Thursday, June 24, 2010

"Why is it the first time [since 1932] that USA is at this stage? They have much money. It is because they use their money fighting other countries?" - a colleague on the World Cup


This is a blog of my daily interactions, or what I like to call “bite se Penny we.” This is not pronounced “bite Penny” but rather “beetah say Penny way”. Italics indicate phrases translated from Kinyarwanda to English.

Scenario One:
Child to other children: Look the white person is coming.
Child: Good-a morning.
Me: Good afternoon.
Child: fine thank you teacher.
Me: um…
Child: when will you come visit us?
Me: where do you live?
Child: up there on the hill.
Me: (scanning the hill with dozens of houses). Oh. I will come.

Scenario Two:
Student and Jehovah’s Witness: Ah sister. How are you?
Me: I am fine. How are you?
Student: No matter, no matter. When are you coming to visit us?
Me: Where?
Student: There at the kingdom of Jehovah’s Witness.
Me: I am not coming.
Student: so maybe you will come?
Me: No. I am never coming. I am Catholic.
Student: So you will try.
Me: No. I cannot. Ok see you!
Student: Ok see you Tuesday at the meeting [of Jehovah’s Witness].

Scenario Three:
(Colleagues laughing and saying something about Amanda. They are either talking about me or bread but nine times out of ten it is me.)
Me: What?
Male colleague #1: They are saying that you cannot be late or your fiancé will find other girls.
Me: Yes, that is possible.
Male colleague #2: That is why you must have others in Rwanda like me or Gerald.
Me: ha ha (awkward… so I open my locker and expose the picture of my fiancé to the staff room)
Male colleague #3: This is your fiancé? Ah how he is big.
Male colleague #4: It’s psychology. Small girls like big men.
Female colleague: So you will have medium children.

Scenario Four:
Child: Something small for my wrist? *
Me: What did I say?... I said NO.
Child: Something small to wear?
Me: You’re not going to greet me?
Child: good-a morning.
Me: good morning.
Child: fine thank you teacher.

* think carefully before giving a Rwandan child a friendship bracelet

Scenario Five:
Rwandan boy/man: Good morning teacher. How are the news?
Me: The news are fine.
Rwandan: I have a question.
Me: Yes?
Rwandan: My English is very poor. How can one find English books*
Me: I do not know.
Rwandan: but what advices can you give me to find those things?
Me: Go to Kigali.**
Rwandan: ah but it is very expensive. One must first find money to go to Kigali.
Me: Sorry. It is not my job to help you find this. My job is to teach…

*can be replaced with learn English, school fees, scholarship, pen pals, computers or a plane ticket to America.
** listen to the radio, go on the school’s wireless internet, etc.

Scenario Six:
Rwandan woman: Look at the white person.
Rwandan woman #2: I see her.
Rwandan woman #1: She is wearing…
(Women stare)
Me: Good morning.
Rwandan woman #1: Yes.
Rwandan woman #2: eeEEEeeeh.
Rwandan woman #3: Eh! She knows Kinyarwanda!

Scenario Seven: (not daily but bi-weekly)
Construction worker at market: Hey look, it’s my girlfriend!
(Men laughing)
Me: Hello! What’s up.
(Men cheering)

Scenario Eight:
Old woman: (takes me hand) Muraho umukobwa. Hello girl.
Me: Muraho neza. A nice hello to you.
Old woman: Jesus save you.*
Me: Yes, thank you.**
Old woman: How is the news, how is the news?
Me: It is good.
Old woman: Are you strong?
Me: Yes, thank you.
Old woman: Strength strength.
Me: yes.
Old woman: May you have many husbands.
Me: I will accept them.
Old woman: (still holding my hand) May god save you.***
Me: Yes. ** Have a nice day.

* This is an approximation of some greeting about God.
**This is a culturally unacceptable response but I do not know the correct one.
*** Again, some approximation of a blessing

Scenario Nine
(Opening my locker, again my colleagues notice the picture)
Colleague: Amanda I think this is your cousin?
Me: No it is my fiancé.
Colleague: Ah! You must buy a strong bed!
Me: (too flustered to comment)
Colleague: And you are saying you only want two children? I am telling you you must have MANY children.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Penina, Kowabuze?


 This morning, while I was cleaning, I picked up some old letters lying around my house. Though all my letters are treasures, one distinct closing line turned my whole morning around. It contained the phrase, “ the possible is always better than the actual”, which was like receiving a slap in the face and $100 at the same time. I found this phrase liberating this time around, this particular morning, hung-over on sad thoughts and ready to shelve them for a while.

I think this phrase is very relevant for PCVs who may be suffocating in their ambition to do good while missing their homeland. For me, it is a reminder to be present and to be realistic. My daydreams of my past, others’ presents and our futures are not constructive but destructive. They are addicting, like staying inside and hiding from what I am afraid of. Today is my “dry season cleaning”, another Saturday at site that I will just love. This Saturday brings the market, laundry, sun, Tressa and time to observe my community and myself. Saturday is my favorite day of the week as it seems to shield me from the abrasive staring and instead bring me peace. I’ve let the dishes, stacks of letters and cobwebs accumulate: it’s time to take care of them.

(The dry season has replaced the wet season and sorghum has replaced all the corn)


At our recent In-Service Training (IST) in Gisenyi, my headmaster told me I was “umukobwa mwiza”, an endearing term meaning “good girl.” Along with this, he told me how every single headmaster that attended the training was happy with their PCVs. This was very reaffirming for all of us who struggle with lack of feedback and feelings of inadequacy. IST was the most fun I have had in a long time. During this week with my American colleagues, I found that freedom I have been craving at site. If I wasn’t laughing with other PCVs, my mind was brewing new ideas to take back to site. All the volunteers were able to share horror stories, common complaints, common struggles and teaching feats. We had trainings in teaching techniques, language lessons and presentations from outsiders including an incredible morning with the foundation Project Wet. A big topic of discussion was our secondary projects. Every Peace Corps volunteer is expected to initiate a sustainable secondary project apart from his or her primary responsibility. I have not settled on one yet but I have some ideas. That aside, these are some of the projects I will start/have started at site:
-       Weekly office hours
-       A “pamphlet project” where I use students in the English Club and the Anti-Aids/HIV club to make educational pamphlets in English and Kinyarwanda to pass out to villagers at the Saturday market. I would like to thank my Uncle Dave for sending me the paper to do this!
-       Using Appropriate Projects (check them out! INCREDIBLE RESOURCE!) I plan to install hand-washing stations at my school and the primary school.
-       Commit to teaching the Primary School teachers
-       A new Books For Africa shipment is also in the works















The last thing I want to share about IST and my Rwandan life is this: PCVs are the finest people in the world. I have been surrounded by outstanding people in my life but never have I been with a group of such kind, good-intentioned people. Their hearts are so big that I admire and adore everyone single one of them and adore beyond words. If you’ve caught my smiling recently, it was probably because I am so in love with my colleagues. Or because it’s 6:30 pm and children are screaming “Good-a morning teacher!”

1. My Rwandan boyfriend! just kidding I'm not a shuga mami.

2. My students marching through town during our school's Genocide Commemoration Week

3. This was the trench for installing a fiber optic cable to provide my village with wireless. Maybe next they can give the villagers electricity and running water. 
 
4. My students at our commemoration ceremony.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

"He was going to hang his clothes to dry but he was short man." - Student

This is not a serious post. For heavier reading, see earlier posts. This is in fact a list of similarities between the lives of the infamous Robert Pattinson and me, a Peace Corps Rwanda volunteer.

Rob Patz and Penny We
1. We are known for and recognized by our pale skin.
2. We cannot go anywhere without being met by staring, pointing and sometimes shrieking. 3. This forces us to stay inside for hours at a time.
4. We are constantly approached by people we do not know.
5. We have problems with the opposite sex. Rob constantly has women asking him to bite them whereas I constantly have men asking for private English lessons.
6. Neither hats nor sunglasses do the trick: can’t disguise these faces.
7. Our careers are acting.
8. We have a new understanding of “freedom” since our entry into stardom/Peace Corps.

*If you are interested in seeing my facebook albums of Rwanda pictures, email me.