Dehydrated......again!

August 30th

I feel awful this morning. The night club down at “Orion” easily a kilometre away – was pumping out thudding music until just after four. At just after five the two dogs down below started whining to be let out. My lariam tablets are giving me alternate hot and cold flushes. And somehow I managed to gets seriously dehydrated yesterday, so I wake up with a pulsing headache and as I’m writing this blog in the evening – and three entire litres of water later – I still don’t feel back to normal.

Off to Momma’s to church. Momma doesn’t come to the service; she’s fallen and twisted her hip and is spending the morning in bed. After the service a bunch of us goes to see her; it’s been so long since I last went and she’s glad to see me back. The little girls – the “Gem Choir” come with us to her living quarters and sing for her.

Then it’s back to the flat and I spend the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon translating this long letter to go to Tony Blair. Yes, I know it’s silly and a waste of time, but I’ve done it and perhaps this man will leave me alone now.

After the letter I start making copies of maps on rice sacks for Nyabisindu school; the coming week is so jam packed that I might not have another chance to get stuff done I return to the school, first thing Friday morning. And unlike so many of the Rwandans who promise all sorts of things but don’t deliver; I mean business and Jeanne will get at least four sacks on time. By the time it’s too dark to see what I’m doing I have three maps finished and the fourth won’t take me too long once I get started on it sometime later in the week.

At the muzungu meal we have two American Peace Corps volunteers joining us; Edison is based in Kamonyi just up the road from where Becky works, and Sonia is in Kigali. By the time I come home I’m ready to drop, but I need to pack things ready for the morning. Soraya’s booked our motos for half past five (dawn), so I’ll need to be up at around 4.30 in the pitch dark. Let’s hope there isn’t a power cut to complicate things at that time!

All I seem to have done this weekend is work, but I have got a lot done and it’s so nice to feel on top of things. Work is really on a roll at the moment, and I’m enjoying being busy. Now all I need is an uninterrupted night’s sleep!