The spider won the fight

It has been quite an eventful week! I am moved into my house and I love it ! I have pics to share but no means of uploading them at the moment.... hopefully soon. I spent a few days getting set up, after first evicting the man squatting in the back room. An inventory of the house provided me with a mishmash of curtains, a dining room table with chairs and a couch with sofa chairs! I bought some sheets to cover the sofas and started making the most of the curtain situation. There are guard quarters in the back and I pilfered those curtains too; well almost all of them. The first curtain brought a tiny gecko into the house, no worries, he will eat the bugs for me. The second curtains are still hanging in the guard quarters on account of the fact that a very large and agile spider dropped down from them during BOTH my attempts to take them down. Now can I just add here that I have been quite fine with the beetles, grasshoppers, bedbugs and mozzies, even killed a few dust spiders during my initial clean of the house. But I draw the line at dealing with the premeditated, cunning deviant that lives in those curtains. He can keep them!

I have now cooked multiple meals on the floor of my kitchen (mostly of the oatmeal and rice cake variety) AND I did laundry. The pics will give you a better appreciation for what an accomplishment this is. I think I have a night guard lined up. On the recommendation of another expat, Antonas will get a one week trial period. He speaks French which is a bonus and he walked 4 and a half hours to meet me on Friday... and he was on time!! Now that is impressive! I am looking at getting a Kinyarwanda language tutor and possibly a part time domestic. Looking after everyday things here (like market shopping, preparing food, laundry, filtering water, cleaning house) feels like a full time job and I need to turn my attention to my real job at the District Education Office in Kamonyi. The short term plan is to send introductory letters to all the Headteachers, attend the next scheduled meeting and plan some observational school visits. Oh yeah, and locate said schools ;) Here is where it gets fun.

I kind of feel that the hardest part is behind me. The first few weeks were so unsettling and I was so nervous and worried all the time. When I thought of just how far away home was, it completely overwhelmed me. And every day there was some new and crazy situation or encounter to process. So much about living here is way outside of my comfort zone. I am sure I will adjust/adapt to it. 

One of the real highlights this week, besides the house, is that I made a new friend. He is a university student originally from the Congo and he is in a hip hop band. On Thursday, he showed me where the basketball courts were and we went to shoot hoops (with my new basketball) for about an hour ! Of course I schooled him, but I think just the act of playing around, having fun really did wonders to lift my spirits. That, and talking to Leah on the phone later that night; thanks Leah!  

Today, I feel pretty good. This is probably the result of having just spent the weekend in Kibuye with some wonderful friends. More on that next time... that blog involves recounting the tales of the Great Lake Swim, the hauntingly melodic sounds from the church, trying to keep up with the Brits vocabulary, boating in the rain, some delicious meals and captivating views. I hope everyone is well in Canada. Most of you have made an appearance on my Family Wall of Picsin the living room of my new house (from those that I brought with me) and I think of you all often. Happy Birthday Jasper and Mike! XOXO