T Minus Two Weeks!

Two weeks to go and I will be done with my Pre-Service Training! Which means I’ve been in Rwanda for almost 10 weeks now and boy has the time flown by. If I pass my language and technical tests then I can be sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteer on April 15^th and move onto my site. All of us trainees are in study mode right now because our language skills have to be high intermediate in Kinyarwanda to be sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteer.

The pictures I have are from one of the national parks here in Rwanda that we visited a couple of weeks ago. There are a handful of national parks in Rwanda because ecotourism is becoming very popular here. The parks are very beautiful and it’s great to know that the current government is taking steps to perverse the environment and animals here in Rwanda.

Last week there was an earthquake and because I was still sleeping I thought for a minute that I was in California. There is an active volcano here in Rwanda and the earthquake was due to volcanic activity.

Tomorrow is my birthday – I can’t believe I’m going to be 27. Man, I’m getting old…

T.I.A. - This Is Africa!

So it's been awhile since I've posted my last blog and that's because my computer was infected with a virus and crashed! It's been 4 weeks and I've finally received my computer back from repairs and I still don't know if it was fixed. It's very difficult to get information. Anyways... because I had to drop my classes back in Monterey and now won't be graduating until I return in two years. But as everyone says here - T.I.A. - This Is Africa and you must have patience.

It's been difficult for me to study the Rwandan language with all this crazy school mess happening but I'm trying to press on and hopefully on April 15th I will be sworn in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer and head off to my site. Two weeks ago we were able to visit our future sites where each of us will be spending the next two years (by ourselves). Turns out I have to get used to a latrine because a toilet is a luxury in my village.

I'm still enjoying my time here but miss everyone dearly (especially Winston!)

A Day in the Life of a "Muzungu"

So life in Rwanda is now becoming very routine. When we first arrived, everywhere we went a crowd would stop and stare at the "muzungus" (white person or Gringo). In fact people would yell out that "muzungus" were coming and a crowd would form. Now, thankfully we are slowly becoming part of the Rwandan backdrop in our town.

Everyday we have Kinyarwandan language class that usually lasts for about 4 to 5 hours. We also each have a Rwandan family that we visit at least twice a week. My family is great! They have 5 boys and the wife is expecting again (she really wants a girl!). This coming week she is going to be teaching me how to cook authentic Rwandan food.

This last week we learned a little bit more about the Genocide and visited memorial sites. In Rwandan culture it is inapporiate to discuss the genocide or politics, so it has been very difficult to be a typical, curious American and ask questions about these subjects. In fact our language teachers say we ask too many questions!

I've tried to upload pictures to show how beautiful Rwanda is but my internet connect is too poor to do that.

Love and miss all of you!

Muraho na Murakaze Neza mu Rwanda!

Hello and Welcome to Rwanda!

So I've managed to survive my first week in Rwanda and let me just say how beautiful this country is. The people are very proud of their country and it shows in the cleanliness of the country and the friendliness of the Rwandan people. After spending a few days in the capital and visiting the Genocide Memorial (it which I was in the local newspaper about going to the memorial) our group is now in a city in the southern part of Rwandan. We will be spending three months learning language and cross-cultural communication. Everyday we spend at least 4 hours learning the language and culture and the rest of the time is spent learning our technical skills.

I miss everyone already but I'm so excited to be here and experience the great things that are happening in Rwanda.

80 Ibs for Two Years!

So it took me all day but I finally managed to pack all I will need for the next two years in 80 lbs of luggage. Thanks to a couple of friends, I have every antibacterial wipe, lotion and cleanser you can think of! It was hard parting with a couple of articles of clothing and coming to the realization that yes, I will be wearing khaki, cargo pants pretty much every day of my life for two years.

A couple of things that I could not do without were:
my French Bible
a mosquito net
Emily Dickinson Poems
sunblock
flashlights
a leatherman
hiking boots
mascara and eyeliner
my bathing suit

I hope I have prepared my luggage and myself for what will no doubt be the adventure of my lifetime!

The last American Christmas for two years...

As the U.S. is in full swing with the holidays, I can't help but wonder how life will be so much different a year from now. The holiday season is such an institution for Americans and something a majority of us look forward to each and every year. It's a time for family, food and faith. I can't imagine a December without hot chocolate, mistletoe or Bing Crosby.

How do Rwandans celebrate Christmas? Only time will tell, but in the mean time the song "I'll Be Home for Christmas" has taken on a whole different meaning and this season I've come to realize how truly grateful I am for family and friends.

Sustainable Development and Macy's

I was searching around the website of my favorite store, Macy's, for holiday gift ideas and came across something really interesting. This semester I am taking a development class and of course we are discussing sustainable development and Micro-Finance. While searching around macys.com, I discoverd that Macy's is now selling products (baskets, silks and ornaments) directly from women's groups in Rwanda, Cambodia and Indonesia. I've always loved Macy's and this just adds to my opinion. I think it says a lot about sustainable development and micro-finance loans when a huge store, such a Macy's, becomes part of great projects like these. I'm attaching the website if you would like to take a lot at what Macy's is doing and the products that they are selling.

http://www1.macys.com/campaign/rwanda/index.jsp?cm_sp=SEARCH_MERCH-_-HOME-_-RWANDA