Just over 24hrs til we set foot in the UK! Whilst I am absolutely loving my time in Uganda (beautiful, warm, adventurous, friendly, lovely place) there are a few things I will be looking forward to over the next 2 weeks at home. Some are specific to the UK, some just about not being deep in a remote rural area, but all quite enticing…
1) my niece and nephews! Definitely top of the list! And there is a new one I have never even met, who I am going to snuggle sooooo much!
2) friends & family… Miss you guys! You are all blooming marvellous and I am so lucky to have you!
3) CHEESE! Cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, Stilton, Gorgonzola, Boursin (oh my gosh! Boursin!)… And much much more!
4) duvets! Snuggly, buggly, cuddly, lovely duvets! And weather that is cold enough to use one and not sweat to death!
5) things just working they way they ought to ie. Showers where water comes out consistently and it is actually hot, windows that actually shut, electronics that function, buses that don’t break down, Internet that is faster than 1KB/hour… You get the idea!
6) salad! Beautiful crisp fresh salad! Fresh lettuce and spinach! Fresh vegetables that I can eat without fear of an upset stomach or having washed in boiled water first! Let’s add to this any meal in general that has less than 3 giant portions of carbohydrates!
7) brown bread! Mmmmmm! And brown rice! And all things nice!
8) a proper haircut! Turns out that Ugandans are a bit unsure about cutting muzungu hair and subsequently I have some random uneven bits that frankly make me look like a bit of a nutter! Not to mention the very out of hand roots I have going on right now that are almost bad enough to make it look like I have attempted a shambolic home dip dye!
9) being clean… Like properly clean… No tint of red dust pervading every item of clothing, no permanently dirty, dusty or muddy feet! Aaaaah! It’s the simple things…
10) not being itchy! Okay it will take a few days for my most recent bites to die down, but I am already anticipating the utter joy of not feeling intense itching on various locals of my body parts! How luxurious and delightful it will be! Sigh!
11) being totally ignored wherever I go! How wonderful! Not being the side show freak in the circus with people taking pictures and shouting at you as you walk down the street, not being singled out at every event and social function because of my skin and hair (most of the time people are very lovely and genuinely interested of course, but after a while it can be a bit tiring)… Anonymity! Fabulous!
12) ATMs… Finding one without it being a day long event, queues that are less than 20 people long, machines that actually work and dispense money and most excitingly not being guarded by a chap with an AK47 whilst you take your money out!
13) getting on public transport without genuinely fearing for your life! We have a dark joke here that when assessing suicidal risk, yes you ask all the usual questions like are you stock piling meds you could use for an overdose or keeping handy a knife or rope, but also how many times have you taken the night bus in the last month? If more than 3 you may well have a death wish!
14) carpets! I love a good carpet! Taking off your shoes and socks and curling your toes up in it!
15) not adding 2 hours to any scheduled or timed event ie meeting someone at 10 means they are likely to be there at 10, or taking a journey that is estimated to last 4 hours actually lasting around 4 hours! There are of course exceptions to this rule … Jennifer Moore 😉
