Oh Paris...

Hello from Paris!  I can't even begin to describe how amazing this trip has been!  It's been filled with long walks around the city, eating lots of good food and long chats with good friends, I don't think there is anything more I could possibly ask for!  I just wanted to post some (ok, A LOT) pictures quickly while I have a good internet connection and will write more of the details later!  I hope you all had a fabulous 

The view from our apartment in Montmarte, the lights in the back are from the Eiffel Tower

Sacre Coeur

The Louve

Ice skating outside Hotel de Ville

Notre Dame

Our Christmas Eve dinner!

Opening presents on Christmas!

All my wonderful presents from my AMAZING friends and family!  (more on that later!)

Wondering around on Christmas (Me, Theresa, and Emily)

Jardin des Tuileries

On the Ferris Wheel

Champs Elysees

Emily enjoying a crepe at the Christmas market!

Arc de Triomphe

wondering around the flea market

Picnic at Parc des Buttes Chaumont

The Pantheon

Wine, bead, fish and meat, what else could one need!

The back on Notre Dame

GLOWing Bright

One...We're here to GLOW!
Two...We wanna show!
Three...That we can be
More, More, More, More!!


This was the cheer about 55 young Rwandan girls recited multiple times each day during the 5 day GLOW camp that I helped organize along with about 12 other volunteers.  GLOW stands for Girls Leading Our World.  It's an initiative that was started several years by Peace Corps Volunteers in Romania and has since spread to Peace Corps countries all over the world.  This is technically the 3rd year PC Rwanda has hosted GLOW Camp but there previous year there was one camp for the whole country.  This year they decided to divide it up by regions.  This is all entirely volunteer run and those that wished to host a camp could but it wasn't mandatory.  In all, I think there were about 5 girl's camps and 2 boy's camps (my group chose to do a girl's camp only).  We applied for a $5,000 grant from PEPFAR (a worldwide Anti-AIDS initiative started during George W's presidency) that paid for everything from supplies, to food, to transportation as the camp was entirely free for the girls.

The goal of GLOW is to empower girls to be confident and to make good life decisions.  Here in Rwanda, I can count on one hand the number of girls in my classes that speak up on their own accord.  Although the Rwandan government is pushing heavily for gender equality (Rwanda has the highest percentage of women in parliament in the world), on the ground there are still major disparities.  In America, we are taught about self-esteem, to be confident and that it's okay to be different.  Even though these lessons begin at a young age these are still things most of us struggle with, but here kids are never taught any of it.  For example, last term in the girl's club at my school I did a lesson about embracing our differences.  When I asked the girls if it's okay to be different, they immediately responded that "No, it's bad if people are different and it would be better if everyone was the same because then there wouldn't be any conflict."  I do believe this response has a lot to do with Rwanda's history, but nonetheless, a stark contrast to the answer you would get from a group of American kids.


So GLOW camp is an opportunity to give these girls a chance to be themselves and to feel good about who they are.  Each day we had 3 lessons which included topics like self-esteem, goal setting, HIV/AIDS (this was a requirement for the grant), communication, etc.  After lessons the girls could choose to dance, play soccer, or make beads and necklaces and they all tie-dyed t-shirts.  Each night after dinner we had more group activities.  Tuesday there was a carnival with games, on Wednesday we had a "bonfire" (it was moved indoors because of rain) and an "I can't" funeral.  In America, of course a bonfire is a camp tradition, but in Rwanda having a fire something that is done at funerals.  To combine both traditions we had the girls write a statement on a piece of paper of something they have been told they cannot do or believe they can't do and then burn it in the fire.  It was a great activity which we topped off with s'mores!  On the last night we had a talent show which inevitable turned into a dance party.

GLOW was probably the best experience for me here as a PCV for so many reasons.  The best part, of course, was the girls; to see them open up, let loose and just have fun.  Starting at such a young age they have had so many responsibilities, babysitting, cooking, cleaning, fetching water, gathering firewood, and the list goes on.  But for 5 days they weren't asked to do anything, they were able to have fun, make new friends and reflect and learn about themselves in a positive and encouraging environment.  I think my favorite part was the carnival on Tuesday, it was clearly an experience none of them had ever had before and they were so happy running around to each game with huge smiles on their faces, it was so much fun to watch them.

What also made GLOW such a success, were the all-star PCV's I worked with planning the camp.  Our camp honestly went off without a hitch, which would be an accomplishment for any camp but especially a camp in Africa and this is because of the hard work everyone put into it.  We joked all week long that we were just holding our breath, waiting for things to fall apart, but they never did, not even close.  We were lucky from the beginning with awesome leadership that delegated well and pulled everything together while everyone else pulled their own weight.  When I joined the Peace Corps I knew that I would learn so much from all the people in my village, but I didn't expect to learn so much from my fellow PCV's.  I'm so lucky to be here with such a motivated, generous, and truly exceptional group of people.

Just a few the awesome volunteers that helped make GLOW happen

A lesson about HIV Prevention

Tie-Dying

A morning energizer

Dinner!

Some girls performing a dance at the talent show

An impromptu performance of Jingle Bells by the leaders 

Face paint from the carnival

The dance party

The 3 girls from my school that attended camp, Lovange, me, Sabine, and Rachel

So now that GLOW is finished all I have on my mind is PARIS!  I am so excited!  A lot of the other volunteers that were at GLOW are going to America for the break so we spent a lot of time talking about what we'll do on our vacations but mostly about what we will eat!  There are so many things I am looking forward to on this trip but I cannot wait to be surrounded by Christmas!  In Rwanda, Christmas is strictly a religous holiday and there really isn't any build up to it.  There aren't any decorations, songs, parties or anything at all.  I know in America it can sometimes be a little over the top, especially when Christmas seems to start way back in October these days, but having not had any of it for 2 years, I miss it!  All the lights, decorations, shopping, food, music, movies, and traditions, it's magical.  And in my opinion, Paris is magical anytime of the year, but at Christmas, after living in Africa for a year...there are no words!

I wish everyone a happy holiday season!  I hope that in the midst of all the running around you can take time to really appreciate the spirit of Christmas and how lucky we are to have such a beautiful holiday filled with wonderful tradition to share with all those we love.  Merry Christmas!

All my love,
Annie

Parties!

The school year is officially over!  My teaching responsibilities for the year are done and I'm celebrating by doing nothing!  I'm catching up on things that I've put off, laundry, reading, cleaning etc.  I'm enjoying my free time but I'm making a conscious effort to find things to keep myself busy to avoid a downward spiral of boredom, leading to excessive homesickness, guilt, frustration, and a case of the blues.  I'm giving myself the weekend though to just enjoy.  :)   

It's not only me who is happy the school year is finished; I attended 4 different parties the last week to celebrate.  Three of them were student organized, which I was quite impressed with and Friday we had a party for the staff and teachers at school.  

The celebrations I've attended here in Rwanda, no matter what the occasion, are all fairly similar.  They've all started the same way; late.  This ranges from 1 hour to about 3 hours after the scheduled start time.  Even the wedding I attended was off schedule by 2 hours, just imagine if that happened in the States!  This doesn't really faze anyone else but for some reason I have it in my head that the one time I decided to show up late the darn thing will actually start on time, so usually I end up being the first one there.  Once the guests arrive people don't stand around and mingle, they sit.  There are chairs for everyone, usually arranged around the perimeter of the room, with a head table in the front and everyone waits for the "program" to begin.  There are some hushed conversations between a few people but often everyone sits in silence.  When the host comes and welcomes the guests the party has officially begun.  This usually means food and drinks but most importantly, speeches.  Rwandans LOVE to give speeches and it's not just a quick word, but a long-winded, never ending speech, that even with my limited Kinyarwanda, know is just saying the same thing over and over again.  

If I'm lucky there is some other form of entertainment provided.  At the students' parties they had music and dancing, skits and even a rap.  It was a lot of fun to see their creative side, which they rarely have the opportunity to express.  The food varies, two of the student groups provided cake (don't picture a beautifully decorated sheet cake with icing an inch think, here we have dry, little muffin shaped cakes, almost like corn cake but not nearly as good) and soda.  The Senior 3 students actually collected money and cooked a full meal for the teachers and also invited their family's to come and celebrate.  They planned, went to the market, cooked and served it all themselves.  For the teacher party Friday, they bought a goat and hired someone to come and cook brochettes, (grilled skewers of meat) and roasted plantains.  Before I came here I had never had goat but now it's pretty much the only kind of meat I eat. It’s similar to beef, the only problem is that they cook and eat ALL of the goat.  Which means when you go to a restaurant you have to be sure to order meat only or you may end up with intestine, liver, kidney, etc. you just never know.  

To drink there is always soda and sometimes beer.  Everything here comes in glass bottles that are returned and refilled.  For soda you can choose from Fanta (orange or citron), Coke and sometimes Sprite or tonic water; there is never anything diet.  There are 3 Rwandan beers which are most common, Skol, Mutzig and Primus, which come in huge bottles.  Here it’s very important that one’s bottle is never empty.  The second I finish (or sometimes even before) someone is opening another bottle.  The problem is, I tend to drink quickly (especially when I listening to speeches in a language I don’t understand) so I could easily be served 4 or 5 sodas in a single sitting if I allowed it.  I’ve learned quickly to drink slower though, because people seem personally pained when I refuse to drink my third or fourth soda because my blood sugar is already so high I can’t keep my hands from shaking. 

If it’s a party where kids are invited, they are usually rounded up and seated on a mat on the floor.  Someone prepares a large platter of food and places it in the middle of the mat, which they all dig into with their hands.  I’ve also been at parties where I was served food this way as well; every table is given a platter we share and eat from.  Everyone washes their hands first, as someone with a basin, pitcher of water and soap, walks around to each person.

Once all the food, drinks and speeches are finished everyone heads home.  In general, I’d say parties here are more formal and subdued.  There is a mentality here that in order to be legitimate one needs to be serious.  To me, it seems as though their celebrations are a way to show they have standards, that they may live in a rural African village but are still educated and civilized. 

Here are some pictures from the parties.  Enjoy!

Enjoying Fanta and cake

Senior 3 students performing a skit

Grilling brochettes

My colleague Providence and her daughter Umutesi

All my love!

Annie

P.S.  Happy Halloween to everyone!  Send me pictures!

An Education...

Well exams are finished; I’ve finished correcting all of them and submitted my grades.  Now all that is left is to complete the report cards by hand, which means writing the marks from each class on each student’s report card.  Since it’s the end of the year, the marks also need to be totaled for the year, figure the percentage and recopy the entire thing so there is copy for the student to keep and one to be kept on record at the school; tedious to say the least!  Fortunately, this isn’t actually my job but it’s an awful lot of work so I’ll be helping the other teachers out. 

We’re getting so close though!  As I’ve said before, the school year is almost over and then we’ll have about 2 months off before school begins again in January.  This is just one of the ways the Rwandan education system is different than America, so I thought I’d dedicate this entry to explaining it a little more thoroughly.

In general , all Rwandan schools are run pretty much the same, at least all the government schools.  There are, however, private schools that have a little more freedom and some are organized quite differently and vary between schools.  My school is a government school so this is the system with which I’m familiar. 

Here in Rwanda there are 9 years of “free” basic education, which they have recently upped to 12 years.  I say “free” because while the government claims it offers free education, all school have school fees.  These fees can range from a few thousand francs per term (about $10) to upwards of 50,000 francs (about $80).  These fees are used to pay for basic maintenance of the school, small supplies for the teachers (pens, notebooks, chalk) and at my school it pays for room and board for the students.  This money is also used to supplement the teacher’s income.  Their salaries are pretty pathetic.  A primary school teacher with the lowest level of education makes about 27,000 francs per month ($45) and someone with a university degree probably makes about $200 per month.  So the teachers each get a small bonus each term.

These fees are a huge issue though.  There are many students who can’t go to school because they can’t pay.  Sometimes they have to take a year off to work and then return back the following year.  This is the reason my student’s ages range between 14-19 years.  I’ve walked to class numerous times to see half my class missing.  When I ask where everyone is I’m told they’ve all been sent home to get money to pay their fees.  Everyone understands the importance of education though, and families make huge sacrifices to send their kids to school.  They know the alternative is pretty bleak.  Some students who don’t go to school find work as a house boy or girl, helping clean or cook and can make as little as $15 per month. 

In America, the school system is divided into 3 levels, elementary, middle and high school.  It’s basically the same here but we have primary, lower secondary and upper secondary.  There are 6 years of primary school, 3 years of lower secondary and 3 years of upper secondary.  At the end of each level all students have to take a national exam which determines if they can continue their studies. So for example, all the students in their 3^rd year of upper secondary will take a standardized national exam.  If they don’t pass they cannot continue in a government school but can go to a private school if they can afford it, which most cannot.   Here’s where things get confusing; because the government is slowly increasing the number of years of basic education (from 9 years to 12) the national exam is not so much about whether or not you can continue your education and more about what type of school you can attend.  All the primary schools are basically the same but secondary schools vary.  There are schools called “Basic 9” which have both primary and secondary education. The students who fail their exam after P6 go to these schools for lower secondary.   My school is considered a secondary school so all the students have passed the exam.  I honestly don’t think there is much difference between the schools though, it’s not like the secondary schools have better teachers or more resources than the Basic schools; it just divides the students by those who passed and those who didn’t. 

Because the government is increasing standard education to 12 years,  in theory the exam the Senior 3 students have to take shouldn’t determine if they can go to upper secondary, just which type of school they will be accepted into.  However, the government tends to make big declarations without adequate preparation.  In the past, maybe 25%-50% of the students who took the exam passed and continued to Senior 4 and there were enough schools to accommodate them.  But now, all the thousands of Senior 3 students need schools to go to, so all the schools are scrambling quickly to build new classrooms, find new teachers, get materials, etc. to accept the new students; my school included.  In reality there isn’t going to be enough room for all the students, so some will be rejected.   Needless to say, theSenior 3 students at my school (and at every other school) have spent the entire year freaking out over this exam trying to prepare for it. 

More about the exam; it’s a cumulative and covers all the information they have studied in their 3 years in lower secondary in 8 subjects; math, English, biology, chemistry, physics, history, Kinyarwanda, and geography/social studies.  Then in 1 week they take all 8 exams.  Now, if studying 3 years of information in 8 different subjects doesn’t sound bad enough, here’s the kicker, all the exams are in English.  Up until last year they were in French, which the students are much more fluent in, but now they’ve changed everything to English. Just imagine trying to take high school level exams with about a 4^th grade English reading level.   I was asking one of my teachers about how the exam works and asked what percentage is considered passing.  He said it varies each year and everyone seems to think this year it’s going to have to be on a huge curve, otherwise everyone will fail.  We’ll see.

The daily schedule here is also quite different.  There are eight 50 minute periods each day beginning at 7:30, an hour and a half lunch break and then ends at 3:40pm.  Here each class has their own classroom.  For example, at my school the Senior 2 class is divided into 2 sections, A and B.  So there are 2 classrooms where the students stay all day and the teachers go to each classroom to teach their lesson.  Each class has about 50 students.  I was recently talking to another volunteer and we decided if there was one thing we could change it would be the class size, not the language barrier or the lack of resources, because with fewer students and the time to focus on each of them those problems could be lessened.  But now, trying to keep 50 students in order and help each of them is virtually impossible and inevitably some of them get left behind, and it’s usually the ones that need the help the most.  With some experience now I’ve found new ways to work with large class sizes but it’s a huge, ongoing challenge. 

At my school, thankfully, since it’s a boarding school, my students eat lunch.  This is isn’t the case however, at most government day schools.  This means the students come to school at about 7:30am and leave school at about 2:30pm having not eaten a thing.  I can’t even imagine trying to keep the students attention those last few hours of the day.  There is a campaign to get lunch served in all schools, but like everything else, it’s a slow process and requires funds that are not readily available. 

Then of course there are the differences in resources.  We do have about 8 computers, all of which are used and are from about 2002.  There are 2 printers but no copy machine.    There are 2 maps, one of Rwanda and one of the world.  There is also some equipment for teaching math, (rulers, protractor, etc.) to be used on the blackboard.   As teachers we are given notebooks to write our lesson plans, blue and red pens and chalk.  That’s all, anything else we want to use to teacher our lessons we must provide.  My school does have text books for each subject.  Unfortunately they aren’t always used.  Sometimes it’s because the teacher chooses not to use it or doesn’t know how to, or because it’s just a bad book written at an English level far beyond any student, is confusing or has incorrect information.  We also have a trunk filled with science equipment which also is rarely used.  This is my plan for the break; I want to organize the library, implement a check out system and teach the students and teachers how to use what we do have.  I also hope to find a way to get some more resources.  All lessons are in English and we don’t have a single English dictionary! 

So those are the basics of the school system here.  It’s taken me a full year to understand all that and there’s still so much I don’t know.  Next week we are supposed to have make-up exams for those who are below a certain percentage but I really have no idea what’s going happen.  I’m looking forward to next year when I’ll at least feel like I have a clue as to what’s going on and everything won’t be such a surprise. 

I’m headed to an end-of-the-year party at school today, I had one yesterday and have another tomorrow.  It’s doesn’t matter where you live, everyone is always excited for school to be finished! 

All my love!

Annie

p.s. I already wrote a similar blog to this one so sorry if some of the information was repeated. 

Done and DONE!

 It's official!  Except for final exams, my first year of teaching is over!  And oh my, I am happy!  This last term has been a real struggle and it was time for it to be over .  I definitely have a new appreciation for "summer" break though!  As a kid it was great, but as a teacher it's godsend, without which I might lose all sanity!  Even though I have kept meticulous count of the days left in the term, I got a little emotional when that last class ended.  Today I taught both sections of my Senior 2 biology class.  When I stood there looking at my class, thinking back to where we all were in the beginning, I hardly recognize any of us.  Back then my students sat in my class, excited to have a new teacher from America, but completely clueless.  They did not understand a word I said and then I gave them crazy assignments they didn't understand either.  Everything I did seemed backwards.

And me, those first weeks  I was so nervous just to walk in the class and I had to write down everything I was going to say in class because I was so afraid to make a mistake.

Now I can plan a lesson in no time and have perfected my "special English."  The students try, they still have a difficult time understanding me and with some vocabulary but the big difference now is that they ask questions when they don't understand.  Sometimes I get great questions that they really had to process the information to come up with.  You can see the wheels turning and things starting to click.  Those are good days.

Together we've come so far, learning from one another along the way.  We all got frustrated with the other on occasion, but we made it through, and I hope I taught my kids just a fraction of what they taught me.

I'm looking forward to next year (after a nice long break!).  That's the great thing about teaching, you always have the next year to start out fresh.  I have a list of things that worked well and a long list of things to improve, but I've gained a some confidence in my abilities so I also have some fun things I want to try.  Hopefully it will all come together and the next year will be just a little better than the last.

I like teaching and if there were a few adjustments (like a copy machine and students who understood English) I might really love it.  For now though, it's the kids that I love and that's enough to keep me going.

My Senior 2A Class

My Senior 2B class

The countdown begins...

Surprise!  A new blog post!  For those who still even bother to check out my blog, it has finally paid off!  I apologize for my absence and wish I had a good excuse but I’ve just been caught up in the routine of life here.  I’m going to make an honest effort to update more frequently though, I promise.

Well last time I wrote the last term was about to begin and now it is about to end.  It’s considerably shorter than the first two which has its advantages and disadvantages.  On one hand, it’s only 9 weeks which is great; get in and get out.  This however, has led to a lack of motivation from the teachers and the students.  It seems we’ve all been telling ourselves from the beginning “it’s almost over.”  Overall the term has gone well though.  I’ve been much busier teaching English to students, teachers and the employees at the health center, running the girls club and the English club, all in addition to my regular classes.  I’m also working with other PCVs to plan a GLOW camp (Girls Leading Our World).  The camp will take place at the end of November for 5 days and is for girls 14-18 years.  It has a focus on leadership skills, decision making, building self-esteem all in relation to HIV/AIDS and general well-being.  I’m working with an awesome group of volunteers so I’m happy to have the opportunity to help out.

We’re down to only 2 weeks of classes, a week and a half of exams and then we’re done for about 2 months!  I can’t wait!  A lot of my time will be spent planning the GLOW camp but I also plan to work on getting a library set up at school and some other small projects as well.  In my free time I hope to visit other volunteers and see more of the country. 

And for Christmas I will be in Paris!  I can barely contain my excitement!  I was going back and forth for a while about what I wanted to do and had pretty much decided I was going to stay here.  But then my friend Theresa brought it up again, ticket prices went down and the thought of Paris at Christmas is hard to resist!  We are going rent an apartment while we are there, which is what really sold me on the idea.  I love the idea of wandering around the Paris neighborhoods, going to the local markets and bakeries and coming home, cooking a meal and watching a movie (while drinking lots of wine of course!).  I’m not interested in a jam-packed sightseeing vacation.  I’m sure we’ll get to plenty of museums, but what I really want is to relax, celebrate Christmas with my friends and enjoy all I’ve been missing from the Western world.  And in my opinion, Paris is about the best place on earth to do that!

Well that’s really about all that’s going on here.  Check back again, I promise to write more soon.  If you have any questions about anything, please let me know, I could use some blog ideas!

And if you have any Paris tips please send them my way!

All my love,

Annie

It's a boy!

I saw my first live birth today.  It seems a little backwards since in America I was a nurse and here in Africa I’m a teacher but as it is I never had an opportunity to see one during school or since then; until today. 

We are on holiday now since the end of July and I decided I wanted to spend time in my community to find ways I can get more involved.  Today was my day to spend at the health center.  The heath center in my village offers a lot of great services with offices dedicated to malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, family planning, prenatal care, a laboratory for HIV and malaria testing, as well as inpatient beds and a maternity ward.   My goal is to spend time in each area to see what exactly it is that they do.  As I was on my tour in the morning there were quite a few laboring women waiting and it somehow came about that I would be able to watch a delivery.  One of the mothers was pretty well dilated but it was her first child so things weren’t moving too quickly.  I had my heart set on seeing the birth so I stuck around.  Finally at about 3:30 when things just weren’t progressing enough they made the decision to transfer her to the hospital in Rwamagana.  Thankful in the other delivery room there was another mother who was going to have her 5^th child who was also nearing delivery so I was a little more hopefully.  As the ambulance was about to leave with the first mother, the fetal heart rate began to slow and they worried about complications so she also was transferred to Rwamagana.  At that point it was getting late and I was tired from standing around all day so I decided to go home.  As I was literally walking out the door another mother was brought into the delivery room.  I decided to stay at least until after her exam to see how she was progressing.  I asked one of the nurses if she thought it would be soon in which she responded that yes it wouldn’t be long.   About 5 minutes later the baby was born. 

Now, like I said, I’ve never seen a delivery in the States, nor (obviously) have I had a child but I can assume with some certainty it’s nothing like what I saw today.  As a pregnant woman in the village, when labor begins you find a way to get yourself to the health center which means either walking or climbing on the back of a bicycle or a moto if you’re lucky.  I was told that most women do come to the health center these days to deliver but as I was waiting a woman who had just given birth in the morning at home came in with her newborn so they both could be checked, so it does still happen. Formally trained midwives don’t do home births though, so she probably had help from her mother or a friend who may have some experience. 

After arriving, a woman is examined to see what stage of labor she is in.  If she isn’t too far along yet she is put into a small room with 3 beds where all the mothers continue their labor until they are ready to deliver.  Today there were 2 women to each bed. They continue to be examined regularly and when they have progressed enough they move into the delivery room.  Many hospitals these days pour millions into gorgeous maternity suites decked out with flat screen TV’s, whirlpool tubs, big comfy beds, etc and rightly so, those mothers deserve it.  Needless to say though, that’s not what it’s like here.  There is a old metal examination table about 4 feet off the ground that requires a step stool to climb into, a cabinet with a few supplies, and a small table with a baby scale, no monitors, no oxygen, not even a working sink.  The only thing that is used to monitor the baby is a fetoscope which has a bell shape and is used by pressing the wide end down firmly on the mother’s abdomen and then placing your ear on the other end to listen for the heart beat. 

Even though they lack so many resources I was really impressed by the entire process.  When I was waiting and waiting during the day I was a little worried about whether or not I really wanted to watch the birth.  I was afraid I may be traumatized into never wanting to have children but everyone made it look so easy.  The nurses who delivered the baby (there are no doctors at the health center) were calm and collected the entire time and did their jobs very well and professionally.  The mother though, she was incredible.  I was in complete awe of her, she never had a drop of pain medicine, not even an IV and she was so strong the entire time doing everything she was told.  About 15 minutes after the delivery was over she got up, walked to the room next door where she will stay with her baby for the next 3 days.  The nurse brought her baby to her and that was it, it was all over.  After what I saw today, I don’t think I could argue that anyone has more strength than an African woman. 

I felt all those cliché things about the miracle of birth but to see someone take their first breath of life truly is astonishing.  The sweet baby boy was perfect and I feel so privileged to have witnessed the first moments of his life.   

It’s been awhile and I have to admit I’ve been putting off writing this blog.  About 3 weeks ago my grandpa died.  I’m heartbroken just like everyone else in my family and all the others who knew him.   He was one of kind.  All he had seen and experienced made him truly remarkable.  His wisdom was evident not by lectures he gave about how to live life but by how he lived his.  He was humble, generous, sincere and loving.  And of course funny.  He loved to make people laugh; the waitress at the restaurant, his neighbors or one of his many great-grandchildren.  He just wanted to make people happy.  There so many wonderful memories I have of my grandpa but I will never forget is this look he had.  Whether it was family, friends, or a stranger, it didn’t matter; he looked at you with his gentle eyes and just a small sweet smile and it was like you got a glimpse of the peace he felt in his life; the peace that can come only from 101 years of life.  I instantly felt calmed, like nothing else really mattered and overwhelmed with love.  Everytime.   

My life won’t be the same without him but it will never be the same for having him a part of it.  I’m so lucky. 

My grandpa and I

And so life goes on. 

I just got back from Uganda.  I went with 3 friends for the 4^th of July.  It just so happens that the 4^th here in Rwanda is also a holiday as it marks the end of the Genocide so we had a long weekend.  We visited Lake Bunyooni just over the Rwandan border.  It’s known for its beautiful scenery and islands.  When we arrived at the lake we took a dugout canoe to the island where we were staying.  On the way we passed a school on one of the islands just as school was finishing.  The kids all filed down to the dock and packed onto one of the canoes with one of the students in the back rowing them all to shore and home for the day.  Their version of a school bus. 

When we got to our island we climbed out of the boat and up the hill where we found an open air lounge with tables and couches where some visitors were reading, eating, playing games or just talking and enjoying the scenery.  We were greeted by the staff and shown to our rooms.  We booked the geodomes, which are hut-like structures made of bamboo and grasses.  They are circular but on one side there is no door or wall and it open up to a large deck that overlooks the lake.  Inside there were 2 beds with mosquito nets so it was like we were sleeping outside but still protected from the bugs and rain.  It was beautiful

So we spent our time eating (the food was awesome!) relaxing and talking.  On Saturday my friend Kerianne and I decided we would rent one of the canoes and take it out to explore one of the nearby islands.  Before the trip I had read about the lake in a travel book.  They talked about how visitors can take canoes out but often have difficulty steering the boats as they are not exactly built like the canoes we are used to and they often end up spinning in circles referred to as ‘muzungu circles.’  I unfortunately have to admit Kerianne and I did our fair share of ‘muzungu circles’  There was talk of me getting out of the boat and swimming it back to shore but thankfully we got the hang of it towards the end.  Needless to say though we never made it to the other island.  Later we took the boat out again and went swimming which is a pretty big deal because most of the lakes around here are infested with a parasite but this lake is at a high elevation and much colder so the parasite doesn’t live in it.  And let me tell you, that lake was cold but oh so worth it! 

After our 2 nights at the lake we went to Mbarara where a friend I traveled with has a friend living.  We stayed at his house and cooked a great dinner of grilled kabobs and even had s’mores for dessert.  It was a real 4^th of July celebration!  (minus the fireworks)  

Lake Bunyooni wait for our boat

Our geodome

The view from our deck

The canoes

Genevieve, Kerianne and I in our geodome 

Boat ride back to the mainland

Our 4th of July dinner

And now to my other titles, volunteer, teacher, nurse, etc. I can now add chicken farmer.  After hiring a local carpenter to build me a chicken house I have purchased 2 Rwandan hens.  I say Rwandan because there is another common breed that lay nice big eggs everyday called of course muzungu chickens, because according to Rwandans “white people love eggs.”  I opted for the local breed though because I really don’t need eggs every day.  After I got them I was telling a friend how things were going she compared me to a new parent.  I didn’t know what to do, how to feed it, how to even pick it up.  I’m learning slowly and they’re still alive though so I must being doing something right. 

The day I got the hens a couple weeks ago, I came home from church and I went out to use the bathroom.  My chicken house was built right next to the latrine and as I approached it looked different, the doors were latched shut the lock had some wire on it.  I began to open the door and a chicken started clucking at me.  The man who I bought the chickens from had dropped one of them off while I was away.  I was sort of stunned and just sat there looking at it for a while.  I went inside paced a little and then went back out and looked at it again.  I did this routine about 3 times.  I just didn’t know what to do.  People here just let their chickens roam around the village during the day which is what I planned to do with mine.  Everyone assured me that they will go out during the day but will always return at night. 

Now I wish I had a good excuse for what I did next but I don’t, it was nothing other than sheer stupidity. 

I concluded that I should let it out.  I decided I would open the door and just let it do what it wanted.  I stood there and watched it for a little while and it didn’t really seem to do anything so I figured I’d go back in the house and come back in a few minutes.  I didn’t really think it would fly down from its house (not true) and I figured if it did I would see it walk by (definitely NOT true).  As anyone can guess when I went back outside the chicken was gone.  I had a chicken for less than 1 hour and I had already lost it.  I went and looked around for a few minutes with no sign of her.  My neighbor came home and sheepishly I admitted that the chicken was gone.  We went to the neighbors asking if they had seen it and then across the street another neighbor pointed at a hen wondering about and asked if it was mine.  The truth is I looked at my chicken for a while but only in its dark house through the chicken wire and wasn’t really thinking about what it looked like.  I yelled yes that it was mine while in the back of my mind praying that it actually was my chicken.  So with the help of some neighbors we cornered her and snatched her up.  This is also quite a site to see, several grown adults stalking and chasing after a chicken.  After that entire fiasco and she was locked up safely in her house she laid an egg!  Now I was like a proud parent!  It also made me question a little more whether or not she was my hen but no one has said anything about any missing chickens so I think I’m in the clear.  It’s been a fun new challenge for me and hopefully I reap some of the benefits too.  

My chicken house, it is separated into 2 one for each chicken

Henrietta and her first egg (back in the corner)

My house with the sunflowers I planted

The terms almost over, we have exams next week and then a 3 week break.  I don’t have much planned just visit a few friends and relax.  I’ve been jealous of all those teachers with nice long breaks for years and now I finally get it too!  I may never want to give it up!

All my love,

Annie