I love me some Peeps

Nothing says Spring like Peeps! :-) Last year the lovely Alan sent me a box with my favourite Easter treat. This year while Anthony was in LA, he was a total sweetie and got me a wonderful assortment of them. Yey!

I didn't even know that now they came in so many colours.

Though not for everyone, they are definitely one of my faves.

So I'm Uganda, right

I had to come to Kampala for a short assignment for work. I'm only here for the week, but it is totally random and last minute and I'm actually quite excited. Last time I was here was spending the Christmas holidays with my friend Sue over 4 years ago, who was working here at the time and it was strange coming back here.

Last time it was purely a social visit and I stayed with Sue and she and her friends took care of me and showed me around, but this time I don't know anyone and I am stuck in a hotel in downtown Kampala, which in the immediate vicinity doesn't seem to have much.

I am sure if explored a bit I could find stuff, but after working all day I just don't have the energy and I wouldn't even know where to get started.

This is the immediate area around the hotel.










As part of my work here I have been meeting some traditional birth attendants. Gladys is the warmest, most welcoming TBA I have ever met. In any country. With her demeanor it is obvious why a woman would choose to go to her for delivery as oppose to a hospital or clinic that may be short-staffed and under supplied.

This is where the women deliver

And here we have a community health education group singing a song about abstinence :-)

On Male Greetings

I always find greeting men so difficult.

Being gay and being Hispanic means that I am very touchy-feely, we are hugging/kissing people. Unfortunately that doesn't always translate well into male interaction unless the other person is also a fag, a spic, or both.

I find heterosexual white men the easiest. Firm handshake, slight nod and you are done. But the rest, are a bit anxiety inducing.

During this trip to Pakistan I keep having this ackward dance of handshake-hug-handshake. But sometimes, it's hug-handshake-hug. Other times, it's been handshake-hug or hug-handshake. And I've been caught in a few "was-supposed-to-be-just-a-handshake-but-I-went-in-for-a-hug- so-then-they-felt-obliged-but-by-that-point-I-had-started-to-withdraw-and-we-end-up-in-a-half-assed-pat".

Aren't there some sort of protocols for these things? It would be great if someone just told me when to use whcih combination. Are there are rules on occasion vs. length of time since last you saw each other?

Lord I need a Xanax.