Kampala - A New View

We’ve arrived. At times, I think we’ve been talking about the move to Uganda for years. Finishing work, packing up the house, putting it on the market, shipping everything out and saying goodbyes in DC. I suspect many friends and family thought Timor–Leste was our last hurrah in this overseas business and we were ready to settle down now that we were a family of three. Two weeks into our new phase, I know we made a great decision. Naomi is enjoying Kampala. She loves seeing new things, waving and blowing kisses at everyone. In general, the little muzungu baby is making friends left and right. As her mother (aka the side show), I can’t help but remember the days when I was the main attraction. Our neighborhood in Dili was filled with people that knew our names, what we were doing, where we were going each day. I would walk to work and be greeted with “Kate! Diak ka lae?” or “Mana Kase, ba ne’ebe?”. I thrived on my small town celebrity. We had worked to create a neighborhood network and we were successful. Fresh mangos straight from the truck, you say? I'm on my way. Traffic jam on the road to the airport? We’ll delay. Trouble in Comoro? New route. We learned so much more from the neighbors than anyone else. So here we are in a new, bigger city. And now, Naomi’s name is known throughout Nakasero (this is the downtown area where we are staying). “How is Naomi?” they say. “Hello wonderful baby!” As I said, she has taken to saying “Hi!” to most everyone we meet on the street and blows kisses with wild abandon.

I’m impressed by the entrepreneurial sprit, the directness and the honesty of almost every Ugandan I’ve met so far. Incredibly warm. Quick to tell me when I haven’t bought enough bananas and incredibly kind when I need help as Naomi runs wildly across the milk aisle at the supermarket. I’ve also gotten connected into a moms and babies group that is an extended network of people who have been here all their lives, 14 years or 14 days. There is a sense of paying it forward in welcoming new people; everyone was new somewhere, sometime. Offering advice as requested, hints on nannies, neighborhoods, restaurants, getaways. Before we chose to move here, Lendell and I talked at length about the fact that we loved the small communities and neighborhoods we have known in other countries. One thing is for sure here in Kampala, the small group we’ve met so far have taught us a great deal and kept us laughing in our new home. Here are some pictures from our adventures the first few weeks.

Tired and holding onto dad after a long day of house hunting.

When she wasn't eating, we could always appease her with butter naan. She's no dummy.

Helping clean up her mess.

The view from our apartment.

Naomi loves the marabou storks flying around and all of the birds overhead.