Addicted to Journalism

The walk through Kabalagala to the taxi stop is defined by smell. Diesel fumes infused with dust mix with the smoky aroma of chickens roasting whole beside the road.

Street venders cook the chicken, kabobs of beef or lamb, and chapattis in the gathering dusk. School boys trod home, their navy blue uniforms distinguishing them from the rest of the throng; an escari walks purposefully down the road, gun slung over his shoulder; “ma-dam, ma-dam,” boda boda drivers call as we pass, sitting atop their motorcycles and hoping we want a lift.

Today marks exactly one week since I arrived in Uganda and already I have established a weekday routine.

Each day begins at 5:50 with a quick bowl of cornflakes and a frantic dash down the rocky hill to catch a ride with Michael (our neighbor who works for MTN not too far away from Monitor Publications).

At work, I read my Bible and do some writing before everyone arrives. Zoe and I read the day’s paper as the staff comes in and then we all gather together for the morning news meeting at 8:30.

Each day is different, but always interesting. If I’m at the office during lunchtime, I eat a traditional Ugandan lunch in the canteen downstairs, and if I’m not, I either don’t eat or I grab something in town. We usually finish work between 5 and 5:30 and arrive home sometime after 6.

After dinner (sometimes we cook together, other times we each make something small for ourselves), Penny turns on a Mexican soap opera (she’s addicted!). Nights are short because I go to bed so early!

On Wednesday, I went to Parliament and sat in on a meeting for the committee of Presidential Affairs. The next day, Gerald and I’s story (“MPs feather Hajj Kigongo’s retirement nest, approve perks”) made the second page!

http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/MPs_feather_Hajj_Kigongo_s_retirement_nest_approve_perks_87023.shtml

On Thursday, I went to a features meeting for the weekly insert section, “Full Woman.” Filled with fashion tips, dating and parenting advice, and features on women’s issues, “Full Woman,” appears in every Saturday’s paper.

I narrowly missed being assigned a story on “parenting tips,” and walked away instead with assignments to write a feature on infertility in Uganda, do a vox pox section interviewing women at Makerere University about their feelings on the 1.5 point system (affirmative action) for women going into higher education, and write a personal piece on – wait for it – long distance relationships. :)

I spent the rest of the day in the office, calling clinics in Kampala (and reaching no one), working on the personal piece, and getting approval for a Monitor email address from HR.

Friday (besides being the day Michael Jackson died – due to be the front page story of the Monitor tomorrow!) was the United Nations International day in support of torture victims. Activists marched from Kololo airstrip to the Railway Grounds and where they had an assortment of speakers and events commemorating the day. I covered it with Faridah Kulabako, another reporter at the Monitor. Hopefully the story will make the Sunday paper.

I have never been so in tune with the news. Each morning, I greedily read the paper (the online version can be found at http://www.monitor.co.ug/), absorbing the issues and a little more of the culture – and searching eagerly for my name. One of the other reporters says that journalism is addictive and it truly is. I get an adrenaline rush from seeing my name in print and when I do, I just want to see it again and again. :)