Number one on the to-do list is to make friends and fast. I am at an advantage because I am the third volunteer to be at my site. I have adopted a couple of friends that the last volunteer left. The first of which is Muraraneza who has been helping Peace Corps Volunteers in Kibangu for the last four years. Already he has brought me fresh eggs, milk, charcoal, and gone to the market with me. I am also lucky because I am at a Day School, so many of the teachers live in this community, instead of a boarding school where the teachers leave for vacation. Isaiah, the first teacher I met from my school, has introduced me to several others. Isaiah has also helped me go shopping for food and do some logistical things.
I mentioned to Isaiah that it was my birthday on Wednesday and I was thinking of having people over for it. He jumped on the idea and helped me to plan a party complete with beer and soda. I had about 15 people over including my neighbors, headmaster, and some other teachers. I tried to be a good hostess but I lacked conversation topics in a group of people I had only recently met. I suppose it was good for me to introduce myself and explain why I am here. Even if it was the most awkward birthday party I have ever had.
I have also joined a choir at the Catholic Church. I’m not Catholic but my school is connected to the Catholic Church here in town, so I think for the next two years I will go to the Catholic Mass and be in the choir. As I mentioned in the earlier post, I didn’t really mean to join the choir, but I think it is the best decision I’ve made. We had choir practice today, and it was nice to smile at some familiar faces and have something in common to talk about.
I have also realized that because I live in a small village every time I go out I see a familiar face now. I went for a walk on Friday and ran into four people I knew and met countless others. In Rwandan culture, each person you pass you must say hello to, and often not just hello but shake their hands. All around me the community is so connected and alive it is easy to feel its heart beating. That afternoon, I made my way to the health center where I chatted with the nurses for about an hour. They were jovial women, Betty, Rose, and Alice, who were just fun to be with. I’m going to go visit them again next week. I remind myself that friendship comes through time and persistence.
Number two on the list is to unpack and get comfortable in my new house. Being the third volunteer to live here, I inherited furniture, buckets, spices, bedding, dishes, rugs, curtains, etc which has made moving in a quick process. I’ve been working on cleaning and decorating most of the week, hanging up pictures from home, arranging furniture, and what not. I’ve made a video below of a tour of my house:
A little bit of explanation about the daily life things here: I have electricity about 70% of the time. When I do I can cook with a hot plate and heat up water with my hot pot. I also have a kerosene stove and a charcoal stove. The kerosene stove cooks stuff up fast, and the charcoal stove is good for things that take longer like beans and rice. I can also bake using the charcoal stove so that’s how I make banana bread etc. To “shower” is just taking a bucket bath in which I have a plastic mug and dump water on myself. I shower in my hallway, which allows me to shower inside and mop my floor (double-dipping!). When I don’t have electricity its not a big deal as long as all my electronics are charged up. I’ve got plenty of candles and I can cook using the kerosene stove. So overall its pretty comfortable.
Number Three to deal with my emotions. I have to be honest it’s been a rough week. I have had so many ups and downs I feel like I am on a long roller coaster ride. I broke down on Wednesday from homesickness because I was spending my birthday with people I barely knew when I wish I could have been with my family and friends. I cried a lot, and that aching feeling set in like a bruise on my heart. I found that I can cheer myself up by watching Friends, which I now do every night during dinner, or by cooking delicious food like the burritos I made today, but it hits me randomly. I cry it out and stay connected with other Volunteers.
I enjoy my moments of insight though as to why I am here. I received an email from my Pastor about how she loves hearing about my adventures. In the midst of it all, I often forget that is exactly what this is-- a great life-changing adventure. I will cherish these memories for the rest of my life, and I need to embrace that. Another example, I was talking with Isaiah about ways I want to help Kibangu. I want to help with fighting malaria and with the library, as well as just get to know the people and the culture here. Just thinking about starting projects, helping to facilitate different events, and sharing American culture helped me remember that I am excited to learn and to help people.
So sometimes I want to go home and drink eggnog with my family, but I know I need to be here. For on my life to do list is to become fluent in another language (Kinyarwanda), learn about other cultures, prepare myself for a career in international work, and to figure out myself. The Peace Corps is giving me the opportunity to do this, and at the end of the day I know I am lucky for that. The anxiety may continue, and the homesickness definitely will but it’s the Rwandans who I meet who really inspire me. Their generosity and community is unbelievable, and I could not be more excited and grateful to be apart of it.