Frogs' Legs, Rabbits and Lesagne

New Cactus

 

Oh my.

Martine and I decided to treat ourselves to a girlie night out somewhere nice last night. We decided to try out New Cactus in Kiyovu as we'd never been before. Contrary to the name, it's not a Mexican, but they do have cacti in the grounds... and a fountain, and a panoramic view of Kigali...

It was utterly divine. We split a starter of frogs' legs (they also do escargot!) and then ordered the meat and spinach lasagne and the rabbit in tomato and mushroom sauce. We split them half-and-half, washed down with a couple of Premus (or should that be Premi?). The best meal I think I've ever had here, and a wonderful atmosphere. It's just hit the top of our favourite restaurants list :)

Amazing what decent food and a good chin-wag can do. Feeling much better now. Went to the bank today and withdrew quite a bit of money for D's driving lessons. He then asked for more, to get him to the centre on time! I told him to go pester Ezra for the wages he's owed, not me. He has, however, found half his deposit for his flat - can't wait to have the place to myself again. 

The cats are due for the snip on 18th. Also booked another tour we'll do when Dad comes out: Murambi, up through Butare & Nyanza. Also took out some money to put towards our new NGO, which is a treat to myself. My VSO pay has finally come through, so not too wounded by the experience. Treated myself to salad and a shake at Bourbon.

D has been industriously circulating his CV over the past couple of days. Amazing what you can achieve when you don't have the money to buy dope. Sorry, a little unfair perhaps, but not untrue. He is really setting his mind to it at the moment, but seems to want a medal for doing something he's had almost four months to do. After the other night I've been patiently biting my tongue, just looking ahead to getting the house back, and preparing for Dad & Marilyn's arrival. Still can't picture them here - will be very surreal indeed.

Not feeling motivated by paperwork myself at the moment, but have to get on with it. Going to develop an accounting template now. Léon reckons he will be in tomorrow. Then I need to crack on with the Partnership Support Fund rewrite for VSO - that's the one I'm least enthusiastic about, but it happens to be the most important. I was halfway through, then VSO sent out a new reporting template yesterday evening, so I now need to rewrite the rewrite. Cheers guys.

We'll see where I am after that. I'm in essay mood, like I'm back at uni. All of a sudden I have this compulsive urge to pair all my socks and wash my knickers.

Oh, well. Tomorrow is Rose: computer lessons, Kinya lessons, and NGO project meeting. Looking forward to that :) 

Then, on Thursday, well, shall I confide? I may have a date. Well, just for fun. Dear Mr. Regis may be taking me to salsa. There's no guarantee he will turn up, and there's no guarantee salsa will actually happen, but if both events take place it could be an interesting night. I'm trying to persuade Jo and Martine to be there as 1) I can't dance and 2) I'm not entirely convinced of him yet, so could use a second opinion. This is the guy who once told me that if I ever wanted children he wanted to be the first to know *rolls eyes* I'm not sure he isn't just bored now that Drew's woman's arrived from America and moved in. They're best friends, so he might be feeling a bit sidelined, but he's been intermittently calling to ask me out for a drink since I met him so... well, why not? I really don't know him so well. Only met him a few times and, last I knew, he was already seeing someone here - which is why I'm on high bulsh!t alert. Yet a change of scenery would do me good, and he's a Financial Assistant to Rwandair, so no danger of another income drainer. I don't consider D and myself an item any longer, but I wouldn't do anything unfair to him. No other blokies calling until he's safely out of my house.

Crikey, doesn't feel so long ago we all went to KBC together - now where are we? D's moved in and is moving out, Christian's disappeared off the radar, bar a couple of odd texts, Regis is salsaring, and Drew... well, haven't heard from him since Cadillac, and no worse for it. Funny how things go.

Martin's going back to Scotland at the end of August, to sort out her divorce. Last night she showed me her new contract, so she's coming back :oD She'll be away for three or four months, off to visit Ghislain and Ginette in Quebec, but she will be back, extending until January 2010. I may have to do the same to keep her company if we're still sane by then. By the time she gets back, pretty much everyone else she came out with will have gone.