Hello from Uganda, Friend,

On Tuesday, I was struck by the contrast between two scenes—both of which are a typical slice of Ugandan life. First was the orderly, quiet, disciplined examination room where Senior-4 students were taking the second part (paper) of their UCE. These exams are heavily proctored and occur all over the country at the same time.

Soon after seeing this, I headed back to my cottage. The usual 10-minute trip turned into half an hour due to the "traffic jam" on the road right outside the school's gate. At one point, there was a fourth truck speedily making its way towards me on the right side of the road.

Officially, Uganda follows the British tradition of driving on the left, but as you can see from the photo, that rule sometimes becomes more of a suggestion. With trucks barreling down both sides, logs swaying precariously, and no clear lanes in sight, I decided the wisest choice was to pull over and wait for the chaos to sort itself out. Better late than becoming part of the roadside scenery! Just another lesson in patience and flexibility.

With love from Lukaya, Elaine