A recent email to my friend in Uganda: what a difference a year makes

Lawrence,

Hey! Great to hear from you, and greetings dear friend. I have included my dear brother Steven in this email. He is so far away from me. Further away than even Kitgum is to Kampala. But, further still is the distance that lies between me and you, and that wonderful energy that is Gulu. Is it now a city? I heard there is a new statue in the centre of town. How exciting that is. And to think that Upland Studio will have such a long standing history in a town/city that is now forming. Lawrence, you are a great man, a real friend with such a loving and fun heart. I hope that all is going OK for you. That you are finding what matters most in life- love, laughter and comfort. You are such a dear friend. I am here now in New York City. I am a very small fish, in a veerrry big pond. No one ever recognizes me as a Mzungu anymore. It is a wonderful city though, which once had its first photo studio in a small town on the edge of a forest. The forest is now gone, in a traditional sense. Trees of steel, concrete and glass stretch high into the sky. They do not grow by sunshine and rain, however by the brilliance and competitive spirit of man, always trying to build a bigger, taller and better monument that will sketch their names into history. History that we understand is only like fleeting sand on a river's edge. What matters most, I believe, are the intimate friendships that forge far deeper than ego-fueled monuments. You, good friend, are doing that. I hope we see each other again one day, and not too far ahead. I have no plans right now to fly. I only have money enough to get by in this crazy expensive city. Oh- how I miss the days of Malakwang lunches! Pizza substitutes this as the cheap, fast lunch item in New York City. 1500 shillings buys you a slice.

Talk to you soon brother from a different mother. Greet everyone for me. Apwoyo Matek! Apwoyo Dugo.

-Jamie