more pics coming as soon as my internet stops sucking!
Shai
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
pictures of the church
Our unique baptisimal font...
more pics coming as soon as my internet stops sucking!
more pics coming as soon as my internet stops sucking!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
family home evening
we had an innagural family home evening last night. Around 10 Young Single Adults came. Well...young single adults is a liberal label. But i think everyone was single at least.
Let me explain the church house.
It used to be an old mansion but now it's an incredible villa. It's 2 stories with a huge wrap around porch balconly thing on the second story. The balcony is supported by big southernly columns that kind of remind me of tennessee. Except that the windows are tinted blue which i have yet to see in Tennesee.
The entrance leads you directly into the chapel, or the main room. It used to be a big living room in the house i think. The doors are a thick beautiful oak and the door handle is pretty glamourous gold. Directly behind the living rooms facing wall is a wide stair case that leads to the second story. Half way up the stairs we have 2 rooms. One's an office/library and the other is the missionary room. At the top of the stairs is a big room with a sliding glass door. This room faces the balcony rotunda. On either side of this big room are 4 more classrooms. One for the young women, one for the primary, one for the priestood, and a few more that don't have occupants yet.
Since we've only been in this chapel 2 weeks longer than i've been here (just over a month), there's not much for way of decorations or function. But we do have chairs, portable chalkboards, a kareoke machine turned av system, and a whole lot of love. We just got the plaque thing that holds the hymn numbers and the members were so excited.
It's a beautiful building that is still getting fixed up. The grounds are all mud at this point but there are plans for grass. The best part is the outdoor baptismal font that was made out of an old water well.
Anyway - FHE functioned much like any other YSA FHE. We had a lesson on happiness versus joy. We sang a song. We played a few games. and we had snacks. But Africa style is so much better. Playing do you love your neighbor with accents and multilingual complications made things fun. Then we played a blindfolded animal game. Everyone stands in a circle and one person is blindfolded in the middle. The it person points to someone in the circle and says can you make the noise of "insert animal here" and then tries to guess who it is making the noise. Somehow every animal noise here sounds like a man eating terradactle. You've never heard a cat sound so fierce! And our snacks beat any american snack. Baby bananans, tomato flavored potato chips, and ginger flavored caramels. Yummm.
My favorite part? At the end of the night we were all talking about food and snacks. One man said "Shai I'm going to start drinking lots of milk so i can be like you." "Like me?" I reply. "You want to be a whitey? I don't think milk can change skin color." He immediatly clarifies and says, "no no no. I don't want to be white like you. I want to be FAT like you."
Thanks nice african man. Thanks.
Blessings,
Shai
PS. I learned later the real meaning after asking my host family to ressurect my murdered self esteem. It was quickly explained that larger women are really beautiful to African men because it's a sign of health and vitality. So what he meant was he wanted to be healthy and strong like me. FAT = BEAUTIFUL in Africa.
I love this place!
Let me explain the church house.
It used to be an old mansion but now it's an incredible villa. It's 2 stories with a huge wrap around porch balconly thing on the second story. The balcony is supported by big southernly columns that kind of remind me of tennessee. Except that the windows are tinted blue which i have yet to see in Tennesee.
The entrance leads you directly into the chapel, or the main room. It used to be a big living room in the house i think. The doors are a thick beautiful oak and the door handle is pretty glamourous gold. Directly behind the living rooms facing wall is a wide stair case that leads to the second story. Half way up the stairs we have 2 rooms. One's an office/library and the other is the missionary room. At the top of the stairs is a big room with a sliding glass door. This room faces the balcony rotunda. On either side of this big room are 4 more classrooms. One for the young women, one for the primary, one for the priestood, and a few more that don't have occupants yet.
Since we've only been in this chapel 2 weeks longer than i've been here (just over a month), there's not much for way of decorations or function. But we do have chairs, portable chalkboards, a kareoke machine turned av system, and a whole lot of love. We just got the plaque thing that holds the hymn numbers and the members were so excited.
It's a beautiful building that is still getting fixed up. The grounds are all mud at this point but there are plans for grass. The best part is the outdoor baptismal font that was made out of an old water well.
Anyway - FHE functioned much like any other YSA FHE. We had a lesson on happiness versus joy. We sang a song. We played a few games. and we had snacks. But Africa style is so much better. Playing do you love your neighbor with accents and multilingual complications made things fun. Then we played a blindfolded animal game. Everyone stands in a circle and one person is blindfolded in the middle. The it person points to someone in the circle and says can you make the noise of "insert animal here" and then tries to guess who it is making the noise. Somehow every animal noise here sounds like a man eating terradactle. You've never heard a cat sound so fierce! And our snacks beat any american snack. Baby bananans, tomato flavored potato chips, and ginger flavored caramels. Yummm.
My favorite part? At the end of the night we were all talking about food and snacks. One man said "Shai I'm going to start drinking lots of milk so i can be like you." "Like me?" I reply. "You want to be a whitey? I don't think milk can change skin color." He immediatly clarifies and says, "no no no. I don't want to be white like you. I want to be FAT like you."
Thanks nice african man. Thanks.
Blessings,
Shai
PS. I learned later the real meaning after asking my host family to ressurect my murdered self esteem. It was quickly explained that larger women are really beautiful to African men because it's a sign of health and vitality. So what he meant was he wanted to be healthy and strong like me. FAT = BEAUTIFUL in Africa.
I love this place!
Monday, July 26, 2010
We HAVE to do this. It's a LIFE GOAL.
...My weekend expression that my new group of friends hated hearing...
So when i was born, i think some sort of wire got crossed in my brain. I don't remember a time in my life when i wasn't focused, or more like consumed with life goals. I think i knew i wanted to teach, or open a school, since i was like 10 years old. And since at least 12, i've been keeping a list of goals to accomplish in my life.
I think it started in young womens class at church where we wrote ourselves a note with things to accomplish in high school. We sealed it and stuck it in our scriptures. And then we were supposed to open at the end of school and see how we did.
I took this process very seriously. I lugged that stupid self addessed sealed envelop around for 6 years. I didn't forget what was on it. I made sure to make myself two copies so I knew exactly what i needed to do to be satisfied when it came time to opening the letter.
And so these lists (which i genetically attribute to my mom) have been around for years. And i'm usually pretty good at them.
Valedictorian - check.
Black belt before college - check.
Full ride scholarship - check.
Ivy league school - check.
Skydiving - check.
Blah blah blah on and on it goes.
I'm not trying to brag here. I'm just saying it's like a obsession. If it goes on my life goal list, I don't stop until I can cross it off. And i don't make new lists i just keep adding to the old ones. I like to see the crossed off list. It's just so psycotically gratifying for me.
And so this weekend, on my weekend of release and lack of control, I crossed of so many life goals that i didn't even know were part of me.
It's like that scene from Breakfast at Tiffiny's when they spend the whole day doing things they've never done before. And it's silly and playful and horribly unadult and perfectly exactly how i spent my weekend.
A few things I never knew I alwasy wanted to do:
I've never taken a should be 3 hour bus ride through the mountains of Rwanda. I've never had to pull over so the president's motorcade could pass us on the street. I've never almost puked on the back seat of a bus. I've never gone dancing in a Rwandan disco to throw back 7th grade skating rink songs. I've never had sugar cane and advocado bought from right off a lady's head. I've never walked to the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo - or really any border for that matter. I've shared a shower (my first hot real steamy shower in 3 weeks) with a lizard - a cockroach yes but never a lizard. I've never had an audience while swimming. I've never stood on a dirt road with one arm in the air and danced like a crazy person. And i've never never never gone skinny dipping in a crystal clear lake by the light of a full moon at 3am.
But this weekend? Check.
(For the record, the audience was not during the skinny dipping portion of the swimming experience. That part was during the day, fully covered in a modest one piece bathing suite. Promise. Being a free porn star is not a life goal.)
I'm loving this living in the moment kind of craziness. It makes long term committment and future plans and BIG DEAL life goals a little difficult (can you really accept a cow from a stranger if you don't know where you'll be or who you'll be in 3 weeks?)
But it's so fun and i highly recommend it. Release your inhibitions. Make a life goal list and then start crossing them off. Not all of them have to be huge 'open a school in africa' kind of things. Just a list of things to do that would make your life deeper, more fun, and more colorful.
And then blog about them, and laugh about them, and lay awake at night dreaming about them.
Blessings for your life goal attainments,
Shai
He came in through the open window and bungee jumped into my shower bucket. He forgot the bungee wasn't attached and hastily swam to solid ground . Crazy African critters have no respect for privacy!
So when i was born, i think some sort of wire got crossed in my brain. I don't remember a time in my life when i wasn't focused, or more like consumed with life goals. I think i knew i wanted to teach, or open a school, since i was like 10 years old. And since at least 12, i've been keeping a list of goals to accomplish in my life.
I think it started in young womens class at church where we wrote ourselves a note with things to accomplish in high school. We sealed it and stuck it in our scriptures. And then we were supposed to open at the end of school and see how we did.
I took this process very seriously. I lugged that stupid self addessed sealed envelop around for 6 years. I didn't forget what was on it. I made sure to make myself two copies so I knew exactly what i needed to do to be satisfied when it came time to opening the letter.
And so these lists (which i genetically attribute to my mom) have been around for years. And i'm usually pretty good at them.
Valedictorian - check.
Black belt before college - check.
Full ride scholarship - check.
Ivy league school - check.
Skydiving - check.
Blah blah blah on and on it goes.
I'm not trying to brag here. I'm just saying it's like a obsession. If it goes on my life goal list, I don't stop until I can cross it off. And i don't make new lists i just keep adding to the old ones. I like to see the crossed off list. It's just so psycotically gratifying for me.
And so this weekend, on my weekend of release and lack of control, I crossed of so many life goals that i didn't even know were part of me.
It's like that scene from Breakfast at Tiffiny's when they spend the whole day doing things they've never done before. And it's silly and playful and horribly unadult and perfectly exactly how i spent my weekend.
A few things I never knew I alwasy wanted to do:
I've never taken a should be 3 hour bus ride through the mountains of Rwanda. I've never had to pull over so the president's motorcade could pass us on the street. I've never almost puked on the back seat of a bus. I've never gone dancing in a Rwandan disco to throw back 7th grade skating rink songs. I've never had sugar cane and advocado bought from right off a lady's head. I've never walked to the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo - or really any border for that matter. I've shared a shower (my first hot real steamy shower in 3 weeks) with a lizard - a cockroach yes but never a lizard. I've never had an audience while swimming. I've never stood on a dirt road with one arm in the air and danced like a crazy person. And i've never never never gone skinny dipping in a crystal clear lake by the light of a full moon at 3am.
But this weekend? Check.
(For the record, the audience was not during the skinny dipping portion of the swimming experience. That part was during the day, fully covered in a modest one piece bathing suite. Promise. Being a free porn star is not a life goal.)
I'm loving this living in the moment kind of craziness. It makes long term committment and future plans and BIG DEAL life goals a little difficult (can you really accept a cow from a stranger if you don't know where you'll be or who you'll be in 3 weeks?)
But it's so fun and i highly recommend it. Release your inhibitions. Make a life goal list and then start crossing them off. Not all of them have to be huge 'open a school in africa' kind of things. Just a list of things to do that would make your life deeper, more fun, and more colorful.
And then blog about them, and laugh about them, and lay awake at night dreaming about them.
Blessings for your life goal attainments,
Shai
This is my latest shower companion...
He came in through the open window and bungee jumped into my shower bucket. He forgot the bungee wasn't attached and hastily swam to solid ground . Crazy African critters have no respect for privacy!
Friday, July 23, 2010
cow kidney and african karaoke
Oh my gosh this week is one for the books!
First of all, life is flying bye. I've stopped using my homemade countdown calendar because it was making me too anxious. I have a million things to do and it just seems impossible to get them all done.I've been here three weeks and i'm almost to the down hill side.
Second of all, I have friends! And they want to hang out with me. And they take me on adventures. and make me laugh hysterically.
Third of all, i've learned that Africa is a gift. All her problems and ineffeciencies and dirt and craziness is a gift. A gift for me to learn patience. A gift for me to provide service. A gift for me to learn gratitude for what I have. A gift for me to tap into that celestial love that flows directly into you when you really get to know the heart of these people. And a gift for me to relax and release and just follow the process.
My favorite parts of this week:
Sunday - two different men offered my host family cows to marry me. Flattering. Thanks guys.
Monday - a moto driver that dropped me off realized that i was lost, let me walk for a good 5 min
and then came and picked me up and took me where i needed. It was sooo nice.
Tuesdsay - meeting with the guy in charge of women's education for all of Rwanda. It was like my research paper of the last 6 months came to life right before my very eyes. I was on the edge of my seat listening to all the work that he's trying to do here. I love male gender activists and think the world needs more of them.
Wednesday - my friend decided to cook for me. He lives a little bit in the ghetto in this weird compound where everyone shares a pee-hole and a water bucket. His neighbors find me hysterical and like to play with my hair. So Godfrey (that's right, his name is Godfrey) decided to cook me something he learned from his American friends while serving his LDS mission. And we invited the neighbors from the compound to come to our little picnic. It was a picnic only becuase the compound doesn't have furniture. And he cooked all of these things on an old coleman stove on the floor of his green carpeted apartement. So we had spagetti and some kind of sauce. And advocato and banana of course. There was some kind of gooey meat in the sauce but I didn't want to know. I didn't want to vomit. It was only later I was brave enough to ask. And that's right, cow kidney. Yup.
Thursday - oh my my. First of all I ate a hamburger. it cost me 6000 RWF (which is like $10) but I splurged and went for it. Thats only becuase of a day spent at a coffee shop becuase the internet connection at the director's house blew up. But to really compliment the perfectness of this day was African karaoke. I was excited for this plan becuase i LOVED Japaneese kareoke. It's just so great. But i was so unprepared for African's style. The genius part is - no one sings. and it's not an open mic at all. Its an auditioned for, hired for, prepared and rehereased and planned for, lip sync. We're talking costumes, moves, glitter - the works. And these people have moves. And i laughed my freaking head off. Which i think was a little offensive to those performing and those watching who take this sort of thing very seriously. Becuase African lip syncing is very very serious.
I have a video if i can freaking figure out how to load it.
and now...it's friday. I'm going to a town on the border of Congo and Rwanda. I have no idea where we're sleeping but i'm pretty sure it's in a hostel with bunk beds. and i'm taking Godfrey, my host sister Annah (who's never been there), 2 other white chicks, and a few more Africans that i don't know yet. And we're going to swim in a methane infested fault line lake that all the locals think have a sea monster in it. And we're takign a 3 hour bus ride to get there. And we're going to try to cross the border into Congo just to say we've done it. Except that it's believed to house rwandan rebels there. So we will see.
A totlaly great week in Africa.
Blessings,
Shai
First of all, life is flying bye. I've stopped using my homemade countdown calendar because it was making me too anxious. I have a million things to do and it just seems impossible to get them all done.I've been here three weeks and i'm almost to the down hill side.
Second of all, I have friends! And they want to hang out with me. And they take me on adventures. and make me laugh hysterically.
Third of all, i've learned that Africa is a gift. All her problems and ineffeciencies and dirt and craziness is a gift. A gift for me to learn patience. A gift for me to provide service. A gift for me to learn gratitude for what I have. A gift for me to tap into that celestial love that flows directly into you when you really get to know the heart of these people. And a gift for me to relax and release and just follow the process.
My favorite parts of this week:
Sunday - two different men offered my host family cows to marry me. Flattering. Thanks guys.
Monday - a moto driver that dropped me off realized that i was lost, let me walk for a good 5 min
and then came and picked me up and took me where i needed. It was sooo nice.
Tuesdsay - meeting with the guy in charge of women's education for all of Rwanda. It was like my research paper of the last 6 months came to life right before my very eyes. I was on the edge of my seat listening to all the work that he's trying to do here. I love male gender activists and think the world needs more of them.
Wednesday - my friend decided to cook for me. He lives a little bit in the ghetto in this weird compound where everyone shares a pee-hole and a water bucket. His neighbors find me hysterical and like to play with my hair. So Godfrey (that's right, his name is Godfrey) decided to cook me something he learned from his American friends while serving his LDS mission. And we invited the neighbors from the compound to come to our little picnic. It was a picnic only becuase the compound doesn't have furniture. And he cooked all of these things on an old coleman stove on the floor of his green carpeted apartement. So we had spagetti and some kind of sauce. And advocato and banana of course. There was some kind of gooey meat in the sauce but I didn't want to know. I didn't want to vomit. It was only later I was brave enough to ask. And that's right, cow kidney. Yup.
Thursday - oh my my. First of all I ate a hamburger. it cost me 6000 RWF (which is like $10) but I splurged and went for it. Thats only becuase of a day spent at a coffee shop becuase the internet connection at the director's house blew up. But to really compliment the perfectness of this day was African karaoke. I was excited for this plan becuase i LOVED Japaneese kareoke. It's just so great. But i was so unprepared for African's style. The genius part is - no one sings. and it's not an open mic at all. Its an auditioned for, hired for, prepared and rehereased and planned for, lip sync. We're talking costumes, moves, glitter - the works. And these people have moves. And i laughed my freaking head off. Which i think was a little offensive to those performing and those watching who take this sort of thing very seriously. Becuase African lip syncing is very very serious.
I have a video if i can freaking figure out how to load it.
and now...it's friday. I'm going to a town on the border of Congo and Rwanda. I have no idea where we're sleeping but i'm pretty sure it's in a hostel with bunk beds. and i'm taking Godfrey, my host sister Annah (who's never been there), 2 other white chicks, and a few more Africans that i don't know yet. And we're going to swim in a methane infested fault line lake that all the locals think have a sea monster in it. And we're takign a 3 hour bus ride to get there. And we're going to try to cross the border into Congo just to say we've done it. Except that it's believed to house rwandan rebels there. So we will see.
A totlaly great week in Africa.
Blessings,
Shai
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Shiny new lips
My dear sweet friends in the Green Hills Ward Young Womens group assembled care packages for the young women of the church here. But that's not all, Molly Overmyer's zeal for a cause, recruited several girls from her to school to assemble hundreds of tubs of lip gloss and nail polish!
So I shared the wealth and love.
And the Akilah girls were sooo happy. They loved the sparkle. The brands. The shine. But most of all they loved that someone their age, half way accross the world, cared enough to send them love in a suitcase.
And they all went to a big party that weekend and told me about how beautiful they looked with their shiny new lips.
(But we know the truth. They are beautiful becuase of their shining souls and hearts) Gosh I love these girls!
Monday, July 19, 2010
more photos coming up...
but first my horoscope from the Ugandan paper that my host brother shares with me every night.
"Today it is likely you will be attracted to those who come from different backgrounds from yourself. You are also likely to be energetically chasing new goals and wanting to make fresh starts. you will be more adventurous than you have been for a while. "
Those dang Ugandan psychics know everything! It's all so true. Black men are hot. Rwanda is an adventure. And my life is one big goal chasing experience.
This weekend we have planed a trip to a city I can never remember the name of. It's on the border of Congo and Rwanda. There's a big lake called Kivu. I'm hoping to accomplish one life goal there but i'm afraid i'll get deported...we shall see.
Meanwhile - PHOTOS!!!
Our School:
Will try to do more photos this afternoon. Love you all!
Blessings!
shai
ahhh...inspiration
Well week 3 has begun. I'll describe the weekend in details tommorrow when it's not dark and i'm not about to jump on the motorcycle of a stranger and travel for 3o minutes with no street lights. The later it gets the more ominous the darkness and the stranger ness is.
Until then, Monique shared with me the most beautiful poem that seems to send the message of Africa. And I wanted to send that message to you.
It's called The Journey by Mary Oliver
Blessings,
Shai
Until then, Monique shared with me the most beautiful poem that seems to send the message of Africa. And I wanted to send that message to you.
It's called The Journey by Mary Oliver
One day, you finally knew
what you had to do and began
though the voices around
kept shouting
their bad advice--
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
but you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do--
determined to save
the only life you could save.
Blessings,
Shai
Thursday, July 15, 2010
i took a shower with someone last night...
well really i used a cup and a bucket which is not exactly a shower shower. and it wasn't really some one as it was something..and he scared me to death!!! because he was chasing me around the bathroom! and i was squeeling like a little girl.
My family thought it was hysterical how hysterical I was. Only because this little dude was seriously aggresive!
Here's how it went down.
So a bucket shower consists of a deep bucket, a shallowbucket, the shower basin and a cup. And my family fortunately has a drain so you can dump the water down it. The drain basin is about 3 inches deep but there's no curtain or really seperation from this would be shower and the rest of the bathroom. My procedure is to stand in the shower drain and splash from bucket and use my wet wipes. I call this part: Wet wipe phase 1. That's the shower part.
You have to save your feet for last becuase they are soooo dirty. if you washed your feet first, then your water would get all dirty and you would basically just be smearing mud all over. The feet washing is it's own step. I call it Wet wipe phase 2.
Moving on to the Hair Wash step, you step out of the shower drain, pour some water into the shallow bucket to wash your hair. I usually just dip my head in and use the cup to make sure my hair's all wet. Then i shampoo over the shower basin so i don't get soap in my clean water. After i'm as lathered and clean is is possible in Africa, i use the cup and the shallow bucket to rinse my hair. It's a slow process but i'm getting pretty good at it.
So this little bugger attack begain as I was in round one. At first i was standing in the basin, using my cup and my bucket and he was just walking around the bathroom floor. So for Wet Wipe phase 1 and 2 i was just keeping my eye on him. And he was circleing the room like i was a criminal on trial. Back and forth in parallell lines slowly getting closer to the shower area. I decided since i was being interrogated by this enormous thing, this time i would just wash my hair from within the shower basin. So i bent over to stick my head in the bucket. After my hair was totally submerged in the water, i looked up to grab my shampoo. It was like a face off. He looked at me. I looked at him. We both wondered what was going to happen next. And the next thing i knew, he was charging me! Running straight for the shower basin at full throttle. I did the only logical thing a poor naked white girl could do in africa while being charged by a mammoth sized creature. I flung my head back, screamed, and ran to the other side of the bathroom as the bugger cannon balled into the shower basin.
From the other side of the all too thin bathroom door, i could hear my host family shuffling around. I wondered if they would try to come through the unlockable door to make sure i was still alive. And that thought panicked me even more.
And so i forced myself to re-enter the scene of the almost fatal attack and watched as the little bugger struggled to remove himself from his unintended prison. He was too big to crawl down the drain. He was too stubby to climb out of the basin. Although, when he stood on his hind legs at the edge of the basin, he could almost reach the top. So I grabbed a bucket, and placed it on top of my now captured former attacker. And proceeded to wash my hair over the shower drain. The soap and water, and even the bucket, didn't phase this thing. he somehow crawled out from under the bucket and continuted his frantic laps around the shower basin.
What else could i do? I grabbed my camera. ( I did get dressed first before entering the living room - just so you know.)
He was fortunately not still in the shower this morning.
I believe he is the bigest cockroach I've ever seen.
Blessings!
Shai
My family thought it was hysterical how hysterical I was. Only because this little dude was seriously aggresive!
Here's how it went down.
So a bucket shower consists of a deep bucket, a shallowbucket, the shower basin and a cup. And my family fortunately has a drain so you can dump the water down it. The drain basin is about 3 inches deep but there's no curtain or really seperation from this would be shower and the rest of the bathroom. My procedure is to stand in the shower drain and splash from bucket and use my wet wipes. I call this part: Wet wipe phase 1. That's the shower part.
You have to save your feet for last becuase they are soooo dirty. if you washed your feet first, then your water would get all dirty and you would basically just be smearing mud all over. The feet washing is it's own step. I call it Wet wipe phase 2.
Moving on to the Hair Wash step, you step out of the shower drain, pour some water into the shallow bucket to wash your hair. I usually just dip my head in and use the cup to make sure my hair's all wet. Then i shampoo over the shower basin so i don't get soap in my clean water. After i'm as lathered and clean is is possible in Africa, i use the cup and the shallow bucket to rinse my hair. It's a slow process but i'm getting pretty good at it.
So this little bugger attack begain as I was in round one. At first i was standing in the basin, using my cup and my bucket and he was just walking around the bathroom floor. So for Wet Wipe phase 1 and 2 i was just keeping my eye on him. And he was circleing the room like i was a criminal on trial. Back and forth in parallell lines slowly getting closer to the shower area. I decided since i was being interrogated by this enormous thing, this time i would just wash my hair from within the shower basin. So i bent over to stick my head in the bucket. After my hair was totally submerged in the water, i looked up to grab my shampoo. It was like a face off. He looked at me. I looked at him. We both wondered what was going to happen next. And the next thing i knew, he was charging me! Running straight for the shower basin at full throttle. I did the only logical thing a poor naked white girl could do in africa while being charged by a mammoth sized creature. I flung my head back, screamed, and ran to the other side of the bathroom as the bugger cannon balled into the shower basin.
From the other side of the all too thin bathroom door, i could hear my host family shuffling around. I wondered if they would try to come through the unlockable door to make sure i was still alive. And that thought panicked me even more.
And so i forced myself to re-enter the scene of the almost fatal attack and watched as the little bugger struggled to remove himself from his unintended prison. He was too big to crawl down the drain. He was too stubby to climb out of the basin. Although, when he stood on his hind legs at the edge of the basin, he could almost reach the top. So I grabbed a bucket, and placed it on top of my now captured former attacker. And proceeded to wash my hair over the shower drain. The soap and water, and even the bucket, didn't phase this thing. he somehow crawled out from under the bucket and continuted his frantic laps around the shower basin.
What else could i do? I grabbed my camera. ( I did get dressed first before entering the living room - just so you know.)
He was fortunately not still in the shower this morning.
I believe he is the bigest cockroach I've ever seen.
Blessings!
Shai
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
My first photo upload attempt...
The view from the school. Beautiful Rwanda! Well! It seems that's all my internet connection wanted to do right now. It keeps timing out. But it's a start. At least now you get to see what i get to see every day. The name of our area is Kibagabaga. (CHI bah gah bah gah).
Blessings!
Shai
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
week 2 and counting on a more positive note
ok. well yesterday was a little difficult! but i'm alive and well and better. I'm still waiting for teachers to acually let me do my work - which is why i actually have free time to write - but whatever. My vacation, their loss.
Let me describe some cool things that have happened so far:
FOOD. Yesterday i ate rabbit for the first time. It was surprisingly delicious. Yumm! Sunday, i made chopatis for our world cup party. For those of you that came to my birthday, this might sound familiar! I was like a pro since i've had practice. But it was fun kneeling over the fire with my host mom and stoking the coals and grilling our flat bread right on the fire. I've had matoki which is boiled banana - also awesome-, mush banana, deep fried banana, and grilled banana. We eat lots of rice and sauce. Sauce made from peanuts. sauce made from mushed peas. sauce made from old chicken bone broth. And the cabbage...oh man the cabbage. It's like the most delicious thing ever. and then you add the greens and you've never pooped so good in your entire life!
KANATAPE. Have i talked about this before? It's where the students and teachers circle the chairs and talk about where we are. Then we do these exercises that cause us to think, own our experience, and then to share it with the community. Today was about recognizing our ability. We each had to write our top 3 best qualities on a card. Then we put the cards in a bucket. Monique, the director, read off the qualities and we had to guess who they belonged to. It was fun to watch the girls complement each other. I guess it's just not part of the culture. After we guessed everyone, the cards were passed back to us and we had to proudly say I am Shai. and I am passionate, energetic, and adventurous. And then every one clapped. It was so powerful to see these girls own their own powerfulness. One girl said one of her best qualities is that she's big. and she said it with a head held high. I am big. and it's awesome. Rock on sweet sister!
FAITH. Literally and spiritually. Spiritually, i've sort of already mentioned. The nightly prayers with my host mom really take me down a notch. You should hear they way she addresses God. Just the change in her voice, the humility, and the debth of the love, it's so overwhelming! How? How do these people go every day with what they do, and still bow down and night so full of gratitue for living. It takes my breath away.
And then Faith the person. I met her yesterday when i went to dinner with a girl from Vanderbilt who is also doing work here this summer. Faith is my friends host mom. She lives in a HUGE house. Not because she's rich or pretentious but because she's filled it with children she has adopted. She's at 10 so far. All under the age of 10. And you should here these children sing. Last night they sang a song about following Jesus. I recorded a verse. I'll try to find a way to post it on here. And i asked Faith how she came to this life and this calling. She said she herself was rescued as an orphan after the first genocide of rwanda. She owes her life to the goodness of others. And when she was 20 and leaving university, she found a baby in the dumpster. She knew it was her calling to care for the child. That child didn't live more than 2 weeks but Faith knew she now had a responsibility to care for those that can not care for themselves. Faith doesn't run an orphanage. She adopted them. They are her children. And as if this amazing kindness to this crazy planet wasn't enough...yesterday my shoes gave me blisters. By the time i got to Faith's house, i was struggling to walk. Faith pulls out two pairs of shoes and just gave them to me. Just GAVE them to me. Like it was nothing. She's raising 10 kids and she gave me 2 pairs of shoes! She wouldn't take payment and only wanted a hug. And for me to call her Auntie becuase we are family now too.
ANA & RUTH. Since we're talking about amazing people, i have to mention my sweet host sister Ana and my host mom Ruth. These women work so hard. They are not revolutionary feminists. They don't refuse to cary water or scrub clothes or cook dinner. They do all of those things with outcomplaining. But they ARE revolutionizing women because they are educted, literate, God fearing women who want better for their daughter. They are the generation that will tip the tide for the African woman. They will not settle for their girl children to be kept out of school. They are not bucking the system in a joan of arch way - they just go about their daily lives expecting better for the future. And it is their hope that will make this work. Their dilligence to scrub floors every day knowing that their daughters are going to change the world. And sweet Ana is only 21 years old. She sneaks in every day to do my laundry even though i try to hide it from her. And we pinky promised to be sisters for life. So now it's official.
Sunday their was a bomb in Uganda. 65 people were killed at a club watching the world cup. Uganda is the country just north of here. There are threats on Barundi, the country just south of here. I'll admit - i'm a little freaked out. One of the teacher's sister was there at the club but she managed to get out alive. She's terrified and tramatized but she's alive.
My host family assured me that here in Rwanda we are safe. The security is better than any country in East Africa. We will be protected. Please pray for those that have been effected by that terrible act of terrorism in Uganda and for our continued safety here in this country.
Only 35 more days!
Shai
Let me describe some cool things that have happened so far:
FOOD. Yesterday i ate rabbit for the first time. It was surprisingly delicious. Yumm! Sunday, i made chopatis for our world cup party. For those of you that came to my birthday, this might sound familiar! I was like a pro since i've had practice. But it was fun kneeling over the fire with my host mom and stoking the coals and grilling our flat bread right on the fire. I've had matoki which is boiled banana - also awesome-, mush banana, deep fried banana, and grilled banana. We eat lots of rice and sauce. Sauce made from peanuts. sauce made from mushed peas. sauce made from old chicken bone broth. And the cabbage...oh man the cabbage. It's like the most delicious thing ever. and then you add the greens and you've never pooped so good in your entire life!
KANATAPE. Have i talked about this before? It's where the students and teachers circle the chairs and talk about where we are. Then we do these exercises that cause us to think, own our experience, and then to share it with the community. Today was about recognizing our ability. We each had to write our top 3 best qualities on a card. Then we put the cards in a bucket. Monique, the director, read off the qualities and we had to guess who they belonged to. It was fun to watch the girls complement each other. I guess it's just not part of the culture. After we guessed everyone, the cards were passed back to us and we had to proudly say I am Shai. and I am passionate, energetic, and adventurous. And then every one clapped. It was so powerful to see these girls own their own powerfulness. One girl said one of her best qualities is that she's big. and she said it with a head held high. I am big. and it's awesome. Rock on sweet sister!
FAITH. Literally and spiritually. Spiritually, i've sort of already mentioned. The nightly prayers with my host mom really take me down a notch. You should hear they way she addresses God. Just the change in her voice, the humility, and the debth of the love, it's so overwhelming! How? How do these people go every day with what they do, and still bow down and night so full of gratitue for living. It takes my breath away.
And then Faith the person. I met her yesterday when i went to dinner with a girl from Vanderbilt who is also doing work here this summer. Faith is my friends host mom. She lives in a HUGE house. Not because she's rich or pretentious but because she's filled it with children she has adopted. She's at 10 so far. All under the age of 10. And you should here these children sing. Last night they sang a song about following Jesus. I recorded a verse. I'll try to find a way to post it on here. And i asked Faith how she came to this life and this calling. She said she herself was rescued as an orphan after the first genocide of rwanda. She owes her life to the goodness of others. And when she was 20 and leaving university, she found a baby in the dumpster. She knew it was her calling to care for the child. That child didn't live more than 2 weeks but Faith knew she now had a responsibility to care for those that can not care for themselves. Faith doesn't run an orphanage. She adopted them. They are her children. And as if this amazing kindness to this crazy planet wasn't enough...yesterday my shoes gave me blisters. By the time i got to Faith's house, i was struggling to walk. Faith pulls out two pairs of shoes and just gave them to me. Just GAVE them to me. Like it was nothing. She's raising 10 kids and she gave me 2 pairs of shoes! She wouldn't take payment and only wanted a hug. And for me to call her Auntie becuase we are family now too.
ANA & RUTH. Since we're talking about amazing people, i have to mention my sweet host sister Ana and my host mom Ruth. These women work so hard. They are not revolutionary feminists. They don't refuse to cary water or scrub clothes or cook dinner. They do all of those things with outcomplaining. But they ARE revolutionizing women because they are educted, literate, God fearing women who want better for their daughter. They are the generation that will tip the tide for the African woman. They will not settle for their girl children to be kept out of school. They are not bucking the system in a joan of arch way - they just go about their daily lives expecting better for the future. And it is their hope that will make this work. Their dilligence to scrub floors every day knowing that their daughters are going to change the world. And sweet Ana is only 21 years old. She sneaks in every day to do my laundry even though i try to hide it from her. And we pinky promised to be sisters for life. So now it's official.
Sunday their was a bomb in Uganda. 65 people were killed at a club watching the world cup. Uganda is the country just north of here. There are threats on Barundi, the country just south of here. I'll admit - i'm a little freaked out. One of the teacher's sister was there at the club but she managed to get out alive. She's terrified and tramatized but she's alive.
My host family assured me that here in Rwanda we are safe. The security is better than any country in East Africa. We will be protected. Please pray for those that have been effected by that terrible act of terrorism in Uganda and for our continued safety here in this country.
Only 35 more days!
Shai
Monday, July 12, 2010
week 2 and counting
wow! Africa is kicking my white muzungo butt! Seriously!
Today is Monday. It's 5pm. And i'm contemplating all the reprocussions of coming home early...which is so dissapointing to myself.
This has by far been the most difficult transition of my life. Not only the living situation, the food, the money, the staring, the transportation, and the people but the pace of work... It's just all so different! I've started to adjust to all the physical aspects of my life choice to live in Africa among the people for the next six weeks. I've even found a way to comfortablly sleep with no pillow. And the bucket shower is not so bad because my sister had the genius idea to send me with wet wipes.
But the work! the work is making me crazy! and not the Rwandans. It's the Americans in Rwanda that make me crazy. Maybe it's becuase i'm the newest staff member - if i'm even considered staff - maybe becuase i'm not staff at all - but seriously! I just wish they would get their expectations and priorities and desires straight, communicated, clarified. AHHHHHHH!!!!
On a better note.
I went to church yesterday. Oh how i love the sweet spirit of God. I love that i can go to a church on the other side of the world and feel home. I love that the opening prayer was a young man praying - more like pleading - with God to please bring the Gospel into their hearts. Please Lord, Please just help us understand how to be better people. It was the most sincere and beautiful prayer. And i was so overcome with love for these wonderful faithful people just doing their best to try to get by. Walking 65 minutes just to get to church. My family took 45 minutes 2 bus rides and at least a half mile walk up the road. And these people don't just wear their every day skirts to church. They bust out their finest. When i asked my family about that - they looked shocked. They said "don't you? i mean it IS church shai!" so sweet!
We studied the Psalms in sunday school. One that stood out to me was Psalms 116:12 "What shall i render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me?" I feel that when i'm surrounding by God's love, and Sprit and goodness. What have i done to deserve such a beautiful experience? What could i ever do for God to show how grateful I am to have witnessed that sweet moment?
And the message came in the closing hymn. And it struck a painful chorde with me then as it does writing it right now ( how quickly I forget and slip into selfishness!). The song has emotional significance to me anyway becuaes it's always God's hymn of reminder that sneaks up on me when i'm questioning my life.
It may not be on a mountaint height
or over the stormy sea
it may not be at the battle's front
my Lord will have need of me.
But if by a still small voice he calls
to path that i do not know
i'll answer dear Lord with my hand in thine
I'll go where you want me to go.
Perhaps today there are loving words
which jesus woudl have me speak;
There may be now in the paths of sin
Some wand'rer whom i should seek.
O Savior, if thou wilt be my guide
Tho dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo the message sweet
I'll say what you want me to say.
And this is the doozy....
There's surely somewhere a lowly place
in earth's harvest field so wide
where i may labor through life's short day
for Jesus the crucified.
So trusting my all to thy tender care
and knowing thou lovest me,
i'll do they will with a heart sincere
I'll be what you want me to be.
I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, over mountain or plain or sea. I'll say what you want me to say dear Lord; I'll be what you want me to be.
Blessings,
Shai
(this is not exactly the posts i expected to be writing! But it's where i'm at at this moment and it's honest. I'm so imperfect and often overwhelmed by my own imperfections. But maybe you can be better than me by seeing how retarded i am - and that, in fact, is the point!)
Today is Monday. It's 5pm. And i'm contemplating all the reprocussions of coming home early...which is so dissapointing to myself.
This has by far been the most difficult transition of my life. Not only the living situation, the food, the money, the staring, the transportation, and the people but the pace of work... It's just all so different! I've started to adjust to all the physical aspects of my life choice to live in Africa among the people for the next six weeks. I've even found a way to comfortablly sleep with no pillow. And the bucket shower is not so bad because my sister had the genius idea to send me with wet wipes.
But the work! the work is making me crazy! and not the Rwandans. It's the Americans in Rwanda that make me crazy. Maybe it's becuase i'm the newest staff member - if i'm even considered staff - maybe becuase i'm not staff at all - but seriously! I just wish they would get their expectations and priorities and desires straight, communicated, clarified. AHHHHHHH!!!!
On a better note.
I went to church yesterday. Oh how i love the sweet spirit of God. I love that i can go to a church on the other side of the world and feel home. I love that the opening prayer was a young man praying - more like pleading - with God to please bring the Gospel into their hearts. Please Lord, Please just help us understand how to be better people. It was the most sincere and beautiful prayer. And i was so overcome with love for these wonderful faithful people just doing their best to try to get by. Walking 65 minutes just to get to church. My family took 45 minutes 2 bus rides and at least a half mile walk up the road. And these people don't just wear their every day skirts to church. They bust out their finest. When i asked my family about that - they looked shocked. They said "don't you? i mean it IS church shai!" so sweet!
We studied the Psalms in sunday school. One that stood out to me was Psalms 116:12 "What shall i render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me?" I feel that when i'm surrounding by God's love, and Sprit and goodness. What have i done to deserve such a beautiful experience? What could i ever do for God to show how grateful I am to have witnessed that sweet moment?
And the message came in the closing hymn. And it struck a painful chorde with me then as it does writing it right now ( how quickly I forget and slip into selfishness!). The song has emotional significance to me anyway becuaes it's always God's hymn of reminder that sneaks up on me when i'm questioning my life.
It may not be on a mountaint height
or over the stormy sea
it may not be at the battle's front
my Lord will have need of me.
But if by a still small voice he calls
to path that i do not know
i'll answer dear Lord with my hand in thine
I'll go where you want me to go.
Perhaps today there are loving words
which jesus woudl have me speak;
There may be now in the paths of sin
Some wand'rer whom i should seek.
O Savior, if thou wilt be my guide
Tho dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo the message sweet
I'll say what you want me to say.
And this is the doozy....
There's surely somewhere a lowly place
in earth's harvest field so wide
where i may labor through life's short day
for Jesus the crucified.
So trusting my all to thy tender care
and knowing thou lovest me,
i'll do they will with a heart sincere
I'll be what you want me to be.
I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, over mountain or plain or sea. I'll say what you want me to say dear Lord; I'll be what you want me to be.
Blessings,
Shai
(this is not exactly the posts i expected to be writing! But it's where i'm at at this moment and it's honest. I'm so imperfect and often overwhelmed by my own imperfections. But maybe you can be better than me by seeing how retarded i am - and that, in fact, is the point!)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
internet and neighborhood milk and other amazing discoveries
2 things i'm super grateful for today!
We FINALLY have internet at the school. Which makes me so excited. I was starting to feel like I was in a developing country or something!
It's been kind of a long week. I've discovered that i live kind of in the boonies. By the airport. Which i actually find hilarious since i live right by the airport in the Nashville. It must be some sort of universal subconscious calling or something. Like i can't get to far away from being able to get far away when ever i need or want to. (or some silly boy offers me a free plane ticket to somewhere). This morning i learned that i live right next to the compound where the former president lived. Evidentally his plane was shot down right over his compound, which was the catalyst for the whole genocide thing. Excellent. A little creepy but excellent. Why wouldn't i pick that neighborhood to live in? Of course! There are not really addresses here so i can't give you an exact location. But if you're a fan of google earth, you can search Kanombe. That's the name of my neighborhood. Aparently it's so far out of the city that the taxi drivers make a face everytime i ask for a ride there.
Ahhh...the taxis. Another brilliant discovery. There are normal taxies, well take normal very loosely but at least they are cars. These are rarely used by locals unless you're hauling luggage, old people, or rich people. Since very few people fit those categories (except us whiteys) very few people use them from what i can tell. Most locals take moto taxies. Picture hopping on the back of a stranger's motorcycle (who happens to be 15) and strapping on a helment that has been on 50 other strangers' heads already, weaving in and out of traffic, running red lights, and being so close to cars that you can shake hands with the driver. yesterday i was actually clipped by another moto taxi. Both my driver and me kind of turned around shocked! THe other driver, in his best english, said oh muzungo, i sooo sorry! The max moto ride should cost around 1000 rwanda franc which equates to a little less than $2. But since i'm so obviously muzungo (westerner) i've paid up to 2500 rwandan franc which is still only $4.50. But i love them! All the other teachers says buhoro buhoro (slowly slowly!) but i never say it. I don't know how to say faster faster yet but i have a feeling that i don't really need to know.
Another discovery has been kinyarwandan, the local language. It's totally not french anymore. The country has basically switched from french to english only and the local language. Most educated people who are adults speak french but they don't like to anymore becuase the young students are now being taught in english. Our students speak pretty well but struggle a little with diction so it can be hard to understand. I'm grateful for french becuase i know if english doesn't work, i can still try french. if that doesn't work than i laugh and shrug my shoulders and say muzungo. and they laugh. I'm learning though...hopefully i can get enough to understand some things. and stop getting ripped off by the motos!
And my final discovery, being a visitor in a local family is overwhelming! They call me The Visitor. They carry my stuff, polish my shoes, and sneak in and make my bed every day. It's so humbling becuase these people have so little. The sister actually hand washed my clothes. I'm so grateful and yet feel so selfish and imperialistic. and then their's the milk...every day they serve me fresh from a cow milk. Not grocery store pasturized fresh. like milked that morning from the neighborhood cow milk. and then boiled steaming hot and served with two scoops of pure cane sugar. Yum yum!
It has been a hard week - adjusting to bucket showers, poverty, and muzungo-ness. It's so tempting to move in with the american girls who go shopping everynight, eat at the italian resturant in the city, and live as close to american life as possible. I'm seriously considering it. I'm not sure my wet wipes will last me through the next 40 days. but for the short term, as long as i feel safe, i'm going to try to stick it out.
I might cheat and buy a pillow though...:)
Love you all!
your favorite muzungo
Shai
PS i just gave the girls all the chapstick from Molly's sorority. They LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I'll try to post pictures next round.
Oh PS2. I'm finally on skype. My user name is shairas. Send me messages if you can!
We FINALLY have internet at the school. Which makes me so excited. I was starting to feel like I was in a developing country or something!
It's been kind of a long week. I've discovered that i live kind of in the boonies. By the airport. Which i actually find hilarious since i live right by the airport in the Nashville. It must be some sort of universal subconscious calling or something. Like i can't get to far away from being able to get far away when ever i need or want to. (or some silly boy offers me a free plane ticket to somewhere). This morning i learned that i live right next to the compound where the former president lived. Evidentally his plane was shot down right over his compound, which was the catalyst for the whole genocide thing. Excellent. A little creepy but excellent. Why wouldn't i pick that neighborhood to live in? Of course! There are not really addresses here so i can't give you an exact location. But if you're a fan of google earth, you can search Kanombe. That's the name of my neighborhood. Aparently it's so far out of the city that the taxi drivers make a face everytime i ask for a ride there.
Ahhh...the taxis. Another brilliant discovery. There are normal taxies, well take normal very loosely but at least they are cars. These are rarely used by locals unless you're hauling luggage, old people, or rich people. Since very few people fit those categories (except us whiteys) very few people use them from what i can tell. Most locals take moto taxies. Picture hopping on the back of a stranger's motorcycle (who happens to be 15) and strapping on a helment that has been on 50 other strangers' heads already, weaving in and out of traffic, running red lights, and being so close to cars that you can shake hands with the driver. yesterday i was actually clipped by another moto taxi. Both my driver and me kind of turned around shocked! THe other driver, in his best english, said oh muzungo, i sooo sorry! The max moto ride should cost around 1000 rwanda franc which equates to a little less than $2. But since i'm so obviously muzungo (westerner) i've paid up to 2500 rwandan franc which is still only $4.50. But i love them! All the other teachers says buhoro buhoro (slowly slowly!) but i never say it. I don't know how to say faster faster yet but i have a feeling that i don't really need to know.
Another discovery has been kinyarwandan, the local language. It's totally not french anymore. The country has basically switched from french to english only and the local language. Most educated people who are adults speak french but they don't like to anymore becuase the young students are now being taught in english. Our students speak pretty well but struggle a little with diction so it can be hard to understand. I'm grateful for french becuase i know if english doesn't work, i can still try french. if that doesn't work than i laugh and shrug my shoulders and say muzungo. and they laugh. I'm learning though...hopefully i can get enough to understand some things. and stop getting ripped off by the motos!
And my final discovery, being a visitor in a local family is overwhelming! They call me The Visitor. They carry my stuff, polish my shoes, and sneak in and make my bed every day. It's so humbling becuase these people have so little. The sister actually hand washed my clothes. I'm so grateful and yet feel so selfish and imperialistic. and then their's the milk...every day they serve me fresh from a cow milk. Not grocery store pasturized fresh. like milked that morning from the neighborhood cow milk. and then boiled steaming hot and served with two scoops of pure cane sugar. Yum yum!
It has been a hard week - adjusting to bucket showers, poverty, and muzungo-ness. It's so tempting to move in with the american girls who go shopping everynight, eat at the italian resturant in the city, and live as close to american life as possible. I'm seriously considering it. I'm not sure my wet wipes will last me through the next 40 days. but for the short term, as long as i feel safe, i'm going to try to stick it out.
I might cheat and buy a pillow though...:)
Love you all!
your favorite muzungo
Shai
PS i just gave the girls all the chapstick from Molly's sorority. They LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I'll try to post pictures next round.
Oh PS2. I'm finally on skype. My user name is shairas. Send me messages if you can!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
bien venue en afrique!
Well I've officially arrived in Africa! the weather is beautiful. the sun is shinning. and their is red dirt everywhere!!!
my flight took forever! we stopped in Rome on the way to Ethiopia and then we stopped in uganda on the way to Rwanda. both stops added an extra hour to the trip. i ended up landing in Rwanda around 4:00 am this morning. and get this! they made me check my carry-on bag with all of the computers - charged me $60s to do it - and then lost it! So the bag with all of the computers and and gifts and everything is missing. but about 15 other people on my flight lost their bags too so I'm hoping it was just a fluke and not a corruption thing. when i told the airline in Rwanda what was in my bag he yelled at me and said how could you have let that out of your sight! but what could i have done? it's awesome being so obviously not local because you're a walking target!
Joshua and ruth opar living on this old dirt road with a really nice house. it's kind of far from the city. but they received me with orange jucie and fanta (fanta is the generic word for soda - kind of like i want a coke, what kind? oh sprite.) when our taxi took us down the old road little children came out to wave. when they saw this tall white girl sitting in the back seat they started laughing and chasing the taxi. when i got out the all stopped and stared at me. i smiled and waved and said hi. They didn't respond so i tried french. then they started laughing and looking at each other. at least no one ran up and pulled my hair like they did in japan. ha! but it was pretty cute.
The family I'm staying with is Joshua and Ruth. Joshua is the new bishop of the church here. His wife Ruth and sister Ana live there. Ana is a student in - get this - hospitality management at the university here. Hopefully I can get her help with my school. Joshua is a teacher in elementary school but is taking night classes at the university in education administration. (same as me! interesting!) Hopefully they like soccer so we can watch the match tonight.
i came into town to buy a phone and get some money and shampoo. the school has sent a friend to help me. her name is Irene and she's so nice. we are just kind of wandering around town now and decided to stop and email.
hopefully i'll have more internet time tomorrow at the school. If i can find my way there! I think i have to take a bus, and then a taxi, and then walk a mile or so. It's kind of far. but that means exercise so that's exciting!
so far so good. a little overwhelming. but things are good. I know when i see our school it will all feel more real and not just a red dirt dream.
love you all,
shai
my flight took forever! we stopped in Rome on the way to Ethiopia and then we stopped in uganda on the way to Rwanda. both stops added an extra hour to the trip. i ended up landing in Rwanda around 4:00 am this morning. and get this! they made me check my carry-on bag with all of the computers - charged me $60s to do it - and then lost it! So the bag with all of the computers and and gifts and everything is missing. but about 15 other people on my flight lost their bags too so I'm hoping it was just a fluke and not a corruption thing. when i told the airline in Rwanda what was in my bag he yelled at me and said how could you have let that out of your sight! but what could i have done? it's awesome being so obviously not local because you're a walking target!
Joshua and ruth opar living on this old dirt road with a really nice house. it's kind of far from the city. but they received me with orange jucie and fanta (fanta is the generic word for soda - kind of like i want a coke, what kind? oh sprite.) when our taxi took us down the old road little children came out to wave. when they saw this tall white girl sitting in the back seat they started laughing and chasing the taxi. when i got out the all stopped and stared at me. i smiled and waved and said hi. They didn't respond so i tried french. then they started laughing and looking at each other. at least no one ran up and pulled my hair like they did in japan. ha! but it was pretty cute.
The family I'm staying with is Joshua and Ruth. Joshua is the new bishop of the church here. His wife Ruth and sister Ana live there. Ana is a student in - get this - hospitality management at the university here. Hopefully I can get her help with my school. Joshua is a teacher in elementary school but is taking night classes at the university in education administration. (same as me! interesting!) Hopefully they like soccer so we can watch the match tonight.
i came into town to buy a phone and get some money and shampoo. the school has sent a friend to help me. her name is Irene and she's so nice. we are just kind of wandering around town now and decided to stop and email.
hopefully i'll have more internet time tomorrow at the school. If i can find my way there! I think i have to take a bus, and then a taxi, and then walk a mile or so. It's kind of far. but that means exercise so that's exciting!
so far so good. a little overwhelming. but things are good. I know when i see our school it will all feel more real and not just a red dirt dream.
love you all,
shai
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