biking! and farming!

5/8
Oh man a la mancha! My first real long bike ride, which I had intended to be twice as long, just about killed me yesterday. Holy altitude batman! I didn't think it was that bad and then as i was making my way up a hill (that didn't LOOK that steep) I had to pull a Rwandan and walk my bike. I missed immediately the small amount of distance created by being ON the bike when the children, who had been running alongside my bike, started to close in. For some reason, they always do that, for a certain amount of time they're fine just watching and laughing at you from a few feet away and then after about 3 minutes, they always get closer! Maybe it's because that's when the crowd usually grows from about 10 to 50...or centripetal force or something...When they made it even more difficult to breathe (as if the altitude and my 3 months of no real exercise weren't enough), I just jumped back on my bike and rode the downhill all the way home. They need to find a way for you to just be able to ride bikes down hill without having to go uphill...or maybe it's the uphill that make the downhill seem so great.

Today was an ultimate Peace Corps day. I reluctantly rolled out of bed with the sun at 6 so I'd have time to make some breakfast and prepare myself for the hard work I knew was ahead of me. I met with the women with whom I'm hoping to work and got my hoe! We went down to the field and started at it. They were pleasantly surprised that I knew how to work my hoe (unfortunately, any jokes I could've made about working my hoe would've not had the desired effect). I worked for about an hour and a half in the UNGODLIEST of sun that made me remember that I was in Africa. We of course, attracted an audience several times, but I was amazed how many people just walked by. It was one of the only moments of anonymity I've had here and it was awesome. It felt like some degree of integration was starting to take place. To not be noticed because I was IN IT was awesome. If I had had Rwandan clothes and a head scarf on, I might've had even fewer people notice! This was my single most motivating moment in terms of integrating into the society. I don't know if it's my contrary nature or my previous experiences or my constant American desire to be an individual, but I've fought some aspects of the integration...I'm still figuring out what aspects I have to fight to keep and what I'm allowing myself to give up for the sake of comfort and understanding.
While working, I was using the time to try and process their conversation and see what I could make of it. At some point they felt the need to capture the moment and asked if I had a camera. Rwandans, I've found, are obsessed with photos. If you have them, they want to see them and sometimes ask to keep them (No no, that's my family.) If you have a camera, they MUST get a picture with you. I think it's partially because most muzungus just come and go. When I told them I'd be back Weds. and the next Friday, they were happy and surprised. I think I won some points and because I got some blisters but told them, "Ntakibazo." (No problem.) Even though, I have 5 really angry blisters on my hands now that were not happy when I went later to wash my clothes.
The nuns then insisted I sit and have some coffee/tea and some of their little beignets. I didn't protest, but I did ask for some water and got COLD water!! OUT OF A FRIDGE! It was EPIC! Then, I got cheese! ALSO from a FRIDGE! It was the best day ever. I felt very much like a Peace Corps Volunteer and also happy to be where I was and doing what I was doing. I have to remember those moments clearly when running water, 24hr stores, and shorts start to sound terribly appealing.