Swine Flu?
on Blog From Beyond (Rwanda), 14/Oct/2009 09:03, 34 days ago
Nice. Rwanda confirms its first six cases of Swine Flu (apparently originating from a family recently returned from the US) and I have a cold. Viciously sore throat, achy joints, hot flushes and snot. But it's just a head cold, I'm sure. Nothing Beechams won't cure - and is curing.Was hoping to stave off illness until I got back, but it always hits when you have so much to do.I've been really touched by people who read this blog and have contacted me with sympathy and understanding about the whole moving malarkey. One friend from uni who has just moved to the Arab Emirates and one to New Zealand. Nice to know people are reading and that some of my experiences resonate.Got so much to do and feel too yuck to do them.Ten days to go and still no flight confirmation. VSO ask for flight booking two months in advance so they can get the cheapest flights, then leave it until two weeks before to put in the flight request!So, the provisional flight details are: 24th October, 7:45 pm; Kigali - Brussels - Gatwick. Arriving UK 7am 25th October.I'm bummed it's Brussels as their entertainment system totally sucks. There was a Kenya flight but more expensive so I didn't get it. Kenya is much nicer than Brussels, except for Nairobi Airport. Oh well, either way gets me from here to there.Would desperately like to know my luggage allowance as I've started packing already. Just bits and pieces. Not taking any major presents home this time as I did that when I visited in august. Just coffee, tea and waragi - personal supply :oIGot to changeTabarabanks. EcoBank has queues out the door every time I go and charges a FRW 1,000 monthly fee. Sod that. Fina Bank NGO Accounts are totally free and the service is much better.Going to meet up with Jasmine and see the shop. Excited about that. Bringing D. on board as a replacement treasurer for me.AfID -Accounting for International Developmentare sending us an extremely experienced chartered accountant volunteer after Christmas to help sort out our books and train in financial management. Most excellent :)The Fina Bank/Co-OperativeBank funds issueis over to Co-Op Foreign Investigation Team at the moment. It appears to have nothing to do with Fina Bank or the account number error - seems SWIFT just decided to send the money somewhere completely different to Fina Bank's correspondence bank. As we were only asked to provide the final destination account details we couldn't possibly be responsible for the money disappearing in Europe - we didn't even know it went through Europe. Good argument for SWIFT taking some responsibility for reclaiming the funds.Meanwhile, I've briefed Moses, the new Deaf Association Project Coordinator on everything I think he needs to know to keep the place ticking over. They should get a new volunteer in January so he'll be prepped and ready to help her settle in.Had my end of placement review yesterday with Amanda, Emillienne and all theRNADstaff. Went really well and huge praise from colleagues. Was a good meeting and they have come a long way.Then Amanda and I dashed down to Kanombe Airport to wave off Lies and Kassime. Had a huge group-hug and I know holy Jah will be with them. Rastafari.Was very emotional.I've also just sold my spare bed and need to find a spanner to take it apart.Having massive water issues. The mystery that is Rwanda: it rains heavily every day since Thursday and I have no water. Go figure.In addition, some work men came and messed around with the drains outside my gate for two days - piles of mud everywhere. When they finished, my bathroom sink was completely blocked. I tried plunging it but no joy. Then I notice the mud was moving -loadsof little leaches in my sink! Swimming about and crawling along the side. Breeding.Lovely.So I'm back to paying for water deliveries for my last couple of weeks. Toilets stink again. Guard never shows up.D.'s been brilliant - found the guard, got him to do my washing (almost ran out of clothes) and is tracking down a spanner for me. He's a good guy. He's starting up a coffee/poetry/music night at the restaurant at the studio. Good stuff.Essentially the leaving mayhem has begun. I'll assume I don't have pig flu and continue to go about my daily business.Ten days.Crap.Disclaimer: all views written on this blog are my own and are not necessarily representative of VSO.