Pinch-Punch

Pinch-punch, first day of the month and no return.

I was going to have a chilled-out day in bed today but ended up feeling restless. Think it's because I went to bed so early last night.

I decided to tackle the Memorial Centre. All the other vols went as part of their first week of in-country training. I was glad I missed that because I prefer to visit places like this on my own. I don’t like to be rushed and I don’t like to feel watched. I like to absorb everything in my own time.

I had just made up my mind and was heading out the door when Peter (guard-to-be) arrived to introduce my new guard, Fabian. Poor Peter, bad timing – it’s Saturday, my weekend, just on my way out the door, and not feeling in the best of moods about the guard situation anyway. We stood and chatted for a while, which is when Peter explaned to me that I’m supposed to be paying the guards. Thanks VSO – no one told me about this. Apparently, the money for the guard is transferred to my account with my allowance and then I’m supposed to pay them, whereas I thought VSO paid them direct. Really, really could have done with knowing about this beforehand. I left feeling narked and determined to do away with the whole guard thing.

Then, second fatal mistake of the day, I swung past BCR (my bank) to try for the fourth time to get an international banking code from them so that we can transfer money from a bank in the UK to my bank account in Rwanda. Someone very almost admitted that such a thing might possibly exist this time... but, being a Saturday, they couldn’t give it to me. "Come back Monday." Errr... I work Monday to Friday.... "That’s okay, you can come in Monday" ...blank looks all round. Are we on the same planet here? I could feel myself getting frustrated so decided to call it quits. I’m going to go back one last time during the week at some point, because I’m sure I’m very almost there.

I realise I’m whinging a lot recently. The country itself is beautiful and I am having a lot of fun too – it’s just the little aspects of actually living here that get a bit frustrating from time to time. They’ll all get ironed out eventually.