That's so Rwanda Part 2
on Anna's Suitcase (Rwanda), 25/Mar/2010 11:54, 34 days ago
There are a lot of qualities that VSO looks for when they are selecting volunteers for abroad. Flexibility...(What do mean the meeting is cancelled???). Patience. (No, no, I understand that there is no one here to accept my electricity bill. I can wait). Tolerance. (Personal space? What personal space?) No fear. (No, I know the speedometer is broken but I'm pretty sure that noise was the mini bus breaking through the sound barrier). It is also necessary to have the ability to communicate with people when there are language barriers. I give you exhibit A and B.Exhibit A.I recently bought for Johnny Boy a "slasher" which is the totally unscientific name for the hand held, blade which is swung like a golf club to cut grass. And I don't just mean whacking a few weeds. I mean full football (CFL, NFL and soccer) fields....BY HAND! But my grass was getting out of control and Nairobi fly is nesting there so I though, okay, let's try this. I also need shears as the hedge is out of control but this will have to wait. When I gave it to him I demonstrated saying "Imbere" (meaning, front of the house) and said (I thought, clearly) "Mujitondo, oya" (morning, no) "Ijoro, yego" (night, yes). Meaning....please don't do this at 5:30 in the morning as the grass is outside my window. Except at 5:30 the next morning he's in the back of the house with a hoe (not the slasher) digging up some weeds in part of the compound that I don't use. Okay, strike one for Anna's ability to communicate. No problem. I kindly explained again and I understood that he would "mow the lawn" during the day in the front. Okay. Good. We're on the same page. And then....as I'm on my way out the door he finds me and says, "Anna. Problem." (And I always wonder what this would lead to....someone breaking in, electrical fire, you know...that sort of thing). I give myself a big sigh and remember - patience - and walk outside. Jean has already cut the grass but next to the out of control hedge has his swiss army knife with the nail scissors out. He take the scissors (nail scissors the size of a quarter) and looks at me. "Anna. Problem." (Tranlation: Anna, I can't trim the hedge with nail clippers.) Sigh. Exhibit BConsolee, who by the way is distraught with the fact that I'm going for a few weeks, was in her shop yesterday and I went into to buy air time. A couple hundred Francs should do it. So I walk in and ask "Ndashaka airtime" (Common for people to combine Kinyarwanda with a little English - or French). So came to me and quietly said "Do you want a bag?" At which point I wonderA bag? For a card? "No....I reply. It's okay..." And she looks at me strange and walk over, points to the maxi-pads with the brand name "Everytime" and says "Are you sure you don't want a bag?" I start laughing and say "No! Consolee! Not "Everytime", I want "Air time!" She started to laugh so hard that tears rolleddown her cheeks as she explained to me that what I should have asked for was "une carte". Okay...next time......Johnny Boy's new hedge trimmers