muraho!!

Haven’t had much internet to explain what’s been happenin...even when I come to the “cyber” cafes the internet is pretty dodgy. I am actually copying this from my computer. We are now in Nyanza where we will be training for the next 10 weeks. Training is from 8-5 everyday and covers language, technical, and cross cultural issues.


classroom

I hear it’s pretty intensive and since I suck at language I’m not too excited but I have no other priorities than here so I have to focus focus focus and remember why I am here. This whole experience is really what I make it and they say it’s the hardest job you’ll ever love…

When we left the nunnery we drove about 2 hours to our training site where we are sharing 4 houses called the laundry house, kitchen house, tech house and language house. I live at the kitchen house where all the meals are served so pretty much there are people here all the time. The food is prepared on the grass outside my window. The dishes are also cleaned in the outside buckets. We have to bring buckets of water in to flush the toilets and to bathe. Pretty much unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The other houses have names, but nothing is done there. I washed my underwear in a bucket and hung it dry in my window for all the kitchen staff to see. I share a room with 3 other girls. We have 2 bunk beds, all with brand new Mickey Mouse sheets and intense mosquito nets. I feel like a princess, but not. Oh yeah, when leaving the nunnery we had all our stuff to be brought to the bus but also had our carry-on type bags. I left deodorant, tp, and my sandals on my nightstand to put in my bag. I cam back a minute later and it was gone. I was like oh helll come on. I mean yea it’s $15 worth of stuff, but probably 3 of my most important items here! So I saw the staff guy leaving my room and I’m like pointing like where’s my stuff?! And he obviously doesn’t understand so I keep pointing and repeating myself and then he gets on the floor and had hidden it under the bed so he could go back and get it later. RIDIC!



Only been here a week but thought I’d mention thoughts/truths about Africa. People do carry stuff on their head all the time. Heavy, awkward items but they pull it off. Mad skills. Shoes/sandals are too big on a lot of kids if they have them. Babies are tied to mommies and siblings backs. Cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I keep sayin I got to get me one of those! Akon is huge. So is Celine. We asked our driver to play us Rwandan music and we got a cd of Rihanna. Pretty sure those shirts you donate to Africa do actually make it here. I’ve seen some good, worn out ones on kids like Hollywood, Ca, Drink Like a Champion today, KC Chiefs (jeff), UFC, etc. Everyone has a cell phone. Everyone’s job is to sell MTN cell phone credits. People call us umazungu all day which means white person, because we don’t know we’re white. There are a lot of mosquitos. Most of my group speaks French. Good for me not knowing any! Rwanda is suuuuuper green! On our drive from the city it was crazy how green and lush everything was. Lots of different trees and plants. Luc if you’re reading it’s like Cambodia tropical times waaay more. It’s really a beautiful place and very clean. No plastic bags allowed.