I have always thought that everyone in America should be required to spend some time, at some point in their lives, in a third world country. I felt this way long before I ever spent time in a third world country, and I do even more so now. The trip could be for any reason. Mission trips are already common, but trips for business or education – whether to teach or to learn – would also be acceptable. As would vacations, especially if they were [...]
They are beautiful young women. Girls, actually, with many of them between the ages of 18 and 25, and some even younger. They have sweet, shy smiles, but very little to smile about. They live and work in the slums near Kampala, and the way they earn their money is the only way they can. They don’t get much for their efforts. A few thousand Ugandan shillings, which equals less than a dollar in U.S. currency. Sometimes they don’t get paid at all, as when [...]
A few of the things I learned in Uganda: What ostrich meat and boiled goat taste like; How to say “How are you,” “Fine,” and “Thank you” in Lugandan and Swahili, and how much fun it is to say names like Musa, Magala, and Busembatia out loud; That if you can drive a car in Kampala and live to tell about it, you can drive anywhere in the world. I also learned how isolated and alone it’s possible to feel, even when surrounded by large [...]
I slept till around noon the day after I got back from Uganda. Actually, it was noon in Uganda. Here in Minneapolis, in my own bed for the first time in almost three weeks, it was 3:58 a.m. I popped awake and couldn’t fall back asleep, but I’m not sure if it was because of jet lag or because once I was awake my brain immediately filled up with so many thoughts that it was impossible to turn them off and go back to sleep. [...]
(Note: While I am in Uganda, the Chanhassen Villager is running some of my favorite travel-related columns. This column was originally published on August 23, 2007. I’ve been accused of being an idealist. Of looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. Of being delusionally optimistic. And I have to admit, I’m guilty as charged. But seeing and celebrating the good that’s in people doesn’t mean I won’t acknowledge that there’s anything bad. Looking at the big picture doesn’t mean I don’t examine the little details. [...]
(Note: While I am in Uganda, the Chanhassen Villager is running some of my favorite travel-related columns. This column was originally published on July 3, 2008.) It was Sunday morning, and my daughter and I were on the 9:30 shuttle from our hotel to the Orlando airport. My husband had to fly out on business the day before, and my son wasn’t able to take the time off work to attend his sister’s graduation in Florida, so it was just the two of us returning [...]
(Note: While I am in Uganda, the Chanhassen Villager is running some of my favorite travel-related columns. This column was originally published on April 14, 2005.) I learned a lot of interesting things last week. One is that if you spent just sixty seconds in front of each work of art in the Louvre, it would take you over six months to see it all. I also learned that in addition to being beautifully lit up at night, the Eiffel Tower puts on a grand [...]
I was out of town for a few days last week, even though I couldn’t really afford the time away. But that was the point. The trip was a 3-day Writers Retreat in Hinckley, with uninterrupted time for the kind of writing that most of us can’t find time to do in our regular and overly-busy lives. There were 15 women at the retreat, all with different types of businesses, and different types of projects they wanted to work on. We spent most of each [...]
“If anybody offers you sambusa, take it.” That’s one piece of advice that was given to me recently regarding my upcoming trip to Uganda. I’m going to be there for several weeks, and I’ve been collecting information from friends – and friends of friends – who have been there themselves or who have family members who have spent time in Uganda or other African countries. It’s been a fascinating and wonderful experience in so many ways. As someone who has done very little international traveling, [...]
The theme of one of our recent Toastmasters meetings was “The Secret Ingredient.” The person who was serving as the Toastmaster that day was someone who loves to cook, and whenever she gives a speech or responds to a question on the subject of food, I always find my mouth watering just listening to her. Throughout the meeting, she made references to her grandmother, who always included a secret ingredient in her cooking. No matter what type of food she was preparing, Grandma gave it [...]