Finally In Rwanda!

Hey everyone!

Thanks to everyone who sent me an email. I was very touched and it made me really happy to be part of the Grinnell community. Everyone has been so supportive, and I really appreciate that. So thank you much!!

So... I AM IN RWANDA!!! Finally!

The flight here was too long, but I was happy to have my friend sitting right next to me. We stopped in Rome for fuel, and then flew across the Mediterranean sea over to Ethiopia. When we were flying over Egypt and Sudan, the view from the airplane was absolutely stunning. I also got to see the sunset, (or sunrise, I don't remember) and the colors in the sky were breathtaking.

The plane was an hour and a half late, and I was scared to miss my connection flight to Kigali, but I barely made it. I thought it was interesting that while on the airplane, everyone was speaking to me in Amharic. They did not believe me that I wasn't Ethiopian, they really insisted and told me to stop playing around!

I slept for most of the ride from Addis Ababa. I was exhausted, and really glad when we landed in Kigali. After seeing my Burundian passport, the guard at customs started speaking to me in Kinyarwanda, and even though it took me a while to respond, she understood me and it made me smile inside; I was thinking that I might still have it after all!

Mama Arlene and two Americans who had been visiting Urukundo Village for two weeks greeted me at the airport. Todd and Andrea were their names, and they were very nice. I got along with Andrea very well. She is a kindergarten teacher in Arizona.

Mama Arlene took us to a traditional Rwandan restaurant, and it was absolutely delicious! I had missed the food so much, and I enjoyed every single bite. I also had an orange Fanta. I had also missed Fanta so much, and it tasted exactly the way I remembered it: water, sugar and orange. It felt good to be back, especially right there and then! For those of you who don't know, the Fanta that is found here is very different from the one in the states. It comes in tall glass bottles, and it is pretty much the drink to have.

I kept falling asleep on the road to Urukundo Village, and it was very hard for me to stay awake, and the heat was unbearable, it was very hot and dry. The roads were just like the ones in Burundi, they have a lot of turns because of the many hills. There are also no traffic lights, so people warn each other by honking.

When we got to Urukundo Village, we were greeted by some of the staff. We said “Hello,” with me reaching out my right hand and my left holding my right forearm, as the Burundian and Rwandan way of showing respect. They asked me in Kinyarwanda if I spoke the language and if I was from Rwanda, and in Kirundi I told them that I was Burundian. I got the nod of acceptance. I think that they are so used to seeing "Muzungus" (white people) that they were a bit surprised to see another one of them.

I was showed to my room in the guesthouse. It is tiny but cute. I have a bed and a dresser, all I need really. I right away unpacked all the books and clothes I had brought for the children, and after that one of my suitcases was pretty much empty! I talked to Todd and Andrea for a while, and they gave me a little bit of insight on the place. I was quite sleepy at that point, but I wanted to stay awake so that my body wouldn't be too jet lagged, so I told them that I wanted to keep occupied.

Andrea was craving mango, and she really wanted to try a local mango before she left, so I went to the market in town with Andrea and two people who work here. As soon as we got out of the car, people surrounded us, all saying "Muzungu! Muzungu!" to Andrea. They studied me as well because they could tell if I was from here or not. They spoke really fast at me, and I could barely keep up with what they were saying. Andrea and I shared a couple of understanding looks because we felt a little bit overwhelmed and the people kept following us everywhere we went. The women started talking about Andrea and I, and for me, it was a bit amuzing because I could understand what they were saying, or the general idea; but I didn't know how to respond, or if I should respond at all.

One of the staff that went with us, Anette negotiated the price for a cloth that Andrea wanted, and it was funny to see how we negotiate prices here. Nothing has a set price, and the better you are at negotiating, the better price you get. If Andrea had gone by herself, they would have given her the "Muzungu price" which could be twice what they would normally charge another Rwandan. We ended up getting a pretty good deal thanks to Anette. We then went on a mission to find mangos, and it was harder than I thought. They are not in season right now, and the couple places we found them, they asked for outrageous prices, and after running around in vain, we finally bought one for the equivalent of one dollar. Still 99 cents less than at WalMart! At the market, I saw guava, and I got really excited because I also had a guava tree next to my house, and I used to love them as a child. I bought six of them for about 40 cents. They are a different type than the ones I had back in Burundi, but they tasted good nonetheless.

When we got home, Andrea gave the cloth to a neighbor so she could make a dress, and then I went to visit the rest of the village. I got to see Claudine, who is only 3 years old, but is very late on her development. She is tiny, can't walk yet, and has cataracts and an enlarged heart. She is absolutely adorable and I got to carry her while I visited the rest of the dormitories’ surroundings.

I then went to play basketball with a bunch of the kids who were on the basketball court. It’s unpaved and very uneven, but it serves its purpose. I think they were surprised that I could play basketball, but we had a great time, I made some friends and then we headed over to diner. The food was delicious, very simple, but for me it is a treat since I haven't had this kind of food in ten years. I was introduced to all the kids, and Mama Arlene asked me to tell them a little about myself. A very beautiful girl, Deborah translated for me in Kinyarwanda so everyone could understand. When Mama Arlene told them that I did Taekwondo and that I was a black belt, the kids went absolutely crazy, and I found myself surrounded by all the kids, all asking me about Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and if I could teach them right away. I was excited to see that they shared my love of martial arts, but I was very surprised and a bit overwhelmed. I was asked to do a little demonstration, and I gladly obliged. They made me promise that I would teach them the next day, and I did.

After that we went to a sort of worship where the kids sang religious songs and played the drums. They are pretty impressive and they definitively wowed me. Later, I talked to Andrea and Todd a bit and then we all went to bed. I slept very well!

I woke up at around 8:30, showered and got ready. Todd had made an omelet, boiled eggs, and toast for breakfast. It was delicious. It was Andrea, Todd, Meredeth, Mama Arlene and I at the table. It was very nice to get to talk to everyone.

I then spent the morning with Meredeth and Andrea. It was Andrea and Todd's last day and then they left. I got the chance to talk to some of the staff a bit more, and I kept myself busy.

As soon as the kids got back from school, they wanted their Taekwondo lessons, so we did just that. I was more than impressed with all of them. Their sheer interest, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn made the lesson a lot of fun. We spent about two hours learning the basic front punch, back punch, front kick, and back-front kick. The speed at which they were learning blew my mind at. Even the little two year olds were able to keep up! I then taught everyone the first part of the first yellow belt combination. They did wonderfully and I was very proud. Most of them are naturally outstanding. We were quite a sight to see, all lined up on the basketball court. Some people from around the village stopped and watched us perform, and they seemed to like it. We then took a break because the sun was hitting really hard.

Later on, we had a little basketball tournament going on, and I played much better this time since I knew where the wholes were in the court! The kids here are ridiculously athletic and energetic.

Dinner was delicious once again. We had sweet potatoes, (quite different from the ones in the states) beans cooked with eggplant, and rice. For drinks, we had this sorghum drink that almost brought me to tears because my mom used to make it back in Giheta and I used to love it! I definitively had some flashbacks to my younger days when I used to BEG my mother to make it, but we only got it on rare occasions. After that drink, I was more than satisfied!

After that, I went to worship with the kids, and it was beautiful. They can play the drums like none other, and they have the sweetest voices!

Now it is super late, almost midnight, and I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow, including getting up by 6, so I will say good night now.

So far I am really happy and have no complaints!

Until next time,

Nadine