Ms. Terry's Blog

Things I Took for Granted I have only been in country for a week, and with my host family for less than that, but I already have a significant list of things I took for granted at home. They include the following: ·       Flush toilets in lighted rooms that I can use easily any time day or night ·       Sinks for washing my hands and brushing my teeth ·       Clean water from the tap that does not require filtering ·       Hot showers ·       Driving places as opposed to walking ·       Not being looked at when I do choose to walk places ·       Consistent data, wifi, and cell service ·       Being able to get anything I could want or need at Walmart ·       Washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers ·       Mi...

This is the first time I have had wifi in a a few days, and goodness has a lot happened! We left Kigali on Saturday for Rwamagana to meet our host families. Rwamagana is much smaller to Kigali, with a lot fewer paved roads and amenities. However, we still get lots of looks! My host family is very nice, and consists of young parents, their two-year old, a seven year old cousin, the house-girl, and the house-boy. Yes, most of the families have house servants. They do the cooking and cleaning. Since Saturday, I have used a latrine, taken two bucket baths, and done my laundry by hand. The house has a little electricity, but the latrine and bathing room are outside, which is fun to figure out in the dark! Kinyarwanda lessons are progressing slowly but surely, so hopefully I can hold a conversation soon! So, I will post again when I have wifi again. I'm not even going to try wifi on this connection.

We have arrived! I just finished my second full day in Rwanda and I am completely exhausted. Between the 15 hours of flying, jet lag, and two full days or training, it's been a lot. But it's been amazing and I am ready for more. After arriving Wednesday night, we spent all day Thursday in sessions. We focused mainly on health and in the afternoon we transitioned into administrative concerns, including visas, bank accounts, and phones. I now have a Rwandan phone number, which I will probably just use to make local phone calls. I didn't get any data, so I'll just rely on wifi for now. Today, we started learning Kinyarwanda! We just did greetings today, so so far, so good. Many words are pronounced very phonetically, but some are not, which is always fun to learn. After language lessons, we spoke about what it will be like living with our host families, including how to hand wash clothes, how to take a bucket bath, and how to use a latrine. We move in tomorrow! Now, ...

Leaving the Memphis Airport! The past two days have marked the beginning of my Peace Corps adventure: staging. Staging is essentially like college orientation and serves as a general introduction to the Peace Corps. It is not country specific (i.e. we didn't focus on only service in Rwanda), but instead gives trainees background on the history, mission, and goals of the Peace Corps. My staging took place in Philadelphia. Now, I've never been to Philly, and unfortunately I did not have time to do the "tourist" thing. However, my parents came with me, and they did have time to go to all of the cool places (the Rocky Steps, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, etc.) and they had a great time. When I get back, this is one city I'd definitely like to explore more! Staging itself, like I mentioned, was an orientation. Get some info, do some icebreakers, and get ready for pre-service training. And by far the best part was getting to know my fellow trainees. They ...