Adventure at the Ministry

Yesterday I attempted to apply for my work permit. J kindly took me to the warehouse and showed me the way so that I could get there myself later. At the warehouse I met some very nice people who work refurbishing computers. One of them offered to take me to the ministry and we took a motorcycle taxi from the warehouse to the ministry, (without helmets) something I swore I would never do while living in Thailand but which seems unavoidable here. Not wanting to seem the wimpy foreigner I hoped on and tried my best not to fall off.

At the ministry we were shuffled from one desk to another until we found the correct counter. When I told the woman behind the counter I was applying for a work permit as a teacher she told me to look at the requirements in section G, as I was reading through the long list of requirements of things that I did not have or understand I began to get worried. No one told me I needed a bank statement and I didn’t not know what an investment something or other was… I asked the woman if it might make a difference that I was a volunteer and she told me that I would still need most of them, so I went back to the list trying not to panic and to sort out what questions I should ask before leaving. I asked her what needed to be on the bank statement and she asked me the magic question, how long would I be in Uganda. Five months apparently is short enough to eliminate most of the requirements. I was left with three requirements two of which I had and one that was not quite right enough to fit the formatting requirements, the letter of invitation that I had needed to be addressed to the Dept. of Immigration. Relieved that I did not have to procure a bank statement, original copies of my qualifications or numerous other mysterious documents I headed back to the house to contact the headmaster about the required letter. My friend from the warehouse put me on the right shared taxi and sent me on my way.

My first taxi ride alone in Uganda, despite the fact that I didn’t have to locate the correct van, tell the conductor where I wanted to go or even notify him where I wanted to get off I was quite proud of myself for this wee taxi adventure that took me along bumpy side roads, stopping for gas and an impossible intersection that I thought that we would never get through. I might even attempt a taxi ride on my own today if I can figure out how to pronounce the name of the place where the shops are.

After I got dropped off I walked back to the house (I think I have figured out why I never see fat people here, everyone walks everywhere) I reached the gate hot and sweaty with a grumbling stomach only to realize that there was no one there, (totally my own fault as I had not told M when I would be returning as I didn’t know how long it would take.) Too tired to walk all the way back to the main road and catch a bus to the shops I just sat down on the road in a bit of shade to wait. About 10 minutes later the neighbour that I had met the day before walked by and asked me what I’m doing when I explained my situation and he insisted that I cannot sit there waiting and I should come over, he gave me some water and offered me food which I was very grateful for, it was this mashed, boiled plantain that I had had before and wasn’t so fond of, but yesterday it tasted like the best thing ever, I ate every last bite. An hour later M returned, I e-mailed the headmaster and crashed for three hours. That evening I got a reply about the work permit, I happily discovered that arrangements had been made for me and I didn’t need to apply for the work permit myself...

I guess my adventures at the ministry are over.