As I sat on the bus from Kibungo to Kigali yesterday, I realized that I’ve really put in a lack luster performance with regards to writing in the blog. I swear I heard a collective sigh of relief from all of you as I put more photos and less words on the screen, but I sort of like writing. It’s too difficult to write online – too much pressure when you know your time is limited. No, I like to write in situations like these: sitting on a comfortable wooden chair, in the shade looking at the beautiful garden of a guest house. Yes, I could see myself doing this often.
I having been writing as much lately because, honestly, things aren’t that “new” anymore. I wonder if I’m actually beginning to feel at home in this new culture. I wonder if my culture shock is over. I highly doubt it. There is so much more to experience. But, the day to day of living in Kibungo is just normal now. I adjusting the laudry on the line the other day (this involves bringing out when it’s sunny and back in when the rain threatens, out with sun, in with rain….until three days later it’s dry) and I realized that – this is my life. I was filling up the pot to boil water for our filter (this involves turning on the shower, lifting the pot high so it doesn’t splash anywhere – and I lift it up and down and up and down to give my arms a bit of a morning workout) and I realized that – this is normal. On the bus to Kigali, the banana trees and mud houses and goats and children with dirty school uniforms and women carrying things on their heads I realized that – this is normal. Huh. What’s next? I think I feel now, that I can get into my job and begin work with earnest. Compared to other volunteers I’ve started at a much faster pace, thanks mostly to the fact that Tina is still hear and so I can continue her work. I’ve been working on my workplan and am really excited about what’s to come.
So, in Kigali for the weekend and I realized what a city this is. It’s amazing how perspective changes. When I first arrived, even though I’d spend five weeks in South America, I remembered Calgary shopping and thought “There isn’t a lot of choice here.” Now, after having been in Kibungo, I realize there is SO much choice here!! Sure, maybe there is only one type of coconut milk – but at least you can buy it. And there must be at least ten different kinds of shampoo here! I arrived at the program office and ran into most of the volunteers I was to be meeting in the town. I exchanged some novels, ate lunch, made copies of my passport and visa so I can get my resident’s card and then headed to town. I found his little guest house, St. Paul’s, which is cheap and has hot showers and many volunteers stay here. Then to check eamil and meet everyone at Nakumatt. This is the most wonderful place to be! It’s a department store with everything from kettles to sheets to kerosene stoves to bread. It’s open 24hours and you can buy real Colgate toothpaste there. It has everything you could ever want or need. Now, it’s not the size of a Wal-Mart (thankfully, that hasn’t infiltrated Rwandan life yet) but more like the size of a Coles bookstore. Then we went to Bourbon which a Mzungu/rich Rwandan hang out and, although I’m happy to not be able to go there all the time, it was a nice treat. It’s Rwanda’s answer to Starbucks and truly, when you are there you could be in Canada, England, Switzerland….anywhere!
Because this morning is Umagandu (volunteering day), nothing is open and I can’t leave the guesthouse until about noon without getting picked up by the police. So I managed to buy a single Mocha pouch to put in my room temperature water – and I’m pretending that it’s an IcedCap. I also bought some croissants. My day actually started last night when I found animal poop on my bed. This morning the “animal” showed it’s little face and it was a lizard – yellow and black – walking on MY wall like he owned the place. Then I got a call from Aimey who was coming back from the Stamps game with my old work friends. (The thought of watching a Stamps game made me think of crisp fall weather and yellow leaves on the trees. I was a bit homesick for that….) So, now I’m sitting here writing and reading and waiting for some friends who are staying here to wake up so we can sit some more and wait for noon to be able to leave. Ah the small joys of living in Rwanda. I could be cranky because I’m trapped or I could be happy that I had a hot shower and some time to reflect. I’ve chosen the latter. Wait…and what’s that…there is internet access here? How does that work? Don’t ask questions, Anna, just enjoy!
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