Master...Motos...and...
on Sarah's Blog (Rwanda), 19/Oct/2009 09:17, 34 days ago
Sunday 18th October 2009Yet again we were woken by the builders this morning...so we got up and tried to make breakfast...we decided that a Rwandan style‘cooked breakfast’ was in order...but we didn’t have any of the traditional ingredients and the left over burgers from last nights dinner did not look quite as nice in the cold light of day...we decided to mash everything up in the pan and make a kind of bean omelette...but we didn’t use enough egg and it was...well I am not sure what it was...but when I get round to putting the photos on my laptop...you will see...needless to say it tasted far better than it looked...but that was not really very hard at all!!...The weather was grey and wet for the entire morning...not dissimilar to awet day in the UK...so we played yet more cards...when it had brightened up a little...Melanie ordered and moto to get back to Butare and I spent the rest of the day hanging around the house...Saturday 17th October 2009I was hoping for a nice lie in this morning...but yet again I was most disappointed...this time though, not because of the builders...but because I woke up at 5am suddenly remembering that I had not put the beans in water to soak...so up I got and started preparing the beans...it didn’t take long and I was able to get back to sleep...but the builders arrived at 7am sharp and started hammering and scraping and generally making as much noise as was possible...I stayed in bed as long as possible...well until I got a message from Melanie saying that she was in Butare...and then itwas a race against time...I not only had to get up but I still had to shower...and in such cold water...it takes time! I was ready just as she arrived...we did pretty much the same as always...chatted, gossiped...and she had brought me some lovely candlesticks for passing my masters...they are really beautiful!!! We put the beans on to cook and decided to have a Mexican theme to our meal...Guacamole (homemade!) and homemade spicy bean burgers...the cooking took us most of the afternoon...and the meal was surprisingly nice for an experiment without any recipes!! The burgers were a little dryand black around the edges (just how I like them...well done not dry!) and they certainly lived up to their name...SPICY!!! But we know where we went wrong...we played cards by candle light...I am really no better at cards here than I am in the UK...but it was something to do!!!Friday 16th October 2009This morning myself and Ruairi headed for Butare on the bus...I was off to finally get my green card which I have heard can be quite a difficult and time consuming process...We started at the Rwanda Revenue Authority...to pay 5000rf for the Green Card...only to be told that they do not take money in the office but that have a bank account with the Ecobank...so off we went...and waited in the queue to pay my money...I was soon finding myself getting a little cross...do people not know how to queue...I was pushed in front of once...and I was not going to let it happen again!!! Anyway...the money was deposited and I had the receipt which then had to go back to the Rwanda Revenue Authority...so that they can then write me another receipt to take to the person who deals with immigration in the Butare district office...so that was our next stop...and it was surprisingly pain free experience...even if it had taken 3 attempts to work out that the only time I can apply for a green card in between 7am and 10am on a Friday morning...and I am not sure that I am happy with being classed as an‘alien’ as I am from another country...but all that aside...I am now the proud owner of a Green Card! I hung around in Butare for a while...did a little bit of shopping and Ruairi got the bus to Kigali for the weekend...this was my perfect chance to try out a moto home on my own...which I did...and I made it back in one piece...and although I don’t mind the flat...it is the hills which I have the real problems with...I really don’t like it, but at least I can say that I have done it! Back at the house, I debated going back to the office...but the heavens opened and the rain lasted formost of the afternoon...by which point there was no point it going in...and I stayed at home...Thursday 15th October 2009This morning I walked nervously to the education office...on arrival we were met by Alexis who was waiting for the bus as he was going to be spending the day in meetings in Butare...this meant that we would be in the office on our own...I managed to wait it out until 9.30am (my time) before I walked over to the district office where I would be able to use the internet to get the result for my dissertation, which will determine whether I pass or fail the whole course...and 2 years of hard work were in the balance...but on the way to the office I managed to talk myself into believing that I had done as well I could have done (given the circumstances of moving house and then leaving the country!) and whatever happened...I should be pleased...(as if that was really going to work!!!) Anyway...in the office I sent the email requesting my results and then obsessively checked my emails every 10 seconds for the next half an hour...and then the internet cut out!!!! WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO!!!??? Thankfully it was only a temporary problem and I was back online within about 20 minutes...the waiting was awful...but in the end I got my reply...and...I PASSED!!!!! Although I think I was relieved...it was a complete anticlimax...I think mainly due to the fact that I am not with any of the people who had to put up with me while I was writing my essays and ultimately writing my dissertation...after writing a few emails I headed back to the house for lunch...I told Ruairi I had passed and spoke very quickly to my mum and dad which was nice...then it was back to the office for the afternoon...