Reflections on Kigali
Monday September 7, 2009
I am nearing the end of my In Country Training in Kigali. I feel like now I am finally starting to do what I was brought here to do. Since arriving bleary-eyed, groggy and still on Mountain Time, I think I’ve already learned so much. We’ve been spoiled at this guest house – reliable electricity and running water (mine hasn’t gone off once), even if the showers are cold! Food is prepared for us (even if it is the same thing every meal). The place is clean (even if I think there is something dead in my bathroom because it smells like rotten mouse). We’ve developed into a little family here too and I think I will miss the camaraderie of the new volunteers. Having said that, it’s time to begin my job. Today all us mzungus went into town to spend our living grant. I’m lucky to be moving into a house with another volunteer and one that had just been vacated. Everything we need is in the house, so I didn’t have to spend my money on jerry cans but rather bought us an electric toaster! We all had to buy sheets, blankets, buckets and the like. Then we piled our things into a truck so it could be taken back to our guest house. We were a sight and the attraction for the moment. Following that we had a briefing from the British Ambassador. VSO began in the UK and as a result, we are all able to access support from the British Embassy. Good thing too, considering the Canadian Embassy didn’t exactly bring out the welcoming committee. Both the British and American Embassies have weekly events. The Canadians – not so much. They are probably all over at the British Embassy for their Thursday night pub. All in all, Rwanda seems to be the darling of Africa and an example of what is going right. The biggest safety is the potential for dangerous earth quakes.
So – what’s life been like here in the big city? Our laundry gets down for us. Hand washed and hung to dry, ironed and returned to you – although I’m still waiting for clothes from Thursday. Bonus to this that, although the handwashing is rough on clothes, they are not dried in a dryer so your jeans always fit when you put them on. None of those lunges across the bedroom floor just so your ass can breathe a little bit. Shopping in Kigali is great! Well, not NYC great but you can get what you need. Some things are more expensive than others (a bottle of contact lens solution is, if I do the math right, is close to $50) everything you need is available. Tina is a fan of marshmallows I’ve picked up a bag to bring with me to Kibungo. There were three bags in the entire town of Kigali and certainly not like the marshmallows we have back home. Choice here is limited in comparison, that is until I saw a local man in a Sport Chek uniform! That’s right folks, a SPORT CHEK uniform!! The company that is my nemesis (insofar as its possible for a person to have a greedy corporation as its nemesis). I had to laugh and of course texted Emily right away to tell her. It should go without saying but there isn’t an actual Sport Chek in Kigali – just the shirt. If he was an employee he surely would have asked to “put his number” on anything I was carrying.
The weather has been great. Hot during the day (maybe around 30 degrees) but the nights are comfortable. Unfortunately women can’t wear shorts here and skirts aren’t always comfortable. What women will never admit, but I will always complain about, is that in hot weather your thighs rub together in a skirt and honestly, it is SO uncomfortable. Come on girls! Admit it. It happens to you to. Surely, I can’t be the only one. Bonus to having to wear pants all the time is that shaving your legs (in freezing water, not to mention the cost of razors) does not have to happen frequently. The downside, no tan. My feet are getting the sun. Yesterday I thought my feet were covered in dust and dirt but it turns out that, after a little rinse in the cold water, the rest was actually what you call a “tan.” The sun here isn’t hot enough to warrant sunscreen on warm days, even for me. The dust and diesel, however, is enough to have me running toward Tanzania (which I will be doing Wednesday, as I’m an hour or so from the border). The rains will start soon. It feels like it does back home when there is a build up to a storm. The temperature will drop a few degrees and the wind picks up. The sky turns grey but then it doesn’t rain. It heats up again. We are watching the sky with anticipation. In fact, the other day at lunch someone noticed it was sprinkling outside, ran to the door and turned to say “It’s raining!” It’s akin to Canadians looking out the window mid-October and saying “It’s snowing!” We both know that it isn’t the REAL thing but we’re excited to see the change of seasons which I have always felt is important in indicating the passage of time.
I’ve learned that Rwandans have a sixth sense, which I have yet to hone in on. They have an ability to walk, run, bike, play soccer and “beep” each other on cell phones in the pitch black. How they manage to avoid collisions with each other, with vehicles and with potholes and drainage systems all over is a mystery to me. You’ll be walking along when all of a sudden there is a person saying “Miriwe!” You’re in their face before you have a chance to respond. Thankfully MTN cell phones are equipped with flashlights. Good for seeing the holes and ensuring that vehicles see you as well. The best part about In Country Training has been the people I’ve met. We seem to be able to meet for meals and have conversations with ease. I think that, without saying it, we’re all a little bit apprehensive about what to expect but know that the support network we’ve established in the last week or so will serve us well in the next year. So, Kibungo on Wednesday! What will life be like there? Keep posted to find out!
Oh and speaking of keeping “posted” – if anyone was going to “post” something to me, here are the things I’ve been craving/wishing for: Reese Peanut Butter Cups, Visine (for my dry eyes) and nice smelling candles. You know, incase my family is reading this blog!
Welcome to Kibungo, Rwanda
Wednesday September 9th
I have arrived! Wow! I can’t believe I’m actually sitting here, in my bedroom in Kibungo. I don’t live in Kibungo town but on the highway in Kibungo Secteur which is in Ngoma District, in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. There are only 5 provinces in the country, including Kigali. I have a double bed and a mosquito net and a chair and a cupboard. I feel like a queen. I’m totally overwhelmed at the moment. I have met so many people and seen so many things that my head is spinning. My house is wonderful. Tina had been to the market and bought material for art for the walls and curtains for the bathroom. She’d also bought food for Jason and I so that we had something to eat when we arrived. She also told our domestique to make sure my room was really clean because she knows I hate spiders. I met Suzanne who is the head master at a school in Remera Secteur and Bosco who is the charge for Sport, Youth and Culture in Ngoma District. I’ve also met Victor who is the Director of Education for the district. I’ve met Epi, a Rwandan-Canadian teaching near by, a girl named Anna, our domestique named Julie and our guard named Jean De Dieu. (Yes, John of God is the translation). I’ve also met Danny from England who is teaching teachers how to use computers at Suzanne’s school. Jason, Tina, Suzanne and I went for mélange lunch (basically Rwanda buffet). I opened a bank account and then we went to the market. I unpacked and Tina boiled water for our new filter. Tina and I made fruit salad and guacamole (okay, she made it, I helped) and after a fit of yawning at the table, I headed to bed. I’m getting settled in but will admit that I’m terribly overwhelmed and may be having a case of the “How will I do this for an entire year!?!!?!?!” I suppose I thought that when I got to Kigali and got used to that pretty quickly. When my head stops spinning, I’ll tell you more. Miss you all!
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