Since Patrick was feeling ill today I took headed to the girls’ school to cover his English classes for him. With much help from the school’s headmistress I was able to determine Patrick’s schedule for the day and the girls were able to direct me from room to room leaving me to stumble my way through three English classes with no lesson and little plan.
On the walk back to UCK for lunch and a short nap before afternoon classes I was stopped by an old man who as sitting on his “porch” with several other men. With his few words of English, my few of Kinyarwanda and a larger mutual base in French we chatted for several minutes while the other men only looked on curiously. The man was very friendly and curious to learn more about where I was from and what brought me to Rwanda and even gave me a free Kinyarwanda lesson – teaching me that amakuru is “how are you?”
Armed with my Canadian calendar and an idea I was much more prepared for the afternoon classes I was to manage. I split the girls in each class into groups and asked them to write and then present something using the pictures as inspiration. I failed to account for how much explanation this would require from me – the girls had never seen (pictures of) lighthouses or grain elevators or even a very large bridge before.
The evening was passed in the English Centre with Patrick (feeling a little better) and Vivens and later at Landoo’s place over beer and brochette. We shared stories and discussed the cultural difference surrounding marriage between Rwanda and Canada. Of the biggest differences age was certainly one – girls often marry between 18 and 20 though the government made it illegal to marry before 21 in an effort to delay marriage and thus decrease the number of children each family has. In addition the difference in age between man and wife in Rwanda is often much greater than the one or two years that constitutes normal at home. The last major difference is prevalence of unmarried couples in Canada contrasted to their near non-existence here. This is partly because having children out of wedlock is still largely socially unacceptable but mostly because there is no “common law” legislation in Rwanda and should an unmarried couple separate the woman is typically left with nothing. It is only recently that legislation was passed to protect the children of such unions who were previously also left destitute.
Daily Smiles
- The girls with the picture of Saskatchewan asking “but where are the mountains?” and their visible confusion at my response that there are none.
- Patrick deciding beer was a much better cure for his cold than tea.
- “Sharing” a beer with Vivens which really meant that I drank ¾ of a big bottle of Mutzig.
- Waiting to meet Patrick on the bench outside Bona’s office. He was one hour late. Everyone crowding around me and saying “sorry, sorry” when they saw that I was bleeding a little as I had scratched my own forehead. Bona being upset that I sat outside his office and didn’t come in to say hi.
- The random man in the street, after teaching me amakuru and parting ways, yelling after me that I was very pretty as I walked away.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Cultural Assimilation (September 16)
Today I had the morning off so after sleeping in I went for a long walk nearly all the way around town. I spent the afternoon at the girls’ school with Patrick as the centre of attention for a few English classes and observing a cation identification lab (which made me think so much of Shaun and Mr. Baetsen). Then after a short rest I went with Patrick, Vivens and his wife Clarisse to a very very nice pub for a drink and some BBQ (aka brochette) before blundering my way through another meal of French conversation with the visiting teachers, this time a little buzzed. I also realized that this place tires me out. I don’t mean I’m tired at the end of the day, I mean I’m tired all the time and feel as though I could pass out juts about any time anywhere. Maybe it’s the heat?
Cultural Differences
- Picking your nose is generally accepted behavior.
- If you want to catch someone’s attention, such as a waiter or someone across the street, hiss. It sounds like a cat about to scratch your eyes out but it’s very effective.
- Other noises are common parts of speech here, such as Ahhhh, eeeeeh and the raspberry sound. I’m not sure exactly what they all mean just yet, and I’m pretty sure it’s at least a little context dependent.
Daily Smiles
- Meeting the house maid’s mother at breakfast and attempting to navigate the awkward looking Rwandan half hug that’s really more of a mutual shoulder grab.
- Sponge bath number 2 – I’m getting better ?
- Two randome children who ran up to me and hugged the “muzungoo” as I was walking with Patrick to the girls’ school
- The girls completing many mini performances for me and their classes each of which was surrounded by full rounds of applause
- The girls insist that I make such mini performances as well resulting in me teaching them to sing “Head and shoulders, knees and toes” and reciting In Flanders’ Fields
- The girls in one class demanding that I try Rwandan traditional dance – EPIC FAIL!
Cultural Differences
- Picking your nose is generally accepted behavior.
- If you want to catch someone’s attention, such as a waiter or someone across the street, hiss. It sounds like a cat about to scratch your eyes out but it’s very effective.
- Other noises are common parts of speech here, such as Ahhhh, eeeeeh and the raspberry sound. I’m not sure exactly what they all mean just yet, and I’m pretty sure it’s at least a little context dependent.
Daily Smiles
- Meeting the house maid’s mother at breakfast and attempting to navigate the awkward looking Rwandan half hug that’s really more of a mutual shoulder grab.
- Sponge bath number 2 – I’m getting better ?
- Two randome children who ran up to me and hugged the “muzungoo” as I was walking with Patrick to the girls’ school
- The girls completing many mini performances for me and their classes each of which was surrounded by full rounds of applause
- The girls insist that I make such mini performances as well resulting in me teaching them to sing “Head and shoulders, knees and toes” and reciting In Flanders’ Fields
- The girls in one class demanding that I try Rwandan traditional dance – EPIC FAIL!
Embassy, Accident, Adventure? (September 15)
Today a group of us left UCK at about 8:30 am for Kigali. The group was composed of Patrick and myself, Leonard from ICT, one of the men from the finance department whose name I can’t recall all travelling in the UCK van with its driver. The purpose of the trip was to make a visit to the US Embassy who had granted $5000 USD to the English centre and then spend the money in Kigali on books and computers and other equipment for the centre.
After the ordeal of actually entering the embassy – think airport security complete with metal detectors and passport checks, except that you’re not allowed to bring anything electronic in with you, it must be left at the gate – we made our way to the embassy library. The library wasn’t very large but probably contained one of the largest collections of English books in the country and reminded me very much of the children’s section of the Pembina Trails Library from when I was little. Somehow it managed to communicate the same sense of childish wonder to me. It was in the library that we were met by Eddie, the American embassy worker that is the main contact with the UCK English Centre, and two of her staff members. Eddie was a nice jolly sort of lady who reminded me a lot of Bonnie from the post office at Shoppers. After shaking hands handing in a report making a little small talk and covering some of the terms of the grant Eddie and her staff walked us out and I was able to ask her a few questions. I learned that while she is originally from St. Louis she had not been home in quite some time as her to previous posts were in Honduras and Bolivia. The life of a foreign servant sounds incredibly cool to me and I wish I could have talked to her a little more. I suppose it would be more relevant for me to try and get in touch with someone at the Canadian Embassy who I might be able to have a chat with.
After that we went to RDB (Rwanda Development Board) and Patrick and I had tea in the office with Apollo. It was nice, though I must admit I felt a little awkward sitting on the couch in the middle of the office drinking tea with Patrick and Apollo while everyone else in the office remained working at their desks around the room (the office is based on an open concept with everyone’s desk facing the middle of one big room, yay for no cubicle city!).
After that we set about spending the money the US Embassy had given us (we had picked it up at the bank that morning before heading to Kigali). Mostly I just followed the men around the city at this point. We made stops in a computer store, an electronic store, Nakumatt and Simba supermarkets and at a few primary schools targeted at the children of ex-pats. I found the supermarkets very interesting. They reminded me of Walmart but in a smaller space with just as much stuff, if not more, stuffed inside. The supermarkets carry everything from liquor to groceries to electronics and furniture. They are not nearly as well branded, though you can see the beginnings of it, and there are about 10x the staff. Oh, and, the cashiers sit at their tills!!!
By far the most interesting thing that happened today was the car accident. Worry not, no one was hurt. While angle parked in downtown Kigali (it appears a little bit of Stoon followed me here) the back corner of the UCK van was clipped by a passing car, the force of which caused the van to rock in place. While everyone was dumbfounded Patrick asked, “What was that?” to which I said we’d just been hit and pointed to a small grey benz that as continuing to drive up the street.
Immediately after the accident at least 10 people were surrounding the injured corner of the van and offering to be itnesses, some even reciting the plate number of the car. Also, a moto driver that saw what happened took off after the driver of the benz. I’m not sure if the moto driver or Leonard (he’d gone running after the car) got to the benz first but either way he came back within a few minutes with Leonard in the passenger seat. The next step was to call the cops, who came and visited the site of a fender bender! Also, a man from a nearby garage was brought to assess the damages. Then the driver of the other car, who I soon learned was named Clement, got into the van and proceeded to spend half the afternoon running errands with us until the van could get into the shop. He even talked and joked with us and we gave one of his buddies a lift before the whole ordeal was over with and we dropped him back at his car.
Daily Smiles
- African time in terms of leaving Gitarama
- The entire car accident experience – I cannot imagine such a situation resulting in smiles and friends all around in Canada, only pissed people
- Complete randoms starting up conversations with me all day
- Eating a slightly off tasting burger in Simba Café just as I was really starting to miss food from home
- Not being allowed to help unload the van at the end of the day as there were clearly men present to do the lifting
- Rocking out to a CMT compilation of Dolly Parton music videos in the store where we purchased the stereo while they rain gave ‘er outside. The store owner was loving the old school country just as much as if not more than me!
After the ordeal of actually entering the embassy – think airport security complete with metal detectors and passport checks, except that you’re not allowed to bring anything electronic in with you, it must be left at the gate – we made our way to the embassy library. The library wasn’t very large but probably contained one of the largest collections of English books in the country and reminded me very much of the children’s section of the Pembina Trails Library from when I was little. Somehow it managed to communicate the same sense of childish wonder to me. It was in the library that we were met by Eddie, the American embassy worker that is the main contact with the UCK English Centre, and two of her staff members. Eddie was a nice jolly sort of lady who reminded me a lot of Bonnie from the post office at Shoppers. After shaking hands handing in a report making a little small talk and covering some of the terms of the grant Eddie and her staff walked us out and I was able to ask her a few questions. I learned that while she is originally from St. Louis she had not been home in quite some time as her to previous posts were in Honduras and Bolivia. The life of a foreign servant sounds incredibly cool to me and I wish I could have talked to her a little more. I suppose it would be more relevant for me to try and get in touch with someone at the Canadian Embassy who I might be able to have a chat with.
After that we went to RDB (Rwanda Development Board) and Patrick and I had tea in the office with Apollo. It was nice, though I must admit I felt a little awkward sitting on the couch in the middle of the office drinking tea with Patrick and Apollo while everyone else in the office remained working at their desks around the room (the office is based on an open concept with everyone’s desk facing the middle of one big room, yay for no cubicle city!).
After that we set about spending the money the US Embassy had given us (we had picked it up at the bank that morning before heading to Kigali). Mostly I just followed the men around the city at this point. We made stops in a computer store, an electronic store, Nakumatt and Simba supermarkets and at a few primary schools targeted at the children of ex-pats. I found the supermarkets very interesting. They reminded me of Walmart but in a smaller space with just as much stuff, if not more, stuffed inside. The supermarkets carry everything from liquor to groceries to electronics and furniture. They are not nearly as well branded, though you can see the beginnings of it, and there are about 10x the staff. Oh, and, the cashiers sit at their tills!!!
By far the most interesting thing that happened today was the car accident. Worry not, no one was hurt. While angle parked in downtown Kigali (it appears a little bit of Stoon followed me here) the back corner of the UCK van was clipped by a passing car, the force of which caused the van to rock in place. While everyone was dumbfounded Patrick asked, “What was that?” to which I said we’d just been hit and pointed to a small grey benz that as continuing to drive up the street.
Immediately after the accident at least 10 people were surrounding the injured corner of the van and offering to be itnesses, some even reciting the plate number of the car. Also, a moto driver that saw what happened took off after the driver of the benz. I’m not sure if the moto driver or Leonard (he’d gone running after the car) got to the benz first but either way he came back within a few minutes with Leonard in the passenger seat. The next step was to call the cops, who came and visited the site of a fender bender! Also, a man from a nearby garage was brought to assess the damages. Then the driver of the other car, who I soon learned was named Clement, got into the van and proceeded to spend half the afternoon running errands with us until the van could get into the shop. He even talked and joked with us and we gave one of his buddies a lift before the whole ordeal was over with and we dropped him back at his car.
Daily Smiles
- African time in terms of leaving Gitarama
- The entire car accident experience – I cannot imagine such a situation resulting in smiles and friends all around in Canada, only pissed people
- Complete randoms starting up conversations with me all day
- Eating a slightly off tasting burger in Simba Café just as I was really starting to miss food from home
- Not being allowed to help unload the van at the end of the day as there were clearly men present to do the lifting
- Rocking out to a CMT compilation of Dolly Parton music videos in the store where we purchased the stereo while they rain gave ‘er outside. The store owner was loving the old school country just as much as if not more than me!
The First Day of the Rest of My Life…Or At Least the Rest of the Month (September 14)
On the first day of “work” here at UCK I started by meeting with the Rector and Patrick and a few other staff members to discuss the objectives of my stay. I passed the remainer of my morning watching a video on TEFL, with one notable exception. A group of journalism and communication students at UCK who I had spotted eyeing me through the open door of the English Centre asked me to present my opinion on whether it is necessary to be a virgin before marriage. In French! On Camera! Since they were nice enough to ask me and since I wanted a break I decided to oblige them but wrote out what I wanted to say first and not trusting the French I hadn’t really practiced in about three years (Ben, I refuse to count your harassment) I asked one of the students to proofread it to make sure it at least made sense. Now I’m certain I blushed and mumbled and replaced every le with les and naturally they had to do a second take (which I’m pretty sure was worse, not better) as the first didn’t work but all the students clapped for me anyways.
After lunch with Patrick we went to the girls’ school where conversation club had been the day before. First we met with the school’s administration, the Director, Dean of Accounting and the Dean of Finance and Accounting, to finalize the way in which I would be of assistance to the staff at the school. Since the Rwandan government, in its effort to change the second official language of the country from French to English and garner itself a greater stake in the East African community, has mandated that at the start of the next school year in January all classes that would normally be taught in French must now be taught in English, it was to be my duty to observe the classes that are already taught in English (Senior 1 and Senior 4 classes) and do my best to come up with a few things I can share as a native English speaker that will ease the transition for the school. Thus I was sent to observe an English physics class where I became worried that I wouldn’t have much to contribute as the teacher’s English was already quite admirable.
After physics was a break between classes during which three girls from Senior 6 came up and introduced themselves and asked if I wanted to see their classroom. Before I knew it I was surrounded by girls asking questions, invading my bubble, touching my skin and hair and forcing me to test my memory of French. As their next class was English taught by Patrick I was placed at their mercy and became the centre of attention for yet another lecture.
When I returned to my room at UCK I met the housekeeper, though I didn’t realize it right away. That confusion was quickly resolved as she took me by the hand and excitedly introduced me to Jean Baptiste, the house boy, showed me the kitchen and all the produce she had just purchased and told me a bit about her 5 children. After clearing up the misunderstanding that I was the oldest of three children rather than a mother of three she sent me on my way with a plate of fruit, some toilet paper, a fresh bar of soap and a rechargeable lamp in case the power goes out. Little did she know when the power went out the day before I took that as a sign and went to bed!
That night, at a lovely late 9:45 pm, I shared my first meal with the visiting teachers who are staying in some of the other rooms here. For the most part I quite enjoyed myself and spent the meal practicing my French (all the teachers are fluent in French and much less comfortable with English though it turns out nearly all of them know at least a little). Unfortunately, most of the jokes were told in Kinyarwanda. All of the travelling staff members are very nice and friendly and seem to be making a conscious effort to make me feel welcome and a part of the group. I still miss the ease of hanging out with people who have a better grasp of English (it takes a lot of effort for me to focus on understanding a speaking French) and who are a little closer to my age. But nothing beats a crowded dinner table, regardless of whether or not I understand the conversation.
Daily Smiles
- All the people who look at me at say “good morning” but don’t say or possibly know any other English
- The students asking me to sing them a song in English. And then another one!
- All of the questions I get aked that in Canada ould be considered totally inappropriate, at least upon first meeting:
- How old are you?
- Are you married or single?
- At which church do you pray?
- The looks on the faces of the girls when I explained to them that in Canada girls generally don’t marry until 25 or even later
- The look on the face of the Director of the girls school as he tried to comprehend -40C and how all three school administrators were thoroughly convinced that going outside in such cold meant instant death
- Lamely attempting to explain winter sports to the night students. It’s kinda hard when snow and ice have no meaning.
- The excitement of the housekeeper to show me her workplace.
After lunch with Patrick we went to the girls’ school where conversation club had been the day before. First we met with the school’s administration, the Director, Dean of Accounting and the Dean of Finance and Accounting, to finalize the way in which I would be of assistance to the staff at the school. Since the Rwandan government, in its effort to change the second official language of the country from French to English and garner itself a greater stake in the East African community, has mandated that at the start of the next school year in January all classes that would normally be taught in French must now be taught in English, it was to be my duty to observe the classes that are already taught in English (Senior 1 and Senior 4 classes) and do my best to come up with a few things I can share as a native English speaker that will ease the transition for the school. Thus I was sent to observe an English physics class where I became worried that I wouldn’t have much to contribute as the teacher’s English was already quite admirable.
After physics was a break between classes during which three girls from Senior 6 came up and introduced themselves and asked if I wanted to see their classroom. Before I knew it I was surrounded by girls asking questions, invading my bubble, touching my skin and hair and forcing me to test my memory of French. As their next class was English taught by Patrick I was placed at their mercy and became the centre of attention for yet another lecture.
When I returned to my room at UCK I met the housekeeper, though I didn’t realize it right away. That confusion was quickly resolved as she took me by the hand and excitedly introduced me to Jean Baptiste, the house boy, showed me the kitchen and all the produce she had just purchased and told me a bit about her 5 children. After clearing up the misunderstanding that I was the oldest of three children rather than a mother of three she sent me on my way with a plate of fruit, some toilet paper, a fresh bar of soap and a rechargeable lamp in case the power goes out. Little did she know when the power went out the day before I took that as a sign and went to bed!
That night, at a lovely late 9:45 pm, I shared my first meal with the visiting teachers who are staying in some of the other rooms here. For the most part I quite enjoyed myself and spent the meal practicing my French (all the teachers are fluent in French and much less comfortable with English though it turns out nearly all of them know at least a little). Unfortunately, most of the jokes were told in Kinyarwanda. All of the travelling staff members are very nice and friendly and seem to be making a conscious effort to make me feel welcome and a part of the group. I still miss the ease of hanging out with people who have a better grasp of English (it takes a lot of effort for me to focus on understanding a speaking French) and who are a little closer to my age. But nothing beats a crowded dinner table, regardless of whether or not I understand the conversation.
Daily Smiles
- All the people who look at me at say “good morning” but don’t say or possibly know any other English
- The students asking me to sing them a song in English. And then another one!
- All of the questions I get aked that in Canada ould be considered totally inappropriate, at least upon first meeting:
- How old are you?
- Are you married or single?
- At which church do you pray?
- The looks on the faces of the girls when I explained to them that in Canada girls generally don’t marry until 25 or even later
- The look on the face of the Director of the girls school as he tried to comprehend -40C and how all three school administrators were thoroughly convinced that going outside in such cold meant instant death
- Lamely attempting to explain winter sports to the night students. It’s kinda hard when snow and ice have no meaning.
- The excitement of the housekeeper to show me her workplace.
Dinner at the Diocese (September 13)
On my first Sunday in Rwanda and in Gitarama I was invited, with Patrick escorting me, to attend dinner with the Rector of UCK. The Rector met Patrick and I at the university where we passed about a half hour in his office getting acquainted before we piled into his SUV and drove to the rectory. Now I’m not sure what I was expecting the residence of the rector of a university to be like but somehow it didn’t quite occur to me that he would be living in a large stone building next to the cathedral with many other priests. Surely that is ignorance. Nonetheless I thought dinner with one priest in his home was intimidating until I was introduced one by one to the several others who also live in the rectory.
Being that I was terrified I was going to display insufficient table manners for dinner in such a setting I think I managed to survive relatively blunder free (Thanks, Mom). I did feel foolish when I sat in the chair I was directed to only to realize that grace is said while still standing behind your chair, thus I quickly rose and bowed my head. Just after we sat down and dished out the food one last person entered the room for dinner – none other than the Bishop of Kabgayi. Selecting the free chair directly across from me he said his prayer and sat down to enjoy his meal. As many meals here are served with beer the Bishop proceeded to offer me one and open it. In some cruel comedy of errors the beer foamed rather viciously when the cap was removed creating a minor spectacle as we both awkwardly tried to keep it from making a huge mess. To make things better, as soon as I thought the crisis as averted it started again! And then just to prove that my reality is especially warped the Bishop busts out his cell phone and starts making a couple calls in the middle of dinner!
There are moments in my life where my circumstances suddenly strike me as ridiculous or odd or extremely unlikely and one thought quickly overtakes my mind: how on Earth did I get here? At which point I usually take a virtual tour of the path of my life, noting the forks at which my choice of turn lead me to the current moment and I relish in the beauty of its improbability. In these moments, more often than not, I feel incredibly fortunate.
Eating dinner across from the Bishop of Kabgayi was definitely one of those moments.
Culture Shock
Everyone here answers their cell phones everywhere! At dinner, in class. Even the teachers and the Bishop. That this is perfectly acceptable behavior will take some getting used to. And I’m not sure I’ll like it.
Being that I was terrified I was going to display insufficient table manners for dinner in such a setting I think I managed to survive relatively blunder free (Thanks, Mom). I did feel foolish when I sat in the chair I was directed to only to realize that grace is said while still standing behind your chair, thus I quickly rose and bowed my head. Just after we sat down and dished out the food one last person entered the room for dinner – none other than the Bishop of Kabgayi. Selecting the free chair directly across from me he said his prayer and sat down to enjoy his meal. As many meals here are served with beer the Bishop proceeded to offer me one and open it. In some cruel comedy of errors the beer foamed rather viciously when the cap was removed creating a minor spectacle as we both awkwardly tried to keep it from making a huge mess. To make things better, as soon as I thought the crisis as averted it started again! And then just to prove that my reality is especially warped the Bishop busts out his cell phone and starts making a couple calls in the middle of dinner!
There are moments in my life where my circumstances suddenly strike me as ridiculous or odd or extremely unlikely and one thought quickly overtakes my mind: how on Earth did I get here? At which point I usually take a virtual tour of the path of my life, noting the forks at which my choice of turn lead me to the current moment and I relish in the beauty of its improbability. In these moments, more often than not, I feel incredibly fortunate.
Eating dinner across from the Bishop of Kabgayi was definitely one of those moments.
Culture Shock
Everyone here answers their cell phones everywhere! At dinner, in class. Even the teachers and the Bishop. That this is perfectly acceptable behavior will take some getting used to. And I’m not sure I’ll like it.
Monday, October 5, 2009
English Club
On my first morning in Gitarama, the Sunday after I arrived in Rwanda, I met Patrick and a few of the UCK students in the English Centre to head to an all girls secondary school for English conversation club. We walked from the uni to the secondary school, a distance that in Canada surely would have been driven, though it was far from impossible. The biggest difference is that people here walk very slowly - I think because it is so hot and because no one's ever really in a hurry.
The English club consists of about 40 students as well as one of the school's support staff. Three UCK students come along to help Patrick and to get some extra practice in. The girls are all very sweet and were very excited to see a new and exciting face. A few of them came up and introduced themselves to me before class started.
The class/club started with my introducing myself and then the students being given free range to ask me questions. They asked about why I came to Rwanda and how long I was planning to stay, about my schooling and my family and they asked two questions that I have learned are very popular here though they are largely socially unacceptable at home: how old are you? and are you single/married/engaged? After finding out I was single and receiving an unsatisfactory answer as to why it was so one of the girls asked if she could find me a Rwandan husband. While this caused the entire room to errupt into laughter (and I'm fairly certain me to turn bright red). Unfortunately, a good laugh was not enough for this girl to let me off the hook and I was forced to stumble through an explanation of how Canadians like to choose their own husbands and that I consider 23 young to get married (contrast to the unofficial weddings that often occur her for girls at the age of 18 or 19). Little did I know it but this would be the beginning of a pattern of the questions asked by people when I first meet them.
After grilling me class moved on to practice of the things they had learned in previous weeks and concluded a few minutes early, which prompted some of the students to give mini performances in front of the class. Each performance was met by not only applause but also woops and hollers. One of the girls sang what was apparently a very popular song is it sparked a whole class sing-a-long which I was too slow to catch with my camera.
After meeting some of the administrators of the girls' school Patrick and I went for lunch and I was given some time to rest etc before dinner with the rector of the university. I used my break time to visit an internet cafe and to give myself a sponge bath, which I haven't done in years but will have to get used to as it's fairly common for the water here to stop running.
On feelings and observations:
Writing home today was tough. It's kind of terrible to think that I didn't really miss home until I'd been gone almost a week but I'll blame it on being very nervous while travelling and then being so overwhelmed with meeting new people and taking in such new and different surroundings. Realizing just how much I miss my family while attempting to write an email had me working pretty hard to blink away tears. I suppose that's what they call homesickness. Listening to music from home on my computer helps but I'm very much looking forward to that first skype/phone call!
I get stared at a lot. More so in Gitarama than in Kigali. It gets old. When kids shout "muzungoo" it's kinda cute and funny but when I hear adults refer to me that way I get kinda annoyed - your grown, shouldn't you be able to see beyond the colour of my skin?
Also, I think I understand a little better now how interns feel upon first arriving in a new country (or in Saskatoon). I was completely dependent on Hannah/Tina/Bogee in Kigali as I never had any idea where I was and knew essentially none of the language. Now in Gitarama, I am all but completely dependent on Patrick. I am getting better, I've learned where a few things are in the city and understand some of the customs but I'm still fairly useless. It's being caught between a rock and a hard place - you'd rather not admit your dependence, not even to yourself, and you certainly don't want to repel or annoy or inconvenience the person helping you but you are uncertain of how to do just about everthing so you have to, but if you annoy them off and they ditch then you're totally screwed. (You hear that Stoon? - for the first couple weeks the intern probably needs you for everything but are scared to ask so just do it without asking and with a huge smile, k? Oh, and talk to them every day!)
Daily Smiles
- "Can I find you a Rwandan husband?"
- "Why aren't you engaged? But why?"
- Seeing goats tethered to the ground and grazing outside someone's house and thinking "only in Africa." Then remembering all the fuss about having a few chickens in your back yard in Toronto. Shortly thereafter seeing oxen tethered in a similar fashion.
The English club consists of about 40 students as well as one of the school's support staff. Three UCK students come along to help Patrick and to get some extra practice in. The girls are all very sweet and were very excited to see a new and exciting face. A few of them came up and introduced themselves to me before class started.
The class/club started with my introducing myself and then the students being given free range to ask me questions. They asked about why I came to Rwanda and how long I was planning to stay, about my schooling and my family and they asked two questions that I have learned are very popular here though they are largely socially unacceptable at home: how old are you? and are you single/married/engaged? After finding out I was single and receiving an unsatisfactory answer as to why it was so one of the girls asked if she could find me a Rwandan husband. While this caused the entire room to errupt into laughter (and I'm fairly certain me to turn bright red). Unfortunately, a good laugh was not enough for this girl to let me off the hook and I was forced to stumble through an explanation of how Canadians like to choose their own husbands and that I consider 23 young to get married (contrast to the unofficial weddings that often occur her for girls at the age of 18 or 19). Little did I know it but this would be the beginning of a pattern of the questions asked by people when I first meet them.
After grilling me class moved on to practice of the things they had learned in previous weeks and concluded a few minutes early, which prompted some of the students to give mini performances in front of the class. Each performance was met by not only applause but also woops and hollers. One of the girls sang what was apparently a very popular song is it sparked a whole class sing-a-long which I was too slow to catch with my camera.
After meeting some of the administrators of the girls' school Patrick and I went for lunch and I was given some time to rest etc before dinner with the rector of the university. I used my break time to visit an internet cafe and to give myself a sponge bath, which I haven't done in years but will have to get used to as it's fairly common for the water here to stop running.
On feelings and observations:
Writing home today was tough. It's kind of terrible to think that I didn't really miss home until I'd been gone almost a week but I'll blame it on being very nervous while travelling and then being so overwhelmed with meeting new people and taking in such new and different surroundings. Realizing just how much I miss my family while attempting to write an email had me working pretty hard to blink away tears. I suppose that's what they call homesickness. Listening to music from home on my computer helps but I'm very much looking forward to that first skype/phone call!
I get stared at a lot. More so in Gitarama than in Kigali. It gets old. When kids shout "muzungoo" it's kinda cute and funny but when I hear adults refer to me that way I get kinda annoyed - your grown, shouldn't you be able to see beyond the colour of my skin?
Also, I think I understand a little better now how interns feel upon first arriving in a new country (or in Saskatoon). I was completely dependent on Hannah/Tina/Bogee in Kigali as I never had any idea where I was and knew essentially none of the language. Now in Gitarama, I am all but completely dependent on Patrick. I am getting better, I've learned where a few things are in the city and understand some of the customs but I'm still fairly useless. It's being caught between a rock and a hard place - you'd rather not admit your dependence, not even to yourself, and you certainly don't want to repel or annoy or inconvenience the person helping you but you are uncertain of how to do just about everthing so you have to, but if you annoy them off and they ditch then you're totally screwed. (You hear that Stoon? - for the first couple weeks the intern probably needs you for everything but are scared to ask so just do it without asking and with a huge smile, k? Oh, and talk to them every day!)
Daily Smiles
- "Can I find you a Rwandan husband?"
- "Why aren't you engaged? But why?"
- Seeing goats tethered to the ground and grazing outside someone's house and thinking "only in Africa." Then remembering all the fuss about having a few chickens in your back yard in Toronto. Shortly thereafter seeing oxen tethered in a similar fashion.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
To Gitarama
On arriving in Kigali I was informed that the plan for my internship had changed slightly. Rather than spending my entire time in Kigali working at the Rwandan Development Board, I would spend the first month of my internship teaching at the small Université Catholique du Kabgayi in the city of Gitarama, about 50 km or 1 hour west of the capital.
Thus Saturday morning was spent purchasing a local cell phone, returning to Tina's house and packing/freshening up to head to my new home. Early in the afternoon the UCK van came to the bottom of Tina's street to pick me up. After picking up a few other staff members we were off to Gitarama. The drive was uneventful, I spoke a little with Patrick and Vivens, the men I would be working with, and enjoyed the scenery which is even more green and dramatic outside of Kigali.
After showing me to my room I was left to rest for a while before Patrick came to pick me up. We were going to dinner at the house of a family where Patrick had dined once before, but first he showed me around the universtiy campus. The campus is very nice, though very different from any Canadian campus I've seen. The classes are all in different long buildings with full walls of windows on both sides and completely wooden furniture inside. And only chalkboards for teaching. I have a hard time imagining many of the lectures at the U of S occurring without the sacred powepoint presentation.
On the walk to dinner I had no idea where I was going of where I was as night here is VERY dark and streets are informal and unlabelled. We were met at the gate (houses here are almost all walled in with gates that can lock) but some of the family and brought into the small back yard (concrete though, not grass) where we sat and chatted and had tea. To be fair at this point I mostly listened as the conversation was largely in Kinyarwanda. I met Grace, the lady of the house, Cassie, another woman, Grace's brother and sister-in-law (Kanyana) and Olivia, who is in charge of Public Relations at UCK. As it started to rain we quickly moved inside for drinks and conversation before dinner. I also met most of the children who live in the house, the girls were especially cute and did their best to talk to me and explain to me what was happening on the tv before they were sent to their rooms.
The conversation was somehow hilarious though it consisted of bits of French and English and a lot of translated Kinyarwanda. Kanyana was absolutely hilarious and completely determined to use what English she knew and made Patrick translate for her all the words she didn't know. Since I was drinking Rwanda tea but without milk or sugar (here tea is more like slightly flavoured powdered milk with about three heaping teaspoons of sugar) Kanyana and her husband were convinced that I was sick. Even when I explained to them that drinking tea black is what I am used to they didn't buy it. In fact, they thought the real reason I wasn't taking sugar must have been because I was diabetic.
Patrick and I left around 11 when someone came and picked us up and drove us home. All in all it was a wonderful night filled with a lot of laughter.
Daily Smiles
- playing with sunglasses with Dan before I left Tina's house (see photos)
- one of the young girls hugging me the moment I arrived at the gate of Grace's house
- one fo the girls (may or may not be the same one) taking my hand and leading me into the yard and then into the house
- the look on the two older men's faces when they entered the living room and saw me sitting there - eyes bugging out of their heads. I'm guessing they weren't expecting to find a muzungoo sitting in their living room
- the youngest boy seeming to be terrified of me
- Grace's brother asking me if I thought it was cold here and the look of complete bewilderment on his face when I explained to him that winter back home means -40C
Thus Saturday morning was spent purchasing a local cell phone, returning to Tina's house and packing/freshening up to head to my new home. Early in the afternoon the UCK van came to the bottom of Tina's street to pick me up. After picking up a few other staff members we were off to Gitarama. The drive was uneventful, I spoke a little with Patrick and Vivens, the men I would be working with, and enjoyed the scenery which is even more green and dramatic outside of Kigali.
After showing me to my room I was left to rest for a while before Patrick came to pick me up. We were going to dinner at the house of a family where Patrick had dined once before, but first he showed me around the universtiy campus. The campus is very nice, though very different from any Canadian campus I've seen. The classes are all in different long buildings with full walls of windows on both sides and completely wooden furniture inside. And only chalkboards for teaching. I have a hard time imagining many of the lectures at the U of S occurring without the sacred powepoint presentation.
On the walk to dinner I had no idea where I was going of where I was as night here is VERY dark and streets are informal and unlabelled. We were met at the gate (houses here are almost all walled in with gates that can lock) but some of the family and brought into the small back yard (concrete though, not grass) where we sat and chatted and had tea. To be fair at this point I mostly listened as the conversation was largely in Kinyarwanda. I met Grace, the lady of the house, Cassie, another woman, Grace's brother and sister-in-law (Kanyana) and Olivia, who is in charge of Public Relations at UCK. As it started to rain we quickly moved inside for drinks and conversation before dinner. I also met most of the children who live in the house, the girls were especially cute and did their best to talk to me and explain to me what was happening on the tv before they were sent to their rooms.
The conversation was somehow hilarious though it consisted of bits of French and English and a lot of translated Kinyarwanda. Kanyana was absolutely hilarious and completely determined to use what English she knew and made Patrick translate for her all the words she didn't know. Since I was drinking Rwanda tea but without milk or sugar (here tea is more like slightly flavoured powdered milk with about three heaping teaspoons of sugar) Kanyana and her husband were convinced that I was sick. Even when I explained to them that drinking tea black is what I am used to they didn't buy it. In fact, they thought the real reason I wasn't taking sugar must have been because I was diabetic.
Patrick and I left around 11 when someone came and picked us up and drove us home. All in all it was a wonderful night filled with a lot of laughter.
Daily Smiles
- playing with sunglasses with Dan before I left Tina's house (see photos)
- one of the young girls hugging me the moment I arrived at the gate of Grace's house
- one fo the girls (may or may not be the same one) taking my hand and leading me into the yard and then into the house
- the look on the two older men's faces when they entered the living room and saw me sitting there - eyes bugging out of their heads. I'm guessing they weren't expecting to find a muzungoo sitting in their living room
- the youngest boy seeming to be terrified of me
- Grace's brother asking me if I thought it was cold here and the look of complete bewilderment on his face when I explained to him that winter back home means -40C
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