MTN Rwanda: I've Run Out Of Jokes

Chinese Restaurant, Kigali

Further to the post titled: MTN Rwanda: Missing Telephone Network - I really have run out of good humour about it. Mum called, it cut out and was a terrible crackly line. Dad called and it cut out twice. Internet was out the entire Memorial Day and now, for the past couple of days, I cannot get it to stay connected for more than a minute at a time - if it connects at all. So I have to try and load pages, reply to e-mails, and connect, hoping they'll post before the connection drops again.

And all this joy could be yours for FRW 20,000 a month. Disgusting.

Thursday I went for another drink with Ben at Torero. Really fascinating all-round generally nice chap. Very glad I met him.

Put the feeling shonkey down to a very mild tummy bug and slight dehydration. I hadn't factored for the tin roof - the house can get a lot warmer than the old place. My old house had wooden roofing which regulated the temperature much better and acted as a giant ear-muff against the rain, whereas tin roofs heat the place up faster and sort of sound like you're living inside a drum. Deep joy. Lot to be said about the 'traditional way of life' over modern advances.

Friday night I was back at Torero's for Antonia’s second leaving do. She was VSO in Butare for three years, went away, came back for a three-month placement in Komera near Kibuye. Was a quiet affair with Lies, Isadora, Paula, Sonya and some other friends from Komera. I also met up with a couple of Ben's friends who had been staying at the same guesthouse: Asa and Agatha. Asa's here studying gender issues as part of her university thesis. It was a nice night, but I didn't stay late.

Mostly, I've locked myself in the house and been writing. Now up to 28,700, the longest single piece I've written. About another 10,000 words and I'm halfway through a novel, but I'm now having plot issues so I need to think. Went and cogitated it over a rather yummy Chinese with Ruairí who is back from Kampala. He brought me some lovely batiks to brighten up the house :) We went to the big Chinese over by Novatel that I've always passed but never been into. It was a really good choice - excellent fried pork. We ordered a bit too much, so I have a whole take-away to eat today whilst watching movies! I'm in heaven!

It's been raining pretty much constantly the past few days. The rainy season has undoubtedly arrived.

D's still in Kampala doing some work until mid-next-week and I'm in contact with a lady called Julie who is a friend of the family's and coming out for three weeks in May. I've asked her to bring me a copy of Pirates of the Caribbean Three. I've been watching the first two for over a year now and would very much like to see how it ends. D's yet to see them and I think I'm going to have trouble explaining to him why a guy who looks like he's chewed one too many khat leaves and doesn't wash is such an iconic pin-up for Western women.

Anyway, other than that things are trundling along normally. Not much to report.