Saturday, January 06, 2007
Umwaka myiza! Happy new year everyone!
Upon request, I will do my best to give you some context, an idea of my daily life here.
Mugitondo y'kuwa mbere (Monday morning)
5 am Wake up to the sounds of Gerard (the guard and man dressed in his best for the picture I took and posted on an earlier blog) dusting the outside window frame and humming a Swahili tune. Light a candle in the bathroom so I can put in my contacts (electricity out).
5:30 am Meet my VSO friend Jo and Rwandese running partner (ex-hair salon employee) Noel for our morning run. Watch the sunrise over the hills of Kigali as we run past people carrying cans of water and baskets on their heads or going to pray. Hear people muttering, "abazungu" about us, as we run past.
6:10 am Return home and check the bathroom for any cockroaches (remove). Bathe in a bucket of cold water. First washing my face, hair and feet outside of the bucket then stepping in and standing while pouring water over me using a plastic cup. Using the same water to pre-rinse and post-rinse. Dump the water into a different bucket so that I can use it the rest of the day to "flush" the toilet.
6:45 am Eat a quick small banana and amazing Rwandan peanut butter breakfast while downing my anti-maliarial.
7 am Walk next door for am prayers at work (all in Kinyarwanda). Spend 10-15 minutes clapping hands and greeting ALL of my colleagues. Hear "Julie, you are quite fat" because I am wearing my gray pants which seem to accentuate my hips. (Though most of you know what I look like, for those of you who don't, I am just about 5' and under 100 lbs...hence I always say, you need good body image self-esteem when you come to Rwanda : ) )
7:40 am Organize toys so that caregivers can see which are most appropriate for their kids. Organize trainings for the day.
9 am Greet all of the children and caregivers arriving. Spend the morning demonstrating appropriate therapeutic activities and positioning for the room full of kids with CP, Down Syndrome, Erb's Palsy and more. Typically, there are about 12 kids with just as many caregivers in one large therapy room. About 3 kids are receiving direct therapy at a time.
12 Walk back next door to eat my lunch that I had cooked the night before (rice, peas, carrots, tomatos) and then take a 20 minute nap!
1 pm Equipment fitting with two children who have been referred to the center by their social workers. Work with the technicians, consult with the PT and tailors. The child has returned literally 7 times for this fitting of a standing frame.
2 pm Facilitate a training on typical Rwandese childrens' occupations. Facilitate a visual day map activity (in English, and my best Kinyarwanda) and a stereognosis activity (hidden objects in a sea of other tactile input).
3:30 pm Complete my work day walking to the other office down a few roads to print something out.
4:00 pm Early dinner- same as lunch. Quick wash of a few articles of clothing.
4:45 pm Visit the orphans with my friend Jo. Teach them "inhene (goat), inhene, inka (cow)" - you guessed it! "duck, duck, goose"! Give them each a small banana (52 small bananas go quickly!).
5:30 Walk back toward home with three kids holding each hand and several woman tersely demanding money. "Give me my money".
6 pm Visit neighbors who just had a baby boy. Hoping to go to the baby naming ceremony in about a week. Thinking about suggesting the Kinyarwanda word for "one who is in touch with his feminine side" - just kidding : ) That would definately not go over well here.
6:30 pm Say hello to about 20 neighbors along my red dirt road during my 4 minute walk home. Hear a lot of hissing, as they are calling me over to their homes or stores.
7 pm Study Kinyarwanda and return a text message about a church visit for the weekend
8 pm Bedtime. Fold my mosquito net around my bed and crawl in.
3 am Answer a call from mom, dad, joe, jennie or allie!! I love it!!!
Ok, I hope this gives you a small snipit. Let me know if you want other details.
Upon request, I will do my best to give you some context, an idea of my daily life here.
Mugitondo y'kuwa mbere (Monday morning)
5 am Wake up to the sounds of Gerard (the guard and man dressed in his best for the picture I took and posted on an earlier blog) dusting the outside window frame and humming a Swahili tune. Light a candle in the bathroom so I can put in my contacts (electricity out).
5:30 am Meet my VSO friend Jo and Rwandese running partner (ex-hair salon employee) Noel for our morning run. Watch the sunrise over the hills of Kigali as we run past people carrying cans of water and baskets on their heads or going to pray. Hear people muttering, "abazungu" about us, as we run past.
6:10 am Return home and check the bathroom for any cockroaches (remove). Bathe in a bucket of cold water. First washing my face, hair and feet outside of the bucket then stepping in and standing while pouring water over me using a plastic cup. Using the same water to pre-rinse and post-rinse. Dump the water into a different bucket so that I can use it the rest of the day to "flush" the toilet.
6:45 am Eat a quick small banana and amazing Rwandan peanut butter breakfast while downing my anti-maliarial.
7 am Walk next door for am prayers at work (all in Kinyarwanda). Spend 10-15 minutes clapping hands and greeting ALL of my colleagues. Hear "Julie, you are quite fat" because I am wearing my gray pants which seem to accentuate my hips. (Though most of you know what I look like, for those of you who don't, I am just about 5' and under 100 lbs...hence I always say, you need good body image self-esteem when you come to Rwanda : ) )
7:40 am Organize toys so that caregivers can see which are most appropriate for their kids. Organize trainings for the day.
9 am Greet all of the children and caregivers arriving. Spend the morning demonstrating appropriate therapeutic activities and positioning for the room full of kids with CP, Down Syndrome, Erb's Palsy and more. Typically, there are about 12 kids with just as many caregivers in one large therapy room. About 3 kids are receiving direct therapy at a time.
12 Walk back next door to eat my lunch that I had cooked the night before (rice, peas, carrots, tomatos) and then take a 20 minute nap!
1 pm Equipment fitting with two children who have been referred to the center by their social workers. Work with the technicians, consult with the PT and tailors. The child has returned literally 7 times for this fitting of a standing frame.
2 pm Facilitate a training on typical Rwandese childrens' occupations. Facilitate a visual day map activity (in English, and my best Kinyarwanda) and a stereognosis activity (hidden objects in a sea of other tactile input).
3:30 pm Complete my work day walking to the other office down a few roads to print something out.
4:00 pm Early dinner- same as lunch. Quick wash of a few articles of clothing.
4:45 pm Visit the orphans with my friend Jo. Teach them "inhene (goat), inhene, inka (cow)" - you guessed it! "duck, duck, goose"! Give them each a small banana (52 small bananas go quickly!).
5:30 Walk back toward home with three kids holding each hand and several woman tersely demanding money. "Give me my money".
6 pm Visit neighbors who just had a baby boy. Hoping to go to the baby naming ceremony in about a week. Thinking about suggesting the Kinyarwanda word for "one who is in touch with his feminine side" - just kidding : ) That would definately not go over well here.
6:30 pm Say hello to about 20 neighbors along my red dirt road during my 4 minute walk home. Hear a lot of hissing, as they are calling me over to their homes or stores.
7 pm Study Kinyarwanda and return a text message about a church visit for the weekend
8 pm Bedtime. Fold my mosquito net around my bed and crawl in.
3 am Answer a call from mom, dad, joe, jennie or allie!! I love it!!!
Ok, I hope this gives you a small snipit. Let me know if you want other details.
# posted by Julie @ 1:09 AM 
Comments:
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Hey Juls:
(Harriette, I am sorry to beat you to number one spot this time, but a bunch of construction workers just came in so I'm up anyway!)
Thanks for the play-by-play. I don't know if I want to come there for my honeymoon anymore! No, just joking, it makes me want to come even more to see your life in action and experience some of these sounds (hisses, hand clapping, "abazungu"--what is that again?--etc.) and tastes and smells.
It is certainly much more colorful to see your day like this--how often do you run at 5 am? I was laughing at that part, because just yesterday I was talking to a friend about how when I lived in Ecuador I would wake up at 5 every morning to go to the gym and start my day, and now that just seems nuts-o! I guess our bodies and hearts and minds adjust in interesting ways when we are out of our comfort zones. I miss that feeling in a weird way.
Cold bucket-showers sound intense. How often do you get to take one? (Is that too personal?)
We are going to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro from July 15 to July 27-ish. After that we are hoping to do a safari around Tanzania and maybe go to Zanzibar. I'd like to think about the lake towns and Rwanda for about a week or so like you suggested. So much to think about--we'll figure something out soon.
On other news, I am getting ready for next semester. I have 40 students this semester (NYU freshmen are hilarious, a mix of super entitled and totally lost and/or maladjusted.) I love teaching! and cannot wait for this semester's class although vacation is nice too.
OK. Much too long, but doesn't number one get to write more than everyone else? :)
xo
m
(Harriette, I am sorry to beat you to number one spot this time, but a bunch of construction workers just came in so I'm up anyway!)
Thanks for the play-by-play. I don't know if I want to come there for my honeymoon anymore! No, just joking, it makes me want to come even more to see your life in action and experience some of these sounds (hisses, hand clapping, "abazungu"--what is that again?--etc.) and tastes and smells.
It is certainly much more colorful to see your day like this--how often do you run at 5 am? I was laughing at that part, because just yesterday I was talking to a friend about how when I lived in Ecuador I would wake up at 5 every morning to go to the gym and start my day, and now that just seems nuts-o! I guess our bodies and hearts and minds adjust in interesting ways when we are out of our comfort zones. I miss that feeling in a weird way.
Cold bucket-showers sound intense. How often do you get to take one? (Is that too personal?)
We are going to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro from July 15 to July 27-ish. After that we are hoping to do a safari around Tanzania and maybe go to Zanzibar. I'd like to think about the lake towns and Rwanda for about a week or so like you suggested. So much to think about--we'll figure something out soon.
On other news, I am getting ready for next semester. I have 40 students this semester (NYU freshmen are hilarious, a mix of super entitled and totally lost and/or maladjusted.) I love teaching! and cannot wait for this semester's class although vacation is nice too.
OK. Much too long, but doesn't number one get to write more than everyone else? :)
xo
m
Wow - I beat Harriette too! So fun to learn more about what you are doing. It is great that you are in a routine like that. Seems like you are really settled in. Gotta love the bucket shower...those are intense. Seems like you are really picking up a lot of the language.
Everything here is going well. I am pretty sure I told you I got a new job in the city so I am loving the commute (and the job itself). My latest "project" is a ceramics class which I just started. My knee is still screwed up so running has been off the table for a while. Oh well.
Sorry I didn't quite get that Skype business figured out. I would love to try again if you think it would work or if there is another way for me to call you it would be nice to catch up.
Glad you are having fun and working hard. I miss you here, but am glad you are having so much fun.
Rachel D.
Everything here is going well. I am pretty sure I told you I got a new job in the city so I am loving the commute (and the job itself). My latest "project" is a ceramics class which I just started. My knee is still screwed up so running has been off the table for a while. Oh well.
Sorry I didn't quite get that Skype business figured out. I would love to try again if you think it would work or if there is another way for me to call you it would be nice to catch up.
Glad you are having fun and working hard. I miss you here, but am glad you are having so much fun.
Rachel D.
# posted by 
: 8:11 AM
: 8:11 AM
Hi Juls-
I loved the play-by-play! Thanks, Kris, for suggesting! I just tried calling you, but once again on a Sunday, the phone number to use the calling card is busy. kinda annoying. I'll try in the next couple of days again. I finish with the adolescents tomorrow, and then back to wards. apparently the hospital is full, so it should be exciting (only a little bit of sarcasm there).
I'm jealous of all these people that will get to see you in the next few months...besides mom and dad, maris, and mom said neil barger! it's fun talking to mom and dad about their visit...i really can't wait to hear what they think. i still haven't talked to joe since he's been back, but will give him a call in the next couple of days to hear about it.
oh, and some quick divestment updates -- one of the offending companies announced that they would pull out of sudan! and the taskforce got another big grant.
miss you so very much.
love,
allie
I loved the play-by-play! Thanks, Kris, for suggesting! I just tried calling you, but once again on a Sunday, the phone number to use the calling card is busy. kinda annoying. I'll try in the next couple of days again. I finish with the adolescents tomorrow, and then back to wards. apparently the hospital is full, so it should be exciting (only a little bit of sarcasm there).
I'm jealous of all these people that will get to see you in the next few months...besides mom and dad, maris, and mom said neil barger! it's fun talking to mom and dad about their visit...i really can't wait to hear what they think. i still haven't talked to joe since he's been back, but will give him a call in the next couple of days to hear about it.
oh, and some quick divestment updates -- one of the offending companies announced that they would pull out of sudan! and the taskforce got another big grant.
miss you so very much.
love,
allie
# posted by : 11:57 AM
: 11:57 AM
Juls,
I think it's getting to be a contest --- who can get their comments in before mine! I really enjoy reading everyone else's comments, so I don't mind getting beaten!
It was great to talk to you yesterday. We appreciate your help with all the plans for our trip. Now that the basic arrangements are almost completed, we are beginning to get excited. Next on the agenda is the shots and visa stuff. I think we'll put Dad in charge of that.
We'll talk to you Tueday.
Love,
Mom
I think it's getting to be a contest --- who can get their comments in before mine! I really enjoy reading everyone else's comments, so I don't mind getting beaten!
It was great to talk to you yesterday. We appreciate your help with all the plans for our trip. Now that the basic arrangements are almost completed, we are beginning to get excited. Next on the agenda is the shots and visa stuff. I think we'll put Dad in charge of that.
We'll talk to you Tueday.
Love,
Mom
# posted by : 12:32 PM
: 12:32 PM
Hey Julie!! I'm finally writing you! I absolutely love your blog and it's so great to hear what you have been up to. I am so happy that you are finally living your dream. I look forward to reading more!
Love, Jamie
Love, Jamie
# posted by : 9:53 PM
: 9:53 PM
Julie,
That was excellent. Thanks. Ya know, you can heat up the water. It is brutally cold here in Bamenda in the mornings (well, brutally cold for Africa anyway) and so what I do is put a pot of water on my burner when I head out for my run. When I want to wash my hair, though, I have to brave the shower -- a luxury to have a shower, but it's COLD. Brr.
Lucky you to have running partners.
It was so great to get a view into your day-to-day life. It's funny that you go to bed by 8pm, but when you are on the sun's time, it seems so natural.
Tracy
That was excellent. Thanks. Ya know, you can heat up the water. It is brutally cold here in Bamenda in the mornings (well, brutally cold for Africa anyway) and so what I do is put a pot of water on my burner when I head out for my run. When I want to wash my hair, though, I have to brave the shower -- a luxury to have a shower, but it's COLD. Brr.
Lucky you to have running partners.
It was so great to get a view into your day-to-day life. It's funny that you go to bed by 8pm, but when you are on the sun's time, it seems so natural.
Tracy
# posted by : 8:52 AM
: 8:52 AM
Hi Jules,
What a busy life you are leading-I am tired just thinking about it! The very start of our days are similar-waking up and working out-but then I lost you at the bathing ritual. We didn't hear about your visit with Joe, but I am sure everything was wonderful. Lets see, what is new here? I think I am finally permitted to share that I am going to be an aunt-Stephanie is pregnant and due in June. I am very excited about that. Otherwise, I don't have much to share. I think Joe has left, so I will try to call you in the next few days.
Lots of love, Laurie
What a busy life you are leading-I am tired just thinking about it! The very start of our days are similar-waking up and working out-but then I lost you at the bathing ritual. We didn't hear about your visit with Joe, but I am sure everything was wonderful. Lets see, what is new here? I think I am finally permitted to share that I am going to be an aunt-Stephanie is pregnant and due in June. I am very excited about that. Otherwise, I don't have much to share. I think Joe has left, so I will try to call you in the next few days.
Lots of love, Laurie
# posted by : 8:26 AM
: 8:26 AM
Jules,
I must commend you on how quickly you have taken to the language and energy of the country. One time we needed to exchange a sum of cash during a bank holiday. Someone recommended a Forex in downtown Kigali. We got into an incident where four money traders were trying to cheat us on the exchange rate and blocked our exit out of a small room. I can only describe the next series of events as a "verbal tussle" with cash, Rwandan name calling, nostril flaring and puffy chested finger pointing by Jules. I didn't know what was going on but Jule's looked like she was about to tackle somebody. As we left, I said to Jules, that was "intense" and she told me to "get over it."
Joe
P.S. I've also got a Julie taxi-motorcycle story where I think she was arguing over 600 francs, which is like a dollar, but as Julie says in Africa, it's all about the "principle." (I say its all about not pissing off your driver over a Snickers bar as you hold on to his bike going 70.) She did get him to budge though.
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I must commend you on how quickly you have taken to the language and energy of the country. One time we needed to exchange a sum of cash during a bank holiday. Someone recommended a Forex in downtown Kigali. We got into an incident where four money traders were trying to cheat us on the exchange rate and blocked our exit out of a small room. I can only describe the next series of events as a "verbal tussle" with cash, Rwandan name calling, nostril flaring and puffy chested finger pointing by Jules. I didn't know what was going on but Jule's looked like she was about to tackle somebody. As we left, I said to Jules, that was "intense" and she told me to "get over it."
Joe
P.S. I've also got a Julie taxi-motorcycle story where I think she was arguing over 600 francs, which is like a dollar, but as Julie says in Africa, it's all about the "principle." (I say its all about not pissing off your driver over a Snickers bar as you hold on to his bike going 70.) She did get him to budge though.
# posted by : 3:08 PM
: 3:08 PM << Home
