For as slow as the pace sometimes seems in Africa – I have felt like I have been running all week. So, I’ve decided to write these when I get moments, then post them the next time I manage to have access to the internet – which might be very well when I’m back in New York (or if I’m lucky, Europe).Other than the brief safari I went on in Botswana, I have never felt a tourist in Africa. True to my tradition, here I was – just hours off the plane walking through the cement corridors of the Rubaga Girls’ Secondary School to meet the chorus as they get ready for the new term, having my name chalked onto the board and finding myself spontaneously called upon to talk about music, life and Catholicism in the United States.
The singing was amazing. I never knew a room of high school girls could blend such rich and deep harmonies. Especially wonderful were the songs in Luganda – full with round, sonorant vowels. I brought a digital recorder with me – I’ll try uploading a bit so you can hear them for yourself.
Equally wonderful was watching Vianney in action. His finely tuned ear identified the girls who were off-key, his explanations of phrasing immediately smoothed and refined pieces, and his versatile voice was able to demonstrate exactly what he was looking for.
After choir practice, Vianney, Peace, Arne and I headed into the center of Kampala to the ‘Cheese Bar’ where Arne was determined to see a soccer match: Arsenal (London) vs. Man U (Manchester). The place is run by a Dutchman who wears wooden shoes around town and makes cheese so good that it gets exported to Holland! We sampled it on the cheeseburgers.
Jet-lagged though I was, I still managed to stay up and dance to some great Kenyan dance hall after the game with an old pal, Sharon – we boogied down like we did 4 years ago, when I was last in Uganda. It was so great it eclipsed the largely terrifying ride there (but I’ll write more about the general mode of transport later).
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