lots and lots!

Well, I figured I better sack up and begin this blog because it should be a long one. Been over a month since I’ve really written a good one. I think about it often, and sometimes take note of a story, but just been lazy and busy and blah…school started 2 days after Jeff left and that has been pretty hectic and to be honest, not that fun. I have 7 different classes that are 6 different levels. If you ask me, I think it’s pretty ridiculous that they would give me that many levels to teach because planning is very hard. Its like teaching 7th-12th grade English. A bit obnoxious if you ask me. I do enjoy some of the kids of course, and love when they ask questions about America. I was showing something on my computer and I there was a picture of Jeff, and this kid ran up to the front to see and slipped and fell. The whole class erupted in laughter and even I was dying. I felt bad for the kid, but it was nice to see some enthusiasm! A lot of my kids seem very tired and sometimes put their head down in class. They go to school from 8-430 and they are not fed breakfast even though it’s a boarding school. I feel bad and sometimes bring candy. I don’t vibe well with a fair amount of the teachers, who are all male. They know my name and call me muzungu, or pagan because I don’t sit at church for 5 hours on Sundays. Get over it. They also like to talk about me in their presence which is annoying, obvi, so when I’m not teaching, I’m not at school.


I mostly hang out at my house with Bugsy, my dog neighbor who comes over everyday. I feed him and talk to him but don’t pet him much unless I can immediately wash my hands afterwards. Some of his favorite treats include sambosas, amandazi, and the occasional beef jerky or slim jim. He is scared of the water spout outside and prefers to drink from the water in streams or puddles from the rain. A few weeks ago my day had already been ridiculous when in the morning I slipped down my hill and was covered in mud. I know I shouldn’t even chance the shortcut after it rains but its so much faster! I was 30 minutes late to school because I had to go home and clean up and change. The kids were very amused when I drew them a picture to explain my fall. That afternoon I was going to teach the teachers when Bugsy showed up and started to follow me. I called his actual owner to get him but there is no fence he can’t get out of. I called the other English teacher saying I couldn’t come in because of the dog, but he told me to enter anyway. For 2 hours, I taught English while Bugsy slept in the front under the chalkboard laying silent but deadly farts. Musta been all his treats! Ha! The school director wasn’t amused, but he knows its Africa and animals wander…Last week I again leave to teach the teachers, and like clockwork Bugsy was at my gate. I was like NOOOOOO you can’t come today! Of course he followed, but I found out the class was canceled. I instead decided to walk to Congo Nil where I can get bread and such, and he followed me the whole time, even into the bank! The guard told me no dogs allowed, but I told him he wasn’t mine and the guard was okay with it. Bugsy and I walked around for 3 hours that afternoon and it was really nice company. Tonka would have been better, but Tonka also wouldn’t have lasted for that long. We stopped and watched my students play soccer on the way home and the kids were loving the dog. We also ran into some students in town, and they were washing something in the stream. They asked if I knew what it was, and I said yea sugar cane. Then a store worker threw Bugsy something, and I’m like really? Dogs don’t eat sugar cane. So I look closer and and it’s a freaking goat leg! I almost shit myself. I mean, not really but it was pretty gross considering the hair was still on it and everything. Ugh. Pictures of this are on facebook. I still let Bugsy nap in my house after. ☺


Other animals visiting my house include many spiders, fuzzy black caterpillars, and LOTS of lizards and iguana guys. I had a very big spider in my room and seriously thought I might puke. I was able to knock him and after he fell on me, I never found him again. I was pretty worked up about him for a week. I am pretty used to the lizards, but they still creep me out a little bit. I hear them at night because when they come out of the walls cement from in between the bricks come with them. And they leave lizard poop everywhere! Sometimes when I’m outside I hear this plop which always scares me, and I turn and there is this iguana that drops off the wall. He has a blue head and tail and green and yellow body. He looks pretty cool, but always runs away from me.


Last week a bunch of us came to Kigali because we needed money and the new health volunteers had just arrived so we all met them at a welcome party. On the way to Kigali I had to stop the bus to use the restroom on the side of a hill in the rain. Also, I may have been on my period. Sorry for tmi, but it was just one of my rougher moments. Most people got pretty sloshed at the party and we went out after also. The following day was the mandatory umuganda so all businesses including restaurants would be closed. I got some pastries the day before to prep, but Saturday morning was rough on everyone. Most people hadn’t purchased food or drinks and nothing opened till noonish. Also, the water at our hotel didn’t work at all so everyone was dirty and gross and hungover. The sinks and toilets didn’t work either, so the group bathrooms were gnarly as people had the rhea and were throwing up. Gross.

On the way back to site I got off my bus at the bottom of my hill like always before the 2nd leg. I was ready to pee my pants so I went to a bathroom at a little restaurant that I always use. The bathroom is in the back where they wash dishes and its very wet. It was also raining. I came out of the bathroom with backpack and princess bag and slipped. Hard. It was SOOOO embarrassing. I had just talked to jeff and immediately called him back as I was mortified and in a good amount of pain. I was covered in water and dirt because I fell partially into a drain thing. Omg I was so humiliated. So I couldn’t walk Sunday night, Monday was rough and im still swollen and sore. I saw the PCMO (peace corps medical officer) on Saturday and she informed me my knee wasn’t hurt, but below my knee. Oh. My bad. I just know when I bend and straighten my leg it makes this horrible crunching sound “like cereal” the PCMO said. Its pretty gross and I hate that I hear it everytime I go up or down stairs too.


Eww. So anyway, she made me go to the ER in Kigali on Saturday morning. The doctor I had didn’t have the best bedside manner, and was kind of a bitch. Things got better when her phone rang and the ringtone was Prison Break! So pumped. I just finished season 2. ☺ anyway, I had x-rays done and I chipped my tibia. There was no orthopedic person on duty so I was due to go Monday for an appointment. Well, like 4 days ago they declared Monday a national holiday so my appointment got moved to Weds afternoon. So now I’m just in the capital eating good food, spending way too much money and being lonely and bored out of my head. It is definitely nice to have a few days off of school, but we have a long break coming up in April. It’s the end of the first term and also genocide memorial week so it’s a pretty intense time here. My stepdad knew I was having quite a hard time and has arranged for me to come visit him in Singapore and relax a bit. I am SOOOOOOOO excited. I mean, there are Asians and culture in Singapore, but there is also a Coffee Bean, CPK, 7-11, Subway, etc. I couldn’t be happier to get out of Africa for a day, but 2 weeks, I’m THRILLED.

I came to Kigali this weekend because Operation Smile was in Rwanda. This is their first time doing a project in this country and we were asked if we wanted to volunteer. I missed Saturday because of my sudden trip to the hospital, but was able to go for a bit Sunday and it was awesome. And sad. And hurt my heart. Some 500 people came to be evaluated in hopes of getting a surgery. Many people were bused in from villages all over the country and others came and waited on the street in hopes of getting seen. Priority went to children 6 and under, but I saw one lady that must have been 70 years old. It was a scene like nothing I could imagine, and so sad to think that people have lived their whole lives like that. In some parts of the world these people are hidden away, kept from socializing, and even attending school. I hear they chose over 200 people to operate on, and that is going on starting today. It was nice to help and be there and talk to people and just help with a project that will have such a HUGE impact on these people. I think it's an awesome organization and if you ever have the chance to help with it, you definitely should.

In other news, Tonka had snow in Texas and she and Lula Belle had a wonderful time. I miss her a lot, but am glad to have a new doggy friend in my life. I have had 2 official mail items that seemed to be lost forever, but they both showed up in the same week! My mom’s package from October arrived, hot cheetos still intact, and a flat envelope with grammar books also arrived from Singapore. That one had been declared “lost in Nairobi” by the Singapore post, but it actually made it here! I am hoping other stuff trickles into Kibuye, and am sad I thought it was a good idea to use that mailing address. What a bummer. Megan is waiting for a package at that address and it contains hot cheetos. When it arrives, we will have a hot cheeto off. We were planning to walk down our mountain the next day which is an hour by car, but im not so sure my leg will be up for that. More random news, Jersey Shore has officially taken off in Rwanda. Jeff brought 6 episodes with him and after I kept talking about it, other people gave it a try. They all LOVE it, and equally agree on how ridiculous it is. Ridiculously good! Pretty sure we spent like 20 minutes discussing it over dinner last week, so then other people wanted to see it also. Everyone’s a fan! In Kibuye I treated Mark and Matt to a Taco Bell kit my dad sent in the mail. I don’t; eat meat unless I’m at Indian food, but decided this was a treat so…yea….we had goat tacos and I had the worst stomach ache the whole night. Bad move? Nah. The tacos were amazing! Aftermath, not so much.



Hope everyone is well at home. Thanks for all the love and support ♥