Lights out!

One of my best buys in Uganda!

I was just about to start chopping up the veggies to make a butternut and carrot soup tonight, when ping, off went the electricity again. We have been experiencing more and more power cuts of late, for longer and longer periods of time. I think this is now the third in a week. I am, however, getting much more inventive in my ways of dealing with them. Last week, I was half way through cooking my dinner when the power went out. Now a less resilient person would sigh and give up here, opting instead for a bowl of cereal or some raw veggies. Not me! I suddenly remembered that I had bought a camping stove off a leaving friend last year, so lit the stove and hey presto, dinner was served only a little after originally planned. This little gadget is so great - it even has a little rack to toast bread on. Now I will be reluctant to take my emergency cooker on any sort of camping trip though!

The power cuts are a major headache in Uganda - slowing down productivity and making life generally more miserable for those experiencing them. They have even been said to be a major cause of the high birth rate - after all, what else is there to do in the village in the dark?! When the inverter goes out (a big battery that stores up power so the lights still work in a power cut), I however, will be reading by the light of my head torch, so rest assured, there will be no unwanted pregnancies in my household!