Ok - this was an ... interesting day in many ways (Alfred: those ...... are getting a bit overused, if you ask me). Arrived bright and early, finished off the analysis of the statistics that Alexis had given me yesterday and then went down to see him to ask for a few bits of information I needed to calculate the last three thingies (!). Turns out that all that work has already been done: he only agve me the stuff because I was incessantly whingeing on about wanting some statistics to work on! Meanwhile, he had been doing his job and sending all the required information to Kigali as he is supposed to do! He said I should analyse the information to see where we should prioritise our efforts in January when we start inspecting schools!
So, everything I did yesterday was pretty much a waste of time, though I did actually learn a lot about
a) Excel
b) Rwanda's educational system
c) schools in my area
so maybe it wasn't actually a waste of time. I spent the rest of the day composing dossiers on each individual school I might inspect inc ase I ever get there and also downloading English material for the District classes. (Afred: more about THAT anon!!!)
Anyway, went home after work and then met up with Enoch for beers and brochettes (my treat seeing as the District hasn't paid him for ...Alfred: I said ANON dammit!!!!!! Shut up!!). I mentioned my moto driver Deo (as in Deogratias) and Enoch told me the whole, rather horrifying story. Before the genocide he was a successful and rich businessman here in Gisagara but after the genocide he was accused of complicity and locked up. After thirteen years in prison his case was finally heard by the Gacaca (traditional court) who said he was actually completely innocent and had never been involved at all. Meanwhile, of course, all his property, business etc had been plundered, mostly by his former employees and he was now trying to rebuild his life!
Anyway (shades of Nicky Kelly and all that) Enoch and I had a really nice evening chatting, drinking and eating and talking about African politics, especially the sequence of events that saw the Rwandan exiles join up with Museveni in Uganda when he went to the bush to oppose Obote and ....... OK, I guess most of you aren't really that interested but trust me, if you were, it was riveting stuff (Alfred; Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawnnnnnn! What, sorry, dozed off there for a bit....)
So here I am tapping on my laptop with a headtorch strapped to my forehead: I'm off to Kigali tomorrow for the British Embassy's Christmas carol do (no doubt I will be toasting her Majesty's health at some stage). I am actually (shock horror) going to leave my computer behind so I will be out of contact for two whole days!!!!
Meanwhile, thanks to Aindriú for helping me with my Excel problem (non-variable components in formulae, in case you are interested (Alfred: !!!!!!!!!!)), to Nicola Carlos for having a birthday, to Tina Hewing for some worrying questions regarding my football team allegience, to Paula Ward Anderson for her general support and comments, to my mother for her technical queries regarding the Honda Civic fuel gauge, to Michelle Barry for becoming my Facebook friend, to Amy Parker for explaining Secret Santa to me, to Paula and Shona for their sugegstion of Google Chrome, to Jane Dawson-Howe for her constant support and encouragement, to Jennifer for her constant reminders of home and school, to Marion for the use of her house while she es away on her wonderful holiday in Sierra Leone, to Laura Cremen a chuireann i gcuimhne dom go bhfuil daoine eile ann a fheidhmíonn as Gaeilge seachas mé féin and so many others. It is a bit humbling when you start a thanks list and realise just how many people belong on it! And a huge thanks to Enoch for being such a good friend here in Gisagara!!
PS: Tinks, if you are reading this, wait til you hear about Jacques and big naked Eric the police chief - have I got news for you!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment