Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Balancing Act


I realize that I’ve been very bad about updating this blog. Which, in my defense, I knew I would be before I even started. As I pass the 10-month mark of my service I’ve finally become comfortable with work and life in the village. Of course, in terms of blogging this means I feel like I never have anything interesting to write about, and sometimes it takes talking to someone outside of Rwanda to remind myself that yes…my life is still weird.

The local watering hole.

I had finally made a new friend at work. He was about my age and spoke a little bit of English and we hit it off well. He would come to visit before we started work in the various services and we would chitchat about various things going on in the Health Center. One day my roommate had to leave for an all day meeting at the District Office, so I decided to invite my new friend over for lunch. I was debating what to make, boiled bananas or rice and beans? I went up to ask him, and we were having a nice conversation, when all of a sudden the police showed up, cuffed him, dragged him out of the Health Center, and threw him in the back of the cop car. Apparently he had fake credentials as a nurse and is now in prison. Even more alarming is that this is a nation wide problem (estimates say 10% are working with fake credentials!!) and the government chose that day for their purge. I still never found out if he was coming to dinner.

*   *   *

In an attempt to get away from the Health Center every so often, I have begun an English club at the local High School. The first activity we’ve been doing is a weekly debate, and it’s been going very well! The students decide on a debate topic early in the week and then various classes are assigned to argue the opposing sides. Throughout the week I stop in to make sure everything is going well, and then Friday evening is the big event! I say that because it actually is the big event in the village with various local celebrities attending, including the Health Center muzungu. Because I’m a celebrity. The most exciting thing about the debates is the crazy topics they pick (Marriage: all about love or money? For example) and some of the crazy answers that come up. I’m trying to encourage the teachers to participate in a little bit of the Socratic Method, so that students are forced to defend the things they are arguing, but that’s still a ways to go. With exams coming up the club is going to be on hold for a few weeks, but when we return in April, I’m hoping to add a drama component and maybe even put on a play!

*   *   *

Recently, my High School literature teacher spent a month in Nairobi, but made the trip over to Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas. We agreed to meet up during her trip, and I made the trek into Kigali to see her and her travel companions. We ended up taking a crazy bus ride (record time, but way too scary to handle) back to my village, where I showed them around the Health Center, school, and community. They stayed in a hostel in my market town and I think overall they had a great experience. I enjoyed having a little bit of Wisconsin come to my community, and having them buy me dinner and drinks didn’t hurt either! Also, when you’re High School literature teacher ask what she can bring you to make your experience in Rwanda better, I gave the only answer that makes sense: red wine.

Of course, the week after they left I fell ill. Recently, I had been bragging about my seemingly super immune system. Almost a year in and I haven’t been sick even once! Obviously, everything that was avoiding me decided to hit me all at once. I had a nasty head cold with a fever which turned into the worst diarrhea of my life followed a nasty juicy cough that has all the villagers convinced I’m a TB patient. Literally, I’ve heard the word tuberculosis whispered as I walk past. I think I’m better now. I’ve taken about every drug concoction my little med kit allows but I still can’t hear out of either ear.

*   *   *

In every other aspect, life is normalizing. I have my favorite shops, my favorite people at work, the paths I walk to decompress, and my favorite TV shows. In many ways, it’s like life back home, except in four different languages. And with hills.

But as comfortable as life is becoming, there are still the moments that jar you and make you remember you’re not in Kansas anymore. The other day I was sitting in my room when the power went out, which is becoming the norm around 8PM. It was quiet except for the sounds of the crickets outside, when I could hear a screaming. It started softly, and I estimated it to be coming from the Health Center, but then I could hear running and scuffling, and soon the screaming was coming from the road right outside my window. I couldn’t understand every word he was saying, but some things ring very clear: he was screaming that the genocide is starting again.

At the moment I was alone and scared. I’m never sure how serious to take these things. When my roommate finally returned home I was relieved to see him and ask him what was going on. It turns out someone entered the man’s home with a machete and took a chunk out of his head. He ran to the Health Center but soon became delirious and wouldn’t allow any Hutu to touch him. According to my roommate, he ran off down the road still bleeding heavily. The moment scared me for a number of reasons, but the biggest one was the realization that no matter how ‘integrated’ I think I am, I’ll still always be in the dark.

I try not to think about things like that too much, and instead focus on the blessings I have here in Peace Corps. I have a great family of PCVs here. We look out for each other and support each other through the tough times. I also live in a country that is jaw droppingly beautiful. Whenever I’m feeling down, a quick walk amongst the Thousand Hills provides me with clarity of mind. Being a volunteer is balancing act in more ways than one, and so far I’ve managed to avoid tipping too far to one end.

Rusumo Falls

5 comments:

  1. So good to read your adventures and misadventures in a place with hills! You are remarkable. Keep in touch. Much love, Katy [Pacelli library. Remember?!]

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  2. My students loved the picture of the watering hole, they want to know why it looks so pink? Thanks for writing, love to read what is happening, even if I've already heard it over the phone! Love you!
    Mom

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  3. Yan,

    Ahhhh the subtle ironies of working in a health setting and being sick. All too familiar. Sorry to hear about your dinner guest--maybe he'll show up as an M.D. next week with any luck hahahah! Also, I'll forever be jealous of your countryside amblings and your multilingual wonderland. Also, good symbolism of being culturally 'in the dark,' after your segue on power failure. I see what you did there. ;)

    Saludos,

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  4. Hi Ian:

    Good to hear from you and to hear that you are settling in to your new community. You are amazing and your work is so important. I moved to Chickasaw, Alabama for my first teaching job out of college. I thought that was an adventure but you have me beat by miles of excitement! Take care.

    Joan

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  5. Ian, your best friend Katlyn and I got together over Easter last weekend and the thought of missing you came up more than a couple times. Thanks for blogging again since I've totally failed as a friend in contacting my 29 size waisted friend out in el medio de la nada. I can't believe it's been almost a year since you left but glad to hear there's been no major suturing of your head by a friend with a mouth full of flashlight. How exactly do I go about sending you a box of something? Any requests?

    Erin

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