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

It doesn't get better than home....

A few weeks ago I got call from my mom telling me that my grandpa was sick.  He’s a 101 so it isn’t exactly unexpected, but this time it was different.  He was really sick, uncomfortable and weak so the decision was made to take grandpa home and put him in hospice.  He was too sick to care for himself so everyone signed up to spend either the day or night with him.  And there I was 8,000 miles away, sad, lonely and heart broken.  All I could think of was how much I was going to miss my grandpa and how I couldn’t be there.  I began to think about the possibility of going home.  I initially dismissed it but as the week went on and I just felt more and more sad I decided I needed to go.  So with the full support of the Peace Corps I bought my ticket and 3 days later I was on a plane.

This was an extremely difficult decision to make, I was most hesitant because I was afraid of what the people in my village would think.  A day rarely goes by when someone doesn’t tell me how much they want to go to America.  I tell them how difficult and expensive it is and then I just pick up and go at the drop of a hat.  I struggled for a few days but ultimately I knew I would regret it if I didn’t go.  And so the decision was made.

I knew this trip wasn’t going to be easy and there were a lot of “what if’s" the most worrisome being “what if I can’t go back.”  While I was making my decision I never considered going home to stay but I really couldn’t predict how I was going to feel when I got home.  To prepare I had decided that even though I was going to potentially say goodbye to my grandpa it wasn’t going to be a sad trip.  It was going to be a trip to celebrate the amazing life of a wonderful man and how lucky we all are to be a part of it.  Luckily, I didn’t have to worry about any of that because there was no longer any reason to be sad.  With everyone rallying around my grandpa, he made a quick and full recovery, he may even be better than he was before.  The thing is, my grandpa isn’t afraid to die, he’s been prepared for quite some time, but when he’s healthy all he wants to do is live.  He’s been cooking, playing cards, going to the coffee shop and even (after fighting for it) taking his scooter out again.  He’s even making plans for Christmas dinner already.  I think he was about the happiest I’ve ever seen him.  I feel so lucky that now, no matter what happens, I will always have that memory of him.

So with no reason to mope around I enjoyed every minute in the States.  Of course much of my time was spent with grandpa, enjoying home cooked meals, listening to him play the accordion, and numerous walks up and down the hall of his apartment building.  Each day with him was a gift.  I also got to enjoy some of the best Minnesota has to offer including a Twin’s game, the arboretum, and even a day shopping with my mom at the Mall of America (talk about culture shock!).  There were also plenty of family dinners, sleepovers, movie nights, a spring concert at school, and lots of good food!  What more could I ask for?  It was perfection.

And before I even blinked it was over.  While saying goodbye was again difficult for me and my family, not once did anyone ever say “are you sure you want to go” or “why don’t you just stay here.”  If they had, I very well may have or at least it would have made leaving about 10 times harder.  My family is amazing.  To know that they support me and that they are proud of what I am doing is reason enough to complete my service.  Their encouragement keeps me going.  And even at 101 my grandpa gets it.  He understands why I’m doing what I’m doing and is one of my biggest supporters.  Before I left he told me he is so grateful to all my friends in Rwanda for all they are teaching me.  He knows that while I’m doing my best to help the people here they are giving me far more than I could ever give them.

Now here I am, one week back in Rwanda.  I was lucky because there was a marathon in Kigali the weekend I got back and a bunch of PCV’s ran in the relay so I was able to spend the weekend with a lot of my friends.  I was even surprised at the airport by 6 of them with signs and everything, it was wonderful!  Now at site my adjustment back has gone pretty well.  My students and friends in the village were all excited to see me as I was them.

I feel like I’ve come back to Rwanda with a new perspective.  I’ve realized that while in the next year and a half some things may change; the kids will get older and friends may move away, but the love, support and friendship will always be there.  I have new confidence to make the most of my time in Rwanda, to take advantage of the opportunities and not get lost in the everyday struggles.

I brought a book back with me called The Alchemist.  I had read it before and enjoyed it but this time I’ve earmarked just about every other page because there is something on the page that relates so closely to my life right now.  I just wanted to share a little excerpt that I found particularly relevant.  Check out the book too, it can inspire anyone at any point in their life.  

“A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world.  The lad wandered through the desert for forty days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain.  It was there that the wise man lived.

Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity; tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world.  The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man’s attention.

The wise man listened attentively to the boy’s explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn’t have the time just now to explain the secret of happiness.  He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.

‘Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something’ said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil.  ‘As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill.’

The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed in the spoon.  After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.  ‘Well,’ asked the wise man, ‘did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall?  Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create?  Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?’

The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing.  His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.

‘Then go back and observe the marvels of my world.’ said the wise man.  ‘You cannot trust a man if you don’t know his house.’

Relieved the boy picked up the spoon and returned to this exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls.  He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected.  Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.

‘But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?’ asked the wise man.

Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.

‘Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you’ said the wisest of the wise men.  ‘The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.’”

All my love,
Annie

Beautiful Rwanda...

I fell in love with Rwanda this break.  It's such an amazing country!  I literally went from one end to the other and was in awe of the diversity and beauty in each place.  I traveled to the far East near Tanzania where the landscape is filled with rolling hills and savanna.  Then I went to the opposite side near the Democratic Republic of Congo where I was surrounded by green, lush mountains and beautiful Lake Kivu.  How could my vacation be any less than amazing! 

I started the break by making a trip up to the Northern Provence to visit some friends.  The North is known it's volcanoes and the mountain gorillas that live on them.  I didn't not go to see the gorillas, it costs about $500 but is worth every penny I've been told but did hike up a mountain that's literally in my friends backyard. There was a group of 6 of us and one Rwandan leading the way.  We Americans were of course huffing and puffing the whole way up while my friend's Rwandan collegue climbed in his traction-free dress shoes while carrying 3 bags and stopping often waiting for us to catch up.  I now understand why Africans  win all the marathons.  We took a break at the top to have a picnic lunch.  We sat overlooking the village in the valley and had a perfect view of three of the five volcanoes in Rwanda.  Going down was nearly as challenging as going up but thankfully we all made it back safely.  The funny thing is that while this was a difficult hike that went nearly straight up over rocks and uneven terrain, this is just the road to many people's homes and fields. 
After the hiking trip I headed back home.  It was actully seemed a lot quieter in my village without all the students which was nice.  I spent time reading, playing with the kids, visiting friends, and just relaxing. 

After about a week at home I had a few other volunteers come visit and then I went with a group of about 20 other PCVs to Akagera National Park.  All of us decended on a small town outside Akagera and then piled into a matatu which are small vans that are used as buses all over the country.  If we were in the states it would seat 15 comfortably but since we are in Africa we cram in 19 and for this trip we had 21 along with all our backpacks and supplies.  It was an interesting ride to say the least but we only broke down once and made it there safely.  When we got to the park we went to our camping site for the night.  It was dusk when we got there and they had already started a fire for us.  The site was right next to the lake and all through the night we could hear the hippos grunting and snorting in the water.  Apparently hippos can be quite vicious but the ranger assured us that as long as there was a fire they wouldn't go past it which thankfully seemed to work.  The next morning we were picked up by 1 van and 2 land rovers to drive us through the park.  The vehicles each had roofs that popped up so we could stand and get a good view of everything.  Periodically someone would shout "tree" and we would all quickly duck back down into the car to avoid getting hit by an overhanging tree and I still have bruises from being bounced around but it just added to the adventure.  I got lucky because I was in the car with the ranger so we had to go first so he could direct where to go. As a result we were able to see a lot of the wildlife before we scared it off.  We were so excited every time we saw a new animal and we really did see quite a variety.  There were hippos, crocodiles, lots of impala, baboons, monkeys, warthogs, and many of different birds.  Then when we were getting towards the end we came to an area of open savannah.  We could see in the distance there were giraffes and we thought this was the best we could do but the ranger took us right up to them.  We drove through the field where there were giraffes, zebra, impala, spring buck, and others just grazing and milling about.  We stopped about 50 yards away from the giraffes and they just sort of looked at us and kept doing their thing.  It was pretty amazing.  The only thing we didn't see were the elephants and of course we hoped to see lions but the ranger said he has worked there for 12 years and has only seen a lion 3 times.  Even if we hadn't seen any wildlife at all I would have been satisfied by the scenery alone.  It was absolutely breathtaking! 

So after Akagera I, along with all the other volunteers from my training group met in Kibuye for our in-service training.  It's the first time we were all back together since swear-in.  It was strange seeing everyone at first but then it quickly seemed as though we had never been apart.  We stayed at a beautiful hotel right on Lake Kivu.  Our days were spent in sessions talking about our challenges, successes and sharing ideas.  At night we sat on the beach in the moonlight listening to music, talking and just relaxing.  In the distance across the lake a volcano that's in the DRC (Congo) is visible and at night you can see a red glow from the lava.  On our last day we took boats out to an island on the lake.  We ate, drank, and relaxed in hammocks.  I could have sworn I was on a tropical island!  It was a great week and I came away from it feeling energized and excited with new ideas to start the next term.  It was reassuring to hear that other volunteers are having the same struggles and challenges that I have and learn some new solutions and coping strategies. 

Tomorrow the term begins.  I wish I had prepared my lessons a little bit more but I feel pretty good about things and look forward to seeing all my students again. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter and is celebrating with those they love! 

All my love,
Annie

Here are some pictures, if you aren't already convinced you need to come to visit me here these should do the trick!

Break