Cocktail Bar in Kigali

So, a quick note before I get up at the ungodly hour of 5am tomorrow to go to Rwanda to meet Sharon and Fred in the hotel bar and fondle baby gorillas. My cocktail dress and walking boots are packed. What could go wrong?

My charmed existence has continued to be charmed. The school percussion band played at the choir Christmas concert, and I made a speech. I was great. And even though the concerts were poorly attended (numbers swelled by my Saturday night date and his er….teenage daughter) the collection raised a million Tz shillings, (about 400 GBP) which will go a long, long way here. Most importantly, the children were really excited to be the centre of attention. It’s so good for them to feel proud rather than having to try to explain to people that they’re deaf and that’s why they didn’t move out of the way when asked on the dalla dalla etc. They were brilliant! I was so proud I nearly had a little blub.

I made another child cry but now it likes me, because I let it play with my freakish Mzungu hair. It is only 18 months but it liked setting up a little hair salon. I thought maybe it would brush my hair nicely but it just scrubbed at my scalp with the hairbrush.

And my present pile now has three whole presents in: two new ones from the delightful Steve Harman, and who knows what’s waiting in the stinky Post Office…

It’s still outrageously hot, though. There’s not so much of a breeze now, and so I wake up wet with sweat and sleep badly. Seriously, I’d be anybody’s at the moment just to sleep in an air-conditioned bedroom. Luckily we are staying in nice hotels in Rwanda, so perhaps no poor behaviour will be necessary.

The internet connection at the convent wasn’t working today, so even though I am back on the 21st, I might be out of touch for a while. So… just in case, I hope everyone has a riotous and cold Christmas, and thank you so much for all emails and presents and general good wishes. They were a great comfort to me when I needed comfort, and are now a most enjoyable part of my lovely new life. xxxx