patrick.net

curious2 says

No, it wouldn't. The heat in Uganda can be lethal, and countless other problems and hazards abound. In central Africa, "Christian" missions have done a mostly horrible job in recent decades making it an increasingly grim place, including religious violence and political problems in one country after another. I know people who have traveled thousands of miles at great expense to do volunteer work in Uganda, and I can only wonder why they don't volunteer someplace nearer to home. If you want to volunteer in sub-Saharan Africa, then by far the best place to go is South Africa.

You have no clue what you are talking about, either the climate or christian missions..

Altitude in africa is everything. Other than a few low area's along the rift valley ugunda is mostly high plateau with a very mild climate and not many tropical diseases. I'm looking at southern ugunda by rwanda. It's perpetual spring there, like medellín or lake victoria. There are over 600 heat deaths a year in the US, I guess I should really avoid going there.

I've stopped in tanzania for a couple weeks years ago and travelled around some, so I know some of east africa already. I thought the people in and around arusha were great people. I camped in arusha national park (where hatari was filmed) in May after the monsoon and it was 70's every day and around 50 at night. I would have zero qualms about taking my 5 year old if I went back. The part of ethiopia I'm looking at visiting is at 8000 feet and you need a jacket at night most of the year.

The people I'm talking with have been in southern ugunda for 20 years without knowing of any trouble at all anywhere near them. The problems with militia groups are in northern ugunda on the south sudan border. That's over 1000 miles away. You sound like my geographically challenged family when I told them I was going to dubia for a month. Oh my god you'll be killed there's a war there. Dubai, Damascas, Detroit whatever, its all furrin.

If (when) I ever go to south africa it will be to kitesurf, not to teach kids about wifi. I have a standing invitation from a couple I knew in NZ that live in capetown now. Damn it's a long trip though. I would have to tie it into something else.

As every international traveller knows, if you don't want crime or trouble then stay away from it. If you are hanging with businessmen, moms, kids and grandparents in the middle of the day its probably pretty safe. If you are hanging with drug dealers and hookers at 3 am then it's probably not. Stay out of bad areas, especially at night. Don't go into active conflict area's. If troops armed with tanks and machine guns say they don't think it's safe ahead I give them the benefit of the doubt and turn back. It's not rocket science.

Parts of africa are grim. Many parts aren't. It's a huge continent. The colonizers killed huge numbers of natives, pillaged the resources, drew random lines over tribal areas, then cut and ran without a qualm. To be fair the french tried to set up their former colonies with working governments at least. When the belgiums took off from the congo there were something like 10 college graduates left in the entire country.

I don't believe for a second you know anyone who has actually been to east africa, much less ugunda. What organization did they volunteer with and in what town?

drew_eckhardt says

errc says

What's next. They're going to open a restaraunt where they dupe you into cooking your own food?

Yup.

Rok Bistro in Sunnyvale

And then probably charge a premium cuz "its so effin cool"

Nope. I paid $12 for my last steak at the Rok versus $36 when I had my local brew pub cook one for me.

If the goal is to save money, why not head to the last day expiry rack at the super market, and cook it at home for $5

If I'm getting 10 items or less I have no problem and it's quicker if there's an open register. First job for a company was a grocery store. I can do it faster than 9 out of 10 employees at the register. I'm probably slightly autistic or just learned from the past and face the barcodes for quick scanning.

As long as there's no alcohol I'm scanned and paid in under a minute when I do self checkout. Even with alcohol they have to call someone over 90% of the time because they're under 21. At self checkout they get automatically notified and just come over.

It's why I left real estate. I can't deal with humans that I don't know and they think they know everything, not knowing my knowledge. When you close 5 deals a year and you're talking to be that runs the business and closed 100, shut up. Basically the cashier is the 5 deal closer and I know I can do it better working at a grocery store as a kid.

Patrick says

When I saw the topic, I was thinking it was a euphemism...