Panic Sets In

Sad post.

So many friends have been leaving lately. This was goodbye to Harris for the time being. He'll be back next year to continue working on his PhD. The week before he left, he spent a lot of time at my place with his volunteers, recording videos for the app they're developing to help people in rural areas diagnose and manage diabetes. My house is nice and quiet now that my roomies have moved on, so a good place for recordings.

Medical Student, Alex, Making a Recording

The above picture was taken at our favourite club, Pacha (former Metallica), in Kimironko. Beautiful people!

Waved him off with a beer over brunch the next day, and a nod to the stress of doing a PhD.

 

And yet another farewell - err, hello and farewell - to Maia, who popped back for two short weeks to sort some things out at the restaurant and officially launch Victor's cocktail cart.

  

We also made it to pizza at Jo's, which we haven't done in a long time. Great to see old faces and new.

 

 

L-R: Lan, Maia and Me

My foot is still slowly on the mend after pulling the tendon up the back of my left leg. Before Harris left, I went over to use his bath and soaked myself in the hottest water I could stand. Apparently this is the wrong thing to do, but it felt soooo good. Although, then I had a meltdown over how frustrating it was not being able to walk anywhere and passed out for an hour (not in the bath - thankfully). The next day, a nice big bruise appeared all the way around my foot and even now, a couple of weeks later, it's still significantly more swollen than the right ankle. 

 

It no longer hurts, but I'm still noticeably limping because I haven't quite got full flexibility back and when I push my feet against things, the left one feels a lot weaker than the right. Only, the right leg now hurts because it does so much more work than the left. I assume it'll all return to normal soon enough, otherwise I might end up walking in circles for the rest of my life.

In part, the slow recovery might be due to my insistence on limping home from a restaurant one night with Chris and Harris. Harris did try to put me on a moto, but I was enjoying the night air and the conversation - and had a couple of cocktails. But it was worth it for the pudding. It was a thing of beauty.

 

Slightly more a thing of beauty than what my cat chowed down on the other day. Tiny Akantu raced into the kitchen carrying a mouse the size of his head and proceeded to eat the entire thing right in front of me... hmm. 

My neighbour loves him, and even leave her shop open at night so the cats can go in and catch the rats. But I think I'd rather go take my dinner with the rabbits at CasaKeza.

Things with the piano are going okay, but still looking for leather... long story. Discovered this guy, Honore, who owns a shop next to the workshop where we're making the piano. He treated me to a performance on his keyboard, which he has been teaching himself to play.

There's also been a bit of motoing around town with piano parts...

And Gizmo has been helping me prepare the piano for stringing.

Also had a lovely evening on Friday at my friends Maja and Vincent's housewarming. They've found a really nice house over in Remera and I went along with new friend Keriin who contacted me a year ago looking for an internship. Through our old GYC connections I was able to help her out and she arrived a couple of weeks ago for a three-month stint.

 

L-R: Keriin, Me and Keza

 

Also had a visit from my cousin-in-laws, Malcolm and Marian. Marian is the sister of my cousin's wife. They booked their holiday to Rwanda (and East Africa) before they knew that I lived here. It was really nice to catch up with them. We had lunch at Mille Collines before they went off to see the gorillas, then dinner - and lots of sangria - at Casakeza when they got back. They had an absolutely wonderful time and hope to return to Rwanda. They also went off to Serengeti and Zanzibar. Sadly, we forgot to take any family pictures whilst they were here, but they did send me a snapshot from the beach in Zanzibar. 

So, there have been plenty of lovely parties and good times as we enter the short rainy season. That's supposed to start early September, but arrived this year with absolute a vengeance a few weeks early. I was woken in the early hours by the most incredible storm. Thunder, lightning - the rain was coming down so hard I thought the roof might cave in. It's continued to be wet since then.

My cats didn't do that.

Little damp in the main bedroom.

Unfortunately, it's likely we're in for a lot more. Back in the long wet season in May, I posted about the severe flooding we had. Really hoping it doesn't come to that again, but my friend Sameer has already sent me a picture from Gisenyi of the river by his house busting its banks.

So, why is the panic setting in?

Well, I could say it's because Dés and me are doing an interview with BBC World Service tomorrow morning about the piano, but actually, I'm not too worried about that. It's pre-recorded and then edited, so we can't mess up too badly.

No, it's more the TEDx talk I've agreed to give in Luxembourg in October. Harris talked me into it when I was on a slightly inebriated rant, and by the time I'd sobered up, it was all booked. Got my plane tickets yesterday. No backing out now. 

I don't mind talking in front of people, but it's the fact it's recorded for posterity which terrifies me. And TED talks are so good. They're of such a high standard. Yeash. If there was ever a reason to remain sober... 

I'm talking about formal education versus informal learning. How the way formal education teaches today isn't really in line with how (I think) we learn. How we need to stop valuing education by how much you paid for it and look more closely at what you can do with the knowledge you've gained.

Anyway. That's the idea. 

Now all I have to do is remember to breathe...

Oh, and lines.

Must remember my lines.

Oh gods, pass the paper bag...