Blue Sky Safaris The Eye Can See

Howdy, y'all.

I apologize for not posting anything for the past 10 days or so! I was pretty busy this weekend due to reasons I will explain in this post...

School

... is great! I attended class as usual last Monday and Tuesday. Learning Kinyarwanda is pretty difficult, but I know enough conversational words to accomplish various simple tasks. A few examples:

• Mwaramutse* (good morning)
• Amakuru? (how's it going?)
• Bangahe? (how much is it? - referring to money)
• Mu mugi (into town - used for buses)
• Ndagerageza kwiga ikinyarwanda** (I am trying to learn Kinyarwanda)
• Ndi umuzungo*** (I am a white person)
• Ikinyenzi (cockroach)

As you can see, I have the important bases covered.

I may not be able to speak other languages, but I can take a great Snapchat

inka = cow | inkoko = chicken
(some class days are slower than others)

Something new we started last week in language class was.... another language! As of last Wednesday, we now have French class from 10-12 directly following Kinyarwanda. Thankfully, French class only happens on Wednesdays and Fridays. Je suis mauvais en français****.

Aside from language class, technical lecture/lab is going very well! We have built an LED flashlight, a variable power supply, and an ECG tester. Also, no explosions!! Additionally, we had our first hospital visit last Thursday. We toured the Kibagabaga Hospital near Kigali. This hospital was significantly different from anything I've seen. The hospital was very flat, spread-out, and open to the environment. Luckily, the weather is amazing here, so the cool, sunny days are undoubtedly good for the patients' well-being. After spending the first half of the day touring, we were introduced to the maintenance department where we spent a few hours working on broken oxygen concentrators. The most notable thing about medical equipment maintenance is that there is a severe lack of spare parts. Many groups of students found that, although they knew how to fix a specific piece of equipment, the hospital did not possess the appropriate parts. Thus, much of the equipment remains in disrepair.

Outside of Class

During the week, we usually have a lot of free time. We spend the time going out to eat, singing karaoke (!!!) exploring the city, chasing some cows which wandered through campus, and - lately - playing very competitive rounds of a card game called Spades.

At restaurants, I can expect to receive far more attention than back home. For example, a group of us went to a food court downtown. Immediately after arriving, we were literally swarmed by waiters, each begging us to order food from his restaurant. I've never felt so special :]

Spoiler alert: Peter and Jeff ordered from
the waiter wearing a red shirt.

Also, church is still awesome! Sunday, we went back to Christian Life Assembly where we visited the first weekend. The message was about focusing on what you have, rather than what you have lost. You should always seek to do the most good with what you have.

The Safari

So, I got to check off "African safari" from my bucket list. Saturday morning at 5AM, we were picked up by a couple of jeeps and driven to Akagera National Park. Y'all know what a safari is, so there's not much for me to explain here. Unfortunately, neither pictures nor words could ever capture this experience. It was truly one of the coolest and most beautiful things I have ever done. 

Nevertheless, I've included some pictures. I must fill my quota of funny captions.

Peter and I realize the importance of packing a safari hat
specifically for a safari.

I posted this on Instagram. Go like it.

The lack of puns was giraffing me crazy.

Look how much my "gig" has improved.

I am secretly a photographer for National Geographic.

This one was, in fact, black with white stripes.

Flat tire. Not sure what the giant log was for. By the
looks of it, our driver (and repairman) doesn't know either.

PB&J lunch squad ft. Gaby (left) and Savannah

Hungry Hungry Hippos
"One once chased me up a tree." - James, our driver

The Move

Why was I busy on Sunday? I'm glad you asked. Much to my surprise, my home-stay family moved to a different house on Sunday. Apparently, construction was going to require the demolition of their old house. Thus, I spent much of Sunday packing up my stuff and staying out of the way. Unfortunately, I stayed too out of the way because around 6PM I was headed home from town when I realized that I had no idea where home was...

Upon finding the new house several hours later, I was excited to find out that the house is much bigger and generally nicer! The downside: it's a thirty minute walk from campus. The upside: the cockroaches made the move with us :] Also, my home-stay family is great and has been more than willing to help us out with directions; they even offer to drive us to class.

In Memoriam Ikinyenzi #477

That's All Folks

Stay tuned for more updates! I have another hospital visit tomorrow, and I will be going on a volcano hike this weekend!

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

-Bryan

*This literally translates to "I am glad you survived the night." I find it very interesting how culture shapes the language here.
**Pronunciation tip for Kinyarwanda: add random "g" sounds whenever you see a "w." That's what I do.
***People call me umuzungo on the streets all the time. It's not meant to be offensive though; it has a connotation of importance. At least, that's what our teacher tells us...
****"I'm bad at French." - courtesy of Google Translate