Send Me To Rwanda!

I was at work today & received a "Thinking of You" Card in the mail from my co-workers at Travesky. I thought that was so nice... and just in time for Valentines Day! That makes me so happy :)

This weekend I won't be updating because after work I'm heading to my co-workers house with her and we're spending the weekend there and in Butare and then going to a wedding on Sunday. I am pretty excited to finally see some traditional Rwandan dances! This should be fun! Then back home to talk to my sweet fiance on Skype on Valentines Day! <3 <3 <3

Not going into town to get my dress. Co-worker has a meeting. Therefore, I'm hitting up the gym...get my body in shape for my wedding... you understand.

So another day of work. I have been in a really down mood lately... that's because I'm been homesick and missing my basic amenities. It is hard sometimes being so hot at night because there is no AC. And sometimes I just want to get in my car and drive to McDonalds and put no effort in to make food. Sometimes I just want to have a car in general, and not have to rely on public transportation or my tired feet. I will tell you one thing though, my legs are so strong!! Rwanda's "thousand" hills has made them BEAST. I do love it here, don't get me wrong. I just am homesick. It was bound to happen at some point that I would get into a funk. It's Valentines Day this weekend too and it makes me sad that I can't spend it with my fiance. I really miss him a lot. And then our 1 year anniversary is on Feb. 28, so I'm missing out on that too. Oh well I guess. But I do have some fun things planned the next few weeks that will hopefully get my mind off everything. For instance, today Taima and I are going to town AGAIN to get our clothes. Last time they weren't ready. So pictures to soon follow. Then this weekend I am spending time with her and we're going to a Rwandan wedding. Then next weekend my roommate and I are going on our whitewater rafting trip in Uganda. So stoked about that one. Ah can't wait...it is going to be so crazy!

And I just realized today that both my graduation ceremony and wedding are exactly 3 months apart on the 14th (of May and August). That's really cute. I'm so excited about those events as well! <3

Anyways, Andrew, if you're reading this... I love you and miss you dearly. Thank you for taking so much time out of your day to talk to me and be there for me when I need you there. I feel really blessed to be marrying you. You're an amazing person and anyone that has you in their life is lucky. I love you so much. You're my best friend.

So the past few days it's been very rainy in Rwanda. As a matter of fact, it rained for about 4 hours last night... that's probably the longest that its rained for since I've been here. The days have been very typical... just a lot of working and nothing much else. I did go to the Quiz Night last night at Sol E Luna. It was alright. We came in third place. Not too bad. Tonight I am going with my co-worker to town and we are picking up our custom-made outfits. I had a traditional African dress and shirt made and she had a suit made for her graduation. I'm very excited to put it on and show you guys pictures. We are also going to a wedding this weekend so I might wear the shirt with some black pants. We will see. She wants me to wear the dress but I don't think that I want to attract any more attention to me. I already get enough attention for my skin color. I don't need to give them another reason to stare. Haha. Anyways, that's all for now.

My day went pretty much as expected. I did laundry, dishes, and went to the gym. Then headed to dinner at Chez Robert and had a big and filling buffet dinner. Then met up with Sonia and some other friends at Heaven to watch a free movie. We saw The Informant with Matt Damon. It was okay. Not really all that great but hey, I saw a movie in Rwanda. I am now heading to bed. I'm super beat and homesick. I miss my fiance.

So I guess it's been almost a week since I've posted an update. I've been super busy with work! I really don't have too many exciting things to say, either. My week has gone well...got the outline of my handbook done, so I'm on track. It is a lot of work though, don't let me fool you. I am writing a whole handbook myself from scratch. It is a lot of responsibility, which I am very grateful for, but a lot of work as well. It's hard trying to get to know the people of Rwanda and be out doing fun things when there is so much work, and it is my priority. But I knew that coming here, so no big deal.

I do have some exciting news... Sonia and I made reservations to go whitewater rafting on the Nile River in Uganda on February 21!!!!!!!!! She has never been out of Rwanda and obviously I haven't either. We are leaving on Saturday morning, we then take a 20 hour bus ride to Kampala. We spend the night in Kampala and wake up the next morning to shuttle to Jinja (where the Nile is). We whitewater raft all day and stay the night in Jinja at their campsite. I get a hot shower, FINALLY!! Then we wake up the next day and explore a little more of Uganda and stay the night in Kampala. Then we take a bus back to Rwanda (20 hours again), and arrive and pass out! Next day, we work at 8 Am. But it will all be worth it... we are so excited and I can't wait to post pictures! We have had a few friends who have done it and they have said nothing but great stuff about it.

So today is Saturday, so its officially laundry day. I also think that I might hit up the gym and sauna. I haven't been in 3 days, so I need to go. Need to get toned for that wedding of mine (not that the hills here aren't enough already).

Oh yeah, I also forgot to mention that I went to this restaurant called HEAVEN last night. It is thought to have the best views of Kigali and it was VERY good. Very pricey though. I was glad I got to go because we ran into a lot of people that we knew there, which is always fun. Tons of muzungus in one place!

So I better get going on that laundry. It will be dark in like 7 hours so I need to do it now so they have time to dry. <3

PS Today marks 1 month exactly that I have been out of the US

So Satuday was Umuganda, but I didn't actually do anything for it. Instead, I went to a local hotel and swam in the pool. I ended up staying for about 3 hours and got REALLY burned... I wasn't anticipating it to be 90 degrees. It was by far the hottest day that I have experienced in Rwanda thus far. After that I came home to lie down and rest. Then my co-worker came over and we went to town to get a suit custom made for her graduation, and we picked out some African fabric to have a custom dress and shirt made for me. We are going to be picking up the final product on Feb. 9. We then headed  home, and my roommate and I had a few friends over for dinner. I didn't end up getting to bed until 12 at night... I knew that I had to wake up at 5:10 for the Akagera Safari the following day though.

So the following day I met up with my two friends at a local spot. While waiting for our safari car to arrive, I saw the Presidents motorcade pass by. Kagame drives himself everywhere, so I saw him driving his car as he passed by.

So I joined a gym yesterday. It is the Sports Club right up the street from my house....about a 15 minute walk. I went in there and got a month membership. It was very expensive to do more than just the gym-- like aerobics and swimming. Almost $65 a month! So I paid $25 and got a month. I can decide later if I want to continue onto next month and the month after that.. I only will be here for 3 more months so it will be about $75 if I decide to stick with all 3...that's not too bad. I went in the gym and there was a "coach" who was basically training me personally. He was counting the repetitions and telling me what to use. I got a really good workout. I'm actually sore today. But I def am glad that I decided to do it because it made me feel good afterwards. The walk home was not fun though... all these darn hills in Rwanda!!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the first song I heard playing as I entered the gym was Enrique Iglesias's "Hero." It was a remix (appropriate for a gym setting) but OMG I almost died. I love Enrique!! Haha. Thought that was awesome.

Today I am feeling proud to be an American...not that I normally don't feel that way but I especially feel that way today. Maybe its because I just spent the majority of my morning reading transcripts from Obama's State of the Union speech and McDonnell's GOP response transcript. Even though I don't always agree with the President's policies, I applaud his initiative and I really do believe that he is trying to do whats best. Obviously we all disagree on what would be best for the country. The Republicans agree that smaller government would be better, and the Democrats agree that expanding the government would benefit America the most. I don't bash him for his beliefs. You can't do that. You have to support the President...he is your President. I will not do to Obama what people did to George W. Bush. That is just wrong. But at the same time, the benefits of living in a democratic nation are that everyone has the right to express his/her opinion and provide input. I truly believe that going about voicing one's praise or discontent with a policy could only make our country better. I am just very unhappy with the rhetoric that some people have in my field of study and work. I am very committed to one party and one set of ideas, but that does not mean that I don't understand other peoples reasoning for their values or beliefs. It upsets me to think that people are so committed to their beliefs that they are willing to express them at the expense of other people's feelings. That is just not right. I am a strong believer, but I do not seek to destroy other people and belittle them or their ideas. I will have an educated conversation with you about politics, but my goal is not to be right...it is to express my ideas and beliefs. It is especially hard sometimes because people may say things about me for getting involved in international development. It is a very liberal stance. The Republicans can oftentimes be less concerned about the field of international development. But who is to say that because the majority of my beliefs tend to lie with the Republican party that I have to maintain all of their viewpoints on every issue, including international development? We do not live in a dictatorship. We, as Americans, are free to have our own opinions on any subject matter. We do not have to claim to be a part of a set system of beliefs. I love that about America. It is one of the reasons that I would never want to live anywhere else for an extended period of time. I love the country and the ideals that our country was founded on. But I do love international development, and I do believe that the best way to help out our country is to help third world and developing countries. What could be a better example for them than to meet helpful and generous people from the US, a democracy? It helps them to see what they could have. It helps them realize how important their lives are and how valuable freedoms are in this world. It allows them the chance to stand up to oppression and tyranny. I for some reason today am just so blessed to have had the opportunity to come over to Rwanda. I really feel like I'm doing something that will benefit my character. I have been guilty, just like many Americans, of taking luxuries for granted. For instance, I do not have a car over here, hot water, a refrigerator or microwave, air conditioning, or stable electricity. These are all things that most Rwandans go without on a daily basis, and sometimes for their whole lives. It saddens me to see some people in the US be so  ungrateful, because they don't realize what they have. Having food and clean tap water would be a luxury to people in Rwanda. And yet everyone I have met has been willing to give you everything they have. Their kindness and generosity has impressed me. It just stuns me beyond belief. I feel so safe and welcome here and people don't judge you for who you are or what you have. They take you for who you are. If there is one thing I wish to convey from my trip thus far it is to not take things for granted. Make sure everyday you tell the ones you love that you love them no matter who they are, what they have accomplished, or what they provide for you. Be selfless for a day. Think about others. Give to the millions of Americans struggling to put food on their table. Help a neighbor that is sick or afflicted. Comfort someone in need. Do your part AS A HUMAN BEING. Be more friendly with people you meet. Remember that everyone has feelings. So do not belittle or degrade them. Watch the way you talk to others. I sound like I'm preaching to do all these things, but I really do believe every person has the potential to make a difference. It just takes acknowledging it. PLEASE do something for someone today.

On another note, similarly related, Saturday is a day in Rwanda called umuganda where every citizen is required, for one day, to participate in a community service activity. I don't think most things are open/busses dont run. So I have decided that I want to take part in this as well. I still have to figure out exactly what I can do, but I think it is a noble thing for Rwandans to do. I wish we had something similar. I am very proud of the people here and the great strides they have made after years of oppression and difficult lives. It can teach us all something. Stop complaining about the life you were born into and start making strides to improve yours, and others, lives for the better.

So it has been quite some time since I have wrote a blog entry. Sorry about that. I had a very fun-filled weekend and I did not really have the chance to write on here... so today is Tuesday, the 26th of January. Okay so let me back up to Friday. On Friday, I worked all day long and then my roommate and I headed to "mumugee" (town) to get some meat for dinner. Because we do not have a refrigerator or freezer we have to eat meat the same day we purchase it. We ended up going in a European specialty store while we were there as well and I purchased a can of Pringles. I started eating them immediately and I was SO happy to eat a name brand food! Even though it was still LOTS OF STARCH! They love starch in Rwanda. So then we went to the other grocery store to get the meat, and got some for dinner and some sausage for breakfast the next morning. Then we both purchased a "Mars Bar" (ice cream bar). It costs me close to $7.00...but my roommate and I decided that once in awhile you need some chocolate...and let me tell you, it was worth it. I was happy to have some comfort foods! Then we took the bus back home and made some dinner (meat, rice, mushrooms, and vegs). It was really good. We ended up getting ready and went over to her friend Alex's to meet up with him and a few friends. It was very interesting because we couldn't find our way for a long time. We weren't getting good directions from Alex and our cab driver was getting frustrated, so we just got out and walked. Finally Alex came and got us from whereever we were on his mo-ped bike. It was the first time that I heard a dog bark in Rwanda too. There were a lot of guard dogs over in this area. We hung out at his house for a few hours and met his friends and then they were leaving to go to KBC where the club is. So we decided to tag along. We all piled into a taxi, and 2 people took motor-taxis, and we headed out. There was a cover charge of about $4 (Kigali is expensive, I told you). The club was interesting. They played a lot of American music, like I heard that Black Eyed Peas song "I got a feeling, that tonights gonna be a good night" and "Who Let the Dogs Out" haha. But they also played a few African songs, which I thought was awesome. The club had a few different rooms, and one room had a live band. They played some Bob Marley and that song "Hotel California" and some other American songs. There was a guy with dreads who dragged my roommate on stage, and proceeded to drag me up there as well. It was INTERESTING to say the least. I had a lot of fun. We left shortly after 2 AM, walked home and went to bed. I was very sweaty by the end of the night.

The next morning we both missed hearing our alarm clocks, so we didn't wake up til 10ish. We then were running late, but made a quick breakfast and headed into town. We went to the "bus station" to purchase bus tickets to go to Nyanza. We took a 2 hour bus ride there. I snapped some amazing pictures on the way there. We got there and went to see the old tribal chief's hut/palace replica. It was really cool. Then we walked a little ways to see the old King's Palace. We got a guided tour of that. Then we walked over to the Art Museum, which was originally supposed to be used as the King's palace, but he died so it has been converted into an elegant art museum.  We had some trouble getting a ride from there to town because there were no motor-taxis along that road. But we talked to some people and had them call us one. We got back to town and waited around until we had to take the bus at 6PM. After a really long bus ride back, we arrived in Kigali and went home. I called it a night.

The following morning I got up and did some laundry and cleaning. My British friend then asked me if I wanted to go to dinner at this really nice restaurant that we kept hearing about, Shacolat. It was really great. It was kinda like how lounges in DC look, except it was outside. It had two firepits as well. I got a fish dish which came with, guess what, potatoes! I can never seem to escape rice and potatoes! After that I came home and got on the phone with Andrew. I found out that he had looked at the Bristow Manor reception venue I had wanted, and he loved it! He was waiting to sign a contract for our new wedding date of August 14. I was relieved and went to bed happy.

Yesterday I worked all day...then last night was "Quiz Night" run by a bunch of white people working over here in Rwanda. My friend Dan and I went to it. It was at this pizza place right down the road from my house called "Sol E Luna." We ordered a lasagna and pizza and it was so good! I was glad to have some more comfort food. So much for loosing weight in Rwanda, huh? After that, I came home around 10:30 to find out that Andrew had signed the contract for Bristow Manor and sent in the deposit. That made me so happy!

So now it is Tuesday, and I will write back in here when my whole day is through and I have more to say about this wonderful day. Sorry for the REALLY LONG entry!