2018 in review.

2018 has been a rollercoaster year. No, that’s not a metaphor, I rode a rollercoaster sometime this year. Can’t say I enjoyed it(the rollercoaster) that much, you know, with all the ups and downs and the speed. I was left breathless sometimes.

Same way I can’t say I enjoyed 2018 as well, you know, the ups and downs as well. The ups weren’t that high and the downs, well, were really too low. Or deep. Whatever works. It’s been a long year so expect a long read. There’s no other way, friends.

January was okay, I guess. Nothing much happened through it for me really. All I did was eat, drink, write, sleep. At the end of it, the unforgettable happened, something that shook the music industry in Uganda, East Africa and Africa at large: The death of Mowzey Radio, one of the most talented musicians Uganda has ever seen, if not the whole of Africa. I wrote about him during that time, and you can read about it here. His song, “Obudde” is playing right now as I write this.

Mowzey Radio, RIP. 

Feb started with, of course Radio's funeral, and the country stayed in a mourning mood throughout the next months. Some of us are still mourning man mans didn’t have to die like that.

14th Feb, valentines day set in, and was lit. For the first time in a long time, I actually enjoyed the day people celebrate love. I and a group of new and old friends met up at Sky Lounge for an evening of food, music, beer, and soda for people like me who are allergic to alcohol. What’s better than a combination of good food and great music? You don’t have to answer that question we already know the answer is nothing.

Valentines day was lovely. Ladies were the other side, 😜

March set in with me travelling 34 hours on the road to Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, for my “surprise” birthday party. Don’t get confused, it’s so Ugandan to organise your own birthday party and call it a surprise party. I think that’s he real surprise. Aha. The project was funded by my mother of course. God bless that wonderful woman.

Anyways, a lot happened in Tanzania. I ate things. Some weirder than others. Like roasted maize with salt, lemon and pepper. Or fried chicken intestines and feet.  I danced. I lounged on the sofa and on the beach and on I watched the sun setting and kissing the Indian ocean. I stood in the bus, I learnt some Swahili so I could hit on some girls and damn right I did. The plan was to stay for two weeks but I enjoyed too much and got my stay extended for 3 more months. I also lost my job in Uganda in the process. Damn you Ugandans, so impatient.

Some of the normal food I used to eat in Tanzania. Oouuhh yummy. 

While I was still at it, I got news from home. Terrible news. Sad news. My beautiful little aunt passed on. That was April. Such a beautiful soul lost at a tender age of 25.

RIP, Aunt Mariam Nassuna. 

A week later, her father passed on as well. My grandpa with whom I share a name. That was shocking. Too shocking that I never even got the energy or the inspiration to write about it. And that went on for months. I have never been as sad as I was during that time. I grieved from a distance because I couldn’t be home in time to pay my last respects. And from that day the party was killed. I wanted to be back home as soon as possible.

RIP, my grandpa. 

You see, my late grandpa(God it hurts to call him the late) was like our father. I grew up with my great grandmother, his mother, and he was our neighbour. Everyone at home called him “Taata”, meaning “Father”. Yes we knew he was a grandpa to some of us but we called him Taata because that’s what he was to us. A father figure in the life of all of us who never grew up with a father.
We loved him. He loved us dearly. He was a gentleman and a gentle man. He cared about us, he made us never miss our fathers, wherever they were. At some point our great grandma would advise us to stop calling him taata but we never ever changed. It was so deserving, it seemed so right and rightly so. May God judge him, and my aunt, with mercy. A moment of silence please.
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Moving on, May saw Arsene Wenger, who had managed the club for 22 years resign. Tributes from the entire footballing community poured in.

Arsene Wenger resigned after 22 years as Arsenal manger. 

Real Madrid won the UEFA champions league for the third consecutive time after beating Liverpool in the final. The first club to achieve such a feat.

Cristiano Ronaldo with the champions league trophy, he's won it 5 times as n individual. 

Ok because of the above, I came back to Kampala in June. Went to our burial place to pay my respects and make dua (Arabic for prayer) for my fallen family members. June also had Eid el-fitri, after 30 days of fasting. The food was eaten Alhamdulillah.

Me, Sheikh Norman on Eid, masha Allah. 

I also met someone special in June..

Irankunda.. 

July set in with the FIFA world cup, which France easily won with blistering performances. Early upsets and disappointments and exits happened of course, as they did in previous editions. This time it was Germany, who couldn’t go past the group stages, and Argentina, Spain and Portugal who didn’t get past the to the quarter finals.

The France National team after winning the World Cup. 

I returned to writing in August, and completed my first full length novel in October. I am currently looking for a publisher. Kindly recommend one if know any, or a book agent, I’ll mention you in the acknowledgment section. *wink wink*

Stan Lee, one of the most talented creators of all time, a comics legend and a genius, sadly passed on in November. Just in case you still(sadly) don’t now who Stan Lee was, he created and co created Iron man, Thor, Spiderman, The Hulk, Deadpool, Captain America, and almost everyone you see in the Marvel Comics Universe. Such a brain, such great entertainment.

Stan Lee. 

December saw me seeing my mom and sisters, after 5 years. It was only a few days but every day spent with family is a great day.

In between all the above events, politics also happened. Mostly political assassinations. That’s how Abiriga, MP for Arua municipality was gunned down near his home outside Kampala, Muhammad Kirumira, a high ranking police officer who had earlier fallen out with his bosses, also went down the same road, in the same way. Police say they’re still making investigations but we all know those investigations will take years to bear any fruits. May their souls rest in peace.

In the by-election to fill the seat of the called Abiriga, violence ensued in Arua, involving MP Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, that involved the alleged stoning of the President’s car, and was subsequently arrested, and allegedly tortured. I hope his kidneys recovered though.

Hon. Kyagulanyi Sentamu, on the day he was charged with treason. 

2018 was good to some extent, and terrible at a greater extent for me. But I am thankful I am still breathing. I’ve had moments of pain and grief and others of endless laughter, but such is life. What’s a day without a night?. I only hope 2019 is better.

Wuh! I am tired of typing. I am getting breathless you may think I’m riding on a rollercoaster. I guess you’re tired of reading too, but I warned you in the beginning that this is going to be a long read.
Ok let’s exchange roles. In the comments below, tell me about your year. Let me do the reading as well.
And oh, happy new year, everyone. Stay blessed, and don’t forget to be good.