Happy International Human Rights Day

I was reminded this morning by the Daily Monitor of Kampala that December 10 is International Human Rights Day, commemorating the adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Take a moment to read through the declaration. We still have a long way to go to reach the standards the world signed onto almost 60 years ago.

Photos

I haven't been writing much on this trip, but I've posted a few pictures here.

Jet Lag

It's a hazy day, so the view out my window doesn't show the lush beauty of Uganda very well. I'll try to get some better shots before I leave.




I haven't felt like I had much to say since I arrived in Kampala, not sure why. A big part is the jet lag, which is much worse with an eight-hour time difference than it was on my last trip, a mere four-hour time difference. I've been falling asleep very early, and then waking up early, but not having any particularly interesting thoughts at 6:30AM. But I'm sure I'll feel better soon.

Work in Kampala so far has been interesting, but perhaps not interesting enough to have much to share. I spent yesterday meeting with various people: an MP, leader of the Ugandan Women Parliamentarians Association; the reproductive health specialist for Unicef; the director of a Ugandan youth organization; and the director of the Family Planning Association of Uganda. Lots of discussion about the broken health care system here. Clinics outside of the cities can't keep doctors; even when they have doctors on staff, they don't show up for work much of the time; poorly trained staff; problems getting medicines where they are needed... It all feels a little overwhelming. But then, everything is overwhelming when I'm jet lagged. The point of this little exercise is to identify a few places in which a relatively small intervention by a couple of American NGOs can have some kind of impact. If we knew the answers on the first day, then we wouldn't need to be here.

I'm not completely happy to be away on Chanukah. I frequently point out to people at this time of year that Chanukah is not really an "important" holiday in a religious sense, and it irritates me that its proximity to an important Christian holiday has elevated its status. But it is the one holiday that my mom celebrated with us as kids, so it is a big part of my own sense of Jewishness and is an important connection to my mom. It wasn't usually a really big deal, but we always lit candles, and we had latkes at least one night (and of course there were the presents, though usually pretty small). So I planned ahead, found a menorah that I could pack. I lit candles last night, and will continue through the week. But it would be nice to be able to share it with someone, and to fry some potatoes. The breakfast buffet has donuts, so I had one this morning, a quiet observance.

The other thing about the big time difference is that I feel more cut off from home. Fewer hours of waking overlap, more difference between what I'm doing and what my friends and family are doing—it makes me feel really far away from home. Of course, I am really far away from home!

Chanukah in Kampala

Happy Chanukah from the Sheraton Kampala. I don't think I'll be able to find latkes in Uganda.

Kampala

The builders of Entebbe Airport had the good sense to put it right on the shores of Lake Victoria. Much of the 45-minute ride into Kampala also went along the lake, which is beautiful next to lush green hills. The city is also very green and surprisingly pretty.

I took a little walk, trying to find an area my guide book promised would be filled with shops and restaurants, but didn't quite make it. The Sheraton Kampala is something of a fortress up on a hill, and by the time I got down the hill, the sun was threatening to set, and I was tired, so I headed back for room service. I'll explore later, when I'm less jet lagged.

Open During Renovations

First stop on the latest African voyage: 24-hour stop in Dubai.

The most striking thing to me about Dubai was how familiar it felt. Sort of. It's a brand new city, all shopping malls and luxury hotels and freeways. I don't really get it. For a while, I thought a day was more than enough time there, but as I was getting ready to leave, I started wondering more about what life is like for people there. What draws them there, what do they do, how long do they stay?

The whole city seems to be under construction—half-build skyscrapers are all over. I wonder what it will look like when it's finished.

The Mall of the Emirates is the biggest mall in Dubai, and in the whole Middle East. It looks a lot like any mall in the USA, except for the ski slope:








Oh, and all the women in burqas.

The other remarkable thing about Dubai is how cosmopolitan it is. Sort of. Fewer than twenty percent of the population of the United Arab Emirates are Emiratis. The rest are from all over, mostly South Asia, but also the Philippines, various African countries, other Arab countries... It seems odd to have a society where the local elite import virtually their entire work force from other places.