An island with a mind of its own

Imagine going on a safari near the lake, staying in a cottage on the shores of lake Victoria, waking up to the singing of birds, grabbing a cup of coffee and walking out to see sunrise on the lake.

You have paid more for a lake view room, but when you step out, and look around, you see that you have the lake view on all sides! You think you are dreaming and look again, only to realise that it is not a dream! While you were sleeping, the piece of land you were staying on had carved away from the main land and is now floating on the lake!

Although the safari story is imaginary, the 20 acres of land curving away between Gaba and Namuwongo is absolutely true! It even has a name: Jaja Mirembe.

I remember when we were at school and during religious studies, one of the holy verses referring to the signs of the “day of reckoning” cited that the earth beneath our feet will open up and separate! I wonder if we are witnessing that day or is it nature getting back at us.

It is unfortunate that we keep talking about taking steps to protect our rapidly dilapidating environment, but when it comes to action, complex legislations, that often protect a group of people, become barriers towards achieving our goals.

An example is the issue of banning plastic bags. A generation has already grown up while the debate is still going on, for them, they know no alternative to wrapping everything except in a plastic bag that ultimately finds its way to the fertile soils of our land.

I was watching a documentary about how some European countries are testing their fish meat on regular basis. This is to make sure they are poison free.

Indeed, it is a proven fact that with the increasing amount of garbage disposal in the sea plus other pollutants, fish that eat these, become toxic and when consumed by humans, this poison is also released in our digestive system and can cause grievous harm.

This is definitely bad news for all those who are now substituting the more harmful red meat with the healthier fish option.

As much as I love the idea of a floating island that reminds me of many Hollywood movies, and the thought of waking up in a new harbour every day, as much as I worry that this separation and many such phenomena are actually a disastrous outcome of human manipulation of the environment .

I am sharing a wonderful quote that makes so much sense: “ Reflect upon the inner realities of the universe, the secret wisdom involved, the enigmas, the inter-relationships, the rules that govern all.

For every part of the universe is connected with every other part by ties that are very powerful and admit of no imbalance, nor any slackening whatever.”