Rains Down in Africa

Durban, South Africa - a place to dream about?

I so am enjoying these relaxing weekends where I lay around, read a bit, write a bit, and chat with The Man and my family and friends. There really is nothing like a weekend where you can sleep in, lounge about, nap a bit, watch a little bit of the BBC, and nap some more, to make you feel more charged to the upcoming week.

Sadly, we were supposed to go to Musanze this weekend with a hotel near school, however last minute they had to postpone the trip until next week, if at all. I was so looking forward to getting out and seeing what there is to see in this tropical area. But alas, the Universe has other plans for me in that regard, I guess. I was going to try to book a quick day trip to Akagera National Park (which is essentially Rwanda's side of the Serengeti), but it was just too jumbled up and last minute. So I will begin my plans today, methinks. It's time to go out and see this brave new world.

But for now, I will write, and read, and write some more. And maybe nap later.



My friend Kiran had a farewell dinner on Thursday. We met her in a busy area near the town, and she escorted us down the hill and into some dirt-lined back roads. This was her special spot, she told us. We came upon an outdoor bar-like joint that was painted from top to bottom in bold blues and Primus signs, and entered the space. Naturally, the local folks stopped what they were doing to stare at the particularly pale Mzungu (that's me), before they continued going about their daily business. We sat down and wrestled with English to some servers for some drinks. Kiran's other friends trickled in, but unfortunately, I was not in any mood to socialize that night. I had something like a migraine, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to cry, vomit, pass out, or sleep. Probably all of the above, but not in that particular order....anyways. I had resolved to leave early so I could get some rest, but I wanted to wait around for this prized meal Kiran had praised so highly. That meant, of course, I'd wait for about 1.5 hours. I wasn't sure if I would make it, but some of her friends were encouraging and kept taking my mind off of my mind. I beseached one of her Rwandan buddies there to show me his country so I could fall in love with it.

And then, the food came out. It was a huge whole tilapia the size of my forearm, completely baked and browned with onions and potatoes surrounding it. Of course you eat with your hands, and we dug into the soft, tender meat of the fish. It was amazing! The fish wasn't fishy, and it was cooked so nicely that it fell in your mouth. And the potatoes weren't bad either. We had to clean the meat off of the bones and remove the skeleton, which was a fun experience. Apparently this is a popular dish here in Rwanda. But I know what you're thinking: isn't Rwandan landlocked? How on Earth did fish like tilapia get there? Well, this is me shrugging. Maybe they got it from Burundi, or Kenya, or Tanzania. Or maybe a nearby fishery. All I know is that it was mighty tasty. And after I had enough food, I ran out and threw myself into my bed.

Friday night I went to town alone to buy a mosquito net. The plug-in I've been using to kill bugs has proven useless, so I have had to resort to sleeping again under the tight netting. Ah well, it was worth a try. So I visited one of my students at her jobs for a few minutes, and hustled around for a nice bednet to hoist above my bed. I went back outside and hailed a motobike.

"Kagugu?" I live in this area, remember?

"Yay-go" means yes.

*800?" Francs. About $1.30.

"Yay-go"

And off I went Friday night on a moto back home.  Now, to be fair, there are a number of ways to get anywhere from anywhere in Kigali. It's a giant circle, after all. However, at night, you would assume these rickety motobikes would opt for the smoothest, popular, extremely well-lit roads to get somewhere. But this moto driver had other plans. He veered off on another dirt path that was not lit at all. "Kagugu! Kagugu!" I shouted. Yeah yeah, he signaled, as the road got darker and more pocked with holes. I clutched onto my bednet and seat, wondering if this was really a road home. Was I going to be a horror movie victim? I know that the area I was riding through was one of the areas that was particularly hit by the genocide, so I prayed that my psychic instincts wouldn't kick in at any moment. I kept hounding my moto driver, and he finally slowed down to ask people on the road about Kagugu. Fortunately, down the road I could see a church I have jogged by a few times on the road back home, and so I cheerfully pointed in that direction. I got home, threw him some money, and saught refuge indoors.

It seems that the African rain I've been told so much about is finally here, or at least coming. The last few days it has rained pretty consistently for about 2 or 3 hours. Everyone complains about the rain and how you can't do anything when the rain starts, but I am not minding it for now. It's giving me a reason to lounge about in my pajamas and do whatever writing I want to do. And the sounds of rain is rather soothing. Oh, and the temperature has dropped to a lovely, baly weather. And you know what else is awesome about this rain right now? Water pressure! The more water, the better the pressure is in the shower! AWESOME! It's the simple things in life, really...

When the rain stopped and dried up a bit, my rommates and I drove off to the marekt to buy some produce. Let me just tell you, if you are a white person and you ever have desired the feeling to know what it's like to be famous, I have a tip: travel to random parts of Africa. People crowd you and say, "Hello! Hello! Can I help?" People keep touching you and grabbing your arms, much to your chagrin. And all of the venders want your business. So we jostled about and bargained for good prizes on veggies and fruits, and came out with good food for cheap, and a lot of potential lackies in the market.

Oh! Did I mention that some of my students even touch me when I walk by their desks? When I have chatted to my students a few times near them, all of a sudden one will reach out and either poke my arm or touch my hand. It's like they don't know what skin feels like! I'll usually look at them strangely and poke them back. Often, this makes them blush and giggle. I'm hoping they'er recognizing how silly it is for them to behave that way, even if I am something of a novelty to them.

And one last thing. So a few months ago or so I had a strange dream where I knew I was somewhere in Africa on the coast (I assumed South Africa). It was a clean port city with tall buildings and a few temples that looked like the Taj Mahal (I'm still not sure I understand that part of the dream). I was in the water, and I seemed to be floating away from the city and over to Antarctica. This upset me, and I paddled frantically back towards the city. I had no idea what this dream was about. And I didn't even think such a city ever existed. But yesterday as it rained I watched BBC World, and a man was voyaging through southern Africa to learn more about the cultures here. And lo! I see before my eyes a port city JUST LIKE the place in my dreams a while back! It's called Durban, South Africa. Any interpretations about the dream? I hear Durban is very industrial, but now I'm curicous about why I dreamed about before...