Just passed by this flashy bus at the Entebbe Airport parking lot. The lads at my alma mater are having it easy. In stark comparison, in my day we were shunted around like cattle in what we christened “The Milk Truck.” No, that’s not me in the picture. For a school that was supposed to be grooming gentlemen and the country’s leaders, I resented showing up at girls’ schools and then having to emerge from the back of a truck. For that sole reason, I made an unshakeable resolution never (even for one time!) to show up at any girls’ school in my time at St Mary’s. Oh. Save for the time I showed up for “Social ‘90” at Nabisunsa. Or was it Namagunga? Boyo boyo, did this Christian boy have a good time! I did the Foxtrot. I “pulled” the SMACK Jabba. That day I was transported to seventh heaven. So much so that I moonwalked (while at the same time pulling Hammer strokes, in my hammer pants) to the Fellowship meeting room the next day, singing out my lungs (in cavalier fashion) MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This.” That hit was off the chart-topping album “Hammer, Please don’t hurt ‘em.” I was only stopped in my tracks by the brethren (certified killjoys, those ones) saying the instant I had boarded the milk truck I had effectively “back-slidden.” Charge: I had “compromised.” That was my label for the rest of my time at St Mary’s. Except in the small matter of falling in love with a beautiful girl called Mona Tumwine, I purposed not to enjoy life too much when I joined Makerere University a couple of years later. You see, the same wet-blanket junta had extended their leadership to the Christian Union on campus. He! Ay caramba! Bitter-sweet (but precious) memories this fine transport has brought rushing back. So much for boarding the milk truck only once;-)
June 7, 2018 at 10:34 pm
Eeeh Ssebo, the memories I have of the Jacob Zikusooka of Makerere was of a larger than life guy who knew how to enjoy the good life!
June 7, 2018 at 10:37 pm
Now imagine what it was before that, Gerald. At Makerere I was subdued?
June 7, 2018 at 10:38 pm
I was a fan of mc hammer with hammer lines in my hair no joking subject dancing running man really bombastically twalyako byetwalya wetwabererako ba musaayi muto
echoes, Tropicana 110, calendar, little flowers and ange noir not forget Missouri manganjo and pulsations kabalagala
June 7, 2018 at 10:39 pm
Hahahahaha Jacob! I have enjoyed, empathised and laughed in equal measure!
June 7, 2018 at 10:40 pm
The brethren were very uncompromising back then, Julie. That bit I miss, even if I fell prey to that very high standard?
June 7, 2018 at 10:41 pm
It was stiffling hahahaha
June 7, 2018 at 10:43 pm
Hi hi hi read me first laugh then return to read the post
June 7, 2018 at 10:44 pm
Sadly these buses are rented for income leading to brand dilution
June 7, 2018 at 10:45 pm
What! So there’s more than one, Karoli?
June 7, 2018 at 10:46 pm
Jacob Zikusooka and Karoli Ssemogerere……not really rented. Those lads move a lot more than we did.
June 7, 2018 at 10:47 pm
Charles Odaga Now that you are here…when shall Smack face reality and start admitting girls? This all “social” business is just anachronistic…..let the school start admitting women…..single sex schools impose emotional and social illiteracy on pupils at a crucial stage in their formation….other parts of the world that introduced single sex boarding schools have long given up on idea….British single sex boys schools for instance shall likely disappear within the next 5 years, as educators have awoken to the reality of the emotional stuntedness single sex boy schools impart on pupils ….it is no longer just detrimental to social formation, it is also certifiably no longer cool, to isolate genders…
June 7, 2018 at 10:48 pm
Juan Kiwanuka, interesting question. Next time you don’t have to see me lurking around to tag me onto a burning issue……please. I am at ‘our’ service.
I am not sure if SMACK has any short term plans of converting to a mixed school setting. However, the planned St. Mary’s College, Kabojja ( owned and run by the Brothers of Christian Instruction) is going to be a mixed school from the word go.
June 7, 2018 at 10:49 pm
Charles Odaga glad to hear about planned mixed status for kabojja…..because single gender schools are slowly being phased out in the places that introduced them to the world…and most importantly, research suggests they do more harm than good in the pursuit of a rounded holistic education. Hint – most smack veterans are clueless about women until well into their thirties
June 7, 2018 at 10:51 pm
Juan Kiwanuka, isn’t a co-ed too much to ask of the Brothers of Christian Instruction? The model for all their schools is patriarchal and premised on grooming young men into leaders. I would be curious to look at the proof of concept for Kabojja!
June 7, 2018 at 10:53 pm
Totally agree, but the model places the outcomes of their education systems at a significant disadvantage when they get into the real world. What sort of
young leaders anyway are they creating that are ill equipped to constructively engage with the other 50% of the species? ….this is where Buddonians and others have up to a decade of social advantage… by time we close gap long after we leave Smack, these advantages are already entrenched in their favour
Things like turning away women in trousers or short skirts at gate, or boys getting hysterical when a female dares to cross school yard are immature and not normal. Why not have socials within the school with fellow girl students? Why not have sports and drama tournaments that involve both genders? Why not have boys and girls normalize sitting together within a classroom setting, suppressing their rampant hormones and still be able to perform at a high level regardless? This kind of education imbues unquantifiable benefits when boys cross into the real world
June 7, 2018 at 10:54 pm
Milk truck, Certified kill joys! And hammer pants hahaha! Picturing all of this.
Pendo, Come and see your brother claiming he didn’t enjoy campus!
As far as Iam concerned this man really enjoyed campus more than the rest of us.
June 7, 2018 at 11:01 pm
Ha ha ha Olga, as you can see enjoying life is relative???
June 7, 2018 at 11:02 pm
that aside Olga thanks for the great work of enlightenment you do on spectrum extra really you are focused
June 7, 2018 at 11:03 pm
Jacob, I have just noted that you were subdued. MONA, my spiritual sis does she know what hit her.
Conclusion; the rest of us were none existent.
June 7, 2018 at 11:05 pm
But Olga, are you the one (I used to visit in Mary Stuart), or should I expect another????♂️
Manage
June 7, 2018 at 11:07 pm
Hahaha…Jacob with bu memories…togwayo. Ffe twali nga ku Vanilla Ice. Mbu Ice, ice baby???????
June 7, 2018 at 11:07 pm
vanilla ice hard one hit but hammer had quite a number including a slow “have you seen her?”
June 7, 2018 at 11:08 pm
Haaa that Milk was a better bet than our truck, the Gentlemen- usually weavils picked us up once in the milk truck – making a dignified exit of that truck in your borrowed kalinya was many teen girls night mare that year – I may have had to apologize to the fellowship for ‘Compromising’ but had a good time anyway?
June 7, 2018 at 11:10 pm
Lucky for you Emma, you got off with an apology. Me, I was “handed over to satan for the destruction of my flesh” as instructed by the apostle Paul – 1 Corinthians 5:5?? PS. In the SMACK Fellowship, Gayaza had a reputation for being “compromisers.” Just sayin’???♂️
June 7, 2018 at 11:12 pm
And the way we used to look forward to seeing that milk truck Mt. St. Mary’s College Namagunga we did not even care the mode of transportation. Just the joy of seeing those grey trousers, and life would come to a halt. At least yours was white, ours was the green tata lorry, imagine coming off that green truck in your beautifully pressed skirts!
June 7, 2018 at 11:13 pm
Eish Elizabeth, thought Namagunga had a bus? Now am not feeling terribly bad, after all?
June 7, 2018 at 11:14 pm
The good old days
June 7, 2018 at 11:14 pm
This truck was bought when we were about to leave SMACK, i remember acertain bald headed man (driver) called MUGERWA who used to drive it , swtching to the School Bus as well the famous BMC!!!!!!
June 7, 2018 at 11:16 pm
Mugerwa? Wow! You have a super good memory, Robert David Kaweesa!
June 7, 2018 at 11:16 pm
Thanks Jacob, i had to remember the time we enjoyed being at SMACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 7, 2018 at 11:17 pm
But we enjoyed life going to those once a week lunchtime Bible studies at Baptist in wandegeya. They were led by Mrs Pampelli and she used to give us tomatoe sandwiches. I remember the sandwiches more than what we learnt oops……. We had energy and didn’t even feel the scorching sun
June 7, 2018 at 11:18 pm
Yes Diana, in exchange for the scorching sun, the tomato sandwiches were every but worth it! Sharon Pumpelly and Larry invested quite a bit in us, bless them! PS. Hilda Sekabira and David Nkuggwa still remember every line in Richard Foster’s “Celebration of Discipline.” We need to sit them down to jog our memories;-)
June 7, 2018 at 11:19 pm
Jacob Zikusooka Yakobo kituffu nyo. Diana you forgot the chapati and tomatoes.
June 7, 2018 at 11:19 pm
Name a place and time. I will supply the tomatoes ?
June 7, 2018 at 11:20 pm
In our days, the light had dawned and the ‘milk truck’ was safely tucked away where it belonged, it was a fairer and majestic white Leyland though. #airforceone ruled the day.?