Exercise 2c: failed attempt

Despite lots of goodwill, lot of chatting but no new pics. Apart from loads of “workshop pictures” (which seems to be a good conversation prop with colleagues about the need of using more pictures in documenting our work. Little by little I will persuade some to try harder on this front. I am on a mission).

Getting my third set is quite a challenge, also considering that – because of endless workshop sessions and work backlog - I can freely roam about the hotel only for a limited time span... (It is actually very good to have some homework that can pull me out of this cocoon!).

At least I came out with an idea for a relationship picture with some local character: relationship between a hair dresser / barber and the clients. I first tried to look for a beauty parlour for women. Sunday evening I asked around, to receptionists and waitresses, if they could take me to a hair dresser they know and who would not mind a few pictures taken. It did not work out: I was told that most women would have their hair made up on the weekend, so basically I missed my chance. They promised they would investigate, but so far no good news. Too bad.

Anyway, barbers seems to be busy all the time, so I went around Mukono town. I started walking around the matatu station near to the hotel, trying to find a barber shop where I could hang around and take pics. No one was enthusiastic, several asked for money, and the few persuadable ones had a long queue of not-at-all-keen clients. I walked around, through the town market. The sun set, the night came, the fast night of the tropics. The fruit vendors lit their oil lamps. I walked along the road, shops become run-down stalls. No pics, no pics, no pics...It was a bit frustrating, but still nice sightseeing: looking at the painted signboards of some shops, the variety of posters in others, the attitude of the clientele. It is possible to do some sightseeing and collect good memories even without shooting pictures, after all. But, ehi!, writers have it certainly easier than photographers when it comes to capture reality!

Finally I found a barber keen to be photographed, but the moment I was ready to start, he finished the haircut!! I hanged around for sometime, chatting in front of the shop with a couple of boys. In vain. No one else came and the barber closed his shop. I shall try to go back tomorrow. On the way back, at the matatu station, one of the barbers that first had refused to have the picture became more chatty, and invited me to the shop. He wanted to know how much I would pay for taking pictures. Well.. nothing of course, but I promised that I would send some printouts… he was not terribly impressed, but I started joking, with him and with the shop keepers around. And from joking we moved on more serious talk. As they asked me “what are you doing here?”, we then started to talk about HIV/AIDS, the need for treatments, the challenges of being positive. The barber now seemed a little more keen to have the picture taken. With a bit of luck tomorrow maybe I can be more successful.