- Looooong dinners at home by candlelight made with lots of garlic, and the freshest vegetables I've ever tasted. I enjoy cooking here... who knew?
- The newspaper here. SO entertaining. Someone wrote a letter to the editor the other day about spitting and how it should be stopped. The title: "When Will It Ever End?". Also, some foreigner wrote in about how he was charged the "white price" at a hair salon and was completely outraged. Jokes around the house lately concern the hard-done-by muzungus and their human rights violations.
- There's this flower that only blooms at night, and lately they've been coming out a lot. When you are walking in the dark here, all you can smell is this beautiful, intoxicating scent in the air.
- Today I visited this amazing Canadian woman who moved to Rwanda and started up her own NGO for women affected by the genocide. She showed up here 2 years ago with 2 suitcases and $5000, and has built up this incredible centre for women to get food, learn employment skills, make crafts to sell and cultivate a garden while providing day care or school for their children. The vision, determination and passion she has completely floored me. She is doing amazing things here, and is completely funded by people donating from Canada.
- The children. Oh my goodness, the children.
- I have eaten fries on a near-daily basis and drank more beer than ever before in my life, but I have lost weight. Tapeworm? Maybe, but I'm not complaining.
- Playing igisoro (an African board game) with all the people who stop by the house. The caretaker/housekeeper: "You have too many visitors!"
- When I was in the shower last night, we lost electricity. Sure it made figuring out how much shampoo I was using difficult, but then I looked out the window and saw the huge sky full of stars. The night sky here is amazing.
And now for some shout-outs:
Em: GP Whalen says he wants to marry you. Keep raging, it's what I like best about you. Randomly, the other day I was remembering our super fun weekend in Rochester this summer! How great was that? Mainly because this was your dad, every 5 minutes: "Naomi, would you like a gin and tonic?". Also because of the glitzy movie premiere. And lying by the pool.
Katz: I wrote you a long and boring email today, so bonus for you! Please, tell me more about the birthing process. I am absolutely dying to know. Also. I'd get angry at you for hitchhiking with rando South American truck drivers, except that if I survived it with old Quebecois tourists when we were hanging with Bruce and George, I really don't see how it could be that dangerous. Congrats on the article you're finally getting published! Gerry must be proud.
The RC: Yay! You are my hero for sending a frickin encyclopedia of pics of Boo Weekly & the gang. How cute is he? How much do I miss my puppies? How are you so great for doing that? Also, I completely agree with your sentiments regarding doves. But if they must be the symbol of peace, this one creepy crow that watches me when I sleep here should be the symbol of All Things Hideous and Evil.... *shiver* Today he taunted me when I was making toast.
Stahl: Thought you'd be a fan of the monkey business. I had to keep up with some kind of mooskul-building activity, as there are no hot yoga studios or climbing gyms here! Weird, huh? I will do my best to scout out some wicked crags for you, should you ever be in the neighbourhood. Catch ya on msn soon.
DaveG: You're back! Forgive my naivete about the whole sand getting in your mac thing. Wait, that sounds kinda gross.... anyway! Point being. You're back! Write me soon, my love, and try not to miss me so much it hurts.
5 comments:
YES! I got my shout out! Mission accomplished. I already turned down GP Whelan's marriage proposal... not romantic enough. "Wanna mate." Then I threw up in my mouth a little bit.
Anyways, that weekend when you came to visit was quite great we'll have to do a repeat sometime! The G&Ts were plentiful and quite strong. For a laugh--> see the one "note" that mari posted on facebook. In it she says that my dad's drinks make even lucille bluth wince. haha. thought you'd appreciate. the rest of the note is humorous too.
After every blog entry I read as I sit here in my office staring at the computer screen I seethe with jealousy for a few minutes. you're so lucky to be doing what you're doing. it sounds absolutely amazing. beer and french fries + losing weight!!!! delicious dinners by candlelight. gorgeous night skies.
well i can see another building from my office window and it went up to 4 degrees celsius yesterday, so ha. on the plus side, i am heading to boston for st. paddy's day.
enjoy your last 5 weeks! where are you headed after? did you and rita figure anything out? miss you!
emily
You are most welcome my dear. I'm glad you like the photos and videos. I wish you could be here to experience it first hand thought. It's pretty cool (although I still have a bruise where that crazy kid ran into me). I tried my best to bring the experience to Africa for you, so hope it helped!
It's not crazy that you are missing Rwanda already. From what I've seen and heard, it's a pretty incredible place. I actually had the pleasure of having lunch with Francis and Bernadette K (sp?) on the weekend. Pretty amazing people! I was telling them that you and the family have taught me so much about a country that I probably never would have even thought about otherwise. I hope you are not forgetting how proud I am of what you are doing (remember my pail-inducing message before you left... just a small re-cap). I know you are having a great time and doing a lot of fun things while you're there, but keep in mind that you are also helping a country that is on the verge of something great. Travelling the world is one thing, but helping along the way is truly impressive. Ok, ok... I'm sure everyone is sick of reading this so I'll stop. ;)
I'll be sure to update the website with any new material I get. Keep me updated on what's next (through here or email or on F.B. or whatever is better for you). Also, remind me to show how to make ninja throwing stars out of toast. It would have come in handy for you. Love ya & miss ya. The R.C.
~ Today's Deep Thought (a tad obscure) ~
I think a good novel would be where a bunch of men on a ship are looking for a whale. They look and look, but you know what? They never find him. And you know why they never find him? It doesn't say. The book leaves it up to you, the reader, to decide. Then, at the very end, there's a page you can lick and it tastes like Kool-Aid.
Dear Nomes
Tried to send you an e-mail with Boo pictures, but got an undeliverable message saying your mailbox was full. Que pasa? If you empty it out, I will send the photos!
Love,
Nem
How can I help but not miss you so hard it hurts. I was thinking today of all that time spent apart in the last few years. Good heavens whatever was i thinking. We only come across friends, and ppl, who are as amazing as you are, once in a very long while. My bad. Forgive? ok good.
So five weeks?! wow. i so understand that anticipation missing. It doesnt get better, but it does have one good outcome. it makes you cherish every moment and person even more. live in the moment and love with all that you have, especially the children.
back to school and the grind.
All my love (even when it hurts)
hey lude
i have about five more weeks too. crazy how one minute you feel like a day takes forever then it all flies by. so you need to inform all of us of your plans afterwards!! the naomi fan club needs to know :) also you should inform them how you are moving to vancouver to be with me forever!
katz
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