10 things we'll miss...

Here are some things we'll definitely miss about Uganda when we ultimately leave (and, yes, I said I was "blue" in my last blog, but we truly do love it here, aren't really looking to leave, and expect to be here for quite a while longer).

In no particular order, except the last should be first:

Things we'll miss #1: Cobbler (shoe-repair) shops.

They've virtually disappeared in most places in the States. We had my loafers, that I love, re-heeled -- and for a lot less than what it would cost to replace. And my L.L. Bean oxfords are there now to be resoled and re-heeled. Why get rid of a great pair of shoes just in need of a little repair? There's one place in Lawrence, KS, where you can do that, but it's getting more difficult, it seems.

Things we'll miss #2: Cricket.

Yep, cricket. (We're watching the Indian Premier League on TV as I write this). It's actually exciting, and in many ways more exciting than baseball -- which we love, but which does have long moments of relative inaction. Not with cricket. Using a baseball analogy, there's really only one inning, with one team at bat, and the other pitching (bowling). When that team finishes it's turn, they switch. Then the game is over. Scores of 170 and more (for each team) are common. In the 20-over version, which is the most popular, that means 120 balls (six "pitches" per over) for each team. You get runs by running between the two wickets (three upright sticks topped by another horizontal stick). You get four runs automatically if you hit the ball to any part of the boundary -- what appears to be about a foot-high vinyl-covered foam barrier encircling the field (though just a rope in the club games we've watched). It rings the perimeter of the 60-meter by 80-meter oval. And you can bat the ball in any direction (the full 360 degrees), so you need fielders in front and behind -- on all sides of -- the batsman. And the bowler (pitcher) takes a running start and usually bounces the ball, with spins to affect the flight after the bounce, for the batsman to hit with his bat. It's flat, by the way, which allows him to direct the ball in just about any direction, including behind. You get six runs if you hit one over the boundary. (We call 'em "home runs," even here, but not sure what they're called here except "sixes.") We are even surprised ourselves that we like it so much. And I've been promised that there's an amateur club in Kampala that's going to let me play! Stay tuned. P.S.: U.S. baseballers are wussies. Most cricket fielders don't wear gloves. Bare hands, baby!

Things we'll miss #3: Samosas.

The veggie- or meat-filled fried triangles are sold everywhere. They cost from about 1,500 to 2,000 Ugandan shillings (about 60 to 75 cents each) in the stores, but at our canteen at the Daily Monitor, I can get two for about 1,500 shillings. I usually have two for lunch. Tasty!

Things we'll miss #4: Our '97 Toyota two-door, short-chassis, right-hand-drive Rav4. We love it so much we're thinking of shipping it back to the U.S. when we go home for good. And, once this gig does end, we're thinking seriously of driving it, likely over two months or so, from Kampala to Cape Town, South Africa -- Kampala to Nairobi, Kenya, to Moshi, Tanzania (Mt. Kilimanjaro), to Dar es Salaam (and a boat trip to Zanzibar), then up to Mbeya on the Zambian border (Andy Moor and I hitch-hiked there in '69 for a story), then on to Lusaka, Zambia, then to Harare, Zimbabwe (and Victoria Falls along the way), then to Johannesburg, South Africa, then (by way of Durban, then along the coast to Port Elizabeth and Plettenberg Bay, a beautiful spot where I spent a delightful night getting drunk on cognac) Cape Town. The Rav4, if still healthy and hearty, will take a ship to a port in the U.S. for us to drive it to Lawrence, Kansas; for us, it's the Blue Train back to Johannesburg, where we'll catch our flight home. Well, that's the plan. Stay tuned.

Things we'll miss #5: The view.

The view from our apartment -- a fourth-floor (luxury) walk-up (81 steps) -- is, well, spectacular. I really do get up every morning and say: "Another beautiful day in Uganda." Drives Joyce batty (not the view, but my saying "Another beautiful day in Uganda").

Things we'll miss #6: The weather.

It truly is beautiful here every day. About 85 each afternoon, and we wake up to about 65 each morning. We do not have air conditioning, and we don't need it. And, right now, it's the rainy season (we love rain), though about ready to end. The storms here are spectacular (and we have a great view). We do have to get up, at times, at 3 a.m. to close windows and the sliding glass doors that are left wide open. And we've had to mop up a bunch of water that has been blown in when we were a bit tardy in waking up to the thunder-and-lightning shows. But, who cares. It's wonderful!!!

Things we'll miss #7: Watermelon juice.

We have it ALL THE TIME. It's refreshing. And, last night, we even had a watermelon martini! We've already decided that watermelon martinis -- not our usual regular ones -- will be our new Sunday night ritual (on many Sunday nights) when we return.

Things we'll miss #8: Roundabouts.

Main intersections here are usually wide, multi-laned roundabouts. And, once you learn how to use 'em, it's a much more sane (and safe) way to move traffic. In the U.S., they make 'em too small (listen up, Lawrence, Kansas) and people don't know how to use 'em correctly.

Things we'll miss #9: The adventure, challenge and opportunity of living in another country and culture.

Yea, we miss things (like hot dogs, beer other than Pilsner and lagers, really good pizza, and our favorite TV shows and, of course, family and friends -- oh, and my Miata). But the challenge of adapting to a new culture and country is exciting, the job is rewarding (and challenging), the anticipation of adventure -- exploring all the great national parks here -- and the opportunity to grow because of it, is priceless. We will definitely be better for it, as well as appreciating even more than we did how great it is to be who we are.

Things we'll miss #10: The people.

Seriously, we've already forged lasting -- lifelong -- friendships with at least a dozen good folks in just our 10 weeks here. We've always said this about our travels: It's not the places you see, but the people you meet. And that has been delightfully confirmed by the friends we've made -- at all stations in life -- here in Uganda. The people are wonderful, and we feel blessed because of them.

That, dear friends, is what keeps us going and makes this adventure so rewarding.