Banana Beer

Oops. It's been at least a week since my last update. Sorry all, it's just been so mentally busy. I've been running lots of surveys, interviews and workshops with talented people, including a little trip to one of Rwanda's leading banks and the Development Board. Fascinating stuff.

Talented People

My colleague Dominic arrived from Uganda on Sunday at 6am, after being mugged en route! Bloody awful. But we've made it through the week, lots of productive work done. Today was our very last day in the office before report writing begins tomorrow. We went across town to Nyamirambo to celebrate with fellow consultant Giulia and her partner. They introduced us to a lethal form of banana beer, brewed by nuns. Extremely potent stuff.

My dear friend Martine - do you recognise these fish brochettes? Can you guess where we were?

We met at Panorama. It's a place that features regularly in my old blog, and one which always brings mixed feelings. I love the place, because it is awesome and I spent a lot of time there, but it also makes me a little sad as it's right next door to where one of my closest friends used to live, and she isn't there anymore. Many an evening I sought sanctuary on her porch. Still, it's okay because she's now in Laos, and that's also an excellent country.

I've eaten well this week. I've done a lot of cooking for Dominic, which has been nice. I was feeling brave and decided to cook him ugali. I was quite nervous serving a Ugandan guy a dish he's eaten all his life. I know my ugali leaves a little to be desired, but he said it was acceptable, and that the sauce was 'really nice'. Result!

Also met up with Jo and Zubadoo at our usual haunt of Via Venteto for chocolate mousse. It's Zuba's third birthday very soon. 

All grown up - trying on mummy's makeup.

Gravity-defying lady!

The garden is coming along nicely and the rains have truly arrived. Since Dominic got here I've had water coming out of my taps almost every day!

We've also had a fourteen-hour blackout, which was not so good. I've always felt this way: I can cope with water shortages because the house is geared up for them, but electricity is very hard to do without. My big tub of expensive ice-cream melted in the freezer, and my laptop died. I start to get withdrawal from the internet after about an hour. Especially with a big report looming. Still, rain makes the flowers grow.

In a glut of electrical indulgence, I finally set up the projector after we got back from the bar tonight. I now have a home movie centre - it's utterly fantastic. Can't wait to watch Cloud Atlas and Pride & Prejudice on this. Makes the whole import debacle worth it. We settled down with waragi and whisky to watch Dodgeball, a very silly film. One of my automatic go-tos for a good belly laugh. 

Got so much to do in the next couple of days, but very happy and contented. Dominic's off back to Kampala tomorrow, report and presentation due on Wednesday, then three days' R&R before my new housemate arrives. Life here is very good. Even with the water and electricity issues, I can't really complain. I'm employed, I have a wonderful house, lots of lovely friends, and I'm living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I am a very lucky lady indeed.

Demon Kettle

Decided to splash out on a kettle the other day.

Plugged it in.

Turned it on.

Blew up two extension leads.

Anyone want a kettle?

Flash, bang, smoke and everything. Apparently it's a common problem and I should plug it directly into the wall instead. I think I might just carry on boiling water on the hob.

In other news, my fabulous housekeeper has sorted out my vegetable plot. We bought a hoe and he's completely transformed it.

I'm particularly excited about the courgettes. But it all hinges on whether we have enough water. I saw him watering the mounds with a watering can today. If it rains we'll be fine. If not, it might get a bit difficult. We're technically in the rainy season at the moment. There's been a few downpours, but not as much as I'd expected. 

Damascene is a total superstar. We don't share a common language, but I managed to convey the bedding issue and he went out and returned with sheets that fit perfectly!

I've just finished preparing the spare room for my colleague who is travelling down from Uganda on Saturday. Sometimes I have to pinch myself that I actually live here. I've been working like a happy lunatic the past couple of weeks, but when I come home to this place it's just incredible. 

Spare Room

Talking of work, I had a lovely treat yesterday. There was some confusion over meeting times so I was in the office a bit earlier than I needed to be. A totally lovely colleague went and bought me lunch. I can now proudly say that I have had my first smoothie in Rwanda! It was yummy. Fast food here is really starting to take off. 

Next week is going to be madness. Busiest, and last, full week of my current contract. Very much looking forward to the cavalry arriving from Kampala. Loving every minute of it, and I've managed to employ three other people through this, which is a complete first for me and it feels rather awesome. I get four days' rest, then another intake. Offered my spare room to someone who's arriving for a few months and needs somewhere calm to rest whilst they look for a house. I also need to organise a house warming party at some point.

Rwanda, you are spectacular.

Hell No!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: water.

Commonly known as amazi and unbridled joy.

It came too late in the evening to be bothered taking a shower, but it allowed me to fill up my water butt. This came after an entire day of rain.

Nothing gets done in Kigali when it rains. Most people - myself included - don't have a car, so we rely on public motorbikes. Even if you can find one willing to drive in the rain, most people - myself included - live down mud roads. It adds an extra level of excitement when those roads turn all slippery and wet. So, mostly, when it rains people stay home.

I used to love this as a VSO. If I woke up and heard the rain, I'd just roll over and go back to sleep. There's a particular type of rain (the weather in Rwanda is fairly predictable once you know what you're looking at) that starts in the early morning and does not stop all day. Not so good when you're actually employed. Sod's law it would set in on the one day I needed to be at a morning meeting.

I only have the number of one taxi driver (poor planning on my part), and he was unavailable. The airport is up the road, there are taxis there, but they charge a fortune and, as mentioned, it's a mud road. I would have been soaked by the time I got there.

Thankfully my friend Pierre was in the neighbourhood driving a big shiny 4x4, so he kindly agreed to give me a lift across town. 

Which was great. Until I finished for the day, left the office, and realised it was still raining. By that point I was fairly exhausted and decided just to walk down the road (by this time a river), where I managed to get one moto willing to drive me home in the rain. By the time I reached my door I was soggy and my shoes had disintegrated.

Never mind. It is the start of the rainy season now. These things are to be expected.

The garden project is going well, though there have already been a couple of disasters, which I'll blog about on there. The first casualty were the edible beansprouts. I was really looking forward to a decent salad, and everything started out so well.

But you're supposed to rinse them every day, and after sticking them in a draw I forgot to do this yesterday. When I pulled them out today they had started to rot. It's wet here, but it's also relatively warm, even if it doesn't feel it to me anymore. It's in the mid-20s during the day and doesn't really dip below about 17/18c at night. So they're horribly pongy, and I don't think they can be salvaged. I'm wondering what happens if you plant them? Really annoyed at myself.

Stinky Mess

I've also been experimenting with cabbage, as I'm lacking greens and cabbages are, well... big and green. But there's not a lot you can do with a cabbage to make it not taste like cabbage. I did a spicy stir-fry, but it wasn't all that appetising. It's better if you put the stir-fry in a cheese toastie.

Still, there have been some successes. Growing some sunflowers. They looked like this in the morning.

And this in the afternoon.

Growing at quite some speed.

Had a lovely working lunch at Brioche with a colleague today. Treated ourselves to their glorious cakes. So yummy! Strawberry and vanilla mousse thingies. Highly recommended.

I suggest you close your eyes for the next bit if you're a little squeamish. It's not such a pretty sight.

Just getting ready to head to bed, when I walked into the office and found this intruder.

It asked whether it could stay.

My reply? - Hell no.

I think it's related to the one that used to live in my bathroom. I'm about to throw it in the garden, and it's pooed in the tub. Cockroaches make quite big poos considering their size. Too much information?

Anyway, there won't be room for it shortly. I'm busy getting the house in shape for my colleague who's coming down from Uganda at the weekend, staying for a week to help out with this contract.

After he leaves, I've offered the spare room to a lady who's moving here for a few months. Not likely to be hosting her the full duration of her stay, but she needs somewhere to base herself whilst she looks for a house. I'm quite looking forward to having people stay. And, once this contract is finished at the end of the month, I'm also planning to throw a housewarming party, if I can get myself organised.

Roast bug, anyone?

Quilts

Some days you just shouldn't leave the house. What an expensive day it's been!

Dad tried to send my old projector from home. DHL assured him it wouldn't be a problem with customs. Turns out DHL were talking out their jacksie.

It cost me £200 new about five years ago. Customs charged £130 for storage, clearing, goodness knows what else. 

That was fairly shocking, but I thought it would just be a one-hour job. I left the house at 9am, got back at past 1:30pm!

The delivery papers had no instructions on them, not even an address. So I looked online for Customs and it was on the same website as RRA. I decided that RRA would be a good place to start. They sent me to RRA in Gikondo instead, who looked at me blankly, then sent me to the airport - which I live directly opposite. I could have walked to Customs in ten minutes if I had known where it was! There isn't a sign outside or anything.

We then went around five different departments getting security badges, checking the paperwork, finding the item, writing the receipt... went to pay.

Sorry, we're closed until 3pm.

- !!! -

It was midday by that point and I had so many other things to do. I met a really nice customs guy and paid him about £15 to sort it all out and deliver the item to my housekeeper. 

Grand total of almost £150. Hardly seems worth it at all.

Perhaps that's the point: buy local?

Unfortunately, it feels more like: do business elsewhere.

The delivery papers also came complete with a copy of someone else's birth certificate stapled to the back! I was a little worried my parcel might have been delivered by stork.

In a small - and only very small - consolation, I needed to get some passport photos taken to apply for my residency card. I went to a guy up the road who did me 12 for £2! In the UK it costs £5 for five! Some things are still easier to get here. Quite a nice one too, considering I was marching up the street, sweaty and flustered.

The other big expense was bedding. I've mentioned the problem of my super-sized bed before. Part of the work I've just taken on for my business requires one of my consultants to come down from Uganda. I'm going to be hosting him for a week, so I need the spare room to be comfortable - this involves bedding.

When my friend Sarah was here, she mentioned a place nearby which makes quilts. So I went to have a look.

The Tubahumurize Association helps vulnerable women escaping GBV (Gender Based Violence). They also provide counselling for HIV/AIDS, rape victims, and human rights advocacy. They have a workshop where women learn to sew, and that's where they make the quilts.

Bedding in Rwanda isn't cheap, but this costs the same as the mass-produced crap you get in the supermarkets, and the quality is much better - not to mention unique. So I splashed out on two quilts, both of which fit my big bed!

Now all I need are the sheets, which I will probably have to get made.

Quilt #1 - King Sized

Front

Back

Quilt #2 Queen Sized

Front

Back

Definitely a worthwhile purchase. Bedding and a water tank. Those are the two things I'm most in need of. Though since it rained quite hard a few days ago, all of my water butts are at full capacity again, thanks to Damascene.

Happy Sight
My kitchen supply for tea, coffee, porridge,
washing up and wiping counters

I am trying to be frugal in other ways. I mentioned my gardening project, where we're trying to grow some vegetables of our own. I've also started recycling old milk and juice cartons as seed trays.

Excited to see how it goes. Looking at the overcast sky at the moment and hoping the rain stays away until after my Kinya teacher gets here. It is 23c at the moment, according to Google, yet it's so grey outside that I'm sitting here with my slippers on, contemplating a jumper! I think that's what's known as 'acclimatisation.'

Safe Flight

Well, contrary to speculation, the wee green caterpillar didn't transform into a pony.

But I am a very proud mother all the same. Just like any post-pubescent larvae, it couldn't wait to fly the nest and join its swarm of siblings around the light outside my front gate. May the gods protect it from the squadron of bats above.

Fly safe, little one.

Meanwhile, Damascene's been preparing the garden. You can't really see it, as they're very small, but he's been heaping the earth into mounds, ready for planting.

Friday was a good day. I went via the Post Office on my way home and picked up three parcels, including the one they couldn't find last time, and one from about a month ago they thought I'd already collected! I'm not complaining, I now have enough chocolate to reenact The Pitchfork Disney.

There was also a special delivery of seeds.

Both Damascene and myself are really excited about this. I've just started a special blog dedicated to our gardening exploits: The Kigali Garden Project.

Send seeds!

Edible Bean Sprouts

Thought I'd have a go at growing marakuja (passion fruit).

Whilst we're on the food subject. I had a meeting today at RZ Manna near RDB. I got the shock of my life. Not only do you pay at the counter (no table service? Unheard of!) but the food came in about five minutes flat! I have never, in all my time in Rwanda, experienced service that quick, or with such a big smile. I thoroughly recommend it. 

Oh, and in other news - we won our first major contract as a company. Managed to employ myself and two others. Feeling rather pleased. I've never been an employer before, and it's taken some explaining by RRA as to how I deal with taxes and other grown-up stuff. The excitement at winning the contract is quickly melting to concern over how we'll fit it all in - it's a hectic one - but I'm up for the challenge. Better to be too busy than underworked and yawning.

I shall leave you with this picture of two clouds kissing above my garden.

(click to enlarge)