Hail!

It is hailing in Kigali!

Thumb-sized hail, so much of it I can't see my driveway!

Weird.

Pictures of Mao

Jo just uploaded these really cute pictures of Mao as a wee kitten. Thought I'd share :)

Mao, Sula and Ishuheri with their uncle Kabibi, who sadly later died of secondary poisoning from a mouse.

Mummy Mweru with her kittens: Ishuheri, Fluffy, Sula and Mao, predictably facing the wrong way ;)

Mao sleeping

Mao & Shue's paws

Goodnight Sweet Mao

Mao: Boxing Day 2007 - 6th October 2008

Well, it's my very sad news to inform viewers that my little baby boy, Mao, who went missing a week last Monday, was apparently run over.

A neighbour who works at a salon next door saw the poster and e-mailed me. Well, technically he said 'crushed', which I assume means hit by a car. I'm yet to catch up with the guy to ask. But, either way, he's gone.

I kind of knew it. I had a weird feeling the night he went out that he wouldn’t be coming back (strange, huh?) and then I had a dream about him a few nights ago. I was on this long clean street with brick walls on either side, and a fire escape. Mao appeared on the fire escape and we had a huge cuddle then, all of a sudden, a whole load of cats went running past up the street. He looked up at me, then jumped out of my arms and went with them. Road to the Heaviside Layer, I assume. The next day I even saw him in the garden in a beam of moonlight - rather conclusive. Then the text message to say this guy had seen it happen.

Just after I put up the posters, the guys at Ndoli's, my local shop, thought they'd found him. I got there and they'd been keeping this rather startled kitten in a cupboard for three days in case it was mine! Very sweet of them, but I think someone else is missing a cat...

The other two have been extremely affectionate since he went. Shue is turning into a right soppy house cat.

On Tuesday night, Catheryn and I went to a friend's birthday in Kacyiru. Nice bonfire and brochettes. Was a bit of a mellow hippie fest, but we didn't stay long.

Last night was much nicer. Went to Cathryn's house, which she shares with Hirut (who is currently in America), in Nyarutarama. It's a posh place and Cathryn fed myself and Giudi with a wonderful spread of tuna mayo, rice, vegetables, homemade guacamole and sheets of seaweed in a self-styled sushi fest. It was most excellent. Both Giudi and I provided the wine. We finished up mixing grape and grain and having a really good natter until about midnight, when Giudi and I walked back up the hill to mine, and she got a moto.

Tonight is some reggae do at Passadena in honour of Lucky Dube, so we're going to roll-up to that too.

D and I are through. It was nice to re-visit, but no. Although he has been texting the past day or two saying he thinks he has typhoid and really needs to get to a doctor. Steve has just been round, so I gave him some cash to take him to the hospital. Apparently he is very sick. That's my part over though, for good this time.

Not masses else to report. I've had a pretty productive day doing the English instructions for the AKR manual. Peace, our new accountant, is absolutely lovely. Very bright and capable. She really makes a difference to the office. Some of the Deaf women have been in, who are also very bright and capable, and it's a really good atmosphere. We had a meeting with VSO recently where we got a grilling on our lack of financial accounting. As such, Augustin is finally accepting that training needs to be given. So, next Wednesday I'm holding a workshop to develop a strategic plan for the organisation.

Finished training my KW Funding Officers this Thursday - they rock. Love 'em. Was an absolute pleasure, and look forward to guiding them through their first few applications in the future.

Work is pretty hectic at the moment, but I'm surviving. More as and when. Glad it's Friday.

[NB 2013: Adorable pictures of Mao.]

Affirmative: Negative

Well, no sign of Mao still. Put up flyers, no one in the neighborhood has seen him. Not looking good.

Things in the Congo are really hotting up. Nkunda's decided he doesn't just want to protect Tutsis in Kivu, he wants to 'liberate' the whole of the DRC. His troops have captured a military base and the DRC's President is calling for people to take up arms against him in Eastern Congo. Things are looking distinctly unstable over there.

In other news, my friend and I decided to brave the ex-pat initiation today and go to the Polyclinique for an HIV test. Neither of us have been saints in the past and we just wanted to get our certificates of good health. We'd both been thinking about it, but didn't want to go on our own. It's customary here for friends to go in groups as it's so easy to get a test, and free on our health plan. Back in the UK it can seriously affect your insurance premiums to even request one from your GP because it apparently suggests you're the type of person to take risks and get yourself killed early.

We got there around 10am, waited around an hour, went in, gave blood, went for a coke and a chat. Came back 45 minutes later and got our negative results, then went for a slap-up lunch at Karibu where they do fantastic crispy cauliflower cheese.

It's just nice to know, and I promise to be a good girl from now on.

Training with the KW group is going well. Working at the Office of Total Apathy is driving me up the wall and next month I will have been here for one year :)

D’s coming over to watch films soon. We’re doing well together at the moment. Just chilling out now and then. Happy.

All good in my world.

Better Times

I've had better times of late.

It is my very sad news to inform viewers that Mao, my little baby four-pawed boy, has disappeared - fearing the worst.

It's day three now. After the biggest chicken dinner of his life, and plenty of cuddles, they went out Monday night and he never came home.

This cat is glued to me. He waits at the gate for me to come home, and follows me to the shops when I go to buy phone credit. The only time he disappeared before was at a few weeks old when he fell down a drain, resulting in a dramatic rescue by bed sheet, which I lowered down for him to climb up.

He's never been the brightest, which makes me worry more.

I'm putting up 'missing' posters today. I assume it's probably the main road which got him, but I worry someone's caught him and been cruel. People here aren't really pet fans. Many have a deep dislike of dogs and cats as they ate the bodies in '94. There aren't many in the country now. My friend's guard found a puppy in the back garden one night and beat it to death with a plank of wood, then left it in the garbage. I was distraught when I thought Shue was going to die - burst into tears - people thought I was mad.

Anyway. I'm hoping he's just a little bit lost and will eventually turn up, but I won't hold my breath. Could be he crossed a few roads at night when there's no traffic and then, when the cars started appearing in the morning, got too spooked and wandered further in the wrong direction. Dunno.

Still.

In other news, the DRC are claiming Rwandan Troops have invaded near Goma.

Mao (L) & Ishuheri (R)

Weird Weekend

Kigali Institute of Education

5.2 on the Richter scale apparently, 35 miles North of Goma. So, it's moving up the fault lineI guess. February's was right down South in Bukavu. No one at the gig felt anything lol

Doesn't seem to be any significant damage done as it hasn't hit the international press.

Thursday was most excellent. Started training my two new apprentice Funding Officers: Felix & Victoi. Both wonderful people and I have great hopes for them. We did a three-hour Introduction to Fundraising, preceded by an introduction to the organisation by its Director. Was excellent.

The only thing is that these two are university students on holiday. They can't go back to their families until my course is over, and the uni don't pay their accommodation whilst they're here, so they've asked if they can do two sessions a week - to which I said yes. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for the next fortnight. This week we'll start by tackling Project Planning, which is probably the largest of the units I'm giving and may overrun a little as there's so much to pack in.

Saturday was also most excellent. It was their organisation's annual conference, which they held at KIE (Kigali Institute of Education) up the road from me. Alicia (who was staying at mine) and Cathryn turned up. Just to reiterate, this organisation (KW) doesn't have a VSO volunteer of its own, but VSOs who have spare time invest it in this organisation. VSO is helping it to run independently and they've just got NGO status :)

I rolled up for the afternoon at the conference, where they had an open mic session with members showing their stuff: poetry, music, stand-up, stories. It was totally brilliant, and some real talent there. Makes my job as a Funding Officer easier - they're a very marketable organisation. Apparently the conference made the front page of the New Times today :)

Thanks also to D & S (my CouchSurfers) who have donated a substantial amount of money from their fundraising pot :) Really appreciated guys!

Also got approached by one of the members, who is a student at a school in Butare, with a group of around 15 guys trying to set up a radio station. They want me to go and give them the funding training, so I said yes to that. Need to work out financial logistics, but I'm well up for it.

Also had to stand up in front of everyone and give a speech! Thanks to the Director for the (lack of) warning! Heehee.

Love this group. So much potential and so motivated.

Afterwards, me, Cathryn and Alicia went to SoleLuna with Amanda (volunteer), Giudi, and Jo (my new American friend stranded en route to Chad). Had a great meal, then decided to go to the Petit Stad as Rafiki, who is a big Rwandan coga star (D interviewed him for Eyecon), was playing. D joined us at the concert around 10:30.

It was an awful gig. Supposedly started at 8pm, but we rolled up around 9:30. Rafiki didn't come on until about 1:30am. For the entire four hours we were subjected to the most dire karaoke-style rap. It was truly painful. Lots of people left - lots of empty seats - some booing. No beer, food, heating. It was crap. There was even a security guy chasing people away from the stage if they dared to dance! More like a concentration camp than a concert.

Finally, after everyone was bored to tears, Rafiki came on... horribly mediocre. Cathryn and I just looked at one another and exchanged a glance that said 'we spent four hours waiting for this?' then went home. Alicia and Amanda said it got better but, uh, no, thanks. First and last concert at the Petit Stad, thank you very much.

Got in around 2am and had just sat down to check my e-mails when the earthquake struck.

Alicia, Amanda and D, who were still at the concert, didn't even feel it! Rafiki must have got better - that or he'd sent everyone to sleep.

Alicia and Amanda stayed here the night and headed off next morning. I was looking forward to a disgustingly lazy Sunday, eating peanut butter & honey toasties and drinking endless cups of tea whilst watching movies, and piddling about on t'internet.

Not to be.

"Tried to put the kettle on," Alicia says as I emerge, somewhat groggy, from my room. "No electricity."

"No worries," says I. "Will probably be back on in a few minutes."

Four hours later my laptop battery is long dead and still no electricity. I'm getting a bit peeved by this and, for want of a toastie and a cup of tea, I go back to bed for a nap.

A couple of hours later I wake, hoping the problem has just gone away... no such luck. So I begrudgingly put on some almost presentable clothes and brave the outside world. I head to the place that sells electricity over the road and ask if there's a power-out.

Nope.

Thanks.

What's worse is my phone wasn't charged. That died on me, so I couldn't call anyone - like my landlady.

Slightly worried now, I walk back and bump into my next door neighbour, Dr. Felix - cancer specialist. He comes to take a look, saying it's the box not the fuse, and lets me charge my phone at his house whilst also kindly calling my landlady and telling her about it.

She's on her way back from Gitarama so gets here around 7pm, by which time my house is a romantic array of candles. I so rarely have electricity cuts that last more than half-an-hour that I don't have any kerosene kicking about. I'd been to Kobil over the road, and they didn't have any either.

So, she calls an electrician. He says only Electrogaz can fix it, so they'll have to go there tomorrow.

Oh, well.

I ended up walking up towards Amahoro. Epiphanie, my landlady, took me to a little back-street shop to buy kerosene, then showed me her house, which is right next to Programme Director Mike's. Her son and his friend walk me back home and dropped me at Ndoli's, where I picked up ice-cream and Belgium waffles. Comfort binge.

So, lugging this jerrycan of fire lighter and my goodies, I get to my door, creek open the gate, and discover... my electricity has come back on!

Something like a twelve-hour power cut - just at my house.

*sigh*

Felt like a right twonk phoning Epiphanie to tell her. I thought it had to be a power cut, but it was going on so long and no one else was out. I couldn’t understand and thought it must be broken. Oh, well. Sorry Epiphanie!

Gave me a real chance to bond with my neighbour and landlady though. They are lovely people. Epiphanie speaks about as much English as I do French, but we do pretty well in broken French and Kinyarwanda. Mum's French tapes are certainly helping loads. I understand lots, I just can't quite make it come out of my mouth yet.

So. Strangely successful, odd day. Water is sort of on again. She had to get a guy to fix that as the guy I'd called messed up a bit. But, even then, the tank wasn't filling. Seems I can either have running water or electricity - not both.

Fingers crossed it all keeps working.

And back to work tomorrow.

Earthquake VI

Shit!

Just got back (2:07 local time here) from a gig at the Petit Stad next to Amahoro and felt a massive tremor again - as big as the one last February.

PLEASE can people e-mail me or call to let me know any news. Was it Bukavu again!? Is Cyangugu still standing? Any dead?

Any news appreciated. I actually ran to the garden this time. It was a serious one and all the walls were moving. Phoned Cathryn, who'd also just got in, and she's fine but was scared too.

My cat, Shue, was acting real strange moments before it hit - I ignored him!

Weird stuff. Here we go again :(

Anti-Cultural

I'm on an absolute media monge at the moment. The internet is holding out, so I'm catching up on world news :)

Came across THIS article in which two students dressed up as Borat in his mankini and had a wrestling match in Vietnam.

This led to them being suspended from college for a year and the college getting a £135 fine.

The thing that got me thinking was something a commenter said:

"I cannot understand how they could do such an anti-cultural thing," said Nguyen Dinh Van from Hanoi, adding: "I cannot accept it."

"Anti-cultural". That's an interesting concept.

Now, in my experience of living here I've challenged a number of things that are supposedly "cultural". Namely the notion that women aren't allowed to approach men to tell them that they like them. They have to wait in a state of unrequited love in the hopes the guy will notice them.

There are many examples of things which are called 'cultural' which are actually oppression, pure and simple. For instance, in Britain 100 years back it was 'cultural' for a woman to give a man all her money when she married. It was cultural for women not to work if they had a child, it was cultural for women to wear skirts, not trousers, and cultural for men to go to work and not stay home raising the children.

Quite literally, a 'culture of oppression'. Something to be proud of?

At what point should something actually be respected simply because it is cultural or traditional? Should being cultural or traditional be enough to make anything respectable? Sacrificing children - hell, it's only cultural, been doing it for years.

Certainly didn't work for that island where sexual abuse of young girls was the norm and no one thought much of it because it's 'part of our culture' - until they came to the attention if international press.

What place does Global Culture have to play in all this? Is there such a thing as 'global culture', or do we mean 'Western culture'? Is that a bad thing?

What would be anti-cultural for a Brit?

Or, by 'anti-cultural' as, I suspect, in the above case, do we not mean 'anti-generational'? Each generation has their own culture which pushes the boundaries and rebels against the one before. Is branding something 'anti-cultural' just a power game of asserting adult rule?

Answers on a postcard...