One of the things that shocked me as soon as I came in was the whole thing around supermarket shopping here. Well, to start, Uganda is plainly very expensive. I know that somebody challenged me when I said this recently, however she doesn't really live in Kampala (she was visiting from Nairobi), and most of the Kenyans I know, for instance, agree with me, they say that they thought Nairobi was expensive until they got here!
The reason why is so expensive is that because everything is pretty much imported. Ok, I am not referring to the vegetables which are grown here, which are obviously cheap because they are grown here... I am referring to everything else really, from shower gel to dairy products... just daily basics. Of course most times there is an option to go for a local brand, so if that is the case you are in business, but other times it is not so easy. I have only found pesto in 1 delicatessen shop in the whole of Kampala, and of course the price tag reflects the (lack of) availability in this market.
This is obviously a bit more shocking for me than to others probably because of where I am coming from before getting here. Yes, we were coming from London, where it does not matter if you want to get Spanish food, with Spanish labels, it is very widely available. Here though, I have found more Italian than Spanish food, at least let me say thank God for the Italians here, so I get a few exciting products!
The second interesting fact around shopping here is that you DO need to go to ALL supermarkets to complete your shopping list. I know, I know, I am not talking about I like more the cheese from Waitrose than from Tesco... It is literally the case of this product can ONLY be found at Nakumatt or Uchumi, like I have only found white flour for baking bread at Shoprite. Well, it is fun anyway to go around (is it?!), but this takes us on to the next issue...
The third issue is that even when you know that a supermarket has a particular product, sometimes you may come round and it will, invariably, be out of stock. I remember going to Shoprite (again) and not finding up to 4 different items that I needed on the same day. Brrrrr... as Leonardo di Caprio was saying in that movie 'This is Africa!'.
And to Africa they must send the brands that nobody has ever heard of... Were you aware of this 'continent placement', apparently some brands must be produced to be sent only here. There are wines here (I checked the Spanish section at Nakumatt) that I have never, let me repeat that, NEVER heard of in my life... I have still managed to find some decent Chianti (thank God for the Italians, again!) but nothing like very presentable Rioja... probably because it would be even more expensive... South Africa has almost the monopoly of wines here.
But the thing that has topped everything else has been the so-called 'economy pack', and I say so-called because it didn't have anything to do with saving any money! I think Game is the supermarket where I have seen this phenomenon take place more often. I will offer an example, 1 pack of baby wipes (52 pieces) was going for 9,500 Ugandan Schillings, (let me say here too how really expensive are all baby items by the way) whereas the 'economy pack' of the same baby wipes, 2 packs of 52 each, was going for 27,500 Ugandan Schillings!! I couldn't avoid wondering who on earth would want to buy the 'economy pack' and then when discussing this with my husband he was saying that probably there are still people buying them! Incredible... I just think you need to know your maths well to survive in this country... or probably in Africa for that matter ;)
Well, so although people think that we can have a very cheap life in Africa... let me destroy that myth right now, well of course we could, if we were only ever eating sukuma (a local vegetable similar to spinach) and rice 100% of the time... unfortunately we like other things too, and most of the times they are imported or coming in 'non-economic packs'. Now I understand why people go back to UK with empty suitcases, I will be doing the same next time!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Jinja and the source of the Nile
I am not sure many people have heard of Jinja... I have no problem in admitting that I had never heard about it until I got here and started wondering what is there to see in Uganda, and Jinja was one of the places that came up most of the times. It is probably because Jinja is, after all, quite close to Kampala (approx 1 hour and a half on the way out, much longer on the way back because of Kampala's traffic!).
But of course, a lot more people have heard about the Nile... we know that it is one of the longest and largest rivers around the world. I have come to realise that there is apparently a bit of controversy around where is the source of the Nile... People have either never wondered about it or were never too concerned about it... we know much more about the part of the Nile which flows across Egypt.
So we started our trip to Jinja with the promise of seeing the source of the Nile. On our way out we stopped at Mabira Forest for breakfast. Mabira Forest is a pretty big rainforest in the middle of the land on your way from Kampala to Jinja. A friend of ours who was acting as a bit of a guide on the day tends to join a group who comes once a month to do walks across Mabira Forest with one of the national guides. It was very nice to see the forest, apparently it is full of some little animals like tree snakes, and our friend has seen monkeys and baboons also during the walks... although we didn't see any of all those, I was quite happy not to see any of the snakes specially. We had breakfast at The Rainforest Lodge Mabira, which was beautifully built and decorated, nice African style, check http://www.geolodgesafrica.com/the_rainforest_lodge.htm, it was peaceful and very relaxing, would be lovely to stay there to disconnect from the world. I loved the reception, very cool, and the swimming pool against the backdrop of the forest.
Our friend was telling us how Mabira Forest is a bit under pressure by some companies and people to gain land from the forest to convert it into agricultural land. That would be a shame as this is a wonderful rainforest with invaluable biodiversity.
So after our big (and expensive) breakfast we continued our way to Jinja. I had read that Jinja has become somehow a weekend retreat for expats, aid workers and missionaries, resulting in some pockets of sophistication. Well, that's what my guide was saying... I am not sure I would have called it 'sophisticated' but was nice enough. The town is very 'flat' in the sense that there are no high buildings at all, I was impressed by some of the colonial style houses and buildings which are well preserved.
We immediately set off to go and discover the source of the Nile. This was an interesting one, because I had read beforehand that this was not, how should we say... it is not spectacular... but my husband and our friend I think were expecting something different. Basically you need to take a boat to take you to the place where Lake Victoria finishes and the Nile starts, of course it is highly advisable to negotiate harshly down the initial price that the guys give you... we ended up reducing the price around 60% of what the guy had suggested initially. As you go into the river, they take you to a place in between two small islands, where the only thing that you can see nowadays is actually some currents flowing strongly from underground and then towards the river.
So of course, my husband and friend were so disappointed... I think they were expecting to see some kind of beautiful spring or waterfall from where the river would then flow... I was not too disappointed, for me it was the first time on Lake Victoria and Nile waters, so still a nice experience. I have found out later that the problem is that the Ripon Falls now lie under the river, buried behind the Owen Falls Dam. In fact, going up river, you can see the Bujagali Falls, and somebody told me that there is a new dam being built towards that side, which is likely to end up covering those falls too... Never a better example of how man is changing the landscape... on one side it is good to be able to retain all that water for human consumption, but at the expense of covering some beautiful natural spots.
The anecdote of the day, and something that I didn't know previously, is that close to the Source of the Nile, at the Ripon Falls Leisure Centre, there is a statue of Gandhi. When Gandhi died his wish was that his ashes were divided to be scattered in several of the world's great rivers, including the Nile in Uganda.
Later on we then went up river to see some of the rapids and the place where you can do bungee jumping. Our friend is from Zimbabwe and she has done both rafting here and the bungee jumping too... but she said that compared to Zimbabwe these rapids here were really small... well, I suppose if one takes into account some places down there like Victoria Falls ;)
So in summary for me highlights of the day... some beautiful places, which could be somehow organised a bit better from a touristy perspective, a great biodiversity that not many people would pay attention to and which is coming under pressure by human action... But all in all a charming visit to one of the greatest lakes and one of the greatest rivers in the world.
But of course, a lot more people have heard about the Nile... we know that it is one of the longest and largest rivers around the world. I have come to realise that there is apparently a bit of controversy around where is the source of the Nile... People have either never wondered about it or were never too concerned about it... we know much more about the part of the Nile which flows across Egypt.
So we started our trip to Jinja with the promise of seeing the source of the Nile. On our way out we stopped at Mabira Forest for breakfast. Mabira Forest is a pretty big rainforest in the middle of the land on your way from Kampala to Jinja. A friend of ours who was acting as a bit of a guide on the day tends to join a group who comes once a month to do walks across Mabira Forest with one of the national guides. It was very nice to see the forest, apparently it is full of some little animals like tree snakes, and our friend has seen monkeys and baboons also during the walks... although we didn't see any of all those, I was quite happy not to see any of the snakes specially. We had breakfast at The Rainforest Lodge Mabira, which was beautifully built and decorated, nice African style, check http://www.geolodgesafrica.com/the_rainforest_lodge.htm, it was peaceful and very relaxing, would be lovely to stay there to disconnect from the world. I loved the reception, very cool, and the swimming pool against the backdrop of the forest.
Our friend was telling us how Mabira Forest is a bit under pressure by some companies and people to gain land from the forest to convert it into agricultural land. That would be a shame as this is a wonderful rainforest with invaluable biodiversity.So after our big (and expensive) breakfast we continued our way to Jinja. I had read that Jinja has become somehow a weekend retreat for expats, aid workers and missionaries, resulting in some pockets of sophistication. Well, that's what my guide was saying... I am not sure I would have called it 'sophisticated' but was nice enough. The town is very 'flat' in the sense that there are no high buildings at all, I was impressed by some of the colonial style houses and buildings which are well preserved.
We immediately set off to go and discover the source of the Nile. This was an interesting one, because I had read beforehand that this was not, how should we say... it is not spectacular... but my husband and our friend I think were expecting something different. Basically you need to take a boat to take you to the place where Lake Victoria finishes and the Nile starts, of course it is highly advisable to negotiate harshly down the initial price that the guys give you... we ended up reducing the price around 60% of what the guy had suggested initially. As you go into the river, they take you to a place in between two small islands, where the only thing that you can see nowadays is actually some currents flowing strongly from underground and then towards the river.
So of course, my husband and friend were so disappointed... I think they were expecting to see some kind of beautiful spring or waterfall from where the river would then flow... I was not too disappointed, for me it was the first time on Lake Victoria and Nile waters, so still a nice experience. I have found out later that the problem is that the Ripon Falls now lie under the river, buried behind the Owen Falls Dam. In fact, going up river, you can see the Bujagali Falls, and somebody told me that there is a new dam being built towards that side, which is likely to end up covering those falls too... Never a better example of how man is changing the landscape... on one side it is good to be able to retain all that water for human consumption, but at the expense of covering some beautiful natural spots.
The anecdote of the day, and something that I didn't know previously, is that close to the Source of the Nile, at the Ripon Falls Leisure Centre, there is a statue of Gandhi. When Gandhi died his wish was that his ashes were divided to be scattered in several of the world's great rivers, including the Nile in Uganda.
Later on we then went up river to see some of the rapids and the place where you can do bungee jumping. Our friend is from Zimbabwe and she has done both rafting here and the bungee jumping too... but she said that compared to Zimbabwe these rapids here were really small... well, I suppose if one takes into account some places down there like Victoria Falls ;)So in summary for me highlights of the day... some beautiful places, which could be somehow organised a bit better from a touristy perspective, a great biodiversity that not many people would pay attention to and which is coming under pressure by human action... But all in all a charming visit to one of the greatest lakes and one of the greatest rivers in the world.
Friday, March 5, 2010
International Women
Yesterday I attended an event organised by the International Women Association here in Kampala. This got me thinking... why international women, not expat women... as it happens most of the members are expats, in fact lots of them are the wifes to this or that ambassador in town. In any case I do prefer the term international women, or at least I do identify with that one more than 'expat wife', after all my husband is not really a 'full-on' expat here.
Most of the women I met are truly accomplished, but not in the sense of how Mr Darcy was talking about 'accomplished' ladies in Pride and Prejudice, but in the more contemporary sense of professional women, with solid careers behind them, probably ladies who are taking a career break like me or who have moved following their husbands and are not working for any given reason while being here.
In any case, I like more 'international women' because it encompasses a wider proportion of our population... I think that more than international women we are truly global citizens... like this lady who is British by origin but was raised in India, met her husband in India and then they have lived in many countries in the last years including Kenya, Congo, Nigeria, Uganda 3 times across 3 decades. She has come back to Africa following her husband, who had already retired, but decided was missing work too much... she is not the only one in that scenario by the way.
That got me thinking too about how would this be if the situation was reversed... I know often men say that they would be more than happy to stay at home while their wives progressed in their careers. Well, I have lived in UK for almost 10 years and have only seen a handful of such men. And then, coming to Africa, what I see is even less of it! Of course there will be men like that, but at the moment, in the circle where I move, there is none. I have nothing against though, believe me...
Later on we went for a lunch of Spanish ladies at the Serena Kampala and we were talking about this with the other ladies; about how we as women 'measure' ourselves by our careers, but also around our families, our roles in society... we think men value themselves more strongly around work. I don't mean to say that family and society are not important to men, but work is often a very strong priority in their lives.
In any case, I actually thought that it is very lucky that a whole bunch of women of such talent and potential have come together to create organisations like the International Women Association (IWA), because this is not only about meeting other ladies for coffee (which would be good and valid enough by itself), but also about going out and taking an active role in a country that we are all calling 'home' even if for a few months or a few years.
And it is great to see women taking action... women are the core of family and by extension society... I am not the only one to say that, especially in Africa!
Have a nice weekend.
Most of the women I met are truly accomplished, but not in the sense of how Mr Darcy was talking about 'accomplished' ladies in Pride and Prejudice, but in the more contemporary sense of professional women, with solid careers behind them, probably ladies who are taking a career break like me or who have moved following their husbands and are not working for any given reason while being here.
In any case, I like more 'international women' because it encompasses a wider proportion of our population... I think that more than international women we are truly global citizens... like this lady who is British by origin but was raised in India, met her husband in India and then they have lived in many countries in the last years including Kenya, Congo, Nigeria, Uganda 3 times across 3 decades. She has come back to Africa following her husband, who had already retired, but decided was missing work too much... she is not the only one in that scenario by the way.
That got me thinking too about how would this be if the situation was reversed... I know often men say that they would be more than happy to stay at home while their wives progressed in their careers. Well, I have lived in UK for almost 10 years and have only seen a handful of such men. And then, coming to Africa, what I see is even less of it! Of course there will be men like that, but at the moment, in the circle where I move, there is none. I have nothing against though, believe me...
Later on we went for a lunch of Spanish ladies at the Serena Kampala and we were talking about this with the other ladies; about how we as women 'measure' ourselves by our careers, but also around our families, our roles in society... we think men value themselves more strongly around work. I don't mean to say that family and society are not important to men, but work is often a very strong priority in their lives.
In any case, I actually thought that it is very lucky that a whole bunch of women of such talent and potential have come together to create organisations like the International Women Association (IWA), because this is not only about meeting other ladies for coffee (which would be good and valid enough by itself), but also about going out and taking an active role in a country that we are all calling 'home' even if for a few months or a few years.
And it is great to see women taking action... women are the core of family and by extension society... I am not the only one to say that, especially in Africa!
Have a nice weekend.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
New life in Kampala
View of Kampala from my balcony
Here we are, week 4 in Kampala and at least the heat is giving us a break. The locals (or people who have been around for a while), say that it hasn't been raining like it normally rains... they mean by that long grey days (similar to the ones we have often had in the UK), instead of the intense fast and furious tropical storms that then lead to sun immediately afterwards.
To be honest since I arrived here everybody has been telling me that the weather has changed... they either say that there is no difference of seasons any more, or that it is hot(ter) all the time, or that they just don't know what to expect any more of the weather. Well, must be another product of climate change, but we will leave that discussion for another day.
Life in Kampala is good so far. I sent an email to friends this week explaining some details about our life here and some of the 'cultural shocks' when you arrive and I was saying that so far for me driving here has been like driving in the South of Italy but with lots more portholes and bumps. If you have driven in South of Italy you will know what I mean, in fact the more South you go, the worst it gets... It is really similar here anyway.
But in general we are settling into a satisfactory, quite pleasant life here. I have lots of help, well of course that means much more than what I had in UK, as we have a lady working fulltime for us, and although I was a bit expectant to see how I would adapt to that, I must say that it hasn't felt too difficult or invasive... It helps that it allows me to have a bit more time for myself, which quite frankly feels very good by now.
Anyway, I shall be posting some stories of cultural understanding and potentially misunderstanding sometimes... hope that it is fun to follow from time to time.
Cheers
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