There's been so much going on lately that I find myself not even thinking about this blog. I suppose I should pay more attention to it. (Word on the street is that it's been highlighted by VSO in the UK....Uh oh...the pressure....maybe just another word of warning...this blog is highlight SUBJECTIVE and not the full story of my experience here. It's all the ups and a few of the downs but censored quite a bit. But I digress). Where was I? Oh...busy week and all that.
Just a quick "Conversations with Patrick" entry....
Mutoni and Patrick drove Jeremy and I, respectively, out to the TTC on Thursday to check it out before our workshops this week. We drove the 40 minutes over what used to be mud (remember me walking half the way because the bike was so unstable) but what has since turned to ruts and dust. We arrived and Mutoni pulls out a towel and starts hitting Jeremy. As he does so, dust rises like PigPen in Peanuts. He continues to do this until Jeremy is relatively clean. Patrick gives me the once over, and determines that I'm fine. Probably because we were in the lead and Mutoni and Jeremy, well....ate my dust.
After the visit they picked us up and Mutoni had his radio to listen to....well...I don't know. But I asked him if it was football. Patrick pipes up and says "Anna, do you love football?" (the word for love and like are the same here)
"Yes, Patrick. I like it. You?"
"Me? No. I don't like football. I love God and money."
"God and money?"
"Yes. Me? Anna! Me? I like 1) God. 2) Money 3) My wife and child and 4) passengers"
Here are some photos from the week that was:
Global Schools Partnership workshop in Kibungo. Dorothy came up to help us out.
We registered schools on www.globalgateway.org
Suzanne already has a partner school in the UK so she came to help us.
Then we had lunch!!
From a few weeks ago in Gisenyi. This restaurant proves that not all brochettes are created equal. They were amazing.
Lake Kivu from the Serena
Sun set over the DRC and Lake Kivu
Traditional Intore Dancers
At Rukira school I had a workshop. John and Angelique surprised me with a pan of material as a thank you and good bye gift.
In the classes...talking about kidneys.
Seriously? Is this heading "Names never to call your girlfriend"?
Market in Kibungo
Market in Kibungo
Consolee!!! This is the first picture I have of her. I met her while I was learning Kinyarwanda and was trying to find raw eggs. I went in her store and in Kinyarwanda said "Do you have egg no to cook." But she got it and I've been buying my eggs from her ever since. I still try to by "airtime" for my phone and whenever I do she reaches for the sanitary supplies call "Everytime" She has mad me feel like this is my home.
Making grill cheese. In Kibungo. C-H-E-E-S-E in Kibungo. (Did I mention that I'm lactose intolerant but don't care when it's something new.....
This weekend we baby sat for Dmitri and Arian so they could have a night away. I gave Adriane (3 years) my camera and look what I got! They are Belgian and I met them at a couch surfing party in October. So the kids speak French and were doing quite fine until Christine had to go for a meeting Saturday morning and I had to - gasp! - speak FRENCH myself all morning. I was reading stories in French and, thankfully, they were written for a, well, three year old. I think I understood most of it.
Lots of photos like this...
...and this....
...but sometimes they turned out like this! (I'm holding his little sister, Lucie)
World Cup fever hits Kibungo
World Cup "flat screen" television at St. Joseph's
Breakfast of French toast and caramelized bananas!! Amazing!
PS - Thanks to Amy for some of the pictures. And Adrian....
Anna the site is amazing and I become fascinated with it. After an hour I realize that older postts" seem endless. Wish I had time to read every day. I believe your Dad also had problems living in Iqaluit and his Master Card was declined as living outside Canada.
ReplyDeleteMy complete admiration to you.
Ernie & Judy Comerford London Ontario