You win some and you lose some

The end is approaching quickly...I have only two days before I board that KLM flight heading towards Amsterdam to start my journey back home.

I wrapped up my last final exam this morning, and it was a great feeling to get that over and done with. Unfortunately, however, the thesis defense I was hoping would happen before I left appears that it will not. To make a long story short (and to save myself from expressing too much of my frustration with the situation), I was prepared to give the defense on Saturday (literally was standing in front of the panelists with my slideshow projected on the wall) when they informed me that I was not going to be allowed to present due to a technicality. At Makerere, the thesis should not be defended until all grades have been received and verification of all classes being completed is submitted. Obviously, I was not all too pleased with the situation, but I think we've found a compromise: I'll do a teleconference defense once all of the bureaucracy has been cleared (Makerere doesn't have capabilities for this, but some of the hotels in the city do).

However, to be fair, I have been able to cut through a good deal of the red tape up to this point, so I can't complain too much. Technically, I shouldn't have even started my research until after classes had finished. The fact that they even let me attempt to do this program in 9 months is a blessing in itself. So, as long as I can do this defense without having to drop a couple grand to fly back, I'll be okay with it. I will wait to finalize my opinions of Makerere until that is over and decided.

In more exciting events, I did my first hash today. No, it's not how it sounds. A "hash" is a event put on by the Hash House Harriers. It's a mix between a running club and a social club (they bill themselves as "a drinking club with a running problem") with active groups all over the world. I've been meaning to try it out for the past several months, and finally made time to do it tonight with a few friends from my office. It was a lot of fun, but ouch...I am out of shape!

My host family had a going away party for me on Saturday night. They told me that it was just going to be a "small event" for a few friends and family, but when I got home on Saturday, I found that they had rented a large tent along with tables and chairs....I should have known that there is no such thing as a "small event" here in Uganda! It was a incredibly kind act on their part, and a very fitting way to top off all of the kindness that they have shown to me during the previous several months. My camera battery is dead right now, but I'll hopefully add a picture or two from the event in the next day or so.

It does feel like it's an appropriate time to head out. Most of my closest friends over here took off in this last week (I've realized that the ex-pat crowd is somewhat seasonsal over here), and many of my major projects have either concluded or reached a point where I can let them go (or, in the case of the master's degree, hopefully finish from abroad). I'll take the next couple days to wrap up a few odds and ends, and then I'll be ready to get on the plane to come home!

Cheers!
Chris