EkiraboKyampaire

Dear Dad, Today, nine years ago, you changed your major  area code leaving many people pretty upset including uncle Kizza Besigye who I know would have appreciated your level of loyalty  considering memories of my S.4 vacation driving around Kampala with you as you manually tallied the Reform Agenda's votes at different polling stations:) Just so you know, Uncle K.B. is hassling; what with pepper spray, kicks, blows, gun butt beatings, being shoved under the car seats of police men (who we are all quite convinced are paramilitary- but that's a story for another day), insults, threats to his life...etc...you would have frothed at the mouth seeing how bad things have become for political opponents of the 'Great 1986 Revolutionary'.  Am sorry for putting such a lousy pic of you on the www but you hated pics so it's kinda your fault :) I cut my hair and decided I would like to keep it that way for the rest of my life...in fact, I am contemplating going complete

I am the cleaner...I think it has reached the obsesssive, compulsive level :(...yeah, I know...

When you thought I wasn’t looking You hung my first painting on the refrigerator And I wanted to paint another. When you thought I wasn’t looking You fed a stray cat And I thought it was good to be kind to animals. When you thought I wasn’t looking You baked a birthday cake just for me And I knew that little things were special things. When you thought I wasn’t looking You said a prayer And I believed there was a God that I could always talk to. When you thought I wasn’t looking You kissed me good-night And I felt loved. When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw tears come from your eyes And I learned that sometimes things hurt— But that it’s alright to cry. When you thought I wasn’t looking You smiled And it made me want to look that pretty too. When you thought I wasn’t looking You cared And I wanted to be everything I could be. When you thought I wasn’t looking— I looked . . . And wanted to say thanks For all those things you did When you thought I wasn’t looking.

The bearded revolutionary & his sister Writing in the sand Meeting against illegal mining A happy camper :-)   A lovely random ka flower I liked This cow made a nice stew 24 hours later :-) The post office picturesque palm trees The muzungu I had a mild crush on :-) The nation's preferred beer A revolutionary at heart :-) The ghetto fabulous area behind my hotel Why pay more?? :-) Pleasure seeking... Sunset Ariel view of the scenic L.Tanganyika Our hotel, more like a lodge...I hahad Seriousness More seriousness These stern warnings in Uganda amuse me

The 28th Day Hello All! Banange! it's been long...my apologies. I was marooned in an Internet backward African country- of the Gustave fame for four days and when I got back my monthly reminder of my womanhood showed up and I was consequently marooned in my naalya house cursing Eve (of the Garden of Eden/forbidden fruit story) pretty badly :-(... Nonetheless, here I am!!... May went by quite fast. Highlights: I began putting together info for a biography I am writing and realized that it is true, that saying, that the apple does not fall far from the tree . I started doing daily exercise- equal to and including walking 2km and it's quite rewarding. My writing improved. I discovered and liked the series Person of Interest :-) I started amateur photo blogging with my beloved red camera  :-) Laura went back to Ameri after a long holiday and I miss her sorely. I watched Avengers- boy! that movie is something else! I must own a copy when it is available on DVD. Mal

  http://www.nerve.com/scanner/2010/08/02/italys-miss-chubby-beauty-pageant-embraces-the-plus-size-woman Reading the above article about a Miss Chubby Beauty Pageant in Italy honestly made me sad.  The essence of the contest is to 'reward' the heaviest woman. Have you seen the picture of the winner?- that is not chubby , it is overweight - fat at best! As far as definitions go, I am pretty sure chubby is used in reference to one who is 'somewhat fat' not one who is clearly overweight/ obese! I, really, think a distinction needs to be made. People need to shift their focus away from making an effort to ensure that it is 'okay' to live/ eat irresponsibly (whether this means you eat yourself to obesity or you starve yourself to anorexia) and instead consider how they can effectively live healthy lifestyles. You see, I come from a family with women with fairly 'big bodies'. We are tall, heavy-boned and pack on the weight quite easily. However, it is m

I sincerely had not realized how much I love books until I went to Fareed's Bookstore yesterday and spent 50,000 UGX on 15 books...in my defence, that's a bargain right?!!!...Anyway, I am now dreaming of fourteen weeks or so (because I have been, by the skin of my teeth, managing to read a book a week) of being transported to other lands and temporarily morphing into the characters with whom I identify in the book I am reading. That Michela Wrong book, It's our Turn to Eat that I read a month or so ago has remained with me. It impacted me as much as it frustrated me. You see, I identified & agreed with the whistle blower John Githongo who unleashed information about the continued, deliberate and President- backed corruption in Kenya's  government yet I was discouraged by the reminder that such behaviour is not welcome in Africa. People in power and their cronies must 'eat' and no-one should question this or try to put a stop to it because even the po

The S.I.X. Mom & the gals  Kiss, kiss :-)  Mom & the boys  Our sister from another mom, Sarah & Rodney   A lovely coincidental meeting with old friends   I didn't 'prepare' :-(   Mom & the gals- again   Jeremiah being brotherly :-)   All of us with Aunt Maria Wamunza my godmother   A smiling knight- Isaac :-)  Lorna & Laura- high skool buddies  A few minutes before check in :-( / :-) 

“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”   Mother Teresa “I sustain myself with the love of family.”   Maya Angelou “This is part of what a family is about, not just love. It's knowing that your family will be there watching out for you. Nothing else will give you that. Not money. Not fame. Not work.”   Mitch Albom “There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human, are created, strengthened and maintained.”   Winston S. Churchill Last night, my sister, Laura, began her journey back to America to start her Masters programme. It was a bitter-sweet day.We all took a day off work to just be with her and buy souvenirs together, eat together, have some good laughs and later, accompany her to the airport. There were no tears. Firstly because tears don't come easy in the Turyatemba house but really, because we were all simply proud of her (she is the first in th

Guys, you're in luck- I am taking it upon myself to unleash female trade secrets at no fee, lawyer, though I may be. Consider this pro bono . Gals, hopefully, you'll now have a piece of writing to refer your men to (coz I intend to be candid and thorough). A friend, who only recently, discovered this blog said he thinks I am 'too open for life' on here. Well, that's vintage Lynn- open and honest- all out. After giving my introvertedness centre stage for many years with unfavourable results, I find that it is better to say too much than never to what you need to- or in this case, write. Okay, so, about the what do women want question. I will write what I want and what I have heard girlfriends say they want. None of that, look deeply into her eyes whenever you talk - jibber jabber, I promise. This is practical, realistic stuff which a man committed to making some woman out there truly happy will find useful. Love her. Remember that love is a verb (a doing