Kampala is a small City, with the most friendly and warm people on the whole of the African continent. Today you have everything from Chicken on a stick to food delivery. The weather is really great a friend of mine said to me once sometime back that "you guys have summer all year round" yes indeed it is summer all year round with great sunshine and very good rains the kind that won't keep you away from work or completely destroy your crops.
If you are visiting Kampala for the first time and you have a week on your hands to see the real Kampala there is three places one must visit. The National Theatre on monday evenings for the Jam session, this is where you will have the best showcase of Uganda's Raw undeveloped music from local young and old artists, if one is sure of talent in this field Irene and Jamal out there will let you sing, play drums, key boards, guiters to entertain the crowd.
Bubbles O'learys would be your wednesdays hang out here the Baxmba Waves Band will make sure you dont only go to have Chicken Zingger and have a drink, but also get up and dance to some of the best fusions of African music put together by two Congoleese guitarists Godfrey Lubuulwa the band leader who works magic with the keyboards, Roy "the Drum machine" at the drums and Emmanuel the Vocalist.
The Baxmba Waves band will play anything you want to listen to my personnal favourite piece from them is called "ewaffe" which is a luganda word to mean,at ours or our home this would get the most shy person getting up and dancing Bubbles Oleary's is a great place to hang out to on Fridays and Saturdays, this is where the world meets Ugandans in a small compact but very lovely pub that always has very fresh air on the outside because it is surrounded by trees.
Your Sunday evening definately be at the Ndere Centre. Built by the Austrian government, in recognition for Mr Stephen Rwangyezi's Ndere troupe's spledid performances when the troup visited Austria.
Here you would have the best showcase of Cultural performances and folk songs in an open, cool environment. You will have the greatest Ugandan Food, Chicken on a stick, Gonja, roasted Sweet potatoesbeef and pork skewers, all for very good prices. The Show is called the Family hour and yes indeed is an African family hour that last only four "Muzungu" hours.
You are most welcome to Uganda and when you visit Kampala these are places one should visit you may like to stay a bit longer when you.
Godfrey Pule Thomson
www.beyondfrontiersug.com
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Responsible Business Partnership.
A couple of days ago i delivered a brand new Land cruiser VX to the Danish Deminig Group, originally i had a good friend Robert with whom we had discussed the deal and how we were going to execute the deal. As any businessman would think, every investment must be very well calculated, so i decided to buy the car and not aquire a used car from Kampala streets, yes i led him on to deposit for the car on the street, but as i realised and studied later DDG were expanding and at a very high rate and being a standard oriented young entrepreneur, my projections for repeat business would be based on functionality of the initial contract, which meant delivering a suitable car in a good condition.
Robert turns this whole thing into a big issue and where does he address his beef and grief, to the wrong audience, Jimmy Nyeko at USAID's NUMAT, Jimmy introduced me to DDG and if any one deserved any credit for this great relationship, he does. This got me thinking that when you have signed what you would project as a good deal, its smooth execution must be top concern, and if you must do it well have your energy must have a percentage projection to smart, more experienced intelectuals than you are this does make all the difference.
Openness, makes all the difference, if you wont do something please let whoever is looking towards you for asistance or help that you are not in a position to help them, this goes a long way to easing you heart of unneccessary loads.
Robert turns this whole thing into a big issue and where does he address his beef and grief, to the wrong audience, Jimmy Nyeko at USAID's NUMAT, Jimmy introduced me to DDG and if any one deserved any credit for this great relationship, he does. This got me thinking that when you have signed what you would project as a good deal, its smooth execution must be top concern, and if you must do it well have your energy must have a percentage projection to smart, more experienced intelectuals than you are this does make all the difference.
Openness, makes all the difference, if you wont do something please let whoever is looking towards you for asistance or help that you are not in a position to help them, this goes a long way to easing you heart of unneccessary loads.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Soon to become one of the Beyond Frontiers Fleet members
After visiting this lady many times i decided that i would aquire her because i had my friends the DDG up for a 12 months hire deal, so Alexis!! here soon willl become one of us ladies and gentlemen
Saturday, September 20, 2008
MY DAY ENDER THE RED CHILLI HIDEAWAY
It all started in 2001, a young man i was then, when i set foot in the compound of Late Steve Willis' property The Red Chilli Hideaway Jackson opened the gate for me, asked for my I.D and got me to register my name as a visitor, word had it that there was this place in my neighbourhood that had so many "muzungus" frequenting it. Muzungi is a venacular fun word to mean white person. Today i love to network but that was not my main aim then. At the time i was going through a very challenging relationship and my thought was go start hanging out in a place that no body could possibly think about finding in. I love to be in the company of people from all over the world, so here was a great oportunity to do just that. The Red Chilli Hideaway is by far the best back packers hostel in Uganda, great, food great staff right from the time i started going out there. Gerald one of the managers, Apollo, and Byron were in the same class as i was at the University have been very nice to me except one tall dark skinned guy who had me locked in because i had an 8 dollar tab to settle, that one was not nice at all. it was nice to meet with them anyway.
As days went by i became more and more found of the Red Chilli , because they were all these white people in one area, this got me thinking to my self Kampala is great indeed we have loads of visitors enjoying them selves. I was at the time in persuit of a Tourism bachelors at Makerere University and thought to my self again that this would be a great tool for Networking like it definately has been today. I have met more great people out there, than anywere else in the world, these have been Ugandans, Brits, Americans oh yes indeed, Ausies and the list goes on and on. I met this American guy Dennis Dobbs, great guy indeed, works for the Mulago hospital TB research team he had just got in to the country and met him a few weeks after, we hang out there quite a lot and we found each other very resourceful, as i freely and easily gave him information on Uganda and the people and so did he about the States.
Time went on and all was great, ofcourse in every good environment you will find a few unfriendly's, naturally when you have so many people in one hostel they are going to need transportation, and then comes Fred, great guy at the time i am not sure about that now, from humble beginings at the Bugolobi Special hire stage he has done well for himself he did take Angello under his wings, another great guy he was, that definately am not sure about how great he is today. I talk to everybody naturally thats who i am and as time went on from the skills and the right training at Makerere combined with the love to meet people, i started up Beyond Frontiers Travel www.beyondfrontiersug.com that there is my money maker today, so proud of it. Sadly! for aFred and Angello, it was always difficult to hold a meaningful conversation in this environment and most often than not i studied the progress and it was not that impressive but then again they needed to move people from place to place.
I met Jimmie Nyeko, nice guy too at the Red Chilli, from him it has been more and more friends at Bubbles Kyoto and Clud Rouge, these are really fun places to go out in Kampala. My friend Jimmie loves himself some hanging out and he has cards that get him into these places with his friends pretty easily. One evening i came from work as usual and met Alison and Anna very lovely ladies they were here to do some work at mulago hospital, i was not very close to them at the time but i sat outside besides the reception and while i had my dinner we met and had a long chatt, a couple of days after we we went out to dinner at the at Gaetano's Zone 7 really good palce to meet Ugandans and also have a good Skewer of fine divine, sablime and right on time swine and authentic Ugandan food.
A better night it late became as Anna and Alison had no clue they would go out but Jimmie persuadded them to and we went out and had a really good time, at bubbles and later rouge. On our way back to the Red Chilli in early hours of the morning Jimmie offers to take them to the airport as they were leaving for Kenya and Zanzibar the next morning. Apparently Anna had booked a taxi to the airport naturally either my friends Angello or Fred were going to take them, and since Jimmie drives a big high end Ford Ranger 2005 model CD player A/C and comfortable seats, the ladies were not to keen on sitting in a Toyota corona Premio to the airport, so yes indeed they cancelled the taxi.
This was the begining of what has grown to be a big fight between me and my taxi driver friends, and boy!! did they make this a big issue. You see it aint that am to big to listen to the roumers its just am too damn! big to pay attention to them, there is the difference. Naturally when i get irritated i get to facebook and post my feelings on there, apparently someone was so interested in what i write on my friends walls that they took the time to print out a note that i had written to another great lady friend i met at the Red Chilli, Sophie Bremner, this note basically talked about the escapade i had had with these drivers. They were so angry but were not men enough confront me instead they printed out a copy of the note and put it on my car windshield, very weak!! so when i was ready to go home that evening i found the note, and with out reading it i knew what it was. Red Chilli being well organised has trash cans which made very good use of and trashed that note with ease, it felt nice that i had attention from two grown men.
Yesterday when i went over to have my usual drink, Campbell, Dennis and Hennie were at the bar as always and when Corey a friend from an investment bank (Greylock Capital) in DC called me on my cell, i walked out in between Fred Angello and received my phone call then on my way back in to the bar i found Angello demonstrating how i walk out saying to his buddies that i swell whenever i walk even when i am small bodied, this dude has got a huge head, as a matter of fact has got Shoulders you can use as aircraft stability wings...................yeah!!! its true. and the site of his imitation of me got me smiling again, inside of me i was like, oh yes it is definately going to be a more mental fight, my class taught me better, its funny but i was not irritated one bit.
So you see when you dont have a chance to attain a good education the level of inteligence and the smartness with which you deal with issues can be hampered, piece of advice to you my friends, its never too late you can still go back to school.......... adult education did come to this town recently you can benefit from that. Maybe instead of imitating the way people walk, or getting irritated that you cant have meaningful conversation with a beautiful lady from America, Autralia the Caribean, Europe and all these places, you will learn to deal with issues more intelectually. Come on boys that there is real ispiration.
As days went by i became more and more found of the Red Chilli , because they were all these white people in one area, this got me thinking to my self Kampala is great indeed we have loads of visitors enjoying them selves. I was at the time in persuit of a Tourism bachelors at Makerere University and thought to my self again that this would be a great tool for Networking like it definately has been today. I have met more great people out there, than anywere else in the world, these have been Ugandans, Brits, Americans oh yes indeed, Ausies and the list goes on and on. I met this American guy Dennis Dobbs, great guy indeed, works for the Mulago hospital TB research team he had just got in to the country and met him a few weeks after, we hang out there quite a lot and we found each other very resourceful, as i freely and easily gave him information on Uganda and the people and so did he about the States.
Time went on and all was great, ofcourse in every good environment you will find a few unfriendly's, naturally when you have so many people in one hostel they are going to need transportation, and then comes Fred, great guy at the time i am not sure about that now, from humble beginings at the Bugolobi Special hire stage he has done well for himself he did take Angello under his wings, another great guy he was, that definately am not sure about how great he is today. I talk to everybody naturally thats who i am and as time went on from the skills and the right training at Makerere combined with the love to meet people, i started up Beyond Frontiers Travel www.beyondfrontiersug.com that there is my money maker today, so proud of it. Sadly! for aFred and Angello, it was always difficult to hold a meaningful conversation in this environment and most often than not i studied the progress and it was not that impressive but then again they needed to move people from place to place.
I met Jimmie Nyeko, nice guy too at the Red Chilli, from him it has been more and more friends at Bubbles Kyoto and Clud Rouge, these are really fun places to go out in Kampala. My friend Jimmie loves himself some hanging out and he has cards that get him into these places with his friends pretty easily. One evening i came from work as usual and met Alison and Anna very lovely ladies they were here to do some work at mulago hospital, i was not very close to them at the time but i sat outside besides the reception and while i had my dinner we met and had a long chatt, a couple of days after we we went out to dinner at the at Gaetano's Zone 7 really good palce to meet Ugandans and also have a good Skewer of fine divine, sablime and right on time swine and authentic Ugandan food.
A better night it late became as Anna and Alison had no clue they would go out but Jimmie persuadded them to and we went out and had a really good time, at bubbles and later rouge. On our way back to the Red Chilli in early hours of the morning Jimmie offers to take them to the airport as they were leaving for Kenya and Zanzibar the next morning. Apparently Anna had booked a taxi to the airport naturally either my friends Angello or Fred were going to take them, and since Jimmie drives a big high end Ford Ranger 2005 model CD player A/C and comfortable seats, the ladies were not to keen on sitting in a Toyota corona Premio to the airport, so yes indeed they cancelled the taxi.
This was the begining of what has grown to be a big fight between me and my taxi driver friends, and boy!! did they make this a big issue. You see it aint that am to big to listen to the roumers its just am too damn! big to pay attention to them, there is the difference. Naturally when i get irritated i get to facebook and post my feelings on there, apparently someone was so interested in what i write on my friends walls that they took the time to print out a note that i had written to another great lady friend i met at the Red Chilli, Sophie Bremner, this note basically talked about the escapade i had had with these drivers. They were so angry but were not men enough confront me instead they printed out a copy of the note and put it on my car windshield, very weak!! so when i was ready to go home that evening i found the note, and with out reading it i knew what it was. Red Chilli being well organised has trash cans which made very good use of and trashed that note with ease, it felt nice that i had attention from two grown men.
Yesterday when i went over to have my usual drink, Campbell, Dennis and Hennie were at the bar as always and when Corey a friend from an investment bank (Greylock Capital) in DC called me on my cell, i walked out in between Fred Angello and received my phone call then on my way back in to the bar i found Angello demonstrating how i walk out saying to his buddies that i swell whenever i walk even when i am small bodied, this dude has got a huge head, as a matter of fact has got Shoulders you can use as aircraft stability wings...................yeah!!! its true. and the site of his imitation of me got me smiling again, inside of me i was like, oh yes it is definately going to be a more mental fight, my class taught me better, its funny but i was not irritated one bit.
So you see when you dont have a chance to attain a good education the level of inteligence and the smartness with which you deal with issues can be hampered, piece of advice to you my friends, its never too late you can still go back to school.......... adult education did come to this town recently you can benefit from that. Maybe instead of imitating the way people walk, or getting irritated that you cant have meaningful conversation with a beautiful lady from America, Autralia the Caribean, Europe and all these places, you will learn to deal with issues more intelectually. Come on boys that there is real ispiration.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Rain forest Adventure
For those of you wondering where i spent the week end of the 8th Feb 2008 check out my pictures. This whole trip was the perfect mind relaxer
Monday, November 19, 2007
Shiamin Lim and Neelam Verjee on the Gorrila trip
Shiamin and Neelam, on a short break on their trip to Bwindi. It had to be a very good trip becaue the gorillas are always amazing to view, plus each experience has its own uniqueness.
Nicklin Pam Jinja Tour
Pam and i out at the Jinja Nile Resort having, what had to be a really good lunch for the both of us, as the view was stunning as well as the staff and swimming pool.
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