Doing Business in Africa

Hey Everyone! I can't believe it has almost been a month since my last post! I was in Kampala for so long and have been so busy since I've been back that the time has blown by.

I was trying to think of a title for this post and I have gone through so much since my last post that finding a major theme proved difficult. A few titles that came to mind were "Kampala", "Frustrations", "Burnout", and "The Incredible Struggle for the Mighty Landcruiser". All these titles apply to what has been happened to me lately, but the title I finally settled on just about encompasses everything. How to do business in Africa and what to expect while working here has been a difficult thing for me to learn. I guess when you are doing on-the-job-training, there is really no easy way to learn how to do something difficult.

In my last post, I told you my Landcruiser was in Kampala and that I was headed down there to pick it up... At least I was told my Landcruiser was in Kampala. When we arrived in Kampala we went to the dealership to pick the truck up when we were told the truck wasn't even in the country yet! Apparently, the salesman didn't think we would come so quickly so he just said the truck was there to make himself look better. Well, instead of being in Kampala for the four days we intended, we were there almost three weeks!

We also went there to buy a larger flatbed truck (lorry) for hauling around our huge air compressor and other drilling materials. After looking at multiple used trucks, we finally settled on one that would work well for our needs. The deal was going so well until David brought the money to pay for the truck in Ugandan Shillings instead of U.S Dollars. Between the time the money was wired to David's account and the time we pulled it out to buy the lorry, the exchange rate had changed so much that now we were short about $2000. Here we were minutes away from buying a truck, when the deal completely fell through. On a side note, if you want to know what real fear is, try walking around Kampala with 56,000,000 Ugandan Shillings (about $30K)in a backpack.

All in all, the trip was expensive but in the end successful. I came back with a brand new landcruiser pickup (Nicknamed "Babe"), a new motorcycle that I bought, and we also ordered a brand new Tata lorry that should be in Kampala in a couple of weeks.

During the second and third week I was in Kampala I stayed at a hostel called Red Chili and met a ton of awesome people. I met one young German who has ridden his bicycle from Munich to Kampala! I also met an Australian couple that has ridden their motorcycles across Australia, through Asia and the Middle East (including Iran), and then down through Africa to Kampala. I also met many people that have been traveling for years without stopping. Only in Africa can you meet people that extreme and/or crazy.

I also had one weekend of R&R. For that weekend I went to the town of Jinga (pronounced Gin-ja") which is supposedly the source of the Nile. While in Jinga I bungee jumped three times and rafted the Nile. The rafting there is said to be one of the best places in the world. That weekend was awesome and was a nice break from the stresses awaiting me back in Kampala.

So anyways, I'm back in Kajo Keji now and have a lot to catch up on. Unfortunately, all the construction of my house and compound stopped shortly after I left. I'm behind in just about everything work related, but I've been pushing through the backlog of paperwork and have restarted work on at the construction site. I'm hoping to be living in my house by the end of the month but I've learned the hard way not to expect anything or anyone on time in Africa.

Lastly, one of the other things I've found hard to get used to is discrimination. People are constantly trying to rip me off. They see the color of my skin and instantly think I'm rich. After a short while, this becomes tiresome and frustrating. What's even more frustrating is to know that even if I lived in Africa for 20 years, I would still face the same problem day in and day out. I guess it is just something I'll have to get used to over time. The main problem I'm seeing with this is having an attitude of distrust toward all Africans. How can I trust anyone when I'm constantly on guard?

Please keep me in your prayers. After "The Great Kampala Struggle" (another potential title), I'm exhausted physically, emotionally, and even somewhat spiritually. I'm tired and my closest break is still a month and a half away during Christmas. Thank you to all of you that have been praying for me.