Living in Rwanda = more patient, smarter, happier

I believe that living here makes you a better person in the end. Why? Because the way things work here requires you to 1) laugh about everything, 2) not expect anything to work in the way they might appear to work, 3) be creative and resourceful, and 4) to practice the art of waiting.

For example, returning to my house requires that I convey a set of instructions to the driver instead of just giving him my address. The guesthouse actually doesn't have an address, so I have to memorize how exactly to get home because sometimes the drivers don't know where I live. So, I live in Kiyovu Rich, on the right-hand fork of the road with the MTN kiosk and large series of potholes. It's past Thousand Island Expeditions, across from the European Union houses, but near the French embassy. That's my address.

Once I get home, I fill the kettle with water from the tap and manage not to get soaked because I know that turning the faucet any more than 3/4 of a turn will result in a sudden increase from a trickle to a major splattering torrent. To make a cup of Rwandan tea (which is superb), I begin a quiet bonding session with the kettle. Basically if I leave, the kettle stops functioning. I need to hold the "ON" switch down with my thumb until the water boils. Sometimes I'm lucky enough and the switch sticks so that I can step away to gather the ingredients for dinner. I have to go to two fridges, because I have food stored in both the refrigerating fridge and the not-so-refrigerating fridge. The whole guesthouse has to share both fridges and the cold fridge is getting full, so we have to put some of the stuff in the warmer fridge. To use the microwave, I need to grab a universal adapter from my neighbor so that the three-flat-pronged plug for the donated microwave can be plugged into the two round outlets. Needless to say, things take a bit longer to do than I am used to, so now I have to go 'pole pole' (pronounced polay polay, means slow slow in Swahili). THankfully the internet connection works without a hitch.