Home sweet home

Tues. Aug 10, 10:00pm

From the dispatch home:

Pastor Andre, Chris and Alivera

Hi guys -

Everything has come together, and now I'm lounging around Pastor Andre's house.

Late this morning as I was checking out of the hotel the desk clerk was able to get a hold of Andre on his cell: he must only keep it on during the day.

He swang by the hotel with his driver to pick me up:
Pastor Andre: " I am so sorry, Chris, we forgot about you."
Me: "Don't worry about it, Andre, I'm sure there was just a mix-up at the airport."
Pastor Andre: "No, no, we just forgot you."

Despite what andre says, im sure he has a good excuse somewhere: Rwanda's elections were yesterday and big political festivals last night. Traffic must have been bad.

We picked up Pastor Andre's wife, Alivera, at her church before heading to lunch. On the way ,the driver pulled into a bank where Andre hopped out. Alivera turns to me:
"Hmm, Chris, I'm so sorry we forgot about you."
"Oh that's fine. I'm sure it was just a mixup"
"Hmm, do you not have Andre's phone number?"
"No, I do"
"Hmm, he turned it off! Let me give you my number; I never turn my phone off."
Alivera's number is probably the most useful to have in Rwanda.

We had lunch at a buffet playing country western hits. Beans, spaghetti, potatoes, meats, fried banana. Andres driver sat at a separate table in the corner, we took a table in the back. When we sat down with our heaping plates, I offered to go back to the line to fetch some bottles of water or Fanta but Andre stopped me:
"you are in Africa now, Chris. Sit; it will be brought to you"

Napped away the afternoon at Andres house, then dinner. A hearty mound of rice, potatoes, beef, beans, and sardines. Andre: "you can remove the heads." thanks Andre . Dont know whos going to win out: Tony Horton or Pastor Andre, awaiting the emergence of my African pot belly.

Alivera excused herself early from the table: "My movie is on"
We join her on the couch after dinner to watch Alivera's show, an English-dubbed tele-novella. Theme of the day must have been Loss: plot revolved round losing a necklace, losing a scholarship, losing virginity, losing a friend, all in that order. Lots of angry slapping also.
Finally a bit of Kenyan news @ 8

Tomorrow I should be going out with Alphonse to run a few errands: setting up my phone, getting money. Maybe take a trip to a new coffee house I've been hearing about

So jet lagged, but otherwise feeling good. Glad to finally have a home base  so I can get my bearings. Oh, and i found a sturdy shelf in my room that i can do p90x pull ups on.