a food choice. Over time, these will add up to the intentional life you crave.

Connect

Put love and friendship first in your life, scheduling dates with others as you would doctors’ appointments. Connection may help improve heart health, prompt the release of the stress-relieving hormone oxytocin, and allow you to sidestep the health risks of isolation. While you’re at it, get a pet—you might further reduce stress and ease depression.

Focus on Now

Rather than disperse your energy with multitasking, take one job, one person at a time. The more mindful you are, the quicker you can stop stress and turn yourself around.

Write it out

Release stress by getting negative feelings out of your body. Pick up a pen and write down your thoughts.

Own the News

Change the way you approach the bleak information you get from the media. Don’t shy away from knowing the facts—apathy can prove as damaging to your spirit as stress or depression. But use what you learn to become part of the solution. Send light, positive energy and prayers to those suffering, while finding tangible ways to get involved. You’re in a position of power and control. Embrace the media—look at it and use it as your classroom.

Walk softly

When we’re stressed, we tend to hit the floor hard with every step. Imagine you’re walking on a lotus flower—tenderly, gently. Unplug through your feet, and you’ll calm down to a more tranquil mental place.

Try a Mini-Meditation

Memorize a three-to-five-word phrase, a mantra, that will bring you back to center when things get rough, such as “I am strong” or “Spirit will guide me.” Also, keep a peaceful image mentally on hand (a beach scene, a quiet forest) to call up in stressful moments.

Love your commute

See your travel time as a chance to cultivate patience and compassion. If you can use calming breaths to stay relaxed and unruffled in traffic, you can handle anything.

Practice gratitude

It’s hard to feel gratitude and stress at the same time. Devote five minutes a day to giving thanks for all the gifts in your life—starting with your breath, the source of everything.

Take stock

Make a list of things that bring you joy—and another list of things that drain your energy. Do this 10 minutes daily for a week, and then review your lists and see how your own life matches up.

Everything happens for a reason…………………….

Last Tuesday, Fischer and I decided to drive up to Gulu to see how the place is progressing with our project. Usually we would book our accommodation while we are still in Kampala the day before. When we arrived at the hotel, we were informed that the rooms had been fully taken up. As usual, in Uganda one must always be mentally prepared for these kind of happenings.

We went around a few other hotels to check. All singles were fully booked leaving only the bigger doubles. A single only cost Ush60,000 (S$42). The double are costing us Ush92,000 (S$64) each so we decided that we will only stay for one day instead of two. For us, we only need a clean bed to crash in.

Our plans were to be in Gulu on Tuesday, coming back on Thursday which was yesterday. At around 3pm, I received a text message from the China Embassy informing me that to avoid going into Kampala town for there was a riot brewing. This was the exact time if we arrive in Kampala if we were to stick to our plans. We would had been caught in the riot and the crossfire between the rioters and the police.

Somehow while we were in Gulu, we just decided to cut the trip short although we are supposed to travel to another district, (Lira) the following day. What made us change our plan, definitely its not the cost of the rooms. I guess things are meant to be this way.

Three killed in violent Kampala riots

Thursday, 10th September, 2009

The Police block Buganda Katikkiro (premier) Engineer Walusimbi at Ssezibwa Bridge, a gateway to Kayunga district, where he was going to prepare for the Kabaka’s visit

By Vision Reporters

THREE people were reported dead as violent riots linked to the Kabaka’s planned tour of Kayunga district spread to the city and across Buganda.

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By press time, 39 people had been injured in the riots, triggered off by false reports that Katikkiro Walusimbi had been arrested on his way to Kayunga. He was expected to prepare for the Kabaka’s visit which was slated for tomorrow.

The city suddenly flared up into chaos in the afternoon as Kabaka supporters engaged the Police in running battles. They pelted vehicles with stones, barricaded roads with logs and huge boulders, lit bonfires, looted property and torched buildings.

The chaos first erupted around Kiseka Market and spread quickly to Wandegeya, Bwaise, Kawempe and Maganjo-Kagoma on Bombo Road, stretching the Police to the limit. Military Police moved in with armoured vehicles to take charge of the situation.

Offices and shops closed down and motorists vacated the roads amid sporadic gunfire, teargas explosions, a heavy presence of regular and anti-riot Police backed by military Police.

In Bwaise, demonstrators set a huge store on fire before going on a looting spree. The Police fire brigade put out the fire. The rioters also set ablaze the Natete Police station, and the vehicles parked there. A Police woman in Natete was stripped naked and beaten up. Reports also said some shops in the city were looted.

In the city centre, Kabaka supporters barricaded Entebbe Road near Centenary Bank with logs and burned tyres. They turned all vehicles away, threatening motorists and stopping them from going to Market Street.

Commotion erupted in Kawempe when four policemen, attempted to stop a rowdy group from barricading the road. They were disarmed and their guns taken. Kawempe Police boss Joel Aguma confirmed the incident.

Outside Kampala, too, rioters resorted to violence and looting. In Kyengera, on the Masaka highway, youth seized a truck loaded with sodas. They grabbed the sodas before burning the truck.

In Nabbingo, also on Masaka highway, irate youth stopped buses and roughed up passengers.
In Mukono angry youth attacked a bus, smashing the windows and injuring passengers. The Police rescued them.

Two of the dead were reportedly killed by stray bullets near Shoprite on Ben Kiwanuka Road.

One was a Saracen private security guard and the other a Congolese businessman who was shopping. A bullet ripped through his stomach. A third man was shot in the eye in Bwaise and died on the spot. The bodies were taken to Mulago Hospital.

“The guard was standing in the door when I suddenly saw him fall down after a military truck fired live bullets in the air,” said a shaken Annet Namusisi, a telephone booth operator.
By evening, more than 30 people had been rushed to the casualty ward at Mulago Hospital with various injuries, ranging from gunshot wounds to broken limbs. Most of them were from Bwaise, Kalerwe and Kanyanya suburbs.

Four policemen were also rushed to Mulago Hospital with injuries. One of them, Alex Wabwire, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, had his leg shattered. He was reportedly shot by rioters who snatched a gun from a guard.

Eliphaz Sekabira, the hospital spokesperson, said 39 people were being treated. Three people were arrested and detained at the Central Police Station in connection with the riot, said Kampala metropolitan deputy Police spokesperson Henry Kalulu. However, many others were reportedly detained at Wandegeya Police Station.

It took the combined effort of the Police and the army to quell the riots in the city centre, which returned to relative calm at around 4:00pm. Thousands of commuters were stranded till late for lack of transport, forcing many to walk home. The few taxis on the road charged exorbitant fares.

By press time, major roads such as Masaka, Jinja, Gulu, Hoima and Entebbe roads, were still blocked by angry protesters with logs and bonfires.

Riots were also still going on in the suburbs of Kampala, such as Nateete, Bwaise and Busega, as well in the districts of Mityana, Mukono and Wakiso.

A motorist on Mityana Road said the road was blocked by protesters at Bira, causing a long queue on either side.

Stranded motorists and passengers, including foreigners, threatened by violent youth, were calling The New Vision journalists, pleading for help.

In Kampala, mambas with military policemen criss-crossed the city at night, while foot soldiers patrolled in single file.

Reported by Steven Candia,
Chris Kiwawulo, Charles Ariko
and Patrick Jaramogi

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/694267

This incident does made me ponder – how blessed I am to be a Singaporean, having to live all my life growing up in a peaceful environment. If I were not made to witness all these happenings, I would not have appreciate my roots more. Singapore and Uganda gained independence about the same time.