The Penultimate Day

Another glorious day in Old Blighty full of history and culture and sights and sounds. We headed straight for the Tower of London today, with no strange issues on the Northern Line to delay us, and arrived within a few minutes of the gates opening at 10am. The sun had not yet decided whether to make an appearance, and quite frankly it was very chilly! But by the time we started our tour with one of the Beefeaters the sun was shining brightly.

If any of you have ever visited the Tower, you know that the Beefeaters are very very good guides, full of every bit of historical trivia about the Tower and London you could ever want to know, and extremely funny to boot. Our guide, Paul, reminded me a lot of John Cleese in the way he spoke, but I have to say I found him a little bit too sarcastic and a tad forced. However, during the tour it came out (during a conversation he had with some of our group who were in the US Marines) that he was a Sergeant in the British armed forces during the war in the Falklands, and precisely 27 years ago (almost to the minute, when he was telling the story) he had launched an attack and lost 36 men. He got quite emotional about it, and it really provided context to his demeanor. Anyway, overall an excellent tour. Just having watched the Tudors season two, I looked at all the gory historical spots with renewed interest.

After the tour we stopped for a cup of tea and enjoyed another view of the Tower Bridge. I know I posted a pic yesterday from the boat, but this one is better:

And then back to Leicester square to look at what tickets were available for performances tonight (none that we wanted to see) and then lunch, and then wandering through Picadilly, Soho, Carnaby, and into Marlyebone area (I liked Marlyebone - Baker Street is here, and one could really picture the gas lamps and carriages trotting past as Sherlock Holmes and Watson walked down the street).

By this time it was close to 4:30 and I was dead. I had been feeling quite tired all day, really, and Heather was good to put up with my lagging pace. Eventually we hopped the tube back to the hotel and I crashed for a couple of hours before heading out for dinner. We went to an Italian restaurant near Bedford Square, and had an excellent meal.

And now we are packed, and all ready for our long day coming up tomorrow. Unfortunately we are on different flights - she is on Air Canada direct to the Tdot, and I am flying KLM through Amsterdam.

What an amazing couple of weeks (almost) it has been. I am really glad I've been keeping a blog because so much of it is a blur right now, and I feel that I've experienced a couple of months of activities in this short time. I'm sure I would have forgotten something if I had waited until returning home to write.

For those of you who have followed along and left comments, I'm glad you enjoyed my rambling! This blog thing is a great way for people to stay in touch, and as I said, also a terrific way to keep a diary of sorts. I enjoyed writing, enjoyed your comments, and most of all, enjoyed the trip. I'm so grateful to the organizations who made this trip possible, and especially to Cathie for recommending that I accompany the team this year. It is an experience I will not soon forget.

But I will also be very glad to get back home to my friends, colleagues and family. As my grandmother used to say, "East west, home's best."

Lindsay Who?

What a weird and fabulous day Heather and I had today. We are just back after a great dinner out with old friends Lisa and Brett. Lisa made reservations at a tres chic restaurant, Yauatcha, in the West End - Soho, really. It's a very cool Chinese restaurant with a tapas- style menu... we ordered close to 10 dishes and ate and chatted for about 3 hours! It was so great to see them - it's been too long. They are lucky enough to have lived in London as ex-pats for the last 5 years, and will head back to the US later this summer.

Anyway, I have bugged Lisa for a long time that she is completely oblivious to the famous people who live so close to her (in Hampstead). Last time I was here we drove right by Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow, and walked by Tim Curry. Well tonight as we left the restaurant Lisa grabbed my arm and said, "Oh Ruth, hang on, something's happening." A couple of black cars pulled up and suddently flashes started going off and the area got as bright as day. I was mesmerized by the lights and barely noticed as Lindsay Lohan walked by. Poor thing looked in very rough shape - pale, skinny as a rail, and appeared to be out of it. The paps were very polite and I had to wonder why she doesn't just smile and get it over with instead of trying to hide her face. It's not like they're going to go away and she should know that by now!

Anyway, excitement over, Lisa grabbed my hand and said, "so who was that?" Sigh.

The rest of the day was a lot of fun too. We awoke to an incredible thunderstorm and a downpour, and so all hopes of being outside today were dashed. We pulled out "rainy day plan #2" and headed off to breakfast, and suddenly the sun came out! By the time we finished eating the sky was blue and so we headed down to Westminster pier to catch the City Cruise boat that would take us up the Thames to Greenwich. We had a terrific guide and really enjoyed the 1.5 hour ride. Here's a shot of Tower Bridge that I took from the the roof of our boat:

I should mention the very weird incident we both experienced on the tube. We got on the Northern line heading south from Tottenham Court Road. Suddenly we realized that we were going the wrong way, and knew we'd have to get off at the next station, Goodge, and go to the other track. Problem was that Goodge was closed. And yet the train stopped at Goodge. So off we got and switched tracks to go back south. As expected, the train went south back to Tottenham Court Road, but then the next station was Goodge again, which is NORTH of Tottenham Court Road.

Now this sounds confusing, but what's worse is that it's impossible. We went from Goodge to Tottenham Court Road to Goodge on the same train. Heather and I have been trying all day to figure out what happened and we can't. So we've stopped trying and decided there is an alternate universe somewhere and we skipped the rails for a second. No really. Otherwise we are both crazy. :)

Greenwich itself was charming! I was there about 20 years ago, and don't remember there being so much to look at. We wandered through the Greenwich market, climbed to the Royal Observatory to put one foot on either side of the Prime Meridian so we could say we were in the East AND the West at the same time, had a snack, wandered the streets, and then took the light rail back through Canary Wharf and back into town.

From there we headed to Hyde Park and walked up to Speakers Corner, where a half dozen people were standing on stools shouting their opinions to the gathering crowds. We tried to listen in, and it seemed mostly politics and religion... go figger... On up to Oxford street for some window shopping, and eventually back on the tube to the hotel before getting gussied up to go meet Lisa and Brett.

Great day all around... crazy tube rides, rain becoming sun, movie stars and old friends. How can tomorrow top this?

A Little Rain Can't Stop Us!

Last night was the first time I didn't write a blog in a while! I guess it's just not as fun to write about London as it is about Uganda! Either that or I was so tired when I got home last night that there was simply no way I was going to write. So this morning I shall take a few minutes whilst Heather is in the shower. (By the way - we need to get "whilst" back into circulation in North America. It's so refined.)

As I write this it's raining. Really hard. And there was thunder earlier. Sigh... this makes it hard for a girl to be properly inspired to get out there and see and do! On this kind of day at home I just curl up and read a book.

Yesterday morning it was raining too, but more like a fine mist that is just hard enough to require an umbrella, but not so hard that you feel like you're about to be washed away down the street. We set off about 9 to find some breakfast, and found a small corner shop selling Indian food that also offered "Full English Breakfast" for 4.99 (with free tea - tea is good.). The store was clean and inviting and so we went in and had the best breakfast ever. Greasy, spicy, tasty and filling - I'm thinking we may go back there today!

Next we headed down Charing Cross to Leicester Square to buy our theatre tickets for the evening performance for Billy Elliott. I have never seen the movie, but had heard good things about the play, so that was our choice for the "West End Experience" (West End here = Broadway in NY). The rain hadn't let up just yet, so we put our "indoor" plan into action and hopped on the tube to St. Paul's cathedral and did our own little self-guided tour, including a climb up 239 steps to the Whispering Gallery in the dome of the Cathedral, and another 100 steps up to the first level outside gallery - the highest gallery was closed for maintenance. We went outside and walked around and were nearly blown off the balcony (the rain was now going sideways) but we were determined! We had almost as good a view of the city as we had the day before from the London Eye.

Quads and calves shaking and quivering, we descended back to the cathedral floor and took the tube to Harrods. Yes, yes I know. Just about the most cliched and tacky touristy thing to do. But my sister had asked for plum pudding (which, by the by, is only available at Christmas), and Heather was looking for some special brand of soap that is only available at the posh stores here. So we wandered around and had a little snack (another cream team for me - honestly it was so good, tacky tourist stop notwithstanding. Tea must be in my blood. There is just nothing as restorative for me, so a couple of big fat warm scones and a cup of Darjeeling set me up for the rest of the afternoon. Below is a pic of my snack... doesn't it look yummy?).

We decided we would wander up the street and check out some of the shops, took a quick tour of Harvey Nics, popped into some boutiques, and then got on the tube and headed up to Notting Hill along with a zillion other people, it seemed. The rain had stopped by now - still cloudy, but so much more pleasant for being outside - and so an outdoor market was next on our list. We walked up and down Portabello Road (no sign of Hugh Grant) for close to three hours, and once again I was overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and smells of a bustling market, however different from Kampala's market! Heather bought a chocolate brownie that, if one can judge by the fact that she was still talking about it at midnight, was clearly the best. brownie. ever. I was not even remotely hungry, which was too bad because the enormous vats of steaming paella, the frest cooked chorizo sausage in foccacia, the pots of shrip, the falafel, fresh rasperries and chocolate croissants were sooooo tempating. And by this time it was close to 4pm and the vendors were trying to get rid of their food, so all the sales calls just added to the ambiance! "C'mon love, 5 boxes of rasperries for a pound!" or "All cakes half price!"

After Notting Hill we took the tube back to our hotel to change for the theatre and have a little time to rest our feet. But not for long! Soon we were back on the tube heading down to Victoria Palace Theatre for the 7:30 show of Billy Elliot. Frankly, I thought it was only ok. Really good story, the kid who played the lead was simply amazing, and the set was very clever. But something was missing - I think perhaps the music was uninspiring. We were in the very very highest row in the theatre, and the seats were so shallow that I had indentations in my legs from pressing against the seat in front of me. This is to be expected in these old theatres, so I didn't mind so much. In fact, since we were in the last row, I just stood up and sat on the back of my chair for a while!

On the way home we stopped for an amazing pizza at a little restaurant, complete with uber attentive (read: sleezy) waiter who seemed to think his over-done Italian accent would make us swoon. Not so.

And that was it. Back to the room about midnight, asleep about 2 minutes later, and here we are with another day ahead of us. Rainy day plan #2 is needed - British Museum I think to start. We'll see. Tonight we are having dinner with my dear friends Lisa and Brett, so I'm really excited to see them!

From Zero Degrees Latitude to Zero Degrees Longitude

Yep, from equatorial Africa to Greenwich in two easy flights. Kind of neat to think about it that way, really.

My flights were both extremely easy. After the 90 min ride (thanks to one last experience with The Jam), Steven dropped me off at the airport. I checked in with Brussels Airlines and waited in the lounge, doing one of my favourite things: people-watching. It felt like there was a completely different selection of people in this airport than what one usually finds in North America and Europe. I heard so many languages that didn't sound remotely familiar. Saw passports from Russia, Croatia, New Zealand and Uganda. Saw a group of men who had clearly just come back from a safari (one looked like he would happily take on a Croc and wrestle it to the ground. With one arm tied behind his back).

Anyway, I slept on the flight, woke up to a gorgeous sunrise, and then had less than an hour to kill in Brussels before jumping on the 45 minutes BA flight to London Heathrow. I was through customs, had my luggage, and was in a cab within 25 minutes, but then had to sit through London's version of The Jam for the next hour.

My friend Heather flew in yesterday. We are doing some sight-seeing and meeting up with another friend who lives here with her husband and son, so we are looking forward to a great and gabby weekend!

Both Heather and I were a bit tired today, but we did London proud, walking from our hotel in Bloomsbury, down through Soho and past the horse guard and Parliament buildings at Whitehall (I thought perhaps I could go in and help the Prime Minister shuffle his cabinet - maybe apply a little process design to the new structure. But then I thought better of it and kept walking.), along to the Embankment, where we took a ride on the London Eye (which is just about the only touristy thing I have never done in London - great fun, even in the rain!), had a pub lunch, then over to Big Ben and Westminster Abbey where we did a self-guided tour (Jeremy Irons was the voice on the little headset for the tour - very cool), tubed it up to Selfridges for tea, walked down New Bond street (where a snotty sales clerk at Jimmy Choo was hovering so much, I finally left), in to Fortnum & Mason where we picked up some food hall snacks for dinner, and then walked back to the hotel along Oxford, Shaftesbury, and Charing Cross.

Whew! Time for a restorative cup of Earl Grey and a nice hot shower. I miss hearing the frogs outside my window in Kampala, and the friendly "welcome back Madam" from the concierge. I also miss the weather - cold and rainy here! But oh well, it is London, after all. And I love it here too!

What? Time to Go Already?

I almost had to be dragged kicking and screaming out of the hotel and into the van bound for the airport at Entebbe.

Ok, not really. After all, I'm headed to London for a few days, and London is my favourite city in the world. But I am NOT, in ANY way, ready to leave this beautiful country and wonderful people. There is still so much to see and do, and today I really got into the swing of things with my class. I had about 45 minutes after class to change, do a final packing, and grab a bite to eat at the bar. My farewells of Cathie, Michael, Ather and Russ were very rushed, and I am only now sitting in the airport in Entebbe awaiting my overnight flight to Brussels.

But let me tell you about my day.

My friend and colleague Larry is a teacher and he commented a while ago about about how amazing it is, as a teacher, to realize that your students "get it" and that you're making a difference. Today that happened to me over and over again, and the 9 hours of class time went by in a flash.

If you have been keeping up with all the blog entries, you may recall that on Tuesday I had a moment or two of self doubt - there is so much to be done here, so much frustration on the part of really good people who want to make a difference and don't know where to start, and such pleading in their face as they ask for help. I wondered if there was anything that my little 2-day workshop could possibly do to help out.

Today my intent was to do a bit of review, and then use most of the day to apply the tools that I taught to real-life practical examples that they brought with them. Well, what is it they say about best-laid plans? I did accomplish the review, but that led into a sort of Q&A that became much broader than simple process improvement. We talked for at least an hour about change management, prioritization, working on things over which you have control (rather than boiling the ocean), the benefits and challenges of organizational transformation (Cathie was there for that part and added some really helpful points of view from an operations perspective), and the history of ServiceOntario! (Scott McConnell will be pleased to know that the little video on ServiceOntario has now been viewed in Uganda, and they LOVED it. It encouraged them to think about their own brand values as they organize their efforts to transform.)

After the Q&A we got back to work, and I asked everyone to come up with a problem statement of their own, and report out on that. What should have been a 20 minute exercise took an hour, but watching people slowly "get it", was incredible. By the time we finished, we had 25 problem statements, of which at least half were absolutely applicable and workable. From there I asked each table to select one, and we would work on that for the rest of the day.

I had hoped that process mapping would take about an hour. But that slowly turned into two hours, and there was NO WAY I was going to shut it down. There was excellent work going on - people were standing and pointing and using flip chart paper and masking tape and laughing and working together. The Commissioner, who had been difficult to convince to participate in activity report-outs, was all up in the mix, helping out and working in partnership with his table mates.

I sat with each table in turn, helping people turn theory into application, hearing about the issues they are trying to work on and sharing our own similar experiences. Here are some of the issues that they want to fix:

1. The Land Registration Process. I think all my colleagues will smile at that one, as it has been years and years of very hard work for ServiceOntario to get where it is today in the LR process. Well, the Ugandan process includes several steps that utilize a "typing pool" - that may tell you where they are on the transformation journey.
2. The process for paying teachers. Presently this involves 8 different organizations - 3 government ministries, 3 separate departments, the national Bank of Uganda, and the commercial banks with which teachers bank. An enormous percentage (I think it was around 20 or 30%) of teachers do not get paid because something goes wrong with their bank account information. It is weeks and weeks of work to correct this.
3. The process for issuing pensioners cheques. Another 8 branches are involved in this, and the cheques are both late and inaccurate most of the time.
4. Teacher registrations - right now 100% of teachers are to register with the system in order to track and monitor curriculum success and a variety of other things. The process is so cumbersome that only 30% bother to register.

And there were more. We spent most of the afternoon talking through these processes, applying additional tools, and understanding what the next steps might be. At the end of the day, one of the Directors arrived (she had to miss the class because it is budget time), and she said "I don't understand the words my team is using!" I loved that she said this! Her team was talking about Voice of Customer, Critical to Quality, Operational Definitions, Swimlane, As-is, Should-be and Thought-to-be process maps, cycle time, inputs and outputs. It was astonishing - I am not sure when the turning point was, but there certainly was one.

Perhaps it was after lunch. One of the participants had been late in the morning and I told him he would have to sing the National Anthem for the class. I had threatened that before, but this time, I meant it. He was so good natured, but still hesitant, so I decided I had to make a fool of myself before he would agree to do the same. I shocked the class by singing a little bit from Singin' in the Rain, and so then Banan (the participant in question) had no trouble jumping up and starting to sing. Then the entire class stood as well, and they all sang together - the beautiful words and rich tones of the anthem gave me goosebumps - surely this was a highlight of my trip. There was a real feeling of cameraderie with the class and they seemed to fall-in and work together so well after that point.

Eventually the day had to end. So, after a wrap-up, a reminder that they are now all "experts" because they have had more training than anyone else around them, and some action planning on their next steps, we ended the day.

I was pleased that their next steps included timelines, a call for performance measurement and accountability, and realistic deliverables. I was also pleased when one participant's suggested action item included a solution (hiring more typists for the typing pool) and several of his colleagues shouted, "NO! That's a solution! We don't know if that's the problem! You have to get proof first!" Seriously. They did.

Finally we got to the speeches to close the workshop. Everyone was thanked, and the organizers said lovely things about all of us from Ontario. I was asked to go back next year, but this will depend on the program arrangement that IPAC/CIDA and the two partners (Uganda/Ontario) can agree to. Cathie is going to discuss it with the powers-that-be, and see whether Business Process Review can become a core function of the partnership.

In the meantime, I have agreed to support my class over email, and help them with their on-going process work. (To my team who is probably reading this: I am hoping to buddy you up with the Ugandans to build your teaching/coaching skills and share our process knowledge most effectively. Think about it! Could be exciting! (And no, that doesn't mean you're all going to Uganda... unless you win the lottery...))

I was presented with many gifts when I left - a series of monkeys carved in ebony, the first one called George (after my red-tailed monkey) and the rest also with "G" names (Georgina, Gulu, etc), a picture of a tribal woman doing the dance I "mastered" last night, a conference table with carved animals sitting around it, etc etc. It was lovely and so thoughtful - each gift had a meaning derived after only a week of working with the Uganda team.

There were so many shining moments today, and at the end, the comment from the Commissioner really touched me: "We hope Madam Ruth comes back again, because has worked with us, sat with us, and really cared about our processes as if they are her processes. She is more Ugandan than many Ugandans."

Wow, eh? See why I want to stay?

Our Day of "Rest"

Today is a public holiday – thousands of Christians in Uganda will commemorate Martyr’s Day, which is a day set aside to honour the memories of 22 Catholic converts who died for their beliefs at the hand of King Mwanga in 1885. We are not joining the many Ugandans who make a pilgrimage to shrines on this day. Instead, it is our Day of Rest, and we have big plans!

We all met for breakfast this morning at 8. This was the first (and only) breakfast where the whole team would be together, as Russ flew in last night and I fly out tomorrow night! We chatted about the past several days and Russ soaked it all in, storing bits of information away for later. He has big plans to get out into the country, so I look forward to hearing about his experiences!

Part One of Our Day of Rest was all about shopping and souvenirs. We started off at something called “The National Theatre”, which I figured was literally a theatre or performing arts centre, with a few kiosks with knick knacks for sale. Not so. There was indeed a large building, which I suppose could have been a performing arts centre inside, but we didn’t go in. We drove around back where there were perhaps 2 dozen little booths with a variety of colourful beads, carved goods, shirts, dresses, shoes, spears (yes!), bongo drums, and carpets for sale. The call as we passed each one was the same – “You are most welcome! Please come in and look!” Most of the booths had the same things for sale, but we had a great time looking, and bought several little things.

The pricing is amazing. It’s approximately 2,000 Shillings to one US dollar – most souvenirs amounted to a dollar or two at the most. We never tried to haggle – how can you haggle over a few cents? (Pictured below, me with our driver, Steven.)

From there we went to a sports store so I could buy a football shirt in the Ugandan team's colours (The Cranes – they have a horrible record, but they still try, and their stadium is massive!) for a friend of mine. You would think we were rock stars in that store. Our driver took us to a specific place where I could find the shirt, and the sales clerks – all young women – were thrilled to have us take their picture, support their team and just say hi. Michael gave everyone Canadian flag pins and they were so proud and thankful to have them! (Below, me with one of the girls who worked at the sports store.)

Next stop was the local fruit and vegetable market. This place was not for the faint of heart, and we didn’t go anywhere without Steven. In fact, I was pretty much glued to his side. It was really quite spectacular, but also a little upsetting. Rows upon rows of caged hens, roosters and chickens were stacked on each other (imagine the smell), and several were standing in the hot sun in the sand with their legs tied together so they couldn’t get away. The large hens were 14,000 shillings – about $7 – which I think is a lot considering you have to butcher it yourself. Perhaps the locals wouldn’t pay as much. There were even small calves standing in the hot sun, waving their tails to ward off flies, and unaware of their fate. (I know – I’m ridiculous. This is how people eat. I get it. I’ve seen one too many Disney movies and I give every animal a personality. Mea culpa. One of the guys on my team at home, Alex, would be perfectly happy here – he raised bunnies to eat when he was a kid.)

On to the nice things about the market. The ladies were wearing the most beautiful clothes in brilliant hues. Head dresses, aprons, shirts, skirts – all in pinks and blues and yellows. And everyone was smiling, happy to see us (and our money). Most let us take their pictures (it was necessary to ask) although one or two said no. There were boxes of eggplant and zucchini and ochra and tomatoes and potatoes. Baskets with dried peas and lentils. Hanging bags of spices, pieces of vanilla and cinnamon, and everywhere bunches of bananas – standing in a corner, hanging up, broken into smaller bunches or whole as they came from the tree. Pineapples, mangoes – oh the mangoes! Hundreds of them piled high and cut open so you could see and smell how fresh they were. Bikes went by piled with bags of corn, more bananas, and furniture (yes, furniture).

People were desperate for us to buy from them, and although Cathie and Michael did buy some vanilla, the rest of us took pictures and held on to our wallets very tightly and stuck with Steven. There were times when crowds around us got a little crazy, and we backed slowly away and headed to the truck after that. Michael actually gave a guy a shilling just so he’d go away!

The sights, sounds, and smells of that market were just incredible. I took so many photos and I know I didn’t capture it in any way close to what it was. A great 30 minutes, I tell you. Next we stopped at a local store for some groceries (we all wanted to stock up on tea, coffee and sugar – all local products and all fantastic), and then headed back to the hotel for an hour before:

Part Two of Our Day of Rest was at the home of a friend of Ather’s. Just 10 minutes from our hotel is a lovely neighbourhood where the well-to-do have open and breezy houses with gardens and pools, security guards and servants. This lovely couple (and I just can’t remember their names) are originally from Pakistan – well, he is actually the third generation born in Uganda, but she was born in Pakistan and has lived in Uganda for 32 years), and they had us over for a BBQ. Their definition of BBQ is not quite the same as mine – amazing fresh tropical juices, beef kababs, rice with tomatoes, spinach, chicken curry, parsley potatoes, naan bread, garlic bread, mangos with chilli, bread pudding (with silver foil on it that you eat!), and a pasta dessert made out of vermicelli noodles. This was a HUGE meal!

I was warned, “that dish may be a little spicy”. Another member of my team, Rozina, would have laughed as I helped myself to a large spoonful of the mangos with chilli, thinking it was just chutney. I wonder if my face turned red. Oh and by the way – drinking coke after hot food really isn’t a good idea. A lovely meal in the most relaxing setting, and great conversation. We laughed a lot, despite the gathering storm clouds and loud thunder, and before you know it we headed back to the hotel again in preparation for:

Part Three of Our Day of Rest involved a whole lot of tribal dancing, singing, drums, and storytelling. We went outside of town to an amphitheatre that hosts a troupe of dancers – normally they only perform on Sunday nights, but tonight, being a holiday, they had an extra show. This was the Ndere Centre in Butuukirwa (don’t ask me how to pronounce it), and I have not had this much fun in a very long time! There were perhaps 30 performers, an equal number of men and women, in beautifully coloured and authentic (well, the design was authentic if not the polyester) costumes and head dresses. They opened with gentle singing that built gradually and added flutes and guitars (not modern guitars, but original instruments that are more like harps) and many many drums. I had goosebumps! And the singing was so beautiful – kind of like the group Black Mombazo that did a record with Paul Simon a while back – it actually brought tears to my eyes. Sorry the pics are so bad - I don't know how to work my camera well at night or with motion!

The host for the evening was also the director, a drum player, and an occasional dancer, not to mention comedian. He told stories in between each dance that shared local history from the tribes around Uganda and more often than not also delivered a message on appreciating diversity, balancing action with thought, and valuing life.

At the end the audience was invited up to dance with some of the performers and celebrate music and joy, and so I got up with most of the rest of our group and tried very hard not to embarrass myself – eventually I just didn’t care and I shook my booty like everyone else. Colleen, another woman on my team back home, would have either died laughing at me, or, hopefully, would have applauded and joined me.

What a lovely Martyr’s Day (that sounds funny, but you know what I mean) and a great way to spend my last night in Africa. I now have to finish packing and prep for my day tomorrow, and hope the students completed their homework!

Process 101

It's just after 6pm and I am beat. Literally wiped out. Anyone who has ever taught or facilitated a workshop knows how tiring it is - you have to be "on" all the time, supplying energy if the class gets tired, taking all suggestions and ideas and comments and turning them into helpful points for the class, etc etc etc. And I had an incredibly engaged class today, so it was go go go from 8:30 right through to 5.

I don't know what I was thinking when I figured that the two tea breaks (30 mins each) and lunch break (60 mins) would give me oodles of time to relax during the day. At each break the participants were eager to pick my brain on all sorts of process-related items, as well as talk about things that had nothing to do with process and were more about just getting the job done within the confines of the Public Services.

I was interested to note that many of their concerns were identical to ours:

• what do you do if you want to work on something but it isn't the current priority of the government and there is no money


• what do you do if you make recommendations and people say they will implement them and they don't


• how do you get stakeholders to support your project


• how do you decide what to do first from dozens and dozens of ideas

At lunchtime we had such a deep discussion that I left almost overwhelmed with the depth and breadth of the issues the members of the UPS are facing on a daily basis, and I wondered if my little workshop was actually having any real impact.

In the afternoon, however, I had a shining moment when I thought that just possibly I WAS having an impact. I had just finished teaching a particularly complex tool, and I used an example that was a little difficult for folks here to relate to: the process for taxi dispatchers in getting cabs to customers as quickly as possible. There is no such thing here as a dispatcher, there are only taxi stands, and so the concept was a little difficult for some participants to apply.

Most of the class took the opportunity to understand this process, and some had travelled widely enough that they knew what I was trying to portray. One group, however, was really struggling, but instead of throwing in the towel, they decided to use the tool and apply it to a real example of a similar problem here in Kampala (the process for booking operating theatres in hospitals). I thought it was brilliant - they were already applying a tool and finding it useful! They ended up being a real ambassador for the tool to the rest of the class.

And so now I have sent the class away with homework, and they have tomorrow to prepare for Day 2, which is on Thursday. (Tomorrow is a national Public holiday.) I think they will do very well and I am anxious to see what they come back with!

In the meantime, I'm heading to the spa. :)