Yesterday I mentioned someone
was ill at the house. Turns out it is Kayanja the 7 year old and he still
in Kampala with his mother, being treated for malaria. it shows up in
kids here with tummy pain and then fever. Susan recognized the symptoms
yesterday morning at the house before she left for Kampala to sort out red tape
on the shipping container. She and Jackson took them both into the city
with them to a clinic. So Kayanja has been put on medication and should
be ok.
Speaking of the shipping container....we are being hit with lots of red tape. It seems to be a different issue every day from customs in Mombasa. Today....they want an original invoice receipt for printers which our Canadian shipper told brad wasn't needed. Brad is busy trying to get that by email from his wife.....a problem because your world is still sleeping as it the middle of the night in Canada.... about 4 am. Sue, Brad's wife is equally computer challenged and would not take kindly to being woken up to address the issue. Yesterday....it was Susan’s challenge to get 2 TIN no. which I don't know they are but are needed to clear customs and get the container released. She was going back to the city on her own today to work at a Ugandan rotary member's office with a member of his staff to get those numbers done. And then ran into the problem with another piece of paperwork they want. We suspect Kenyan customs is using this as a ploy to open the container and take what they want or get brad's permission to do it. So he is working on getting them the paper work. Meanwhile we are spinning our wheels until the container arrives. Very frustrating.
The house is also under siege with workmen installing wooden fascia on the eaves of the courtyard to install eavestroughing to gather rainwater in rainy season for everyday use especially dry season like right now. So the usable living space in the courtyard where cooking, laundry, bathing and eating takes place is getting smaller and smaller. There are 6 of us to feed plus the members of the house which is another 7. The space is muddy and dirty from mortar for the window and door installation. When you see my pictures...you will see what I mean.
Piles of lumber yesterday in the courtyard presented us with concern with hazards after dark and so many people moving around. So we made the decision after consulting Susan by phone who was in Kampala, to go back to the guesthouse for the afternoon and have supper there. And give everyone at the house some much needed breathing space. We thought we were being kind and considerate. However, Susan told us on her return from the city, that the girls had planned a special dinner for us and their feelings were hurt. no one told us their plans or we would not have gone. it explained the disappointed look on Maureen’s face in hindsight when we told her. We feel quite badly about it. The irony was our supper at the guesthouse was nearly inedible. Very salty and warm cabbage tasted and smelled of charcoal starter fluid and cold french fries, rubbery stewed chicken......yum! Our supper prepared by the girls would have been a far better option. That is the universe's way of evening the score I guess.
Brad, Shalan and Madeleine went out and bought 2 bottles of wine that we enjoyed before and after supper last night. We cut off the tops of water bottles with a swiss army knife and used them as wine glasses. So we got rather silly I think. Speaking of silly, when Jackson took us home Monday night, I fell asleep in the far back seat. They woke me up when we pulled up to our rooms. In trying to climb out of the rear seat, it wasn't pulled forward far enough and I fell back onto my butt on the floor sideways and was wedged in there and couldn't move forward or backward. I started to laugh so hard, tears were streaming down my face in dark. Madeleine ran over to see if I was ok. I couldn't talk for laughing. I held out my hands and said pull. She couldn't get her hips past the open door and couldn't pull. Still laughing, I manage to somehow scootch backwards and eventually work my way off the floor still laughing. Everyone was laughing too....it seemed so silly and funny at the time. I guess you needed to be there.
Jackson and Susan found the 4 of us rather gay when they arrived after supper after killing both bottles of wine. I guess we needed it. Got my laundry done too and hung to dry while they had gone out to buy the wine.
We are planning our side trip to Murchison falls leaving early Sunday morning until Wednesday. We hope to do the animal safari and also a trip to see chimpanzees that are tracked in part of the park. We think we will be staying at a camp called red chili rest area in a banda or tent with bathroom. Sounds rather rustic but should be amazing.
Anyway...that is all for today my friends and family. Until tomorrow....hugs...Chris
Speaking of the shipping container....we are being hit with lots of red tape. It seems to be a different issue every day from customs in Mombasa. Today....they want an original invoice receipt for printers which our Canadian shipper told brad wasn't needed. Brad is busy trying to get that by email from his wife.....a problem because your world is still sleeping as it the middle of the night in Canada.... about 4 am. Sue, Brad's wife is equally computer challenged and would not take kindly to being woken up to address the issue. Yesterday....it was Susan’s challenge to get 2 TIN no. which I don't know they are but are needed to clear customs and get the container released. She was going back to the city on her own today to work at a Ugandan rotary member's office with a member of his staff to get those numbers done. And then ran into the problem with another piece of paperwork they want. We suspect Kenyan customs is using this as a ploy to open the container and take what they want or get brad's permission to do it. So he is working on getting them the paper work. Meanwhile we are spinning our wheels until the container arrives. Very frustrating.
The house is also under siege with workmen installing wooden fascia on the eaves of the courtyard to install eavestroughing to gather rainwater in rainy season for everyday use especially dry season like right now. So the usable living space in the courtyard where cooking, laundry, bathing and eating takes place is getting smaller and smaller. There are 6 of us to feed plus the members of the house which is another 7. The space is muddy and dirty from mortar for the window and door installation. When you see my pictures...you will see what I mean.
Piles of lumber yesterday in the courtyard presented us with concern with hazards after dark and so many people moving around. So we made the decision after consulting Susan by phone who was in Kampala, to go back to the guesthouse for the afternoon and have supper there. And give everyone at the house some much needed breathing space. We thought we were being kind and considerate. However, Susan told us on her return from the city, that the girls had planned a special dinner for us and their feelings were hurt. no one told us their plans or we would not have gone. it explained the disappointed look on Maureen’s face in hindsight when we told her. We feel quite badly about it. The irony was our supper at the guesthouse was nearly inedible. Very salty and warm cabbage tasted and smelled of charcoal starter fluid and cold french fries, rubbery stewed chicken......yum! Our supper prepared by the girls would have been a far better option. That is the universe's way of evening the score I guess.
Brad, Shalan and Madeleine went out and bought 2 bottles of wine that we enjoyed before and after supper last night. We cut off the tops of water bottles with a swiss army knife and used them as wine glasses. So we got rather silly I think. Speaking of silly, when Jackson took us home Monday night, I fell asleep in the far back seat. They woke me up when we pulled up to our rooms. In trying to climb out of the rear seat, it wasn't pulled forward far enough and I fell back onto my butt on the floor sideways and was wedged in there and couldn't move forward or backward. I started to laugh so hard, tears were streaming down my face in dark. Madeleine ran over to see if I was ok. I couldn't talk for laughing. I held out my hands and said pull. She couldn't get her hips past the open door and couldn't pull. Still laughing, I manage to somehow scootch backwards and eventually work my way off the floor still laughing. Everyone was laughing too....it seemed so silly and funny at the time. I guess you needed to be there.
Jackson and Susan found the 4 of us rather gay when they arrived after supper after killing both bottles of wine. I guess we needed it. Got my laundry done too and hung to dry while they had gone out to buy the wine.
We are planning our side trip to Murchison falls leaving early Sunday morning until Wednesday. We hope to do the animal safari and also a trip to see chimpanzees that are tracked in part of the park. We think we will be staying at a camp called red chili rest area in a banda or tent with bathroom. Sounds rather rustic but should be amazing.
Anyway...that is all for today my friends and family. Until tomorrow....hugs...Chris
1 comment:
All I have to say is take pictures, pictures and more pictures. Then share, share and share the pics somehow.
x0x0 Cindy
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