My Mish Mash experience

I have noticed that the average Ugandan is quick to point out negatives, quick to criticize and almost never gives credit where it is due. It is in this spirit that I have decided to tell my Mish Mash story.

Granted, everybody has his or her own and I won’t contest those stories... I will just tell mine.

We needed to plan a baby shower for about 70 people (yes... these things happen) and of course no house can fit that many loud women, so we decided to try out Mish Mash. It was convenient, affordable, and most of the venue was free.

The first time we went there, the lady, Genevieve was really nice, she took us through the menu options, and gave us the various prices, and it wasn’t in a robot kind of way... it was in a kind concerned “I really want your baby shower to work out” kind of way.

We called later to change the booking and again to reduce the numbers, we had agreed to pay the deposit on Friday morning, and I think it was paid on Friday afternoon instead (or was it Saturday morning).

Then came D day!  it rained cats and dogs, but by the time we got there to do the organising there was a bunch of people helping to clear up and organise our area and Mr Williams kept coming to check in and make sure we were being attended to. We didn’t like the music so he helped us set up our lap top and connect it to the speakers on our side of the building so that we could control our own music which was very thoughtful of him.

 More people turned up than had confirmed attendance, but the food was more than enough. Our biggest fear had been that due to  last minute confirmations, we would have a food shortage, but that didn’t happen, in fact we were told that if anything ran out, we would be given more (at no extra cost) and indeed we even had enough left over to pack.

Now, before you make any snide comments, please bear in mind that is MY story. Mish mash was the perfect place... the mummy to be was happy, all the girls were happy even our mothers and aunts were happy. We had an amazing time and no there was not the slightest hint of racism.

Maybe your story is better than mine, maybe it’s different, but as far as I am concerned, Mish Mash is an awesome place and I have at least 40 girls who agree with me.

A REAL MAN.

Now that I am a grown up girl, making grown up decisions. And in my first mature relationship. Occasionally my friends exclaim "Hilda you are dating your dad!"
My dad is a real man... and he has influenced my idea of a real man... and my opinions of real men and what they should and shouldn’t do.

For starters, my dad was a loser, at 24; he was an O-level drop out, with no future except as a taxi driver.
He got a second chance..... Just one shot..... And he took it. The man picked himself up and never looked back, somewhere between him and God, his life was sorted out, and he has worked hard every day ever since that moment. He has never given up on himself or on others he has always been the best he can possibly be.

So real men don’t give up.

Second. My dad loves his wife to bits! the woman gets breakfast in bed on an average of 3 times a week... we can actually smell the coffee and toast as he goes by.... and he stops by our room to say good morning, and then goes on... with the sacred mug of coffee and plate of toast, with lots of marmalade, just the way mum loves it.
On occasion, he has been known to say; that God is his number one, His wife is his number 2 and then his family (including his wife) is number three.... Yup... in his top 3 she features twice.
Now Im sure that 28 years and 4 children later, their marriage is not what it was on day one... and I know it’s not perfect. But I also know that he has stuck by her no matter what, that he has loved her, as Christ loved (and loves) his church.

So real men are faithful.

Growing up, was awesome, we always got the best of everything no matter the situation or circumstance and we always got it right, we were taught charity without being deprived, taught empathy without being mistreated, taught how to love reading and writing without coaching and taught discipline without being beaten too much hehe, but most importantly, we were taught to always keep our promises.
I can’t remember my dad ever breaking a promise... if it couldn’t work out, he let us know way ahead of time, that it wasn’t going to work out and why.... and then he showed us his strategy (long term or short) for making it work.... and eventually, it worked.

Real men keep their promises however big or small.

My dad works hard.... even now, when he is in a position where he doesn’t have to work so hard, he wakes up at 4am every morning and is hard at work! He however is usually home by 6pm and can be found watching the news with his "my wife" lol. There’s no two ways about this one...and all real men do this.

Real men work hard.

My dad is selfless... all this working hard I jut talked about, it isn’t for him, he puts the community before himself, he puts the world before himself, and he puts his family before himself.
From when we were children, until today, when we go for a party where my dad is VIP and we aren’t, He calls us to go and get food while he is getting food, and he doesn’t eat until he knows we have food. The only thing my dad doesn’t offer to share is cashew nuts and chocolate.... that one you fight hehe.

Real men put people they care about before themselves.

I am well over 20 now, and I’ve never heard my parents argue, I’ve never seen my mum with a swollen face. And I am certain that my father has ever been violent whether with my mum or us....

Real men are not violent.

Real men are not made insecure by the achievements of women, they do not feel superior to women in an unhealthy way, and they applaud all achievements. Real men believe in gender equality and treat women as equals.

I guess it is important that I mention at this point that my father is a Christian and his whole life is lived as a son of God. He always says the bible has given us principles for everything. And he has based his life on these principles.

Real men know God... and not in that distant far away kind of way but in the personal relationship kinda way.

Real men are everyday heroes, the ones who are always there to support you. The ones who correct you when you are wrong, the ones who love you even when you really suck. The ones who are not afraid or ashamed to apologize when they do something wrong.

That is my idea of a real man. So when my friends say im dating my father... I beam with pride... coz I know im on the right track.

Real men come in all shapes, tribes, personalities, colors etc. and there’s no limit.... of course the person I end up with wont be my father, and I don’t expect breakfast in bed every day.... different strokes for different folk right?  It’s their values, their intrinsic beliefs... that’s what makes real men, not these other variables people look at.
And that’s what I believe... A man who isn’t afraid to love, who isn’t afraid to learn, (or teach for that matter) a man who helps others to achieve fulfillment. A man who doesn’t fear God but is his friend.
A man who is his spouse's bet friend, that’s a real man.

And I don’t know what you believe but that’s what we think, here at 27 sunshine Avenue.

27 sunshine Avenue.

Somebody recently asked me what exactly sunshine avenue was.
I didn’t know until then, that it wasn’t something that I could explain in just one sentence......
well technically, my birthday is on the 27th and I live in constant sunshine (or try to) so that makes my address sunshine avenue right (since I live in sunshine) but I need a plot number on sunshine avenue.... there are many bright, sunny and bubbly people out here, I cant have the whole avenue to myself, so I picked a street number, and what better number than my birthday.

But 27 Sunshine Avenue was in existence way before this blog... it’s always been there, in my diary, on my face book page.
It’s an ideal, sunshine avenue represents the happiness in my life.... for a very long time, happiness eluded me... everything was sad... the world seemed like such a sad place. University life is a crazy fast track to depression... party all night, hang over all day, and you have an assignment to hand in the next day.... gosh! How did I ever do that?

So here I was, a person who had every reason to be happy, but for some reason, only 10% of my time was spent at Sunshine Avenue... I had a home, a happy home, (on sunshine avenue), and I lived on the street.... and I didn’t think it was my fault...
I didn’t know yet that happiness was a choice, choice of lifestyle, choice of attitude... what you eat, what you drink, what you read, who you go to for advice.... those are choices you make, and these choices can make you unhappy.

Soon after I found out I was in control, I made the decision to go to church, and I met God..... actually it wasn’t a meeting per se, it was more like I accidentally fell off a cliff and instead of falling on a hard rocky surface and getting up bruised, I was caught in pillows of honey (I always imagine that they must be the ultimate best since they are both comfortable and delicious. ha-ha.)
And when I got up, I wasn’t bruised. In fact,  not only did I feel better, but the pillows of honey are all around me, no matter where I go, I am constantly falling in pillows of honey...... and what is more "sunshine avenue" than pillows of honey?

So now I have a home that I live in... I am always happy; Thanks to God and all the wonderful things he shows me every day..... Thanks to hope and grace and love (and all the other girls names ha-ha)
Thanks to my new found faith in Christ Jesus, I am always, always ALWAYS! At
27 Sunshine Avenue!