Oh, Bulindi!



Bulindi was my home for three years. I lived in the village of Kyhambia; Bulindi was the name of the parish. Bulindi is part of Hoima District on the western side of Uganda. Hoima District borders on Lake Albert that borders on the Democratic Republic of Congo.

I am still quite attached to Bulindi and keep regular contact with many for my friends and family there. I have never been so well cared-for and accepted in my life as I was in Bulindi. The community adopted me as their own. At least three men considered themselves my adopted father, and twice that many women considered me their son. It was nice to have so many people concerned about my well-being. I never felt a need for anything. My physical necessities were always taken care of: food would be brought, water fetched, grass cut. I could always count on friendly visits and good conversation. I truly felt like a member of the community.

I knew my way around Bulindi very well, discovered most shortcuts and cut a few of my own. No matter how often I took a walk in the evenings, I was always amazed of the view in the horizon: the rolling hills of green cut by deep red clay roads, the thick forests with black and white colobus monkeys spying above, women and children working in field after field of peanuts, beans, sweet potatoes and corn.

My daily routine included going to the shop across the road from the school's compound. I went there for supplies as much as I went there for social interaction. The barbershop is where I could count on learning all the village gossip: Who was afflicted by witchcraft? Which corrupt politician was trying to rob a poor villager of his land? One of my best barbershop memories is sitting, waiting for a hair cut. There were two other people waiting on a bench across from my chair. We were all in a "ho-hum" mood; everyone was quiet, staring at the floor. On the radio, a familiar tune came on. It was "Born to Make You Happy" by Britney Spears. Intantaneously, the mood of the salon changed. Toes began to tap, faces lit up, and before the 4 minutes and 5 seconds of the song had passed, every person in the room was singing the chorus. It was a scene right out of a musical production. The POWER OF POP!!!

Being near Bulindi, my village, and the people who became my family is this week's reason I am happy to be moving back to Uganda. I will not be living in that region of the country. I'll be working in the capital city of Kampala, Central Region, but Uganda is a small country, and I'll be able to visit any weekend I feel the need. Yay!

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Palagi Beach

(My favorite beach on the island)


All the good beaches in American Samoa take effort to reach. You must hike up and down hills, scale the sides of ciffs, climb rocks and wade through the ocean; however, the beaches are usually well worth the effort.


The first time I went to Palagi Beach, I was not prepared for the journey, and it wore me out. Now it is my favorite beach to visit. It's quiet, clean, has places to dive and explore the reef, there is a cliff over a deep pool where you can jump, there's a cave; it's just a neat place. In fact, it is one of easiest beaches to reach. The journey to and from the beach is now a piece of cake.


Going to Palagi Beach is an activity that I will greatly miss when I move away from American Samoa.

I was inspired by the coconut trees today. They brought me thoughts of Britney and Herb Ritts in Miami.

Here is my tribute to Brit:

Don't, don't let me be the last to know
Don't hold back, just let it go
I need to hear you say
You need me all the way
Oh, if you love me so
Don't let me be the last to know