It had all the markings of what a good day ought to look
like. It was a bright, sunny Saturday morning.., the birds were singing, the air
was calm, a bit humid but serene and almost heaven-like. (yes, I have been
there) As a toastmaster heading out for
a planned retreat in the leafy environs of Entebbe, I couldn’t have been
happier for such beautiful weather.
We set off as planned from Nakumatt Oasis. I travelled with
Gilbert, Florence, Connie, Doreen and Grace. The trip to Entebbe was punctuated
by laughter, jokes, tall-tales if you may and all this ensured that we all
caught a glimpse of the wonderful adventure that lay ahead. It is true what
they say, time does fly pretty fast when you are having a good time., we barely
noticed that it was midday by the time we got to Entebbe and had to rely on
google maps and a few friendly strangers to find Entebbe’s best kept secret. It
is indeed a secret because everyone we asked seemed to have no clue as to where
we were headed and google maps wasn’t too sure either. It helped that I wasn’t
driving and as such we had a sober driver and navigator who were both familiar
with how to use google maps. Nevertheless we still had to ask two people, one
of whom pointed us in the wrong direction, something I must say always happens
whenever you are close to your destination. At about 12:22 we made it to the
gate of the secret location that our dear Vice President of Public Relations
who I prefer to call Bev-Li and you will see why later, had picked out for us.
It is undoubtedly one of Entebbe’s well-guarded secrets. A cosy, little nook
with a lavish compound, a gazebo an eating area, rooms for the weary and
heavy-laden all nested in a natural green ambience.
'Secrets Guest House'
.
We were asked to split into two teams, find a name for each and get right into the various activities of the day. My team was Team Kifeesi, a popular name in these parts that simply means those brazen enough to challenge the status quo, and the other team was Team Sambaza.,I have no clue what that means but you have to admit, it sounds like someone or something not too sure about where they are going.
Bev-Li in Action
The first activity involved us writing down and reciting as
many nursery rhymes as we could possibly remember in as many languages as we
know. This was a real, herculean task considering that half the members didn’t
attend any kindergarten schools but what really helped was that most of them had children
in kindergarten and it was a real joy listening to the melodious sounds from
both camps. They were French rhymes, Luganda rhymes, Runyakitara rhymes and
because you couldn’t recite a song that had already been performed by the other
team, it was sheer laughter and comic relief when both teams had to turn to the
school anthem, the Buganda anthem and the national anthem as the game carried
on almost an hour later after it had started.
Team Kifeesi reciting ''Baa-baa Black Sheep''
It was a riveting experience and we all learnt how creative
and imaginative we can get when our competitive nature is put to the test.
Next up was lunch which was a sumptuous serving of culinary
happiness. We ate to our fill and talked just about everything and anything
under the sun.
After lunch, some members could hardly move to save their
lives but the activities had to go on.
We started off with ball games that had us running
helter-skleter as we tried our best to shake off the sumptuous meal we had just
had.
We do our best to eat healthy,you know!
After lunch, some members could hardly move to save their
lives but the activities had to go on.
We started off with ball games that had us running
helter-skleter as we tried our best to shake off the sumptuous meal we had just
had.
Stephen, reliving his glorious football past.
We had balloons, three-legged races and what looked like volleyball, football and handball.
The main event in my opinion was the salsa dance. I had
never seen a larger group of people more enthusiastic about putting the wrong
foot first in one place before.
As is always the norm with dancing and all things musical..,
some of the members wowed us with their movement, their stamina, their
composure and balance. I must say I was
quite impressed by our resident salsa-trainer who as if on cue we call Steps.
He led from the front and did a really good job, directing, swaying,
instructing and generally showed us all what a real salsa workout looks like.
Gilbert,trying to figure out which way clockwise is.
Panting and sweating, it was time to calm down and relax as
we got off to some mental gymnastics.
Jackie started us off with a really interesting game called
Pictionary where you pick a word and draw it in front of your team who in turn
guess what the word is and then roll a dice to let you move forward on the
board. This game had us all shouting ourselves silly as we tried to distract
one another whilst making sure we get the image drawn right. It was funny,
educative but most of all it required of us to play as a team and play we did.
Like any worthwhile event, there were gifts for the best
team and the best players on each team. It is at this point that I have to
admit that Team Sambaza won the day and deservedly so.
Bev-Li and Steps scooped individual awards for their
brilliance and team ethic.
There was a special treat and surprise for me. After several
years of un-paralleled service to the club (drum roll, anybody?) they decided
that I needed a basin of my own, some pampers and wipes (just in case). This
definitely caught me off-guard and I still can’t believe my luck.
I am forever
indebted to these kind souls for their generosity and well-intentioned humour.
How they knew I needed a basin will forever remain a mystery to me.
We had a barbeque at the end of the evening and washed it
down with laughter, conversation and some gin (…oops) story-telling is what I
meant.
By Davis Tashobya
By Davis Tashobya
