Round Two

We are back in Nairobi. The workshop in Kampala was fantastic. The participants were so great, we got so lucky with electricity and internet, and our hosts did such a nice job, that I could not have asked for more on any front. In fact, it far surpassed even my doubly-wide optimistic hopes for how it might go. Part of that was because of how the group emerged from its chrysalis after the 2 weeks—we started off a collection of strangers and ended up a group of friends. Not only did I not know the participants beforehand, most of them did not know each other, and now I think they really feel they have a new battalion of professional and personal resources in Kampala as they pursue their research and career goals. I certainly feel that way, and I am grateful to them for so fully engaging in the workshop and making it a success. Above is a picture of the main building on the Makerere University campus, and on the left is the Dept. of Zoology where we have made our home the last 2 weeks.

The other thing I am grateful for is the fact that motorcycles (called bodabodas in Uganda, and pikipikis in Tanzania and Kenya) are taking over the major cities and towns of East Africa. First of all, I love motorcycles and (of course!) scooters. Second, they make so much sense here. The urban planning initiatives are a bit behind the population growth, so if you want to get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time, you are better off walking or taking a bodaboda (a small glimpse of which is shown here, but you have to imagine them in absolute fleets during rush hour! the Hell's Angels would be proud.) They allow you to enjoy the breeze while swerving in and out of standstill traffic, occasionally chatting with other passengers at intersections-- both of you cheerful because you are going to get where you want to go on time and in style. The women often sit sidesaddle (skirts, you know) and there can easily be 3 passenger and a driver on one vehicle if everyone's comfortable with the arrangement. Of course, they don't just transport people, but charcoal, sacks of fruit, slabs of meat, and all the other things one also sees delicately slung over the backs of bicycles and the heads of men, women, and children when you keep your eyes open. Anyway, bodabodas (and their drivers) made life in Kampala sweet in yet another way the last two weeks, and I am grateful for them too.

We arrived back in Kenya yesterday about midday, and I think it was cool to see Andrew (my teaching assistant and a recent Lewis and Clark graduate) come back to something familiar. I could sense how good it felt to him to land somewhere and feel like he knew the place, and I am happy that our itinerary ended up in a way that had us both start and end in Nairobi. I was sad to leave friends (new and old) in Kampala, but happy to return to a place where KiSwahili is the norm. I had learned basic greetings in Luganda (the unofficial official language in Uganda) and bought a Luganda-English dictionary at the airport on my way out, but it definitely made me realize how much knowing the language is a key part of the intense happiness I feel when I am here. So, it feels good.
As soon as we arrived, I turned around and headed to iHub, a technology innovation center here in Nairobi, where I had arranged to give a talk on the longer term goals I have for bringing bioinformatics and genomics research to East Africa. It is an amazing little hive of activity—they have highspeed wireless internet and provide a place for techies and hackers to program, focusing mainly on mobile phone applications that can help empower, connect, and inform folks in this part of the world. Over my head for sure, but the openness (and emphasis on open-source-ness) made me think that maybe I could inspire some techies to join forces on a bioinformatics and genomics initiative. I was right! A group of about 10 of us got together to talk, listen, and brainstorm yesterday for what turned into over 3 hours. It was fun, and exciting, and (as you have come to expect) I am really optimistic about the possibilities that will come of it, perhaps much more quickly than I had dared hope. The longterm goal is to get a regionally relevant whole genome sequencing project off the ground where the idea, sequencing, annotation, and energy comes from here. The field of bioinformatics and genomics research is quite a democratic one, with a real emphasis on making data and tools free and accessible. Thus, it is an area of science that could and should be doable anywhere, and I want to help make it doable here.

Enough about work! It’s Sunday, and I am enjoying a day of rest after 2 very busy weeks have wrapped up and 2 more very busy weeks are about to start. If that doesn't refresh me, I can always call Dr. Karim, I saw his ad today while out and about....