Plans Change

It's been over a month since we headed to Kampala for our usual grocery shopping and errands, so this weekend we made a plan to go up and a) grocery shop, b) swim, c) meet with my midwife, d) watch the Royal Wedding from our hotel room, e) eat pizza, f) meet friends for dinner, g) search for maternity pants, and h) do other Timothy Centre related errands. (That was in no particular order.) Unfortunately, 20 minutes outside of Kampala this morning we received several phone calls from Paul's workers and some friends of ours in Kampala telling us to turn around and GO HOME thanks to chaotic riots and protests in the city. If we had known 5 hours of driving would lead us straight back to our own front door we probably wouldn't have left home this morning in the first place! (And by probably I mean definitely.)

I always hesitate to blog about political problems because they always come off sounding worse to those that aren't actually here. But it's all over the news, so you may as well read about it here too! I won't pretend to understand the whole situation, but the long and short of it is that Besigye (the leader of the opposition party) has been scheduling a "walk to work campaign" over the past few weeks that has taken place every Monday and Thursday (so we've simply learned to avoid town on those 2 days of the week). Besigye and his supporters are protesting the rising prices of fuel and other goods in Uganda and blaming the current government (Museveni) for spending money foolishly. In response to the campaign the police have stepped in and arrested Besigye multiple times, which has caused the chaos to escalate. That's about all I understand and can explain! I would make a bad journalist.

Thankfully, we're very safe where we live and we don't feel worried at all. But having to stay out of Kampala is a bit of a disappointment, and now I am forced to get creative with the food I have in the cupboard. Hmm...popcorn and canned tomatoes for dinner?

I am now going to read about the Royal Wedding and pretend that reading about it is just as exciting as watching it.