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Thing about Mbarara

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I have to write this now (now being 30 May 2010- ignore the blod date) because i'm at my most affectionate towards Mbra. I'v just packed my suitcase and said my goodbyes, heading out into the real world. Yes, its a fact, Mbarara is not the real world, but it does accommodate living people so i can give it some credit.

I have to be careful about this note coz i dont want to bite the hand which fed me. Mbra has the potential to make anyone but can also break you sadly. Let me give a small background for those of you wonderin wat the dickens i'm going on about:
Mbarara is a town in western uganda where i'v been based for the last 5 years. It is a tourist hub because it connects the 5 countries of East Africa as wel as the DRC. My university literally has the highway connecting Dar es Salam to Kigali cutting thru it. The university itself, whose name is derived from the town (then add Science and Technology to pretend that serious things happen there) is the core of the youthfulness and diversity. Thank God for the uni.

People living in kampala love mbra weekends coz they get to relax and party away from the hullabaloo. And of course Mbra people love it when they come down coz its nice to see faces other than Tambwe (i mean that in the jokiest way possible :) I suggest if you were to visit Uganda, besides the rainforests, gorilla trackin, national parks, rift valley getaways, mountain climbing, fishin at Bunyonyi, you should def spend a night or two in Mbarara... It Rocks. Fact. There is no confusion about the happenin places. Everyone ends up in VE, but there are more options for the 8 to midnight period which in the past was a little annoying. Our village has grown banaange!

Besides revelling, one can partake in Mbra's favourite pastime: gossip. Never in my life have i come across talk like there. Hayi ah. Word of advice: ignore. Its really bad. And if you dont know wat they'r sayin they are kind enough to write articles about it in the newspapers wit a picture u dont remember taking.

Mbra also has a lot of people from all over who come in for contract jobs. Expatriates doing research, electives, teachin etc. They have an 'i'm on holiday' mentality and pull us sad people along for the ride.. So i'v been on holiday for 5 years now lol.

But you got to love mbra. Its easy. Its cheap. And you cant get lost! Land of milk and honey and lotsa nsenene. Those are grasshoppers that we eat. Dont judge! I appreciate this little town because its wrought wit opportunity if u r not afraid to be different. And no you wont find gladiator boots in any shop but you'l have a blast wit your girls rummaging thru 2nd hand treasures or negotiating for Made in Thailands. Made truly good friends. Wil miss the people most. Esp the popcorn guy at night.. ;)

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