Warning: this story is graphic and not for everyone.
Today I decided to face reality and come to terms with food sourcing. In other words, I slaughtered a turkey, or at least supervised while someone else did. As an omnivore and semi-regular meat-eater, I felt it was time I gain an appreciation for the life that is taken in order for me to have sustenance. The man who sacrificed my turkey laughed at this concept as I documented the event, but as someone accustomed to the luxuries and conveniences of the developed world where meat comes beautifully packaged and perfectly trimmed, I thought it was an important and necessary rite of passage.
I had an epiphany last week: I am in (East) Africa! I know that this sounds obvious and ridiculous, but it really didn’t hit me until I had left the hustle and bustle of the city and been confronted by baboons and elephants on the road, and was able to watch the sun set over the savannah woodlands that made up the Ugandan landscape. I felt puny, insignificant and in awe.
Birds nests at sunset on the outskirts of Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda.The Nile River.
When you are in the city, it feels like you could be anywhere. Yes, race and culture will come into play, but when a city has a substantial expat population and has bee influenced by the global economy (aka global shrinkage) for long enough, the goods and services available, the city attitude and happenings, and the general pulse of the city seem almost universal. Cities and capitals of developing nations have a similar vibe to them. The real culture of a country is easiest observed in the rural areas.
The Little Global Nomad 