Uganda Part Deux

So I realize that I'm a woefully unreliable blogger. But that's all going to change! Likely for about three weeks, at which point I'll once again return to the dismal once-a-millennium blog average I've currently got going. But nonetheless you can expect approximately five posts. Or something...

So for those of you who haven't given up on me, I'm still here! And here, at the moment, is Kampala! Back in July, I finished out my contract with the Hah-vahd folks and took a few weeks off to enjoy Kenya. My friend/coworker Anjali flew in from India and my friend Danielle from San Francisco (by way of Sri Lanka, TOTALLY on the way...) We had a lovely 10 days in beach-ing Lamu, safari-ing in Maasai Mara, and transit-ing in Nairobi. Following that I returned to Kampala for about 10 days that were chock filled with goodbye parties, birthdays, and most notably running around trying to jump through all the bureaucratic hoops that were involved with my cat’s immigration to the US. If you ever want to hear me scream, cry, and pull my hair out simultaneously, ask me to recount that story. But all worked out, and at the end of August Nyabo and I hopped a plane back to the US of A.

Following my return, I spent three months job searching, visiting friends and family all over the country, enjoying fall, noshing on sushi and Mexican food, and generally relaxing. Both fortunately and unfortunately, I got hired in October as the Regional Grants Manager for Water For People, a US-based NGO focusing on water and sanitation in 10 countries across the globe. My job is based in Kampala, but will likely include management of various high-profile grants in Malawi, Uganda, Rwanda, and India. While I was very excited to get back to work (and paychecks!), I was also sad to leave my friends, family, and adorably obnoxious Ugandan kitty (I just couldn’t bring myself to make her fly back and forth AGAIN, especially given my soon-to-be busy travel schedule for work). But luckily my parents love her; or at least they are patient with her when she occasionally takes a chunk of skin out of their ankles or hands—and really, that’s all I ask.

So here I am, back in Kampala and loving it all over again. And this time I already have wonderful friends and favorite restaurants and trusty taxi drivers, so really it’s like a homecoming. Additionally, my three (and change) month jaunt to the land of plenty has given me lots of fodder for the blogosphere, so watch out! I look forward to getting back to semi-regular blogging, so hopefully my absence hasn't turned off too many of my faithful readers. And if I fall off the face of the earth again, please feel free to guilt-trip me as public humiliation seems to be a most effective motivational tool!