Stuff....

Work has been fascinating these last few days...beginning to see the data from the first ever surveys conducted by media here in Rwanda and it was conducted, however poorly, by my teams. There is a total lack of research regarding product usage, branding, awareness or anything. Lots of issues with each study, but for the first ever project of this type in this country, I am mighty, mighty proud and the teams should be also.

Karibou (car-e-boo) means "welcome" in Kinyarwanda and Sawa, means, "sure." Slowly picking up some words and I am actually beginning to understand the gist of some conversations which are conducted in French. The last official language here was French. The government, literally over night, changed the official language to English. Think teaching school...texts in French, teachers fluent in the language and overnight, a whole country begins to learn another language. Think what would happen in the US if the government said the official language would be Spanish on Monday! Funny.

I just finished reading Mudbound, which is a wonderfully sad and emotionally wrenching book about the South, race relations, how we treat/ed our returning military and more. I highly recommend it! Now, reading a book by a Tanzanian woman who lived here in Kigali and wrote a book called Baking Cakes in Kigali. If you want to get a very good flavor for how things are done here...read this one by Gaile Parkin.

Eddie and I have been fascinated by the huge retaining walls being built around the city. Photos coming when I learn how to upload from her camera to my computer. Groups of men are in the streets with huge piles of mammoth boulders and they hack and chop at these to make stones which will be set into the side of the hill. NO jack hammers. No machines...just hours and hours of back breaking work.

Flat Stanley, now renamed, Bite (Bit-A) and I have been very busy. While outside of the city, I cannot take photos of him with people...a bit shy and a bit nervous about folks stopping to shoot photos. Today, we went to Skol, a beer company and they are located way outside of town on the worst road ever...and we pull up to an actual building that looks like it would be perfectly situated in the USA or in Europe. NOT the typical building here. I accompanied one of the Blink Magazine guys on a couple of sales calls...it was a learning experience for Andrea (yup, HIS name is spelled this way but pronounced, Andre). Bedtime...photos tomorrow.

Smiling and laughing...because I can

Today while driving to the one bank that actually has a working ATM machine, my driver and I passed a Rwandan mom with her youngster wrapped tightly on her back. The norm here. What isn't normal is for the kid to wave his arms about madly behind her and this was especially interesting because the woman had a table, propped top down on her head with the four legs facing the heavens. This table, being carried neatly on her head, with swinging child behind, had to have been three feet by five feet. This woman gracefully made her way down the street and I with NO camera. Eddie has lent me hers for the next few days and I will purchase another when I get stateside.

Another friend asked that I post a comment on my Facebook page indicating where, "I do it." Now, I put that "I do it on the kitchen counter." However, this is something that has to do with breast cancer awareness and the women in the know, know what is going on. My 20 year old son has sent me at least three Facebook messages and four or five email regarding "how uncomfortable" he is with my sexual statement. Tried to explain but I will be a better mother and make sure he/they have NO indication that someone my age might actually think periodically about sex. Forget doing it...just thinking about it makes him crawl.

And then, last night, I went out with a fun group of people, some Rwandan, some my age and some younger to a Quiz Night. This was incredibly fun and we debated questions on into the day today. One question: who created the parachute? Another: Who assassinated Archduke Ferdinand? And just how many continents are there? The Anglophones thought 7 and the Francophones, five. Proof arrived in my inbox early this morning from one of my colleagues. A fun evening with a group of people who were opinionated, experienced and resourceful. Had a great eggplan parmigiana with a couple glasses of wine and about four hours of laughing and learning.

Flavors

I forgot to mention in the blog below that Eddie and I went to a coffee shop near the book store yesterday. It appeared upscale and one could order coffee or tea in tall or grande sizes like at StarBucks. I tried an African tea...they grow tea here but Eddie had mentioned that the tea was made with milk and fresh ginger, a spice I enjoy and cook with a lot. So, a big ole pot appeared, not a cup and it was soooo flavorful. Later, at the health club, where they offer free juices, I tried tree tomato juice. It is a small fruit and the juice was a tad tart so Eddie suggested I have the lady pouring add a bit of pineapple juice. Yummy. Eddie had watermelon juice. A nice treat after exercising.

Morning here and didn't sleep too well. We were at dinner at a friend's home and when I got back to Eddie's house, I found that I had somehow lost her house and gate keys. I cannot leave without locking the house, and the gate to get out of the compound must be opened or closed with the key. The gate is a huge metal affair that opens with a clicker OR a gate key. Lost mine. So, going to the health club with Eddie...praying I locate the one I lost. She isn't sure and I have no clue how we can make/obtain another set. Arghhhhh...been ages since I lost a key. Oh, and I left my camera at Ginny's. She is the woman who put her own car carrier on top of her SUV and she had spent this past weekend canning and putting up spaghetti sauce.

Do scroll down to see yesterday's photos.

The Global Village

I mentioned the other day that the US Embassy sponsored the young men who have an art studio and who launched their air magazine. We went on Saturday to see the studio and possibly purchase some art...Eddie already has several pieces created by these young, 21+ year old men. This mural was painted just outside the studio.

We had directions but we were a bit unclear where to go...and our first effort took us down this road, which is dirt, as you can see, but only about 1/4 off a main paved road. This little munchkin was in the road all by herself with not an adult or responsible person near by. After she got across the road, we passed by her very slowly and saw her run back out behind us again.
At the art studio, we saw some young Rwandan kids practicing their dance routines outside. Boys were drumming, the young man in the blue shirt was dancing with his wooden spear and shield and there were a row of young kids sitting near by chanting a son. The young men who are owners of Ivuka Arts are also artists and sponsor groups like this to encourage young creative children to participate in the arts. Very impressive art and young men.

There is a row of shops called Koplaki and we were shopping in them. Eddie took my photo with this owner/artisan who had, as you can see all types of goods to sell. Negotiating is important. Nothing is sold at the price offered. Eddie found a wonderful, old fetish, which she would have bought, but the owner said $250. and how do you come down from that?
Travelling here is way easier than in Honduras. We pulled up behind this group and just had to show you how group travel, Rwandan style is often handled. There were at least 20 young men in the back of this Toyota pick up. Sadly, we couldn't pass to get a front shot but had to love it.

Today was a special day of relaxation. Eddie goes to the Serena Hotel's gym/spa to exercise and today, I went with her. Wasn't sure how one could spend three or four hours at a gym...but I have it now!! We exercised, did some weights, went to the wet sauna, dry sauna (with a cold shower in between each event), into the hot tub and back to do it all over again. Very very restful. And for me, only $20 for the whole time. We went outside near the pool and ate lunch and then, hit one of the shops to see if there was anything we couldn't live without. I bought a Christmas gift or two and Eddie bought a gorgeous "cow horn" bracelet. A perfect day and we will top it off with dinner at one of Eddie's friend's home tonight.

Various and sundry topics....

JP (Jean Pierre) and I had a driver issue the other day, so walked to the Hotel Laica to get a coffee while awaiting our transport. I saw this map and liked it...have sent it to my class in Alabama. I liked that you could see the size, Kigali, the capital but also the surrounding countries. I was reminded that when I heard I might go to Tajikistan, I had to go find out where it was and who its neighbors were.

I wrote about Stanley below but here he is with the crew of ISHEMA, a tiny newspaper here in Kigali. The man on the far left is Jean Pierre, the young man I work with most directly here at IREX, and about whom I made mention above. Fidele, the guy holding Stanley and the paper is the owner of this irregularly printed newspaper along side his two staff. Yup...three people running a small paper trying to make a difference. This paper is printed in Kinyarwanda, the language of the people.

Stanley seen here again is travelling and reporting in our experiences to my cousin's grandson's class in Madison, Alabama. When I went out walking the other day at the crack of dawn, he literally escaped my hand and landed here...guess HE didn't want to walk with me....or at least not that early in the morning!

I was out for a power walk a bit earlier this morning and had the best time checking things out, as usual. Passing folks is always fun and when I greet people they smile the widest smiles. Found a Seven/Eleven corner store...spelled out that way. Closed, I might add.

Went out with Eddie and a few other folks to dinner at Zaffron, an Indian restaurant here in Kigali. Very inexpensive and delicious. We ordered five dishes, some vegetarian and some meat and shared. Yummy. Eddie's home is in the section of town called Kacyiru (Ka-chee-ru) and is very lovely indeed. All walled, gated compounds with lots of flowers, chirping birds and most recently, Eddie had a civet hanging around the yard. He appears to be gone...would have loved to see that.

Saw new territory this morning and enjoyed seeing folks out working on the grounds, picking up trash in the streets for Umuganda, the governmentally mandated community service work day scheduled the last Saturday of every month. When I passed, I waved and they laughed and said something, including Muzungu, which means white person. I laughed, waived my finger at them like I knew what they had said about me and they broke up.

An Art Magazine was launched here the other night and Eddie and I went. Great fun. Met the neatest folks and interestingly, one of the guys I am working with at BLINK, an entertainment magazine went, but not to cover the event, which would have made sense to ME. Nope, he went after the event for drinks and watched the art exhibits being taken down. I thought it a missed news opportunity...he didn't see it that way.

Flat Stanley and I

So, I have been writing to my classroom in Alabama. Justin, the boy who suggested me for a travel companion with his Stanley is the son of my cousin's daughter. Never knew their last name and the mystery of how Stanley found me is now resolved. Stanley accompanied me on my walk this morning and hopped out to lie in some leaves...he was NOT walking at 6:15 a.m. He then involved himself in some high level conversations with staff from Ishema newspaper which you will also see here. Given that Stanley lives in Alabama, he was seriously groaning as I discussed the conversation posted just a bit earlier today...scroll down to read/see it. Liking have a little man travel with me...one I can fold up and stick in my purse and forget!! Photos are not loading...will try again later.

Rwanda and race relations....

I made mention of the Rwandan genocide during my last visit here and there has been a focus on healing and repairing relationships within this country over the past years. That was a horrid time in Rwanda's history and everyone has at least one member of his or her family that is maimed or who died at the hands of these butchers. The genocide was a black on black, ethnic cleansing and very unlike our own history of racial hatred. From my experiences here, the black on white relationships APPEAR to be amicable. But, I felt my whiteness and my culture this morning, deeply and quickly, when I saw, "NIGGA" across the top front of a mini-bus in letters about a foot high. My first thought was, "OMG does that mean what it sounds like?"

I thought about it for a moment, and asked two of the men I work with here what that word meant in Kinyarwanda, their local language, saying the word carefully. Both laughed and said, "niggah, like you use." We talked about it a bit and they indicated that they were offended by the word painted on the bus but said it is used widely here but only between good friends. Both said I could NOT say that. NO problem. I wouldn't!

Now, if it is that bad, and not publically used, how can one paint it in letters a foot high across the front of a vehicle? They thought that I would ask that rather funny. You see, Rwandans think we Americans have "freedom of speech." Consider what the impact of something like that written on a bus in a capitol city in the United States and the ramifications. Wouldn't that cause a riot? HMMMMM????