Big Business (Centre)

Me and Pierre
(Both somewhat hungover...)

Just realised it's been a week since my last knee-scraping update, and what a week it's been!

Yesterday morning I headed over to the new conference centre they're building in Kigali. It's huge, and egg-shaped. Bit like the London Mayor's office. Anyway, my friend Jo works with the architect's wife, Eva, who is also one of my consultants. Her hubby agreed to give us the grand tour, so we donned hard hats and fetching dayglow jackets, and went for a look-see.

(click to enlarge this awesome panoramic)

Adjoining Hotel

Wedding Roundabout
where people have their wedding photos taken

The Royal Suite
still needs a bit of work doing to it

Up On The Roof

Stopped off at Meze Fresh for burritos afterwards.

Thanks so much Jo, Pierre and Eva's husband for a fascinating experience. There's something a little bit weird about wandering around a construction site. I'd only glanced at the building in passing on a moto, and it looks far more finished from the road than it does up close. Still can't quite imagine what it will all look like once complete, but it's a statement if ever there was one. Few more pictures in this album.

Nice end to a very hectic week. Both Pierre (Jo's husband) and I were a little worse for wear. I met up with an ex-VSO, Sarah, the night before. We were catching up over a few beers at Chez Lando. A few beers turned into quite a few beers when we were joined by a photographer en route from the DRC to the UK for a funeral. Entertaining debate on world politics. Formed an impromptu labour party conference.

After he left to catch his plane, we headed to The Lemon Tree and bumped into - surprise, surprise - Pierre on a night out. I know I always say this, but I honestly hadn't drunk that much in a long time.

Compounded by an impromptu night out on Thursday, too. I had an introductory meeting with an agribusiness client in town. It went well. Two hours later, I'd learned an awful lot about mushroom growing and was feeling very enthusiastic. That evening, the CEO invited me over for drinks. How can you refuse a Belgian who used to run a microbrewery in New York? The beer was very good.

Entertaining night. Along with mushrooms, they also grow artichokes. The only place in Rwanda you can get them, and the first time I'd ever eaten one whole from the stem. Apparently it's a big thing in parts of mainland Europe, but Brits just don't really do it. You pick off the leaves and dip them in warm butter until you get to the 'heart' in the middle, which you eat whole. It is absolutely delightful.

My new favourite food.

This morning I cooked my other favourite food - or at least my favourite hangover cure. Coffee with lost bread (French toast) and Nutella. Honestly, it's the only thing that gets me back on my feet.

There is another interesting dish I've just served up on my office desk...

Every now and then I hear it rustling, which is a good sign. 

I pulled a courgette out of the fridge at lunch and discovered a fat green caterpillar has munched a hole right through it. The caterpillar was still there! I was amazed it had survived. I've only recently turned the fridge down because my water was turning to ice!

I thought if it had survived that, it deserved a little TLC. So I've created a caterpillar habitat in a bowl with plenty of courgette. S/he/it is chomping away happily. I'm hoping to open the door one morning and discover what type of butterfly it has become.

After all, there is an opening for house pet at the moment, since I evicted this from my bathroom this morning.

T'was a biggun. When I first moved in it appeared from behind the sink and came running towards me to say 'hi' during my morning ablutions. I flicked water at it and it's been hiding in the doorway ever since. My friend says if you mix baking soda and sugar together and leave it in a jam lid, you find them dead next morning. I dunno. I can't kill it. Something that big has a personality and everything.

Found it in my wash bowl this morning. Released it into the garden. Good luck, comrade!

I am absolutely loving my house. I can't describe the joy of going to sleep at night without any noise. Waking up the next morning and wandering around in my pants, yawning and scratching my belly (I'm such a bloke in the mornings).

We have serious water issues, though. Usually it comes on from midnight for a few hours, and Damascene fills up all the cans, but the past couple of nights we've had nothing at all. You can buy it from a pump up the road, but mostly you're just really careful how you spend it. My water filter is the most important thing, for drinking water, then wash water, then toilet water (often you pour the wash water down the toilet after use). It's incredible how much water flushing a toilet takes.

Still, it made me smile when I went for drinks at my client's house. He lives in a posh neighbourhood - huge house -  but also no water. Doesn't matter how much money you have here when there's something like 20% under capacity on water. 

I'm planning to go drinking with my landlord some time this week. Need to get a few quotes, but I've mentioned going halves on a water tank before and, as Jo pointed out, if he buys the stand and I buy the barrel, I can sell the barrel when I leave - if not to him, then to someone else.

So, in brief, what else has happened this week?

Well, I've had a meeting here...

...and a meeting here.

Went to the Post Office and got lots of chocolate from home! Result.

They do like their religion at the Post Office.
#LittleBitCreepy

I've just signed a former BBC Africa country director to my associates list. She's incredible at all thing miltimedia and funding related, but since doing that I've had two random meetings with Rwandan filmmakers. Her medianess is clearly rubbing off on me. Seems to be a lot of opportunity for creative types at the moment. One of them, Ella, has exhibited internationally, and was responsible for this :)

Très cool. She's the one with the impressive afro, hanging out of the sunroof of her extremely shiny beetle.

Had to glam up myself on Friday for a photoshoot. Hired a local photographer to do some publicity shots for a book I wrote, which is due out later in the year. 

Oh, and I've started Kinya lessons. Thought it was about time. I annoyingly have just enough Kinya to argue with a moto driver and make people think that I can speak it, which gets very embarrassing when they start talking back and realise I can't.

Got a lovely teacher, and the lesson was two-fold as I paid him extra to translate between me and Damascene. I have a live-in domestic who has a house next to my kitchen. He speaks no English, I speak no Kinya - it's been an issue. He's been here for four years, and he's very trustworthy and fairly hard working. I can't really replace him, and I don't really want to, although, if I'd had a choice from the beginning (he came with the house) I would have opted for an English speaking domestic twice a week to do laundry and cleaning. There really isn't enough work to keep him occupied, and I've never enjoyed managing house staff. It just doesn't come naturally to a muzungu.

Anyway, there were a few issues to resolve, like my landlord forgot to mention I'm expected to feed him. He used to cook for him, and take a portion for himself. I don't want to cook for him, and I don't need him to cook for me... awkward. So I've upped his pay slightly to help cover that. He also gets one day off a week now. Today - Sunday - was his first time. He came to tell me he was leaving in the morning, as though checking it was really okay. When he originally asked, I think he was expecting one day off a month 'to see family,' but not only is it morally right that he should have a weekend, I also secretly enjoy knowing that I have the entire compound to myself for a day. Nothing worse than a guy with nothing to do wandering around your garden.

So, it's been a jam-packed week.

I am over the moon with the house. Feeling really at home already, and loving the office. Not heard about any of our tenders yet, but have three more on the desk, including one that was sent directly to my company. Lots of positive meetings. I'm starting to feel confident that it won't be long before something gives.

Despite the hangover, and working solidly through the weekend, I am extremely happy at the moment.