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on Um Zayd wa Atheer (Uganda), 08/Jan/2012 16:59, 34 days ago
The Power of ChristmasPope Benedict's view that Christmas has lost its true message and has become commercialised is hardly new or extreme. As one commentator on the BBC World Service has put it, "Where has this man been?" One could say that despite the self-evidence of this message very few people in the developed world pay little attention so perhaps it is well worth repeating.Here in Masindi the churches are packed every Sunday so it is hardly surprising that at Christmas time the crowds spill beyond the doors. I'm not sure that this means that Ugandans are more religious. Probably for most people it is part of the ritual, what is expected, just like it is in the UK. Here Christmas has not become commercialised. No gifts are exchanged and the most children can expect is some new clothing. The greatest symbol of Christmas is meat. Even the poorest family serve goat, beef or chicken alongside matooke and cassava. On Christmas Eve I was visiting my friend Amina in Kigezi village. Carcasses were hung in the trees and flustered fowl awaited their fate at the Trading Centre. There was an atmosphere of excitement and merriment, some of the potential customers more than tipsy.In order to pay for these 'excesses' of Christmas petty thefts soar at this time of year. Even my own compound (garden) was broken into a few days ago and the bicycle was stolen. Washing can disappear from the line along with garden furniture. This makes people, including me, nervous and protective of their belongings. I know that my western possessions would be considered rich pickings. Inside the house I hide things to a point that I can never find anything. Outside I now have Tracey, a seventeen-year-old student, house sitting during the day whilst Komakech the night watchman comes at about 6pm each day in varying degrees of soberness. These arrangements are not perfect but as they say here 'What to do?'Christmas was quieter and darker than I expected. The electricity went off on the 23rdand still hasn't returned. The transformer has failed and a new one needs to be brought from South Africa. The reserve batteries on my laptop and phone dwindled to nothing. One blessing was my battery operated short wave radio. Reception is often crackly but it does have brilliant spells and one of these coincided with the Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings College. Even crackles can be appreciated at times of prolonged silence.My Christmas gifts from the family were given to me on the 10thDecember and I was told to open them there and then. No wonder because they wanted to see my joy. I am now the delighted owner of 63 Kindle books and a deck to play music on an Iphone, all set up by Atheer. I became thoroughly modern in the bat of an eyelid. Here in Masindi my Christmas gift came without wrapping. On Christmas Eve I saw Amina walking without crutches, a limp or any pain. After so much suffering and determination her broken leg is now mended. Everybody is very happy including me.PS Electricity finally returned on the 7th January. It's patchy and the 3 Wise Men would have difficulty following this star but at last there is a glimmer of hope that normal service will be resumed. Having got thoroughly bored with myself there are now bursts of activity like sending BLOGS and even doing ironing.