Hello World!

Well hello world!  I am finally giving this a quick update due to the demand of a certain person who shall not be named (Jack).  I am now at site in Rwanda and have been here for about 3.5 weeks, one month on Tuesday!  It’s hard to believe it’s been almost one month.  I remember during training one PCV told us, “the days will be excruciatingly long, but the time will fly by…” I think she’s right.  I do apologize for not updating sooner, but there have been a couple factors playing into that:

1. I moved to site…it takes some getting used to!

2. Site does not have electricity…blogging takes a back burner, sorry.

3. I’ve started teaching which means even though I work only 15 hours a week, I’m still lesson planning and trying to figure out how to actually teach these students something!

Also, many of you probably received an email from my mom (the wonderful woman that she is) telling you to not send me any mail because I need to open up my own PO Box.  For those of you who have already sent stuff, no worries I’ll still get it but don’t send anything else.  Hopefully within the next 2 weeks I will get back to Kigali with a couple other PCVs in my area and we are planning on opening up a PO Box.  When that happens I will let everyone know what my new address is because I expect everyone to send me treats and goodies from the States…which I’ll make a wishlist for eventually but other things take precedence right now!

Okay so, update on my life right now.  These first 3 weeks have been quite the rollercoaster of emotions, which all of the aunts and uncles that are RPCVs told me it would be.  So at least I was expecting it…kind of.  But moving to a new home in general is hard, add in an extreme language barrier, not knowing the bus schedules, trying to figure out the market, lighting a charcoal stove, etc etc etc yeah, it’s a little overwhelming and I have no shame in admitting that when I talked to Mom and Dad the 1st weekend after arriving, there were tears.  And guess what, they’re not the last tears.  This is going to be the hardest job I’ll ever love.  And I already love it, so that’s good.  There are days when I question my decision or when I just want to go to Santana Row with Heather and grab a salad, go people watching with Erikka, have a cuddle session with Beth Elyse or hang out with my amazing EMT girls.  But then a day like market day happens.  And market day is just a bundle of happiness because my town has never, and when I say never, I mean NEVER had a muzungu living with them before.  Yeah, they’ve had NGO’s but they’re different.  Now market day, everyone comes out to sell their foods, goods, etc. and when the town muzungu comes out, oh my, what a spectacle I make of myself.  Luckily now they’re starting to get used to me but they just get so excited to see me it’s hard not to turn my frown upside-down.  I’ll always come back home in a good mood, guaranteed.  They also just love that I’m actually trying to speak Kinyarwanda…granted when they start going off in fast Kinyarwanda I just give them a puzzled look, when then they burst out laughing because I don’t think they’ve ever seen someone who makes faces like I do (we can thank mother dearest for that inheritance).

Other good news, I think I’ve finally, kind of figured out the bus/transportation schedule.  Which is good, because that means I can now get to the PC Office to pick up the packages waiting for me there (hope there’s nothing perishable in them…) and can get around to visit people…eventually.  But to be quite honest, it’s difficult and lengthy to get off of my hill.  So I probably won’t be doing it that often…maybe like, once a month.  Which is really all I need to check mail, charge my computer and check stuff at the PC Office and get a small taste of civilization.  Which was quite overwhelming when I went to Kigali the other day.  You don’t realize how used to small town living you’ve gotten until you walk into a Western coffee shop (Bourbon coffee..amazing!) and get horribly overwhelmed.  Or, then proceed to go to the restroom and get slightly confused for about 5 seconds because there’s a Western toilet and running water…yeah, that happened.

So slowly by slowly I’m getting adjusted and figuring this out.  The town residents I’m getting to know and they’re getting to know me.  School is, going and is a challenge, but things are good.  I miss everyone in the States but not even for a second would I think about coming home, I’m in this for the next 2 years, with all the good and bad that comes with it.

That’s all for now, hope that satisfies all of you who have been bugging Mom to tell me to update.  Hopefully I’ll figure out a more normal schedule to update and post pictures, but give me some time and slack…I’m in Africa. Mwirirwe! (Til next time)