Get Your Groove On or Learn How To.

I love to dance and also I love to learn how to dance so if you too want to learn there a bunch of places you can go. Like yesterday I learnt how to break dance at the Nsambya Sharing Centre, you can too and for free too. Mondays and Wednesdays from 4.30 to 8.30. If you are more into the ballroom type of dances, you can go the National Theatre where you will find Samuel. It is wise to call him first and there is a fee to be paid. His number is 0772328084. Happy Feet everyone.

Wireless Internet

Now that I've rejoined laptop land *yeah* and another *yeah* to Rebekah for putting together this blog, I say we compile a list of all the places with wifi.

Here's my contribution....

-Cafe Pap
-Bubbles
-Effendi's
-My apartment (sometimes... and it's very, very, very slow...)
-Catch the Sun

Okay, now it's up to the rest of y'all to think of a bunch more places so we have the authoritative list of wifi in Kampala.

A Dispenser Story

Unlike my friend Dennis who believes in flashing a smile at the service to get what he wants, I cannot do that. First of all, the service is male. And second of all, what if the service is over zealous?

I work at a place where the service is overzealous. Currently I’m engaged in a big fight with the guy who is supposed to boil water for making tea and the like because he is offended if I bypass the cooling water in the flask to get my water very hot out of the dispenser, clearly marked with taps for hot and cold water.

My efforts to explain that the dispenser was manufactured to provide hot and cold water simultaneously have been futile. He is convinced that I and the rest of the work-room- who snigger as I labour to explain to him each morning this technology was made to be used like that-are ruining the dispenser. He stands guard most mornings and evenings, hovering around the kitchen in the hope of catching anyone who will brazenly use the dispenser.

To get to that morning dispenser requires Jay-Z rhyming skill, “So I change styles every two rhymes,” remembering, “when I'm rhymin with remarkable timing.” Yup!

How to Get the Best Service in Uganda

By Dennis Matanda

Of course you could decide to be a Muzungu and automatically get the best of service at restaurants. Or you could decide to hang out exclusively with the above mentioned people - and still get the word 'Love' on top of your latte. All this should work like a charm. But better still, you could keep your black birth mark and treat the waiters and waitresses with a little respect.

I am not saying go out and shake hands with them or ask after their shoes, labels and uniform. No. Just go there and smile and ask how they are. They should give you a generic blank answer. Because they are a little numb to pleasure and passion and all those things that are great in customer service, just goad them along with a non flirtacous smile and questions on their recommendations. I am sure they will start to warm up to you. The thing to remember is that a smile will bring out the brightest part of your dark face.

Waiters and waitresses are all the same around the world. Forget the ones Hollywood has on display. If you are nice to them, they will be nice to you. And I do not want to hear you Ugandans complain about customer service in these parts. What about a little client service?? If you want customer service, teach those people that serve you how you want to be served! I am sure you know that people will only treat you as well as you let them ... so there.

I am getting excellent customer service from the restaurants, pubs and other places of convenience [excuse the pun] in Kampala - which I think is a great thing. I am sure you can do the same.

welcome to the kampalan

Welcome to The Kampalan, Uganda's first entertainment blog. Put together by expats, students, journalists and bloggers, The Kampalan is the best source for information about upcoming concerts, film festivals, theatrical productions, parties and more.

Want to contribute? E-mail Rebekah.