Kot Mwaka Maber! or Happy New Year

Nancy — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:37:00 +0000

The closest translation to that is Happy New Year and as it turns out New Year’s Eve is THE big celebration of the year. And frankly celebrating the birth of 2012, which is supposed to be a momentous year in evolutionary and spiritual terms, in Uganda is a bit surreal. I keep thinking I should be doing something BIG about now, but the fact is: it’s 11:42 and I’m sitting here surrounded by a cacophony of sounds from all directions and I’m writing a blog… I fear I have reached “old fartedness,” but that fear is somewhat assuaged by the fact that some of the younger ones also opted to stay out of the fray of Gulu-gone-wild at midnight. Still – we are celebrating what we’ve survived or transcended in the last five months and devising ways to continue same for the next twenty two.

There are parties – no, make that bashes – in all directions. At about 7:30 friends and I went to a little club that is literally in my front yard and the crowd was beginning to gather. It seemed to be a private party, so we ambled through a rutted dirt road to a guest house known as Absolute Comfort (hmmmm) and had drinks on their “patio,” replete with flashing disco lighting and a sports game on a big screen in the inside bar. We ordered a beer and two Smirnoff Ice Black Label vodka coolers. Communication not going so well, our waitress announced that all they had was Red Label. When she “verified” two shots, I knew something had been lost in translation. When she showed up with two shots of Johnny Walker Red, it was confirmed.

We finally got our drinks and as darkness fell, the crowds increased and women carrying huge pots (24″ diameter) on their heads passed in a steady stream going to a street party a few blocks away. Others were leading a cows home on the same street and Bodas, cars, bicycles and kids jockeyed for any space remaining. The dust soon became unbearable, so we meandered home while we could still do it without risking life and limb. Ugandans like their alcohol and they love to party, so we’ll let them have their streets tonight.

Midnight: Wow – this town is erupting. I’ve never heard so much human noise and there are explosions in every direction. I can see some fireworks from my window and this noise is just phenomenal for its sheer volume and scope, considering how far it seems to continue in al directions. Times Square has nuthin’ over Gulu when it comes to New Years. The gecko on my wall has been vibrated out of stillness and it’s scurrying around no doubt looking for a safe-haven. There will be little sleep tonight…

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Kot Mwaka Maber! or Happy New Year