Moving Day

A few days ago, I moved from the guesthouse I’d been staying at to my house – my very own house!

The actual moving process was quite an ordeal. My supervisor told me he hired some people to help transport my things. I envisioned a pick-up truck – after this long in Africa, I should have known better! Two guys showed up, and their only means of transportation was a small wooden cart that looked like it was about to fall apart. They tied my trunk, mattress, and a few other odds and ends to the cart, which one of the guys pushed, while the other wore my backpack, carried two buckets full of stuff, and put my suitcase on his head. Further, my supervisor and I had been busy at a co-op meeting during the day, so by the time we actually started moving my things, it was about 7:00pm, at which it’s completely dark here. Plus, on top of the two transport guys, my supervisor, and myself, a couple people who work at the guesthouse came along. In the end, we were a caravan of about six people, carrying everything I own through town in the pitch dark. It was quite a sight!

I’m still waiting on some of my furniture to finish being made so I can fully unpack, but I already have a bed, a dining table, a coffee table, 4 chairs, and a storage shelf. I’m also looking forward to getting a couple mats to put down. And, I still need to hang a clothesline and my mosquito net (though I haven’t gotten a single bite in four days of sleeping without one, which is shocking considering the number of bugs I’ve seen here – mosquitoes don’t like me) and buy a mattress that fits my bed and kerosene for my stove (since I moved in, I’ve eaten peanut butter with bananas, peanut butter with crackers, and peanut butter with bread). In the meantime, though, I’m just happy to have my own place and to be settling in and getting to know my umudugudu!

(Hopefully I’ll be able to post pictures of the house next time I’m in Kigali.)