Anokwa.com » Archive for June, 2007
June 25, 2007 at 23:39
tags: rwanda
In an earlier post, I made a bold claim. I called bacon a terrorist.
Although my word should have been enough, I did not stop there. I presented evidence of the viciousness that only delicious strips of meat could muster up. I posted pictures of the damage that bacon inflicted on my face. I thought the case was a slam dunk but the hate mail I received accused me of making a twisted play on pork and Islam. If only it were that simple…
In rural Rwanda, not far from Niger where enriched uranium is so abundant it’s spread like peanut butter on toast, I suffered the ravages of a new terrorist threat — the cold shower. Unlike bacon, the cold shower has no ties to organized religion. It simply hates for the sake of hating. So bold is this chilling new threat that it mounts its attack on the most private of places during the most private of times.
The water fell on me like torture from the sky. My yelps were only interrupted with obscenities muttered through chattering teeth. ‘Manning up’ was no where to be found that morning. The shock was so severe that I forgot to scrub as I ducked in and out of the arctic stream. Once I had shivered most of dirt of, I called it quits.
I’ve heard the experience described as invigorating and I say you’d have to be daft to call it that. If I were to sum it up, I’d call it a terrorist.
Consider yourself warned.
June 24, 2007 at 10:27
tags: rwanda
Until I setup a proper (rss, geotags, descriptions, etc) gallery, I figured I’d tease the masses with this picture from the first day.
June 23, 2007 at 23:22
tags: rwanda
This has been my longest flight so far — 24 hours, 35 minutes. Flew from Boston to Washington to Rome to Addis Ababa to Nairobi to Kigali. Ethiopian Airlines came highly recommended and it was more comfortable than my time on long european flights. The layovers were all about an hour so the breaks were all spent on the plane. Fortunately, I sat near a really cool Kenyan family and we had a blast cracking jokes. When the plane touched down in Addis Ababa the cockpit erupted in applause. Applause when a job is performed as expected? Classically African.
Flying into Rwanda I got a look at the country and it’s a stunning landscape. Rolling hills of green streaked with lines of red dirt. Once on the ground, everything is coated with the ubiquitous red dust. Most people walk, but there are a fair number of motorcycle taxis and lorries.
The recent genocide has slowly made it’s way into my conscience. I can’t explain, but walking around the city, it’s hard not to wonder who did what and to whom and how things seem so normal…
I haven’t been suffering the ravages of jetlag and I seem to have avoided any major sicknesses. I’m still in Kigali at the PIH house, making sure the Internet stays up for my colleagues. There were a few PIHers around (all quite cool) and we managed to score some pretty good Mexican grub only a few blocks from the house. I can report burritos in East Africa are quite reasonable…
I’m heading to Rwinkwavu (soon to be home) in a few hours. The server out there was working when I left Boston and now it’s down. Oh, and no hot showers in Rwinkwavu. Sigh.
June 23, 2007 at 8:17
tags: rwanda
I landed a few hours ago and I’m in Kigali. I’ll write more once I get settled in and recovered from the 24 hour flight….
June 21, 2007 at 14:07
tags: rwanda
Don’t have time for a full post. I’ve been fixing bugs with medical forms all day, and I’m wrapping up so I can pack my stuff and chill for a few hours before I fly out. I’ll be in the air for about 24 hours but arrive in Rwanda on Saturday afternoon. Will try to post then…
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