'the views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of VSO'.
Saturday 10th October 2009
I woke in the morning after a very restless nights sleep...feeling decidedly poorly and sorry for myself...I decided that although I wanted to spend the weekend out of the village...really I needed to head home and go to bed...after asking round for a while, we were eventually spotted by the moto driver Alexis...he offered to take me back to the house...but I explained that I wanted to get the bus as I was not feeling very well...he was very understanding and explained where the bus went from and at what times...I returned a short while later and there was a bus there ready and waiting...I got on waited for it to fill up and depart...20 minutes later I was still sat there...then the engine started...but we were turning round...why the hell are we going in the wrong direction???!!! Oh no...just getting fuel...then we were on our way...oh no...we are going back to where we started to wait for yet more passengers...after some time...several more passengers and an argument or two we were finally off...and I was back in Gisagara...where it was blowing a gale...the street was foggy with dust in the air...and the rain was on its way...but I was stopped by a nun on my way home...we had a brief chat and I explained that I don’t speak much Kinyarwanda...but I understand some French but I am not very good at speaking it...she explained that she didn’t speak any English...but this didn’t seem to matter...Her name was Francois and she lived in the convent behind where they are building the supermarket (and it will be run by the nuns) I think I was invited to visit and she would teach me both Kinyarwanda and French...then she asked if I was a Catholic...I said no...she then asked if I believed in god and I replied that I didn’t know...wasn’t quite sure what she would do otherwise...but she just laughed and seemed to accept that (which makes a nice change!). By the time I got home the rain was starting...and I just made it into the house before the most almighty storm...I was feeling much better and thought that maybe I had been healed by the nun...no such luck...about an hour later...I was feeling rubbish again...I made my bed...and there I stayed...listening to Harry Potter story tapes...for the next 3 days...

'the views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of VSO'.
Friday 9th October 2009
Today we were visited by Charlotte from the VSO programme office...it was a welcome visit...mainly as she came baring gifts of a new kerosene lamp that will hopefully work, and rice sacks on which to make some resources for schools...just basic things like number squares etc...any ideas that people think might be useful and can be displayed in a classroom on a rice sack...please let me know! I started in the district office and decided to try and walk in my new walking shoes...why on earth I thought that this would be a good idea is completely beyond me! Why they are called walking shoes...when then smallest amount of walking left me nearly crippled in pain as the skin was torn from my toes...bit by bit...is absolutely beyond me!!! Walking shoes my a***...I think I will struggle to sit with them on...however...it may have been partly my fault for thinking that they could be worn in without socks on! Anyway...I managed to make it home...bleeding toes and all (I was just relieved that my toes were still attached to my foot!!!) where we were met by Charlotte and Bosco (the driver) The previously mentioned items were dropped at the house...weekend bags which had already been packed were collected and we left on a whistle stop tour of the schools the new head teachers will be working in when they arrive in January...we started with Cyamakuza...which is a nice school...we had a short meeting with the head and then a brief tour of the school and the grounds...just before we left I was handed the form for the school to apply to be a model school...will be nice to have a school in walking distance...(although I was secretly hoping that Nyaruninya school would also had their form in too...and they were the next stop...on the way...I thought I saw an awful sight and couldn’t understand why no one was panicking...I thought a mother had dropped her child from the sling on her back...meaning that the child would have hit the floor with quite a bang...as it happened...the children had been walking and toppled...At Nyaruninya the school was as welcoming as ever...but again we didn’t stop for long...the teachers from the schools where the other head will be working in, in Kibirizi, were at the sector office...so we agreed to meet them there...these meetings were even shorter than the previous ones. From there it was onto Butare...where we to have lunch...I had not realised that a Croquet Madame was basically a toasted sandwich with cheese and pineapple...or is that just a Rwandan thing? Although it was very strange...it was edible...I stayed in Butare as I had to get a green card and get some money out of the bank...the green card was a none starter...and I should have thought about that...with it being Friday afternoon...the bank was a little more successful though (thank god!). I was to stay in Butare for the night with Melanie...before heading to Nyanza for the rest of the weekend...the first job when Melanie arrived was to collect her birthday present from the DLR office...this was done and we went to open the parcel with a drink in Matar...the present can only be described as the most incredible...beautiful...amazing chocolates from France...which due to the time they had taken to arrive...had in fact gone mouldy! Even the wooded box and the cloth bag were covered in mould...in was so sad!!! We managed to rescue some of them...but it was not a pretty sight! We headed to the Africana lodge to drop our thing before heading out for drinks and dinner...I hadn’t had beer for so long!!! We chatted the night away...gossiping witha couple of drinks...and then headed back to the room.

'the views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of VSO'.
Thursday 8th October 2009
So...yesterday I should have stayed in bed...oh my word...I have had one of the most tedious days in the whole entire world...although I had a bit of a lie in and didn’t make it to the office (following all the excitement of yesterday!) until 8.30am...I then sat, in the same bloody chair, from 8.30am until 4.45pm inputting the teachers results from the English test...I have never done anything quite so boring in my whole entire life! EXCEL IS NOT MY FRIEND! It was absolute hell on earth! And the hand writing...oh the handwriting...I thought I had met some teachers with bad handwriting...and even some children...but clearly I had never seen these lovely samples...they were sooooo bad...I am sure that half of the names are wrong! Anyway...I did absolutely nothing else today so there is really nothing else to say...apart from a few people have said that although they are reading my blog...they are unsure as to whether I am enjoying myself...it is really tough...but yes I am enjoying it! And please could the person who I don’t know who they are...let me know who they are...does that make sense...I think so...???

'the views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of VSO'.
Wednesday 7th October 2009
Ruairi spent the night in Butare last night as there are two new volunteers coming out in January. They are two head teachers from the UK here for 6 months to work with 2 schools. Although they will be working in the disctict of Gisagara they will be living in Butare as there are no unoccupied houses in the central area, which is where I live. One of the volunteers will be working in Ndora at Cyamakuza and Naraninya schools, while the other will be in the sector of Kibirizi working in another two schools, but the bus route to the area needed to be checked first so Ruairi was doing that, and also visiting the schools. I on the other hand...headed for the Education office...that was probably my first mistake (apart from actually getting out of bed this morning...now that was really the rooky mistake...you would have thought I had learnt by now!) But I headed out all the same...I arrived to find Francois there and sat in his chair...a man who I didn’t know, just sat on a chair near the door and it wasn’t until I had walked in properly that I saw Alexis sat where I usually do...he was most apologetic and moved to another chair in the middle of the office...but surprisingly...not to his desk...now the alarm bells should have started ringing when I realised that I couldn’t hear the racket coming from the generator and Alexis wasn’t working at his computer...A few minute later we were asked to leave so that the floor could be cleaned...and it was then that I was told that the generator wasn’t working...back in office a little while later I just sat in the chair...now this time there was literally NOTHING to do, as the battery on my laptop was so low it wouldn’t even turn on...I lasted an hour and 15 minutes...I think that that is pretty good going! I finally said that I was going to over to the district office as they have got a generator that is on...now, there is no problem with the generator in the education office...but the man who is paid to come in and turn it on has not been in for 2 days! Anyway...I spent the morning at the district...but by 12pm I needed to go for lunch, just for something to do...Ruairi arrived back and we headed back to the district together...By the time it was time to go home...I was so very angry! I had written a very long email...(not in word and not saved) and my computer crashed...meaning that the whole thing was lost! Back at the house we realised that the lock on the back door was broken...it apparently takes nearly a million Rwandans to fix a lock...ok maybe not a million but there were enough of them all hanging out in the kitchen...thankfully Enock had arrived and was able to translate, and we were also able to talk with Alexandre (once the lock had been replaced)It turns out that yes the roof in his new house does leak...right over his bed...while the rain is also coming under the door...we also asked what he was doing for a toilet...as we had thought that there was one in the old house for him...turns out he has been using the same one as us the entire time...he is just very careful and goes to the loo before we get up, after we go to bed or while we are at work...he must hate it when I am at home for the whole weekend...I NEVER go out...and I have never known him to use the loo! I don’t mind but I do think that the landlord should have made that clear from the start!! Anyway...it was one of those days when you should have just stayed in bed!

'the views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of VSO'.
Tuesday 6th October 2009

Before i start..please could someone tell me who 'xurxo33' is? I have no idea...and I would really like to know!!! pleeaaase!!!!!!

Anyway, this morning looked greyer than usual...I set out in a t-shirt...with a cardigan in my bag...thought it was going to be a cool cloudy day, all day! I visited Naraninya primary school...it is about 20 minutes away on foot...with some of the most incredible views! The school itself is at the top of a short but steep hill...it is possibly one of the best schools in the area, but they have very little in the way of basic resources...even down to classroom and office space. The principal’s office is at the back of one of the year one classrooms, while the teachers have built their own staffroom in the playground...using wood and tarpaulin...I saw 4 classes...3 English (p1, p2 and p6) and a p2 maths class...all the lessons were taught through English...and these are some of the best lessons I have seen since I arrived here...the teachers were enthusiastic and use what visual aids they have...even drawing the questions on the board, so that the children understand...there is something so nice about this school...so caring...I think it might be my favourite...having said that, at the end of the p6 English class they sang me a song...then asked me to teach them one...no we all know that Christmas carols are my speciality...but I just couldn’t do it!!! So I taught them the song I always turn to when in doubt...the one we used to sing with my granddad...Here we are again, happy as can be...you know the one...and if you don’t...if you work at Grange just ask the children I taught in year 1 who are now in year 4...they will tell you! They seemed to like it though...and as I left the classroom and walked away, I could hear them still singing it! From there I headed to the nursery...it is one of the only ones still running. Nursery is not free and many of the parents can’t afford to pay, and therefore don’t, but they have decided to stay open anyway...and for good reason...it is incredible...they don’t have a classroom...so they are at the back of the school under a tree...the children were singing and dancing and taking part in little role play activities...it was lovely!! I was then asked to say a few words to the teachers before I headed off...I reluctantly agreed and Ruairi translated for me...although I think they understand more than they like to let on!!! It really is a lovely school...sometimes you just get a feeling...this was one of those times! Then it was time for the uphill walk home...and now the belting sun had decided to come out...bloody hell...it was hard work...I did even contemplate crawling at one point...back home...I had about an hour before my maiden voyage on the back of a moto...Alexis (not the charge of education) was called...he is apparently a good driver and has a slightly lower bike...for people with short legs!...he arrived with his friend (for Ruairi) it was explained that this was my first trip and I have been known to fall while getting off...so it he could find a step that would be great...and off we went to Ndora school...the dusty dirt track was very bumpy...the entire time...all I could hear in my head was the bit from Harry potter and the prisoner of Azkaban...when they are on the night bus...’are you ready ernie...we are in for a bumpy ride!’ or something like that...but then this thought was interrupted halfway through the journey when the moto driver turned round (yes he turned round...obviously not right round...but far enough!) to as what I had done to my legs to make them sore...I then had to explain that they were not sore...just short! The humiliation!!! By the time we arrived, my legs had turned to jelly...and my hand ached from holding on so tightly...oh the pain every time I had to shake hands with people! At Ndora school I was supposed to see a science lesson, followed by Religion in p6...but much like the UK...during the run up to exams...I just had to sit through nearly 2 hours of Maths!!! I was introduced to the teacher and pupils...and they were told that I only spoke English...the children understood this...but it seemed that the teacher didn’t...and at the end of the lesson he babbled away in French to me...I did understand most of what he was saying...but the children found it very funny...only to soon it was time for the moto ride home...only this time...it was quite as slow...as were being chased by a rather large and scary looking rain cloud...thankfully I made it back to the district office just in the nick of time...I was very nearly the saddest I have ever been in my whole entire life...I have never seen rain like it...it was even worse than last time...maybe made worse by the driving winds...crazy...thankfully the rain had stopped by the time I came to walk home...I was followed home by an old lady who was wittering on in Kinyarwanda...I have no idea what she was saying...by the time I got to the house I was 6’2” and felt like I was walking with 2 medium sized children attached to the bottom of each shoe...I had been wondering why everyone was walking around with bare feet...and then it dawned on my...for the exact same reason I was considering taking my shoes off...because they were caked in mud! Not only that, half a tree had been pulled down by the winds and was now being gathered up by the locals...but the place was a mess...

'the views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of VSO'.
Monday 5th October 2009
Happy Birthday Melanie!!! I am back to cold showers in the morning...partly as I hate not having clean hair in the morning and partly because the weather has cooled a little so the shower doesn’t get as warm...walking to work in the morning sun, there was the sound of skidding breaks behind us...I turned to see the Executive Secretary in a pick up truck...skidding to a halt outside a house on the roadside...I think he might have just been checking his brakes worked...he then pulled alongside us and gave us a lift the rest of the way to the office...it was like being in the death mobile...if any of you have had the pleasure of travelling with Tom in the Caddy you will know exactly what I am talking about...apart from this one actually had the seats bolted to the floor and was much newer! On reflection I am unsure as to why I accepted the lift as it only meant that I was arriving in office earlier...and it was the dreaded 2 hour weekly meeting...oh the pain!!! Today however, the 2 hour meeting became the 3 hour meeting...all in Kinyarwanda...but I go the gist of what was being said...people not being paid properly, what everyone had done the previous week and what they had planned for the week ahead...following this it was over the sector office (which is right next to the education office). Today is INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS DAY...so what do we do...we close all the schools!! All the teachers from Ndora Sector were invited to a celebration ceremony...or as they like to call it...a party! (each sector had their own ‘party’) Thankfully, this time I had remembered to take a book...as per usual the celebration which was supposed to start at 10am...had only just started at 11.20!!! Oh my word...seriously!!! we were ushered to the front where we sat in ‘comfy’ chairs...while the teachers were squeezed onto benches...2 and a half hours later...with a bum about as numb as can be...it was over...again the whole thing was held in Kinyarwandan...so...I understood NOTHING! The up side of such occasions being the drinks which follow...I thought it would be frowned upon for me to have beer before lunch (having said that it was 2 in the afternoon...) and also being a woman I wasn’t sure this would be ok...instead I opted for coke...only minutes later to see a female teacher wolfing down a bottle of Rwanda’s finest Primus beer...crap it! So coke it was for me...then lunch was served...2 goat balls, 1 meat samosa and one dry bread roll...I was only brave enough to eat the bread roll...then I was given my second coke...I was so full of pop!!! I mean...I like pop...but I don’t usually have the sugared variety...but they only have sugared drinks here! After a couple more speeches...we made our excuses...’we had a very important meeting at the district office’ collected our things and headed to the office...by the time I left the office...it was really cold!! The weather is definitely on the turn...

'the views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of VSO'.
Sunday 4th October 2009
Whoever heard of builders who work on SUNDAYS!!! 2 weeks in a row...this really sucks!!! Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish!! I had been hoping for a nice lie in...but that was not to be...it was not just the builders...but also the elephant (or possibly the small bird) break dancing on the roof of the house...again, not a great deal was achieved...but I did notice that above the slightly creepy shadow of a child...is the word Jesus...maybe that is who it is meant to be...not quite sure if that make me feel better or worse...Melanie headed off late in the afternoon. Back at the house, dusk was well and truly on its way...While I was sat in the chair reading my book by the light of a torch...I saw a shadow move under the sofa...following this was some rustling and shuffling...coming from inside the sofa...I called Alexandre and tried to explain that I thought that there was some sort of animal in the sofa...but I don’t think he understood...and by the time he had come in...the noises had stopped...about 5 minutes later..he came into the living room, looked around for a while, picked up a newspaper and sat down on the sofa to read it...he has never before done anything like that...and he didn’t look very comfortable...after about 20 minutes...Ruairi arrived home and Alexandre took this as his cue to leave...it was very strange indeed...I wonder whether he thought I was asking him to come in and sit on the sofa...oh I guess we will never know!!!

'the views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of VSO'.

Saturday 3rd October 2009

After a nice lie in...it was time to tidy the house...yes, yes...I tidied...but only because I was expecting a visitor...Melanie was coming for the weekend to experience the delights of Gisagara...unfortunately everything in Butare and Gisagara was closed due to local elections...but after some hunting she did finally manage to track down a moto to bring her out! After a little bit of hunting on my part...I managed to find her, as she had not been dropped by the house...I actually found her and a rather large group of children...just after we got back to the house my phone went...it was my mum...but while she was on the phone to me...there was someone at her door...it was Tom...we had a really nice chat...well...as nice as you can have with Tom...the rest of the day was spent chatting and catching up...

'the views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of VSO'.

Friday 2nd October 2009

Still nursing my very patchy sunburn, I managed to drag myself into the education office at just gone 7am this morning. Ruairi had got the bus as he was off to Kigali for the weekend. I arrived in the office just seconds after Alexis, the generator was not yet on and we were ushered out of the office so that the floors could be mopped. Outside I was chatting with Alexis...Francois was nowhere to be seen at this point!...I have been talking with Ruairi about how old we think Alexis might be...turns out he is 34...he was born in the Congo and only moved to Rwanda following the genocide in 1996, however he does still see himself as Rwandese...we then got onto the subject of teaching in the UK. Alexis was astonished that all lessons in the UK are taught through English...AND we speak English at home!!! I tried to explain that with ENGLISH being the national language of ENGLAND...it was natural for all lessons to be taught through it and for us to speak it at home...he was most surprised...but nothing more was said...Back in the office I asked what there was to do...was there anything he wanted me to do...anything I can help with...ANYTHING AT ALL...the response to all of those questions...no...no...no...rubbish...so there I was from 7am until 12pm...with nothing more to do than write a bit of my blog...oh my days...I even resorted to chess at one point...I have never played chess in the whole entire life...well certainly not on a computer!! Francois came in at one point...set up his computer and then left again...while Alexis had an email to send so had to go to the district office...leaving me in my own in the education office...for hours on end...with nothing to do...I hear you asking...why not go home...well I couldn’t because Francois had left his laptop...but at 12pm I was sent home for lunch anyway! Walking home I was followed by a large group of children who had just been let out of school...but they were all asking for money...knowing that I needed to buy bread for my lunch...I didn’t feel that having told the children I had no money...I could then go and buy bread in...Back at the house...the builders were still milling around...trying to look as if they are actually working...and I asked Alexandre to get some bread...oh my days...it was the freshest, softest...nicest bread I have had since I got here!!! I then headed to the district office in the afternoon where I had to waste another 4 hours...at least this time I had the internet! During the afternoon...there was another big rain but it had passed by the time I came to walk home...unfortunately it had returned by the evening...and going for a wee in the rain is no fun at all!! I also found Alexandre curled up on the veranda at the back of the house...it was very windy and cold...but I think the roof of his ‘new’ house might leak!...it was still raining when I went to bed...rubbish...

'the views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of VSO'.
Thursday 1st October 2009
The morning while still in the house, seemed like any other...things changed when I stepped out of the door...there was an eerie stillness...there were no children on their way to work...no adults milling around or chatting...the place was like a ghost town...all that was needed was a breeze and some tumble weed...there had been talk of the day being a public holiday...but even if that had been the case, there still would have been children outside the schools, as the announcement would have been made over the radio the night before...we arrived at the office to find it open and the generator on...thank goodness! Alexis was in the office and we were closely followed by Francois...who made his exit a short while later. I had been working for a good 2 hours, when at 9.30 Alexis got a phone call informing him that there was Umaganda this morning, it started at 7am and ran until 12pm. Umaganda is like a national community service. Everyone is expected to do it, without exception, usually it is the last Saturday of the month, so on Saturday people had spent the morning working hard on community projects, making mud bricks, clearing the ditches for the rains...which are still nowhere to be seen! Today, it had been decided, was to be an additional Umaganda...EVERONE was to go to Cyamakuza School and help with the laying of the foundations for the new classrooms. Now this would explain why the village had been so quiet this morning...however there were still moto drivers around, which is unusual! It was agreed that we would walk to the school, which is a fair distance, and join in with umaganda...dropping our stuff off at the house we walked with Alexis, who was moaning bitterly about the distance we had to walk, to the school. On arrival at the school, there were children everywhere, in fact the all the children were in, just playing volleyball nicely while everyone worked around them, I say worked...there just seemed to be a lot of people sitting around...including the people from the district office, who had found themselves a nice shady patch of grass to relax on. Once we arrived, a lot of the people who had been sat, or stood around, gathered to check out the Mzungus who had come to take part. We were on stone finding duty...we had to find the stones to fill the foundations...so I got on with the job...I wouldn’t have minded people being interested in my coming to help, had they actually been doing any work themselves...but just standing watching and giggling...did not amuse me in any way!!! And this was even from people in the district office where I work most afternoons! I was filling buckets with stones and then passing them to an EXTREMELY unenthusiastic Alexis to carry to the foundations! After about half an hour we were all called to the main play area and had to line up...lines of children, lines of district workers, lines of people who live within the community...then the National Anthem was sung...(but for some reason not by Alexis!!!) then it was back to work...only this time a lot more people seemed to be working and I could no longer get to the pile of stones to fill the bucket...and I wasn’t allowed to carry them to the foundations either (although I did manage to get in a few trips, but I was shouted at by a group of boys, who like many others were just standing around, not doing anything, but shouting thank you Mzungu! I wanted to shout back...but had to stop myself!!!) It was only towards the end of the work that it was explained that I was not allowed to do too much work...as it would not be good...(particularly for district staff!!!) if I was seen to be doing more work than them!...explains a lot...but at this rate it will take them 9 years to build the schools for the 9 years basic education...When the work was done at 12pm there was a meeting afterwards, with speeches and a collection...when it was all over...Alexis was very relieved, mostly because he was with us, which meant that he could ask for a lift back and therefore not have to exhaust himself, walking back up the hill (yes...the same bloody one as yesterday!!!) There were a few VERY cross looking faces from the district staff as they saw us in the car...I wouldn’t have minded walking as it was much cooler than yesterday...but we still had to collect our things before heading to the district office! And thank goodness we did...a few minutes before we left the house again...we asked Alexandre to get some bread for us...he returned a couple of minutes later in an excited whirlwind...as he had found someone selling pineapples!!!!! We gave him the money and headed to the office. Everyone was out for lunch and the offices were locked...we sat in the corridor until someone came back to open them...it was only when I had been in the shade for a while that I realised I had caught the sun...but not in any way evenly...I have burnt my forehead...the top of my left arm...and my right shoulder...quite where the sun was I don’t know...my tan is going to be all over the place...

'the views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of VSO'.
Wednesday 30th September 2009
Today I am going to visit another school, just to get an idea of things. I was up early I as for once in my life, I didn’t want to be late. I was to meet the Head teacher, Joseline at the district office before walking to her school, Cyamakuza School. As I set off, the market was setting up in the usual place, outside the house, and I arrived at the district office in good time. Joseline was supposed to be on one of the buses...but she was nowhere to be seen! Ruairi was about to phone when a woman came up to me and said she had been sent to walk to the school with me...and so we set off...like a lot of Rwandans, she had little confidence in her spoken English, but we got on just fine...all the way there it was dusty dirt tracks, much like all of Gisagara... I tripped several times and was nearly stampeded by a lone cow and its rather incompetent owner...they may be been on the way to market...who knows...but the cow was really not very happy! Finally we reached the school...I was greeted by Joseline, and taken into her office...we sat there for a couple of minutes...in silence...I don’t speak any French, and she has implied (to Ruairi) that she doesn’t speak any English...I started a conversation in English (it was that interesting I forget what it was about!) only to be answer in ENGLISH!!! Ha ha ha...she had been pretending!!! Probably again due to confidence...I asked if it would be possible to see some classes...and off we went...a quick tour of all the classes...I was introduced to children a teachers...the first class was Elementary Science and Technology (EST) where the children were learning how to separate and wash clothes...they stopped to sing me a song...and I went to the next class...the children again sang me a song...this seemed to be the standard the whole time...one class even sang what I thought was Frere Jacques...only to find that the words had been changed to...’Baby Jesus, baby Jesus, we love you, we love you, you are our saviour, you are our saviour...and then I couldn’t make out the last line!’. I visited all the classes in the primary school before heading into the classes in the ‘secondary’ school. With the new nine years basic education being brought in, primary schools are now also taking on the first 3 years of secondary school, although they are taught by secondary school teachers. In these classes the head teacher invited the children to ask me questions...they were all pretty similar...Where are you from, How old are you? (which seemed to bring with it a lot of giggling) What is your job?...and then there were some random ones...What are you? I think he meant what is your job...but suddenly stood in front of 30 students (some who are not much younger than me!) I didn’t know what to say...and then they asked...Do you speak Kinyarwanda...I meant to replay ‘no’ (which is oya...) only...I got a little confused and accidentally said...’yego’...which is ‘yes’...I soon realised what I had done and tried to change my answer...by which point the students were rolling around laughing...serves me right I guess!!! Ha ha ha...then I had a tour of the school grounds...toilets...um...think I might cross my legs until I get home...but by no means the worst I will see here I am sure! Then the rabbit hutches...this time not mistaken for the head teachers office...the foundations of the new classrooms to be built to accommodate the children for the 9 years basic education (as this is the only secondary school taking all children in this sector of the district) An then it was back to the office...where more pauses were had...in between limited conversation...some of the teachers came in and out and were interested in my family, parent, brothers and sisters ages etc...but then I had to try and explain that although they are the same age...Tom and Alice are not twins...this caused much confusion...and resulted in the response...’oh...so in England...it is ok for a man to have more than one wife?’ Sorry guys!!!! Ha ha ha...I tried to explain as best I could...still not convinced that they don’t think MR.WRAGG IS A VERY BAD MAN!!!! Oooooops! Anyway...I then saw the rest of the EST lesson, where the children actually had to wash the clothes themselves...they just got on with it! The head and I were talking about the funding of the school...the school is government funded and like schools in the uk, funding depends on the number of children attending the school...but I had never imagined just how little they get...5,300 Rwandan Francs...this amounts to about £5.30 a year! At 11ish, I decided that it was time to head back to the office, and face the long walk back...I really had no idea...seriously...who thought that putting one of the most mountainous countries in the world, just 2% south of the equator was a good idea...I mean...COME ON!!! Joseline wanted to walk all the way back with me, but I told her that it was a long way and I would be able to make it on my own! So off I went...on my way to the school, I hadn’t allowed for the fact that everything which I had thought had been flat, was in fact...downhill...and that means...yes yes yes...I know...it was uphill all the way back to the district office...And the hill...oh the hill...well I say hill...It was huge!!!! I was walking up with a shadow of 4 children and a woman, who told anyone who passed us that I was English! I made it back to the office in one piece, but almost dying of thirst...I had been so thirsty before I had even left the school, that my lips kept sticking to my teeth!!! But by the time I got back I truly thought I was going to die!!!...did I also mention that it was now the middle of the day and the sun was blazing without a cloud in the sky...killer. Back in the office I found Amy...who had come to visit for a couple of hours...what I nice surprise...Ruairi headed over to the education office to see if the last of the exam papers had arrived...of course not...but they are promised for tomorrow! He came back with a flask of squash...which I managed to finish by myself! Woo hoo...finally my lips were free from my teeth...Back at the house...after hours of listening to Harry Potter story tapes, I had a shower...