Am I Dead?

6:30 am.

Hmmm.

Never did make it to KBC.

Ended up at SoleLuna. There were loads of people there as both Brad and a VSO, Tina, were having their last night goodbyes, so loads of vols and loads of Brad's mates. It was a wicked night.

Eventually all the VSOs except Ruairí - who is staying with me - and everyone else in the restaurant, went home. Guess what happened...

Lock-in mark II :op

Serious. We stayed so long that all the staff left again and turned the lights off on us! It was hilarious. So we just carried on, Cathryn had some Vodka and we just sat and chilled out.

One of the best moments was one of Brad's mates sitting next to me - this blew us both away - read the fifth paragraph of this post I made on 16th November 2007, my first week in the office.

This guy I was sat next to? Simon.

The whole table turned when we realised and made a huge commotion about it! He'd seen me once before with Brad and he thought it was me but wasn't sure. Totally funny and such a coincidence. We're pledged to remain firm drinking buddies. He was touring in the UK at the end of last year so gave me an update on everything going on there and we chatted away for ages. He's a cool dude.

We had such a good night but eventually it was time for Brad to leave. I've never seen anything like it before. There were four of his Rwandan mates, me, Cathryn and Ruairí left. When he finally made his exit everyone except Ruairí (who had only just met him) were in tears. It was majorly sad. One of the guys took it particularly hard and was really sobbing. I tried to comfort him by singing Everything's Gonna be Alright and Redemption Song.

It all went a bit quiet after that, all trying to reconcile ourselves to a world without Brad, then he called and told us to get over to his place - there was gin left and he didn't have to be at the airport until 6am. So Baudouin managed to pile all six of us into his car and we high-tailed it over to Nyarutarama to continue the party.

I think it was good. Cathryn wasn't quite ready to let go yet. I hate seeing her so sad, they were really close friends and she said it'll be the same when I leave. It's such an unpleasant part of ex-patting. People come, people go. Hey oh. Snow. (Sorry, got the Chilis going round in my head ;) ).

So, Thursday night was a seriously late one. Ruiarí and I stumbled in through my gate at 6:30 this morning! Man, we were whacked. We sat on the doorstep in broad daylight looking at the world wondering what just happened.

We slumped straight into our beds and zonked out. Was a blessing not having to put the mosquito net down as the mossies were all asleep before us.

Our trip home was aided by Baudouin, who gave us a lift up the hill before going back to take Brad to the airport. On the way out of the compound the guard stopped us and did a full boot check and everything - it was really weird. I'll have to ask what that was about. Could just have been he was bored and wanted something to do, or maybe because it's umaganda today he was checking why he was working or something. Dunno.

Anyway, on the subject of Baudouin, he and I took a little sojourn upstairs toward the end of the night and got groovy together. He's a really nice guy, though we were both sooo tired. But it was fun. Think I may be seeing a bit more of him. It's nice and uncomplicated. D sent me an 'I miss you' message the other day and I still haven't replied yet. Which is bad of me, but I just don't feel inclined to. I like D, always have, he's a nice guy too, but I just don't want a full-on relationship right now. Or at least, I don't want to feel responsible for someone. It sounds silly but it makes such a difference to go out drinking or for a meal with someone who can pay for themselves and has a steady income. Also someone with a good group of friends, who you can really relax around. With D it was always my friends we hung out with or, when it was his, they were just so quiet and you felt like you were constantly carrying the conversation. I'm done with quiet. Brad likened me to a 'disco ball' that just drops down into the social situation. I don't know exactly what he meant by that, but it was meant as a compliment and I think he was saying people notice me and perhaps I bring a little sparkle. I like being likened to a disco ball. But you can't keep up the energy without people who also radiate energy - like Cathryn, Brad, and so forth. You hang out with people you bounce with.

Aaanyway. It was a great night and a fitting farewell.

I needed to go to the bank today and Rauirí was meeting another volunteer, Joe, in town, so we took the happy bus (playing cheesey music) to UTC and then went down to the Dream Hotel sports bar where Steve joined us for the Everton v. Chelsea match. It's been a scorching hot day. We ordered food and I found myself with yet another cold beer in my hand. He's gone off for a night out with Paula & Sonya but I was totally knackered so I'm home relaxing. Going to put on a DVD and crash out. Really need to catch up on some sleeeeep but extremely happy and well in myself.

Not Again!

Yay, yet another picture of me! - New Cactus, Lies' Wedding.

How?

How is this possible?

I think there may have been a Cathryn involved.

In fact, I'm sure of it....*shakes fist at the sky*

So, Thursday was a bit of a long day. Was up nice and early to panic about clothes. My domestique, Stratoni, had left my washing the entire bright, sunny, baking-hot day and done it Wednesday evening half-an-hour before torrential rain set in for the entire night, rendering me clothes-less.

Not a situation you really want to be in when you have a meeting with the Minister of Education at 10am. I finally settled on a skirt and top that was just the right side of acceptable, and got a moto (predictably one who couldn't distinguish Kacyiru and Kicukiro with my accent, surprisingly many can't, despite one having a whole extra syllable). Not a good start to the day. I tried to put my helmet on backwards *rolls eyes*

I am within sight of MINEDUC when I get a text to say 'minister cancelled.'

Fan-bloomin'-tastic. No date suggested for a reschedule. Just cancelled.

Turned the moto round and headed to VSO to sit on my own and answer e-mails for a couple of hours before going to the office for our end-of-term DFID evaluation visit with Amanda, Emillienne and Sue Enfield who came to do the mid-term review all those months back.

It was good. I put myself in charge of fetching and serving Fantas and just watched proceedings, really. Loads of Deaf came: Gerard, Augustin, Blandine, Claire, Goreth, Michalline, Emmanuel etc. But it was a baking hot day and sitting in the office was like slow cooking in an oven. Won't be long before the long dry season starts to bite.

I was relieved to get out into the fresh air again and took a moto home for a quick shower and a change of clothes.

Cathryn and I were supposed to be taking Brad out for his last meal: condemned to returning to New York. But the poor guy was run ragged with 101 things to finish off before leaving, so he stayed at Stella for one quick drink and dashed off again with the promise of pizza at SoleLuna tonight.

Cathryn and I were pretty shattered, so we were only going to stay for food and one more beer with Giudi and Maxime... best intentions and all.

G. & M. left us at a sensible hour but we just kept going. Then we were spotted by one of the VSO staff who was there for a meeting with his university tutor. He has his viva today, if he's still alive. It's funny meeting someone you know in a professional sense when you're out getting totally blottoed. He's the nicest person in the world but extremely funny when he's drunk. I don't think he drinks very often.

So, he and his tutor and uni colleagues all came over and Brad's friend Baudouin was there, the guy who gave me a lift home in his taxi after the epic 2am drinking fest at Stella last Thursday. His two brothers were there, too.

Then we spotted a muzungu at the bar by himself with a huge back-pack. By this time it seemed the right thing to do to go and ask him if he wanted to join us. So, we roped him - Raphael - into sitting with us, perpetuating more drinking. His cousins and family are Rwandan but he's from Belgium and had arrived later than planned, so had to stay up until 6am before he could go to his family's house and 'disturb on them.'

Eventually people fell away until it was just an extremely drunk and tired VSO staff member, Cathryn, myself, Raphael and Baudouin, who had to keep dropping out to drive customers around but kept coming back in case we wanted a lift home. He was the only sober one.

At 3:30 - yes, 3:30 - in the morning we finally wobbled out of the bar and into his cab. We dropped Cathryn off first, then got a free lift all the way home to Rujigiro again. And, ermn... maybe a wee kiss *cringe* I've no idea what's going on with me. I've lost all sense of reason. He's not bad looking, very muscular under his good selection of clothes. Completely solvent (hooray! hooray! hooray!), 29, pagan, very kind - knows who's who and watches out for you. Conversationalist. Down side? Father of a 12-year-old whose mother died in a car accident four years ago - baggage - he's looking for a new mother for her type-set-up. At least he's honest about it though. But I guess if I keep it very clear that I'm leaving, that I am not mother material, I think we can see how it goes. Wasn't the best kiss in the world - he was tired, me drunk and tired. But... what was it in that film in Sierra Leone? "Let go, let flow..." (Something New) and let's be honest, it's not like I have much else to do with my time right now.

So, probably going to do pizza with Brad later, then KBC for blues/jazz. I'll see Baudouin and try and gauge whether I like him enough to hang out proper.

Meanwhile, I need to pay to sacrifice a goat. Rose's life's going a bit squewiff at the moment. Her mother passed away giving birth to her and her father wasn't interested. She was raised by her grandmother, who died last month. Although her grandmother left her land and possessions in her will, her surviving children hid the will and started arguing over the land. Long story short, it's quite dangerous to get involved in property disputes here. People are known to 'disappear', so Rose just washed her hands of it and walked away.

Problem being that the family now want to sell some of the land - namely the piece that Rose's actual mother is buried on. Huge problems as it means re-interring her mother and also finding somewhere new to place her. You can't cremate people in Ugandan culture, so you have to bury them. If you don't own land you have to buy a plot.

She'd been warned by the village elders that if she didn't do this and someone built a house over her mother, her mother's angry spirit would come after her. Rose doesn't exactly believe this but she doesn't wish to put it to the test either. She's finding it hard as she never knew her mother and has no family to back her up.

Sooo. After making some enquiries, for USD 150 you can do the whole thing: dig up, move, re-bury on a plot of land you only have to pay for once (included in the above price), which means spiteful family members can't disturb on her, and sacrificing a goat to appease the dead woman's spirit.

Bargin.

It's been stressing her out terribly on top of a seven-day-a-week job and I think it's money well spent to cut the last of her ties/obligations to her Ugandan family who have done absolutely nothing to help or support her.

Hopefully it'll buy peace of mind and some breathing space.

In other news, I finally got around to watching Shooting Dogs. Outstanding dialogue but serious head-spin. Watching a film that was actually filmed here, looks like here, where people talk like here and the products in the shops are what you see here, the places I've been talked about... Tough viewing. Makes you ask a lot of questions about yourself:

"White man come in big truck, make whiney noise."

Hmmm.

The way the guy dealt with the kids in the beginning shamed me. I just shouted my head off in Kinya the other day when accosted. Sort of reminds you where you are, yet in another way it doesn't. It's disconcerting but also makes you strangely proud to be a part of what Rwanda now is.

Anyway, I closed the viewing window at the end feeling really quite unsettled, only to see in my e-mail window a new one saying we've just secured GBP 980 for the Deaf Association to fly in a curriculum consultant from Kenya and run workshops! Huzah! It made me feel that some things you do actually do make a difference :)

Very happy about that.

Finally - a picture of Lies & Kassim - admire the dreads please ;)

Both Ends of the Candle

Some pics from the wedding:

Me and Cathryn in Mushananas.

Amanda, my programme manager,
looking lurvley.

The crowd dancing to live reggae.

Butare Deaf Intore Troop Dancing.

Me hangin' out with some guests.

First, we begin this belated blog entry with some very sad news, Marilyn's (my dad's partner's) mum died in the early hours of last Monday morning, 18th. Marj was an absolutely lovely lady and I have fond memories of exploring local standing stones and country pubs with her. She was an avid follower of my travels both in Australia and Rwanda. She shall be very much missed and loads of love and good vibes home to Dad & Marilyn.

In home news, Kitoko's song is still causing controversy in the disability movement, and that quality paper that is The New Times is still referring to Deaf people as 'deaf and dumb.' Derogatory terminology is a big problem, even within disability legislation itself, so I'm honoured to be helping to edit/proof-read the FENAPH three-year strategic plan at the moment. They're the National Federation of People with Disabilities, so hopefully they'll help tackle some of these issues.

A couple of charity announcements!

My ex house-mate Sonny is cycling to Paris in July with friends. You can sponsor them online and follow their blog too! Should be a fun adventure provided they don't break any more bikes or sprain any more ankles in practice ;)

Also, my good friend Vikki O'Brien (nee Bishop) and her lovely husband Dai are doing a ten mile charity walk for the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) on 5th July. NDCS have already, through their International Deaf Children's Fund, sponsored previous volunteers (Karen & Antonia) to set up parent support groups in Rwanda. If you would like to sponsor them, just drop me an e-mail and I'll put you in contact.

So, what have I been up to the past week?

Party... party... work... more party.

I'm suitably singed at both ends from the amount of fun that has been had :op

Lies' wedding was fantastic. It really was a spectacular day as outlined in my last post.

Unfortunately, I'm having trouble remembering what's happened since then. There was rather a lot of 'Good Time(TM)' involved.

The past couple of days have been totally outstanding. Jo & Pierre are back in town and are my next door neighbours since I live in Rujigiro now. Literally, I cross the road, go down a path, and there they are!

Soooo... Last Saturday I ended up outside Amahoro stadium at 8am to help set up the Single Parents Network stall. It was Kigali Marathon Weekend and a really nice guy called Mark Larson was in charge of co-ordinating the Amahoro Peace Weekend. Amahoro being Kinyarwanda for 'Peace', actually. It was part of the international campaign to End Violence Against Women and Children. It was a fantastic day - pics below. First time we'd rolled out our banner which D made (although our relationship since his return has totally drifted - looks like I'm done. Again.) and met a wonderful single dad from Kicukiro who is raising five kids by himself and just seems like a really lovely and committed bloke. There was also a single mum who is part of a women's work co-operative who brought loads of stuff to sell. Sadly, none of the money goes to us, but it was excellent that she could make some money and it brought a lot of attention to our stall.

Funnily enough, I'd also told the Union of the Deaf about the event and they rolled-up and set up a stall right next to ours, which was great as I got to be on both stalls! :) It was a really fun day but the weather was so incredibly hot. Sitting in the marquee we baked a bit. Cathryn turned up about 1pm and we had lunch at Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant over the road, then headed home. I vow that's the last ever Saturday I get up and put myself through a freezing cold shower at 6am :op

Rose displaying our new banner!

Information flyers.

The Stall

The Deaf Association with the Dictionary
(L-R: Emmanuel, Claire, Goreth)

So that was a really funky day, however I was somewhat knackered as Cathryn, Brad and I had been out until about 2am at Bar Stella opposite my old house on the Thursday. It culminated in a spectacular display by a Rwandan contortionist who could go into crab from standing, literally bent double backwards, pick up a bottle of beer with his teeth and return to standing in order to drink it. He could also do the trick where he put a lit cigarette in his mouth, drank beer, and returned it still lit! Was very cool.

The thing was, before arriving at Stella to drink heavily with Brad and Cathryn (and their extremely interesting friend Baudouin who has promised to take me to an umupfumu), I had actually been to Hirut's as she was leaving for Ethiopia. Me and her sat and spent a good couple of hours drinking up her gin (Bombay Saphire!) - without any mixer. So I was already pretty darn sozzled by the time I got there. Which made Friday rather painful. I was still recovering from that hangover on Saturday at the Peace Weekend. Not exactly strategic, but a lot of fun.

So, then, Saturday night after the stall was packed up and I'd been home for a nice looong snooze, I met up with Cathryn, Rose, Peace, Sarah, Giudi and Maxime at the bar up from Stella and we started all over again, culminating in a surprisingly still-rather-sober night out at KBC in honour of Brad's last Friday night in town - he flies home to New York early this Saturday so no night out Friday - which resulted in me falling into bed around 4am.

So, Sunday was largely spent sleeping. I woke around 11:30 and called Jo. Jo used to be on the Disability team when I first arrived and taught me the ropes. She also used to run Salsa at Passadena, which is now hugely popular. Then she and her partner Pierre went back to London so that Pierre could do his master's degree. Anyway, they're back for a two-week holiday and live literally over the road from me with a huge pizza oven in the garden.

They were having a pizza party but I didn't think that I would make it because I wasn't sure what I'd be up to on Sunday. However, when I woke nothing in the world seemed more appealing at that moment in time than a slice of free pizza to soak up the alcohol.

I ambled over there around 1:30. I got a bit lost en route as it's down a mud track. When I stopped to call her I saw a band of li'le urchins coming toward me. I thought I'd have enough time to make the call then start walking away quickly, but I mis-timed it and by the time I hung up they had surrounded me. About ten kids all shouting 'muzungu muzungu amaferanga amaferanga!' When you're horrifically hungover, just woken up and lost, it's the last thing in the world you want. Ashamed to say, I did end up shouting at them very loudly in Kinyarwanda *sigh* I haven't done that in a long time but c'mon guys, step back. It wasn't nice pestering either, pretty full-on.

Anyway, I got there, it was a blistering hot day for the first time in weeks of intermittent rain. There they were, stoking the fire on the pizza oven as if they'd never been away. It was so wonderful to see them.

Giudi and Maxime came, Anja and Coco - the whole gang back together. It was just perfect. Free food, and booze from a fridge! Although, Anja brought a bottle of rosé with a cork instead of a screw-top and we didn't have a bottle opener, so Pierre ended up getting the power tools out. With a sublime group effort we opened it with an electric drill! Huzah! :op

It was just the most wonderful day and we all stayed well into the evening and watched the sun sink over a panoramic view of Kigali. All the little lights came on whilst we set out candles. The boys played the Rwandan version of omweso whilst us girlies just chatted away.

Jo walked back to mine with me to see the cats and we sat outside my gate catching-up. Truly memorable day and not a more relaxed Sunday ever lived I don't think.

Monday was an extremely slow day as my colleagues were preparing for a trip to Cyangugu and I was continuing with the disability document. Jo and Pierre picked me up in their 4x4 around mid-day and took me for a slap-up lunch at New Cactus! Then presented me with an entire bag of chocolate and glossy magazines. Two days of full feeding and no paying - I was somehow in heaven :op

They've headed to Gisenyi for a break but they will be back on Friday so I'm going to try and drag them out to KBC as the best jazz/blues band on the continent are playing: Black, Blue, Uzungu. Giudi, Maxime, Anja, Coco and Cathryn should be coming too.

Then, last night I was settling down and watching a film that Dad sent out: Priceless. It's gone straight to the top of my favourite films ever list. Really very good, which helped even out The Duchess with Kiera Knightley, which had to be one of the most singularly depressing films I've seen in a long while, though it was nicely shot.

I'd got within about twenty minutes of the end when Cathryn called to say Brad had invited us over to his place ('his' now that Hirut's in Ethiopia) for spag bol and fun with a perforated coke can (don't ask). So I got cleaned-up and headed over.

We had a most excellent night just relaxing, giggling, and being silly. The three of us together is more than most people, even ourselves, can stand on the hyperactive, hyper-manic scale and it's best we remove ourselves from polite society once the beer starts flowing. It ended up at 2am with Cathryn and I crashing out in the spare room upstairs.

Not your typical Monday night, but we got up silly early. Brad was going to give us a lift up the hill on his moto but we both decided we needed to leave a little earlier as I had to be in the office by nine and desperately needed a shower before that. So we walked up the biiiig hill from Nyarutarama and hailed motos in our respective directions.

I felt surprisingly good, actually. Went to the office, there was nobody around so I invited Cathryn and Brad to MTN Bourbon for lunch where I planned on doing the rest of my work, but, after an hour-and-a-half wait almost for food, and then Cathryn dashing off to her next meeting, I decided to come home and get on with it. Which I have.

Brad will be sorely missed, as will Jo and Pierre. The past week I have been partying hard to make the most of my friends before they all leave again. One of the major down-sides to an ex-pat life, people are always on the move and you just have to groove with them whilst you can.

So, should be a bit quiet now until Thursday, when we'll have farewell drinks for Brad, then Friday when we're off to Black, Blue, Uzungu and possibly Torero where Kivu Writers are planning a showcase event :)

Should all be good. Bring it awwwn.

[NB 2013: My friends Vikki and Dai are currently on a round-the-world tour. They've already done Asia, Australia and they're on their way to Fiji. Sonny got married in September and also completed the Marathon Des Sables in aid of Cancer Research! Jo and Pierre are in the process of moving back to Rwanda permanently with their daughter Zuba.] 

Jah Lovin' I an' I

It was one of the best days EVER.

Where else to begin but at the beginning?

Despite a distinctly dodgy night's sleep I still hauled myself out of bed at 6am and into an ice-cold shower, surviving the shivering and hypothermia only with the promise of strong, hot coffee and a peanut butter sandwich to come.

Said coffee and said sandwich were indeed guzzled as I threw things I might need into a duffle bag: make-up, shoes, a variety of mushanana-suitable tops and a roll of toilet paper (which you should never leave the house without).

Hooked a moto and arrived at St. Paul's for 8am. I was the first one there but when I arrived it was teaming with VSOs! All the Education lot had been staying there for a conference and were just leaving. It was cool to see them.

When the others arrived we set to work in the gardens out back, erecting marquees and blowing up balloons. As it was a rasta wedding the decorations were all in red, green and yellow. Took a good couple of hours to lay out the chairs and everything, then the mushananas arrived. Sadly, they weren't in rasta colours as first suggested, but they were pretty cool anyway: brown zebra print with white vest tops, well mine and Cathryn's were - matching :)

So, we put them in our bags and headed back to Kirsti's house in Gishusha (near Kisimenti, my old house) where Cathryn's currently living. We went via Ndoli's to pick up bread and juice for breakfast. Irene, another friend, was also there, so we made fresh coffee and tucked into marmite and strawberry jam rolls.

Then I helped show Cathryn how to put on a mushanana and we did our hair and make-up before getting a taxi back to St. Paul's for twelve. Guests had already started to arrive and by twenty-to-one it was packed. There was a marquee on the left for Kassim's friends and family, one on the right for Lies' friends and family, the wedding tent and chairs on the lawn for everyone else. Cathryn and I had little rasta ribbon badges with 'Protocol' on and we were part of a team of about fifteen people serving drinks and showing guests to their seats. It was excellent fun.

My programme director, Amanda, was there with Isadora, which was great, and the girls from Lies' hen night. I wouldn't have made it through the day without Cathryn, though. We had such a good laugh.

Eventually the wedding party arrived and were escorted to the wedding tent by the Deaf Intore troop from Butare school: a column of Intore warriors with headdresses and spears on the left (groom's side) and a column of mushananad cow dancers on Lies' side. It was stunningly beautiful. Lies was dressed in an absolutely gorgeous dress made of green silk with orange trousers and trimming, and a matching headdress so that her dreads (which looked stunning even if I do say so myself) flowed out behind. Kassim had a lovely light-grey suite with matching orange shirt (and dreads) and they just looked so good.

Once the wedding party were seated the Intore began. The students from Butare really are phenomenal dancers. Lies works for Handicap International and was in the Disability team as a VSO a few years back, hence she knows the Deaf community (and some of my colleagues were there too). She had also invited children with learning disabilities from one of the centres she works at. They were so sweet and had a wonderful time when the music started - which I'll get to in a minute.

The day was a mixture of heavy showers and hot, hot sunshine - typical Rwandan weather - but it didn't stop the proceedings. Eventually food was served and Cathryn and I formed part of the 'production line'. She had two types of rice, and I had peas and chips to deal with. Another friend, Wendy, was on meat sauce and meat. There must have been a good couple of hundred guests easy, and we were kept busy scooping and serving.

After food came cake. But, oh my... One of the guys who works at the Belgian Consulate, his partner is a chocolatier who imports chocolate from Belgium and makes what can only be described as the most sublime cakes you'll ever see. He is one seriously talented man, and an extremely nice guy, and it was all we could do not to walk up and stick our faces in the cakes and rub them about a bit. There was even a little chocolate Kassim on top of the main cake, with a little marzipan Lies :op

After the food was served, Cathryn and I considered ourselves to be mostly off-duty and finally went to grab a beer and a well-earned sit down to watch Lies drumming. She's part of a drumming group and four of them had the big traditional Rwandan drums out and performed the most amazing piece.

Then the music turned to Rastafari and you can bet your life the one thing that won't be lacking at a Rastafarian wedding will be the music. Kassim kicked off with a Bob Marley classic, then Patrick (Isadora's other half), Ngabo and Keyaga - the crowd went wild. It was like being in the middle of a music festival. Cathryn and I did not stop dancing the entire afternoon: dancing with each other, with Amanda, with Isadora, with Brittany, with Steve, with the kids from the disability centre. We absolutely danced until we dropped. Praise be the gods of reggae. It was supposed to finish at 4:30pm but it was about six by the time we finally left, and would have gone on the entire night had they kept singing. The Rasta community in Rwanda are one seriously, seriously talented bunch.

I walked up the hill with Amanda, Isadora and Cathryn, who were going to take a taxi as they were all going in the same direction. At the top of the hill was a moto. FRW 3,000 for a taxi or FRW 700 for a moto - the moto won, but it was the most hilarious scene you've ever seen in your life! No one could ever remember seeing a woman in a mushanana on the back of a moto before. I looked at the driver, he looked at me, and we just burst out laughing. He must have thought I was joking. He agreed to FRW 700 immediately just for the experience (It's always 800 from town!) and off we went. He was a totally lovely chap and, because it was such a wonderful day and because he was such a nice guy and because he had to drive through another shower of rain, I gave him FRW 1,500.

I then had an hour to throw myself under yet another freezing cold shower, drink yet more strong coffee, change into the beautiful red glittery skirt I had made in Sierra Leone, do my face, and get over to New Cactus in Kiyovu for the evening meal.

The wedding had been for all friends – loads of people – but the evening meal was restricted to 60 close friends and family, so it was a real privilege to be invited and to witness the post-ceremony, relaxed wedding atmosphere.

It really was a fantastic venue. They hired out the whole of New Cactus, which has a stunning panoramic view of Kigali. The three course meal was outstanding and afterwards the Rastas took over the sound system and we ended up dancing the entire night away. It was awesome, and the look on Kassim's face when he took Lies for the first dance... everyone present let out a silent, collective, aaaahhh. They really are a very special couple, it's rare to see two people who are so unquestionably made for each other.

Cathryn and I were there at the not-at-all bitter end, even Lies' family had gone! We hugged goodbye and started walking down the hill to find taxis. Only, we just kept walking. It had just gone 2am by the time we left and there was no sign of public transport. We walked all the way through Kiyovu in a huge loop, passing a friendly police checkpoint and coming out by the main roundabout near town. I don't think there are many countries in the world where two women could do that at that time of night. We didn't see a single other person except for the police officers, although they were a bit surprised to see us and warned us to take care. They were very nice and Kigali is such an extremely safe place to live.

I passed them again about ten minutes later as we managed to hook motos at the roundabout.

It was, without a doubt, one of the best weddings ever. Right up there with Cassie & Sean's. A day we'll always remember and one made all the more special by having been so involved with everything. It's the third wedding I've been to in Rwanda now and it just amazes me how very different each one has been. It's also the first Rasta wedding I've ever been to and I can say, without a doubt, those guys know how to party (yip yip yip yip yip) :op

So, huge congratulations Lies & Kassim. May you have many, many happy years ahead of you and thanks so much for inviting me x

Two Person Lock-In

Is I beautiful?

Ooooh, what a hangover I had this morning.

Last night was Lies' hen night at SoleLuna but I was meeting up with Cathryn beforehand so that we could go together.

I met her at the Goat & Gorilla, which is the pub inside the British Embassy. It's open every Thursday but you have to be on 'the list' to get in - i.e. know someone who works there. I'd never been on the list before, so this was my first time and I was extremely curious. Managed to get Jane to put me down - very kind of her.

So, you go into the Embassy grounds and it's right round the back. You wouldn't know it was there. It's a lawn with an under-cover bar, a BBQ, and a small seating area. It's fab. You buy tokens for either FRW 2,000 or 5,000 but the beer is incredibly cheap! It's FRW 750 for a small draft Mutzig (so I guess 1,500 for a large - it's 2,000/2,500 elsewhere) and whisky for FRW 500! And if the guy behind the bar likes you, the token never seems to run out. I think there may be room to park a tent on the lawn...

Really lovely atmosphere, very relaxed, and they even ring a bell for 'last orders' like back home :op The brochettes (fish and goat) are outstanding, too.

Giudi, Anja and Alicia's sister Sarah (who is here doing research) were there, and so were Kieran and his lady, Jane, and a few other faces I recognised. We drank rather a lot and then headed to SoleLuna.

Loads of people were there including Meg, Isadora, and Lies' friends and sister. Not often you sit down at a table surrounded by people you don't know and have such an excellent night. I was talking to Karen, who works for the UN department that Isadora's with, Brittany, who is one of Meg's volunteers, and another lady who used to work for Meg and now works in Uganda. They were a really good laugh and much fun was had by all.

When they eventually left, Cathryn and I decided to stay for one last beer and a catch-up. We were the only people there by this point and weren't sure if they'd serve us. But they did... and then left! All the staff went home :op

About twenty minutes later the lights went out!

So, we sat and finished our beer in the dark and then let ourselves out and got motos home! Really weeeird.

Today, I suffered slightly. Not as much as Cathryn, who had to get up at six to go to work. I just had to go to the bank then swing past Lies' for a final dreading session. Her family were all there and, whilst I took care of her hair, a guy gave her a manicure and pedicure whilst two women were drawing mendi patters on the bridesmaids' hands.

Afterwards, I came home and met up with D who had the Single Parents Network banner from Kampala - it's fantastic! Seriously excellent banner, can't wait to put it up at the stall and take some photos for the website :)

He's also got 500 flyers printed. Not bad, great to have something to hand out, but a few spelling and content issues I could have done without. Even though I'd given him the content he still changed a few things and there hadn't been time before he left to print a draft. It's really nothing major - I'm just a bit of a perfectionist with things like that. We'll correct it for the next batch. As I say, it's just excellent to have something to hand out. Not folded yet though, so I'll be busy each evening doing that until the event.

So, after he left I've just been prepping myself for tomorrow. Cathryn and I will be helping out with 'protocol' at the reception. We get to wear Rasta coloured mushananas! But it does mean being at Saint Paul's for 8am. Hence the face mask. Setting my alarm early to be ready for it. It's going to be an excellent day - the Deaf Intore troop will be performing. Hope to have some pictures eventually. Really looking forward to it.

Good Morning, Good Yawning

(Name that children's book...)

I can't believe it's now been over a year since Léon's Wedding! And I haven't had occasion to wear the mushanana since :( I sent them a text to wish them happy anniversary and they were amazed I remembered - but how could I forget? It was a lovely day and now they're the proud parents of a little boy.

Talking of weddings, Lies and Kasim get married on 16th. Should be an excellent day. I went over to tidy up her dreads on Saturday, just before her parents landed.

Lies' Beautiful Dreadlocks

Makes me nostalgic for the days of the King Dreads....

Also popped by their final wedding meeting on the Sunday. Here you have a whole appointed committee to plan a wedding, including family, friends, a secretary... It was really interesting and I swung by as I'd just had a drink and some food with Martine and her (ex) husband who is out visiting. It was a really nice afternoon.

Sadly, I've had to remove one of my blog posts as a very sorry excuse for trash-journalism decided to use it out of context in order to further his anti-government political agenda. It was the one with my musings on the recent BBC ban. When I said "people are always reading" - this was the exact kind of prat I was talking about. The creep has been browsing all my internet accounts by the look of it and even makes references to other ex-pat and Rwandan blogs. He saw I was a member of a closed blog (one the public can't access) which he said "must be a gold mine of juicy details" (about Rwandan politics). The guy's an utter feckin' numpty, it's a creative writing group ;op

Says something when you have to get that desperate to make up a story, eh? The guy seems to have a major beef with the Rwandan government, sadly. Glad I spotted it though. I've edited the post so now anyone who follows the link to it will get a nice little disclaimer about how shoddy the article was. Nasty little weasel.

I'll try not to lose too much sleep over it, the site doesn't get much traffic. Just hope people recognise it for the trash it is.

Aaaaaand on to other news...

D's in Kampala getting flyers and a banner printed for the Single Parent Network. I Can't wait. Extremely excited to see them. Just hope it all makes it back before the expo on 23rd. Currently working with my mate Andy from Auchtermuchty to update the website, so keep an eye on it in the coming weeks.

Eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jo & Pierre from the UK. I'm still job hunting like a loony. Making at least one application a week, but the rounds haven't started to close yet so maybe another few weeks before I hear from them or can write them off. 

Otherwise all quiet, really. Well, not quiet as such, what with drum 'n' bass neighbours and the military performing heavy artillery drills nearby. But 'calm' is perhaps the right word ;)

[NB 2013: Little did I know that three years later I'd be cutting Lies' dreads off!]

Ineza Pictures

Pictures from Ineza Guesthouse in Butare where Martine and I escaped for our weekend away.

Martine, looking lurvely.

 
Yes, I know, smoking - but it was a lovely sunny day, and umuganda. Just chilling out waiting for the world to roll back into action.

Traditional Rwandan bee hive made from banana leaves.

Avocados in their natural habitat.

Li'le spirit hut?

Gorilla in the Trees!

Pretty Flowers

Around the yard...