Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Annual Leave, Self-Love
So this week I am on leave. I have to say this is the most point less annual leave i have ever taken, with absolutely no planned engagements outdoor. Nevertheless, i said 'sisemba nakyo', a Luganda saying that translates; I will not let this bring me down or i will take this bad and use it for good.
So then i decided to use this week for self grooming for both myself and my daughter. Not just any grooming, but special stuff we have both never done. I unplaited my hair (which had become bushy through the braids) and did a one natural treatment i have only read in blogs, the Egg and Mayonnaise treatment. I must say the thought of egg in my hair was daunting at first thought but it turned out to not be soo bad afterall, considering the amazing hair results. Never felt my hair so richly nourished. And as a bonus to my happiness, did the same for my daughter too. However by some bad luck, power decided not to show up in our village that day.
So after rocking the Lockdown hairstyle for 2 days, i finally give up on looking cute (and fighting fritz), i remembered Maria. Oh Maria would definitely save my troubles and fingers crossed that she is COVID-19 Free. :) So Maria is the lady at a local salong i sometimes go to for hair styling, when i can make it to my usual salons in Town and Ntinda. And save the day she did! I called her and she was more than happy to come home and plait us both and a friendly fee (though after paying i thought it was abit exorbitant considering i washed and dried my own hair and had my own braids.
But Oh, the look on my daughter's face when they started plaiting her and after seeing her head fully done. Priceless! It was her first time in her knowledgeable time to plait her hair professionally, apart from mummy's usual knots.
First night sleeping was a bit difficult but she was determined to make it work :) plus we both woke up not sore anymore.
Ps, today we did our Pedicure and we are pleased with that too but nothing much to write home about, since we always do that.
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Day 2 - Random thoughts, exercise
This Morning I was tempted to make more Mandazi after throwing away all the sour ones but after a hard thought, i decided to give myself time to recover from the embarrassment. :(
Work was busier than the earlier days of this week for some reason. More meetings and more emails to respond to. Also a lot more people called me for IT support. I guess reality is beginning to hit for many. The realization that 'we are not going back to work any time soon so whatever you're up to, you better find ways of making it work'. Or maybe the realization that after this season, the remnants of COVID-19 will also survive on survival for the fittest. Will there be jobs for everyone or only those who have proven themselves to their employer that they can face the new times? I saw new times because nothing will remain the same after COVID-19 for sure. For example will people still go to bars to drink or will they opt for the home drinking they have been accustomed to in the lockdown? So the salesperson who is used to branding at bars and moving in their car all over the place, will they sell the same? Or the IT department that has been supporting 300 on-site users; if managers realise that their staff can actually work from home and deliver, who will the IT people support on site? Or if they support at home, will they do it the same way they 'always' do it on site? The times after COVID-19 for sure won't be the 'as always' times.
Anyway, had a good day on the whole. Wound it up with stretching exercises on my Yoga mat, assisted by Tabi and her neighbourhood Friend Michelle, who is about 7 years old. (Yes my daughter is still playing with neighbours - and dont judge me) :)
And as i write this, finished my discussion a bit earlier than usual so decided to Pen my thoughts.
Cheers!
Work was busier than the earlier days of this week for some reason. More meetings and more emails to respond to. Also a lot more people called me for IT support. I guess reality is beginning to hit for many. The realization that 'we are not going back to work any time soon so whatever you're up to, you better find ways of making it work'. Or maybe the realization that after this season, the remnants of COVID-19 will also survive on survival for the fittest. Will there be jobs for everyone or only those who have proven themselves to their employer that they can face the new times? I saw new times because nothing will remain the same after COVID-19 for sure. For example will people still go to bars to drink or will they opt for the home drinking they have been accustomed to in the lockdown? So the salesperson who is used to branding at bars and moving in their car all over the place, will they sell the same? Or the IT department that has been supporting 300 on-site users; if managers realise that their staff can actually work from home and deliver, who will the IT people support on site? Or if they support at home, will they do it the same way they 'always' do it on site? The times after COVID-19 for sure won't be the 'as always' times.
Anyway, had a good day on the whole. Wound it up with stretching exercises on my Yoga mat, assisted by Tabi and her neighbourhood Friend Michelle, who is about 7 years old. (Yes my daughter is still playing with neighbours - and dont judge me) :)
And as i write this, finished my discussion a bit earlier than usual so decided to Pen my thoughts.
Cheers!
Day 1 - Sour Mandazi, bird feeders
So day 2 of the second lock down yesterday; this is how it went:
I got up early to finish my Mandazi baking before starting to work. See i has done the dough the day before but ran out of time because i had to start a zoom discussion which we hold daily with my classmates at 7 PM. This particular day we were discussing Financial Management, which happens to be my most troublesome subject so we agreed to start an hour earlier than usual. And poor me, i had forgotten all about it and started making Mandazi because i was craving them. So i abandoned this along the way and went for the discussion and by the end of the discussion at 10 PM i was proper exhausted. And silly me, little did i know that it was not a good idea to leave dough standing overnight - unless off course you are making sour cookies. :)
So that's how my first Lock down Mandazi adventure went down. Sour as Lemon!
Nonetheless, i proceeded with my day to work, work and work. Had several meetings along the way, trying to take regular breaks in and out of the house to ensure both my eyes and skeletal system is taken care of.
Day 1 highlight was the basket bird feeders i made with Tabi, out of the many baskets i have collected in my house overtime from the Valentines and birthday flowers. For some reason they look the same year after year :) so i was able to make two identical bird feeders. We could use a bit more wild life to cheer the mornings for sure.
I got up early to finish my Mandazi baking before starting to work. See i has done the dough the day before but ran out of time because i had to start a zoom discussion which we hold daily with my classmates at 7 PM. This particular day we were discussing Financial Management, which happens to be my most troublesome subject so we agreed to start an hour earlier than usual. And poor me, i had forgotten all about it and started making Mandazi because i was craving them. So i abandoned this along the way and went for the discussion and by the end of the discussion at 10 PM i was proper exhausted. And silly me, little did i know that it was not a good idea to leave dough standing overnight - unless off course you are making sour cookies. :)
So that's how my first Lock down Mandazi adventure went down. Sour as Lemon!
Nonetheless, i proceeded with my day to work, work and work. Had several meetings along the way, trying to take regular breaks in and out of the house to ensure both my eyes and skeletal system is taken care of.
Day 1 highlight was the basket bird feeders i made with Tabi, out of the many baskets i have collected in my house overtime from the Valentines and birthday flowers. For some reason they look the same year after year :) so i was able to make two identical bird feeders. We could use a bit more wild life to cheer the mornings for sure.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Optimism 111
I am tempted to start this newsletter with some exclamation of surprise or frustration, like “wow” or “argh.” Apparently, life can change suddenly, and some things we took for granted yesterday can be out of our reach today.
Imagine a band of microscopic viruses taking the global charts in just one hit and taking their world tour wherever and whenever they are unwelcome. And what do we need to do to bring this band down?... nothing... Nothing but staying home, washing our hands, and taking precautions whenever we should.
So under circumstances not by my own choice, the usual optimistic me decided i will stay at home yes but i will not do nothing. Today is day 1 of the second, 21 day lockdown in Uganda, imposed on the country by the Corona Virus - Covid-19. The first lockdown having lasted 14 full days, i was still doing something everyday but i missed recording in detail, perhaps because i initially thought the days would pass and end so quickly.
As a working mother and an MBA student, Life was starting to get out of hand until the band of little viruses made their grand entry into Uganda, enroute DXB International airport. Now don't judge me but i am actually thankful to God for Covid-19. Here's my 5 strong reasons why, in no particular order..
1. This time of the year is a particularly busy season for my workplace and i almost every time was failing to make time off work for school. Always the last person to enter class, everyday. If you ask me i don't even know half of my lecturer's names. So i can use this time to know who is really teaching me. Are they even worth my time? But seriously, now i can say i have some time to breathe.
2. Even busier is the MBA program. Not sure exactly how i survived semester 1 of my first year, this semester was starting to feel like the mountain i will only climb in my dreams. I mean do these people actually know that they teach all working students? Or maybe i am the busiest of them all and my classmates are all ok. But no way; the amount or retakes registered in the last semester can tell it all. One particular Course unit got over 100 students retaking which is not a good sign. At MBA level, i believe that None willingly registers for a course to fail it. So we were kinda forced to take a break, which gives me time to catch up with what i may have missed in class while i was busy at work.
3. My Daughter has such a strong memory. when you tell her something, it's as though you have proper written it down in her head. So since i told her about Corona Virus, it just cant get off her lips. From telling her friends not to touch her while playing, to actually praying, ' Lord we thank you for Corona Virus'. So yes i actually stole this from her. After listening to her prayers, i sat and thought- maybe there is actually reasons to thank God for Corona Virus. And my reason number three is the fact that i have, like Frozen's Elsa, for the first time in forever spent so much time with my daughter. Oh, what a joy!
4. Renewed Vitality. If you sometimes get busy as i do, you know there comes that season when you feel all energy is sapped out of you. You struggle to get out of bed to go to work, reach work and work with your eyes on the clock and then as if that is not enough, drag yourself to class after work, wondering when all this will be over. So i was at this point in my life. But now; yes i still have to work- but in the comfort of my home and with no effort made to look in a certain way.(yes, being a woman!) I feel new and i want this a little longer - If only it would people were not dying! :(
5. Creative rejuvenation. Believe it or not, everybody has their creative side on the inside. In the past two weeks, in my efforts to make sure my daughter stays off TV, the things i have made and engaged her in are incredible. I have made a kite out of a polythene bag, baked cupcakes in the microwave, made bird feeders to bring more birds to our garden, built toy houses and dolls and so on. Some of these have not exactly turned out so well (especially the baking) but i am so proud of being able to do it with my daughter, and off-course the opportunity to try again.
I thank you God for Corona Virus but please let your people not die.
In the next 21 days, i will try to write a daily update of how the day goes, not because i am a good writer but because i believe this is history worth writing.
Imagine a band of microscopic viruses taking the global charts in just one hit and taking their world tour wherever and whenever they are unwelcome. And what do we need to do to bring this band down?... nothing... Nothing but staying home, washing our hands, and taking precautions whenever we should.
So under circumstances not by my own choice, the usual optimistic me decided i will stay at home yes but i will not do nothing. Today is day 1 of the second, 21 day lockdown in Uganda, imposed on the country by the Corona Virus - Covid-19. The first lockdown having lasted 14 full days, i was still doing something everyday but i missed recording in detail, perhaps because i initially thought the days would pass and end so quickly.
As a working mother and an MBA student, Life was starting to get out of hand until the band of little viruses made their grand entry into Uganda, enroute DXB International airport. Now don't judge me but i am actually thankful to God for Covid-19. Here's my 5 strong reasons why, in no particular order..
1. This time of the year is a particularly busy season for my workplace and i almost every time was failing to make time off work for school. Always the last person to enter class, everyday. If you ask me i don't even know half of my lecturer's names. So i can use this time to know who is really teaching me. Are they even worth my time? But seriously, now i can say i have some time to breathe.
2. Even busier is the MBA program. Not sure exactly how i survived semester 1 of my first year, this semester was starting to feel like the mountain i will only climb in my dreams. I mean do these people actually know that they teach all working students? Or maybe i am the busiest of them all and my classmates are all ok. But no way; the amount or retakes registered in the last semester can tell it all. One particular Course unit got over 100 students retaking which is not a good sign. At MBA level, i believe that None willingly registers for a course to fail it. So we were kinda forced to take a break, which gives me time to catch up with what i may have missed in class while i was busy at work.
3. My Daughter has such a strong memory. when you tell her something, it's as though you have proper written it down in her head. So since i told her about Corona Virus, it just cant get off her lips. From telling her friends not to touch her while playing, to actually praying, ' Lord we thank you for Corona Virus'. So yes i actually stole this from her. After listening to her prayers, i sat and thought- maybe there is actually reasons to thank God for Corona Virus. And my reason number three is the fact that i have, like Frozen's Elsa, for the first time in forever spent so much time with my daughter. Oh, what a joy!
4. Renewed Vitality. If you sometimes get busy as i do, you know there comes that season when you feel all energy is sapped out of you. You struggle to get out of bed to go to work, reach work and work with your eyes on the clock and then as if that is not enough, drag yourself to class after work, wondering when all this will be over. So i was at this point in my life. But now; yes i still have to work- but in the comfort of my home and with no effort made to look in a certain way.(yes, being a woman!) I feel new and i want this a little longer - If only it would people were not dying! :(
5. Creative rejuvenation. Believe it or not, everybody has their creative side on the inside. In the past two weeks, in my efforts to make sure my daughter stays off TV, the things i have made and engaged her in are incredible. I have made a kite out of a polythene bag, baked cupcakes in the microwave, made bird feeders to bring more birds to our garden, built toy houses and dolls and so on. Some of these have not exactly turned out so well (especially the baking) but i am so proud of being able to do it with my daughter, and off-course the opportunity to try again.
I thank you God for Corona Virus but please let your people not die.
In the next 21 days, i will try to write a daily update of how the day goes, not because i am a good writer but because i believe this is history worth writing.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)