DeannaInUganda

Argghh, blorsh....

So. I am STILL in Toronto. (That's what the arggghh was for.) Not only am i not back in uganda, but at this point I have no idea when I will actually be returning there, although i am attempting to remain confident that everything will fall into place, and that i will in fact be flying back to Kampala at some point in the near future.

The problem you see, is this: My new employers (let's call them the ABC Co., for simplicity) are either just being very slow (which is very possible), or, they are jerking me around and this whole arrangement is going to fall through. Here's the gist of the situation: I left Kampala in early august, with an agreement (though not a written, binding one) that I would return to uganda in mid-september in order to start work at ABC in October (or possibly November at the latest.) I didn't have a signed contract, because frankly ABC didn't get around to putting one together in time. So anyways, I get home, and a few weeks later I send ABC a fairly thorough project proposal, which they required in order to try and get external funding for my salary. In my proposal I say that i need two months to do research/analysis, and write up a marketing plan for the following year. A couple weeks later, ABC emails me back, saying, essentially 'arrange your plane ticket to come back, you will produce 5-year and 1-year marketing plans during an initial 26-day probation period. See you soon.' No mention of a contract, or of the details usually contained therein, nor is there an acknowledgement that 26 days is not enough time to do what they want me to do, especially given all the research components i'd worked into my initial proposal. I emailed em back, explained that that wasn't enough time, and could we discuss the details, and also that i would like a contract in hand before i arranged my flight.

That was a week and a half ago, and i still haven't heard back. So either i've screwed myself, or they are just being really slow in replying. (Part of me thinks I should have not said anything about the time restraints, gone to Uganda, delivered a sub-standard product at the end of the 26 days, and then at least i'd be over there on my ABC-sponsored plane ticket, and i could just travel around a bit and go home. Unethical yes, but ...)

So yeah, i still don't know when I'm going back.

Life here is sort of slow for me. I've essentially been 'on vacation' now for almost 2 months, and it's getting a bit boring. A couple times a week I'll meet someone for lunch, or I'll have to do an errand, and it's a big event. On the other hand, my friends do get a super-enthusiastic response from me when they provide me with an opportunity for mid-week socializing, which i am happy to provide. I'm just here to bring sunshine into other peoples lives. ;-)

posted by Deanna @ 10:49 p.m.