Playing dress-up heals all wounds

To be honest, my first week back has been far rougher than I imagined. My power has gone out twice and today was the first time I had internet in 4 days (!).  At first it seemed that my iPod was truly what people welcomed back and I had trouble feeling that people’s affection for me was genuine. It didn’t help my affection for other people when one of the teachers at my school remarked upon seeing me for the first time, “Oh my Jan-E, look how big you have gotten in only 3 weeks!” 

I retreated from Rwanda and spent 48 hours in cloistered in my house watching DVDs and sending my poor mother text messages about my gloomy state of affairs. Tuesday was the low point, with one class of students trying to steal the postcards I brought and then gang (i.e. neighborhood) children climbing over the wall in the back of my house and wading through a banana field to try and climb in my windows. 

Thankfully, it has gotten a lot better since Tuesday. I saw my friend John Wednesday. He is also having a tough time, and it made me feel better to know I am not the only one (Sorry John!). Safety in numbers or maybe I am just evil? In addition, I have power, the internet  is back in Nyanza and I re-established my bond with the gang children. I realized after the window incident that hiding in my house wasn’t making anything better. I felt like a prisoner and it just made them more nuts and determined to see me. So, I went to their house and yelled at them and then we  played.

I withheld my iPod out of a teeny-tiny little bit of spite and realized it is really the attention the kids love. I feel silly because I knew that and even said it to my next door neighbor at one point early on. We spent all yesterday and this afternoon jumping rope and sitting around- no music needed. Plus, I got to hold 2 month old baby for an hour which is a proven spirit lifter! I even let a few of my favorites into my house to play dress-up.

 

Side note- for those of you who are not friends with my sister-in-law Amanda on facebook, here is the most precious quote I have ever heard. It brightened my day and will hopefully do the same for you.

Zeke (3 year old boy)- (to Amanda) “You look like a Princess but you are my mom.”