CÉAD SLÁN LE RUANDA!

OK, that’s a bit premature, I’m not quite saying ‘Slán’ yet but having had my first big official going way party it certainly has dawned on me that I am definitely leaving. (Alfred: Hmmm, ‘dawned’ – if one can compare sunrise to being hit on the back of the head with a cosh I suppose the idiom is reasonably accurate). Alfred has a point: sitting there beside the new swimming pool that President Kagame recently opened and looking at the 82 school directors for the District assembling to bid me farewell, it really did hit me for the first time that in two weeks I am heading off into the unknown.

Yep, the unknown, because that is what it really seems like. It is hard to cast one’s mind back accurately a whole two years but I definitely think I feel (Alfred: ‘definitely think’ – for goodness’ sake!) more nervous about returning to Ireland than I did about coming back to Rwanda in the first place. It would help if I didn’t actually like this place so much (Alfred: Duh? You think?) and if there weren’t so many people I am going to miss (Alfred:Yeah, but most of them are also VSO volunteers and they will be leaving eventually even if you stayed, so, same difference. Think of all the people you already miss who have headed home before you...). But, in the most commonly used French phrase in English ‘c’est la vie’.

The farewell ceremony went well apart from a rather dreadful speech by me. At the last directors’ meeting I had made a brief speech because it was the last time I would be attending such a meeting and I basically gave the same one all over again and only realised half way through. Ah well, nta kibazo, as we say here. Below are some photos and commentary in between.

The day started with going late to the office (an unofficial farewell at the bar the previous night turned into a four-Mutzig session and I wasn’t the best when I arose). Then, while there, I tried to find out if anyone knew exactly when or where the thing was going to take place. At 11:30 someone came in and handed me the following (really sweet) invitation:

INVITATION
GISAGARA DISTRICT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Due to his contribution in the quality of Education promotion, Educators in GISAGARA District wish to invite you in the party celebrations prepared for “Good Bye & Providence” Allowed to “Mr RUIRI”.

The party will he held at 11th June 02pm in GSO BUTARE (piscine) at Huye District.

Your Presence will be highly appreciated

Two o’clock?? And being held in a swimming-pool? There is only one bus an hour from the village so I would need to be on the 1300 one to be on time. So rushed home to change, grab overnight thingies and head for the bus. As it happened the 1200 bus was so late I got it at 1235 into Butare and had plenty of time to go to the Ineza and find a room (Alfred: Number 8 of course – see all blog entries for September, October and part of November 2008 if you don’t know why Room 8 is significant) and then get a moto to the new swimming pool near Groupe Scolaire Butare.

I had never been there before and it is really nice but, despite the invitation saying the event would be held in the swimming pool, it was in the garden with lots of little tables and big umbrellas against the scorching sun. And it was great! All the directors were there, some more punctually than others. We had beer, some speeches, then food and more beer, and then more speeches, then my (forgettable) speech, then presents being ... presented, then a final beer while most scattered to their homes. There were all the schoold directors there, some sector officials and both my bosses – Alexis the District Education Officer and Sukuma Simeon who is the Co-ordinator of social affairs.

Then it was off to the Faucon to watch Uruguay – France (via some beef burritos in Matar), more beer, hoping Uruguay would score so I could leap around and cheer and annoy all the Rwandans who were furiously shouting for the French as if they were still best friends (Alfred: Actually, consciously or subconsciously, Ruairí was hoping someone would come over and ask him WHY he was cheering for Uruguay so he would get the chance to do the whole Thierry Henry whining thing again. Get over it!!). And then to bed!!

The setting - nice and peaceful. The swimming pool is behind the hedge at the back. And me sitting beside Bigira Alexis, District Education Officer and my boss




Beer is good; beer with chicken and roast potatoes, awesome! And it was good chicken too. There must have been almost 100 people there and everyone got half a chicken - what did that cost??

Sukuma Simeon, the Social Affairs Co-ordinator, my presents waiting for me, and me with my friend Antoine, the Gisagara District Labour Inspector and someone I am going to miss a lot.

The hat was one of my many presents: this is Alexis modelling it and on the right, Aimable, the Director of Mugombwa Groupe Scolaire

Me speechifying - enough said.

Coolest shirt at the party, and me receiving my presents.

Alfred: OK, he's not getting away with this. One of the two boxes showed a kettle and tea-pot on the outside and Ruairí spent ages telling everyone how well-timed it was because his kettle had burned out that very morning. Everyone laughed and then Ruairí said he would just open the other box, which had the gorilla in it. It was only much later that Enock pointed out to Ruairí that the other box probably did not contain a kettle and teapot but was merely being used to transport other items he had been bought (.i. see photos below). This meant that by the time he actually opened the box, most people had left. Igicucu!)

Me holding gorilla aloft; later, at home, all the presents laid out (bar the hat which I left in town and will collect tomorrow): gorilla, minature drum in frame with 'Thank You' message, table mats, bamboo decorative hanging and banana-leaf football.

Close-up of gorilla: the box in the shape of Africa is mounted on his ... well, arse to be blunt. Then you remove the lid and it is a box to hold things in. BUT - and this is the awesome bit - when you remove the rest of Africa, the East African Community countries DO NOT MOVE! Love it!