Uganda, March 29 -- Last October, in Colorado, I attended a small private dinner. The guest list was mostly pensioners. I was the only Ugandan [African] in the room, so I got "that look" when I introduced myself.

During a refilling break, I was approached by an elderly lady who was visibly overjoyed to (finally) meet someone from Uganda. She was 78 and had left East Africa, where her father was a General Motors executive, in 1976. Probably never met an East African between then and that evening.

The effect of fine wine, a lovely evening, and the nostalgia of a good time now well into fading memory took over. And because she was elderly, I was happy to indulge her. From stories about hunting expeditions, trips to national parks, a Swahil...