This week has been one of on and offs. The internet, my health, storms, they keep coming and going. As you can see from last time, I was feeling pretty great on Friday. Posting, posting, etc. However, things took a rather dramatic turn on Saturday.
I had made plans with one of the volunteer teachers here, a woman from England named Cathy, to go swimming with her family. Of course, becoming rather ill on Thursday made me think twice about this. However, as I felt so great on Friday I was all for it. My actual plan was to go and meet the family and spend the morning with them, but most likely not swim as it probably wouldn’t have been the smartest move considering. So, Saturday I woke up feeling… AWFUL. Like I said, backwards and forwards. So I told Cathy I wasn’t going to make it, and went back to bed. One good thing about not going, I got to talk to my twinny, Stefan. Huzzah! It was great to catch up.
I made it out of the room feeling slightly better around 10:30 and said hi to the ladies living in the building. Chaka, the General Administrator of the school and the one who has been looking out for me here, told me that she and Claire (another worker at the school) were going to an “introduction” down the road. They wanted me to go along. I thought that that would be fine and wouldn’t take too long. Of course I had no idea what an “introduction” was but I would go with it. So I got changed and got ready to leave. Claire and Chaka were rather smartly dressed so I asked Chaka again what this thing was. She explained it was a wedding. Umm… Ok. So when she said introduction, it’s like the introduction of the two families, the Traditional official marriage in this culture. Right. So I got changed into fancier clothing and we set off down the road. Luckily it was literally 3 houses down so we got there, sat down and I observed. It was very interesting to watch a traditional wedding and I’m glad I went. However, it did go on for a while and it was all in Kinyarwandan. After the ceremony we headed back. Needless to say, I was exhausted, and not feeling too great.
I went for a lie down but I couldn’t sleep. I was feeling rather hungry and I smelt fresh popcorn so I got up to scavenge. The Director of Studies, Asiimwe Emmanuel was talking with Chaka and eating popcorn, so I joined them and chatted. Next thing I knew, I was out in the rain walking up the hill with Chaka and Asiimwe to take Peggy, Chaka’s 2-year-old daughter, for her first haircut. We got to the saloon (a salon, they spell it different) and waited for our turn. So, something about Rwanda. When it rains these really weird huge winged insects fly into any buildings with the light on. They then promptly flutter all over your face and legs, fall to the floor and their wings fall off, they struggle helplessly for a while before ants come and eat them. Mmm. The saloon was FILLLED with these things! They’re harmless and very common so the people who were waiting just ignored them as they gracelessly flew all over them. I on the other hand, was far from comfortable with them touching any part of me so was swatting and ducking madly. The others found it rather amusing. Come see the cowardly white girl! She’s hilarious! I killed like 5 in 10 minutes. I got a closer look too, they’re like tiny grasshopper pupa with wings 5 times they're body. So strange. They call them ants here and they eat them. Not raw. But still.
So Peggy seemed fine with being in a strange place with no idea what was going on. But the second that razor turned on, she started to SCREAM and struggled and kicked and fight. She was sitting on Chaka’s lap and I was trying to help hold her down but she instead grabbed on to me so I sat down with her on my lap. She calmed down a little because I started singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” but not for long. Oh it was hard work. And her little hair was all messed up, some shaved some not, bits shorter than others. So anyways. It was done at least and we headed home in the rain.
Sunday I went to Mango Tree Church for the second time. I went by myself this time, walked there alone and all. I really like the Mango Tree services, they’re so fun and happy. I had brought a present from Scotland: a Scottish tea-towel and a Linlithgow Palace plate. I was planning on giving it after the service to Pastor Anastase. During the service when they asked the visitors to stand, they called me up front to give a little word about myself. They asked me to do this the first time I went but I was far too nervous and unsure of the culture so I said like 3 words. This time I understood the situation a little better and was far more comfortable. I introduced myself, that I came from Scotland and that I was working in Alpha Community Academy, then I explained that I had come from St John’s Church. The impact of those words was phenomenal, they all started clapping and cheering and looked so pleased. They really love you all St John’s. I said that St John’s sent their love and blessings etc., which led to more cheering, and then I thanked them and sat back down. After the service, I gave my present to Pastor Anastase. He was so grateful and wanted me to take pictures etc. I thought to myself that I should’ve presented it during the service as that’s the way they do it, but I forgot. Oh well.
After the service, I headed back to the school. I was feeling a bit ill again so I headed to Winnie’s house to get some food. I thought it might help. It did and I spent most of the rest of my time watching the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon with Barny. I think I needed to just chill though. I got to talk to the family in the evening, including my uncle and cousins which was great
Monday I got to school around 8:30, marked the P4 English tests from Friday and taught my two lessons for the day. They actually went really well despite my lack of commanding voice and coughing/sneezing fits. After lunch, I was going to the Kigali Genocide Memorial with Louis. I was really looking forward to it and was so grateful to Louis that he was taking me. Wow. It is a great place. Very powerful and moving, difficult to grasp but so well done. It really needs to be remembered so that it NEVER happens again. I spent a good 3 hours walking around. It was meant to take like an hour but I think it’s better to really get a proper feel for the place.
I continued to improve health wise the rest of the week PTL so I got my voice back and was able to sleep better. On Wednesday I went to Bible Study in Gishushu again. It was really good and I’m really enjoying myself there. On Thursday there was a bit of a panic in the office as the Friday Weekly Tests were not ready yet. So I offered to stay and help type/print/photocopy them. I worked from 4:30 till 8:30. That’s right. I'm committed. Martin, the IT guy who is in charge of getting the tests ready was rather grateful. And quite surprised that I finished them :P I finally made it back to my room after dinner and a shower at Winnie’s and there was a nice little surprise in my mosquito net. Hi Cockroach. Smush. Fun times.
In the office on Thursday, Martin was telling me off for not doing enough Rwandan stuff since I’ve only got less than two weeks left here. So I decided to head to Kigali on Friday to do some exploring. Eunice wanted to come along as she’d never been before. I was very happy to not go alone. We caught a bus and headed to town. When we hit the centre of town I started recognizing everything but then, we turned down a different road and ended up somewhere else. Oops. So I asked the conductor where “Nakumatt” was (the shopping mall we were trying to get to) and he looked at me like “Oh, crap.” and pointed up a hill. So we started walking, just taking in our surroundings. We passed a tree FULL of stork and crane nests. It was pretty cool. I took pictures and people pointed and laughed at me :P We continued up the hill, all the way to the top, and then started down the other side. We made it eventually and got to look around and do some shopping. I was going to go look for this street with all these restaurants but by the time we walked out, it was getting dark so we headed home. Had to wait by the side of the road for a good 20 minutes as mosquitoes started coming out and attacking us. There were also tons of bats though so they helped.
So. That’s been my week. I was meant to meet up with these two girls from America who are here on a college program today but they had to cancel as one was feeling unwell. So I just spent the day trying to find a computer, and then internet, and then a computer with internet. And just chilling. I talked to the parents and Stefan so it was a rather good day all in all The wet season is really starting in full force. Last night there was an awful storm and I thought my roof was going to collapse. It didn’t There was more storming today which is why the internet wasn’t working, but it seems to be functioning all right now.
Prayer:
- For this country as they continue to heal and progress after the 1994 Genocide.
- For all those who are feeling unwell
- For the staff at ACA as they prepare for Midterms for the kids which starts next week
- That I would really be able to do some more cultural stuff before I head back
Ok. This is the longest one yet! Hope you don’t get too bored reading it.
Blessings.
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