I'm beginning to get the 'Get me the hell out of here' feeling! After Friday's fiasco comes Monday's fiasco ... but all in it's own good time.
On a different note, if you want to read a really fascinating blog by a VSO volunteer try this one: it's by Becks (Rebecca) Wilson who is in Eritrea and did the Teacher Development training course with me. Makes Rwanda look like Switzerland at times (though not from what is happening to me at the moment!). You can find it on the following link:
SATURDAY
This turned out better than expected. Did some housework (Alexandré is really getting the hang of being around me - no loud radios early on weekend mornings, generally sussing out what I do and don't like) and then headed to the market. I was limited to things I don't have to cook and that was more of a limitation than I expected. I ended up with tomatoes, bananas and some plastic cups. That was it. Nothing else was really suitable. There was thankfully very little fuss or excitement, compared to the last time I came - people must be getting used to me!
Went to collect my laundry and couldn't find anyone in. Ended up going for a beer with Enoch the Ugandan English teacher who works with me and it turned into a long sessio0n, especially as we got trapped by rain! We talked a lot about Ugandan politics, the genocide (he remembers the bodies floating down the rivers into Uganda and how everyone suddenly stopped eating fish). Came home in the rain and had to slow navigate the steps down to my house by waiting for flashes of lightening to illuminate them! Continued reading Foucault's Pendulum which I have finally got into -not sure if my enthusiasm will last so I am trying to read it quickly!
SUNDAY
Ah, Sunday morning hymns on the radio - knew Alexandré's discipline wouldn't survive the Sabbath. No matter, I was up early anyway. Hayley called last night and suggested a walk in the arboretum in Butare. Met up (just about - not a lot of motos around on the Sabbath) and headed off. I actually brought an umbrella to shelter me from the sun - only women ever do that here but I figured there wouldn't be anyone around in the arboretum (Alfred: but Hayley did take a picture - sure I can get hold of a copy of it for you!) but I am still really burned from the bike test and hats are not exactly easy to get here. Amy has promised to find me one in the market (Alfred: that should be good for a laugh - have a look at Andy Crow's blog to see the kind of stuff they usually buy!) so here's hoping. Walked around for a few hours (lots of trees, what a surprise, never knew there were so many kinds of eucalyptus) and then back to Butare for a burger in Matar (met Jane en route as well). Then Hayley headed off, I did some shopping in Matar (Lebanese supermarket with a small terrace restaurant - that makes it sound much more exotic than it actually is!) - bought (wait for it) sardines, pilchards in chili tomato sauce, two small vegetarian pizzas, some waragi (Ugandan gin), bread, washing-up liquid - think that's it. Oh, some mints as well. Then Amy from Kigeme turned up from nowhere and we went for a few beers to round off a really nice day.
Had long chats with both Amy and Hayley about our placements and how things are going - it was nice to have time to sit and chat, everything seems to be really hectic when any of us are gathered together.
Then got a moto home and it was nearly dark when we set out. It really is an exciting experience being on a moto in the dark (wouldn't fancy actually driving in the dark, mind you!). really good driver, must look out for him again. Supper of bananas and cheese (THAT'S the other thing I bought) but actually only ate the bananas as they are ripening really fast and I need to hurry up and eat them. Then out on the verandah in the dark playing hymns by The Sixteen, listening to the bats and tryng my gin (Tyson brand, not really to be recommended, will try the Pineapple vodka next).
MONDAY
Amy had warned me today was National Tree Planting Day or something or other. Anyway, got to work at 0700 and collected my recharging cable and surge protector. Francois said his office was going to be out of commission for the day (no electricity) but we might find somewhere in the maon District office where I could work. Most staff were going off to another sector to plant trees and the senior staff (including him) had a budget meeting. He wandered off to see where I could work and - of course - promptly disappeared. After standing around for a while feeling a complete spare tool, I started exploring. The main meeting hall is undergoing renovations (filling holes in the floor with concrete, drilling etc) - this meant the electricity was on there, so I set myself up in the corner and got to work (and recharging). Word soon spread that the muzungu had a six-gang cable, so all day I had people coming to recharge their mobile phones. I showed then how to press down the top pin so as to insert a two-pin plug, but then had to constantly warn them to UNPLUG THE THING BEFORE YOU STICK A METAL THING INTO IT!!
I won't bore you with what I was working on (statistics). Suffice to say I am pretty sure these are the wrong statistics and I don't even know for sure what Francois wants done with them but a) it is something to do and b) I am getting reacquanited with Excel. I finally threw in the towel at 1630 and headed home. Francois had made a big deal of calling around this evening and on the way home he passed me on his bike and said - surprise surprise - he had to take someone to Butare and wouldn't be able to.
So here I am after my supper of over-ripe plantain and bread and water - it'll be nice when the generator lets me make coffee (Alfred: of course the lazy bugger could get the kerosene stove working if he really wanted to, so let's cut back on any incipient sympathy out there). I am posting some photos of my latest buddies, the colony of weaver birds (at least I think that's what they are, one of the photos looks rather parrot-ish. Lots of birds around here but my camera isn't the best for close-ups. I am also thinking of all my colleagues back in Rathdown who are having a Whole School Evaluation starting today - hope all is going well!!
There's a lot of these little guys around two!!!!
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