Roll on the Weekend

'Poor' Kiyovu

I was so determined to have a quiet night in on Thursday but, just as I was slobbing out and wondering which movie to watch, I got a call from a guy called Chris W, who had met Meg, a previous VSO and friend of Lies', who had given him my number. He had some questions about setting up an NGO in Rwanda, so I took a moto to Hotel Iris in Kiyovu and we went to Republika to discuss it. He's been to Rwanda three times in the past year as he became involved in an orphans project and was out to check the finances. There were some concerns they were getting double funding for the same project.

Really lovely guy, also going through VSO clearance at the moment. We had a good natter. My advice was not to try and set up a local NGO to control finances if there were suspicions about where the money's going. The last thing you want is your name on a board of trustees when you're not in the country to personally keep your eye on things. If it goes wrong, you're still liable even if you weren't on the continent at the time. It didn't seem like a sound solution to the problem, so we talked a bit more about it and he'll know more once he's been to visit them.

We also met the owner of Republika, a lovely woman called Solange (I think) who gave us free drinks on the house. Chris paid for the meal, so I was rather treated that night! :)

Sat through an all-day meeting at VSO today. It was an extremely long day. Augustin was supposed to go and I was supposed to carry on with the dictionary but, in the morning, he texted to say he was going to Kampala. Goret was there and, thankfully, they'd also booked Betty to interpret, so at least I didn't have to do that. In the lunch break I hopped a moto to town to pick up a package from Dad, go to the bank, and buy two tickets for Butare, before rushing back again.

Also got some films from a friend of mine who's a film maker in Australia, and from Deafinitely Theatre, a Deaf thetare company in the UK, who sent me four films they've made, which I can't wait to take into the office. I think my colleagues will be fascinated :)

Was so relieved once the meeting was finished. It was a discussion on whether to apply for EC funding again. More VSOs than partners. Didn't really go massively far conversation-wise. Would have preferred to be in the office.

Afterwards, myself, Martine, and four of the new vols went for drinks at High Noon behind Chez Lando, and Cathryn joined us. Then I headed off with Cathryn to Stella, where she was meeting J, and we carried on for a bit. Paula, Christina and Sonya were also there, so it was a good night, but I was shattered by the end. Came home and flopped into bed. It was wonderful not to have to set my alarm and just to laze in bed all morning.

Today, I'm off down to Butare for Tiga's birthday, but not leaving until a sensible time: half-three. Going down with Cathryn. Bought our tickets yesterday as it's umuganda today so it would have been harder. Looking forward to it. Decided to get out of town more now.

Monday is possibly a public holiday for Heroes' Day, which would be nice, but I may still work it as we're right on the deadline for the publisher. Quite excited now :)

Yay for weekends.

[NB 2013: Follow that link under the photo to learn more about poor Kiyovu. It was one of the areas of Kigali split into extremely rich and extremely poor. Plans to demolish the poor half were already underway by the time I left.]

Good Times

A bar that looks exactly the same as Stella, Kisimenti,
where Cathryn and I sheltered from the rain... for six hours.

Had a lovely couple of days.

Went to the creative writing group on Tuesday with David, Nidhi and Firmin. Was a small group again - just Emily and another KW called Adolph there, but we had a lovely time and I read my poem The Things I Know, which was well received and helped me get over my first-time nerves :)

We started with a little writing exercise where we picked a topic from current events and wrote free-fall flash fiction for 15 minutes, then shared our work. Some really good stuff came out of it. We picked the story of a woman in the US who had given birth to octuplets, all of whom survived. This was my contribution:

One of Eight

I was one of eight – only I wise nine.

Like Jonah and the whale I was conceived in a cavernous void of hot, wet redness: the sea of creation.

Around me swam life: brothers and sisters formed of sweet, wrinkled flesh. Kittens inside the cat, squirming and petulant – only not a cat – a woman; a human woman.

As we grew in size we pressed against one another: bottom to bottom, chest to chest. Fighting for the precious space that was once abundant; fighting for the air we couldn’t yet breathe.

And then our time came; the birthing time.

The knife cut searing pain through her flesh. It ran in shudders through our umbilical cords. We would have stirred in our sleep and cried out had the morphine of sedation not coursed through our blood as it had hers.

I was one of eight – only I was nine.

The gentle hand of a startled, disbelieving doctor reached in to lift us out into the air; the sky; the heavens.

“Octuplets” was the word he exclaimed before threading the needle artfully to pull her split sides together like tectonic plates.

And like plates of earth, I was buried beneath them; alive.

Too small to be noticed, too drugged to be heard.

I was one of eight – only I was nine.

Before I had even opened my eyes, life had closed them.

A little macabre perhaps, but it was really fun to do.

We stayed on after, for food. David and I walked Nidhi back before getting motos home.

Last night was not strategic at all. Got a call into the office to do some work on the dictionary, as they couldn't find a ton of the translation I'd done. I knew I had done it because I looked at the signs and remembered them from the three-day translation stint I did before Christmas, so I was quite panicked at the idea of having to do them all again!

I put the whole thing on my flash and brought it home to check my laptop. Luckily, it turned out to be a case of things just being in an order that was difficult to find. It was all there, it just needed entering into the dictionary, and there were quite a few English typos to comb through.

I should have been happy to finally have some work, but I can't wait until this is published. It's certainly not the most thrilling thing to be doing. My colleagues have done a fantastic job getting it all laid out, and getting the Kinyarwanda finished.

I'd been going about six hours when Cathryn turned up. I was going to pull an all-nighter to get it finished but, by the time she got here, I was already within sight of the end, so I thought a little drink wouldn't hurt me...

Only, just after we got to Stella, the heavens opened in spectacular fashion and we got stuck in the pub. We were the only ones there by the time it closed, around quarter-to one-ish, and we were rather worse for wear with the beer consumption. We had an excellent night just gabbing away, served by bar tenders under rainbow umbrellas, wearing white wellies :op

Needless to say, I didn't get much translation done when I got in, but did end up playing with e-mails until about 2am. I set my alarm for 7:30 to get up and finish the dictionary work. Amazingly, that's exactly what happened!

I was dead proud of myself and took it into the office. Receiving much praise from my director. I'd also written a brief guide to hot keys (the keys on the computer that make editing quicker) as both Peace (our Accountant) and Augustin had been fascinated by the F5 and Ctrl + F commands which I was using to find the bits of translation I needed. Once this is over, they've asked for some training in it, which I'm very happy to do.

It was a good day, actually. I didn't go in until late morning, which turned out to be fortuitous as the electricity had been off until just before I got there. Peace and I spent a couple of hours going through some of the tricky words, then the electricity went out again. I grabbed lunch next door but it was still off when I got back, so I had a much-needed nap on the desk for an hour. When I woke up, it was still off.

I was just leaving when the heavens opened again, which I was really annoyed about because my washing's out and it would have been dry had that not happened. It's always hard to get things dry in the rainy season. Took three days for my last lot. Think I'll have to put up a line inside.

Home now, and off into town in about an hour to pick up the money Amanda left for the single parents network.

Been a really productive couple of days and I'm thrilled to have some work to do. Also greatly appreciative of a working environment that doesn't think there's anything odd about putting your head down on the desk for a snooze :op

Looking forward to the weekend. Off to Butare for another vol's birthday (Tiga) and quite a few people are heading down. It's umaganda (monthly community service day) on Saturday, so buses won't run until later. Going to try and get the tickets tomorrow. Also supposed to be a meeting at VSO from 9-5 tomorrow to discuss funding amongst the partners but, hopefully, if the electricity is on, I'll go to the office and finish off with Peace. If the electricity isn't on I'll have to go to the meeting, and they would notice if I slept on the desk :o/

But, all good: nine hours translation, six hours drinking - proportionate me thinks :op

Tabar-tastic :)

Woop woop!

Met up with my sister, Rose, last night. Went for brochettes and a drink. She went to Uganda over Christmas to see her gran who hadn't met her great-grandson (Joseph) before. Unfortunately, the journey nearly did them in: bus to Kampala, then another three hours. Both the kids fell ill with malaria again, but they got there and back okay. Her gran's really old now and Rose was worried it might be the last time she sees the children.

Before leaving for her new job in Zanzibar, another vol, Amanda, left us some money. At her school back in Canada, kids in their final year have to do a money-raising project for charity. They gave the money to Amanda to distribute here and, so far, it's paid for a primary teacher and some other things, but there was still a lump left over, so she gave it to the single parents network! :)

We're totally stoked. It's easily enough to do some small-scale activities in Kigali. Rose’s going to hold a committee meeting to discuss what to do with it. There's the possibility of a bit more from the school if we submit a plan to them.

It's fantastic news, and our main priorities are to hold an event that all the people from last time can come to so that they know we're still here and active. Apparently, one of the people who came to the last one turned up on Rose's door asking where we'd gone. So we need to keep the trust there.

We also want to produce something we can use for income-generation. Artwork from the kids and stories from the parents that we can use for T-shirts, posters, etc. and send back to the UK to raise funds.

I'm really excited to know what the committee decide.

Rose is also going to visit the families who attended the meeting just to check that they are above board. Sometimes people make claims so that they can get money from NGOs, when they don't really qualify. But I'm confident most of the people who came are sincere, as they didn’t get transport money (which is extremely unusual here), and they seemed committed.

Rose is just happy to have something to do. She's desperately looking for work at the moment, even housework, but there's little about and she's stuck in the house all day feeling pretty low. She's an active person, so I'm happy she now has a project to manage.

It's really good to have her back, but things haven't been so easy recently. E's back in town - turned up miraculously jut before she left for Uganda and started making physical and verbal threats, saying he'd bring down the NGO. I'd like to see him try, but it's become a matter of pride to make it successful. I told her she can't be the only single mum in this position, and that a support group might be something to think about. The authorities have been very supportive towards her, and there's been a huge domestic violence drive before Christmas. It's harder here than Uganda for absent fathers to throw their weight around apparently, so she's confident it'll be okay, but I still admire her pluck. One of our committee members is a single mum, and also a councillor, so there's a lot of support. Rose turns 27 in March. There's only a year between us, but our lives have been so different.

She also didn’t manage to get her passport sorted to get Rwandan citizenship because, on the Ugandan side, they had an issue with her name. Ugandan surnames are supposed to be related to tribes, but names don’t run in families, you’re given your name. So brothers and sisters often have different surnames. Her surname is Swahili and translates roughly as ‘miracle,’ because she was born prematurely. Her mother didn’t make it, and her father was absent. She was raised on goat’s milk and nobody thought she would survive because she was so small. But, because this isn’t a tribe name, they gave her a really hard time over it and she’d spent the money they wanted on the kids when they were ill and had to be admitted to the hospital. So, all-in-all, she’s not had a very good Christmas.

Still, very positive about the funding :)

Had a bit of a scare Monday. Went in to check on the dictionary and they said loads of it hadn't been translated into English. I looked at it and realised I'd already translated these words, but couldn't find the document on any of the computers!

I rushed home and thankfully found the back-up file, but I think I would have booked a flight home if I hadn't! So close to finished now, and it's great we've finally got internet in the office because I can communicate with my colleagues from home much easier.

Still working on tracking down copies of sign language curriculums so that we can start thinking about developing our own.

Between the single parents network and RNAD, I'm generating a little work for myself at least, but still very slow.

MINALOC is within a hair's breadth of giving us our registration number. Apparently there's another organisation by the same name operating, but because our objectives are so different it's no longer a problem. They made us rewrite our constitution, which was an added expense, but seems like we're just about there. Rose has put in so much work to get it achieved.

So, yay for us :)

Partied Out

I drink, therefore I am!

:)o}

Friday night was absolutely excellent. It was Han & Mans' leaving party at SoleLuna. They'd been here two years and befriended just about everybody. About 30 people turned up including Cathryn, Giudi, Paula, Lies, Nidhi, Antonia, Steve, Chris, Martine and a plethora of fellow and ex-VSOs including one lady who volunteered in 1999.

It was an excellent, lively atmosphere and the pizza was superb. We ate much, drank much, and talked much.

Ruairí was staying with me Friday and Saturday night, which was an absolute pleasure (honest mate - great to see you :op), and I managed to raid his hard drive for new music.

Last night was my fourth consecutive night on the razz, beginning with the pub quiz at Torero, salsa at Passadena, and the leaving do at SoleLuna.

We all met at La Lunadora, up the road from my office, where we always hold the VSO Family Dinner during each intake's ICT1 (In Country Training) and there's amazing Intore dancing and food.

Then, as it's Chris' birthday today, a large contingent of us headed to One Love for more drinks and some quality boogieing. Much fun was had by all. The only slight down to the night was when I walked the new guys up to Cadillac to get taxis and then, like a plonker, walked back on my own. It's literally just round the corner but, in that short distance, I managed to attract just about every eejit in Kigali. First a taxi that wasn't really a taxi started curb crawling me along the road. I was polite and said 'oya, murakozi - injourno ngiza' (which I can't spell but translates as 'no thanks, good night') but the guy just kept on going, so I was more direct and told him 'no, leave me alone,' at which point he started rattling off abuse at me and was joined by a moto driver behind who also trailed me and wouldn't go away. I tried to call Eric and Nidh just to tell them I was walking back and to hold out for me, but they'd gone inside to dance so didn't hear their phones.

So, I eventually made the gates of One Love and was walking into the compound when a guy on the road started following me saying 'hey baby, I've been waiting for you - you're so pretty, slow down'!!! Argh! I was extremely blunt and told him to back off, but he kept following.

It was just totally bizarre, and I was a bit shaken by it. I've never had that before and certainly never been hassled at One Love. But, lesson learned - don't do it again.

It was all okay though, and I got home around 2am and flopped into bed.

Lazy morning with Ruairí, catching up on e-mails and organising the next couple of weekends. Next weekend is Tiga's birthday and she's holding a bash in Butare then, the week after, I'm organising a little house party with my friends Jeff and Addison, who live in Kibungo in the South-East.

They have a large house with four spare beds and a pizza oven in the garden, but they don't know many people, so I've invited Martine, Ruairí, Eric and Chris along to say 'hello' on the Friday. They all seem to think they can make it, but see how it pans out. It would be really nice as I don't know that area at all, and Eric lives just up the road in Kabarondo, so I might go check that out after.

Really looking forward to it all as I haven't been out of Kigali for a while and I love VSO parties, they're usually a lot of fun and silliness.

I'm having a real sense of general happiness and health at the moment (touch wood). The start of this year has been a lot of fun - long may it continue. I still don't know anything more about the housing situation come March, but feeling much more positive about everything.

DRC Developments

General Laurent Nkunda

Just to mention, I've been watching this story with interest:

Rwandan soldiers enter DR Congo

Could prove very interesting.

Some random thoughts that spring to mind:

"...the operation would last between 10 and 15 days."

So, in CAT we're probably talking several months, possibly a year then ;)

"FDLR spokesman Calixte Mbarushimana told the BBC that the Rwandan government should talk to them, rather than use force... It's a real pity that Rwanda wants to solve political problems with weapons," he said from his base in France."

Yurs. Hmmm. Surely, when you're a spokesperson for a group called the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, the title in itself might suggest reasons why the leaders of that country might not be entirely willing to give in to your demands? Just a thought. ;)

And, of course, the FDLR have never used weapons to settle their political gripes... they've always sat down with a nice cup of tea and talked about it... ~rolls eyes~

But, more interestingly today:

Gen. Laurent Nkunda has been arrested.

And notice, between the two articles, a leap in the number of Rwandan troops in DRC from 2,000 to 4,000?

All very interesting.

Still, it does seem like progress is quickly being made towards peace and stability in the region. If that does occur, you have to ask yourself whether it would have occurred if Nkunda hadn't happened to the region? Would it have made international news so quickly? And, if it does work itself out, wouldn't it be nice to know it was done by two co-operating African governments rather than by imposed sanctions and peace talks from other countries? If this all goes the way they're saying it will, that will be quite an achievement indeed.

Watching this space with interest.

Oh My... :o/

Oh dear, avid blog readers. It's late and I'm drunk. So I guess it's heart on the sleeve time... :o/

Hmmm.

Interesting night.

See, blog-a-holics, for a short while now there's a guy I really kinda like. Don't think I'm on his radar but, well... kinda an unrequited crush I suppose. You need them from time to time.

So, I've been in a blissful state of minor lurv-sickness. The kind of discomfort that you don't mind all that much: daydream central.

Tonight was salsa at Passadena. I'd arranged to meet David there, and Nidhi, who was entertaining all the new vols. I haven't been to Pas. for a loooong time and will forever equate it with Jo and Pierre teaching the funny dance where you boogie in, boogie out, clap, and change places... sure it has a name, but...

I'd also received a message from JM and said I'd beep him if I ended up there.

Now, I don't know whether you remember how that left off, but, as horribly attractive as he is, there wasn't so much of a spark when you got down to things. Sometimes the chemistry gives a false positive: you think you're smitten, then you mix it up a bit and realise it's not explosive.

I have to admit, it was rather weird to see him again. Haven't in about three or four months. He's still as devastatingly handsome as ever (and, my, those arm muscles...)

He'd been wanting to see me, I guessed from the text, it had an 'x'. The night wore on and we got to talking, and we got to kissing... and, oh!

Maybe the false positive was a false negative, because I really felt it. Vibe-a-licious. I can't wait to see him again, but I'm a little confused.

How can you spend so long thinking about one person, then get your head turned by another? And which way should you be looking? (If you answered 'down' go and stand in the corner!)

Argh.

None of this is quite as irritating as the album my cous. sent me: Demians - Building an Empire. There's a bonus track on the end called Earth and I cannot get it out of my head. It's bloody annoying - I even hum it on motos. One of those defining songs that will always remind me of a place in time, and space, that I have been.

I've just munched a pack of Ainsley Harriott's couscous. I'm almost as addicted to that as I am to the above song. Two seconds in a cup with boiling water et voila! Yum.

My cats also like couscous, and sardines.

Hmmm. What does one do?

I guess one does what one does best: stop thinking and see where you end up. How life twists and turns; surprising. Ugh.

Still, the dancing was fun. Just another two nights on the razz and I can finally get some sleep. Haven't been sleeping so well recently. Restless. Not enough to do during the day except occupy myself with thoughts.

Despite it all, though, I'm happy. I have good friends here and much to enjoy. Stop thinking... "let go and let flow" (Something New).

Muraramukeho.

Quizzical Expressions

Picture from last year's National Volunteering Rally

All I seem to be writing about recently are nights out :op

Hmmm, maybe I should convince people that I do actually do some work sometimes.

Tuesday, I got out of the office and went to Nidhi's office instead. She's a volunteer with LOV Rwanda, the National Volunteering NGO I went on the march with before Christmas.

I went to get information on workshops they offer for RNAD, Kivu Writers, and the single parents network. It was just really nice to be in somebody else's workhouse rather than mine. Had a good natter. She was interested in getting involved with Kivu Writers and the Creative Writing Group in town.

Then, Wednesday, I spent the day writing a working guide to 'Developing a National Sign Language Curriculum'. It's an attempt to kick-start RNAD thinking about the next step after the publication of the dictionary. I've also been e-mailing DeafSA (South African Deaf Association) as my friend Lucky suggested they might be able to help. Apparently, they already have a national curriculum. Still waiting on a response to that one.

Mostly, I'm still twiddling my thumbs - hence active social life. I'm barely in the office anymore as there's just nothing to actually do there. Nothing that I can't do from home without spending the transport money going in. I'm still going to join the Deaf women's cow dancing group at some point, but filling my days with writing documents people are unlikely ever to read, and deciding where to go for a drink in the evening, is about the sum of it ;)

I'm happy, at least. A thousand times moreso than before Christmas, so who cares.

Tuesdays are supposed to be the writing group but, due to Obama's inauguration, it was moved to Wednesday. I managed to arrange it so that a contingent of Kivu Writers would come and introduce themselves to the writing group, plus Nidhi, Cathryn and David from salsa. I was supposed to be going to his house for a movie, but Kivu Writers et al. took priority.

Shortly before leaving, I got an e-mail saying the group had been cancelled for the night as a lot of people had work commitments. I texted Firmin and he said he'd still come for a drink, just to check the place out. I also phoned Nidhi and we agreed we might as well still go and tell the others when they got there.

It turned into a superb night. Much drinking was done. Laughs were had. Even food was consumed (extremely good at Toreros, but also extremely expensive).

The only other member of the writing group who was there was Josh, a freelance journalist and friend of Cathryn's. As it was Wednesday and not Tuesday, he was holding his weekly pub quiz. Despite extreme initial resistance, we were roped in to it... and won!!!

Given the amount of alcohol consumed, and probable brain damage from our various professions, it was quite a feat of dumb luck. Firmin left just before the end, so missed out on the prize: a free round of beers! Big beers, not the stingey petit Mutzigs.

We were all quite stunned by this occurrence, and adjourned to the outside once more to quaff fizzy-pop-good and exchange our strangest giant cockroach stories... as you do.

Then David got a moto and Cathryn and I walked Nidhi down the hill to her home before getting our own. It was a truly excellent night, made all the better by it being so unexpected. There's been a few too many random events like this of late and I'm wondering if it's just a phase or whether it'll be a trend for the year. If the latter, I may need to start constructing myself a new liver out of a washing-up bottle and some sticky-back plastic ;)

Tonight, I'm meeting Nidhi, David, and possibly Cathryn at Passadena, which I haven't been to in donkeys. It's salsa, and all the new vols are apparently going to be there. Also, JM (remember him, guys? Swoonsome blokie of yesteryears) is still in the area, so I said I'd give him a bell too.

Friday night is Han & Mans' leaving do at SoleLuna, then Saturday is the VSO Family Dinner for the new arrivals, where all the vols from across the country descend on Lunadora, a restaurant up the road from me, for copious cow dancing and potential clubbing action.

Come Monday, I shall be found under the bed, head between hands, moaning 'no mummy, not the cupboard again...' and clawing my nails across the concrete floor in deep trauma... or detox.

Right, back to the hows and wherefores of developing a national sign language curriculum... any ideas anyone? Answers on a postcard... :o/

Sauna ':op

Sauna in Modern-day Kigali

What a fantastic way to spend a Sunday.

Mid-day Saturday, I'm halfway through hennaing my hair slightly orange (don't ask) and unable to speak due to a concrete-solid clay facial mask that Hirut gave me, when I get a call from Martine who's at the airport! Finally!

She was heading to Amani (where we do all our in-country training) with the new bunch of volunteers. I say I'll meet her in the bar later.

All beautified, I hop a moto over there around 5:40 and have a fantastic time hanging out with the new group. Really nice atmosphere amongst this lot, and a lovely new girl on the Disability team. It was utterly fantastic to see Martine again. I couldn't stop grinning. We stayed drinking after everyone else had gone back for dinner.

The next morning she came over to pick up the stuff she left in my storage room, and I went with her in the taxi to Nyamirambo. Steve and Nidhi, two vols who came in September, had been in the house whilst she was away and it was strange walking in. She had a couple of spare beds before, and loads more furniture, which had been taken and re-distributed. Looks completely new and empty.

We got Eric, the guard, to get us avocados for breakfast, then Martine introduced me to the sauna next door!

I'd heard about it but never been.

We walked in and they gave us panyas (long strips of cloth to wrap around yourself) and we went into the small communal changing room. You hang your clothes up and wrap the cloth around, and put another around your hair if you like, but mine was already up.

Then you go through into a large, cool room with a TV and chairs. Hmm, this doesn't feel hot at all I'm thinking.

"Through here," says Martine, pulling a wooden door in the corner.

Ayahb*st*rd!!! I can't breathe!

Never in my life have I experienced heat like that. Ever.

Mum's got a sauna, but it's a sensible one with temperature controls and stuff. This is just a huge clay vat of boiling water, which they pack with eucalyptus leaves and something called muhavoomba (spelling?) which has 'antibiotic' (I think they meant 'antiseptic' or 'antibacterial') properties. It smells utterly amazing, only your lungs are on fire.

It took me a moment to come to terms with the heat. I really wasn't expecting it, and we were in there about five minutes before we went out to sit in the cool room.

When we went back in, I was ready for it and adjusted quite well. We stayed in a bit longer, but even Martine can't take it for too long.

The second time we came out, we went to the shower cubical where they provide bowls of warm water for you to wash the sweat off with.

We washed ourselves and went back in for a third run. Again, didn't stay long, but it was wonderful. You could just spend the day going in and out, and thankfully there was hardly anybody else there.

Whilst cooling off in the antechamber, a guy asked if I wanted a massage, and I said 'no'. Martine proceeded to re-tell the story of when she and a previous volunteer had watched people being massaged. They go everywhere. It's 'all over', and one guy apparently got a little excited. Visibly so, through his panya.  The masseuse just carried on!

Anyhow, we go in for the fourth and final time. We get talking to one of the gentleman in there, and his friend, who go twice a week. I'm sitting next to this gentleman (a mature chap) who starts explaining that you need to rub your skin to get the dirt off. It's amazing here because of the dust. Sometimes, after I go swimming or shower, I find this gunk coming off my skin as I'm drying myself - just a build-up of grime. I'd rubbed my arm in the sauna but nothing much came off. But this guy, without warning, starts rubbing my arm and then proceeds to my back!

I just kinda thought oh well, Martine's here and let him get on with it as he was getting some stuff off my skin. Then he tells me to lie face-down on the bench, so he can get to my back easier. What the hell - I do it.

So, there I am getting this superb, thorough massage of my back, then my arms. But, in order to be thorough, he's loosening my panya. It's really not tied, and I'm worried I won't remember to hold it when I sit up and my boobs will pop out :op

Then... he moves to my legs. Like a true gent, he explains to me as he starts 'don't worry, I'm only going to go up to here,' and presses the bottom of my buttocks.

Ooookay. Martine's here, it's fine - provided she hasn't passed out with the heat. We're both amazed this guy is giving such a vigorous massage in such a climate. I would have fainted.

So, off he goes - bruisingly thorough - all the way up to jiggling my bum and up my back. I'm hideously ticklish, so I'm giggling like a girlie, which sets everyone else off giggling.

He finishes off by taking each of my feet in turn, bending my legs all the way up my back, and pressing down a few times. It was really relaxing. Then he was knackered. Thankfully so, as he explained you can also 'do the front.' The back was quite enough for me, thanks!

But it was fantastic. I wouldn't have trusted him if Martine wasn't there, but I'm so glad she was. Awesome. My skin was covered in little bits. I made for another wash after that, and got it all off. This was also the guy who explained about the medicinal plant they put in with the eucalyptus. He got us to taste a little bit - extremely bitter, but apparently fantastic for sore throats.

We towelled ourselves off, got changed, and headed to a café next door for the best fish brochettes in the whole of Kigali - truly stunning - washed down with coke to rehydrate. Then I just spent the rest of the day bumming around Martine's and helping her unpack. She brought me chocolate :op

It was a wonderful day. I stayed well into the evening, then got a bus back home, changing in mumuji. That was the only down of the day. The first bus guy was extremely unpleasant to me: 'Oi, mzungu, cash,' he hissed. I told him how rude that was, which kicked off a lot of hilarity on the bus. I gave him 200 and he gave me 100 back, so maybe that was his 'sorry', but what a rude bumpkin. Thankfully, I got straight onto a bus to Kisimenti from town and got back easy enough, stopping at Ndoli's for cat food.

Was an excellent day and I'm sooo happy she's back.

Today, there was bugger all going on in the office for me to do. Just finishing the last touches to the dictionary which, by the way, is being printed this week!!! :oO

Fantastic news. Nobody had signed up for the Capacity Building course or Fundraising Training I offered, but Augustin assures me he's going to round up people to attend. I asked him directly what I could do now the dictionary is done? He just said the training I was giving is fine. So... quiet times ahead. I'm also in touch with a friend in South Africa to get help developing a curriculum, but it's all bahoro bahoro.

I ended up back at VSO chatting to Martine. She came back to use the internet. Then I launched into housework and washed my floors, did my bed sheets (which involves trampling them underfoot in a big bucket in the garden), and chilled out.

Tomorrow, I'm off to see Nidhi at LOV Rwanda, which is the national volunteering centre, to find out if they do any useful workshops I could tout to RNAD and Kivu Writers. Trying to be productive :)

Found this amusing article regarding moto drivers - reminded me of the time I experienced something similar. And appears the New York Times isn't in the good books at the moment. Articles like that do give you something of an 'insight' ;)

[NB 2013: First link in that last paragraph is no longer available. Can't even remember what it was about, to be honest. However, there is now another online account of saunas in Nyamirambo. Oh, and the plant is actually umuravumba.]

Tell It To The Marines

Film Room at the American Embassy
(screen on wall to left)

Hooked up with Giudi, Anja and Ann last night. They're all working for a consulting company at the moment. Giudi used to live in Jo's house, now Anja does. Mweru's doing fine. Fat, not pregnant apparently.

We headed to the American Embassy as the Marines were hosting a movie night. Partly for the love of the big screen, and partly out of sheer curiosity, we thought it might be fun.

I'd been to the American Embassy once before to deliver a funding application (which, by the way, after all that toing-and-froing, they never even bloody replied to ;o/) and it was still as big as ever.

We made our way through security to the main building, where we were plied with free popcorn and I bought a beer. The screening was in a large room which I think is the canteen. Huge projector screen and sound system - loads of people, it was full. The advert went out in LooseLips and I think a lot of people were as curious as I was. The American Ambassador was there looking very American in blue suit with lacquered side-parting, in contrast to the crew-cut marines.

The film was Burn After Reading with George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Tilda Swinton (Orlando). It was pretty funny and there was unlimited popcorn.

After, we all headed to SoleLuna for scrummy pizza and red wine. Was lovely. Had a really decent natter about all things interesting.

Then Ann headed home and Giudi, Anja and I walked up the road to Chez Lando to meet up with Anja's partner, Coco, and his friends for a last drink before bed.

It was a lovely way to spend a Friday.

Today, I lounged in bed until mid-day, looked over the single parents' accounts and just flumped about the house really. Brought some pizza home with me :op

Creative in Kigali

Café Torero

Yet another thoroughly pleasant few days.

Tuesday night I met up with Giudi and Cathryn at Stella. Han, Mans, Antonia and one of the new vols were there (Peter?) and I had a swift drink with them as I was on my way to Café Torero to sus out the Kigali Creative Writing Group on behalf of Kivu Writers. Firmin's worried that now the founding members of Kivu Writers are finishing their degrees and getting jobs, there won't be anyone left to look after the organisation. I suggested making contact with the creative writing group I'd seen advertised in LooseLips as it might be a way to network.

I'd e-mailed the organiser, Emily, and she was encouraging, so I said I'd drop by and introduce myself. I was only going in order to work out if it was worthwhile for Firmin to send a contingent, but I ended up enjoying myself so much I've joined! Really lovely bunch of people. A small group, but friendly and talented. Had a lovely time. Every Tuesday, 7pm, Torero people - come get creative :)

Turns out they do have contacts which might be useful for KW, hopefully I can get them there to give an introduction.

So, that was really nice. Then, last night, I had a couple of CouchSurfers stay: Jeff and Addison *waves as she knows they'll probably be reading this at some point.*

Jeff's been in Rwanda for about three months and also has a couch available in Kibaho (I can't spell!) out towards Kayonza/Lake Muhazi way in the East. That's also towards Eric's place in Kabarondo, so I'm hoping to go visit them both in a couple of weeks, after the VSO dinner's out of the way. I'm determined to get out of Kigali more this year.

We may have drunk rather a lot. We started off in High Noon for draft Mutzig, then moved to Stella for Primus, fish brochettes and ibirhy, then ended up on my trusty porch with a bottle of waragi and coke. Ho hum. The scary thing was, they were up at 8am! I made a brief appearance, mumbled something to the effect of 'great to see you guys,' and passed out again :op

I'm having an extremely lazy day trying to organise a meeting with either Steve or Nidhi to get information on National Volunteering. Both Kivu Writers and RNAD want workshops. I'm browsing funding pots for the single parents network, and just sort of floating about. I've washed all my bedding, and myself.

Yesterday, I spent in the office. I met the dictionary publishers, who seem like a nice bunch of chaps. I wrote the Forward and the Acknowledgements for the dictionary. I'm down as 'Managing Advisor,' rather a nifty title really :)

[NB 2013: I didn't actually choose that myself.]

I also stuck up sheets for 'Fundraising Training' and 'Capacity Building Workshop' - the idea being anyone who wants the training puts their name and contact on the sheet and, if I get more than one person, I run the training. I'll check it tomorrow or Monday and see if anyone's signed up.

Other than that, there appears to be a huge amount of nothing for me to do. I'm trying to invent tasks that I won't be too disappointed about if they don't achieve anything. Small things. I'm thinking about writing a very basic 'how to set up an e-mail account' now that our office finally has internet. Did I say that? It's only taken about a year, but we have it! People in the office are much pleased, and so am I, as I wrote the funding proposal. It's about the only part of it that did get funded, but it'll make a big difference.

Oh, and two things to mention:

1. Check out January's issue of British Deaf News (formerly Sign Matters). There should be a feature on our work here at RNAD. I'd love a copy if anyone gets it.
2.  My friend Chloe (Phil's lady) appears in a featurette for Dove. It's a really sweet video, check it out :) (she's the first person you see).

[NB 2013: That second point linked to a video that is no longer active. Also, Torero has since closed, which is a shame, because it was awesome.]