catching up.

I've been home nearly two weeks now so now that jet lag is finally behind me and I am feeling more at home I figured it was time to post again. I got home last monday night, spent one day at home before heading to Mississauga for two days for a 'debrief' at the WV head office. It was exhausting since I was still on Rwandan time and very sleep deprived, but it was nice to spend time with the other interns and hear about their experiences.
Saturday I went over to Pam's place for dinner and found a surprise birthday/welcome home party. Funny thing was, I was the first person to arrive!! So I walked in the door and saw all the decorations and Pam standing there saying 'Surprise?' It was a good evening and it was fun to see my friends again. Didn't really get to talk with some of them, but that's ok.
I'm not sure what is next for me but I am feeling more and more that I won't be here in Canada for very long. I miss Rwanda, but more than that I am feeling like I don't fit here, that my 'calling' for lack of a better word, is somewhere else. It will be interesting to see what is next.

Great White North

So I'm home now. And I am COLD!!! Flying home from Amsterdam I was looking out the window as we flew over Canada and it was so pretty and white. I was cold just looking at it! My flight landed at about 4:30 pm Canada time - 11:30 Rwanda time. So by the time I got home to Waterloo after going out for dinner with my family it was after 3am my time, after traveling for essentially 36 hours. So now I am tired and cold, but glad to be home!

Tomorrow I go to Mississauga to spend a couple of days at the WV Canada head offices and hopefully will find out more about a possible job. I get to drive in snow. Yuck!

Being home is really weird. Rwanda feels like an entire other world and it is a little overwhelming and the only places I've been are the airport, the restaurant, home and the driver's liscense place. It will be an adjustment!

Homeward Bound

I always forget how much I actually hate airports until I have to spend time in them. I was in Nairobi for 7 hours yesterday and now am sitting in Amsterdam killing time for another six hours. At least there is free wireless here!!

My last couple of days in Rwanda were really hectic. Thursday night there was a goodbye dinner for me at the ADP in Nyamata where I have been spending about half my time. It was really great. The food wasn't so good but lots of fanta. But they gave me presents- had trouble packing it all! and one of the guys I worked with, Etienne, wrote a three page poem. I didn't understand all of it but what I did get was really funny. Friday afternoon there was a farewell function at the head office - more formal with lots of speeches but also more gifts. Iwas really surprised by the gifts. I don't know why but I wasn't expecting it at all! Then I went home and found all my friends waiting for me in my sitting room. Pip had planned a surprise party for me and I was really surprised. Apparently I am incredibly oblivious! It was a lot of fun and it was really great to hang out with friends and just relax.
Saturday we went to a wedding and I packed. I am amazed that I actually fit everything into my bags. I left a lot of things behind so I'm not sure what took up so much room. Although I did buy a table so that would be part of it:)

Yesterday I went to the airport with an entourage - two cars full of people saw me off. It was really nice but it was hard not to cry. Then I got on the plane to go home. I should probably start reflecting and processing - I'm already feeling overwhelmed by the west and I'm just in an airport. But I'm too tired! Five and a half hours here, then 8hrs on a plane and then I am home. Coming off the plane here in Amsterdam I nearly froze and we didn't even have to go outside! Not looking forward to the snow at home!

Procrastination is a global phenomenon

Getting dressed for work in the morning is less fun then it used to be. This is because my options are more limited because I don't like to wear skirts anymore. I used to hate wearing skirts but my newfound aversion is not because of a reversion to my old attitudes. No, I just hate trying to explain all the bruises! So if I wear pants no one can see them which makes my day a little easier. They are gradually going away now - more of a mottled green and yellow tinge creeping in which is at least a change from the electric blue and deep purple. And they mostly don't hurt anymore, except if I accidentally kick myself in my sleep - and yes, I know how that sounds.

I am supposed to be writing the semi annual progress report for my program but am having a hard time concentrating on it. So instead I am procrastinating as much as possible. I have very little motivation to write it since a) it is not actually my job and my boss should be working on it b) it is not due for another month and a half and c) I have only 6 business days left before I leave and it is very unlikely that this will get finished before then anyways. So I have written only three pages in the last two or three hours.

In other news, I am no longer the only muzungu here at world vision Rwanda. This is exciting, but I'm sad now that I only have 6 business days left! Jo is here from Australia and it is nice having her in the office. She is here for almost a year, lucky girl.

I guess that is all except that I get to go to the tailor's tonight to pick up a jacket I had made and on monday I get to pick up some more clothes from my other tailor. Very exciting!

I guess I should go back to work....

Time is running!

I have been kept very busy lately with work. For the past three weeks I have been leading various trainings around the country. It meant that I got to see more of Rwanda than just Kigali and the Bugesera region where we've been working. The northern part of the country has very magestic mountains and is a little chilly way up on top of them! The southern part still has hills and mountains but for the most part they seem a little more subtle somehow. Now I am back in the main office realizing how much is left to be done before I leave! Our evaluation plan, our semi annual report, a couple of other reports and we have to figure out what we want to do for our community level trainings that will start (hopefully) at the end of april. Of course I won't be here for those, but deciding on what they will be about, how they will look and so on is still important. Also, I need to help review annual operating plans with the ADPs we are working with which will take some time as well.

On top of all of this, I want to spend time with friends, go to places I haven't yet been and do things I haven't been able to do. And I have less than two weeks to do it all!! But I figure sleep is something that can be saved for the flight home:)

I have been meeting a lot of new people in the last couple of weeks. I started going to an expat bible study and all of a sudden I have tons of muzungu friends - a weird thing for me since most of my friend here have been Rwandese! It is a little sad that I found this bible study and all these friends just before I am leaving, but at the same time if I had had the security of these friendships from the beginning my relationships with my Rwandese friends might not have been so important.

Even though I am very busy and have so much to do, I am starting to feel restless and a little stir crazy. I am looking forward to the change of scene that going home will provide and the freedom of mobility is an exciting prospect. Here, to get anywhere takes planning and time, especially since I don't take moto taxis anymore! I love it here still - and am really sad about leaving, but as the day gets closer I feel more and more that it is actually time for me to go home. That is not to say that I won't be back!!