Set off from home and got to Kampala on good Friday and so wasn't to starting work until Tuesday. But gorta, being reassuringly motherly, collected me at the airport in the guises of Willie the 'service provider' and Juma the driver. Was taken to change money, to my apartment and then to get a sim and shopping by Willie. I've gone out with Willie to see slums and play pool since and Padraig's right about the contrast between people here. It's so strong it's surreal. My own apartment is perfect...got everything I need as well as free internet, satellite tv (if I could just find AV on the set) and a pool. And saunas, strangely enough :S 

I'm working in gorta's office this month. There's the East Africa director Rebecca, the programme officer David, Willie, Juma, a security guard and me. They work through partners so the work is all Una type stuff. They explained how they work and now tend to ask me to do something and act happy that I've actually managed it when it's done.  Haven't worked out if this is a compliment or not yet... I work in an industrial laundry at home and since starting there have reversed my view that office jobs are too boring to be desirable to thinking that any job where you can sit down and breath normal air is heaven. But working in the office here is downright splendid even without considering the lack of shit strewn sheets.

There was a project launch of one of gorta's prospectively new partners this week in the highlands right on the border with Rwanda. It's a small project but they hope for it to be the start of a five year programme, hence a suitably officious launch.

The area is stunning and it was cool to get to see real people's farms and a project in progress as well as how the organisation links in with local government but again we lived in a very nice hotel while there, and there seemed to be more money spent on the launch than really was needed. 

The launch itself was pretty ridden with protocol, what with the different levels of government officials there. They even had the district MP to it, who talked for a criminally long time in the Ugandan sun. He also looked remarkably like D'Angelo Barksdale from The Wire, or else I might just have been hallucinating from the heat...

Think I've settled in mostly, though it's still weird to see so many guns around. Either the army, police or security guards are always visible here and they all carry big old assault rifles. Just to keep you further off balance they're also all really nice and friendly. 

The rain here is mad altogether - drops as big as yo' momma (sorry).

Transport is dead handy, if precarious and my trip back from work everyday is always fun. Instead of driving straight along the road the minibus/taxi veers off up a slopey bumpy narrow windy non road with the usual stalls and shacks as well as a few oddly normal houses on the sides and people and cattle everywhere before getting back to the main road. 

Non satellite tv here I can report consists mostly of middle-aged Americans with bibles.

Well, I'll leave it there. Hope everyone's getting on well!

Eoin