Looking back.....

So - it's been a year since we moved to Kampala. It's gone SO fast!!! It doesn't feel like a whole year has gone by but I suppose what they say about being busy definately does apply!!

I've made LOADS of new friends. Really GOOD friends too which I think you need when you live as an expat. Every now and then you get really fed up and need to vent and it's nice to vent with others that are in the same boat as you. One of these friends once told me that you either have onion days or strawberry days. Onion days are those days when you get layer upon layer of crap thrown at you and you end up in a heap bawling your eyes out. Strawberry days are days where every thing goes right and life here is sweet.... The strawberry days are more numerous than the onion days but the onion days weigh more so it takes a LOT more strawberry days to counter the onion days. Generally though....I have more strawberry days than onion days nowadays.

We're VERY settled in our house and I'm happy here. The house has a good vibe....not like our last house where nothing worked as it should and it was totally soulless. It's very frustrating being a renter though. Mike and I often sit on the patio and dream of the things we would like to do to the house if we owned it. Highly unlikely that we'll ever own though - there's always a million other things to do with our money! :-)

I've missed my family and friends but thank goodness for modern technology. Imagine not having MSN / Skype / Googletalk / e-mail / blogging? When my Mom and Dad moved to SA from England they wrote letters!!!! Remember Aerogrammes??? I do :-). Picking up the phone and phoning someone wasn't really the done thing and besides the phone lines were always so bad anyway!! The phone lines from here to SA are still quite bad but every now and then you get a line where there isn't a 3 second delay or an echo and you can actually have a semi-normal conversation. Until of course your airtime runs out LOL!!

I've been exposed to many many more cultures and it's been nice to realise that you don't have to be politically correct all the time....It's just South Africans that are so aware!! I've also realised how spoilt we are in terms of "nature". A lot of the Europeans and Americans can't wait to go and spot game in the bush and spot their first lion (or whatever). Maybe it's just me (I'm not a big fan of driving around in a car looking for well camouflaged animals) but I've been there, done that and got about 10 t-shirts....I'm quite blase about the whole wildlife thing!

Anyhoo....onto 2009. I have no hopes or dreams for the year - I just want me and my family to be happy and healthy but I wish you health, wealth and happiness. And if you win the Lotto remember it was my wish :-)!!!!!