(Opposite: Lakes of Uganda) Over the past week I got around to correcting and grading the end of semester exams for my lecture in company law. The exams revolved around a newly set up company. When reading the exams, it was quite evident who the professor of these students in company law has been. They largely set up gold mining companies and oil exploration firms. One of these firms explores for oil in the Lake Albert region.

It’s reminded me of what I recently read. Oil fields have been discovered in the Lake Albert region. Lake Albert is one of Africa’s great lakes, situated on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As far as I can get a handle on things there, the oil fields discovered in the Lake Albert region seem to make the cut for quite a substantial discovery. Soft commodities have characterised my present spot of residence Uganda so far. That seems poised to change.

It remains to be seen whether the oil story signifies good or bad news for Uganda. The United Arab Emirates, for instance, have wisely used their dough to diversify. Dubai as a financial hub these days pretty much stands on equal footing with Singapore. My former stomping ground Mexico, however, has squandered its oil revenues. On top of it, in a few years’ time the country is expected to cease oil exports. Mexico isn’t going to have a nice day.

Quite a few people reckon that they can have a nice day at casinos. I’ve been to two casinos so far. During my first spell in Africa a few cronies of mine and I spent an evening at the casino in Victoria Falls after doing whitewater rafting on the Zambezi. Whilst living in Auckland, you could bump into me at the casino there every now and then. Yet neither in Victoria Falls nor in Auckland did I ever blew a buck on gambling. Gambling just isn’t my truck.

Instead, I just sipped a couple of drinks at the casino in Victoria Falls. It came down to the same sort of thing in Auckland, unless I was there to eat something. When spending a few hours at the casino in Auckland, it was quite interesting to watch people gambling. I often couldn’t avoid the impression that the majority of them were well to do Asians as well as Maoris and retirees. You knew by glancing at the latter two that they weren’t well to do. They blew their dough on gambling, even though they couldn’t afford doing so.

It evidently didn’t dawn on them that gambling resembles catching a falling safe. After all, you can’t make a bundle through gambling or get rich quick schemes. Be that as it may. Even though I enjoyed having a drink or a meal at the casino in Auckland at times, it would be a little far - fetched to assert that I immensely enjoyed the atmosphere there.

A sports bar at the Victoria & Albert Waterfront in Cape Town projected quite a different atmosphere, in particular on Saturday afternoons. That outfit was then packed out. Whites there were watching rugby whilst Blacks were watching soccer. All the while, you could admire Table Mountain, which dominates the whole of Cape Town. Which provides the right sort of backdrop to kick up a flirt. That sports bar is likely to be still in business at present.

Let’s revert to where we set out. Apart from correcting and grading end of semester exams, I too read the novel “The Chamber” by John Grisham. The plot revolves around a lawyer rookie who works for a big law firm in Chicago and endeavours to save the life of his client on death row in Mississippi. At the end of the day, the lawyer rookie goes for a career transition. He infers that he’s not cut out for a big law firm and ultimately makes the transition to a quasi - federal agency in Jackson, Mississippi specialising in death row litigation.

That’s precisely what draws me to John Grisham novels. Aside from spinning good yarns, he at times portrays lawyers who head off in a new direction. I can marvellously relate to them. All in all, dazzling university students with my brilliance signifies a pile of more fun for me than practicing law. Find your niche and it boosts your quality of life.

* More Articles on Living in Uganda
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* Universities in Uganda - Colleges & Universities listed by Country
* Embassies and Consulates of Uganda
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