On The Plane (Tues 12.06.12)

Well, I’m feeling a lot more confident this time round than last time. I have packed a ton of stuff, but almost all of it is presents for Bushikori. I ended up not being able to fit in everything; I had to leave two sports shirts, chalk, and some books. My luggage is just under the weight limit, except for my hand luggage, which is nearly double what it should be. But they let me on, so all should be good!

One of the reasons I’m much less nervous is that this time I’m travelling with someone – Esther, who is a committee member at the Bushikori support group. It made walking through customs much easier, and that’s always the bit that freaks me out the most. I’m always worried that I’m going to be arrested, though this has never happened and there is no reason for it to. But I still worry about that bit of the journey, far more than the flying itself.

I’m not sitting with Esther – she’s quite a few seats / rows away. I have a window seat.

It was hilarious – they announced that someone on the flight (that would be me) is hyper-allergic to gluten and dairy, so if passengers could please not eat these… when the food being served to everyone (except me) has both gluten and dairy. It’s pretty funny really. The guy next to me is going to move seats later so he can have more space and so they don’t have to worry about crumbs getting on me and me having an allergic reaction.

Which brings me to the question everyone asks – how do I manage with the food in Africa, especially with severe dietary requirements? (Diary makes me have difficulty with breathing, including completely stopping breathing, and gluten results in me vomiting, having an inability to absorb nutrients, lethargy, ‘brain fog’ and panic attacks for up to 3 weeks after exposure, including exposure via skin contact, including skin lotions, play-dough, etc.) The answer is – easy! The food in Uganda is mostly GF/CF (gluten free/casein (dairy protein) free), especially when people don’t try and feed me mzungu foods. The three staples are posho, rice and beans, and matoke and stew – all are GF/CF. Along with this, less pollen, additive, and other allergens in the air, food, and drinks mean that accidental exposure is less risky than in Australia. My travel doctor said that Uganda would probably be great for my health long term, and all my school friends likewise think that moving to Uganda is a great idea, even though they don’t understand any of the gospel motivations behind my actions.