Verdict expected in landmark Rwandan war crimes case

From CBC this morning.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/05/21/montreal-rwanda-munyaneza-trial-war-crimes.html

Now that the fleas are gone...

So, I'm sitting at my parents house to use their Internet and get a few things done. I thought I'd come by this afternoon watch their mega-huge t.v. (with a bazillion channels), update the blog and do some banking. I had a dentist appointment in the area and so it is pretty convenient. But I don't know how to work my parent's television. My mom texts and my dad knows how to use PVR. What is the world coming to? And more to the point, how will they survive in Rwanda when they come to visit?

I have had a great few emails the past days from Tina who is working in Kibungo as a teacher trainer also. Actually, it is her whom I will be replacing in August but she has asked to extend her placement until December. So, essentially there will be two of us doing the same job which is great. She can show me the ropes and I'll feel less alone. It looks like she'll also be my roommate for the first while. Her emails were so informative. Actually, I think a little too informative! I heard all about rats in the kitchen and tarantulas in the bathroom and "now that the fleas are gone, you can sit of the sofa!" My thinking is that it can't be worse that pine beetles and silverfish in Lethbridge but as you all know, I am scared of spiders. I guess I have no choice but to get over it. Anyway, Tina's blog is posted on this blog so have a look!

Update

I emailed my advisor and accepted the position! I'll be going to Kibungo! I was laughing with my mom because Gitarama sounds like something you hear about in the Simpsons. I'll be in the East. I should hear official confirmation before the end of May. Here we go again!

Third Times The Charm

May 15, 2009

Once again my placement has changed! I have spent the last night dreaming about Gitarama and reading “brucesrwanderings” online to find out as much as I could about southern Rwanda. I was soaking it all in. Today I got an email saying that the girl I was to replace as extended her stay another year. I guess I can’t blame her. It sounded like an amazing posting and it must be to extend your term. So, I was sent another posting for a town called Kibungo which is in East. The job is the same, the country is the same, the location is just different. From what I can tell (which is not much), it’s a bit more rural but still a town of 45,000 people. It seems to be at a lower altitude – which makes the risk of a malaria a bit higher. The job seems just as great and really, it’s still in Rwanda. I feel slightly disappointed for no reason other than I thought I would have “Gitarama” in my postal code. Honestly, Anna, that’s the reason? I know nothing about anything so what’s the difference!! I think my school is getting frustrated with the lack of firm plans but I keep trying to explain that this is volunteering in a developing nation where “firm plans” is sort of an oxymoron. So, I have yet to decide but I’m thinking it sounds great.

In other news, I passed my photography course. How could I not ? The test included the answer key! I felt guilty “cheating” so I marked myself honestly and got 80%. I just can’t do the conversions for ISO film  and for f-stops / shutter speed exposure. I keep forgetting the jumps. My photographs were a hit in class, though.  I went out on Thursday with my brother and had a heart to heart about happiness and life and all the wonderful things that people discuss over pints of beer. Actually, I celebrated the 40^th anniversary of the Cesar with one. We met Aimey after and were planning to go out with Em, who is in town. But Em and Laurel ate too much to move so we postponed. So Pat, Aimey and I went to see Brent Tyler play at the pub and celebrated the Cesar some more! The packing continues. I sold my table and bookshelf to a doctor who has spent some time in Africa herself and fell in love with it.  I had a second round of Hep B shots (still bruised from stupid Typhoid) and now I only have a few left. I’ve registered in my motorcycle course.

 

Lately I’ve really been enjoying my students. Teaching grade 9 in May and June has mixed emotions. We’re all totally tired of one another, struggling to stay focused until the final exam and ready to be done. On the other hand, they continue to mature and you can have sophisticated discussions with them. For example, I told them that while in Peru, I would be visiting Lake Titicaca. Yes, very mature. We were all laughing hysterically when the principal walked in! He was curious as to what the students were totally engaged about. I explained that we were talking about public versus private health care and how I have to pay for my travel vaccinations (private) but if I need my appendix out it won’t cost anything (public) when a student gave it away and explain we were actually talking about Peru and a great lake there. Today, when I asked them to recap the last lesson the ONLY thing they remembered was Titicaca. So, yes, the maturity abounds and I give into it. I swear, the longer I teach junior high the more immature I become!

 

So, that’s the update. I don’t have television, internet or a land line until I move at the end of the month so I’m writing this in Word and hope to just insert it into my blog. I think that’s how I’ll have to go about it while in Africa given that internet and electricity is unreliable……

When in doubt....golf.

You know, I feel like my life is starting to come together and fall apart at the same time. There is just a lot going on and a lot of figuring out I need to do. I have decided that I need to consider first, me. Second, everybody else. Is that wrong? That's why my suitcase is going to Rwanda. That is the first step to doing something for me. Of course, there are going to have to be a million little steps before then to get my suitcase on that plane around the world. So - what did I do? Went with my family for a round of golf. Open air, sunshine and time to think. Of course, I was also on a mission. I have a photography assignment due on Wednesday. I bought this fancy pants camera to document the suitcase journey but upon some (great) advice from my photographer friend, Ronaye, decided to figure out how it REALLY worked. Not just look good using the manual setting! But, I've been busy and have not found the time to commit to using what I learned....until now. Below are some pictures from the day. Well, the best ones and the not-best-but-still-good-ones. Is photography just another activity to keep myself busy? Maybe...

Those needles were "ruff"!

We walked into the travel clinic today with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. At the counter was a sign with a little dog that said "Those shots were ruff!" Awesome....this was what we were in for! 

Aimey and I are getting ready for Peru and me for Rwanda so we had to have a consultation with a travel doctor. She went through the litany of vaccinations that are recommended and/or required. Yellow fever, Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, Rabies and the list goes on.....We settled on the Hep shots and Yellow Fever - which is required for Rwanda and Bolivia (lately we've been thinking of going there too). And so we met with the nurse and became human pin cushions. Ouch!!! The Yellow Fever shot was okay but the Typhoid one still hurts. We have certificates to go in our passports so some Bolivian border gu

ard can't take us into a dimly lit room and inject us with the Yellow Fever vaccine. But ouch! It hurt! I am going to try a 3 day test run of the malaria medication to see if I can handle it. I'm am little worried but we'll see how it goes...Here's the proof (we asked for dinosaur band-aids but the nurse said we were too old!)

Am I Really Prepared?

So, if it's not the malaria that's going to get me, it's probably a car accident or rabies. That, in a nutshell, was the message of my Preparing For Change course in Ottawa this weekend. Okay, not really - but it was memorable....

Friday, bright and early, I was up and on my way to the airport thanks to a good friend that was willing to bring me there before the sun was up. On the plane I got thinking that it was really the first step in a long and exciting adventure. My suitcase was tucked comfortably in the belly of the plane, I had my book (I'm reading World Without End and highly recommend it!) and I was watching live satellite television.

My cousin D'Arcy picked me up at the airport. He's a fellow teacher and is subbing in Ottawa. He took the day off to come and get me and before I had to be at the CUSO-VSO office his gave me a "drive by" near Parliament Hill and the Supreme Court. The buildings are more impressive in person. I know, I know.....you have all seen it, I'm sure. For me, it's where the magic happens - or lack thereof! D'Arcy dropped me off at the CUSO-VSO office so I could meet my advisor, Mikael. The meeting went well - I confirmed my posting (although I'm STILL waiting for confirmation from the Rwandan office), I gave him my passport and a few forms. And then he told me that yes, indeed, I would have to learn to drive a motorcycle!! I've been phoning around for lessons and will be looking to buy a helmet this weekend. VSO gives us $300 for a helmet and Mikael suggested white - given that in Africa the black helmets get really hot.

The PFC course lasted all weekend and was so informative. It was a mixture of travel tips, health information, counselling and dealing with loneliness and my international relations courses at the U of A. I felt like I was back in Keating or Knight's class learning about the IMF and World Bank. Eventually....when I have a moment, I'll give you a run down of why the IMF is evil and how SAPs have sucked the life out of developing nations and their ability to provide universal education. There were three concurrent courses going on and I was able to meet a few other volunteers heading to Africa. Of course, not everyone knows where they are going yet. One volunteer is going to Lima in mid-June and so Aimey and I will give him a call when we arrive so we can have a face to show us around! There was a Francophone group there too so while I'm still too shy to speak French, I had a chance to listen to a lot of it. 

One of the bonuses of the trip to Ottawa was that I got to see my cousins. D'Arcy and Blanka hosted me and I got to meet little Mary! They hosted a dinner so that my aunt and uncle and other cousins could come and say hello. It's always good to see family! So thanks for the great food and yummy coffee!

The course ended Monday afternoon and the 13 of us said our good byes, see you in June and let me know where you go. There was a sort of kinship to the weekend. Finally I was with like-minded people who were selling their stuff, putting their boxes into storage and bidding farewells to life in Canada for a chance to make a difference abroad. We bonded over the responses to friends and families when we tell them we are "going to (insert developing country name here)". I head back to Ottawa in June for the final cours

e called Skills For Working in Development. A few of the volunteers will be there for sure and the rest....well maybe I'll run into them again!

NEXT UP....FUNDRAISING....

Don't worry, I won't be banging down the door to get you to give me money to go to Rwanda. But it does cost $30,000 for CUSO-VSO to send one volunteer overseas. So, I may be "selling a month" abroad to an individual, family or group. You will get special recognition for your donation on this website for a minimum contribution of $100 to CUSO-VSO.