Erin and Scooter Take Kigali

November 3, 2009

I got my scooter last Friday, just in time for the weekend. I went with another IJM colleague, Melissa, downtown to pay for the scooter at 9:00 am and finally got the vehicle around 5:30 pm. It was quite an ordeal. First we had to pay – in cash – at the dealership, and then we had to go to an assortment of places all around town to get the registration, plates, insurance, etc. But now that the process is over, I am a proud owner of a black Scooty Pep+, complete with pink helmet! I spent the three-day weekend exploring parts of Kigali and practicing driving the scooter, eventually confident enough to take my first passenger on Monday.

Friday night, after successfully driving the scooter home, I went (in a car) with my roommate Allison and an acquaintance to the one and only movie theater across town. I wasn’t quite confident enough to take the scooter across town in the dark, so I was thankful for the ride. The cinema was playing Slumdog Millionare, and it was a nice treat to have popcorn, a coke and a lovely movie to watch on a Friday night. It felt almost like I was back in the US! The theater itself was on top of a hill and had lovely views of Kigali lit up at night. Chantal, a fellow IJM staff member, joined us for the film, pictured on the right below.

Saturday, after making a leisurely breakfast, I did laundry. Our house staff Emanuel does laundry but in Rwandan culture, it is not appropriate for a man to wash underwear and so we do those ourselves. Yes, that’s right, we hand wash our undies and hang them in the back yard to dry.

It’s nice to have an actual yard – a change for me from NYC the past several years. A few weeks ago, Emanuel, Allison and I planted some flowers in the front yard from the plant-able birthday card my mom gave me when I saw her in NYC.

For Halloween on Saturday night, I went to a bonfire with my roommates at some friends of Audrey’s house. They had an amazing backyard overlooking a valley. The night was actually cooler than usual so I needed a sweater, perfect weather for a bonfire. We even had s’mores. I met a lot of other people from different parts of the US and UK who are also here working for a brief period.

Sunday, after church, Audrey, Allison and I went for a short hike up Mount Kigali, about a 20-minute drive from our house. We took Audrey’s dog, Moo Moo, who most definitely is pregnant. While we were hiking, some Rwandan children began following us saying: “Look at that dogs nipples!” in Kinyarwandan. Audrey, 26, grew up in Uganda, so she speaks the local language, which makes life in Kigali much easier for Allison and me. Allison, girl on the right in the picture below, is 21 from Pennsylvania.

Monday was an IJM Rwanda office holiday, for All Saint’s Day the day before, and Allison and I decided to go to the pool at Novotel. I didn’t realize Novotel had a pool, and I was really in for a treat. When we got to the Novotel and headed out back with our day-passes, I felt like I stepped into a Western haven. For the first time since arriving in Rwanda, I felt like I was on a vacation! Westerners sat outside at canopied tables having brunch, overlooking the large pool with clay tennis courts in the distance. Allison and I lay out on comfortable chairs with the warm sun on our faces. As I settled into my book, I laid back and completely relaxed. What a treat – in November no less! Totally worth the $8 for the day – I may spend many a Saturday here when in need of a retreat from “regular” Kigali life.

After the pool, I drove downtown to exchange money and get a few groceries. Ah, independence – how I’ve missed you! I was starting to feel confident and comfortable until I got lost on my way home. I took the “shortcut” back to the house and ended up outside of Kigali a good ways and had to turn around and find my way back before the sunset! [Travelers’ Tip: If Rwandans are yelling “muzungo, muzungo” while pointing and staring at you, you probably aren’t headed the right way.] I was so happy to find my way home after about 2 hours, when it should have only taken 15 minutes. The weekend ended with goat brochettes, “chips” and Mützig beers at a local eatery with Matthew, James and Allison – also IJM interns/fellows (we are 4 total in the office). Now that I am feeling more mobile and my health has vastly improved, life is falling into place. I can now fully focus on work and less on just getting by. Today was the most productive workday I’ve had so far; I even did Pilates after work. Less “shocking” stories from Kigali in this post compared with others, or maybe I’m just getting used to things here!