Two different worlds

I have now lived one full year in Uganda, East Africa as a volunteer. My daily walk to work totaled 880 kilometers which is like walking from Manila to Sorsogon in the Bicol region.  I have lived comfortably on USD7 a day (and falling because the last time I checked, inflation rate in Uganda  was around 18%).  To break my self-imposed isolation,  I took advantage of a concessionary air fare for VSO volunteers flying to the UK.  I visited  my daughter who is completing a masters degree at the University of Edinburgh. At the university-managed flat which she shares with three other students, I had a shock at the way the students live and how consumerism really worked for them.  The kitchen has all sorts of condiments and food items are found here and there.  The bathroom is full of bottled personal care items for head to toes, lots of pairs of footwear lined in the hallway, and quality pens and stationeries left in every nook from bedroom to kitchen. I have not seen this lifestyle in a long time and  coming from rural Uganda, I'd say this was extravagance, relatively speaking. A hamburger in Edinburgh is equivalent to my one day allowance. 


I enjoyed listening to the conversations of the young, watching them do their school work seriously and manage to live together harmoniously despite their multi-cultural origins.  Although Edinburgh is a gourmet's delight, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my daughter has acquired culinary skills courtesy of YouTube.

Computer-aided cooking

Empty wine and beer bottles for the recycling bin

But what I found quite distinctive was their preference for wine, and beer.  Maybe it has something to do with the weather. Well, I was just glad that I was in the company of above 18 years-olds so we can down several rounds as I tell them stories of how life is in Gulu, Uganda, East Africa.