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the big party in town for new year’s eve was at the sheraton hotel on nakasero hill. 2000 people, maybe? open stage concert with all the big names in ugandan music – peter miles, raggedy, chameleon – and the requisite gyrating skimpily clad fit female dancers. the women were often joined by male dancers doing their choreographed moves. the guys were professionals, but most everything they did on stage our friends do regularly in dance clubs around town. not to say the professionals were bad, but that our friends our good. ugandan men are born naturals on the dance floor.

the party and the music were good, but the fireworks were the best attraction of the whole night. cities in the u.s. put on a good show for the 4^th of july and americans dutifully ooh and aah. spectacular pyrotechnic display met with a subdued, reposed-on-the-picnic-blanket reaction. in kampala, it’s a semi-spectacular display greeted with jumping, screaming, dancing, cheering, laughing, whistling, and all out excitement. i’ve never seen a fireworks display anything like it. phil and i joined in and by the end of it my cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much at the spectacle unfolding all around us. all fireworks should be that fun.