Finally here.

After a delay in New York, a 12 hour layover in London (in which we could not leave the airport due to the terrible snow storm), and many more hours of traveling, I am here - safe and sound - in Kampala. The past few days have been devoted to an orientation for the 28 American students participating on this program, and only recently have we been let loose to discover the city for ourselves.

Kampala is overwhelming. Not because of the unfamiliarity of it, but because of the traffic, the noise, and the fumes which weigh on my lungs. It's risky crossing streets because cars rarely (if ever) stop for pedestrians. The motorcycle taxis here are on their last wheels, and no one wears helmets . I witnessed a car hitting a bicyclist this afternoon!

The beginning of any adventure to a new place is always a bit awkward: Forcing yourself to emerge from you comfort zone, make a fool of yourself tripping over the local language, and learning the subtleties of the culture. I have no problem being laughed at, but being a newcomer is a bit uncomfortable. I know I will always be an outsider here, an anomaly, a spectacle. But I look forward to the time when I will be an outsider with a sliver of an insider's knowledge.