I woke up early again, this time to walk one of the older boys, Jean Paul, to the local soccer stadium in Gitarama. It is about 35/40 minutes away. We got there just in time for his first game. He played very well and his team won. Rule of life in Rwanda: Soccer = football = life.
I wasn't able to watch the second game as well, because after the first game, I found myself surrounded by nearly 30 kids, all asking me where I was from, and why I spoke differently. I was able to answer most questions, but I guess they were intrigued and didn't leave my side for the rest of the game.
On the way back, I bought Jean-Paul some milk from a little stand, and we had to sit inside the stand, behind a little curtain for Jean- Paul to drink his milk. It is unheard of in Rwanda to eat and drink in public, because it is like flaunting your wealth, saying that you have enough money to eat outside of meals, and because in Rwanda people are very discreet, when you buy something to eat at a stand, you have to eat it there, or put it in a bag to eat in the privacy of your own home. It also helps with littering and I notice that Rwanda is very clean. I think that is a very good rule, and I have only seen foreigners drink in public.
After dinner, I met another volunteer who is going to be here until August as well. Her name is Brittany, she is 23 and from Florida. She seems really nice and the kids liked her.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Rice & Lice
I woke up at 5:30, got ready, and went over to the girls’ house. I washed Aline and Natete, we ate breakfast, then walked them to school. Again, they were pointing out objects to me. I came back and played with Claudine. I had her do a bunch of little leg exercises that Mama Arlene showed me. These help with her leg muscles. We did two hours of Taekwondo and the kids were attentive every second. It makes me really proud to see how fast they learn and how much they remember after seeing something just once. I have never told them to practice, but they practice on their own regardless, and every once in a while, they come and get me from wherever I am and ask me for the next move because they are stuck. No matter how simple and basic the forms that I teach them, they execute it with detail, precision, and sharpness. I am really proud of my kids.
Right before lunch, the Grinnell alum who got me in touch with Urukundo came to visit from the school that she was visiting. She came with two other friends, and Mama Arlene gave us a tour of the place with stories about how Urukundo started and such. I learned a lot, as it was my first actual tour; I was more than impressed with Mama Arlene's accomplishments and dreams. If anything, I learned how much one person can change lives and really better a place because they sincerely care about other's wellbeing. Mama Arlene is an incredible woman and I am honored to be working for her.
Right before dinner, I went with Meredith to teach English to some of the guards. Two of them could not take notes because they do not know how to write, so they rely on their memory and pictures to say the words in English. Another thing that I noticed with the guards and the kids, they interchange their “L”s and “R”s, so the guards had a lot of trouble saying “rice”. They kept saying “lice”, and no matter how many times we would make them repeat it, they kept on saying “lice”. They could hear the difference when Meredith and I were saying it, but they couldn't say it themselves.
Right before lunch, the Grinnell alum who got me in touch with Urukundo came to visit from the school that she was visiting. She came with two other friends, and Mama Arlene gave us a tour of the place with stories about how Urukundo started and such. I learned a lot, as it was my first actual tour; I was more than impressed with Mama Arlene's accomplishments and dreams. If anything, I learned how much one person can change lives and really better a place because they sincerely care about other's wellbeing. Mama Arlene is an incredible woman and I am honored to be working for her.
Right before dinner, I went with Meredith to teach English to some of the guards. Two of them could not take notes because they do not know how to write, so they rely on their memory and pictures to say the words in English. Another thing that I noticed with the guards and the kids, they interchange their “L”s and “R”s, so the guards had a lot of trouble saying “rice”. They kept saying “lice”, and no matter how many times we would make them repeat it, they kept on saying “lice”. They could hear the difference when Meredith and I were saying it, but they couldn't say it themselves.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Children Are Teachers Too
I woke up at 5:30 this morning without too much difficulty. I got ready to go to the girls’ home at 6:00. I helped dress the two small girls, Aline and Natete. They are absolutely adorable and showed me a couple of the dances that they had learned at school. Both girls are very comical and decided that they would teach me Kinyarwanda, so they decided to point at everything in the room and make me repeat the word in Kinyarwanda. It will help me with my vocabulary, so I am very grateful for my two little teachers!
We then all ate breakfast, which consisted of porridge. The porridge brought back memories of my childhood as well. It is as though everything that I encounter here is somehow related to my past, and I am really glad about that.
One of the helpers, Mama Betty, and I walked Aline and Natete to school, and again, while on the way, they made sure to point out everything that we saw and make me repeat the word in Kinyarwanda. They are just too cute!
After dropping off the two girls, I went to see Claudine for our daily walk, and she seemed to enjoy it. When I think about how old she is (three), it is really scary. She can barely hold her head up, she can almost sit up by herself, but she can't even eat hard food. It really breaks my heart to hear her story and how she came to Urukundo. When Claudine's mother realized that Claudine was blind, she gave her to her mother, but the grandmother didn't want her either, so she didn't feed her, and put her on the side of the road, to die. Eventually, someone found her and she ended up at Urukundo.
After my hour with Claudine, I taught Taekwondo for an hour, then the kids taught me some Kinyarwanda and made me write out the words in a notebook. At the pace I am going, and with the help of Aline and Natete, I should be fluent by the end of the summer!
For lunch, we had Ubugari (cassava flour and water made into a sort of paste) with beans and meat sauce. It was absolutely delicious, especially since I have not had it since I was adopted. It tasted better than I remembered. Gosh it is good to be back!! I ate with my hands, as all the other kids were doing, and I realized that a lot of things are really never forgotten, just put aside for the right time. To top it off, we had passion fruit for desert.
We then all ate breakfast, which consisted of porridge. The porridge brought back memories of my childhood as well. It is as though everything that I encounter here is somehow related to my past, and I am really glad about that.
One of the helpers, Mama Betty, and I walked Aline and Natete to school, and again, while on the way, they made sure to point out everything that we saw and make me repeat the word in Kinyarwanda. They are just too cute!
After dropping off the two girls, I went to see Claudine for our daily walk, and she seemed to enjoy it. When I think about how old she is (three), it is really scary. She can barely hold her head up, she can almost sit up by herself, but she can't even eat hard food. It really breaks my heart to hear her story and how she came to Urukundo. When Claudine's mother realized that Claudine was blind, she gave her to her mother, but the grandmother didn't want her either, so she didn't feed her, and put her on the side of the road, to die. Eventually, someone found her and she ended up at Urukundo.
After my hour with Claudine, I taught Taekwondo for an hour, then the kids taught me some Kinyarwanda and made me write out the words in a notebook. At the pace I am going, and with the help of Aline and Natete, I should be fluent by the end of the summer!
For lunch, we had Ubugari (cassava flour and water made into a sort of paste) with beans and meat sauce. It was absolutely delicious, especially since I have not had it since I was adopted. It tasted better than I remembered. Gosh it is good to be back!! I ate with my hands, as all the other kids were doing, and I realized that a lot of things are really never forgotten, just put aside for the right time. To top it off, we had passion fruit for desert.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Making A List
Sorry I am just posting this now. I have not had Internet connection in two weeks.
Hope everyone is doing well!
I woke up a really late today. I guess I did get jet lag after all. I woke up in the middle of the night and then I couldn't fall asleep for about three hours, so I didn't hear my alarm go off and got up at 9:30. For breakfast, Mama Arlene had saved me some soup that the cooks make once every week. The idea of eating soup for breakfast was a bit odd to me, and it was very different from anything I had ever eaten before. I didn't really like it, but I finished it out of courtesy for the cooks.
After breakfast, I made a schedule of the things I am more or less expected to do during the day. This includes helping wash and dress Aline and Natete (three and four years old each), take them to school, take Claudine out and play with her to help her develop muscles, help with the washing, help serve lunch and dinner, teach Taekwondo for two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon, help Meredith teach English to the guards, and help the kids with homework.
My schedule is not set in stone, which is cool, but at the same time, I know that I have a certain amount of work that I have to get done, so I have a somewhat flexible schedule, which I really like.
Hope everyone is doing well!
I woke up a really late today. I guess I did get jet lag after all. I woke up in the middle of the night and then I couldn't fall asleep for about three hours, so I didn't hear my alarm go off and got up at 9:30. For breakfast, Mama Arlene had saved me some soup that the cooks make once every week. The idea of eating soup for breakfast was a bit odd to me, and it was very different from anything I had ever eaten before. I didn't really like it, but I finished it out of courtesy for the cooks.
After breakfast, I made a schedule of the things I am more or less expected to do during the day. This includes helping wash and dress Aline and Natete (three and four years old each), take them to school, take Claudine out and play with her to help her develop muscles, help with the washing, help serve lunch and dinner, teach Taekwondo for two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon, help Meredith teach English to the guards, and help the kids with homework.
My schedule is not set in stone, which is cool, but at the same time, I know that I have a certain amount of work that I have to get done, so I have a somewhat flexible schedule, which I really like.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
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
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
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Last Minute Packing And Such
I can't sleep, I am too nervous, anxious, excited and I have butterflies in my stomach!!
So I am done packing! I have one big suitcase and a smaller one. One is about 20 lbs, and the other one is 65 lbs. I just really hope they won' charge me extra for the excess weight. The weight limit is 50 lbs.
I am flying Ethiopian Airlines, my flight is at 10:05 AM from Dulles and I land at Addis Ababa at 8:20 and leave arrive in Kigali at 11:55 AM! It is going to be a long ride, and I am actually really excited because one of my best friends, who is also in my Posse is going to be on the same flight! She is going to be working for an NGO in Ethiopia. I think being with her will calm my nerves and distract me from my nervousness.
So today I went shopping for clothes for my two nieces that I have never met. My mother and I went to Baby Gap and we bought two really cute dresses. I got really emotional when we went to the store, and I sort of just wanted to buy all the clothes for my nieces. I kind of got carried away at the idea of meeting them for the first time. One of them is two years old, the other one is only a couple months old. My brother send me pictures of them and they are so adorable! Their names are Cadine and Osty (The picture on the bottom part is of my brother at his wedding).
My father talked to me today to give me a " father-daughter" talk about the shock that I will experience. He reminded me that I will have to act as an adult and be culture sensitive, and follow other people's lead and just embrace the culture. He also talked me to me about my family and how I have to realize that even though my siblings are biological, that is pretty much all we have in common and how I am going to have to take initiative and reach out to them and get to know each and everyone one of them equally.
Talking to my father made me realize that I don't really know what to expect of my siblings once I met them. The only memories I have of them are pictures from ten years ago and I think that I expect them to still be the same, to look the same and act the same. It sounds silly when I write it down, but I really don't know how much they have changed. They probably still only remember me from when I was in fourth grade, and that idea seems absurd to me because clearly I have changed since then, but then again I have had the chance to see myself grow, while I have had no pictures from any of my other siblings other than my oldest brother.
It's funny the way I have been feeling homesick. I have this need to see my house, (the one where I was born) and the village and see what is left of it, and see how much it has changed. I have not been back to Giheta ( my village) since I fled with my siblings during the genocide. The last image I have of my house, it was all trashed, the banana trees had all bee cut off, and the courtyard (Urugo) had been set on fire and there was still smoke. It is a shame that it is the last image I have of my house because I remember the days before the genocide. And my house looked nothing like the one I last saw. My house was always busy. I come from a big family, so there was always something going on. I remember we also had some goats and chickens.
Last time I went to Burundi, I couldn't go to my village because it was too dangerous and my parents did not want to take the risk. But now I am dying to know and see what happened to my house, and see if it is occupied or not. Maybe I will even be able to see my mango tree if I get to go to Giheta!!
My biological mother had given me a little plot of land with a mango tree and had told me that I could grow anything I wanted on it. I grew peanuts because they are the easiest to tend to and roasted peanuts were a favorite of mine (to this day).
I have so many memories coming back to me right now, and it is so comforting.
I should really go to bed now since I have to be at the airport by 8 AM. And I think it is a good place for me to stop because of all the good memories, and I might just dream about my mango tree!
So good night (and I still can't believe that I am really going to be in Rwanda the next time I write...)!
Until next time,
Nadine
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