Hobbies

Sports: Soccer is our favorite sport. Although Phiona doesn't know how to play, she is a big fan and enjoys watching it. Her team is Manchester United in the UK, and Christiano Ronaldo is her favorite player. I support Arsenal, one of Manchester United's biggest rivals in English football. So, in the football world, we are technically 'big adversaries.' However, we haven't given room for soccer emotions to infiltrate our relationship – it is only secondary to it. I like playing soccer, and it will be fascinating to see Phiona watch her husband take on guys in real life. My friends call me Mbappe, and others African Messi. I hope it is stimulating enough for her to see me play for the first time in real life. Although Phiona is a Manchester United fan, she loves supporting teams in her area of origin, i.e., she is always restless when her former school, Boniconsilii Girls, is playing. When they win, it's her happiness. She likes it most when Uganda wins a game, which makes UK soccer secondary.

Besides soccer, I like running. I run at least twice a week for 3 miles. Altogether, the experience of growing up in different cultures and social settings, the tendency to lean towards different teams, and pursuing different career trajectories have taught us important life lessons – tolerance, patience, empathy, and coexistence amongst the most difficult circumstances. There is Strength in Diversity!

Traveling: I am a very adventurous person. I like exploring new places. Visiting nature is medicine to me. It calms my anxieties and brings me positive energy. Gazing at the beauty of creation also increases my faith in God. While in Iowa, my friend Chiteri and I visited all the Story County, Iowa parks. It was our weekend hobby. My love for nature peaked during the pandemic. Every day, I wandered in the nearby forest for at least 30 min.

Since coming to California in the summer of 2021, I have been in awe of how many adventurous sites exist on the Pacific West Coast. My favorite place so far has been Yosemite National Park. Still, I have also visited other iconic sites such as the Golden Gate Bridge (a couple of times), Muir Woods, as well as Sequoia, and King Canyons National Park, among others. Every summer, I aim to visit a new place and check on a longtime friend. My next park will be Yellow Stone National Park in Wyoming.

Besides nature/wilderness, I love road trips. While in Iowa, I drove 7+ hours individually on several occasions to visit my friends in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. Also, visiting iconic places is another opportunity for a road trip that I always look forward to! Occasionally, I go on a pilgrimage – visiting the shrine of Mother Mary. My favorite pilgrimage place in northern California is Our Lady of Peace in Santa Clara. Phiona doesn’t like traveling very much. I hope my presence in her life will help her fill that gap. Nature is full of life; by giving it our time, we receive life and thrive. Lastly, I like attending sporting events - watching Baseball, American Football, and Soccer with my friends.

Playing with children: Phiona loves children, and her love for babies is extraordinary. She likes playing with them, singing for them as they dance, hugging them, preparing their food, and eating with them. When stressed, she looks for children to surround her, and her mind is settled at the end of the day. She likes locking herself in a quiet place to recite the Rosary, which she does almost daily. She loves listening to gospel music, which comforts her soul.

Gardening: Gardening is not a hobby for us. It is a lived experience. We both grew up on agriculture farms and our parents still farm for a living. I fell in love with the subject and pursued it further in college, earning a bachelor’s degree of science in Agriculture. Despite my career prospects taking a significant turn to biomedical research, gardening followed me. While in grad school, I adopted a pet plant, the lemon tree ‘Saka,’ which became famous among my peers. Every summer, I grow my vegetables. Eating fresh, organic, and out of your effort is genuinely fulfilling. In 2022, Phiona and I bought land. Since buying food in the city is expensive, we decided to turn our land into a banana garden. This decision came quickly because banana is a staple food in our cultures. Growing our food has saved us money, kept the family busy, and still lived the farm experience. In the summer, when we have abundance, we share some with our friends and family.

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