My Fortune

While the elections in Uganda are several months past, unrest is ever present. I have seen on BBC articles stating Besigye, an opposition leader, was staging walk outs and encouraging people to protest rising food prices and corruption in the government. The government would then disperse the police and using tear gas and rubber bullets, stop the protests and arrest Besigye. Besigye was even shot in the hand by a rubber bullet last week. Apparently he is arrested every day as he walks to work and everyday they let him go. Besigye lives near my old home. I talked to Annet this morning and she said everyone in the area is always on edge and she fears passing through there. She told me just the other day the police came through the school she is teacher at and all the students and staff ran away and hide because they were afraid.

It seems to me that it's a little too late to be protesting elections but protesting high food prices isn't necessarily a bad thing. Though, maybe someone who wasn't the opposition should lead the peaceful protests. Uganda really is sad in that there is little to no room to question the government or the way things are done. In the process of people trying, a lot of damage is done. My dear friends living in Besigye's area now live in fear as they walk to the market or try to go to work. Everyone is on edge. It is a sad situation.

I went out for Chinese food with my parents last night. At the end of our meal we opened our fortune cookies and I had to laugh. This is mine:

When I was talking to Annet she was telling me how she was suffering with housing and needs to find an affordable and big enough place for her and Grace. Also, somewhere away from the main road and farther from Besigye's home. I told her I would share my fortune cookie fortune with her. She really didn't understand what a fortune was or that you got it in a cookie. I tried to think of words in Luganda to use to convey my meaning but failed. In the end I read the fortune to her but I think she just thought I was saying it on my own. Regardless, I hope for both of us that this fortune comes true.