The Mwami's revenge.....

Monday Jan 14th

I’ve had a bad stomach bug for two days now. Alone among our group, I’m not able to keep anything inside me. At breakfast it was decided for me that I should go to the polyclinique. Felt such a failure – I’d lasted less than a week before falling ill. And knowing that it must be my fault – eating or drinking contamination. And yet, I’ve drunk all water from bottles; brushed my teeth with bottled water. I haven’t eaten any unpeeled fruit with the skin on. Can’t work out why I’ve been clobbered. I was driven to the Polyclinique by Bosco and Josie-Marie. It was pouring rain – the first day I’ve been unable to wear sandals. Cold, too, so here we were on the equator with the car heater full on, and me in heavy cagoule and fleece. I signed on with Polyclinique – the first of our group to need a registration card. I was seen almost immediately; had to explain my symptoms in French (good at first but shaky in response to his follow up questions). I have a slight temperature. Then a blood test (yes, a clean needle…), then out to a smelly loo in backyard next to path lab to produce a stool sample. Oh the indignity…. Despite having diahorrea I was straining away for ages to get enough to make the sample look usable. I handed it in and sat in foyer reading my book, watching CNN on TV (Kenya looks like it’s on verge of falling apart) and watching the other patients. These range from totally immaculate to elderly and down at heel. Then after an hour I was summoned to see the boss (who we had met a few days previously when being shown round). He took my pulse, told me I was very fit for my age. Didn’t tell me off, but then I already knew it was my fault. Told me to avoid dairy produce, eat lots of rice & bananas, drink black tea with sugar. Gave me a scrip for antibiotics and anti cramping pills. Another wait while these dispensed at the Poly. Then returned back to our Amani guest-house base with Bosco and Josie-Marie in time for morning tea. Meanwhile I’d missed a Kinyar lesson on telling time, which turns out to be a nightmare. First of all the words are based on Swahili, then the first hour of the day is 7.00 a.m. which is SERIOUSLY confusing!

More Kinyar until lunchtime; we’re getting fed up with all the language stuff.

After a cautious lunch, I had my placement discussion with Charlotte. I’m still not sure whether I’m asking the right questions but seem to have the right ideas in how to approach – go slowly, read up all I can find in the office, ask people, go on visits. I think I’ll need to do a lot of visits before the long rains arrive. Can’t get any great feel for job till I meet my boss on Wednesday – and then the very next day I’m off to Gitarama and into the job proper.

At end of afternoon we were finally get taken to the Programme Office to collect passports, then we could go to the bank and GET SOME MONEY! And how! – we each took out RwF396,000 which comes to a fair wodge of notes. With all this money (and it was issued in full view of other customers) we all felt vulnerable, and walked home all in a tight bunch convinced we were going to get mugged any minute. But no, we were just being paranoid muzungus. A frantic hiding of money among our clothes, then settle debts from the past few days.

After supper we were supposed to do Kinya-rwanda homework but made a joint decision to forget it and watch a video instead. Epiphanie had such a huge luggage allowance she’s brought a projector, so we watch silly film (Maybe Baby) and chill. Kersty’s Rwandan boyfriend Nick came round, too. I broke out jelly teddies so we had comfort food. By end of film we’d all forgotten we were in Africa; we’re all relaxed. To bed but unsettled night because, like the others, I haven’t caught up on missed work or prepared for role play in morning session…

Best point – needing and getting treatment. Pin sharp views across Kigali and surrounding hills after the rain.
Worst point – feeling of failure in falling ill