One Love

Me and a colleague fooling about.
Sign = I Love You

Had a brilliant night last night.

Long day yesterday, though. Had both a Disability and Capacity Building meeting at VSO. It’s a once monthly routine for volunteers interested or involved in those sectors. Arrived at The Planet, a bar conveniently next to my house, for melange at 12pm and met Joanne and Jo, then Karen and Antonia joined us. Started the Disability meeting at one o'clock in the VSO office. Went straight from that into Capacity Building, which was very busy this month. Bruce and Marissa, two of the new volunteers, came along. It was a good meeting. Jo gave a workshop on personality types. There are a few vols not having such a brilliant time in their placements. Joanne’s just resigned her post at MINEDUC. She's the second volunteer to leave there in as many years, so a bit of a review required. Makes me realise how lucky I am listening to such stories. I get on so well with my employer and really like my job.

Last meeting finished around five. A few of us headed on to Stella 2 - another bar opposite my house - for a drink and an un-wind. Paula joined me there later and we stayed and chatted to Sue and Eric. Drew (the American from the AIDS Centre) joined us just as we were leaving. We headed over to my house to get ready to go out. There were quite a few vols out in town Friday, but we decided to keep it chilled and quiet. Sank a few waragis at home whilst putting on the slap, then went to SoleLuna for a late dinner. Headed into town about quarter-to eleven by taxi. Went straight to the One Love centre.

I've been wanting to check this place out for ages. Keep passing it on the bisi into town. It’s a Rastafarian club-cum-centre. They run an NGO out of it. It's a bit expensive for drinks but the money is ploughed back into making prosthetic limbs for disabled people. We weren’t disappointed. It’s a wonderful atmosphere set in beautiful grounds. Unbelievably relaxed, with a live band and then cheesy 80s pop lol I adore it simply for the fact that you could dance and people would dance with you, but not on top of you in the way they (men) do in Cadillac. Totally cool establishment.

We drank a bit more waragi, then accompanied Drew back to the Mille Collines were we chilled out in his room and caught the last of the live band in the bar. I was expecting it to be a big dance floor or something, but it’s nothing of the sort. It's really small, with a cramped lounge area and loads of people. The band absolutely rocked, though. Seriously good.

The hotel is a weird place. Not all that amazing. Drew’s room is nice, though. You could look out on the swimming pool. Paula goes there a lot for the pool and the beauty parlour. It’s funny though, there’s absolutely nothing there commemorating what happened. I’ve heard a few times that people here are quite angry about the film and feel it’s not a true portrayal. Again, I’ve heard the comment that money had to change hands before people were saved. Apparently the guy isn’t welcome in the country anymore. This is just what I’ve heard.

Paula and I headed home after that. It was about half-two when we rolled in.

Apparently the new guest bed is very acceptable – firm, but comfortable. Cool.

We were going to go for a swim at Nyarutarama pool this morning but I forgot the way and we ended up catching a bisi into town and going for coffee and cake at Bourbon instead. We bumped into Cathy and another person, whose name I’d heard a few times but never met. They were sharing a place with Epiphanie, one of the new vols in the East. They’re out for Indian tonight. I said I might join them if I’m not asleep.

It was umuganda today. The last Saturday of the month equals National Community Service Day. Kigali was like a ghost town, seriously deserted and nothing open. Everything kicked off again between 11:00-1:00. Major inconvenience for vols coming into town for the weekend trying to get stuff done.

I headed home after Bourbon, grateful to chill out for the afternoon. Haven’t had a night out in some time. Rather tired, but happy.

Another reason to be happy would be a certain gentleman who finally replied to my e-mail the other day. He’d been in the North for a while and away from internet. We exchanged a couple of rather formal business-oriented e-mails and I passed on my new number. Eventually, he asked whether he could use it just to call me and say ‘hello’, or text. Again, very cool approach – very unusual for a guy here to ask permission or think that you’d give him your number for any other reason, hence you rarely ever give it out. Feeling kind of groovy. He’s going back to Butare at the end of February. Hopefully I can coincide my visit there with his. Chance to catch-up on work and each other.