Notice my lack of effort put into this blog lately. Is it that nothing’s happening? No, not really. Life is just going on as usual. Where did I leave you? I believe it was Wednesday with the fixing of the stove. What has happened since? Well, this was intended to be short but as we know, I ramble. Pictures coming soon. My battery died during the weekend.....
Thursday December 3, 2009
Still in disbelief that it is December, I made my way to Kabare 1 School where Suzanne works. VSO had dropped off a huge pile of rice sacks. WE use these to make visuals for schools – staff rooms and classrooms. They are more durable in the weather and much more cost efficient than paper. I watched part of Jason’s workshop and was really impressed. We are both trying to stress to teachers that it is more important to teach at the students level than race ahead in the curriculum, finish, but with no real learning having occurred. I think he’s getting through to these teachers and it’s wonderful. I head back home with the bundle under my arm, plop them down and head back to the office for some work.
Friday December 4
I wake up more or less early and try to be ready to get the 8am bus to Kigali. No such luck. My coffee was just too good. So I wander down a half hour later, buy a ticket for the 8:45am bus and then pop in to get some water and samosas from Consolee for the journey. The bus is not full and I pop in my headphones listen to my “Great Canadian Music” playlist as I watch the scenery pass by me. At Kabarondo I look out to see if I can see the volcanoes toward the DRC. Jason had sent me a message saying he just passed and they were visible. But by the time I get there it’s just mist and haze. I arrive in Kigali and get off near the Tanzanian Embassy. I walk down, pick up my passport that has my Tanzanian visa. Walk back up the hill and ago into VSO. I need to sort out an under expenditure for my workshops, get reimbursed and meet with the country director. Nothing gets accomplished very fast there, generally, and today there is an employer workshop to boot. But I’m out in just under 2 hours so I can’t complain. I head in to Bourbon where I can use the internet for free while I eat lunch. I spend the 2 ½ hours there booking for our trip to Zanzibar. Not that I wanted to spend that long but the server forgot to put in my order. I’m disappointed because everything on the island appears to be booked for New Year’s so we’ll be in Stone Town longer than we had wanted. Oh well. I head to St. Paul’s to check in and then – after a short rest and an episode of How I Met Your Mother – head back to UTC to meet Ulysses for dinner. Ulysses is a Canadian that I met one day taking a taxi in town. He’s doing his masters in Sweden in International Health at the moment and is here for another month. We decide to take motos to a place that is his suggestion. It’s called the Car Wash. It used to be an actual car wash and began serving food while people waited. It’s pretty local and what it lacks in muzungus it makes up for in piles of goat meat. I’m beginning to prefer the taste of goat over beef anyway. We have a great meal and talk over a few beers until we realize that it’s getting cold. We turn in late and plan on meeting tomorrow for Christine’s birthday
Saturday December 5
Back to Bourbon (I have a hard time staying away) to enjoy good coffee for the morning. Check my email and then head up to Amani Guesthouse where Karen and Christine and I will stay for the night. Diane, who works there and has become our friend, has given us the apartment for the cost of a double room. I check in and wish her a happy birthday. She’ll meet us for dinner too. I relax for a while before heading back downtown to buy a gift and party hats. I do head to Blue’s Café where I’ll meet Christine for lunch and run into other volunteers. Isn’t it always the way? After lunch, Christine and I pop into Dmitri and Ariane’s house for a short visit with their kids. We’ll see Dmitri and Ariane that night as he and Christine share the same birthday. It’ll be a hat-trick of birthdays, in a way – Christine, Dmitri and Diane. Head back to Amani to shower in the warm water! and get ready to go out. I even put on new earings from my mom and …. make up!! We go to a place called New Cactus and there are about 13 of us in total. Only 5 VSO volunteers and the rest are made up of Ulysses, Dmitri and Ariane, and Diane and her family. It’s nice to mix with people who don’t know the ins and outs of VSO. Julie, who is a volunteer, made it after a trip back home for a successful job interview. We had a great meal complete with Tiramisu birthday cakes and candles. Of course, we had to explain the notion of blowing out the candles to Diane, who forgot it was her birthday until we invited her out for Christine’s! After dinner we out for a few drinks and I headed back to the guesthouse with Diane feeling happy for a great meal and great friends!
Sunday December 6
Woke up after a great sleep and sat with a cold mocha special, reading my book, until the others woke up. I headed down early to meet Sarah for lunch. She had just been to Rulindo for another birthday party but was traumatized by the number of spiders there. I remember Ana (from Rulindo) telling me this a while ago and I sympathized telling Sarah that I kill spiders all the time. To this she responded that she’s reluctant to kill spiders for fear of coming back as one in her next life. I said I thought this would be great because you could torment people. She explained that it would be too difficult to manage all those legs and eyes and that 2 legs and 2 eyes are bad enough. It would be exhausting to manage eight! I laughed and told her to write a blog….Sitting in Simba before my bus was utterly delightful because I decided to not bother with shopping or internet to keep my stress level down. My one thing to do that day was lunch with Sarah – and didn’t she feel special for being my one things? – and I caught the bus with Christine at 2pm. Home by four to organize, each yogurt and bread for dinner and settle in to my own bed.
Monday December 7, 2009
In the office I’m less than productive because the internet is working (I think I’m an addict) and so I check the news, email a few people about a mobile library idea that I have, look for songs and games for ESL learners but generally don’t do the things I need to do. So, I head home to work. Along the way I am invited to a card game with the motorcycle mechanics (no bikes to fix I guess). They are playing with an old faded deck that depicts Leo and Kate in Titanic. They are playing in Kinyarwanda and give me a hand to play. I think I’ve got the rules figured out….and just when I think this, I realize I have no idea how to play. I’m just putting cards down and the funny thing is, I’m winning. I don’t know how but they find it hilarious and encourage me to stay. I need to get home, I try and explain, to do some work. Which I do and am so productive! I have music on my laptop (not quite blaring as I don’t have speakers for it) but listen to a CD Aimey sent me and I feel like I’m listening to Vibe. I type up a Curriculum document for my workshops next week, a Global Partnerships “How To” guide for teachers and create rice sacks for the workshop. Before I know it, it’s 4:30 and I’ve manage to get most done what I needed to. I decide, while it’s light out, to organize the big armoire in the living room and don’t even start cooking dinner until it’s dark.
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