Turning 30 Uganda style

Turning 30 is said to be a bit of a hurdle. I remember hearing this for the first time from a teacher in high school. He always seemed to me as the ultimate example of composure and self-control, yet once he admitted to the class that his 30th birthday had been the worst day in his life! I have always remembered this, but I am glad to say I didn’t feel at all that way when the big day arrived this week.

I celebrated the night with friends and colleagues at a "beer and pork" restaurant in the suburbs of Kampala – a very Ugandan place. The TV's were blasting Obama speeches and news from the inauguration and the air was filled with the smell of fresh pork - it couldn’t have been a better night!


I woke the following morning feeling euphoric and not at all brooding, yet at the back of my mind the words of a parting colleague kept playing over: "You know Peder, in the US you have four big birthdays, at 16 you can drive, at 18 you can vote, at 21 you can drink and at 30.. well, then you're really old!"