(Images on this blog are from the Safari)
So, I have been in Africa for a few days now. Not enough to get the hang of everything, nor know where the local hang outs are, but hopefully that will come soon. Yesterday was Rwanda orientation. After lunch a few people from the community came to the house to pick us up. They took us around Kigali, Rwanda to show us how to you public transportation and so that we can get a feel for the city so we can get around easier.
Here in Kigali they speak French and Kirwanda (that might be spelled incorrectly). With in the last year or so they have switched to English, but not many people have learned it yet. Yesterday when we went out with the people from the town the language barrier really overwhelmed me. There was 3 people from our group with 2 people from the community. We took the public transport in to town and then went to like 4 supermarkets. The whole time one of the guys stuck with me and told me stuff about the culture and the city, but he was very hard to understand! I didn't realize how great I had it when I went to Guatemala and how beneficial it was that I had studied Spanish for a while before I went there. Here, in Africa, I'm completely starting over and in a community that doesn't understand me at all.
The city is always moving... so many people and the traffic is crazy! It is going to take me a little while to get use to this town, public transportation, and the language. But I am learning a few words, which is great. Things can be overwhelming, but I'm trying not to let it overwhelm me and take it one at a time. Today we are going to church with the people who took us around town yesterday, so my group is going to a Catholic Mass.
I'm really excited about starting classes tomorrow. I'll keep you all updated
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