Getting into the Schedule

Started HW club with kids from Women in Action. Little ones love to hang on you. Katia (katee-a) took a special liking to me. It was a struggle ... this does not come easy for me and is gonna be my biggest obstacle. I compared myself way too much to Natasha and Jocelyn, almost cried on the bus when Jocelyn asked me how I was. Augh!

Pastor Moureen (she runs Women in Action) said I was quiet and implied that Natasha and Jocelyn had done this before ... probably b/c they actually did things and talked and “assessed” the kids. Oh well. I feel like the child of the group! I've been surprised at how many people comment about how I'm too quiet. I guess they're used to loud Westerners.

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Ubuzima in the afternoon. The whole first half I just sat there. No one showed me anything. I didn't want to ask because sometimes they don't seem to want to show you - they're content doing their own thing. But that's okay - I definitely understand that. One lady tried to teach me, but I wasn’t catching on and she wasn’t amuzed by that. I even messed the knitting up b/c I did the wrong stitch. But she should not have left me on my own, right?! She quickly ran out of patience with me. So I continued to just sit and watch others around me. Felt kinda silly, but its not about me as a friend reminded me. At the same time, I knew that other ladies were just sitting, so I told myself it was okay. Finally, I went over to Jocelyn and watched her and talked a bit. Then a couple ladies “called” me over to show me how to weave a basket of some sort. Its kinda like braiding. They were MUCH more patient with me and had fun with me. Nancy was my teacher ... they kept teaching me Kinyarwandan but I had no idea what they were teaching me. I just kept repeating it back to them, we’d laugh and then do the same again. She even gave me a tree tomato – she started pulling them out of her purse and I was one of the lucky ones that got one. I could have sat there all day.

After Ubuzima, we went to Bright’s house for dinner – his mom made a traditional Rwandan meal. Bright is one of the volunteers who works with Ubuzima. Cassava leaves (cabbage, etc) that tasted like spinach, fried potatoes, pasta salad (with onions and green beans in it), maize/cassava stuff, some kind of meat, peas, rice. After dinner: chai tea (that was really more like warm milk and sugar) and bananas. His mom spoke no English, but loved to show pictures ... and take our pictures! She also said I eat too slow.

Took motorcycle taxi home – first ride on one. I was initially afraid of them, but it was so fun! The driver spoke very good English and we had a conversation on the way back.