Soggy Sunday

February 8, 2010

I’m cold! Four degrees below the equator and I’m cold. It is raining buckets out there now, 1:00 in the afternoon when Penina said it usually only rains at night! I was cold in the night, too, with two blankets on my bed. Shouldn`t have left my winter things in Ottawa!
When they offered me Rwanda as a placement, the information on the country said there are four seasons:


January/February, Short dry season, harvest

Mar/Apr/May, Big rains season,planting

June/July/Aug, Very hot/no rain,

Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec, Short rains, second cultivation

However, I’ve been told that global warming has thrown this off and that they are not really sure when to plant anymore.

Yesterday, Sunday, I was feeling quite punk. The pollution, or I thought it was pollution, (I really do think there is pollution), but Meg tells me I am feeling the effects of the altitude. I feel tired, dizzy and I can’t seem to breathe. She assures me that in time my body will adjust.

As I was making lunch my propane ran out. That meant I wouldn’t be able to boil water to put through the water filter; very important as you can’t drink the water from the tap. Also, I can’t make coffee, also very important. BTW, Rwanda is known for its coffee and it’s delicious.

Starving as I was, I went up to a hotel that has a big plaster gorilla on top of its gate. I was the only one there. Ordered a chicken dinner for 5000 fr which is a very expensive meal here and it was really only worth about a 1500 fr meal. Wonder if that was the mazungu price. Oh well, at least my tummy was full.

In order to get a new propane tank, I have to somehow arrange to get it to Kigali. I have asked that the next time a Diocese vehicle goes into the city that I am allowed to go along to get the propane but also to buy a refrigerator. Again, I won't hold my breath.

This morning I trekked up the hill to the bank where Marcel, a very tall, handsome Tutsi, (we`re not supposed to designate), with long, slender fingers that should play the piano, smiled welcome. My cheque from VSO went through, (it took more than a week), and I easily withdrew 150,000 fr with 100,000 going to pay Meg back for her loan when I went in to Kigali.

I managed my first trip to the market alone. Since I remembered prices of things from when I shopped with Sam, if they gave me a mazungu price I said, `nimeshi` and if they didn`t come down, I walked on. The avocados here are fabulous but the mangoes are not.

Have fought with F.R.E.D. for about an hour trying to upload photos to my blog. I think the server is not strong enough, (not the right terminology, I know), as I can't get radio online either. If anyone knows of an alternate way of adding pics, please let me know.