Still Sick and Impressionable

October 29, 2009

I have been sick for a week and a half now.  My run of the mill travelers’ cold turned into a full-blown sinus infection by Sunday.  I probably should have waited a few days before test-driving a scooter, which I did on Saturday when I was at about 85%. 

To get to the motorcycle/scooter warehouse last weekend, I took my first moto, which is simply a motorcycle-taxi.  It was so freeing to finally get around Kigali in this way, as opposed to walking.  The air was clean and cool and I was able to see so much more of the city in a half hour on the back of the moto than I’d seen for the previous week on foot.  When I was driving the tester “Scooty” up and down the dirt roads, children would run after me shouting “muzungo muzungo” and waving their hands excitedly.  I waved back, feeling like a celebrity.  As I turned off the dirt road onto the main road, the feeling of freedom rushed over me for the first time since Dubai and thought to myself, “This is more like it.” 

Sunday morning I took another moto, this time to St. Michel’s Cathedral in centre ville Kigali where I met my colleague, Lucy.  We were two of a handful of foreigners, but the familiarity of the mass was comforting and I worshipped in peace, despite the onset of what later turned out to be an upper respiratory infection.  After communion as I was praying, the young boy sitting next to me began petting my skin.  I am pretty sure our skin feels the same despite the differing shades, but now he knows that too.  J

By the end of the day on Sunday, I was out of commission again and stayed home from work on Monday.  Allison graciously arranged to take me to the clinic where I saw an American doctor who prescribed antibiotics, which I think have been helping.  It has been a huge adjustment to go from my independent and self-sufficient life in New York to my extremely dependent and frail life so-far here in Kigali.  I don’t know even how to go to the doctor or how to cook a meal on my own!  Everything is just different.  I am so thankful for Audrey and Allison!

I returned to work on Tuesday and got my first batch of assignments.  Today, I went to the field for the first time to visit the cooperative in Jali, a sector in the northwestern part of Kigali.  We visited with community members and attended a cooperative meeting, during which a fellow intern James and I got to speak directly to the community.  In response, they began singing a lively African song to us!  They rose to their feet and began clapping and dancing, and I was humbled deeply as the translator told us they were asking God to bless us and makes us feel welcome as their brothers and sisters here in Rwanda.  During our visit, I met one 33 year-old woman named Jacqueline.  We spoke in broken French and at first she told me she was 23.  She looked a little older than 23, but I went with it.  When she told me she had three children, I told her I had none, to which she responded en francais, “Are you a virgin?” in front of about 20 other community members who, of course, burst out laughing.  I didn’t answer the question and don’t worry I won’t answer it for my blog readers here, either.  I only share it as a glimpse of Rwanda.

                                                                                               

Me with Jacqueline

(Somewhat) Starting Work

October 22, 2009

I begin this entry again just after rising, but this time it is 11:00 am. I have been home sick the past few days with what I suspect is a minor cold, likely picked up during my travels. At first I thought it might be swine flu, as the epidemic hit Rwanda just days before my arrival, but fortunately that has been ruled out since I have no fever. I have slept a lot, read a lot and watched a few movies. I wish I could call someone, but can’t! Has it only been a week since I left NYC?

My first day of work was on Monday. Everyone in the office is very kind and helpful, and I am thankful to be part of a team comprised mostly of national staff. The office driver, Valens, picked me up on Monday in an SUV to take me to the office. At first I thought, “Is the SUV necessary?” But after we turned off the main road onto a dirt road heading toward the office, all doubts subsided. It was like we were four-wheeling; my East Tennessee friends would be proud! Did I mention the landscape is beautiful?

Valens, it turns out, is quite a character. He shamelessly asked me my age just after meeting me, and then Wednesday morning, he told me that I looked nice, except for my glasses. “You must not wear them to IJM; it’s better to leave them here,” he said as he took them off my face. I assured him I needed them to see but that he may catch me in contacts outside the office on occasion. He seemed genuinely disappointed but apologized later so all is well. J

At lunch on Monday, we went to a local eatery called Afrika Bite – apparently a play on words as bite means “how are you?” in Kinyarwandan. I feel right at home here with tons of rice and gravy dishes served with various meats. Not too different from South Louisiana dishes like gumbo and fricassee. And the fruit is simply wonderful - so fresh and tasty! A few nights ago, my roommates (Allison and Audrey) and I devoured a huge bowl of fresh guacamole before dinner. It was so good, I think the best I have ever had – and I’ve eaten a lot of good guac in my day.

I was pleased to discover that the Internet connection is very good at the office and I can check personal email in the morning and after work each day. I can also Skype after work at 5:00 pm, granted most everyone I know is at work during that time (11:00 EST) but just in case you can sign on – I’ll be there! I had a few meetings to discuss office culture and work assignments and have spent most of the week getting up to speed on office procedures and casework. My direct supervisor, Lucy, suggested that I spend the week thinking about what role I’d like to serve in during my nine months in the office.

Life at home is relatively peaceful, despite the rooster, and you may be shocked to hear I have been retiring to bed around 9:30 pm each night. Because it gets dark each day around 6:30 pm, there is something nice in rising with the sun to maximize the day, especially since there aren’t nearly as many streetlights as one might expect. For meals, we have a cook that comes twice a week to make various recipes for us which means we eat the same meal 2-3 times before she returns with a new dish. I haven’t met the cook yet, whose name is Grace. We also have a house worker named Emanuel. He loves that I can speak French and we converse every morning before work. Our night guard, Etienne, is adorable as well. We have a small yard and an outdoor dog named Moo-Moo. Audrey thinks she’s pregnant.

Hopefully I’ll be well enough to return to work tomorrow, Friday. The only major obstacles remaining – and they are major – are transportation and weekend/home Internet. The IJM driver is only for my first week as I get acclimated and I absolutely do not think I can deal with the crowded and smelly mutatu to and from work each day. I rode it on Sunday and nearly had a panic attack. I think I may buy a scooter.

Safe Arrival and First Impressions

October 18, 2009

I woke up at 6:00 am this morning. Actually, I woke up probably around 4:00 am when the first rooster crowed, but laid in bed until the sun rose at 6:00 am. I looked out my bedroom window and watched a bird play as it chirped in the back yard. This is going to be different. For starters, I don’t think I have ever voluntarily woken up at 6:00 am. I have had a leisurely shower, an hour-long devotional – during which I had time to pray for nearly everyone I know – and am now on my second pot of coffee. All this before 8:30 am – the time I normally drag myself out of bed in NYC to make it into work by 10 am at the law firm. Yes, Rwanda is going to be very different. As I write this first blog entry, my roommate Allison is making French toast while I listen to the radio playing by our next-door neighbors, a Rwandan family, who I believe own the rooster. Still another hour and a half remains until we to leave for church. I can hardly believe it.

The flight over was smooth – stopping first in Dubai and then in Nairobi. The difference between the two airports was stark. Dubai, as expected, was incredibly Western. I even ran into an acquaintance in the airport and we had coffee before my next flight. She was on her way to Manila and it seemed only natural to somehow be running into each other on the other side of the world. As I finished checking my e-mail and talking on Skype with a friend in Nashville, I thought to myself this is not going to be nearly as remote as I expected. And then I landed in Nairobi.

Nairobi, Kenya is probably the most urban and populated city in East Africa, and the rural feel of this “urban” airport surprised me. I had to check in to get my boarding pass and was told that my bags were too heavy, despite online research to the contrary while packing and assurances as I checked in at JFK that my bags would be checked all the way through at their current weight. The man checking me in disappeared with my paper ticket (yikes!) and baggage claim tags as I waited nervously, half-expecting him to return demanding some extortionate amount of money in exchange for my boarding pass or worse, to never return at all. Fortunately, I’d done my homework and explained the baggage policy as I understood it and when he returned, he did so with my boarding pass. Whew!

As I stepped outside to board the Rwandair flight to Kigali, I was blown away at how beautiful the Kenyan sky was. The clouds were so large and full of life. The sun was nearly setting, painting the sky with beautiful pinks and oranges against a bright blue canvas. On the short one-hour flight over lake Victoria to Kigali, Rwanda, I listened to music and watched the sun set over a blanket of clouds unlike any I’d seen before. I landed in a tiny airport, just after dark. I approached the customs desk with wonder and excitement – my first interaction with the Rwanda I’d now read so much about! The customs officer was patient with me as I explained that I didn’t have a home address yet, which is why that section was left blank on my customs card. He looked honestly surprised when I told him it was my first time in Rwanda. He responded, “But this is not your first time in Africa, is it?” When I told him that it was, I could see that he was pleased Rwanda was my first stop. He gave me a proud grin, “Wow! Welcome to Rwanda!”

After sleeping for a good 15 or more hours on Friday night/Saturday day, I went for a walk with Allison to Bourbon Coffee Shop. The Rwandan sky and landscape are simply breathtaking. I was initially surprised at how clean the city is, and how crowded with pedestrians the main roads are. Literally hundreds of people line the streets, but unlike Manhattan, they seem to be walking with no destination in particular in mind. At Bourbon, I enjoyed a wonderful omlette and French press coffee, conversing in French with our charming waiter Jean Pierre. On the way home, a small gathering of children began to follow us as we walked. First three, then eight and eventually fifteen or so Rwandese children from around ages 5-8 began speaking to us. My “hello” received an “I’m fine” from one young man. I chuckled; he smiled. Another child asked me my name, when I said “Erin” the group of kids repeated “Err-win” and laughed wildly. Our broken English and giggles were interrupted when a teenage girl standing on the side of the road reached out and ran her hand through my hair. Stunned, I turned to Allison, “Did you see that girl just grabbed my hair? I can’t believe it!” Apparently muzungo hair fascinates the locals.

So far, a very interesting experience indeed. Though, admittedly, I went to bed on Friday thinking “What did I just do?” and woke up wondering “Where in the world am I?” One day down, nine more months to go. I start work tomorrow - Monday, October 19.