Kaija is currently on a work-related trip in the north for two weeks, in areas where the whole population lives in IDP (internally displaced person) camps because of a plague called the Lord’s Resistance Army. Whole districts in that part of the country are without electricity or running water.
It’s a pity to move that fascinating little story of a pickpocket’s sufferings away from the top of the page (perhaps I should rename it as The Chinese Application of Hammurab’s Law), but I feel it’s time for some personal news for a change. I have been watching time fly past in Uganda for almost five and a half months now, and in little more than a month I’m going to pack my papers along with a few clothes and head back to the homeland for the summer. I would say summer vacation if that were the case; alas, I am anticipating a work-filled period of three and a half months. I almost hope it will rain all summer (always a realistic possibility) because the oversigned won’t have much time to enjoy the great outdoors during the months of light in the north. The dissertation is plodding along in a mildly satisfactory manner. I am hoping to have a vaguely tolerable version of the manuscript ready by the time I head back for Africa, which is scheduled to happen on 1 September.
I just secured a nice one-room flat for the summer months in Tampere. It’s in Tammela, right by the marketplace, so I’ve also secured a nearby outdoor source of certain groceries. I’ve never lived in that part of town, and the offerings of Tammelantori for my kitchen remain to be experienced. What i do know is that the black sausage will continue to occupy a very minor position in my diet. It’s pretty tasty with fresh crushed lingonberries, but, let’s face it, most foods are delicious with fresh lingonberries, and they won’t be around until the end of summer. Which reminds me: the strawberries will be something to wait for. I haven’t had any since last summer, and the year prior to that I only got to “enjoy” the watery taste of huge, genetically manipulated American specimens. What else … yummy! (this one is me, not the turtle) – I’ll also enjoy the blueberry and raspberry season, and cloudberries, if I so prefer! Long live the subarctic forest! Hail the swamp!
Variation in the amount of light will be welcome too. It gets kind of boring in the long run when night and day follow each other in regular 12-hour shifts like clockwork. Give me something different. Give me seasons. I missed the dark era this year, so give me the midnight sun instead.
P.S. Kävin muuten viime keskiviikkona saunassa.
