DREAM JOB 2.0

It’s been more than two weeks since I signed on to my dream job, exactly as I described it on this day.

How feel I?

Extremely happy. In fact, my faith has been revived!

Lessons learned

-Network, network, network! Except for my first internship in the summer of 2006, every jig that I have thorough enjoyed and/or learned a lot from has been through a referral. Everything else has built on from there. The job that led to this opportunity was through a referral by a neighbor whose girls I’d babysit back in D.C. (do dishes, laundry,sweep floors, too-yeah, been there, done that), to whom I mentioned my search for a summer internship, who talked to her husband, who introduced me to a lady with whom he’d done a study in W. Africa before,who ended up employing me in the winter (found something else for the summer), whose colleague invited me to his room-mates going away party, where I met the Africa head of the organization where I’m now working with, who sent my C.V. across East Africa….
-Unpaid internships pay off, eventually. Hence babysitting, scrubbing floors, waiting tables while working that un-paid professional job
-Prayers work! Funny how one minute you can be so anxious, saying all sorts of things to God. Looking back He has answered most of the ones I prayed when I was as young as 10-like God help me go to University someday, get a great job etc. Note to self; start praying again, it’ll be interesting to give thanks 40 years from now.

Going back in time

I recently went to my undergraduate institution to get my certificate. I never attended the graduation ceremony and haven’t been there in years. Nothing much has changed, save for a few previously stalled buildings now complete. We had hoped to occupy them over the years we studied there. You still have to move from office to office to get papers rubber-stamped. I’d lost the clearance form I’d used back in the day and had to go look for a copy over at Finance. They gave me a box to sort through. Faculty of Education (it was ..and Human Resources but now it is…and Community Services, or something of the sort) showed me a room where to search for my file. I want to go to my old primary and secondary schools, and at the secondary school where I taught before changing cause.

Housing issue

For the first time ever, since moving here, I’ve stayed entirely by myself. Couldn’t stand my own company at first, T.V. was my best friend before I met a few peeps outside of work, but I’m now enjoying it. I’d always stayed with relatives and friends/room-mates. But for more than a year, one of them worked the night-shift and spent a lot of time with the boyfriend when she was off, so it was like we were living by ourselves in the same house at separate times of the day. I got a nice place here in K’la now, but I’m not staying there beyond April this year. The landlady was the only one who accepted 2 months worth of rent, the rest asking for even upto 6 months of rent in advance. UGX 250K/month, and yes, I’m complaining. Because she won’t give me the key to the main gate, and insists on locking it at 10:30pm, 10:55pm at the latest. Weekends included. Nyabo, I’ve come a long way from teenage years. Have got another place several gates down. Down-side; have to add UGX 50K/month. But bigger and better and can be shared with someone else if none of us gets on the other’s nerves.

Next Steps?

Planning on adding a CFA to my name after the Bsc and MBA in the next couple years. Mrs. before? Help me God.