There is no public library in Rwanda. Most schools have something they call a library, but to be honest what they have do not do the word justice. Therefore one of the projects of the Rotary club here is to build a public library. This had been going on for a while, but I believe things are finally on their way, the building is actually being constructed and books are starting to be donated.
My school has a chapter of the interact club(the school version of rotary). Therefore when a shipment of books was donated a group of students volunteered to help sort the books. Being more familiar with books and how a library is set up my roomate and I volunteered to accompany the girls not only to supervise, but to also work. And let me tell you, work is what we did.
We worked from approximately 9 am till 3 pm(with a lunch break).
The first thing we had to do was sort the boxes of books into subjects. On the floor using chalk we wrote labels, therefore creating piles of books all over the floor as we sorted. Before we started we had told the girls to come to us if they weren't sure about what category a book should go into. Well, this resulted in my roommate and I being consulted for I would say 80% of the sorting. At times this was frustrating because I felt some of the girls were not even trying to read the titles or the back of the book/book jacket, they were purely picking up books and coming to us for the answer. Of course me being me was all over the place with doing my own sorting and helping the girls. Another hard part was that we only made so many categories and sometimes we would be unsure where to put a book because we knew where it would belong in an American library, we just hadn't made all those distinctions in the genres(but you have to start small). One of the worst categories was Novels. In here we put everything from biographies, memoirs, classic literature, to actual novels. At times it was very frustrating but there was just no way to separate them out more without my roommate and I doing it, because the girls just don't know enough about books and how to distinguish them apart.
As the day wore on we were joined by some university students who are also in interact clubs. I had hoped they would really be a help. I think that it was about 50-50. At times they would be great workers,and at other times all they would do is stand around and browse the books,not to mention that they too had to ask us what categories books belong in.
After we had sorted a massive amount of books we then had some of the girls start to record them and box them up. The girls did this very well, but at times finding the author of the book was not easy for them(I would like to thank Edgewood Elementary School for taking us to the library and having to learn all about books and how a library functions).
Overall though I was very proud of the students for working as hard as they did even when they weren't familiar with the system.
They only thing I have to complain about is what happened at the end of the day. I was very dissapointed in my students. As much as I understand what they did, and why they did it, I just cannot agree with it, no matter how much they, or someone attempts to convince me.
So here's the deal.
The man in charge of the public library committee for Rotary is the nicest person ever. He actually cares about everyone, and especially the students at my school. But, that doesn't mean that students should take advantage that he will do whatever they want. Some of the girls wanted to take novels for themselves. I told them no, these were books donated to the library, and they are going to have to wait untill the library opens. Well what did they do, they went and asked, and of course the VERY nice man said yes and he knew that I did not agree, so he came to talk to me. He said we would make a comprise and that instead of giving the books to the girls, he would donate the ones the girls took to the our school's library. I said fine, because at this point the students already had the books. I told the girls this, yet as we were on the bus back to school I saw students writing their names in the books and I asked them why, and they tell me teacher its my book, and I was like you are selfish, those books are supposed to be for the school library.
That is why I was dissapointed. I know they are young and that they are students who always just care about themselves, but they are 17 years old, and its time for them to act responsibly. Those books were donated to a public libary to be used by many, not to my students for their private usage.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Candidate Party
Candidate Party, aka a graduation ceremony and party
The secondary school system in Rwanda is divided into ordinary level and advanced level, otherwise known as O and A level respectively. There are 3 years to each level. In the first three levels the students take a variety of classes. They then sit for the O-level exam, which tests them on about 8 subjects. Based on their scores they are then able to apply/go to A-level either at the school they attended O-level, or they can transfer schools. In A-level the students study in a tract or combination. The combinations have 3 principle classes(subjects) and then a few other electives, some of which are nation mandated, and others are given by certain schools. Then at the end of their 3 years in A-level, they take another national exam. It is this exam that will decide their future, what they can study in univeristy(if they go) and even where they will study.
Clearly the O and A- level National Exams are very important in the lives of students here, so it should make sense that we want to celebrate it. In the past at my school these celebrations were always done through religious groups, but this year it was decided that we would have a school wide celebration. Not only would the non-candidate students be invited, but each candidate would be able to invite 2 people to attend.
All the teachers were invited and the invitation said the event started at 9 am. I don't know why after all this time I still believe things will start on-time, I should learn, but I continue to show up on time. Sunday morning was a rainy morning, but I still got there at 9 am. On the walk from my house up to school I passed the dormitories and some of my students ran out to tell me I looked smart,etc. Then as I passed by the wash house I saw candidates still in towels greeting me a good morning. I was like, hey ladies aren't you supposed to be somewhere right now, they reacted with yes teacher we are coming we are coming.. yet none of them were dressed yet.
As I walking up to school I realized I had no idea where exactly I was going;I asked one of the girls and she offered to show me there. The party was set up on the basketball court, there were 3 big tents. When I arrived only my headmistress was there and everything was still being setup, even though it was after 9 at this point. Somehow I wasn't surprised.
I'm not sure when exactly everything started, but I want to say between 10 and 10.30 was when most of the family and students arrived. I must say that the girls looked fabulous. They were dressed in traditional dresses that are somewhat reminiscent of an indian sari(sp?). All the girls had different patterns and accessories, you could tell they really took the time to get ready(some of them were 2 hours late).. The girls even tried to work with their short little fros to make them look good, I was surprised with what they were able to do.
The official part of the day consisted of giving out certificates and having a few speeches. The girls sang and danced for us, and presented our headmistress with a gift. Then there was a chance for family members to give gifts. Then it was lunch time. I was shocked at how well lunch worked out considering the amount of people that were in attendence.
Then the waiting started.
In the afternoon I'm not even sure what was exactly planned but we sat around for a while(at least there was a DJ playing music).
Then the unofficial party started. All the families and friends were taking pictures and just having fun. We had a singer called LilG perform, he's most likely 16 plus or minus. He's Rwandese and the students went crazy for him.
Most of the rest of the day consisted of me sitting around with my students, talking and taking pictures with them. I was told we were waiting for more musical guests to come. I asked what time were they expected, they told me 8 pm, and that point I looked at my watch saw that it was 6.30 and I was like OK, I'm going home I'll be back later..
Later in the night I went back with some of my fellow teachers and we hung out some more with the students. Finally these other singers did come, and the girls went crazy, I couldn't believe it. We teachers left around 10.30, but the girls continued till around midnight.
Overall it was a great day and I know I won't forget it and I'm pretty sure the students won't forget it either. I also loved the fact that on Monday morning at 8 am the senior 6s were already studying,they really are serious girls.
The secondary school system in Rwanda is divided into ordinary level and advanced level, otherwise known as O and A level respectively. There are 3 years to each level. In the first three levels the students take a variety of classes. They then sit for the O-level exam, which tests them on about 8 subjects. Based on their scores they are then able to apply/go to A-level either at the school they attended O-level, or they can transfer schools. In A-level the students study in a tract or combination. The combinations have 3 principle classes(subjects) and then a few other electives, some of which are nation mandated, and others are given by certain schools. Then at the end of their 3 years in A-level, they take another national exam. It is this exam that will decide their future, what they can study in univeristy(if they go) and even where they will study.
Clearly the O and A- level National Exams are very important in the lives of students here, so it should make sense that we want to celebrate it. In the past at my school these celebrations were always done through religious groups, but this year it was decided that we would have a school wide celebration. Not only would the non-candidate students be invited, but each candidate would be able to invite 2 people to attend.
All the teachers were invited and the invitation said the event started at 9 am. I don't know why after all this time I still believe things will start on-time, I should learn, but I continue to show up on time. Sunday morning was a rainy morning, but I still got there at 9 am. On the walk from my house up to school I passed the dormitories and some of my students ran out to tell me I looked smart,etc. Then as I passed by the wash house I saw candidates still in towels greeting me a good morning. I was like, hey ladies aren't you supposed to be somewhere right now, they reacted with yes teacher we are coming we are coming.. yet none of them were dressed yet.
As I walking up to school I realized I had no idea where exactly I was going;I asked one of the girls and she offered to show me there. The party was set up on the basketball court, there were 3 big tents. When I arrived only my headmistress was there and everything was still being setup, even though it was after 9 at this point. Somehow I wasn't surprised.
I'm not sure when exactly everything started, but I want to say between 10 and 10.30 was when most of the family and students arrived. I must say that the girls looked fabulous. They were dressed in traditional dresses that are somewhat reminiscent of an indian sari(sp?). All the girls had different patterns and accessories, you could tell they really took the time to get ready(some of them were 2 hours late).. The girls even tried to work with their short little fros to make them look good, I was surprised with what they were able to do.
The official part of the day consisted of giving out certificates and having a few speeches. The girls sang and danced for us, and presented our headmistress with a gift. Then there was a chance for family members to give gifts. Then it was lunch time. I was shocked at how well lunch worked out considering the amount of people that were in attendence.
Then the waiting started.
In the afternoon I'm not even sure what was exactly planned but we sat around for a while(at least there was a DJ playing music).
Then the unofficial party started. All the families and friends were taking pictures and just having fun. We had a singer called LilG perform, he's most likely 16 plus or minus. He's Rwandese and the students went crazy for him.
Most of the rest of the day consisted of me sitting around with my students, talking and taking pictures with them. I was told we were waiting for more musical guests to come. I asked what time were they expected, they told me 8 pm, and that point I looked at my watch saw that it was 6.30 and I was like OK, I'm going home I'll be back later..
Later in the night I went back with some of my fellow teachers and we hung out some more with the students. Finally these other singers did come, and the girls went crazy, I couldn't believe it. We teachers left around 10.30, but the girls continued till around midnight.
Overall it was a great day and I know I won't forget it and I'm pretty sure the students won't forget it either. I also loved the fact that on Monday morning at 8 am the senior 6s were already studying,they really are serious girls.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Menus
As we all know, going to different countries can cause many cultural difference to be observed. Some of them can be easy to accept or adapt to, and others can be very difficult to grasp, and even after time they still might seem strange.
Having been in Rwanda now for 10 months I feel that I have noticed and taken in many new and/or different things. I want to take the time to talk about something that greatly amuses me and that has caused a few entertaining meals while I have been here. What I'm talking about may not be revolutionary or even all that important, but believe me when I say, it is very different here then it is in the states or most european countries. What I'm talking about is menus.
While I was growing up I was fortunate enough to not only live in areas that supported multicultural food, but I was also lucky enough to have parents that would spend good money to give us wide varieties in the food that we ate. At the time I hadn't even realized how I valued all the food I ate..coming here sure changed that.
Let's first talk Rwandese restaurants. A 'normal' place will serve brochettes and fries. There might be an option about what kind of meat you get. Some places even make 'omelettes.' Oh, wait, I forgot to mention, thats for dinner. Almost all places here only do buffets for lunch; those include all the different types of potatoes, bananas, rice, sauces, maybe some greens, and meat. What this means is that when you go into most places they don't have menus. What they might have is under their sign saying that they are a restaurant there could be pictures of the food available. This means that you just have to talk to your server to figure out what you are going to get. And remember, always ask for a cold drink, if not they will bring it warm, and I'm serious.
Now onto 'our' restuarants. We will go with typical suburbia fare. Every place we could go to is going to have a menu, and most likely the menu will be multiple pages. When we are young we might not know what to order because we don't know what the different foods are, but by the time we are older we can't decide on what we want because there are too many options, not because we aren't familiar with the choices. And let us not forget that we don't ever ask for a cold soda or beer, and most sodas are free refills, and water is almost always free(unless you are going for the fancy stuff).
That is just how it is for us, and I'm not specifically talking about the high-end places, just the normal run of the mill joints.
So now imagine being here. Places with menus are great. It means that there will be some options. I want to make it clear though that I love brochettes and fries, some days I down-right crave them, but other days, you just want some good old food.
As I mentioned when I wrote Kigali for Tourists, there are some good food places here, and honestly most cravings can be satisfied as long as you are willing to pay.. which if you are with a group of other westerners, you usually are willing. That is to say, the average Rwandese person does not go to these places, and even if you suggested food like indian, chinese, or italian, they wouldn't even know what exactly that meant.
This leads me to my amusement.
I have been out a few times with some of my non-American friends and watching them pour over the menus is always fun. Now, I don't mean to make fun of my friends, because they mean a great deal to me, but its just I never thought somone wouldn't know what carbonera, or bolognese, or arrabiata meant(in reference to sauces on pasta). Things like that have just become second nature to me, not just because I speak Italian, but because if you eat the food enough you just know what is in the different sauces. Normally in cases like this, my friends ask me to order for them, which is just fine because I can guess what they would like. The part that makes me laugh is just when they ask me questions and I'm at a loss to explain what something is, like capers or anchovies or chili. Somehow my explanations are always lacking, even though in my own head I know perfectly well what something is. It is also always great when your friends keep the menus for a little light reading over the meal.
With all of that said, every once in a while my friends and I stumble upon a Rwandese restuarant with a menu, and we suddenly get super excited, we just can't help ourselves. Somehow a restuarant feels more real to us because of it having a menu..strange right?
Having been in Rwanda now for 10 months I feel that I have noticed and taken in many new and/or different things. I want to take the time to talk about something that greatly amuses me and that has caused a few entertaining meals while I have been here. What I'm talking about may not be revolutionary or even all that important, but believe me when I say, it is very different here then it is in the states or most european countries. What I'm talking about is menus.
While I was growing up I was fortunate enough to not only live in areas that supported multicultural food, but I was also lucky enough to have parents that would spend good money to give us wide varieties in the food that we ate. At the time I hadn't even realized how I valued all the food I ate..coming here sure changed that.
Let's first talk Rwandese restaurants. A 'normal' place will serve brochettes and fries. There might be an option about what kind of meat you get. Some places even make 'omelettes.' Oh, wait, I forgot to mention, thats for dinner. Almost all places here only do buffets for lunch; those include all the different types of potatoes, bananas, rice, sauces, maybe some greens, and meat. What this means is that when you go into most places they don't have menus. What they might have is under their sign saying that they are a restaurant there could be pictures of the food available. This means that you just have to talk to your server to figure out what you are going to get. And remember, always ask for a cold drink, if not they will bring it warm, and I'm serious.
Now onto 'our' restuarants. We will go with typical suburbia fare. Every place we could go to is going to have a menu, and most likely the menu will be multiple pages. When we are young we might not know what to order because we don't know what the different foods are, but by the time we are older we can't decide on what we want because there are too many options, not because we aren't familiar with the choices. And let us not forget that we don't ever ask for a cold soda or beer, and most sodas are free refills, and water is almost always free(unless you are going for the fancy stuff).
That is just how it is for us, and I'm not specifically talking about the high-end places, just the normal run of the mill joints.
So now imagine being here. Places with menus are great. It means that there will be some options. I want to make it clear though that I love brochettes and fries, some days I down-right crave them, but other days, you just want some good old food.
As I mentioned when I wrote Kigali for Tourists, there are some good food places here, and honestly most cravings can be satisfied as long as you are willing to pay.. which if you are with a group of other westerners, you usually are willing. That is to say, the average Rwandese person does not go to these places, and even if you suggested food like indian, chinese, or italian, they wouldn't even know what exactly that meant.
This leads me to my amusement.
I have been out a few times with some of my non-American friends and watching them pour over the menus is always fun. Now, I don't mean to make fun of my friends, because they mean a great deal to me, but its just I never thought somone wouldn't know what carbonera, or bolognese, or arrabiata meant(in reference to sauces on pasta). Things like that have just become second nature to me, not just because I speak Italian, but because if you eat the food enough you just know what is in the different sauces. Normally in cases like this, my friends ask me to order for them, which is just fine because I can guess what they would like. The part that makes me laugh is just when they ask me questions and I'm at a loss to explain what something is, like capers or anchovies or chili. Somehow my explanations are always lacking, even though in my own head I know perfectly well what something is. It is also always great when your friends keep the menus for a little light reading over the meal.
With all of that said, every once in a while my friends and I stumble upon a Rwandese restuarant with a menu, and we suddenly get super excited, we just can't help ourselves. Somehow a restuarant feels more real to us because of it having a menu..strange right?
Tusker Fame Season 3
Since American Idol type shows are huge in the Western world, it shouldn't be surprising that some variation would also be popular here(or even exist).
In the case of East Africa, the show is called Tusker Project Fame, this year was season 3. The show consisted of try-outs and a selection process, with the chosen few moving into a house together. Every week they performed and some of them were put on prohbation. Then the public gets to vote to save someone. Then the remaining house members can also save someone, resulting in the eviction of one of the contestants. Each show also has a theme for song picking, African music to 'western' music. They even did group numbers. Of course there were also judges;and just like American Idol who has Simon, Tusker has Ian. A twist is that the house has faculty who helps them each week with the different aspects of performance. The winner of the show is given a year-long record deal and of course money. The show is centered in Kenya, but most of the East African countries had contestants particapating, and at times it seems very much a patriotic competition, not just a talent competition.
Like many of my friends here, it was easy to become addicted to the show. In my own defense, I wasn't watching it because I thought the people were all that talented, it was more that it was amusing to watch.(Some of my friends thought, and still think that they were actually talented)
The last few weeks things had really heated up because the show was getting down to the wire and there was still a Rwandese guy left, and his chances were looking good. After much speculation and debate, the show finally got down to its final 5 contestants: 2 Kenyans( Boy + Girl), 2 Ugandans(Girlx2), 1 Rwandese(Boy). This past weekend was the culmination. On Saturday night one contestant was voted off, and then on Sunday night they announced the winner.
Based on population alone, I really thought that one of the Kenyans was going to win. The votes were for who you wanted to save, and to vote you had to send a text message. The show is filmed in Kenyan, sponsored by a huge kenyan beer company. But then many of my friends said that the show wouldn't let a Kenyan win again, that they thought it was going to be the Rwandese since Tusker is trying to to emerge into the market here, and what better way than this.
Honestly I didn't care who really won, and I didn't think that one was more talented than the others, they were all pretty normal if you ask me. But none-the-less I did have someone I did not want to win.HAHA. This one Kenyan guy just annoyed me and didn't settle right with me. Well what do you know, on Sunday night it came down to the final two being the Rwandese and the Kenyan, and you know what, the Rwandese won.
This country went crazy. My school went crazy.
My headmistress and I ran out of her house to go join the students in the celebration. The girls were jumping and screaming. This wasn't just that a guy named Alpha won the competition, it was about a Rwandese named Alpha winning the competition.
On Monday evening Alpha returned to Kigali. The airport was packed. Too many people had come out to see him. Then he went to the national stadium where they had a welcome celebration/concert. It was all over the news. It was crazy.
I know that there are some Americans who have gone crazy over the american idol favorites, but this just felt different. I can't describe it, but as all my students were hugging and jumping all over me, one felt not just the happiness they had for this guy, but also the national pride that they felt because HE won.
Now we will just have to wait and see if he comes out with a CD and how good it is actually going to be..
In the case of East Africa, the show is called Tusker Project Fame, this year was season 3. The show consisted of try-outs and a selection process, with the chosen few moving into a house together. Every week they performed and some of them were put on prohbation. Then the public gets to vote to save someone. Then the remaining house members can also save someone, resulting in the eviction of one of the contestants. Each show also has a theme for song picking, African music to 'western' music. They even did group numbers. Of course there were also judges;and just like American Idol who has Simon, Tusker has Ian. A twist is that the house has faculty who helps them each week with the different aspects of performance. The winner of the show is given a year-long record deal and of course money. The show is centered in Kenya, but most of the East African countries had contestants particapating, and at times it seems very much a patriotic competition, not just a talent competition.
Like many of my friends here, it was easy to become addicted to the show. In my own defense, I wasn't watching it because I thought the people were all that talented, it was more that it was amusing to watch.(Some of my friends thought, and still think that they were actually talented)
The last few weeks things had really heated up because the show was getting down to the wire and there was still a Rwandese guy left, and his chances were looking good. After much speculation and debate, the show finally got down to its final 5 contestants: 2 Kenyans( Boy + Girl), 2 Ugandans(Girlx2), 1 Rwandese(Boy). This past weekend was the culmination. On Saturday night one contestant was voted off, and then on Sunday night they announced the winner.
Based on population alone, I really thought that one of the Kenyans was going to win. The votes were for who you wanted to save, and to vote you had to send a text message. The show is filmed in Kenyan, sponsored by a huge kenyan beer company. But then many of my friends said that the show wouldn't let a Kenyan win again, that they thought it was going to be the Rwandese since Tusker is trying to to emerge into the market here, and what better way than this.
Honestly I didn't care who really won, and I didn't think that one was more talented than the others, they were all pretty normal if you ask me. But none-the-less I did have someone I did not want to win.HAHA. This one Kenyan guy just annoyed me and didn't settle right with me. Well what do you know, on Sunday night it came down to the final two being the Rwandese and the Kenyan, and you know what, the Rwandese won.
This country went crazy. My school went crazy.
My headmistress and I ran out of her house to go join the students in the celebration. The girls were jumping and screaming. This wasn't just that a guy named Alpha won the competition, it was about a Rwandese named Alpha winning the competition.
On Monday evening Alpha returned to Kigali. The airport was packed. Too many people had come out to see him. Then he went to the national stadium where they had a welcome celebration/concert. It was all over the news. It was crazy.
I know that there are some Americans who have gone crazy over the american idol favorites, but this just felt different. I can't describe it, but as all my students were hugging and jumping all over me, one felt not just the happiness they had for this guy, but also the national pride that they felt because HE won.
Now we will just have to wait and see if he comes out with a CD and how good it is actually going to be..
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
AERG/Turikumwe Party
A few Saturdays ago I attended a 'party' of one of the student organizations at my school. I had been coming home on Friday night and I saw the girls cleaning up the library, and I asked what they were doing. They told me that on Saturday morning they would be having a party for the candidate students in their club. Candidate students are students in the S3 and S6 year who will take the national exams for O and A level when the school year is finished. In this case the party was more for the S6 girls since they would be graduating/leaving school at the end of this year. Some of my students invited me to attend, so of course I said yes.
This party went from 9 am to 12 pm. In my head I thought that I could go to part of it and then leave just because Saturday morning is normally a very productive time for me. Come Saturday morning I found out that what they might call a party is not exactly what I(we) would call a party.
This event had a program. Some alumnae were there, and a few family members were there. Not to mention some other students in the same club, but at different schools, then a whole bunch of important people were there too.
Before I go on, I think that I should explain what AERG and Turikumwe are.
AERG (Association des Etudiants et Elèves des Rescapés du Génocide) is an association that was created in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide on October 20, 1996 at the National University of Rwanda. Its principal mission is to assure the total representation of student survivors of the 1994 genocide and to solve the problems hindering their performance in schools.
Now at my school the students took it one step farther and made their own organization called Turikumwe. Now a few years ago(5 to be exact) some of these girls realized that they wanted a network for themselves when they leave school, hence Turikumwe being born. So this party was not just celebrating the girls leaving school, but also them now becoming apart of the alumnae organization.
The program was extensive. There were speeches, modeling, singing, dancing. All around a good time. Everything was in Kinyarwanda, but I was luckily enough to have a kind student next to me translating so I knew at least what was going on.
In the program they thanked and gifted many people who helped them, including a "mother","father', and "uncle", and "brother". You could tell just from how the girls acted that although there might not have been biological connections, these people really were their family.
As always, I greatly enjoyed the modeling, singing, and dancing. I have to say, these students really did a great job. There were 3 modeling times. They did both Rwandese traditional styles and separate African styles. They also did some traditional dances. I tried to take as many pictures and videos as I could.
As the morning wore on I wanted to leave, but each time it looked like I might leave my students would tell me, no no teacher there is something else coming up that you will want to see, so of course I stayed. Like most things here, time is not always follwed, so although they had originally told me that it would go till noon, I wasn't surprised that it lasted till 1pm. Well, at least come 1 pm was the first oppurtunity I had to leave.
Overall I was so thankful that my students invited me to attend, and that I could to partake in such a fun time.
This party went from 9 am to 12 pm. In my head I thought that I could go to part of it and then leave just because Saturday morning is normally a very productive time for me. Come Saturday morning I found out that what they might call a party is not exactly what I(we) would call a party.
This event had a program. Some alumnae were there, and a few family members were there. Not to mention some other students in the same club, but at different schools, then a whole bunch of important people were there too.
Before I go on, I think that I should explain what AERG and Turikumwe are.
AERG (Association des Etudiants et Elèves des Rescapés du Génocide) is an association that was created in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide on October 20, 1996 at the National University of Rwanda. Its principal mission is to assure the total representation of student survivors of the 1994 genocide and to solve the problems hindering their performance in schools.
Now at my school the students took it one step farther and made their own organization called Turikumwe. Now a few years ago(5 to be exact) some of these girls realized that they wanted a network for themselves when they leave school, hence Turikumwe being born. So this party was not just celebrating the girls leaving school, but also them now becoming apart of the alumnae organization.
The program was extensive. There were speeches, modeling, singing, dancing. All around a good time. Everything was in Kinyarwanda, but I was luckily enough to have a kind student next to me translating so I knew at least what was going on.
In the program they thanked and gifted many people who helped them, including a "mother","father', and "uncle", and "brother". You could tell just from how the girls acted that although there might not have been biological connections, these people really were their family.
As always, I greatly enjoyed the modeling, singing, and dancing. I have to say, these students really did a great job. There were 3 modeling times. They did both Rwandese traditional styles and separate African styles. They also did some traditional dances. I tried to take as many pictures and videos as I could.
As the morning wore on I wanted to leave, but each time it looked like I might leave my students would tell me, no no teacher there is something else coming up that you will want to see, so of course I stayed. Like most things here, time is not always follwed, so although they had originally told me that it would go till noon, I wasn't surprised that it lasted till 1pm. Well, at least come 1 pm was the first oppurtunity I had to leave.
Overall I was so thankful that my students invited me to attend, and that I could to partake in such a fun time.
Kakawete
In case you were not aware, last week was Teacher's week, and October 5th as international teacher's day. Which for us meant no school. It should be noted that I did not find out about this till Sunday night, but what can you do?
Regardless, on Monday we had a party for us teachers. Kindof like a end of year celebration. During it we has a kakwete, which roughly translated to secret santa or gift exchange partner..haha. On Friday we picked our person. It was funny because they kepy trying to describe to me what we were doing and they couldn't believe that I was familiar with such a thing. The next thing that was funny was that some people were telling who they had, don't they understand the whole secret part..haha.
But, I was a good person and didn't tell anyone who I had, I wanted it to be a surprise. I got the computer teacher at my school. I wasn't sure what to buy since there was no price limit, it was up to the person doingthe buying depending on how much they like the person(straight up). I decided to go with simple and easy. I bought him 2 ties and a book.
The actual event. If there is one thing that I am trying to learn while in Rwanda, I must say that I think that it is patience. We has been told to meet at 1.30 and then we would arrive at the place at 2. Of course knowing this I was prepared to most likely not actually leave till 2 or later. Well what do you know, not only were people running late, but at the last minute the location of our party was even changed, which caused people to later than usual.
Eventually things did kick-off, but because of the change in venue, things weren't ready when we would have liked, so we had to stall. Call it what you want, but that is what it was. Our MC of the evening essentially was stalling till food was ready. Luckily they provided drinks up front, if not I dont think I could have handled waiting for food(I had not had lunch and was mad hungry). Finally the food came around 4.30 give or take. After we ate we did our gift exchange. It was a lot of fun to see who got who and the little speeches they would make were very amusing.
I was very happy with what I got. I think my kakawete really thought about me and got me some neat stuff. I got they wooden giraffes, and two little drums. Not to mention a nice necklace and earrings. Overall it was a good night.. It might have been a little longer than we had originally planned, but it was totally a good laugh, and produced some good pictures.
Can't wait for next year
Regardless, on Monday we had a party for us teachers. Kindof like a end of year celebration. During it we has a kakwete, which roughly translated to secret santa or gift exchange partner..haha. On Friday we picked our person. It was funny because they kepy trying to describe to me what we were doing and they couldn't believe that I was familiar with such a thing. The next thing that was funny was that some people were telling who they had, don't they understand the whole secret part..haha.
But, I was a good person and didn't tell anyone who I had, I wanted it to be a surprise. I got the computer teacher at my school. I wasn't sure what to buy since there was no price limit, it was up to the person doingthe buying depending on how much they like the person(straight up). I decided to go with simple and easy. I bought him 2 ties and a book.
The actual event. If there is one thing that I am trying to learn while in Rwanda, I must say that I think that it is patience. We has been told to meet at 1.30 and then we would arrive at the place at 2. Of course knowing this I was prepared to most likely not actually leave till 2 or later. Well what do you know, not only were people running late, but at the last minute the location of our party was even changed, which caused people to later than usual.
Eventually things did kick-off, but because of the change in venue, things weren't ready when we would have liked, so we had to stall. Call it what you want, but that is what it was. Our MC of the evening essentially was stalling till food was ready. Luckily they provided drinks up front, if not I dont think I could have handled waiting for food(I had not had lunch and was mad hungry). Finally the food came around 4.30 give or take. After we ate we did our gift exchange. It was a lot of fun to see who got who and the little speeches they would make were very amusing.
I was very happy with what I got. I think my kakawete really thought about me and got me some neat stuff. I got they wooden giraffes, and two little drums. Not to mention a nice necklace and earrings. Overall it was a good night.. It might have been a little longer than we had originally planned, but it was totally a good laugh, and produced some good pictures.
Can't wait for next year
Saturday, October 3, 2009
The Expo
Each year there is an exposition in Kigali. I'm not sure for how long this has been going on, but I know in the recent past its been here. I had first heard about the Expo from one of my students since I had complimented her on a top and she told me she bought it at the expo. The expo was the first week of August, and luckily since school was moved back students were able to attend, and my student invited me to go with her. I accepted.
I met my student and her older sister(which I had already met before) in town and we took a bus out to the expo. It was located on what we might call a fair grounds, or something of the like. We had gone in the early afternoon which I was informed was not a busy time to be there, but there was still a good number of people around.
There were huge tents and stalls set up. All the major companies in Rwanda had a booth. Then there were all the random merchants from leather goods to jewelry to irrigation equipment to the super chopper(something you would seeon infomericals). Some of the stalls were even separated by what African country they were from. It was a good time to just browse and walk around and look at everything. Then there were all the food and drink stands attached to the concert area, where they had DJs playing music. At this point in time it really was a family atmoshere. There were children dancing and winning prizes, and children dressed out in their finest. Overall a pretty fun time. As I was walking around with my student we ran into another student of mine who was working there and I got a free hat from the booth she was working at. score for me.haha.I love free stuff, who doesn't.
In terms of shopping I wasn't doing much, only browsing. But still it wasa great time, and I was really happy that I had gone.
The expo went on for about 2 weeks. The first time I went it was the beginning of the expo in the afternoon. The next time I went was the second to last night of the expo, the night before students had to go back to school, and it was night time.
Wow. The expo was crazy packed. I loved it. I loved the crush of people, the way you have to walk with the crowd, you go where they go..It felt like I was in a city..haha.I'm serious. And oh, the people watching. It was so good. Even at like 9pm the mix of people was so diverse. From families with newborns to friends and couples. If you can imagine it, most likely those people could be found. My friends I was with were not too keen on it, they just wanted to sit around, but I enjoyed walking in the crowd. I will admit that like any fair, what happens in the evening, heavy drinking, which leads to what, drunk people. Now me being white sure draws some attention, so I did have a few runins with some dunk men wanting a kiss but no harm, no foul.Plus my friends protect me..haha.
After we had walked around for a while we found a nice place to sit and watch people[one of my favorite activities]. Not only had we found a comfy place to sit, but we also were at a perfect place for watching. The booth that we were sitting next to had a camera set up to a big screen TV, so if the people were paying attention and looking at the TV they would see themselves walking past the booth. This obviously yielded great results. The faces and actions they did once they noticed they were 'on camera' were priceless. And to make it even better, from our vantage point the people didn't always notice me so I was able to do some of my own staring without always being stared back at, aka perfection.haha.
Overall the Expo was a good time and I was happy that I was able to go twice. Next year I will totally go back. I'm not sure if I will buy anything, but purely for the sense of crowdedness and people watching, it would totally be worth going.
I met my student and her older sister(which I had already met before) in town and we took a bus out to the expo. It was located on what we might call a fair grounds, or something of the like. We had gone in the early afternoon which I was informed was not a busy time to be there, but there was still a good number of people around.
There were huge tents and stalls set up. All the major companies in Rwanda had a booth. Then there were all the random merchants from leather goods to jewelry to irrigation equipment to the super chopper(something you would seeon infomericals). Some of the stalls were even separated by what African country they were from. It was a good time to just browse and walk around and look at everything. Then there were all the food and drink stands attached to the concert area, where they had DJs playing music. At this point in time it really was a family atmoshere. There were children dancing and winning prizes, and children dressed out in their finest. Overall a pretty fun time. As I was walking around with my student we ran into another student of mine who was working there and I got a free hat from the booth she was working at. score for me.haha.I love free stuff, who doesn't.
In terms of shopping I wasn't doing much, only browsing. But still it wasa great time, and I was really happy that I had gone.
The expo went on for about 2 weeks. The first time I went it was the beginning of the expo in the afternoon. The next time I went was the second to last night of the expo, the night before students had to go back to school, and it was night time.
Wow. The expo was crazy packed. I loved it. I loved the crush of people, the way you have to walk with the crowd, you go where they go..It felt like I was in a city..haha.I'm serious. And oh, the people watching. It was so good. Even at like 9pm the mix of people was so diverse. From families with newborns to friends and couples. If you can imagine it, most likely those people could be found. My friends I was with were not too keen on it, they just wanted to sit around, but I enjoyed walking in the crowd. I will admit that like any fair, what happens in the evening, heavy drinking, which leads to what, drunk people. Now me being white sure draws some attention, so I did have a few runins with some dunk men wanting a kiss but no harm, no foul.Plus my friends protect me..haha.
After we had walked around for a while we found a nice place to sit and watch people[one of my favorite activities]. Not only had we found a comfy place to sit, but we also were at a perfect place for watching. The booth that we were sitting next to had a camera set up to a big screen TV, so if the people were paying attention and looking at the TV they would see themselves walking past the booth. This obviously yielded great results. The faces and actions they did once they noticed they were 'on camera' were priceless. And to make it even better, from our vantage point the people didn't always notice me so I was able to do some of my own staring without always being stared back at, aka perfection.haha.
Overall the Expo was a good time and I was happy that I was able to go twice. Next year I will totally go back. I'm not sure if I will buy anything, but purely for the sense of crowdedness and people watching, it would totally be worth going.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Kibuye Trip
Originally between term 2 and term 3 there was supposed to be 3 weeks. But as time for the new term to start we found out that they were going to extend the holiday. Since that meant staying another week just in my house in Kigali, with not much to do I decided to go out with some of my friends. We decided to to go to Kibuye for 3 days. I went with one of my married couple friends. We figured we could have a good time and do it pretty cheaply.
Once we arrived we went to a great brochette shack. Then we made our way to one of the hotels. We had wanted to stay at a certain place, but when we arrived we found out that all the rooms available were the too expensive ones, so we smartly decided to go elsewhere. We went back to the place we stayed at during midservice. We were able to get a great room with 2 beds and our own bathroom. Score for us. I think the man was a little puzzled that the three of us would like to stay in one room, but this was about having fun on the cheap, so of course we were okay with doing it. To try and make it seem like it wasn't a big deal my friend and I said that we were sisters..haha.. Guess here in Rwanda married couples don't stay with in the same room with single people..
Originally we had wanted to stay at the other place because it was closer to where we wanted to go swimming.My friend had founda good place were we could jump in the water and it was rocky so we wouldn't have to worry about being on the sand. But, where we ended up staying just meant we would have a little walk to go swimming.The good thing about where we were staying is that their restaurant had a pretty decent meat pizza that was hardy, yet really cheap,the perfect combo for us.
Part of being away that was so nice was the fact that it felt as though we could really relax since we weren't home. In the morning we could just sit around, read books, chat, play scrabble, or cards. These might seem like simple things, but they are emensly satisfying.
We did go swimming. And man was it nice. I don't care that I could have caught something in Lake Kivu, it was just too nice to be in that water. We didn't even swim that much, it was more just hanging in the water and enjoying the feeling of being cool on a really hot day. The only semi-strange thing was that there were some Rwandese hanging about and when we got out of the water it felt a little like they were watching us. But then again, they were watching us..haha. Think about it, 3 white folks, in bathing suits..haha.. how could you not look??
Overall it was a good 3 days in Kibuye, and I was happy that I had gone with my friends. It was just the kind of relaxing break I needed before the new term started.
One note about the trip:When we had been walking back from swimming there were some girls looking at us rather strangely, and to be honest this is a normal accurance, but then when I thought about it seemed they looked a little familar. Being the polite people that we are, we said hello, and what do you know, we got a reply of hello teacher. That is when I realized the reason they look familar isn't just that they are student age girls with shaved heads, but because they were two of my students. We stopped and greated them. It was a nice little extra on the trip.
Once we arrived we went to a great brochette shack. Then we made our way to one of the hotels. We had wanted to stay at a certain place, but when we arrived we found out that all the rooms available were the too expensive ones, so we smartly decided to go elsewhere. We went back to the place we stayed at during midservice. We were able to get a great room with 2 beds and our own bathroom. Score for us. I think the man was a little puzzled that the three of us would like to stay in one room, but this was about having fun on the cheap, so of course we were okay with doing it. To try and make it seem like it wasn't a big deal my friend and I said that we were sisters..haha.. Guess here in Rwanda married couples don't stay with in the same room with single people..
Originally we had wanted to stay at the other place because it was closer to where we wanted to go swimming.My friend had founda good place were we could jump in the water and it was rocky so we wouldn't have to worry about being on the sand. But, where we ended up staying just meant we would have a little walk to go swimming.The good thing about where we were staying is that their restaurant had a pretty decent meat pizza that was hardy, yet really cheap,the perfect combo for us.
Part of being away that was so nice was the fact that it felt as though we could really relax since we weren't home. In the morning we could just sit around, read books, chat, play scrabble, or cards. These might seem like simple things, but they are emensly satisfying.
We did go swimming. And man was it nice. I don't care that I could have caught something in Lake Kivu, it was just too nice to be in that water. We didn't even swim that much, it was more just hanging in the water and enjoying the feeling of being cool on a really hot day. The only semi-strange thing was that there were some Rwandese hanging about and when we got out of the water it felt a little like they were watching us. But then again, they were watching us..haha. Think about it, 3 white folks, in bathing suits..haha.. how could you not look??
Overall it was a good 3 days in Kibuye, and I was happy that I had gone with my friends. It was just the kind of relaxing break I needed before the new term started.
One note about the trip:When we had been walking back from swimming there were some girls looking at us rather strangely, and to be honest this is a normal accurance, but then when I thought about it seemed they looked a little familar. Being the polite people that we are, we said hello, and what do you know, we got a reply of hello teacher. That is when I realized the reason they look familar isn't just that they are student age girls with shaved heads, but because they were two of my students. We stopped and greated them. It was a nice little extra on the trip.
TZ
Note:This happened during break two between Term 2 and Term 3, aka during August..
Lets start at the very beginning.
Leaving Kigali International Airport to fly to Kilamnjaro,TZ. First, the airport had free wireless, and it was decent internet, I was impressed. Then the airplane. It was one of those with propellars on the wings.crazy right. The flight was short and sweet, but they did give us food. I had me a sweet tuna and cheese sandwich.score. The view from the airplane was great. I took a few pictures, but to be honest my camera could not do it justice,so I stopped.
In Kilamanjaro we got picked up by our tourguide for our safari. We were told that we were lucky because we got to see the mountain uncovered by clouds. We even stopped on the side of the road to take pictures.
Here starts our week safari. I am going to break the week down into 2 categories.Lodging and Animals.
Although I could argue that the animals were the best and most important part of the trip,I am going to have to talk about what really matters--the lodging.Lets be real, I have been living in my little house for about 8 months and a little luxury sure ain't bad.
Each of the places that we stayed in were "lodges," and most of them were even inside or very near a national park, yet most of the finer amenities were not lacking...The only semi-true complaint I can make is that not all the places had TVs in their rooms. Although I might understand the reasons why, I still must admit, if there had been TVs in all the places, I'm not sure I could even complain.
The food was great. Some of the buffets were legit. The hot water wasn't bad either..haha. Even our boxed lunches were stellar. One of the lodges even had an infiniti pool overlooking the national park.. I would highly recommend any of the Serena Lodges.
I do have one story to go along with the lodging. When we were in Serengeti national park, we were told that we had to be walked to our rooms because animals move about the grounds..which is true, yet just another way for them to ask for money.(note at times it was ackward because they would stand around waiting expectantly)
We had arrived in the evening and some of the workers were there to show us to our rooms and carry our bags. Since I was in a room by myself I went off with this bellboy(lack of a better word). As we are unlocking the door the man asks if I am alone and I say yes. He then says oh you aren't married, I reply no. His response was then why not, what is wrong with you.And then he had the nerve to wait around for a tip. Luckily his phone rang and I told him he could take it outside, and I shut the door in his face. To be honest his actiona did not surprise me at all. After living here for the short amount of time that I have,nothing like that can surprise me,its almost a normal question for a woman to get. But what was surprising is that this was a lodge were essentially westerns excusively go, so shouldn't this man know what we do and what we do not say...just saying..especially if he wants us to give him money..
Now, the Animals.
Where to begin. I don't even know where to start. I can hardly put into words everything that we saw. It was unbelievable, truely a life changing experience to see all of these animals. There were zebras, giraffes, elephants, wildebeasts, various type of antelope creatures that have varying sizes and butt colors(I kid you not, white, black, black striped, etc). Not to mention the lions, leapards, cheetas, hippos, warthogs, hyenas. And the birds. We really saw some great birds, and I am not in the least bit ashamed to say that.
We saw animals grazing, animals eating, animals on the prawl, and even saw a few dead animals. We heard bones cracking as animals munched on their lunch. We saw and heard baby elephants squell as they ran to their mothers. We saw giraffes run and elephants knockin' down trees. We saw zebras go to their watering hole. We saw lions on the hunt. We saw some baby cheetas botch a hunt job with their mom. I could go on and on.
We also saw tons of tourists. At times it would feel like we were the only jeep driving around, and then suddenly it would be a jeep convention and there would be at least 20 all around looking at some good animal. Near the end, and I can't even believe I am saying this, we were a little "over" the giraffes and zebras. When our guide would ask if we wanted to stop, we would just say no no, its just another______. Which reminds me, the jeep. It was a fun vehicle. It had two rows of captain chairs and a back bench. The top could pop up letting us stand and take photos, but still remaining up so that the sun could be blocked.
And oh one cannot speak of the jeep without speaking of the DUST. DAMN. At times it was bad. Thankfully we had all our quick dry safari clothes so they could be washed out at night and worn the next day if need be.(yes I am a dork)
But back to the animals. I never really thought it could have been like that. Seeing all different animals in different parks,crazyness. Even with my dinky little camera I was able to get some quality photos that whenever I look back at them I will be able to remember an awesome week.
There is no way I can describe everything, but I can say I thank my family and friends for going on this trip and taking me with them. It was something that I can not and will not ever forget.
One last thing to tell you: This safari was NOT like the movies. It was better than the movies.
Lets start at the very beginning.
Leaving Kigali International Airport to fly to Kilamnjaro,TZ. First, the airport had free wireless, and it was decent internet, I was impressed. Then the airplane. It was one of those with propellars on the wings.crazy right. The flight was short and sweet, but they did give us food. I had me a sweet tuna and cheese sandwich.score. The view from the airplane was great. I took a few pictures, but to be honest my camera could not do it justice,so I stopped.
In Kilamanjaro we got picked up by our tourguide for our safari. We were told that we were lucky because we got to see the mountain uncovered by clouds. We even stopped on the side of the road to take pictures.
Here starts our week safari. I am going to break the week down into 2 categories.Lodging and Animals.
Although I could argue that the animals were the best and most important part of the trip,I am going to have to talk about what really matters--the lodging.Lets be real, I have been living in my little house for about 8 months and a little luxury sure ain't bad.
Each of the places that we stayed in were "lodges," and most of them were even inside or very near a national park, yet most of the finer amenities were not lacking...The only semi-true complaint I can make is that not all the places had TVs in their rooms. Although I might understand the reasons why, I still must admit, if there had been TVs in all the places, I'm not sure I could even complain.
The food was great. Some of the buffets were legit. The hot water wasn't bad either..haha. Even our boxed lunches were stellar. One of the lodges even had an infiniti pool overlooking the national park.. I would highly recommend any of the Serena Lodges.
I do have one story to go along with the lodging. When we were in Serengeti national park, we were told that we had to be walked to our rooms because animals move about the grounds..which is true, yet just another way for them to ask for money.(note at times it was ackward because they would stand around waiting expectantly)
We had arrived in the evening and some of the workers were there to show us to our rooms and carry our bags. Since I was in a room by myself I went off with this bellboy(lack of a better word). As we are unlocking the door the man asks if I am alone and I say yes. He then says oh you aren't married, I reply no. His response was then why not, what is wrong with you.And then he had the nerve to wait around for a tip. Luckily his phone rang and I told him he could take it outside, and I shut the door in his face. To be honest his actiona did not surprise me at all. After living here for the short amount of time that I have,nothing like that can surprise me,its almost a normal question for a woman to get. But what was surprising is that this was a lodge were essentially westerns excusively go, so shouldn't this man know what we do and what we do not say...just saying..especially if he wants us to give him money..
Now, the Animals.
Where to begin. I don't even know where to start. I can hardly put into words everything that we saw. It was unbelievable, truely a life changing experience to see all of these animals. There were zebras, giraffes, elephants, wildebeasts, various type of antelope creatures that have varying sizes and butt colors(I kid you not, white, black, black striped, etc). Not to mention the lions, leapards, cheetas, hippos, warthogs, hyenas. And the birds. We really saw some great birds, and I am not in the least bit ashamed to say that.
We saw animals grazing, animals eating, animals on the prawl, and even saw a few dead animals. We heard bones cracking as animals munched on their lunch. We saw and heard baby elephants squell as they ran to their mothers. We saw giraffes run and elephants knockin' down trees. We saw zebras go to their watering hole. We saw lions on the hunt. We saw some baby cheetas botch a hunt job with their mom. I could go on and on.
We also saw tons of tourists. At times it would feel like we were the only jeep driving around, and then suddenly it would be a jeep convention and there would be at least 20 all around looking at some good animal. Near the end, and I can't even believe I am saying this, we were a little "over" the giraffes and zebras. When our guide would ask if we wanted to stop, we would just say no no, its just another______. Which reminds me, the jeep. It was a fun vehicle. It had two rows of captain chairs and a back bench. The top could pop up letting us stand and take photos, but still remaining up so that the sun could be blocked.
And oh one cannot speak of the jeep without speaking of the DUST. DAMN. At times it was bad. Thankfully we had all our quick dry safari clothes so they could be washed out at night and worn the next day if need be.(yes I am a dork)
But back to the animals. I never really thought it could have been like that. Seeing all different animals in different parks,crazyness. Even with my dinky little camera I was able to get some quality photos that whenever I look back at them I will be able to remember an awesome week.
There is no way I can describe everything, but I can say I thank my family and friends for going on this trip and taking me with them. It was something that I can not and will not ever forget.
One last thing to tell you: This safari was NOT like the movies. It was better than the movies.
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