By Agnes Asiimwe
Jan 24 - 30, 2004
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The best masseurs have never had a massage, and some cosmetologists rarely wear make up KAMPALA - Revelation that a local pastor was accused of devil worship, witchcraft, adultery and murder was horrifying. Could the same person who preaches about the Omniscient God, love thy neighbour as thy self, everlasting life...do that? Impossible. But then again, maybe it was possible.
Looking at most professions, people offer the best of what they know to others but leave themselves out. The best masseurs have never got a massage, most cosmetologists never get time to wear make up, photographers don't own albums (they don't have photographs), a bank teller will walk home for lack of transport fare, while the leading fashion designers top the worst dressed people's charts worldwide. Annet Nalugya works in a massage parlour in town. She has been massaging people for as long as she can remember, but has never got one. "There is no one to do it...and there is no time...I really don't need a massage," she said. The realisation that she has never had a massage surprised her as well. For one to brush their teeth after every meal as dentists tell us, one would have to practically move around with a toothbrush. How do the dentists manage? Dr Tugaineyo Emmanuel, a dentist with Nyondo Clinic says he doesn't move around with a toothbrush, but brushes his teeth twice a day, after breakfast and before going to sleep. Of keeping strong healthy teeth he says, "To keep good oral hygiene, avoid sugary stuff or minimise them and regularly visit the dentist, at least every after six months," he said. Does he do all that? "Doctors are poor at doing what they preach," he says. "I know when I have a bad tooth so I don't have to go to see a dentist exactly after six months..." he does brush his teeth twice a day. There is a hotel in Bukoto, which will not be named here, where workers are fired if found eating anything. They are not even allowed to take a glass of water while on duty. When it clocks lunchtime, workers stroll out to neighbouring restaurants to buy food. Of course they know how to beat the system. The trick is to take a glass of juice in one gulp and swallow a hot sausage in the shortest time possible. So what's with the mansions, airplanes, sleek cars and designer clothes in the lifestyles of our preachers? The work of the police is to keep law and order, right? However they are a true testimony that man eats where he works. It's a fact that most traffic offences, like over speeding, drunk driving, lack of driving permit, are settled with a bribe, anything from Shs10, 000 to Shs 50,000. But the bribes aren't always in cash. The police are the prostitutes' biggest threat; out of the way, those girls claim they would make a lot of money. There are reports that at times, when a prostitute has been cornered, they are known to bribe their captors, and this is not in cash. More times than not, it is said, our dear law and order managers eagerly accept the "bribe". But then, not all have fallen short of the glory. There are some professionals who practise what they preach. Indeed some people must mirror the quality of their works if they are to win their clients' confidence. A beautician should look well groomed, a barber must have well-trimmed hair, a fitness instructor should be fit or at least look it. While re-launching her design line in October last year, House of Kaine designer, Natasha Karugire revealed that she dresses her family. Olivia Birungi is a decorator and interior designer and her artistic touch in people's homes and weddings leaves her clients smiling. But most importantly, she has not forgotten her own home. Everything in her house blends well with the other, especially the maroon and green. "Colour", she says, "should be the first choice of a decorator as it is easier to mix and match furniture when your basic wall colours are in place." Birungi says she chose maroon and green for her home because they easily blend together especially with a white floor and white ceiling. Indeed with curtains matching the side cushions, Olivia's home tells of an interior designer who has not left herself out. Ruth Okwanga is a counsellor at Mulago Hospital. She counsels people with problems at work - the married and the sick. Does she encounter the same problems? "I am married and problems come up, we sit at a round table with my husband and come up with options. "In case they fail, I involve a third party," she says. "And if it's a work problem," she says, "I share it with close friends." As you start your work today, extend the good service you have been giving others to yourself. We should all practise what we preach. |
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