'the views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of VSO'.
Monday 14th September 2009
10 past 5 in the morning is most definitely not the time to be showering in a bucket of cold water...but it was either that or turn up at the weekly meeting with all district staff and the Mayor looking a rather sickly shade of lime green...but after much swearing and shivering I was finally clean! The weekly meeting is held in the hall in the district office and lasts for 2 HOURS!!!! Although I am required to attend...I didn’t understand a word of it as it was all in Kinyarwanda. Fortunately for me Alexis was there to translate English, however this sometimes proved too much so he would translate into French for Ruairi (across me) and the Ruairi would translate the French into English...longwinded but it seemed to work. The meeting was actually remarkably entertaining considering how little I understood. The rest of the morning was spent getting more and more frustrated with the internet...it said it was working but after trying for 45 minutes to no avail, it was decided that maybe it was broken after all! I did some work which did not require the internet, was asked several times if I was married to Ruairi (apparently it is illegal for a man and a woman who are not married to share a house in this country...even just as colleagues!!) and if I was single before I finally headed home...dinner was avocado to start followed by stir-fried cabbage...yum yum yum!!!! (and for those of you who think I am joking...let me tell you...I most certainly...AM NOT!!!!...i love cabbage!!!!!)
10 past 5 in the morning is most definitely not the time to be showering in a bucket of cold water...but it was either that or turn up at the weekly meeting with all district staff and the Mayor looking a rather sickly shade of lime green...but after much swearing and shivering I was finally clean! The weekly meeting is held in the hall in the district office and lasts for 2 HOURS!!!! Although I am required to attend...I didn’t understand a word of it as it was all in Kinyarwanda. Fortunately for me Alexis was there to translate English, however this sometimes proved too much so he would translate into French for Ruairi (across me) and the Ruairi would translate the French into English...longwinded but it seemed to work. The meeting was actually remarkably entertaining considering how little I understood. The rest of the morning was spent getting more and more frustrated with the internet...it said it was working but after trying for 45 minutes to no avail, it was decided that maybe it was broken after all! I did some work which did not require the internet, was asked several times if I was married to Ruairi (apparently it is illegal for a man and a woman who are not married to share a house in this country...even just as colleagues!!) and if I was single before I finally headed home...dinner was avocado to start followed by stir-fried cabbage...yum yum yum!!!! (and for those of you who think I am joking...let me tell you...I most certainly...AM NOT!!!!...i love cabbage!!!!!)
Sunday 13th September 2009
Having been someone who is recent years has slept little and done quite a lot, I think this may be about to change! Now I know that traditionally Sundays are for relaxing before a busy week back at work...however, I slept for 9-10 hours on Saturday night...yet throughout the course of the day, seemed to sleep even more. In fact, I wouldn’t mind betting that I could become a professional sleeper...the day was spent in a state of semi-consciousness and I was tucked up back in my bed by 8.45pm.
Having been someone who is recent years has slept little and done quite a lot, I think this may be about to change! Now I know that traditionally Sundays are for relaxing before a busy week back at work...however, I slept for 9-10 hours on Saturday night...yet throughout the course of the day, seemed to sleep even more. In fact, I wouldn’t mind betting that I could become a professional sleeper...the day was spent in a state of semi-consciousness and I was tucked up back in my bed by 8.45pm.
Saturday 12th September 2009
Last night I went to bed very early, at about 8pm, and somehow managed to sleep until 8am this morning!!! Which by all accounts is unheard of...I never sleep that much!!! After a leisurely morning we headed to the market at around 10.30am. The market is literally right outside my front door...up the steps and if you are not very careful indeed, you are in danger of tripping over a mature Rwandan lady and her sewing machine! In fact there is a row of about 8 sewing machines and machinists, repairing and making clothes. There are some household goods and second-hand clothes, bedding and shoes...I wondered where all the shell suits from the 90’s went...and now I know...they are outside my house twice a week, and probably will be for some time to come! The fruit and vegetable section was somewhat disappointing...tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, sweet and white potatoes, cassava, onion, avocado...ok so the selection of vegetables is ok but fruit was nowhere to be seen!!! I managed about half an hour at the market, the novelty of having a Mzungu (or 2) at the market was too much for some, and there was much pointing and chatting as we passed. As it happens, the trip to the market was all too much for me and when I got back to the house I needed to have a nap! Amy was to arrive later in the afternoon...I managed to watch 4 episodes of lost and have another snooze before she arrived! When she finally arrived on the back of moto...I think it may have all been too much for the people in the village...and quite a crowd gathered outside our house...the timing could not have been worse as I was just coming in from outside, clutching a roll of toilet paper, to find a crowd of young people just staring...at this point I felt somewhat exposed and decided that the only solution was to hide the toilet roll...which I did before heading back inside...It was decided that beers were definitely required before dinner, partly ‘just because’ and partly due to the finding of the missing suitcase!!!!! It turns out that the bloody thing has been sat in Addis Ababa airport, Ethiopia for the last 2 weeks...I don’t really care all that much where it has been so long as I get it back!!! The 3 of us headed back for the bar in town (the one with no lights) had a beer and brought a couple back to have with dinner. The evening passed quickly, chatting over a couple of warm beers...
Last night I went to bed very early, at about 8pm, and somehow managed to sleep until 8am this morning!!! Which by all accounts is unheard of...I never sleep that much!!! After a leisurely morning we headed to the market at around 10.30am. The market is literally right outside my front door...up the steps and if you are not very careful indeed, you are in danger of tripping over a mature Rwandan lady and her sewing machine! In fact there is a row of about 8 sewing machines and machinists, repairing and making clothes. There are some household goods and second-hand clothes, bedding and shoes...I wondered where all the shell suits from the 90’s went...and now I know...they are outside my house twice a week, and probably will be for some time to come! The fruit and vegetable section was somewhat disappointing...tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, sweet and white potatoes, cassava, onion, avocado...ok so the selection of vegetables is ok but fruit was nowhere to be seen!!! I managed about half an hour at the market, the novelty of having a Mzungu (or 2) at the market was too much for some, and there was much pointing and chatting as we passed. As it happens, the trip to the market was all too much for me and when I got back to the house I needed to have a nap! Amy was to arrive later in the afternoon...I managed to watch 4 episodes of lost and have another snooze before she arrived! When she finally arrived on the back of moto...I think it may have all been too much for the people in the village...and quite a crowd gathered outside our house...the timing could not have been worse as I was just coming in from outside, clutching a roll of toilet paper, to find a crowd of young people just staring...at this point I felt somewhat exposed and decided that the only solution was to hide the toilet roll...which I did before heading back inside...It was decided that beers were definitely required before dinner, partly ‘just because’ and partly due to the finding of the missing suitcase!!!!! It turns out that the bloody thing has been sat in Addis Ababa airport, Ethiopia for the last 2 weeks...I don’t really care all that much where it has been so long as I get it back!!! The 3 of us headed back for the bar in town (the one with no lights) had a beer and brought a couple back to have with dinner. The evening passed quickly, chatting over a couple of warm beers...
Friday 11th September 2009
At 6.30am it was time to get up and head once more for the cold bucket shower...however I am not sure that I am ever going to actually get clean...I seem to be covered in a layer of orange/red dust, which I had thought was the beginning of a tan, only to be bitterly disappointed when it washed off...adding to that the lovely shade of green I seem to be turning courtesy of my new ‘high quality’ bed sheets bought at the Chinese supermarket!... at around 8am myself and Ruairi headed for the education office. Once there we discovered that the office was empty and waited for Francois, the director of education and Alexis the Charge. Alexis was the first to arrive followed about half an hour later by Francois. We made our way back to the house in time for some lunch before heading back out the district office where we camped out to charge electrical equipment for the rest of the day. At 5pm we went back home again and managed to cook dinner just before the light went completely at 6.30pm. Dinner was rice again...but hopefully we will be able to get fresh fruit and vegetables at the local market in the morning...bed was very early today due to the exhausting nature of the days events!!! Ha ha ha.
Sarah, you continue to make me smile with your exploits, someone who couldn't manage without a coffee first thing and a full on power shower seems to be managing with a bucket and minimal supplies is getting on with things. It's not as grim at school in terms of ablution facilities but the drama's of resources, getting oneself from a to b and managing on scarce supplies at times emulates your situation. I am glad you are getting to grips with the rudiments of rural living, always knew you would survive without herbal essences!!! please get in touch and let us know what you would like sent from the UK to make your stay a little more comfortable, although Silje is not around, we can still get together a shoe box full of essentials to help you out, may have to ditch the half naked barbie doll though... loving your updates, lots of love to you Sarah, keep smiling and keep me entertained...
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