So, my blog has been a snap shot of the last few weeks which have been filled with school visits, boiling water for a shower, watching Lost or Blue Planet before collapsing into my bed and reading a few chapters of Anna Karenina before falling asleep. Yup, that’s about it! It’s a good life and one that lends itself to lots of reflection. A LOT. I don’t even concentrate on the staying the bike anymore, so those hours I spend on the bike give me chances to think about life here. You know, it was just yesterday as I was enjoying a nice warm bucket shower (I’m totally over cold showers. That’s so last year….), and I thought “Holy crap. I live in the middle of Africa!” Believe it or not, I often forget that. It’s not like there are lions walking past my house. I don’t live in a mud hut. I can get the things I need. Life is just life here. It’s only when I think of it from an outsiders view or from that vantage point that I’ll have in a few months called hindsight, that I realize what an experience this really is. How easy it is to forget when life is just life, wherever you are. You get up the morning, have a coffee, brush your teeth and go to work. So do I. What’s the difference? None! Life is life and so this blog is less of an adventure story now. It’s just a story about someone’s life. Kind of mundane when you think about it. But I need to take a step back and remember that this is not mundane. This is an experience and after all “holy crap! I’m in the middle of Africa!” With that…here are just a few thoughts
- there is a wonderful old man in Kibungo that every time he sees me he says “Canada!” with a big grin, reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a hanky. He unwraps that hanky and pulls out a shiny Canadian quarter. He is so proud of it. Of course yesterday all the moto guys were asking the value of it in Francs. I think the man was sad to learn that it was only about 120 francs. But still, he wrapped it up and put it back in his pocket. And they think it’s funny that there is a “caribou” on it, when “karibu” in Swahili means “welcome.” Don’t even get me started to why there is a queen on it.
- The Winter Olympics begin soon but I keep forgetting. I’m trying to pay attention and look it up on the news but I also keep forgetting that it’s winter in some parts of the world. Truth be told I keep forgetting what winter is. But I digress. I just want you all to make sure that you are watching the Olympics and cheering for my old junior high classmate Ryan Blais who is on the Canadian free style team. (Okay, I think it’s freestyle….) Either way, he’s a local and needs a cheering on!
- I was pretty sure I’d mastered telling time in Kinyarwanda which is a complicated system of knowing numbers in Swahili, dropping the first letter and then adding six. Anyhow, I had asked my domestique to come at 7am to collect her salary and told her in Kinyarwanda. How surprised was I to hear the door open at 6:05am as I was reaching to turn off my alarm clock. In my daze I thought “No, I’m sure I know how to say the time.” I did ask her and I was right. She was early but had to get to my house before heading off to church. Okay, I guess I let it slip this time
- Driving to a school today with Patrick, he slowed down as we passed through a village. He pointed and told me that it was the village his wife comes from. He pointed to an empty space and explained that her family was there but they were all killed in the genocide and now it is just her and there is no house anymore.
- The bustling town of Kibungo is apparently getting fibre optic cables. I don’t know what they are or what they do (and I’m sure that most locals don’t either ) but we ALL know the reason that we have daily power cuts from 7am until 5pm. “They are laying fibre optic cables.” Sounds great but honestly? One month of no power in the day. My office has a generator which is a good thing but the papaterie across the street where I get my copying done doesn’t. So today I had to wait until 5:30pm to get my copies done – just as they were closing.
- I kill and average of 2 spiders a day. And I know I shouldn’t. Not because it will rain (the Eastern Province could always use more rain) but because my friend Sarah is convinced that if we kill them we’ll come back as a spider and “two legs are hard enough to manage. Imagine how exhausting it would be to manage eight!”
- I’m reading Anna Karenina right now. I am really enjoying it but don’t think I’ll have it finished for the VSO first ever Rwandan book swap on Saturday! I’m so excited to start a book swap here. I think the Calgary one is still going strong. My opinion – book swaps are a million times better than book clubs. Basically – if you were wondering – my friend Katie and I (over two bottles of read wine) came up with the idea. Instead of a book club where everyone buys and is forced to read the same book, you swap your books. You each bring two books you’ve read and want to recommend and don’t mind lending. You put your books on the table and then you take ones you want to read. Next book swap, you bring them back. Simple. We started in Calgary by bringing two or three books and having a few snacks. It became us bringing bags (or in Ang’s case) a box of books, eating a lot of food and chatting. Last year we finished by seeing “My Sister’s Keeper” the movie – because we’d all read the book. I’m exciting for the Kigali version but am looking forward to the Calgary group. You know, now that I think about it. I might really miss those girls and the books and food.
- I was out at schools today and had a great time. I watched a lesson where the teacher superbly (in my opinion) corrected and helped improve English. It was great. They also learned a few songs to teach their kids. We all had a laugh at trying to sing “Row Your Boat” because Rwandans have a tough time pronouncing “r” and “l”. They often come out sounding the same which makes “Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily” very difficult. We all had a good laugh. These were a small but very committed group of teachers who just needed some acknowledgement of their hard word. Oh and there were children in the area who were literally hanging off the windows outside and trying to sing along with us!
- Oh and today is my “little” brother’s 29th birthday. I called him today thinking that I’d be waking him up. Apparently his “matured” because he was awake. Anyway, Happy Birthday Pat!
So, this weekend I’m going to Kigali (again!) for a Global Schools Partnership Meeting (which we convinced them to have early and at the same restaurant as the books swap), Book Swap and then VSO family dinner which will be good food, traditional dancing and a chance to meet all the new volunteers.
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