No time like the present

There seems to have been no time to blog of late for which I apologize.   But I've decided there is no time like the present so have put my work aside and will blog.  I only wish I'd remembered to make notes each day, my mind is blank.

Already 2 days gone by since I wrote the above so today I'm concentrating on the blog.
I don't usually come to my office on a Friday but Jean Paul is going to be in town and he's stopping by for a chat before going to a pre ordination retreat day.  Hopefully he can give me the info about the graduation on the 26th which I shall do my best to attend.

The traffic has been awful here of late, resembling the Algarve in August!  Although I am getting used to the lack of courtesy and abiding by the highway code I really need to keep my wits about me!  Of course I'm not used to driving to work each day, but why is it that I can leave the house at the same time each day and sometimes have a clearish run and others face an onslaught of vehicles.  This morning I was on the inside lane at a roundabout clearly indicating that I want to move across to exit......motos, cars and several buses come screaming along the dual carriageway, do not slow down, do not give folk on the roundabout priority and drive right across our bow!  See what I mean.

The worst drivers are many with buses, but apart from them the drivers of NGO vehicles, Embassies and High Commission...and they are nearly all in enormous land cruisers and Land Rovers etc, very intimidating, especially the black ones with tinted windows.  Their favourite trick is to stop at the lights on the lane turning left across the dual carriageway, then when they are stuck behind someone actually waiting to turn left, they force their way in front of those of us who have been patiently waiting in the correct lane.  Also when one is in the correct lane turning left, drivers pull up on your right in the straight ahead lane and then do a double turn left with you, it takes some getting used to.

You may remember from the 2015 blog that I was quite taken with the counting down traffic lights.  There is a little confusion though as sometimes if you're waiting for a red countdown, you move across....it appears to be when the road is clear and there is a red circle above the second counter. But I'm not sure.  I just follow the car in front and cross my fingers.  Ditto when you hear a police whistle but can't actually see the whistle blower.

The other day I was approaching a zebra crossing and a cop signalled to stop so a pedestrian could cross.  I pulled up, the driver in the car didn't, despite the cops frantic signalling....he was so taken aback he couldn't blow his whistle.

On my way home on Wednesday I was turning left at an intersection, the lights were red, but a policeman was whistling with gay abandon and waving us round frantically.  A bit further along were more cops all whistling and waving, then from the other direction a huge police car all red and blue lights blazing....what's up, I thought, but then from around the corner coves HE's Cavalcade, 4 0r 5 large black vehicles again all with flashing red and blue lights.  I always think heads of state would be safer in nondescript cars.   I actually saw the President two days running, he's very busy.

Tuesday I went to the Ugandan High Commission to get a visa, what a nice place, room to park, quiet, I was the only person there, and such nice people all inquiring if I was being attended to as they passed through the very nice reception area.  Collected passport and visa on Wednesday, now just have to get some Ugandan shillings later today.  I'm heading to Queen Elizabeth Park on Monday on a great expedition to look for heffalumps (and lions) as Winnie the Pooh would say.  Or was it Piglet?  Actually the lions in this park climb trees and lounge on branches which is very unusual.

So I'll post this now and be back at the end of next week.