The best part of being back in America? My hot beverage to-go cup. At first I balked at the thought of putting all the time in to a travel cup of African Tea, since I prefer a whole pot full when I make it.
However, many early morning teaching sessions have inspired me to perfect the to-go African Tea and now I'm sharing it here with you!!
Ingredients:
1 C. Water
1 C. Milk (Organic, Regular, Whole, Skim - whatever, I recommend 2%)
Ginger to preference (I use about 8 slices off of a root)
Raw Sugar (I haven't tried it with processed sugar, I love the raw kind and that's what they have in Rwanda)
1. Boil water and ginger together.
2. Boil milk.
3. Put 1 teabag in a to-go cup while you wait for liquids to boil.
4. Add sugar to preference and pour hot water (hang on to the ginger, unless you want it taking up precious space in your cup) over tea bag.
5. Add boiled milk.
6. Mix well and Enjoy!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Loving Love
As a staunch 'soloist' and single lady, children and couples often did very little in the department of 'impressed' in my brain. Children didn't make me coo and couples didn't make me saw "Awww." Mostly, both things kicked off my gag reflex. Some of that has changed - perhaps I'm growing up or perhaps I've been out of the 'game' for too long and I'm becoming a softy. Am I pulling a "Carrie-Bradshaw-considering-children/future/marriage-with-the-Russian" in Season 6? I don't think so - but these stories are working pretty well at softening all my guards.
First, I subbed kindergarten last week for two days. I floated amongst two different groups of students so I got to really 'crash course' the kindergarten flow. Mannie - who I was warned about before beginning the class as a pretty hyperactive kid - quickly became my favorite. It helps that they all barely clear my knees, so they're at perfect head-patting-ignoring-your-questions height. So, we're comparing some stories which includes a venn diagram (two intersecting circles). I draw the two stories and Mannie gets truly concerned and says "Dat looks like a BUTT!" I (and the class) try to ignore his sentence, so in true hyperactive fashion he yells "WHY DOES DAT LOOK LIKE A BUTT?!" I am truly dying inside I want to laugh out loud so hard. Other than that, every day I've subbed in kinders there has been a birthday party which has included crazy sugary snacks and treats.
Next, over the weekend I went with my mom to see some family. My uncle is in the final stages of fighting lung cancer that has spread all over his body. I don't think he's come to terms with the fact that death is incredibly close because he kept saying "Hopefully, next time we see each other I'll be in better shape." It was heartbreaking to see this man, who has lived such an incredible life, not yet be ready to admit it's almost over. I remember last summer when I came to visit him and we talked politics and oil - our views differed, but our humor towards the audacity of it all in D.C. was completely aligned. I didn't agree with him, but I loved the way he said the things he said. He truly believed in the great America of his day and it's promise of now. But - besides my reminiscing, the most magical moment of the visit with him was my aunt. She is short and fiesty. She referred to everything as 'ours' or 'we.' "We have chemo next week," "Well, we had another seizure yesterday," "Our legs aren't working with us right now." The love between those two was almost overwhelming. It was that epic love that spans wars, Presidents, decades and pop stars. My aunt told me a story about seeing Johnny Cash at a little concert and she went to the stage, with my uncle and his camera in tow, and as she asked JC for a kiss on the cheek and my uncle looked down to advance his film, Sir Johnny Cash himself kissed my aunt on the lips!! Not before autographing an album cover for her. I was cracking up - my uncle, the esteemed photographer - for the first time ever missing a historic moment like that!
Lastly, strawberries. Nothing makes you appreciate nature and food more than strawberries. I love them. A few weeks ago, my brother drug me out to our garden - which was barely even green - to pick weeds around strawberry plants I could barely see. I teased him the whole time, thinking all this senseless work, these didn't even look they would have any fruit! And boy, this weekend I stuck my giant, muddy garden shoe right in my mouth. Our garden has hundreds of strawberries growing in it right now, tons of them ripe and ready for the picking. My mom - of course in her post-op stockings - spent all morning Saturday picking out all the ripe strawberries and cleaning them. This morning, I had them cut up with a banana. There is something so natural about picking the food you eat. I went out this afternoon after I got home from the school and spent a few minutes picking out some really ripe, happy looking berries. I can't wait to eat them - I feel like I actually really worked for that food and it makes it taste even better!
In my next life - of perhaps some sort of modicum of adulthood - I want to have a garden full of berries. My favorite berries - black, rasp and straw - so that I can work on them all summer and eat them up on top of everything. Maybe after I graduate from berry garden mastress, I'll graduate to herbs. I hope the rooftops or yards of the next city I find myself in are ready for me - I'll be cultivating them just as soon as possible.
First, I subbed kindergarten last week for two days. I floated amongst two different groups of students so I got to really 'crash course' the kindergarten flow. Mannie - who I was warned about before beginning the class as a pretty hyperactive kid - quickly became my favorite. It helps that they all barely clear my knees, so they're at perfect head-patting-ignoring-your-questions height. So, we're comparing some stories which includes a venn diagram (two intersecting circles). I draw the two stories and Mannie gets truly concerned and says "Dat looks like a BUTT!" I (and the class) try to ignore his sentence, so in true hyperactive fashion he yells "WHY DOES DAT LOOK LIKE A BUTT?!" I am truly dying inside I want to laugh out loud so hard. Other than that, every day I've subbed in kinders there has been a birthday party which has included crazy sugary snacks and treats.
Next, over the weekend I went with my mom to see some family. My uncle is in the final stages of fighting lung cancer that has spread all over his body. I don't think he's come to terms with the fact that death is incredibly close because he kept saying "Hopefully, next time we see each other I'll be in better shape." It was heartbreaking to see this man, who has lived such an incredible life, not yet be ready to admit it's almost over. I remember last summer when I came to visit him and we talked politics and oil - our views differed, but our humor towards the audacity of it all in D.C. was completely aligned. I didn't agree with him, but I loved the way he said the things he said. He truly believed in the great America of his day and it's promise of now. But - besides my reminiscing, the most magical moment of the visit with him was my aunt. She is short and fiesty. She referred to everything as 'ours' or 'we.' "We have chemo next week," "Well, we had another seizure yesterday," "Our legs aren't working with us right now." The love between those two was almost overwhelming. It was that epic love that spans wars, Presidents, decades and pop stars. My aunt told me a story about seeing Johnny Cash at a little concert and she went to the stage, with my uncle and his camera in tow, and as she asked JC for a kiss on the cheek and my uncle looked down to advance his film, Sir Johnny Cash himself kissed my aunt on the lips!! Not before autographing an album cover for her. I was cracking up - my uncle, the esteemed photographer - for the first time ever missing a historic moment like that!
Lastly, strawberries. Nothing makes you appreciate nature and food more than strawberries. I love them. A few weeks ago, my brother drug me out to our garden - which was barely even green - to pick weeds around strawberry plants I could barely see. I teased him the whole time, thinking all this senseless work, these didn't even look they would have any fruit! And boy, this weekend I stuck my giant, muddy garden shoe right in my mouth. Our garden has hundreds of strawberries growing in it right now, tons of them ripe and ready for the picking. My mom - of course in her post-op stockings - spent all morning Saturday picking out all the ripe strawberries and cleaning them. This morning, I had them cut up with a banana. There is something so natural about picking the food you eat. I went out this afternoon after I got home from the school and spent a few minutes picking out some really ripe, happy looking berries. I can't wait to eat them - I feel like I actually really worked for that food and it makes it taste even better!
In my next life - of perhaps some sort of modicum of adulthood - I want to have a garden full of berries. My favorite berries - black, rasp and straw - so that I can work on them all summer and eat them up on top of everything. Maybe after I graduate from berry garden mastress, I'll graduate to herbs. I hope the rooftops or yards of the next city I find myself in are ready for me - I'll be cultivating them just as soon as possible.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Childrens
Part of my job search includes substitute teaching at my old elementary/middle/high schools. Usually, it's fun because I get to see younger siblings all grown up or pool rats that now tower over me and clearly wouldn't be stopped by a whistle. But other days.... other days are like yesterday. Yesterday I worked for a 1st grade teacher and, well, it was a challenge.
First, these kids whined like there was no tomorrow. They whined about everything. One girl, Karista whined at least every 25 seconds. I am accustomed to children whining in non-English, so this whole "me-understanding-everything-you-say-with-your-retainer-in" thing was really annoying. They told on each other every other minute for things such as "Kenny won't stop looking at me," or "Gage keeps saying 'Blah Blah Blah' to me."
Then, there was that one kid. There's always one. The one kid who just... well, peep the stories then you can decide for yourself. First I noticed that he was extremely ADD - and not that like, wimpy excuse for ADD - he, literally, could not sit still and if he was sitting still he was turned away (not facing his homework) and trying to distract the kid behind him. Then, while I was reading he was running around the room with a red permanent marker looking at me and pointing it at things. Then... then he pulled the trigger. It was indoor recess (whomever thought of this idea should be killed) and he turned on the radio. I walked over to be all teacher-like and make sure nothing was broken and he screamed. No, really, screamed. And said "DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" I had to use my body to block his access to the radio. I was praying the PE class would whip them in to shape and exhaust them for the last two hours of the day. But no - as I started to work on the science assignment he went back to the teacher's computer and started pounding on the keyboard.
me: "Please come work on your paper"
him: "NO!"
me: "I'm giving you the answers, if you don't do this now you won't be able to finish it."
him: "Don't tell me what to DO!"
Ok kid... you should die. You should eat glass and throw yourself in front of traffic. Clearly, I didn't say any of these things out loud - but sharing them here makes me feel overall less violent towards him. Then I notice he is trying to put things - not discs - in to the disc drive of the teachers computer.
me: Walks over, pushes his chair away from the computer he's about to do damage to.
kid: "DON'T PUSH ME! IF YOU TOUCH ME I WILL TELL MY MOM."
me: I didn't push you, I pushed your chair.
kid: "I WILL TELL MY MOM"
so - that was my day at 1st grade. I think, Kindergarten may put these stories to shame, but for now I hope they suffice.
These stories really make me think about the differences in kids culturally. These kids I taught yesterday clearly have no respect or ideal of what authority is. One of the teacher aids that was in my classroom said "There's no one at home teaching them to respect authority." I agreed, but it worried me. Why is it that these children need someone to teach them to respect authority - even if it's just teachers. In Rwanda, most of the children we worked with never pushed me to the point I was pushed to yesterday. Sure, some of them pushed our buttons, but I could also assert myself as their teacher and they would listen. We could almost always divert their attention to the lesson and, above all, we could give them one colored pencil and one coloring sheet and they would be quiet and concentrated for HOURS.
But I know that these kids didn't have someone at home telling them who they should respect. Most of them barely had parents present to cook for them, let alone teach them life lessons. So how do they learn? Is it something they overhear so much they just take it as common behavior? Are there so many Americans around that think authority is crap and pass that on to the porous sponges we call children? Maybe it's a rural Indiana thing - maybe this wouldn't have been an issue somewhere that have many parents highly educated and clearly have a revere for education. But then again, barely anyone in Rwanda had a primary school education - so its not like there was a pulse through the country encouraging children to attain education. Most of them wanted the girls to get married or baptized instead of going to secondary school.
Maybe it is what the kids eat. I think this can all be blamed on junkfood and soda. Down with those commercials about the sad mom who can't buy her kids soda because of a tax on high fructose corn syrup! She's ruining America! She's making the children crazy! At least I know now, it's not a lack of materials or resources as I've seen them abundantly available every classroom I walk in to. It's the children - and that's where we need to focus.
First, these kids whined like there was no tomorrow. They whined about everything. One girl, Karista whined at least every 25 seconds. I am accustomed to children whining in non-English, so this whole "me-understanding-everything-you-say-with-your-retainer-in" thing was really annoying. They told on each other every other minute for things such as "Kenny won't stop looking at me," or "Gage keeps saying 'Blah Blah Blah' to me."
Then, there was that one kid. There's always one. The one kid who just... well, peep the stories then you can decide for yourself. First I noticed that he was extremely ADD - and not that like, wimpy excuse for ADD - he, literally, could not sit still and if he was sitting still he was turned away (not facing his homework) and trying to distract the kid behind him. Then, while I was reading he was running around the room with a red permanent marker looking at me and pointing it at things. Then... then he pulled the trigger. It was indoor recess (whomever thought of this idea should be killed) and he turned on the radio. I walked over to be all teacher-like and make sure nothing was broken and he screamed. No, really, screamed. And said "DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" I had to use my body to block his access to the radio. I was praying the PE class would whip them in to shape and exhaust them for the last two hours of the day. But no - as I started to work on the science assignment he went back to the teacher's computer and started pounding on the keyboard.
me: "Please come work on your paper"
him: "NO!"
me: "I'm giving you the answers, if you don't do this now you won't be able to finish it."
him: "Don't tell me what to DO!"
Ok kid... you should die. You should eat glass and throw yourself in front of traffic. Clearly, I didn't say any of these things out loud - but sharing them here makes me feel overall less violent towards him. Then I notice he is trying to put things - not discs - in to the disc drive of the teachers computer.
me: Walks over, pushes his chair away from the computer he's about to do damage to.
kid: "DON'T PUSH ME! IF YOU TOUCH ME I WILL TELL MY MOM."
me: I didn't push you, I pushed your chair.
kid: "I WILL TELL MY MOM"
so - that was my day at 1st grade. I think, Kindergarten may put these stories to shame, but for now I hope they suffice.
These stories really make me think about the differences in kids culturally. These kids I taught yesterday clearly have no respect or ideal of what authority is. One of the teacher aids that was in my classroom said "There's no one at home teaching them to respect authority." I agreed, but it worried me. Why is it that these children need someone to teach them to respect authority - even if it's just teachers. In Rwanda, most of the children we worked with never pushed me to the point I was pushed to yesterday. Sure, some of them pushed our buttons, but I could also assert myself as their teacher and they would listen. We could almost always divert their attention to the lesson and, above all, we could give them one colored pencil and one coloring sheet and they would be quiet and concentrated for HOURS.
But I know that these kids didn't have someone at home telling them who they should respect. Most of them barely had parents present to cook for them, let alone teach them life lessons. So how do they learn? Is it something they overhear so much they just take it as common behavior? Are there so many Americans around that think authority is crap and pass that on to the porous sponges we call children? Maybe it's a rural Indiana thing - maybe this wouldn't have been an issue somewhere that have many parents highly educated and clearly have a revere for education. But then again, barely anyone in Rwanda had a primary school education - so its not like there was a pulse through the country encouraging children to attain education. Most of them wanted the girls to get married or baptized instead of going to secondary school.
Maybe it is what the kids eat. I think this can all be blamed on junkfood and soda. Down with those commercials about the sad mom who can't buy her kids soda because of a tax on high fructose corn syrup! She's ruining America! She's making the children crazy! At least I know now, it's not a lack of materials or resources as I've seen them abundantly available every classroom I walk in to. It's the children - and that's where we need to focus.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
What Comes Next...
To our fellow volunteers:
Coming home to America (or whatever Western country you are from) is not only the strangest experience, it's remarkably sad to go through. It takes a long time to mourn the loss of your life in another country - especially somewhere like Rwanda. The weather will shock you, the pace will shock you, the supermarkets will be strange. You'll wonder where the bananas tree are and people at coffee shops will look at you funny when you mutter "nothing is as good as African tea" and walk away with your Venti coffee.
But, once you start to move forward - you will, we promise - you'll find that talking about your experience really helps. It was hard for me to talk about at first, because I just couldn't figure out to answer the question "SOooooo, how was AFRICA?!" in shorter than a 4.5 hour conversation. However, I had the opportunity to address three different groups of high school students at my old high school and it felt really good. I picked a few highlights of my trip: where I lived, what I ate and a daily schedule. I shared those stories with them and even made a powerpoint slide show with photos. It felt good to tell them about Rwanda and take it from their textbooks to an actual experience. You'd be surprised the things these 15 & 16 year olds want to know. Also, you may be the first person they've ever met who's been to Africa. I had one girl walk up to me after my speech and sigh, look at me and say "Why do you think the US didn't intervene in the genocide?" A lot of the students I spoke with were studying or had studied Rwanda in a World History class so they were really engaged with what life is like in Rwanda.
Don't expect people to understand. They'll ask weird questions, but if they're worth the time you're spending answering their questions - they'll let you explain and listen intently. Again, going to Africa isn't an everyday experience and most people don't know anyone who's even been to the continent - so consider yourself Rwanda's newest spokesperson and share your story with anyone who will ask. People won't understand your cravings for casava and they won't understand why you try to quickly go in and out of those intimidating mega supermarkets. They probably won't be as excited as you are when someone says "beans and rice" and you'll just need to let them experience Meddy before thinking they'll love it as much as you. Give them time, let your stories be their basis of understanding.
And, a special note for those of you going home and looking for a job. It will be hard. You will wish that you were going back to college or a job that waited for you, etc. For me, I came home to unemployment and the prospect of it not ending in the near future.
First, see if your local high school will let you substitute teach. It's awesome and you'll realize how extremely lucky students in the US are. It'll also give you ample time to not be on the computer job searching.
Use the internets and email friends. I used my "Hey! I'm back from Africa" intro to many people and mentors to open the door in to letting them know I'm on the job search. The only interviews I've had to date are ones that people helped grease the entry way for me with personal connections. I scoured online listings, job banks and Craigslist for openings and sent out hundreds of CVs.
It will take time, be patient.
Don't close yourself off to only certain cities. I had my heart set on NYC - but heard from no one in any firm I applied to there. I reassessed my search and got calls from firms in LA and San Francisco. I also interviewed in my home state capital, Indianapolis. In this economy and this market - being flexible is important - even if it means deciding you have to buy a car, after you haven't owned one in about 3 years.
Lastly, have a little faith. It's okay if you spend a few hours each day watching tv and reading the newspaper instead of applying for and searching for jobs.
I like to joke that coming home from Rwanda and transitioning back is like recovering from surgery which takes about 6 weeks. You'll need time to acclimate yourself back in to this society and to get used to things. Give yourself that time. Spend time with your family, upload your thousands of pictures to your online networks, download new music and feel it out. You'll know when the time is right to close the chapter of your life in Rwanda and start the next one. Don't worry if it takes you a few rounds of searching for possible flights to Kigali on your next vaca - that doesn't count.
Coming home to America (or whatever Western country you are from) is not only the strangest experience, it's remarkably sad to go through. It takes a long time to mourn the loss of your life in another country - especially somewhere like Rwanda. The weather will shock you, the pace will shock you, the supermarkets will be strange. You'll wonder where the bananas tree are and people at coffee shops will look at you funny when you mutter "nothing is as good as African tea" and walk away with your Venti coffee.
But, once you start to move forward - you will, we promise - you'll find that talking about your experience really helps. It was hard for me to talk about at first, because I just couldn't figure out to answer the question "SOooooo, how was AFRICA?!" in shorter than a 4.5 hour conversation. However, I had the opportunity to address three different groups of high school students at my old high school and it felt really good. I picked a few highlights of my trip: where I lived, what I ate and a daily schedule. I shared those stories with them and even made a powerpoint slide show with photos. It felt good to tell them about Rwanda and take it from their textbooks to an actual experience. You'd be surprised the things these 15 & 16 year olds want to know. Also, you may be the first person they've ever met who's been to Africa. I had one girl walk up to me after my speech and sigh, look at me and say "Why do you think the US didn't intervene in the genocide?" A lot of the students I spoke with were studying or had studied Rwanda in a World History class so they were really engaged with what life is like in Rwanda.
Don't expect people to understand. They'll ask weird questions, but if they're worth the time you're spending answering their questions - they'll let you explain and listen intently. Again, going to Africa isn't an everyday experience and most people don't know anyone who's even been to the continent - so consider yourself Rwanda's newest spokesperson and share your story with anyone who will ask. People won't understand your cravings for casava and they won't understand why you try to quickly go in and out of those intimidating mega supermarkets. They probably won't be as excited as you are when someone says "beans and rice" and you'll just need to let them experience Meddy before thinking they'll love it as much as you. Give them time, let your stories be their basis of understanding.
And, a special note for those of you going home and looking for a job. It will be hard. You will wish that you were going back to college or a job that waited for you, etc. For me, I came home to unemployment and the prospect of it not ending in the near future.
First, see if your local high school will let you substitute teach. It's awesome and you'll realize how extremely lucky students in the US are. It'll also give you ample time to not be on the computer job searching.
Use the internets and email friends. I used my "Hey! I'm back from Africa" intro to many people and mentors to open the door in to letting them know I'm on the job search. The only interviews I've had to date are ones that people helped grease the entry way for me with personal connections. I scoured online listings, job banks and Craigslist for openings and sent out hundreds of CVs.
It will take time, be patient.
Don't close yourself off to only certain cities. I had my heart set on NYC - but heard from no one in any firm I applied to there. I reassessed my search and got calls from firms in LA and San Francisco. I also interviewed in my home state capital, Indianapolis. In this economy and this market - being flexible is important - even if it means deciding you have to buy a car, after you haven't owned one in about 3 years.
Lastly, have a little faith. It's okay if you spend a few hours each day watching tv and reading the newspaper instead of applying for and searching for jobs.
I like to joke that coming home from Rwanda and transitioning back is like recovering from surgery which takes about 6 weeks. You'll need time to acclimate yourself back in to this society and to get used to things. Give yourself that time. Spend time with your family, upload your thousands of pictures to your online networks, download new music and feel it out. You'll know when the time is right to close the chapter of your life in Rwanda and start the next one. Don't worry if it takes you a few rounds of searching for possible flights to Kigali on your next vaca - that doesn't count.
What to Expect, When you're Expecting... to go to Rwanda...
Or, as our dear friend Will put it when we were scouring the internet for useful information, “Less, ‘It was so inspiring!’ more ‘What to pack’.”
Getting To Kigali:
We did the path less traveled (albeit cheaper, it was not for the traveler who is weary in the slightest of… well, basically anything, specifically volcanic ash clouds) through the Entebbe-Kampala airport. We flew in, took a taxi to downtown Kampala and rode the Jaguar Bus (about $16) to Kigali. It’s an uncomfortable, long, bump journey – but in the end it saved us a few hundred bucks as opposed to flying in directly to Kigali. Other than that, you can usually find Brussels Air doing flights from the States in to Kigali. We also just learned that KLM will start flying from the states (via Amsterdam) in to Kigali. KLM is our favorite airline (minus the GIANT customer service nightmare incurred during the aforementioned volcanic ash cloud.) and they have fantastic inflight food and movies.
Accomodations:
If you are a volunteer with FVA, you will be both surprised and pleased! FVA owns two guest houses: Favour Guest House in Remera, and another house in Kimironko. In both houses you will share a room and a bathroom with, at most, one to two other volunteers. There is always running water and occasionally it will even be lukewarm. You get a very respectable breakfast (most days) of fruit, bread, tea and sometimes instant coffee. Dinner is actually VERY good. You buy your own lunch. If you live in Favor Guest House, you will be steps away from several markets, internet cafes, restaurants, banks, Western Unions, and other conveniences. If you live in Kimironko, you will be close to nothing.
Oya - No
Yego - Yes
Murakoze [More - A - Coz - A] - Thank you
Bite se? [Bee - Tays] - What's Up (Hello to young children, informal greeting)
Muraho [Mer - A - Ho] - Hello! (Formal)
Mwiriwe [Meery - Way] - Hi! (Informal - use anytime but the afternoon/evening)
Undishaka [Un - di - sha - ka] - I want
(Blog Update we did for Kinyarwandan 101)
Neighborhoods:
Kigali isn't exactly the easiest city on Earth to figure your way around. "Town" is pretty basic, it's the center of Kigali, where the Union Trade Center is, where the buses stop when they're going to town, Milles Collines, etc. Remera is where we lived and it's biggest landmark is the Chez Lando hotel. Also, you'll probably read about Sole Luna, the awesome Italian resto that's right down the road from Chez Lando. Remera is quiet and clean - but the bus stop (the end point) is really crazy because there are a lot of buses going out of the city from there. Kimironko is near Remera - if you turn towards Chez Lando and keep going straight (past the stadium) you are well on your way to Kimironko. There you'll find a super market - tons of local produce and meat, big craft stalls and seamstresses. The University is also located in Kimironko.
Nyabogogo is what we like to refer to as the Times Square of Kigali - it's busy and crazy and there's a huge bus stop there where buses come in from multiple countries. There's a market there as well but we never went to that one. Kacyriu and Kicyciru (those are definitely not correct spellings, ha!) are pretty residential districts. Kacyriu is where Ivuka Art Studio (see below) is located and also where the American Embassy is located. Kicyciru is close to the big charter schools in Kigali (ISK and Green Hills) and is a little more expensive residential area.
All the neighborhoods have tons of restos and markets and people selling MTN minutes. We liked Remera the most because we lived there for three months. It's clean and pretty cheap (internet is 300RwF/.5 hours - whereas in town its about 600RwF/.5 hours). Having Chez Lando and Sole Luna within walking distance is also pretty awesome :) Google maps has some pretty great updates on Kigali, so it's helpful if you need to look at it.
Transportation:
The Kigali public bus system is remarkably easy to use, once you get the hang of it. Men stand at the bus stops and yell the ultimate destination of their transport – “Kimironko!” “Nyabogogo Nyabogogo Nyabogogo!” – and attempt to herd you on to their bus, whether or not that bus is going in the direction you originally intended to travel. You will quickly learn which buses go by the places you would like to stop, and remember “OYA” for when a conductor grabs you and aims you the wrong way. The buses are extremely cheap – 150-180RwF – because, as we have mentioned, they are dirty, extremely overcrowded, and always smell as though someone’s armpit died in transit. Also, people will sit directly on top of your appendages. We always recommend sitting near a window.
Motobikes are awesome – for questions, comments and concerns, see previous post devoted solely to this, our favorite means of transportation. If you don’t know how to get where you’re going, find a moto that does and hop on. ALWAYS NEGOTIATE THE PRICE UPFRONT, and don’t pay more than you said you would. When you get off, hang on to your helmet while you wait for your change. We’ve never had a moto drive off on us, but we don’t feel the need to take chances. Motos are slightly more expensive than buses, ranging from just under a dollar to about 800 - 2,000RwF, depending on distance. Make sure you get a motobike wearing a green vest/helmet that means they've been certified by the government to be able to drive the bike.
There are regular taxis, but they’re more expensive and we sometimes found them extremely shady (ie: a man would drive up in his car and say ‘taxi?’). We only used them in the most dire of situations (sudden downpour while walking home from an evening out, etc).
What to Pack:
- Shampoo & Conditioner : it’s all imported here, so it’s very expensive
- Lotion, Body Wash & Lady Products: ALSO, very expensive in the stores here
- Bugspray
- Sunscreen
- Chapstick
- Deodorant
- Water Bottle
- First Aid Stuff (basics, Aspirin, Cold Meds<-- Extremely hard to find in Rwanda, Band-Aids, etc) - Clothes: First – long skirts (you’ll be climbing over 18 people in a minibus, hopping on the back of a motobike or working with children who barely clear your knees, long skirts are best), tank tops, tshirts, jeans, capri length pants (no shorts, you’ll be uncomfortable unless you’re working out), maxi dresses (comfy and good for the weather), hoodies for cold evenings - also good to carry around for the quasi-frequent rain showers that come out of nowhere.
Bring It or Buy It – It’s Cheap!
- Soap (They sell Dove soap at Simba for 900RwF)
- Umbrella
Recommended Sights and Sounds:
- The bar scene in Kigali is both awesome (banana beer!) and daunting (bars, everywhere). The nightclubs are infamous for pick-pocketing, but most bars are extremely laid back, have seats outside, serve the beer very cold and the prices are manageable. If you pay more than 1,000RwF for a Primus, you’re getting a muzungu price, go somewhere cheaper. We have no idea how to get to any of these bars, but a motobike will be able to drop you at their front door :)
- Ivuka Arts Studio: Become part of Rwanda’s blossoming art scene. This art studio is more than a showroom, it houses the resident artists and their workroom is in the back. You can drop in anytime during the day (Charles is the ‘manager’ but you can always find an artist more than willing to show you around) and there is often work going on until the sun goes down. Swing by around 3pm or 4pm on Sunday and catch the studio’s world-touring dance troupe practicing. Ivuka is behind Novutel (make a right at the ‘Internews’ sign on the main road – about 50 feet from the bus stop; walk to the first big T in the dirt road and make a left; Ivuka will be about ½ mile up the road on your right). http://ivukaarts.com/. Find Charles, Collin, or Innocent and tell them Nicole & Kaitlyn sent you.
- Genocide Memorial Sites at Nyamata and Ntarama: Both are chilling reminders of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. They both include crypts that you can walk in to and mass graves where identified Rwandans are buried in caskets. The tours are often given by survivors, not just of the Genocide but of the murders that took place at the sites.
- Genocide Memorial Museum
- Milles Collines Pool: Its 5,000RwF ($10) for a chair and a towel at the (in)famous hotel, but if you have a Saturday or Sunday with nothing to do, it’s a great way to spend a day. The water is crystal clear and cold and the people that work there are fantastic.
- Amahoro Stadium: Outdoor concerts here are awesome (2,000-5,000RwF) and the soccer (football) games are exciting too.
Things to do in Town:
- UTC (Union Trade Center) has the fixings of a small mall right in city center. Inside you can find Bourbon Coffee (Rwandan Starbucks, overrun by muzungus, but its good coffee), Mille Collines (Fabulous clothes! Not exactly inexpensive, but the clothes are glorious), an MTN store, an Electronics store and an internet café.
- Nakumatt & Simba (Home of the Big Burger): Located very close to each other (Nakumatt in UTC, Simba on the other side of the traffic circle (near Centennary House) these two markets offer the greatest of Western conveniences in Supermarket fashion. They are the cheapest places to buy anything from Shampoo to Cadburry bars. They both have legit bakeries and a butcher and even a freezer section.
- Aroma Coffee: Located near the entrance to the Kimironko Bus Station/Market this small coffee shop has great drinks, teas and pastries. There is also wireless internet – it’s a good un-muzungu’d coffee place.
- Kimironko Market: The produce prices are unparalleled here (200RwF for an Avocado!) so take a Saturday and head out to the market to pick up fresh produce. You can also find a fantastic selection of Rwandan crafts (much more reasonable prices than the Craft Market in Town). Be ready to bargain – they run a fierce operation, but we found the women almost always the easiest to bargain with and they always offered the best deals. If you have a specific budget in mind, ask a local what they would pay for things and use that as your bargaining tool.
Weekend Trips:
- Akagera : Use BiziDanny’s Tours, they offer great prices and door-to-door service. For about $80 we had our park fees and our SUV covered with 5 people in it. It will be, by far, the best $80 you have ever spent in Rwanda.
- Gorilla Trek (OR! For budget minded travelers-->) Hike in Volcanoes National Park : We didn’t choose to do either of these options, but heading to the OTPR (Rwandan Tourism Office) in Town will be able to give you all the information you need.
- Bujumbura, Burundi : Travel is safe there nowadays (but TIA, check the security status before setting off). You can take a Belvedere Bus there for about 12,000RwF roundtrip. The beach in Bujumbura is gorgeous and we heard there were lots of fun things to do in this city over a weekend.
- Butare : A beautiful smaller town in the south of Rwanda, this is also the location of the National Museum and National University.
- Gisenyi : Use the Belvedere Bus Line (the entrance is directly across from the entrance of UTC (near the Akagera Toyota Car Lot). The tickets to Gisenyi are 2,800/each way and the bus trip is about 3 hours. When you get to downtown Gisenyi, walk down the road towards the T (away from the volcano) and you will see a sign for the Presbyterian. The guest house here is simple and cheap (2,000 RwF for a room in the dorm; 8-12,000 for single/double rooms) and the staff are great.
Getting To Kigali:
We did the path less traveled (albeit cheaper, it was not for the traveler who is weary in the slightest of… well, basically anything, specifically volcanic ash clouds) through the Entebbe-Kampala airport. We flew in, took a taxi to downtown Kampala and rode the Jaguar Bus (about $16) to Kigali. It’s an uncomfortable, long, bump journey – but in the end it saved us a few hundred bucks as opposed to flying in directly to Kigali. Other than that, you can usually find Brussels Air doing flights from the States in to Kigali. We also just learned that KLM will start flying from the states (via Amsterdam) in to Kigali. KLM is our favorite airline (minus the GIANT customer service nightmare incurred during the aforementioned volcanic ash cloud.) and they have fantastic inflight food and movies.
Accomodations:
If you are a volunteer with FVA, you will be both surprised and pleased! FVA owns two guest houses: Favour Guest House in Remera, and another house in Kimironko. In both houses you will share a room and a bathroom with, at most, one to two other volunteers. There is always running water and occasionally it will even be lukewarm. You get a very respectable breakfast (most days) of fruit, bread, tea and sometimes instant coffee. Dinner is actually VERY good. You buy your own lunch. If you live in Favor Guest House, you will be steps away from several markets, internet cafes, restaurants, banks, Western Unions, and other conveniences. If you live in Kimironko, you will be close to nothing.
If you are not a volunteer with FVA, Kigali offers a wide range of accommodations, from a room with no running water for about $10 a night to a very nice room with your own bathroom for about $30. We stayed at the Favor Guest House, but nearby was Chez Rose - a fantastic guesthouse (be sure to check out the funky 'tree table' in the courtyard).
Oya - No
Yego - Yes
Murakoze [More - A - Coz - A] - Thank you
Bite se? [Bee - Tays] - What's Up (Hello to young children, informal greeting)
Muraho [Mer - A - Ho] - Hello! (Formal)
Mwiriwe [Meery - Way] - Hi! (Informal - use anytime but the afternoon/evening)
Undishaka [Un - di - sha - ka] - I want
(Blog Update we did for Kinyarwandan 101)
Neighborhoods:
Kigali isn't exactly the easiest city on Earth to figure your way around. "Town" is pretty basic, it's the center of Kigali, where the Union Trade Center is, where the buses stop when they're going to town, Milles Collines, etc. Remera is where we lived and it's biggest landmark is the Chez Lando hotel. Also, you'll probably read about Sole Luna, the awesome Italian resto that's right down the road from Chez Lando. Remera is quiet and clean - but the bus stop (the end point) is really crazy because there are a lot of buses going out of the city from there. Kimironko is near Remera - if you turn towards Chez Lando and keep going straight (past the stadium) you are well on your way to Kimironko. There you'll find a super market - tons of local produce and meat, big craft stalls and seamstresses. The University is also located in Kimironko.
Nyabogogo is what we like to refer to as the Times Square of Kigali - it's busy and crazy and there's a huge bus stop there where buses come in from multiple countries. There's a market there as well but we never went to that one. Kacyriu and Kicyciru (those are definitely not correct spellings, ha!) are pretty residential districts. Kacyriu is where Ivuka Art Studio (see below) is located and also where the American Embassy is located. Kicyciru is close to the big charter schools in Kigali (ISK and Green Hills) and is a little more expensive residential area.
All the neighborhoods have tons of restos and markets and people selling MTN minutes. We liked Remera the most because we lived there for three months. It's clean and pretty cheap (internet is 300RwF/.5 hours - whereas in town its about 600RwF/.5 hours). Having Chez Lando and Sole Luna within walking distance is also pretty awesome :) Google maps has some pretty great updates on Kigali, so it's helpful if you need to look at it.
Transportation:
The Kigali public bus system is remarkably easy to use, once you get the hang of it. Men stand at the bus stops and yell the ultimate destination of their transport – “Kimironko!” “Nyabogogo Nyabogogo Nyabogogo!” – and attempt to herd you on to their bus, whether or not that bus is going in the direction you originally intended to travel. You will quickly learn which buses go by the places you would like to stop, and remember “OYA” for when a conductor grabs you and aims you the wrong way. The buses are extremely cheap – 150-180RwF – because, as we have mentioned, they are dirty, extremely overcrowded, and always smell as though someone’s armpit died in transit. Also, people will sit directly on top of your appendages. We always recommend sitting near a window.
Motobikes are awesome – for questions, comments and concerns, see previous post devoted solely to this, our favorite means of transportation. If you don’t know how to get where you’re going, find a moto that does and hop on. ALWAYS NEGOTIATE THE PRICE UPFRONT, and don’t pay more than you said you would. When you get off, hang on to your helmet while you wait for your change. We’ve never had a moto drive off on us, but we don’t feel the need to take chances. Motos are slightly more expensive than buses, ranging from just under a dollar to about 800 - 2,000RwF, depending on distance. Make sure you get a motobike wearing a green vest/helmet that means they've been certified by the government to be able to drive the bike.
There are regular taxis, but they’re more expensive and we sometimes found them extremely shady (ie: a man would drive up in his car and say ‘taxi?’). We only used them in the most dire of situations (sudden downpour while walking home from an evening out, etc).
What to Pack:
- Shampoo & Conditioner : it’s all imported here, so it’s very expensive
- Lotion, Body Wash & Lady Products: ALSO, very expensive in the stores here
- Bugspray
- Sunscreen
- Chapstick
- Deodorant
- Water Bottle
- First Aid Stuff (basics, Aspirin, Cold Meds<-- Extremely hard to find in Rwanda, Band-Aids, etc) - Clothes: First – long skirts (you’ll be climbing over 18 people in a minibus, hopping on the back of a motobike or working with children who barely clear your knees, long skirts are best), tank tops, tshirts, jeans, capri length pants (no shorts, you’ll be uncomfortable unless you’re working out), maxi dresses (comfy and good for the weather), hoodies for cold evenings - also good to carry around for the quasi-frequent rain showers that come out of nowhere.
o In general, bring clothes that are loose fitting materials because the hot in Kigali is not like the hot you’re used to. Also, if you get caught in the instant (and short) sun showers you’ll dry out quickly.
o Mens: Basically, whatever you want. Pants and Tshirts. Men aren’t typically expected to be dressed to the nines in public in Kigali. Definitely bring a few light cotton button-downs and a nice pair of pants or two in case your placement or infrequent church attendance requires them.
o Shoes: Flip-flops. If you find yourself walking a lot, sneakers. Whatever you’re most comfortable in.
o Rainboots: brought ours and didn’t find them useful, plus they took up way too much room in our luggage. The rainy season isn’t exactly what you’d expect, so bring a rain jacket and an umbrella – you’ll be fine.
o Mens: Basically, whatever you want. Pants and Tshirts. Men aren’t typically expected to be dressed to the nines in public in Kigali. Definitely bring a few light cotton button-downs and a nice pair of pants or two in case your placement or infrequent church attendance requires them.
o Shoes: Flip-flops. If you find yourself walking a lot, sneakers. Whatever you’re most comfortable in.
o Rainboots: brought ours and didn’t find them useful, plus they took up way too much room in our luggage. The rainy season isn’t exactly what you’d expect, so bring a rain jacket and an umbrella – you’ll be fine.
Bring It or Buy It – It’s Cheap!
- Soap (They sell Dove soap at Simba for 900RwF)
- Umbrella
Recommended Sights and Sounds:
- The bar scene in Kigali is both awesome (banana beer!) and daunting (bars, everywhere). The nightclubs are infamous for pick-pocketing, but most bars are extremely laid back, have seats outside, serve the beer very cold and the prices are manageable. If you pay more than 1,000RwF for a Primus, you’re getting a muzungu price, go somewhere cheaper. We have no idea how to get to any of these bars, but a motobike will be able to drop you at their front door :)
o Papyrus (good drinks, pretty view)
o Pasadena (Salsa dancing extravaganza every Thursday night)
o Sundowners
o Cadillac (We didn't prefer the nightclub there, but every Friday there's karaoke and the setting is amazing. They also have a Mama Africa cafe in there which is really good.)
o Pasadena (Salsa dancing extravaganza every Thursday night)
o Sundowners
o Cadillac (We didn't prefer the nightclub there, but every Friday there's karaoke and the setting is amazing. They also have a Mama Africa cafe in there which is really good.)
- Ivuka Arts Studio: Become part of Rwanda’s blossoming art scene. This art studio is more than a showroom, it houses the resident artists and their workroom is in the back. You can drop in anytime during the day (Charles is the ‘manager’ but you can always find an artist more than willing to show you around) and there is often work going on until the sun goes down. Swing by around 3pm or 4pm on Sunday and catch the studio’s world-touring dance troupe practicing. Ivuka is behind Novutel (make a right at the ‘Internews’ sign on the main road – about 50 feet from the bus stop; walk to the first big T in the dirt road and make a left; Ivuka will be about ½ mile up the road on your right). http://ivukaarts.com/. Find Charles, Collin, or Innocent and tell them Nicole & Kaitlyn sent you.
- Genocide Memorial Sites at Nyamata and Ntarama: Both are chilling reminders of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. They both include crypts that you can walk in to and mass graves where identified Rwandans are buried in caskets. The tours are often given by survivors, not just of the Genocide but of the murders that took place at the sites.
- Genocide Memorial Museum
- Milles Collines Pool: Its 5,000RwF ($10) for a chair and a towel at the (in)famous hotel, but if you have a Saturday or Sunday with nothing to do, it’s a great way to spend a day. The water is crystal clear and cold and the people that work there are fantastic.
- Amahoro Stadium: Outdoor concerts here are awesome (2,000-5,000RwF) and the soccer (football) games are exciting too.
Things to do in Town:
- UTC (Union Trade Center) has the fixings of a small mall right in city center. Inside you can find Bourbon Coffee (Rwandan Starbucks, overrun by muzungus, but its good coffee), Mille Collines (Fabulous clothes! Not exactly inexpensive, but the clothes are glorious), an MTN store, an Electronics store and an internet café.
- Nakumatt & Simba (Home of the Big Burger): Located very close to each other (Nakumatt in UTC, Simba on the other side of the traffic circle (near Centennary House) these two markets offer the greatest of Western conveniences in Supermarket fashion. They are the cheapest places to buy anything from Shampoo to Cadburry bars. They both have legit bakeries and a butcher and even a freezer section.
o Simba has a fantastic restaurant. The prices are reasonable and the food is enough to make any Western pallate feel at home. They have burgers (2,800 RwF), omellets (1,500 RwF) and the famous African tea (1,400 RwF).
- Aroma Coffee: Located near the entrance to the Kimironko Bus Station/Market this small coffee shop has great drinks, teas and pastries. There is also wireless internet – it’s a good un-muzungu’d coffee place.
- Kimironko Market: The produce prices are unparalleled here (200RwF for an Avocado!) so take a Saturday and head out to the market to pick up fresh produce. You can also find a fantastic selection of Rwandan crafts (much more reasonable prices than the Craft Market in Town). Be ready to bargain – they run a fierce operation, but we found the women almost always the easiest to bargain with and they always offered the best deals. If you have a specific budget in mind, ask a local what they would pay for things and use that as your bargaining tool.
Weekend Trips:
- Akagera : Use BiziDanny’s Tours, they offer great prices and door-to-door service. For about $80 we had our park fees and our SUV covered with 5 people in it. It will be, by far, the best $80 you have ever spent in Rwanda.
- Gorilla Trek (OR! For budget minded travelers-->) Hike in Volcanoes National Park : We didn’t choose to do either of these options, but heading to the OTPR (Rwandan Tourism Office) in Town will be able to give you all the information you need.
- Bujumbura, Burundi : Travel is safe there nowadays (but TIA, check the security status before setting off). You can take a Belvedere Bus there for about 12,000RwF roundtrip. The beach in Bujumbura is gorgeous and we heard there were lots of fun things to do in this city over a weekend.
- Butare : A beautiful smaller town in the south of Rwanda, this is also the location of the National Museum and National University.
- Gisenyi : Use the Belvedere Bus Line (the entrance is directly across from the entrance of UTC (near the Akagera Toyota Car Lot). The tickets to Gisenyi are 2,800/each way and the bus trip is about 3 hours. When you get to downtown Gisenyi, walk down the road towards the T (away from the volcano) and you will see a sign for the Presbyterian. The guest house here is simple and cheap (2,000 RwF for a room in the dorm; 8-12,000 for single/double rooms) and the staff are great.
o Go to Goma, DRC. The border is within walking distance. (US citizens the entrance Visa is $35). There isn’t a lot to do in Goma besides go to the site of the volcano eruption that happened about 10 years ago, but it’s a sweet stamp on your passport and interesting to say that you went there.
o Find a place that serves Chai tea (It’s the best in this town due to the huge Muslim population)
o Beach sit for free on the public beach, sit in the Serena Hotel’s beachside garden or pay 3,000RwF to sit by their pool or in one of their beach chairs. If you go to Serena, find a waiter named Yves - he's awesome and was a great friend to the RAs and one of the other volunteers during our time there.
o Find a place that serves Chai tea (It’s the best in this town due to the huge Muslim population)
o Beach sit for free on the public beach, sit in the Serena Hotel’s beachside garden or pay 3,000RwF to sit by their pool or in one of their beach chairs. If you go to Serena, find a waiter named Yves - he's awesome and was a great friend to the RAs and one of the other volunteers during our time there.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Back in The Saddle
Checking in from the grand Hoosier State here, reporting that it is weird as hell to be back in America.
From the moment I walked in to my mother's house (where there was a hand-made welcome home sign) to the moment I sat down at the computer to start writing this, I have been struggling with balancing the "Rwandaself" and the "Americaself." Neither self is better than the other in total, but together, they truly are my "Bestself."
First part of "Bestself" was to take the longest shower I've had in the last four months. It included many different soaps, shampoos, conditioners, body scrubs and moisturizer. The bathroom was a literal fog when I was done with it. After that I went to the kitchen and was disappointed. I was craving chapatis and samosas!!
I set off the next day to the store to purchase "Rwandaself" requirements: ginger, raw sugar and soymilk (ingredients for African tea) and naan bread (as close as I could get to chapati). I've been scared to eat anything super-processed for what it will do to my stomach, so I've been sticking to pretty basic meals. Then my dad had us all over for dinner and served the most amazing chicken noodles and mashed potatoes with a huge salad and a strawberry/rhubarb cobbler. I ate and told stories about Rwanda and had so much fun. It was so nice to be surrounded by family, but sometimes my reminiscing about Rwanda made me incredibly sad and miss it so much.
So far in the interest of maintaining the amazing friendships in "Rwandaself", I've been able to talk with or email with or chat with everyone back in Kigali and that is truly comforting. There's nothing better than knowing technology prevails over oceans and thousands of miles.
It has been nice to shop at grocery stores, but it's still overwhelming. There's no hotbox with warm goodies in the form of samosas, fresh bread and chapatis. I can use my Visa card at every turn and I drive to and from the store (I would walk, but its about 10 miles away). There is something nice and relaxing about being able to drive a car - even though some of the country roads rival the potholes of Kigali.
So, besides the fear of food making me pray to the porcelain Goddess - I'm bringing as much of Kigali to Indiana as I can. I'm still perfecting my African tea - the soy milk substitution is hit or miss, but I've definitely mastered the ginger! And I continue to dig my room out of the madness I left behind, it's strange not to be in a tiny dormstyle room with my best friend. I'll sometimes yell out at her, and then remember she's not 50 feet away at all times. I think I've gotten to the point where every comfort here in America has a corresponding feeling of missing something in Kigali.
In closing, there is so much I miss from Rwanda but I am really happy to be able to talk with my friends every day and whenever I want. I'm really happy to be with my family (even though they are CRAZY!). There will always be a piece of my heart in Rwanda and I think about my kids every single moment of every day - there is almost nothing I miss more than them. The job search is daunting and requires more patience than I have the capacity for. I start substitute teaching at the end of the week AND they've put me on two school districts, which will hopefully keep me distracted while I wait for responses from companies.
We're still rockin' the Manolos attitude, except now the bush is in Mass and Indiana. The good thing, is that the bush is a little more familiar and a little less full of foreign animals and languages. But it is still full of questions unanswered, chapters to be written and dreams to be fulfilled. The blog will be different from now on, but so are we, and that's really exciting.
From the moment I walked in to my mother's house (where there was a hand-made welcome home sign) to the moment I sat down at the computer to start writing this, I have been struggling with balancing the "Rwandaself" and the "Americaself." Neither self is better than the other in total, but together, they truly are my "Bestself."
First part of "Bestself" was to take the longest shower I've had in the last four months. It included many different soaps, shampoos, conditioners, body scrubs and moisturizer. The bathroom was a literal fog when I was done with it. After that I went to the kitchen and was disappointed. I was craving chapatis and samosas!!
I set off the next day to the store to purchase "Rwandaself" requirements: ginger, raw sugar and soymilk (ingredients for African tea) and naan bread (as close as I could get to chapati). I've been scared to eat anything super-processed for what it will do to my stomach, so I've been sticking to pretty basic meals. Then my dad had us all over for dinner and served the most amazing chicken noodles and mashed potatoes with a huge salad and a strawberry/rhubarb cobbler. I ate and told stories about Rwanda and had so much fun. It was so nice to be surrounded by family, but sometimes my reminiscing about Rwanda made me incredibly sad and miss it so much.
So far in the interest of maintaining the amazing friendships in "Rwandaself", I've been able to talk with or email with or chat with everyone back in Kigali and that is truly comforting. There's nothing better than knowing technology prevails over oceans and thousands of miles.
It has been nice to shop at grocery stores, but it's still overwhelming. There's no hotbox with warm goodies in the form of samosas, fresh bread and chapatis. I can use my Visa card at every turn and I drive to and from the store (I would walk, but its about 10 miles away). There is something nice and relaxing about being able to drive a car - even though some of the country roads rival the potholes of Kigali.
So, besides the fear of food making me pray to the porcelain Goddess - I'm bringing as much of Kigali to Indiana as I can. I'm still perfecting my African tea - the soy milk substitution is hit or miss, but I've definitely mastered the ginger! And I continue to dig my room out of the madness I left behind, it's strange not to be in a tiny dormstyle room with my best friend. I'll sometimes yell out at her, and then remember she's not 50 feet away at all times. I think I've gotten to the point where every comfort here in America has a corresponding feeling of missing something in Kigali.
In closing, there is so much I miss from Rwanda but I am really happy to be able to talk with my friends every day and whenever I want. I'm really happy to be with my family (even though they are CRAZY!). There will always be a piece of my heart in Rwanda and I think about my kids every single moment of every day - there is almost nothing I miss more than them. The job search is daunting and requires more patience than I have the capacity for. I start substitute teaching at the end of the week AND they've put me on two school districts, which will hopefully keep me distracted while I wait for responses from companies.
We're still rockin' the Manolos attitude, except now the bush is in Mass and Indiana. The good thing, is that the bush is a little more familiar and a little less full of foreign animals and languages. But it is still full of questions unanswered, chapters to be written and dreams to be fulfilled. The blog will be different from now on, but so are we, and that's really exciting.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Leaving On A Jetplane - one of these days
Morale: Much Improved
Beer Supply: Abundant and holding steady
Days Trapped in Uganda: 5 and counting
On Sunday, we managed to locate the one reasonably efficient KLM employee working out of Uganda - the only woman in the office, naturally, and a flight attendant to boot. She has tentatively re-scheduled us to fly on Friday, so if we don't get on a plane before then, at least we have a seat. There's an air of optimism today as Schipol has opened and planes are going in and out, and the UK is opening airspace, but there are, as ever, a number of complications. Unless we have a confirmed seat on a connecting flight, we cannot get on ANY plane to Amsterdam. It's still a question of wait-and-see.
In the interest of preserving what was left of our sanity after our adventure in the tent, we went to the zoo yesterday rather than stalking helplessly around the airport. It was amazing. It's technically a "wildlife education center", and many of the animals aren't even in cages. Those that are, like the lions, were never more than a few yards away. We were INCHES from an ostrich, which ambled over to check us out after RA1 called to it, and they are the most awesomely absurd creatures. We hung out with three camels that were tethered to the playground equipment and ran into hordes of monkeys that run around like they own the place - a few of them were carrying babies or teaching their offspring to jump from branch to branch on the trees. We also saw rhinos, crocodiles, otters, giraffes, zebras, hyenas, turtles, cool birds, very old trees, and the most awe-inspiringly huge snakes, which RA2 likes very much. One was a python which appeared to have eaten a cat.
Last night we were booked at a steep discount in what we are referring to as "The Palatial Sweet", which has a full-size bed for each of us, with a set of stairs rather than a ladder leading to the top bunk, our own bathroom and a little porch area. Seriously, the height of luxury. Many many many thanks to Dad and Mama Soli for ensuring we could remain there, as we have moved all 8 of our bags every morning for the last 5 days. Many thanks also toMama Stipps, for continued funding, and to Tami for amking a deposit from Boston in New York so we could get it Entebbe. It has made RA2 rethink her stance on globalization.
In other small adventures, we had both ordered the grilled fish without incident several times for dinner, and gotten nicely breaded fillets. Last night, RA2 ordered the grilled fish, and received a whole flayed creature, head still attached, little burned eyeballs staring blankly and accusingly up at her from the plate. RA1 showed her how to eat it and it was delicious. Our standards of civility may have changed somewhat.
Beer Supply: Abundant and holding steady
Days Trapped in Uganda: 5 and counting
On Sunday, we managed to locate the one reasonably efficient KLM employee working out of Uganda - the only woman in the office, naturally, and a flight attendant to boot. She has tentatively re-scheduled us to fly on Friday, so if we don't get on a plane before then, at least we have a seat. There's an air of optimism today as Schipol has opened and planes are going in and out, and the UK is opening airspace, but there are, as ever, a number of complications. Unless we have a confirmed seat on a connecting flight, we cannot get on ANY plane to Amsterdam. It's still a question of wait-and-see.
In the interest of preserving what was left of our sanity after our adventure in the tent, we went to the zoo yesterday rather than stalking helplessly around the airport. It was amazing. It's technically a "wildlife education center", and many of the animals aren't even in cages. Those that are, like the lions, were never more than a few yards away. We were INCHES from an ostrich, which ambled over to check us out after RA1 called to it, and they are the most awesomely absurd creatures. We hung out with three camels that were tethered to the playground equipment and ran into hordes of monkeys that run around like they own the place - a few of them were carrying babies or teaching their offspring to jump from branch to branch on the trees. We also saw rhinos, crocodiles, otters, giraffes, zebras, hyenas, turtles, cool birds, very old trees, and the most awe-inspiringly huge snakes, which RA2 likes very much. One was a python which appeared to have eaten a cat.
Last night we were booked at a steep discount in what we are referring to as "The Palatial Sweet", which has a full-size bed for each of us, with a set of stairs rather than a ladder leading to the top bunk, our own bathroom and a little porch area. Seriously, the height of luxury. Many many many thanks to Dad and Mama Soli for ensuring we could remain there, as we have moved all 8 of our bags every morning for the last 5 days. Many thanks also toMama Stipps, for continued funding, and to Tami for amking a deposit from Boston in New York so we could get it Entebbe. It has made RA2 rethink her stance on globalization.
In other small adventures, we had both ordered the grilled fish without incident several times for dinner, and gotten nicely breaded fillets. Last night, RA2 ordered the grilled fish, and received a whole flayed creature, head still attached, little burned eyeballs staring blankly and accusingly up at her from the plate. RA1 showed her how to eat it and it was delicious. Our standards of civility may have changed somewhat.
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