serves me right

I think karma gave me a little bag tag last night. It had been a few days since I saw Ashley, and when she got back to her guest house in Kicykiru from gorilla trekking, she was welcomed by a power outage and no water, and none since. This coupled with her stale breakfast hot dog buns, and one of the house cleaners stealing her socks and pillowcase, she was not a happy camper. What really made me laugh hard while we were chatting on the phone was the fact that she could no longer let the stool back up – something had to give. So she made a deposit in the unflushable toilet…and then had to admit to everyone about the mess she made. I was roaring, and she was swearing. Not long after that exchange, I bid her adieu, heading for a hot shower. Turns out, the hot water ran out quickly, and all water dried up just as I got completely covered in soap. You can’t get soap out of your hair with a towel. So I called Ashley back, and made sure she came over in the morning to get a shower, as I knew that the water would be running by then. So, don’t laugh at others misfortunes, even if it’s hilarious.

We arrived in Huye (formerly Butare) this evening, to teach in the ORs and to the nurse anesthetists tomorrow and Friday. The city is home to the National University of Rwanda (the medical school, too) and is a beautiful setting. Friday, Emmy will pick up Ashley and we will all visit some of the memorial sites and another national park. I haven’t taken to many pictures since the four hundred thousand that I took on the weekend, so I’ve thrown in some general pics: The first is typical Kigali residential area, complete with nameless, often unpaved streets, tin roof houses densely packed in wide valleys. The second, and picture of a cloud cresting one of the many rolling hills, when Ash and I were heading to Kivu. The third, a long shutter speed shot out front of my place in Nyamirambo, busy in the dark evening. And the final, what looks to me like a pelican, roosting in the trees near town center. These arseholes coat the street below after a night of sleep. I’m gonna be brief, I let you know how Ashley fairs with the power/water if she doesn’t.

Cold shower, please...

I love how Rob has gotten into this blogging thing.. he's such a great writer, much better than me.. just reading about how far Rwanda has come is truly inspiring as Rob has said, and I am so happy that we get to experience this beautiful country together.. i can't even describe what trekking the gorillas was like.. all the volunteers were asking when i got home and all i could really say is "it was fucking amazing".. at the volunteer house we haven't had water for a couple days now and i find myself longing for a cold shower from the hose.. it's hard to be perky in the morning with no running water for days and eating stale hot dog buns for breakfast.. Michelle, one of the girls at the house, gave me a yogurt today which was amazing.. oh the things i have learned to appreciate! i also found myself wanting to be faceless today as i walked to work.. this is pretty difficult to do when it seems that people know my name that i don't remember meeting.. they will yell at me and i will give my usual "Muraho!" and then they will ask me if i remember their name.. sadly, i've only gotten about 2 right, on a bit of a losing streak to say the least.. so today i put on my headphones on before heading out for some much needed radiohead and brian borcherdt.. i still gave my usual "muraho" to everyone i passed but i kept walking.. it was a nice walk.. tomorrow i will go back to stopping and talking to every other person, but today i needed to be faceless..

I'm going to Gabby and Michelle's orphanage today as it is their last day in Rwanda.. i love these girls and wish we had more time together.. Rob and I will definitely be visiting them in Australia.. I'll be their photographer for the day, hoping to capture the last moments they have in the orphanage..

well that's it for now! just wanted to give a little update on my end.. much love and miss everyone tons xo

Second Monday

Because of the diesel engines, congested roads, and thick, dry dust floating through the air, Kigali has helped me developed a healthy addiction to air pollution. My morning isn’t quite complete without a stiff cup of Rwandan coffee and a haul off an exhaust pipe. I may be gaining some wisdom from my experience, but it’s my lungs that are really aging quickly. And the dust – the red, dry season soil that gives every surface a light coating, also cloaks the rolling hills through the north of Rwanda with a dull haze. Though many of the small roads in the small communities are accessed via red dirt arteries, most of the major thoroughfares are perfectly paved and smooth. It’s a government initiative to outfit even the most remote regions of Rwanda with fiber optic technology that keeps workers armed with pick-axes and shovels in a cloud of dust. The entire road from my district, Nyamirambo, to the hospital in city center, is skirted by the deep crevasses of this project. The motor vehicles have quadrupled in Kigali since 2004. Office towers are unfurling like a fiddle head factory. Corrupt police officers are rewarded with a non-negotiable 5 yr prison term. In this week following “army week” and the 16^th anniversary of Rwanda’s darkest period, the country I see before me, and the country that I’ve read so much about, are like two different beasts. The latter, a true animal of destruction, lumbered into public consciousness carrying out the most efficient and cruel mass killings that this world has ever seen. The former, a being that acknowledges, and forgives, but never forgets. The gacaca courts are just about to wrap up, with the last of the genocidaires being tried, sentenced and ultimately released to live among those whose lives they’ve rendered unrecognizable. Rwanda does this because it has to, because there is no way to function without breaking the cycle of pain. It’s one of the most amazing things that I have ever seen, and could ever fathom. A nation with a Saint’s capacity to forgive. And now they thrive.

So, Ashley, Roger, Roger’s wife, and I employed the services of one Emmanuel the Driver this weekend. We left at 8am Saturday morning, headed to Gisenyi (on Lake Kivu) again, and back to Ruhengeri in the northern province, to sleep at a nice little hotel in Kinigi. On the way we stopped at a banana beer factory that also sells the popular brochette. The beer was a sweet, viscous concoction of 14% alcohol that tasted like old bananas and peanut butter, and left a quiet burn in the pit of your stomach. Ashley and I limited our intake to one, in fear of going blind. Interestingly, the owner employs poorer people from the region, and helps put their children through school. You can see pictures on the wall of him shaking hands with Tony Blair during a ceremony recognizing his contribution to his town. In Kinigi, we met a team of teenaged soccer players in need of a ball pump that evening and hopefully helped them to win their regional championship next weekend. It was really entertaining to talk to the guys, as they’ve clearly been taught a considerable amount of English in school. Enough to make sure that Ashley is not single.

In the AM, once the sun crested the volcanoes, and started to burn off the low lying clouds, teams of interested foreigners were divided to see various groups of mountain gorillas. We were off to see a group called Amaraho, which means peace in Kinyarwandan. This was a group of 17 nestled in the lower slopes of the adjacent mountain. We drove through small agricultural villages, and started to walk when even the most robust of 4x4s dared not pass. About a half kilometer into the jungle trails, we met trackers that found the group from where they were the previous day. We shed our packs, and took our cameras. There’s something strange and still very familiar when you look into the eyes of a wild gorilla…like in a moment they’ll take you by the hand and show you why their way of life is so great. Led by the 200kg silverback, the group plodded through the dense bamboo and eucalyptus stands, and followed for a full hour by 8 humans documenting their daily activities. We all found it incredible. Ashley and I often just exchanged glances, knowing that we were witnessing something amazing.

Following the gorillas, Emmy took us to a Rwandan cultural village – a sort of re-enactment site of a historical Rwandan town. If you’ve ever been to the Citadel, or crap like that, this is not even close. For just 20 dollars, with a personal tour guide, we had the undivided attention of 30 Rwandans giving us a snap shot of their history. The site employed former poachers and hunters, keeping them from having to kill the mountain gorilla to feed their family. Some of the participants were recognizable from tv programs we watched before we came. I became king for the day, Ashley, my queen, and we were treated to exuberant dancers, drummers, blacksmiths, medicine men, warriors, and millers. We gave a hefty tip…and I was not allowed many wives, like the real king.

And at last, we headed home to watch the world cup final in a local watering hole. On the way, we stopped at the same banana beer gathering place for brochettes. Ashley ate a few skewers, but rather suspiciously. Back into the truck, I was talking about tossing ones’ cookies, and Emmy told us that in Rwanda, it’s referred to “calling Higiro”. Like, when you’re about to barf, you make the sound ‘Hig…higg…’. After we found out that the brochettes were made of goat entrails, Ashley found herself getting ready to call ol’ Higgy himself. What a fun weekend. Oh, and Roger’s wife is named Uhlee (oo – lee).

end o' week one

Happy Friday from Rwanda! Rob and I are chillin’ out at his place getting ready to go gorilla trekking tomorrow morning. This week has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster to say the least as I sit here reflecting over a nice cold Mutzig. I have been working with the older boys in the orphanage a lot, which I really enjoy. They are opening up to me and telling me how difficult it is for them to find funding for school. I spoke a long time with a lad named Joseph who is 19 years old and will be done school in a couple of years. He wants to study accounting but doesn’t know how he will find the funds for university. This is a common problem among the kids at my orphanage and this is what I have decided to dedicate my time to researching while I’m here. Joseph also asked me how I was planning on presenting the children from the orphanage as I show pictures when I go back home. I explained that I would only present them in the most respectful manner possible and that if there was someone that did not want me to tell their story then of course I would not. I also explained to him that the only way that I can increase awareness of their situation was bringing these pictures home and telling people their stories. I have some ideas for fundraising and have set up interviews with the boys and girls next week about their living situation, and their aspirations for the future. Anyway, enough about me! I’ll pass the computer over to Rob now. Oh, and the picture shows the fascination most of the kids here (and adults, incidentally) have with my hair…it’s so endearing and sweet, even if some of my evening is spent combing boogers out after the kindergarten ages.

I’d love the chance to introduce Roger and his wife, though I still haven’t been able to figure out his wife’s name. I’ve been here a week, and talk to her everyday…actually, she’s like my surrogate mom (love you mom) in that she makes me breakfast and supper and makes it her mission to get permanent hot water services for the apartment, and I know it’s terrible I don’t know what to call her other than ‘Roger’s wife’, but I just can’t pronounce it. He met her in Korea in the early 70’s, she maintained a strong Korean accent, and her name is something like ‘Uli’ or ‘Karen’. Anyway, I’ll get Ashley to ask Roger, because it’s way past the reasonable time that I can ask. So that’s the big happy family in the pic. Ashley, Roger, me, and Roger’s wife.

In the ORs again, we have a pic of Dr. Bosco (all first names here), me, Jean Marcel (nurse anesthetist), Claude (2^nd year res), and Christian (2^nd year). You may not be able to appreciate, but some of the guys have Canadian themed OR hats now. Because that’s awesome. The daily activities are a bit chaotic as far as I can tell. Surgeries don’t tend to get started until 9am, though we’re at the hospital for 7. I’ve been spending a lot of time reviewing anesthetic plans with the guys, pathophysiology, and some technique. I haven’t got much of a barometer with which to measure these residents’ progress, but talking with some of the surgeons here, there has been a marked improvement since the Canadian Anesthesia Society got involved. Happy to have a little role to play.

We’re off to plan the rest of the monkey walk, see if there’s hot water, maybe watch a movie and say good night to Roger and Roger’s wife. Night!

we enjoy a good mutzig

It's amazing to me to think about where we've come from, and where we are now, just a week later. I mean, we live a very privileged life, with creature comforts steadily making us soft, plushy, human beings...even here in Rwanda, we still have much more than the status quo. That said, I still can't seem to get used to cold showers. I did it before, thought I could just jump right back in that polar bear dip...and it's really hot here during the day...should be refreshing, right? I end up spending the rest of the morning wondering if my testicles will drop again, then, by the time the afternoon hits, I'm so sweaty that my scrotum sticks to my kneecaps. Gross, no? Despite some small obstacles, I think we're adjusting nicely. Pictured first, we enjoying one of the many small watering holes, this one located near my residence and Ashley's orphanage. It's great to be able to sit back and relax, to be able to enjoy the permanent sunny days, each others' company, friendly smiles, and so much more. It's also amazing to us that this feeling of serenity and comfort so exactly juxtaposes the reality of poverty, abandonment, pain, and illness. This is making our world a bit bigger.

Ashley here! Although I don't have the whole sticky bag situation that Rob does, sick, I can agree with the cold water bit. Also found a dead cockroach in my room today so decided to start using the mosquito net provided. We also hand washed our first load of clothes today, well make that about 5 loads, and realized how lengthy a process this is. As Rob said above, it's strange to feel

so comfortable and happy when you are surrounded by poverty, hunger and illness. Just walking down the street, as shown in the picture to the left, children hold your hand and follow you down the street. I already have a few at the orphanage that I would love to give a warm home to, especially knowing that the orphanage holds 146 children and supports 96 additional children that it does not have room to accommodate. I am really enjoying getting to know the boys in the orphanage. I promised to teach them English and in return they are teaching me Kinyarwanda, French, dancing and soccer. I brought some soccer balls with me today and we played for about 2 hours straight, my Muzunga skin couldn't handle the sun anymore. The kiddies are also obsessed with my hair! A little boy just held my hand and played with my hair all morning. Even the teachers play with my hair when they are talking to me haha. I suppose I will pass the computer back to Rob at this point, allowing him to explain the picture below...

The ORs are fairly meagerly outfitted, but there appears (at least on first glance today) to be many of the essentials from an anesthetics perspective. Of course there's some medications missing, lack of monitoring, and general administrative aspects that are in short supply, but it's been the patients that I've been most taken aback with. This thin,

young lady came to the hospital complaining of pain in her belly, and had an obvious mass in the left upper aspect of her abdomen. The surgeon guessed it was her spleen and decided that it needed to come out because of the discomfort. Upon opening, we found a tumor that was slightly larger than a grapefruit. Some of the Rwandan residents and I talked about how patients often come to the hospital with very advanced disease processes because they just don't have the resources here to deal with it early.

Fortunately, I think this patient will be fine - we did an advanced pain control procedure that seems like it will catch on with the residents here!

Well we are going to get some rest now after our fantastic meal from Rob's roomies, aka surrogate folks while we are here. We love you all and hope everything is well back home!

Ashley and Rob xo

Rob's here

Ashley's had a fun first day, we got to talk about it all at the 'shake n sip' - we're now regulars there for the veggie burgers and Mutzig beer, while our friendly waitress teaches us kinyarwandan words, and the young punjabe owner hits on Ashley. I got to have a tete a tete with 7 Rwandan residents of varying levels for the morning. I suck at French, and English is their third language, but I think we met somewhere in the middle. It was fun to see the development of Anesthesia in other settings, and especially interesting to learn about each of their lives. Into the OR tomorrow...

As for our adventures, the picture shows a typical farm field in rural Rwanda, many of which are situated on the sides of the endless rolling hills. This was on our way to Lake Kivu, in the west of the country. For this weekend, we've just about secured the expensive trip to see the mountain gorilla, though it's high season. We will couple this trip with, I hope, and look into a great natural set of volcanic caves.

Sorry if some of this didn't make any sense, I'm watching the world cup...

First Week in Rwanda

Muraho from Rwanda!

So sorry Rob and I haven't had much time to blog. Between the internet cutting in and out and spending most of our time outside, blogging has proven rather difficult. we are loving rwanda though! i have never met people that are so nice in my whole life! my accommodations are way better than i had expected minus the huge ass cockroach who likes to hang out in my bathroom.. the other volunteers are amazing.. there is 8 of us living in the house right now and we all are from different places with completely different backgrounds.. rob's accommodations are great too! we are about a 30 minute moto (motorcycle that zips through all the traffic) ride from eachother.. yes, caren i am a huge hypocrite.. i just finished up my first day at the orphanage i am working at.. in the morning i teach the kiddies and after lunch i hang out with the older guys and a little girl that i am already in love with, Maria.. she had one of the boys translate i love you ashley to me haha so adorable! my heart just filled up with love when all the kids sang a welcome song and said welcome ashley for the first time.. i also visited the other volnteer spots.. when i get out of the car i get swarmed by children hugging and jumping all over me.. it's kinda funny cause i just laugh my ass off everytime it happens because i am so overwhelmed with the love that these children have for a complete stranger.. i think that makes them hug me tighter when i laugh haha.. rob started his first day at the hospital today, hopefully he will be able to update everyone tonight.. i was a little initimidated by the older boys at the orphanage at first, possibly because of the language barrier and the little fight that already broke out between a few of them.. i sat down after though and spoke with a couple of the boys who are finished school but are still living at the orphanage since their entire families were killed in the genocide and they cannot afford university.. so even though some of them are 20ish, they have no place to go.. i am going to be helping them put together resumes/CVs so they are able to perhaps find work and maybe start researching colleges for them.. i am also helping the accountant with their software and to generate reports through different programs.. the director is awesome and he was actually put through school through in organization in canada so he is a big fan of anyone from there which makes me feel even more welcomed.. rob and i already have our local watering hole picked out, with beer only being $1.20 and the heat outside we have been spending a lot of time there it seems! we also went to lake kivu this past weekend with one of my friends from the volunteer house, christina.. one thing i am already use to is having MAZUNGA! yelled at us constantly! it means "white person" or "passerby" and the kids especially love to yell this at us.. but it's always followed by a hug so i'm sure it's not a bad thing.. older people don't always say it directly to us but we hear them talking to their friends, rob suggested we learn how to say "we understand what you are saying" in the local language to see what they say haha.. it's so strange being stared at wherever you go but the people are so loving and sweet, they honestly just want to help us and make us feel at home which is exactly what i feel here.. if i ask someone where something is, they will walk with me sometimes up to 10 minutes to help me along my way.. the language barrier has been a tad tricky.. rob's been great at picking up french, i'm a little weaker but i'm thinking i can make a deal with one of the boys at the orphanage, if i help them with their math they can help me with my french.. i also went to the genocide memorial here in kigali on my orientation day with Claire who runs FVA.. i got emotional when we arrived at the room with all of the bones and skulls of the victims as the genociders not only killed but completely mutilated its victims before killing them which the skulls showed.. Claire just put her arm around me and led me through.. really though everything i have experienced here has been so positive and as soon as we left the geneocide memorial i felt an overwhelming happiness again about being here.. i've already made some great friends and i'm getting to spend lots of time with rob, life is good.. anyway, probably none of this makes sense and there's probably tons of spelling errors as i am rushing to go try and book the gorilla trek.. we are safe and happy though and miss everyone very much! we will update you all as much as possible.

lots of love from rwanda
ash x