Entry One - Self-indulgent self-doubt

I am new to the world of blogging. As you can see from the progress on this blog since the first entry over a year ago, I have yet to devote much energy to it despite my enthusiasm for long stream-of-consciousness rants. Perhaps that was because of a lack of anything to write about or lack of an audience. If you are reading this, then the latter problem is taken care of. However, this only creates more pressure to find an engaging or at least interesting topic.

On first glance, my current activity (getting a masters degree from Makerere University in Uganda) seems like a fruitful endeavour to describe in this forum. However, unlike my past two trips to Uganda I will not be a tourist or even a momentary visitor. Though I will undoubtedly have my moments as both, this is where I will live for the next two years, with occasional vacations to North America, Europe and elsewhere in East Africa. Therefore, my writings about Uganda may not have to same perceptions or enthusiasm that a travel log might contain. After awhile, some (perhaps most) things are bound to become ordinary or routine, and my writing about them will likely reflect this attitude. However, while I am still a freshly arrived outsider I will write a little about my observations and what I am/plan to be doing.

I graduated from the University of Toronto a year ago with a degree in African Studies and History. At the time I was determined to find out what the world outside of the North American ivory tower was like. After less than a year of scraping by in New York City, my conclusion was that although it occasionally allowed for a (very restricted) sense of personal freedom, life in the 'real world' could wait until I had exhausted the last of my options in academia. (Not that academia or school exists outside of society - though it can allow for a delusional sense of detachment.) One such academic option was to study in Uganda thanks to the suggestion a professor whose courses I had taken in Toronto. This would allow me to add some qualifications to any eventual Ph.D. applications while getting a couple years of experience in East Africa. After a lot of thinking, and perhaps a little less planning, I sent in my application and made my preparations to come here.

Then the problems followed... My application was forwarded to the wrong department. The residence ended up costing double what I had originally been told. My insurance company did their absolute best to avoid covering my malaria medication. And the professor who I worked with in Toronto and planned to meet here went to Massachusetts for two months just before I planned to leave. However, the solutions seem to be making their appearance. The postgraduate department made some arrangements so that I could be admitted. I will likely move to another nearby apartment after a couple of months. The insurance company finally relented. And my professor will return at the end of September.

As the problems resolve themselves, I have some time to contemplate why I am here and what I hope to get out of the experience. In 2002 I came to Uganda with a group of "volunteers" from an organization that claimed to have been an abbreviated model for what became the Peace Corps. We stayed in a village near Mbale in the east of the country while carrying water and mixing cement for the construction of a health clinic and community centre building. The real work was performed by professionals who knew what they were doing - though our presence was appreciated and in all fairness, carrying water is tough work. Two summers later I returned as a 'tourist' with my father, this time traveling in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. On that visit I visited Makerere and first heard the suggestion that I study here. In any case, I am not a complete newcomer to Uganda, tough my reason (or excuse) for being here is quite different.