Friday, November 25, 2005

muzungu muzungu

When people see white people on the streets here they yell "Muzungu muzungu!"

Not sure quite what the fascination is -- generally it's not any ill-will. Sometimes little kids wave and laugh at you and sing you little songs about muzungus. I'd liken it to the guys in giant Scooby-Doo costumes at amusement parks. You're just kind of a funny anomaly and people want to point and remark.

The funny thing is, after being here a couple of months, I want to do it too. I mean, white people are kinda funny looking here. Muzungu muzungu!

(Ah, that felt good.)

giardiaria

Wouldn't be fair for me to whine about my malaria without mentioning that Corrie had giardia AND malaria at the same time a few weeks ago. Imagine those symptoms!

Anyway, got tested yesterday and the slide was clear. Now I'm just waiting for the quinine to filter through my system.

Monday, November 21, 2005

my ringing ears

So I tested positive for malaria this week. Which I actually regarded to be good news, because it confirmed that I was indeed sick. (Sometimes it's nice to have scientific confirmation that you're not just being a wus.)

So I figure, no problem, I'll just knock back a few days of a nice, modern malaria treatment. That should take care of it.

Just my luck, it turns out I have a drug-resistant strain of malaria. So now I'm on quinine, a 17th century medication made from peruvian tree bark (and an ingredient in "tonic" water, by the way).

Stuff makes my ears ring and my head spin. Best I can tell, it's worse than malaria, but they promise me the side-effects are temporary.

But anyway, there's isn't supposed to be any quinine resistant malaria in Africa. Should be back on my feet after 5 more days...

Friday, November 18, 2005

a pic from our October trip to Nairobi...

signing in

Welcome!

Having relocated to Rwanda in our first year of marriage, we've found ourselves overwhelmed with stories to tell. The hope is only that we'll find ourselves to be reasonably diligent in writing them down.

Hence this forum. Wish us luck!

-Daniel & Corrie