Thursday 22nd October 2009
So this morning, I decided that today HAD to be a better day...however, dressed as I was I am not sure quite how I thought this possible? This morning I woke up and decided that today was the day to break in my new walking boots (you will understand why when you read on) but I wear skirts in the office, I don’t know why, but I like to keep my trousers and jeans for outside of work. So there I was...Black, mid-calf length skirt, with walking boots and socks on...you really have no idea just how cool I looked...Unfortunately this was not the opinion of the locals who looked at me and my strange ensemble with what can only be described as disgust...but I had to remember that this opinion was coming from people living in the ‘shell suit’ capital of world...I went to the education office first thing in the desperate hope of something to do...as usual, I was bitterly disappointed...I lasted about an hour and a half but then I had to go to the district office to use the internet. I need to download smart notebook, but it can take up to 9 hours...that would mean spending a whole day in the district off...and what better day to do it than today! So off I headed...strolling along...and then I realised, yet again, just how lucky I am...I might not have running water or electricity, I might have to share a toilet with boys and cannibal spiders and I might have to get up at 5.30am in the morning...but all of that has got to be worth it for the most amazing views in the world...it really is stunning and the pictures don’t quite capture it...anyway...I actually managed to find a file which down loaded in under 15 minutes which was good...I had little battery left, but Ruairi was supposed to coming over to the office soon with his surge protector...unfortunately he was held up by Francois and Alexis...who wanted something printing...but the education office printer had been ‘borrowed’ and subsequently broken by another office...he was so delayed that the battery on my laptop gave up...and I ended up helping Sylvere-Chris download and set up Skype in his computer. I am still struggling to understand why he wants or even needs skype as I am the only other person he knows with an account and I sit opposite him for most of the day! When I am not in the office, I have no internet...but he wanted it and I had nothing better to do! I somehow managed to sit in the same chair at the same desk, with nothing to do, for 8 hours...I still am unsure as to why I didn’t go home for lunch!?? I was ready for home. Once back at the house, it was time to take off the boots as my feet were bloody hot and pack for my first real Rwandan Adventure. This weekend myself and a few friends are going to go to Nyungwe Forest National Park (hence the breaking in of the walking boots) in the hope of seeing some monkeys and possibly in chimpanzees, although they are not often seen by tourists, I am not giving up all hope! Bags packed I headed out for only the second evening since I arrived in this town. It appears that Enok...a local secondary school teacher was concerned that I was avoiding him as I had not been going for drinks with him and Ruairi, that and the fact that he had just taken up the lease on the only bar in the village with a generator. So off we went. Much like the daytime views here...the night views are often equally spectacular...Although there is no manmade light to be seen...the moon is bright and there are thousands of stars in the sky...I have never seen so many...they are incredibly...they are just scattered in the sky...and the moon hangs differently here too...it hangs more like a U than like a C as it does in the UK...Enok’s bar is a little further out of town than the other one (the one where you have to drink warm beer in the dark) but it does have lights and plug sockets!...the only thing it is lacking is a fridge...anyway...I finally made it after cheating death...when I was very nearly run down by a man on a push bike...waslking along with torches in hand you would have thought that the bike would have seen us...but apparently not...I heard something from behind...and when I turned around...the bike had almost caught up with me...I really dont understand how he didnt see us...as he had a light on his bike too...and there was a whole part of the road which was nit being used...but thankfully I was unharmed (never one for being a drama queen!) and made it to the pub in one piece...just...on arrival Ruairi and I found Enok sitting in one of the little bamboo huts...watching Bruce Lee films...I have never before seen one...and I know realise why...and I am not sure that I will be going out of my way to watch one again...after several hours...1 bottle of Mutzig beer and a Sprite later, served by a 15 year old boy (not sure I am completely comfortable with that!) it was time to head home...but having drunk all of that...it was a race against time...would I make it home in time to make it to the loo...thankfully and much to the relief of everyone...I did...but it has to be said that it was a close call and I have also discovered that ‘front door syndrome’ also happens here...Thankfully there were no horrors hanging out on the door or the door frame...I emerged and went to the veranda to watch the stars with Ruairi before heading for bed...but there I was stood in the dark...when all of a sudden...there was a flash of light...I was very confused...and asked what the flash was...only to be informed that it was in fact my rather temperamental head torch which I had forgotten I was wearing...god, I felt like a complete idiot...and off I went to bed...just I was getting into bed though...something caught my eye...it had eight legs, eight eyes, and was larger than your average spider....and it was crawling on my bin...now..I am more than aware of the consequences of my actions and the fact that it is probably more scared of me than I am of it (although I must say that I am not convinced by that) but...when I come back as a spider (as we all know that that is what happens if you kill one) I am not going to crawl over a mirror...so I will not scare myself...or infact see just how scary I am...anyhow...the spider ‘unfortunately’ collided with a bottle of water...and that was the end of the spider...and I could nearly sleep soundly...
So this morning, I decided that today HAD to be a better day...however, dressed as I was I am not sure quite how I thought this possible? This morning I woke up and decided that today was the day to break in my new walking boots (you will understand why when you read on) but I wear skirts in the office, I don’t know why, but I like to keep my trousers and jeans for outside of work. So there I was...Black, mid-calf length skirt, with walking boots and socks on...you really have no idea just how cool I looked...Unfortunately this was not the opinion of the locals who looked at me and my strange ensemble with what can only be described as disgust...but I had to remember that this opinion was coming from people living in the ‘shell suit’ capital of world...I went to the education office first thing in the desperate hope of something to do...as usual, I was bitterly disappointed...I lasted about an hour and a half but then I had to go to the district office to use the internet. I need to download smart notebook, but it can take up to 9 hours...that would mean spending a whole day in the district off...and what better day to do it than today! So off I headed...strolling along...and then I realised, yet again, just how lucky I am...I might not have running water or electricity, I might have to share a toilet with boys and cannibal spiders and I might have to get up at 5.30am in the morning...but all of that has got to be worth it for the most amazing views in the world...it really is stunning and the pictures don’t quite capture it...anyway...I actually managed to find a file which down loaded in under 15 minutes which was good...I had little battery left, but Ruairi was supposed to coming over to the office soon with his surge protector...unfortunately he was held up by Francois and Alexis...who wanted something printing...but the education office printer had been ‘borrowed’ and subsequently broken by another office...he was so delayed that the battery on my laptop gave up...and I ended up helping Sylvere-Chris download and set up Skype in his computer. I am still struggling to understand why he wants or even needs skype as I am the only other person he knows with an account and I sit opposite him for most of the day! When I am not in the office, I have no internet...but he wanted it and I had nothing better to do! I somehow managed to sit in the same chair at the same desk, with nothing to do, for 8 hours...I still am unsure as to why I didn’t go home for lunch!?? I was ready for home. Once back at the house, it was time to take off the boots as my feet were bloody hot and pack for my first real Rwandan Adventure. This weekend myself and a few friends are going to go to Nyungwe Forest National Park (hence the breaking in of the walking boots) in the hope of seeing some monkeys and possibly in chimpanzees, although they are not often seen by tourists, I am not giving up all hope! Bags packed I headed out for only the second evening since I arrived in this town. It appears that Enok...a local secondary school teacher was concerned that I was avoiding him as I had not been going for drinks with him and Ruairi, that and the fact that he had just taken up the lease on the only bar in the village with a generator. So off we went. Much like the daytime views here...the night views are often equally spectacular...Although there is no manmade light to be seen...the moon is bright and there are thousands of stars in the sky...I have never seen so many...they are incredibly...they are just scattered in the sky...and the moon hangs differently here too...it hangs more like a U than like a C as it does in the UK...Enok’s bar is a little further out of town than the other one (the one where you have to drink warm beer in the dark) but it does have lights and plug sockets!...the only thing it is lacking is a fridge...anyway...I finally made it after cheating death...when I was very nearly run down by a man on a push bike...waslking along with torches in hand you would have thought that the bike would have seen us...but apparently not...I heard something from behind...and when I turned around...the bike had almost caught up with me...I really dont understand how he didnt see us...as he had a light on his bike too...and there was a whole part of the road which was nit being used...but thankfully I was unharmed (never one for being a drama queen!) and made it to the pub in one piece...just...on arrival Ruairi and I found Enok sitting in one of the little bamboo huts...watching Bruce Lee films...I have never before seen one...and I know realise why...and I am not sure that I will be going out of my way to watch one again...after several hours...1 bottle of Mutzig beer and a Sprite later, served by a 15 year old boy (not sure I am completely comfortable with that!) it was time to head home...but having drunk all of that...it was a race against time...would I make it home in time to make it to the loo...thankfully and much to the relief of everyone...I did...but it has to be said that it was a close call and I have also discovered that ‘front door syndrome’ also happens here...Thankfully there were no horrors hanging out on the door or the door frame...I emerged and went to the veranda to watch the stars with Ruairi before heading for bed...but there I was stood in the dark...when all of a sudden...there was a flash of light...I was very confused...and asked what the flash was...only to be informed that it was in fact my rather temperamental head torch which I had forgotten I was wearing...god, I felt like a complete idiot...and off I went to bed...just I was getting into bed though...something caught my eye...it had eight legs, eight eyes, and was larger than your average spider....and it was crawling on my bin...now..I am more than aware of the consequences of my actions and the fact that it is probably more scared of me than I am of it (although I must say that I am not convinced by that) but...when I come back as a spider (as we all know that that is what happens if you kill one) I am not going to crawl over a mirror...so I will not scare myself...or infact see just how scary I am...anyhow...the spider ‘unfortunately’ collided with a bottle of water...and that was the end of the spider...and I could nearly sleep soundly...
Wednesday 21st October 2009
There is really nothing of any significance to report today. The morning was spent in the education office...where yet more solitaire etc was played for the best part of 5 hours...home for a short break and then to the district office where at least there is the internet to entertain! Once back at the house...as if I had not had enough Pride and Prejudice for one week...I watched the film...all in all a particularly boring day!
There is really nothing of any significance to report today. The morning was spent in the education office...where yet more solitaire etc was played for the best part of 5 hours...home for a short break and then to the district office where at least there is the internet to entertain! Once back at the house...as if I had not had enough Pride and Prejudice for one week...I watched the film...all in all a particularly boring day!
Sarah darling, good to fb chat with you the other day, not sure we would have had the chance to do this if I had been at work!! the swine flu is begining to wane now and I am feeling better. The parcel is coming along, thank you for the reading material idea will see what Asda has to offer this weekend, although it will all be old news by the time it gets to you, Royal Mail are still titting about not sure what they are up to, hopefully you will get it in time for christmas, may have to put some tinsel and holly in just in case! envy you those wonderful views it sounds lovely, you certainly seem to have settled in - and all for a girl who couldn't live without the latest britney spears smell!!! your blogs are great, perhaps I should write one in response to make comparisons with how your life is now and what it could be if you still shared space with us at Grange. Of all the things you talk about, warm beer would be my worst nightmare, if you are going to have a drink with fizz it simply has to be ice cold - the sooner they get electricity down your way make sure you have plenty of coins for the meter!! lots of love to you, speak soon, Kim xxxx
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