Musings from Mum & Dad

Happy Christmas as the Brits say. Christmas was pared down to the spiritual essentials this year--no crowds, no last minute shopping, hardly any decorations. On Christmas Eve, we had an early dinner of drunken lamb with a houseful of friends (only a few friends were drunk), then enjoyed a service with the British Resident's Association where there were readings and a lot of Christmas carols. It turns out that British carols are different-same lyrics (sort of, if Beth-lee-hem counts), different notes. As it became darker, we lit candles and sang. We then went back to the house for dessert and "It's a Wonderful Life" (family tradition). I was very worried that we wouldn't get the movie, but the last mail pouch which came in on Sunday night (sorted out on Christmas Eve by generous Embassy volunteers) had the package. Christmas was quiet and just the family--I kept feeling like we needed to pack up the car and start driving North. Things really shut down here--a lot of other muzungu leave town and most of the Ugandans go up-country to visit their families. Kampala is refreshingly unjammed with less smog (cars here would never pass a Maryland emissions test--in fact many of the cars are those that fail emissions tests in Japan.) This week-end we are busily packing, cooking and freezing for a camping trip to Murchison Falls http://www.uwa.or.ug/murchison.html. The falls occurs where the Nile bursts through a narrowing in the rock escarpment of the Rift Valley. It is named after Sir Roderick Impey Murchison, a influential Scottish geologist who was a past President of the Royal Geological Society. We are looking forward to our first game drives. Apparently the strategy is to leave camp early in the morning and eat breakfast in the car while driving, come back for a late large breakfast, take an afternoon siesta break then head out in the late afternoon again to see the most wildlife. In the afternoon drive, it is customary to have "sundowners," drinks on the roof of your car (hopefully while watching lions, giraffes, elephants and buffalo).

Not your traditional watch the ball fall, we know. But, we will be sure to sing Auld Lang Syne and think about all of our blog faithful as 2008 begins at the Equator. New Year's Resolution:

Jimmy: Play "Ants Marching" like Dave Matthews

Yuka: Fill up all the time I used to use watching bad TV by keeping in touch with friends