Life in Kigali

Mothers Day

1 month later—well some of you know we got here though it was on April Fools day and the boys missed a great opportunity to create all kinds of scenarios that “happened” along the way…..Communication has been a bit difficult but we are finally getting it together a little.   Life has been full since we landed with all 9 of our suitcases, violins, and computer bags.   We have been staying with an Ethiopian colleague of Dans who graciously let us move in and take over while our house 20 minutes out of town is slowly getting ready—with a lot of prodding from us.  Azene (our housemate) has become our great friend helping us navigate through lots of new territory as we have settled in. 



Dan pointing out our house-to-be on a hill far away



 

one way confusion

Dan works long hours and is sometimes out in the field for days.  He enjoys the work but not the long hours.  The good news is his absence has kicked me (Meg) into the driving scene ready or not.  Africans walk wherever they go, but in the city, those who can afford it drive, but not according to rules we are familiar with.  CRAZY driving kept the boys and I home for a few days until all the necessities we needed forced us out into the streets and shops of Kigali.  Now we are flowing through the roundabouts and pot-holed side roads less white knuckling than before.  



setting up house-building furniture

1 of 2 muzungu stores in Kigali

Speaking of necessities…shopping here is NOT a one stop shop.   We are trying NOT to get too used to the Muzungu (white expat) stores that have familiar foods we know and love; and trying to get to know all the little grocery shops and markets where the locals go.  There are shops for everything-- curtains, butcher, seeds, hardware, shoes, flip flops-- where we have to bargain for each item we buy.   

street vendor brooms and spoons

Common markets are the daily or weekly fresh food markets around and outside town with piles of mangoes, pineapples, beans, flour, avocados, passion fruit, ground nuts (peanuts), carrots, cabbage, and bananas………yum. 

burrito fillings

We eat wonderful vegetable and fruit salads every night.  The only down side is the meticulous cleaning of every piece of fruit and vegetable that goes in the fridge. (Yes, we have a fridge here where we are staying, but the house we will be moving to has a very small one that will hopefully run from a couple small solar panels and generator if necessary…cross that bridge when we get there). 





grocery cleaning

    

We have been on the survival mode for a while now, setting up a household here and in the other house.  Making meals averages about  2 hours each not including cleanup.  We hired an orphan  named Pascaline (who only speaks French) who is helping us with some of the time consuming daily house keeping chores that all have to be done by hand.  Now we have been able to settle into some kind of routine including studying in the mornings-learning French and Kinyarwanda, reading about the country and culture, journaling, then getting out in the afternoons to shop or walk around town soaking in the sights, smells, and sounds of Kigali, trying out our Kinyarwanda or French.  Shopping means changing money (Rwandan francs) and making constant mental math conversions.  For daily breaks we have found our way to a pool/tennis club where we come for tennis lessons and swims.  The boys have made fast friends with the Rwandan kids who come after school and play follow the leader off the diving board.  This has been our oasis away from home—rackets, balls and water. 

We are finding  our way setting up this blog (as with everything in our lives) trying to include bits and pieces from all of us.  Sorry it has taken lots of time.  We will continue along the journey and try to post every week.

From Michael:             

First Friends

 Three days after we arrived in Rwanda.  We spent Sat and Sun driving with dad around Kigali, seeing his work and workplace, doing a little shopping, going to church, meeting people, learning how to say hello, and eating avocadoes and mangos three times bigger than in the States and ten times better.  Now it was Monday, Dad was at work and all our stuff was still packed in bags unable to be unpacked until we move in to our rented house.  We had slept most of the morning, and worked on French and Kinyarwanda, but now we felt somewhat trapped within the walls of our compound with not much to do.  Outside of the compound, Daniel, Nathan and I could hear some kids laughing and chattering in Kinyarwanda and scampering in the dirt street by the compound; an orange ball occasionally bounced into sight over the wall.  Curious, we went out of the gate and saw about 7 kids juggling a soccer ball in a circle.  As we came out of the gate the ball stopped, and all the kids turned to look at us. 

We had met a few Rwandans during our first few days and of course we had been around them while shopping and at church.  We had at least been able to communicate with the ones that new English, but we had not been among any kids yet. Kinyarwanda is the local language that everyone knows, but a good many—at least the educated—know French, English, or Swahili (East Africa’s trade language). 

“Muraho” we said, breaking the silence that had quickly grown between us and the kids, (Muraho is a greeting like ‘hello’).  They smiled, a few replied back, most giggled.  “Nikwa Michael.” I said—the only other phrase I knew meaning “My name is…”.  “Meekal”  they repeated.  I pointed to the boy next to me and he said his name.  It was a long African sounding name and I tried to repeat it and he had to tell me several times.  At last I got it, but I then promptly forgot it as all the others told us their names and shook our hands.  I did remember one boy’s name who seemed close my age.  His name was Eric.  

They began to play again and we joined in. Some of them where very good at juggling though they only wore flip-flops or just went bare footed.  We counted to see how long we could keep the ball off the ground. Soon more kids came and with only hand motions and few English words, they showed us a couple games they liked to play.  We played for about an hour, until the owner of the ball had to leave.  We then got out our ball that we had brought and played for another three hours.  We were even were able to teaching them a game that we knew.  The temperature was probably only in the eighties, but it was humid and we were all sweaty and tired by the time we had to leave for supper.  Our soccer ball that was bright white and new was now faded, scuffed up and a tan color, but it did not matter.  We had made at least 15 friends with only a few words and a lot of fun and laughter.

MOLLY

laid back Molly

Muraho (Hi), this is Daniel --  I want to tell you about our new dog here in Rwanda.  Her name is Molly and she is six months old and very clever and obedient; each time we come home through the gate she is there waiting for us.   She loves to play and wrestle.  One time we took her on a walk and used a purple leash, but we did not know that purple is the color of the genocide, and the Rwandans do NOT like dogs.  So the police came to our house and threatened to take dad to prison.  Genocide week every year is a very serious week  (1^st week in April when we arrived).  All OK though because we didn’t know, but the police took our purple leash away and we said we did not know.  Thankfully we brought a second leash that is red so we used that instead.  Whenever we go on a walk with Molly, the kids on the street come up to her touch her and run away, but some kids have gotten used to her and pet her. 

From Nathan -gardening in Gahanga

At the house we are going to rent in Gahanga (a district about 15 minutes from downtown Kigali,) we have a very large compound (a walled area around the house).  We have 2 milk cows and a young calf penned in the corner; they are definitely not the friendliest cows especially when they are out (they sometimes charge me when I get too close.)

The rest of the sloped yard is mostly grass, bushes, walkways, and lots of different fruit trees including mango, papaya, avocado, and 2 others I don’t know the name of. The fruit here is delicious, at least 3 times better than any in the states. (pictures later)

white boy and street kids 

We had a garden dug out for us and planted seeds we brought from the states and seeds we bought locally.  Communicating to the two non-English speaking helpers was no easy task.  After sectioning off the planting areas, we told them (with the help of a couple Kinyarwanda vegetable names) where to plant.  They first dug a small trench and then sprinkled seed along it, continuing the same method with the onions, lettuce, and cucumber. For the  tomatoes and watermelons, they dug small holes....not exactly how we would have done it but we are learning.

hoped for garden produce

In the late evening, we were rewarded with some rain; at first it was slight but soon it was raining cats and dogs!!  And the wind was probably blowing 50mph, it sounded like a hurricane!!  It was a challenging night to sleep with the noisy weather, and the thought of our digging and planting work all being washed away…..

We are doing well and looking forward to hearing from you!!

with love from Kigali