It’s Monday morning and I’m just back from the weekly management meeting (yawn, yawn). All in kinyarwanda of course, so for the duration, I had the lyrics of ‘Rescue Me’ going round in my head…I’m really just going to show face but I think once I have a more regular routine with the schools, I’ll make sure I sleep in for these…

So lovely to come in though and read all the lovely emails/facebook messages, it means a lot to know people back home are thinking about me, as I am of them :0)

Ok, here’s another retrospective view of the last couple of days…

Thursday 19th February

…So anyway, I got the bike, took my first ride alone (as opposed to pillion) but will think again before riding in the rain…Once again, we were at the mercy of the schizophrenic weather. One minute, it was all sunshine, the next it was pouring down- and not just a light drizzle-these were big, fat raindrops! I’m not used to these conditions and more to the point I’ve only a week’s road experience so it was inevitable I suppose that I would slip up. And indeed I did. I was going really slowly, so nothing serious but I do have quite an impressive bruise on my shin.

We were due to go to two schools, but thankfully we decided to cancel one-it was another 7km and on these dirt tracks that feels like so much further. After the appointment, we were starving so made our way back to Gikongoro and into the nearest cafe. Lots of stares as usual but I feel we’re doing lots for gender issues here-you never see women riding bikes. So shouts of (‘yego’-yes) from everyone we pass is encouragement indeed!

That evening, we had planned to do some work for the World Vision project but decided that after such a traumatic ride we would be better off relaxing. Amy has a good collection of DVDs so after a lovely dinner prepared by Anne-Marie, we all settled down to watch Bridget Jones and Love Actually…Sometimes, you need a bit of cheese :0)


20th-22nd February

Friday was a good day. Things are still slow but I’m enjoying just getting to know the people around the district office and the random conversations that you have with…well everyone! Had an excellent ride today (which I should probably avoid stating on fb), so I’m feeling really excited about the training programmes we’ve got planned. I was a bit nervous about being able to travel so far but am feeling much more confident about it all.

Anne-Marie goes home on Fridays so it’s actually quite a novelty to have the house to myself and eek the kitchen too. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much in, so with half a cabbage, maggi cubes and rice decided that cabbage risotto might be quite nice…It was interesting. One of my best Nakumat purchases though is a massive biscuit barrel. It not only contains lots of individual packets of biscuits (which is good in itself) but once you finish all the biscuits you have a nice plastic container. This is my excuse for going through them so rapidly- I need the Tupperware.

Woke up early on Saturday to take the bus to Gitarama. Everyone was heading to Charlotte’s for a poker night. As usual, I had a half hour wait for the bus to fill up before it made its way, slowly. I got there, eventually, and was very impressed with the markets. There was the usual fruit and veg stalls but also loads of second hand clothes being sold on the ground. By the time I got there, Charlotte had already secured some bargains, 3 tops for 600rwf (about 60p). After cooking a feast, we settled down to the serious matter of poker, with proper chips and everything…

Met some friends of Charlotte’s, Christy and Britney (They’re American). Britney used to work for a children’s home so she invited us to go along to one of their performances which they do every Sunday. As soon as we got there, Charlotte and I were introduced and had to do the usual presentations…and for that we were applauded! It was lovely to see the children singing and dancing and they obviously enjoyed it. It was very religious though and after two hours of sermon, I was as bored as the youngest children who hadn’t yet learnt the ways here. The older children were used to these services and had learnt to copy the preacher and his wife so and were able lead the prayers. Once again, as we were special guests they took the trouble to translate all the kinyarwanda into English, I just wanted to scream, ‘no honestly, please don’t bother’. As lovely as it was, since the children seemed happy and the preacher and his wife did seem to genuinely care about the children, I couldn’t help feeling a bit uncomfortable by how much indoctrination seemed to be taking place. Far too much talk of sin, guilt and punishment in my mind…Leave the kids alone!!.

Then just as I thought we were coming to the end, the preacher’s wife having finished her sermon (albeit aggressively, why do they have to shout…?)turned to me smiling and invited me, yes me to say the end prayer, arggh! I didn’t know what to say so I just said ‘I can’t’. Thankfully Tom, who’s a believer (well he had a bible in both english and kinyarwanda), came to my rescue and did it instead, excusing my inability to close the service as acute shyness, whatever I was just glad to be saved…

After that, we then went to Moira and Kerry’s for lunch and a DVD- ‘Garden state’, nice. They had managed to get a data projector from work so we were looking forward to a full screen. However, as we unpacked it we realised there was no cable to plug in…Now, as you know, I’m not normally one for logic, so I surprised myself when I noticed the kettle cable had exactly the same socket - problem solved!

Leaving around 4pm, I thought I’d make it to Gikongoro before it got dark but once again the best made plans around here make no difference at all. As soon as me and Charlotte left the girls, it poured down again and we had to take cover. Eventually though, I made the bus to Butare. The bad weather continued so it took ages and I was worried I’d miss the connection home. In the end though, I got the last bus around 7pm. I got chatting to Olga, a German girl who lives in Gikongoro too, so it passed quite quickly.

I really must leave more time to get home though, I keep forgetting a torch and my night vision is crap! Still a nice cup of tea and loads of biscuits later, I was looking forward to a good night’s sleep…