Home Sweet Home

Internet set up in just one day - impressed? You will be.

Just had a lovely message from an old colleague:

I'm so glad to hear that you have finally landed in your second home! Warm welcome!

There aren't words to describe it, but a blank blog isn't that entertaining, so I'll try.

I AM HOME!

Only, it's home with added awesome.

Met by my mate Jo and her gorgeous (and clever) wee daughter Zuba (Kinya for Sunshine). They bundled me into their swanky new motor (above) and took me across town to my new home. Then we met up with Zuba daddy, Pierre, at India Khazana. Like, seriously, where else would you go?

Though food choice has rocketed since I've been away. All the old favourites are here: Khazana, Lalibela, SoleLuna, but so is a Korean and Zen, a Japanese! Totally spoiled for choice.

You know you're in Rwanda when you're
supping Primus at India Khazana!

On the way to meet Pierre at the restaurant, we wound down the windows and played 'the wavey hand song' at ear-splitting volume whilst singing so badly it's a wonder we weren't deported.

The wavy hand song, by the way, is Zuba's favourite - a very high honour indeed Mr. Sinatra.

[And for anyone who hasn't seen it - wrap your eyes around Newport - genius!]

Before we headed out, my new housemates heroically managed to hang a hook for my mosquito net.

Mahoro, Richard and Sally

The net is on loan from Pierre and Jo, only... it's pink!

I'll never live this down.

Anyway, with a belly full of Indian and a back pocket full of pink notes to match my pink mosquito net (both on loan from Jo & Pierre), they dropped me home. Wee Zuba doing the wavy hand (and legs) dance on my lap. Zuba cuddles are just the best.

So, next morning I was up early - though not as early as my economist and UN house mates who were out the door before seven!

I had a bracingly cold shower (because I'm a numpty who doesn't understand how the electrics work - figured it out now though) - and straight into town with a To Do list that needed folding three times before it would fit in my pocket.

The path to the main road from here is a deeply rutted, rocky dirt road. Thankfully there are plenty of motos, but it's like off-road trail riding. Seriously exciting.

FRW 500 (50p) for something like a fifteen minute scoot into town, which I thought was incredibly reasonable.

Everything still looks totally familiar - only new, and improved. The centre of town is sparkly with tall buildings, there's something being built by the Wedding Roundabout that looks suspiciously like a silver alien spaceship! I'm rather in awe.

Given that you used to have to set half a day aside to do banking, I was expecting to get about two things on my list ticked off. Instead, this is what I accomplished yesterday:

• Took a cold shower (I can't get the electric shower head to work, and Richard's right - it gives an electric shock if you touch it... hmm, mains electrics and water.... that cannot be a good idea.)
• Opened a bank account in FRW at the swanky new Bank of Kigali. I get my chequebook on Thursday, and a VISA card in about three weeks.
• Made my first ever international ATM withdrawal in Rwanda there too.
• Changed my Kenyan Shillings into Rwandan Franks at Forex.
• Marvelled at how developed and sparkly the centre of town now looks!
• Opened a PO Box (PO Box 5145, Kigali, Rwanda) - please don't send me anything expensive or heavy otherwise I'll probably have to pay duty. Books and small things should be fine though.
• Got an AirTel SIM for my phone. I discovered in Nairobi that I can no longer access voice mail from home, so my UK number is defunct for the time being - those who know it, switch to my Rwandan one, or just Skype me. 
• Got an AirTel (Yes! Rwandair seems to have disappeared, but MTN is in competition with AirtTel and Tigo!) modem for my laptop. £20 a month 3G with 1.5GB daily data limit. Not a bad deal. When it works, it's incredibly fast.
• Bought towels.
• Bought food.
• Went to Rwanda Development Board (RDB) to ask about starting a business. Was told I needed to go to Immigration and get my work permit first...
• Went to Immigration to get my work permit, was told I need to set up a business first with RDB...

Confused. But I understand that either way I need a police clearance CRB from home, so I'll start with that.

All of this in one day!

The Post Office was fairly entertaining. It's moved from its original site, but the two guys who used to run it five years ago are still there. One of them is a bit grumpy, and the other one is very tall and never says a word. The second guy was sitting outside, and I recognised him instantly - he seemed to remember me, too. There was much smiling and hand shaking.

Anyway, as the slightly grumpy guy came to tell me they had closed for lunch and that I would have to come back in an hour, the tall guy had already gone into the office, processed my form, and returned with a new lock for my post box. Take that, grumpy guy!

Apart from the confusion over applying for a work permit, everything else ran like clockwork.

New, improved Kigali!

Kigali, only better!

Or perhaps it's just beginner's luck? ;)

I don't care. 

I have a beautiful new office, where I will plan world domination.

My Office

Office Assistant

View from the Office

Had a hearty breakfast of Rwandan cheese with Rwandan banana and Rwandan coffee with Rwandan honey. Delicious. 

I have a fridge full of beer, an internet connection, and a dinner date tonight with a friend. There's also talk of cabaret later in the week and all good things. 

Now I've got the big stuff out the way (post, banking, housing) I'm taking a few days off before tackling the rest. I intend to do sweet FA but enjoy myself, soak up the sunshine (cool 27-29c) - possibly at Nyarutarama swimming pool - and rock out to UB40. 

Time to have a little fun, ladies and gentlemen.