The Rainy-Muddy Kampala
It is a rainy session in Kampala and the surroundings. As I went to shop for my child who is returning to school, it rained as we were thick in downtown Kampala. The population was thick, and space was limited. Everyone, including the street sellers rushed to get themselves a dry spot.
The trouble was when it finished raining. In Kampala, when it is raining, even the car owners take cover in houses. It is after the rain that everyone who has been seeking refuge in the house jumps into the car. The result is obvious; dense traffic.
The drainage system on the roads of Kampala is as perfect as that of a swamp. The running-water and its entire luggage, man-made lake on the streets, and the muddy heaps suffering from the zillion trumping by the pedestrians all give a new cover to the roads.
The only relief is that the air is cleared of the smoky and eye-irritating fumes for a few hours.
On this fateful day, not all of us could get cover, some stood on the verandas looking on helplessly as the wetness of their attire increased.
Occasionally an inconsiderate being behind a wheel would sprint past in a dangerously mechanized car, give those standing on the shore a muddy splash. Curses and obscene descriptions of him, his family and entire clan would follow.
As you go downtown kampala on a rainy day, follow these hint:
Don’t wear white, black is preferred.
Open shoes are not recommended.
Practice some skipping skill as you will have to jump some lakes.
When your comrade-in-pedestrian steps on, don’t rumble.
Now I have to go back shopping for my kid –am a responsible parent.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
society
The integrity mole diverted
The state minister of ethics and integrity in The Republic Uganda , the Right Honorable Doctor James Nsaba Buturo has said that wearing of miniskirts should be banned. This according to the doctor is the major cause of road accidents in the country.
In his words' context, the ladies wearing the miniskirts destruct the drivers. Such pronouncement is amusing in twofold:
Instead of commenting on the current NSSF-Temangalo land bonanza that is a continuous of the corruption series in the country gifted by nature, the minister (state minister) skillfully dodges the discussion.
Secondly according to the police records, miniskirt induced destruction is not mentioned among the causes of road accidents in the country. It seems the minister does research.
It is such delusionary talk from ancient custodians of morality that diverts issues. In a country with more potholes than roads, where roads(if they still deserve the name), have no road signs and where the credentials of the drivers are of dangerous mechanical vehicles are questionable, the minister would have built the nation better by guiding his comrades in the driver’s seat about improving the road network and traffic control.
In a country where tomato growers are catapulted into discussing ‘issues of national concern’, a statement favored by attendants in parliament, citizens have come to expect a docile response from the farmers.
In the spirit of nationalism and patriotism.
The state minister of ethics and integrity in The Republic Uganda , the Right Honorable Doctor James Nsaba Buturo has said that wearing of miniskirts should be banned. This according to the doctor is the major cause of road accidents in the country.
In his words' context, the ladies wearing the miniskirts destruct the drivers. Such pronouncement is amusing in twofold:
Instead of commenting on the current NSSF-Temangalo land bonanza that is a continuous of the corruption series in the country gifted by nature, the minister (state minister) skillfully dodges the discussion.
Secondly according to the police records, miniskirt induced destruction is not mentioned among the causes of road accidents in the country. It seems the minister does research.
It is such delusionary talk from ancient custodians of morality that diverts issues. In a country with more potholes than roads, where roads(if they still deserve the name), have no road signs and where the credentials of the drivers are of dangerous mechanical vehicles are questionable, the minister would have built the nation better by guiding his comrades in the driver’s seat about improving the road network and traffic control.
In a country where tomato growers are catapulted into discussing ‘issues of national concern’, a statement favored by attendants in parliament, citizens have come to expect a docile response from the farmers.
In the spirit of nationalism and patriotism.
the brewery
Tonto Brewing Supporting Education
A rowdy murmur, punctutuated with hearty laughs and chopping sound emerge from the banana plantation. A burnt smell combined with a juicy scent wave through the compound. Five of Nania’s grand children, who are on school holiday and their two aunts are making numerous trips to the well downhill. They carry jerry cans, which were formerly blue, pouring the water in a wooden trough.
The sun’s rays are starting to peep through the heavy foliage, and the dew is starting to melt. A dizzy atmosphere hangs over the hilly terrain. This is at Nania’s home in Makopo, a village deep in Rwampara, Mbarara district.
The buzzing activity continues.
Nania, smoking a pipe from his command post of banana tree trunks observes the execution; he has just finished overseeing the peeling of the ripe bananas. The bananas have been thrown into a shallow ground trough. The trough’s floor is covered by two layers. The first one is of well laid banana leaves, and on top is an equally thick layer of banana tree husks. A heap of bananas now fill this trough.
Two crossing ropes have been tied a metre crossing above the trough. On the side, Nania’s two younger sons and their friend prepare to mash the bananas. “These give support, as it becomes slippery”, explains Balaamu.
A bunch of grass has all long been laying aside. Frank, who I later learn is the youngest of Nania’s son, collects a panga. Using a cut tree branch as his base, gets down on one knee and attacks the grass, throwing the chopped pieces onto the banana heap.
Balaamu, the elder brother and Kasaija their friend, roll their trousers into shorts and holding on the ropes jump onto the heap, and vigorously start mashing it under their feet.
A grinding sound from the hut, where a trail of smoke meanderingly emerges and fades into the atmosphere, fill the compound. Another neighbor’s daughter is helping Nania’s wife to grind the sorghum, which was being fried a few minutes earlier.
All this began a week ago when Frank and Balaamu got home for holidays. They have been doing this every holiday to help their parents raise their school fees. Frank is in S.2, Balaamu and Kasaija in S.4
Bunches of specific breeds of banana were cut, put in a ground hole, and covered with soil. A small hole is left partially covered. This hole is used to smoke the bananas, which is done daily. On the third day, the soil cover is removed, the bananas exposed to the sun for about an hour, then covered again, this time with banana trunks and leaves. Two days later, they are ready for squeezing.
After about thirty minutes of an energy and technique oriented foot stumping, white bubbles start to ooze from the mashed banana-grass combination.
Traces of relief appear on everyone face. Few minutes later, a brownish juice starts to increasingly collect in every hole. Nania and Frank meanwhile have brought another wooden trough, which Nania rinsed with some herbs. “These make the beer sweeter”, he replied.
Balaamu creates a funnel, puts in grass and inserts it into a jerrycan. This acts as a sieve as for the juice. Balaamu and Kasaija continue to stump on smaller heaps of the dough. Frank sieves the juice into the jerrycan. When it’s full, he pours the juice into a wooden trough.
A few more neighbors’ come around. They pick a cup, pour in juice and sip on, chatting. A few jokes are cracked, and some update information on a variety of topics also shared
When the juice has been collected, the mash is then loosened and water is poured in. Kasaija and Balaamu start again, stumping on. This though takes a shorter time. The water removes any juice that could have remained. This is then collected and mixed with the other juice.
In a calculating mode, Nania mixes the sorghum floor and the juice in a wooden trough. Some juice is put in a jerrycan aside for drinking. The sorghum floor –juice mixture is covered for the night.
During this time, as my chemistry teacher said back when I was a student, the juice under goes a process called fermentation. By the next day, even the name has changed from juice, eshande, to tonto, its local name.
The next day it collected into jerrycans. Women enjoy the still warm tonto, while men prefer one that has spent another night.
Most of the tonto is taken to the local bars, either by bicycle or carried on the head. About one or two jerrycans stay at home. Nania and his comrades sit under the mango tree in the evening, with a gourd filled with tonto moves around.
Even Balaamu, Kasaija, Frank are joined by their peers and the talk is dominated by the usual ‘adolescent-teenager’ issues.
A jerrycan of tonto is sold at about four thousand shillings. The bar retailer sells a half litter to the patrons at two hundred shillings.
Tonto from Rwampara is sold as far as Mbarara town, Ntungamo and other neighboring towns. Its quality is highly regarded.
It’s a common sight in the evening to meet a local resident stagling back home on the effect of taking an overdose of tonto. To some people, they will drink tonto to quench the thirst, others for pleasure. It’s a must have on any get together.
By the end of holidays, Balaamu and his group will have done this about two more times, and hopefully raised enough money to meet their school fees.
Talk of tradition supporting modernisation.
A rowdy murmur, punctutuated with hearty laughs and chopping sound emerge from the banana plantation. A burnt smell combined with a juicy scent wave through the compound. Five of Nania’s grand children, who are on school holiday and their two aunts are making numerous trips to the well downhill. They carry jerry cans, which were formerly blue, pouring the water in a wooden trough.
The sun’s rays are starting to peep through the heavy foliage, and the dew is starting to melt. A dizzy atmosphere hangs over the hilly terrain. This is at Nania’s home in Makopo, a village deep in Rwampara, Mbarara district.
The buzzing activity continues.
Nania, smoking a pipe from his command post of banana tree trunks observes the execution; he has just finished overseeing the peeling of the ripe bananas. The bananas have been thrown into a shallow ground trough. The trough’s floor is covered by two layers. The first one is of well laid banana leaves, and on top is an equally thick layer of banana tree husks. A heap of bananas now fill this trough.
Two crossing ropes have been tied a metre crossing above the trough. On the side, Nania’s two younger sons and their friend prepare to mash the bananas. “These give support, as it becomes slippery”, explains Balaamu.
A bunch of grass has all long been laying aside. Frank, who I later learn is the youngest of Nania’s son, collects a panga. Using a cut tree branch as his base, gets down on one knee and attacks the grass, throwing the chopped pieces onto the banana heap.
Balaamu, the elder brother and Kasaija their friend, roll their trousers into shorts and holding on the ropes jump onto the heap, and vigorously start mashing it under their feet.
A grinding sound from the hut, where a trail of smoke meanderingly emerges and fades into the atmosphere, fill the compound. Another neighbor’s daughter is helping Nania’s wife to grind the sorghum, which was being fried a few minutes earlier.
All this began a week ago when Frank and Balaamu got home for holidays. They have been doing this every holiday to help their parents raise their school fees. Frank is in S.2, Balaamu and Kasaija in S.4
Bunches of specific breeds of banana were cut, put in a ground hole, and covered with soil. A small hole is left partially covered. This hole is used to smoke the bananas, which is done daily. On the third day, the soil cover is removed, the bananas exposed to the sun for about an hour, then covered again, this time with banana trunks and leaves. Two days later, they are ready for squeezing.
After about thirty minutes of an energy and technique oriented foot stumping, white bubbles start to ooze from the mashed banana-grass combination.
Traces of relief appear on everyone face. Few minutes later, a brownish juice starts to increasingly collect in every hole. Nania and Frank meanwhile have brought another wooden trough, which Nania rinsed with some herbs. “These make the beer sweeter”, he replied.
Balaamu creates a funnel, puts in grass and inserts it into a jerrycan. This acts as a sieve as for the juice. Balaamu and Kasaija continue to stump on smaller heaps of the dough. Frank sieves the juice into the jerrycan. When it’s full, he pours the juice into a wooden trough.
A few more neighbors’ come around. They pick a cup, pour in juice and sip on, chatting. A few jokes are cracked, and some update information on a variety of topics also shared
When the juice has been collected, the mash is then loosened and water is poured in. Kasaija and Balaamu start again, stumping on. This though takes a shorter time. The water removes any juice that could have remained. This is then collected and mixed with the other juice.
In a calculating mode, Nania mixes the sorghum floor and the juice in a wooden trough. Some juice is put in a jerrycan aside for drinking. The sorghum floor –juice mixture is covered for the night.
During this time, as my chemistry teacher said back when I was a student, the juice under goes a process called fermentation. By the next day, even the name has changed from juice, eshande, to tonto, its local name.
The next day it collected into jerrycans. Women enjoy the still warm tonto, while men prefer one that has spent another night.
Most of the tonto is taken to the local bars, either by bicycle or carried on the head. About one or two jerrycans stay at home. Nania and his comrades sit under the mango tree in the evening, with a gourd filled with tonto moves around.
Even Balaamu, Kasaija, Frank are joined by their peers and the talk is dominated by the usual ‘adolescent-teenager’ issues.
A jerrycan of tonto is sold at about four thousand shillings. The bar retailer sells a half litter to the patrons at two hundred shillings.
Tonto from Rwampara is sold as far as Mbarara town, Ntungamo and other neighboring towns. Its quality is highly regarded.
It’s a common sight in the evening to meet a local resident stagling back home on the effect of taking an overdose of tonto. To some people, they will drink tonto to quench the thirst, others for pleasure. It’s a must have on any get together.
By the end of holidays, Balaamu and his group will have done this about two more times, and hopefully raised enough money to meet their school fees.
Talk of tradition supporting modernisation.
choir
How to be a choir member. I myself
Every big success is started as an idea. I now present a short cut to that choir podium you have always wished to stand on. A good voice is the best route, but if you don’t have it, don’t give up, follow these simple steps. These assertions, which may appear extravagant, are based on bona fide demonstrations in actual human experience.
Step One: Buy a song/hymn book.
All the songs that the choir sings are written in the song book. For matters of convenience in easy learning, buy yourself one. This will also be a sign of commitment to the choir. Also members will develop a keen interest in helping you if you take this first step.
“A person with a prayer book can easily join others for a practicing session, where he learns more about singing” agrees Grace, a senior vocalist member of KPC choir, a re-known choir in Kampala.
Proudly carry this book whenever going to choir meetings and on visits to choir members. Read and sing the songs in the book daily, at least perfecting one song per three weeks.
Step Two: Cover your song book with newspapers.
Remember the days when mum used to cover your exercise book with that old newspaper, it was also the time you were at the best of your singing career, always singing to visitors at home and part of the nursery choir. Revive that spirit by covering that book. People will assume that you have possessed the book for ages, inhibiting an interest in singing.
“Every choir member has his book covered because s/he is always using it, and need to protect it from wear and tear”, confirms Rose, a member of the defunct Royal choir.
This will also prove that you are constantly using the book practicing old songs and learning new ones. True to the saying, practice makes perfect, you are perfecting your choir singing career. As an advantage, the book lasts longer. But mind the type of newspaper you use for cover.
Ste Three: Buy a suit.
You can tell a person by the appearance. Every choir member must have a suit, even prospecting members. For ladies, make sure the length of the skirt is far below the knees. And for men, this time leave that tie at home.
The color of the shirt must contrast sharply with the coat. Shouting colors like red, yellow, and green are preferred for shirts over black coats. Also, make sure that the collar of the shirt overlaps the collar of the coat.
“A person in a suit is more focused and expressive” explains Ssali, a choir trainer with Makerere choir, pointing out attributes of a good choir member.
Always keep your suit clean, even though you might wear it everyday. It will be a good turn if you know the color that the majority of the members in the choir wear. This will make you feel at home when you match as a new member.
An Extra For Men: Mind your hair cut.
“Every male member of this choir must cut his hair in box-format”, reads rule number seven on rules and regulations of Impact choir. Box-format is locally French cut. In a recent conference of all choir members held at national theatre, 90% of male participants had their hair cut this style. The others who didn’t have the cut was because they had bald heads.
Step Four: Drink a lot.
Singers drink a lot of water and beverages to maintain their voices. For a potential choir member, drink seven to ten liters a day for the first month, then four to five liters thereafter.
“I used to drink up to nine liters in the first days of my membership. With the intense voice training, it helped a lot,” proves Emmy an extra singer with Age choir, based at Kireka church.
With your suit on and hair cut, hold that covered song book, take a glass of water, then match to the choir group and shout, “Am a choir member”.
The powerful principles enshrined in this story are a simple yet scientific system of practical techniques of a becoming a successful choir member.
Every big success is started as an idea. I now present a short cut to that choir podium you have always wished to stand on. A good voice is the best route, but if you don’t have it, don’t give up, follow these simple steps. These assertions, which may appear extravagant, are based on bona fide demonstrations in actual human experience.
Step One: Buy a song/hymn book.
All the songs that the choir sings are written in the song book. For matters of convenience in easy learning, buy yourself one. This will also be a sign of commitment to the choir. Also members will develop a keen interest in helping you if you take this first step.
“A person with a prayer book can easily join others for a practicing session, where he learns more about singing” agrees Grace, a senior vocalist member of KPC choir, a re-known choir in Kampala.
Proudly carry this book whenever going to choir meetings and on visits to choir members. Read and sing the songs in the book daily, at least perfecting one song per three weeks.
Step Two: Cover your song book with newspapers.
Remember the days when mum used to cover your exercise book with that old newspaper, it was also the time you were at the best of your singing career, always singing to visitors at home and part of the nursery choir. Revive that spirit by covering that book. People will assume that you have possessed the book for ages, inhibiting an interest in singing.
“Every choir member has his book covered because s/he is always using it, and need to protect it from wear and tear”, confirms Rose, a member of the defunct Royal choir.
This will also prove that you are constantly using the book practicing old songs and learning new ones. True to the saying, practice makes perfect, you are perfecting your choir singing career. As an advantage, the book lasts longer. But mind the type of newspaper you use for cover.
Ste Three: Buy a suit.
You can tell a person by the appearance. Every choir member must have a suit, even prospecting members. For ladies, make sure the length of the skirt is far below the knees. And for men, this time leave that tie at home.
The color of the shirt must contrast sharply with the coat. Shouting colors like red, yellow, and green are preferred for shirts over black coats. Also, make sure that the collar of the shirt overlaps the collar of the coat.
“A person in a suit is more focused and expressive” explains Ssali, a choir trainer with Makerere choir, pointing out attributes of a good choir member.
Always keep your suit clean, even though you might wear it everyday. It will be a good turn if you know the color that the majority of the members in the choir wear. This will make you feel at home when you match as a new member.
An Extra For Men: Mind your hair cut.
“Every male member of this choir must cut his hair in box-format”, reads rule number seven on rules and regulations of Impact choir. Box-format is locally French cut. In a recent conference of all choir members held at national theatre, 90% of male participants had their hair cut this style. The others who didn’t have the cut was because they had bald heads.
Step Four: Drink a lot.
Singers drink a lot of water and beverages to maintain their voices. For a potential choir member, drink seven to ten liters a day for the first month, then four to five liters thereafter.
“I used to drink up to nine liters in the first days of my membership. With the intense voice training, it helped a lot,” proves Emmy an extra singer with Age choir, based at Kireka church.
With your suit on and hair cut, hold that covered song book, take a glass of water, then match to the choir group and shout, “Am a choir member”.
The powerful principles enshrined in this story are a simple yet scientific system of practical techniques of a becoming a successful choir member.
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