This is a post I have been meaning to write for months. I find it fascinating that in many Latin American cultures where the machismo culture is infamous. Catcalls are a normal way of life for women. Women are assumed the weaker sex -but because of this, women are let on or off of buses first. Men step out of a woman's way when the sidewalk, hold open doors and are generally courteous- when they aren't whistling.
That doesn't happen in Rwanda. Women are never given the right of way or that preferential treatment. But they also aren't treated as equals. And despite the high percentage of women in parliament and the advance of women in general here, sexual harassment and rape are still prominent in work places.
To further illustrate my point, on Friday night I was at a local restaurant/bar/dance club watching the England match. After the dance party started and it was crazy. It was very crowded but very fun. The bar is popular with expats and rich Rwandese so it was a fun mix and I was having a great time.
About 2am I went to the restroom and the 3 stalls are down a little hall, first the men's and then the 2 ladies. As I passed the men's a Rwandese guy standing by the wall kissed me. So I hit him on the shoulder, hard.
He asked why I hit him an I said because he kissed me and doesn't know me. And if he did again, I said I'd break his jaw. Then he tried to deny kissing me. And told me he wouldn't have anyway because I am very ugly. All the while with a smirk on his face. I was furious.
About this time a girl and her 2 friends come out of a stall and she wants to know why I hit her cousin. So I told her and she wants to fight me. I ducked past the attendant into the other stall. I heard the girl then ask her cousin if he had and I think the response was she's American and was asking for it.
I was so mad and felt so violated. It seemed a perfect example of the typical attitude of many men here. She's a She. She's American. She really wants me. So disgusting.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Uganda - long overdue
I apologize that it has taken me so long to finish this. And actually to finish, I am afraid that parts will be stolen from various emails I wrote:
Jess and I then went to Jinja on Sunday. It's one of the "sources of the Nile." And we white water rafted. It was wonderful. Our guide was a New Zealander named Cam and he was definitely a bit crazy but it made the trip even more fun. Our group did quite well, and only tipped in one rapid - the rapid that everyone else took the calm way around. Which basically means we were the only "wild" trip that day.
We then went a bit farther north to Sipi Falls/Mt Elgon. After arriving though we decided to have an early dinner (by the way, full board is the best idea ever) and sleep. We slept for 11.5 hours and woke up at 8. Had breakfast and went hiking. I was definitely a bit worse for wear, but enjoyed the hike and did not faint. The falls were so beautiful. And we hiked through farms to see them, and coffee plantations! Pretty neat to finally see one of my favorite things growing. Our guide ground some freshley roasted for us, very few things have ever smelled so good to me!
We then went back to Kampala, partially because a couple we met rafting told us about a spa that we wanted to check out. For under $30 you could get a 1 hour full body massage, all day pool use, and lunch. We were so there. And it was really nice, a bit cloudy though. Then we went to the bookstore and grocery stores, saw another movie and continued to eat our way through foods that we tried to forget while in Kigali.
The highlight was heading back to the Chinese Restuarant: Our moto driver took us to the parking lot of the office building that Fang Fang is located in an office building. As we walked into the parking lot, we see a lot of flashing lights and aren't sure if it's an accident, if it's a motorcade, if it's a crime scene, if we should walk around the block to the front door... Well one of the police officers approached us, asked if we were going to the restaurant and then walked, past the motorcade, us up to the service entrance, where we waited for an elevator. The other bank opened first and about 8 Chinese men and women step out, obviously as confused by our presence as we are. As we try not to disappear into the wall, very hard in a narrow hallway, the elevator we are waiting for arrives. And there are another 8 Chinese nationals! Who are so polite, they try to let us in the elevator before the get out. I was trying so hard not to laugh at the ridiculousness of this obvious security breach and managed to only smile until the elevator door closed. I asked at the restaurant, it was the Chinese Ambassador and an official delegation visiting.
Next we were off to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The trip there was very long, we left the hotel at 6am and arrive at 3:30pm. So neither of us were in a very good mood. We arrived for what was supposed to be our 1 night splurge at the safari lodge (also full board) and almost immediately decided to add a second night. And a game drive. We already had the cheaper river cruise booked. The pool was so nice, it was one of those infinity pools that appear to end into the scenery? Well we saw an elephant drinking from the channel while we were in the pool, it was really cool. And apparently rare for rainy season.
The game drive was completely worth it - we saw lions!! well, 1 lion and 3 lionesses. And they aren't that easy to find, there were some people who had been there for 4 days and had yet to see one. So needless to say that I was really excited. They were far away but it was fun watching them, they are really just big cats. We also saw a baby elephant. It was so cute!!
We took our river cruise in the afternoon and saw.... a leopard!!! It was spotted and everything. =) and I know that sounds obvious but we were about 30 feet away, and it was incredible. We also saw baby hippos, which were really cute- especially when they wiggled their ears.
And for those who want to know about how we traveled, so here is my run down of our trip home which gives a good indication:
To leave the park we had to have a car pick us up ($15), about 30 minutes to the small town. We were going to wait for a Matatu (basically a small bus/15-passenger van, that usually has around 20 people in it) but it was going to be over an hour so the local motel was heading our way and offered us a lift in their van to Mbarara for $15, so we took that. 2 hour drive. They then dropped us at a gas station where we could catch a bus on the way from Kampala to Kigali. We then heard we probably wouldn't get on a bus until midnight (it was noon) so as we debated our options a man and his son stopped and offered us a lift halfway to the boarder, for $10. So we rode with them for about an hour and a half. They then got us on a crammed Matatu, where people kept complaining about the abuzungu (white people) taking up too much space, until Jess and I had a little fit which shut them up. (It involved some girl being sat on my lap as her seat, so I moved to the floor, and yeah...) Then we hired a car for $15 to take up the other 40 minutes to the boarder (it was about 20 the way he drove). We then walked across the boarder (immigration on both sides) and were looking for a bus to Kigali. It's now about 4pm, and raining. We ended up sharing a taxi with 2 other people, and when 10 minutes in the driver tries to cram another on the back seat, I told him that that was not ok. He said it was bc it was another driver, and I said he may be another driver but I am not paying my full fare if he is riding with us. So the guy got out. And that is how we finally got home. 11 hours later...
Jess and I then went to Jinja on Sunday. It's one of the "sources of the Nile." And we white water rafted. It was wonderful. Our guide was a New Zealander named Cam and he was definitely a bit crazy but it made the trip even more fun. Our group did quite well, and only tipped in one rapid - the rapid that everyone else took the calm way around. Which basically means we were the only "wild" trip that day.
We then went a bit farther north to Sipi Falls/Mt Elgon. After arriving though we decided to have an early dinner (by the way, full board is the best idea ever) and sleep. We slept for 11.5 hours and woke up at 8. Had breakfast and went hiking. I was definitely a bit worse for wear, but enjoyed the hike and did not faint. The falls were so beautiful. And we hiked through farms to see them, and coffee plantations! Pretty neat to finally see one of my favorite things growing. Our guide ground some freshley roasted for us, very few things have ever smelled so good to me!
We then went back to Kampala, partially because a couple we met rafting told us about a spa that we wanted to check out. For under $30 you could get a 1 hour full body massage, all day pool use, and lunch. We were so there. And it was really nice, a bit cloudy though. Then we went to the bookstore and grocery stores, saw another movie and continued to eat our way through foods that we tried to forget while in Kigali.
The highlight was heading back to the Chinese Restuarant: Our moto driver took us to the parking lot of the office building that Fang Fang is located in an office building. As we walked into the parking lot, we see a lot of flashing lights and aren't sure if it's an accident, if it's a motorcade, if it's a crime scene, if we should walk around the block to the front door... Well one of the police officers approached us, asked if we were going to the restaurant and then walked, past the motorcade, us up to the service entrance, where we waited for an elevator. The other bank opened first and about 8 Chinese men and women step out, obviously as confused by our presence as we are. As we try not to disappear into the wall, very hard in a narrow hallway, the elevator we are waiting for arrives. And there are another 8 Chinese nationals! Who are so polite, they try to let us in the elevator before the get out. I was trying so hard not to laugh at the ridiculousness of this obvious security breach and managed to only smile until the elevator door closed. I asked at the restaurant, it was the Chinese Ambassador and an official delegation visiting.
Next we were off to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The trip there was very long, we left the hotel at 6am and arrive at 3:30pm. So neither of us were in a very good mood. We arrived for what was supposed to be our 1 night splurge at the safari lodge (also full board) and almost immediately decided to add a second night. And a game drive. We already had the cheaper river cruise booked. The pool was so nice, it was one of those infinity pools that appear to end into the scenery? Well we saw an elephant drinking from the channel while we were in the pool, it was really cool. And apparently rare for rainy season.
The game drive was completely worth it - we saw lions!! well, 1 lion and 3 lionesses. And they aren't that easy to find, there were some people who had been there for 4 days and had yet to see one. So needless to say that I was really excited. They were far away but it was fun watching them, they are really just big cats. We also saw a baby elephant. It was so cute!!
We took our river cruise in the afternoon and saw.... a leopard!!! It was spotted and everything. =) and I know that sounds obvious but we were about 30 feet away, and it was incredible. We also saw baby hippos, which were really cute- especially when they wiggled their ears.
And for those who want to know about how we traveled, so here is my run down of our trip home which gives a good indication:
To leave the park we had to have a car pick us up ($15), about 30 minutes to the small town. We were going to wait for a Matatu (basically a small bus/15-passenger van, that usually has around 20 people in it) but it was going to be over an hour so the local motel was heading our way and offered us a lift in their van to Mbarara for $15, so we took that. 2 hour drive. They then dropped us at a gas station where we could catch a bus on the way from Kampala to Kigali. We then heard we probably wouldn't get on a bus until midnight (it was noon) so as we debated our options a man and his son stopped and offered us a lift halfway to the boarder, for $10. So we rode with them for about an hour and a half. They then got us on a crammed Matatu, where people kept complaining about the abuzungu (white people) taking up too much space, until Jess and I had a little fit which shut them up. (It involved some girl being sat on my lap as her seat, so I moved to the floor, and yeah...) Then we hired a car for $15 to take up the other 40 minutes to the boarder (it was about 20 the way he drove). We then walked across the boarder (immigration on both sides) and were looking for a bus to Kigali. It's now about 4pm, and raining. We ended up sharing a taxi with 2 other people, and when 10 minutes in the driver tries to cram another on the back seat, I told him that that was not ok. He said it was bc it was another driver, and I said he may be another driver but I am not paying my full fare if he is riding with us. So the guy got out. And that is how we finally got home. 11 hours later...
Friday, April 30, 2010
Whisper words of wisdom
As I write this to be posted later I am sighting in Pasquel's car, with his friend Pasquel. I did not know these men an hour ago.
(the rest was written 8 days later)
I was waiting at the end of the road for a bus and none was coming. When this car slowed a fellow teacher asked them to give me a ride to Gitarama.
There were 2 men in the car, and a second teacher I know hopped in as well. We had a pleasant drive the 15 minutes into town, conversation mostly consisting of how I don't speak kinyarwanda.
The teacher was dropped and the driver and the Pasquels said they were going to Kigali and if I wanted a ride that far, I could have it, but they had to stop for a quick errand. Since I had seen my 3rd bad bus accident that morning, and thinking Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries on earth, I said 'that would be great.'
As they ran their errand, I waited in the car and wondered if this was such a good idea. The Hotel California came on the stereo, and sin e it was in English and always makes me think of my cousin, I decided it was a sign that things were going to be fine. (when I told my mother later, she questioned this logic). The next song, the three of us were driving at this point, proved my sign: Imagine. And as I sung along and wondered at the words and if those dreamers had had their wish sooner and 'the world was one' maybe 1994 wouldn't have happened, a voice from the front seat joined in the singing as well.
Followed by Let it Be. I think John Lennon was smiling somewhere over how his music could bring people together...
shine until tomorrow; let it be.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
(the rest was written 8 days later)
I was waiting at the end of the road for a bus and none was coming. When this car slowed a fellow teacher asked them to give me a ride to Gitarama.
There were 2 men in the car, and a second teacher I know hopped in as well. We had a pleasant drive the 15 minutes into town, conversation mostly consisting of how I don't speak kinyarwanda.
The teacher was dropped and the driver and the Pasquels said they were going to Kigali and if I wanted a ride that far, I could have it, but they had to stop for a quick errand. Since I had seen my 3rd bad bus accident that morning, and thinking Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries on earth, I said 'that would be great.'
As they ran their errand, I waited in the car and wondered if this was such a good idea. The Hotel California came on the stereo, and sin e it was in English and always makes me think of my cousin, I decided it was a sign that things were going to be fine. (when I told my mother later, she questioned this logic). The next song, the three of us were driving at this point, proved my sign: Imagine. And as I sung along and wondered at the words and if those dreamers had had their wish sooner and 'the world was one' maybe 1994 wouldn't have happened, a voice from the front seat joined in the singing as well.
Followed by Let it Be. I think John Lennon was smiling somewhere over how his music could bring people together...
shine until tomorrow; let it be.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
UA- part 2 Kampala
Kampala is everything Kigali is not: big, loud, varied, and dirty. There are chain restaurants, Nandos. And reasonably priced bookstores. There is an almost current movie theater. There is so much food!
So upon arrival we cleaned up and went out to eat Chinese. It was quite possibly the best Chinese I have ever had. Then Jess and I, unable to resist temptation, went to a movie. Which was not as good, but still an experience.
To get to the movie from chinese food we took a boda-boda, which is a moto. But in Uganda you can have 2 passengers! Slows it down.
So Friday we enjoyed an Americanized day. Fast food lunch at nandos. Another movie, this time with Kerry and Theo. And then time wandering around the bookstore. Dinner Friday was at a delicious grill where I was able to have schnitzel, and it was pretty good schnitzel. Then we went to a club called Iguana. Mostly travelers, but definitely fun.
Saturday we left Kampala for the day. Jess and I had heard that the Speke Resort had stables and for under $30 you could ride for an hour around Lake Victoria. Theo had never ridden before but Kerry an Jess both had experience.
When we went to the stables to ride, they asked about how much we had ridden. So they were nervous about us ridding but I managed to convince everyone it would be fine.
When they lined up the horses, I was in the back. And they gave me a fiesty horse- Merhdad. Merhdad would kick, so I had to stay behind. Also so we didn't lose any straggelers. Well we didn't really ride along the lake, we mostly rode through little towns.
I have rarely felt so priviliged. But people were friendly when we waved and said hello. I really enjoyed it. I think my horse and I would have enjoyed ourselves more if we could have gone faster, but I did manage to keep him in control.
The rest of the day was spent by an olympic size pool. Since it was off season, it was quiet but very nice. An interesting glimpse into how the other half lives- ok so 2% lives...
So upon arrival we cleaned up and went out to eat Chinese. It was quite possibly the best Chinese I have ever had. Then Jess and I, unable to resist temptation, went to a movie. Which was not as good, but still an experience.
To get to the movie from chinese food we took a boda-boda, which is a moto. But in Uganda you can have 2 passengers! Slows it down.
So Friday we enjoyed an Americanized day. Fast food lunch at nandos. Another movie, this time with Kerry and Theo. And then time wandering around the bookstore. Dinner Friday was at a delicious grill where I was able to have schnitzel, and it was pretty good schnitzel. Then we went to a club called Iguana. Mostly travelers, but definitely fun.
Saturday we left Kampala for the day. Jess and I had heard that the Speke Resort had stables and for under $30 you could ride for an hour around Lake Victoria. Theo had never ridden before but Kerry an Jess both had experience.
When we went to the stables to ride, they asked about how much we had ridden. So they were nervous about us ridding but I managed to convince everyone it would be fine.
When they lined up the horses, I was in the back. And they gave me a fiesty horse- Merhdad. Merhdad would kick, so I had to stay behind. Also so we didn't lose any straggelers. Well we didn't really ride along the lake, we mostly rode through little towns.
I have rarely felt so priviliged. But people were friendly when we waved and said hello. I really enjoyed it. I think my horse and I would have enjoyed ourselves more if we could have gone faster, but I did manage to keep him in control.
The rest of the day was spent by an olympic size pool. Since it was off season, it was quiet but very nice. An interesting glimpse into how the other half lives- ok so 2% lives...
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
End the Silence
A couple of weeks ago Jess invited me to a march. It was to raise awareness and end the taboo on talking about menstraution. Especially for school age girls.
Many girls in developing countries miss school when on their period. This is most often because of a lack of access to sanitary pads or facilities to change them while at school. Because of missing school 3 or 4 or more days a month, many girls drop out and do not finish secondary education.
So we joined about 150 people, school girls and some school boys, teachers both male and female, and other various people- mostly Rwandan- to march in bright red shirts through the city.
It was a succesful day.
When we left the rally at the end I was still wearing my bright shirt with kinyrwanda writing that said something about ending the silence on menstraution. We walked into a pharmacy and the pharmacist asked what it was about so we explained. He was surprised girls miss school so often and asked his assistant if she ever had. Her response: of course. His look of surprise was even greater.
Nice the we brought awareness to at least one person.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Many girls in developing countries miss school when on their period. This is most often because of a lack of access to sanitary pads or facilities to change them while at school. Because of missing school 3 or 4 or more days a month, many girls drop out and do not finish secondary education.
So we joined about 150 people, school girls and some school boys, teachers both male and female, and other various people- mostly Rwandan- to march in bright red shirts through the city.
It was a succesful day.
When we left the rally at the end I was still wearing my bright shirt with kinyrwanda writing that said something about ending the silence on menstraution. We walked into a pharmacy and the pharmacist asked what it was about so we explained. He was surprised girls miss school so often and asked his assistant if she ever had. Her response: of course. His look of surprise was even greater.
Nice the we brought awareness to at least one person.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Ugandan Adventures- part 1
There is a 2 week holiday in Rwanda to coincide with the Genocide Memorial week. And being outsiders, many expats choose to leave the country and not intrude on the national mourning. We joined this group.
On Thursday, the day following the Candlelight Vigil, we woke up at 5:00am to catch a bus to Kampala. The ride started uneventful- Kerry and Theo together and I had the window behind Jessica. About 3hours in, while I was sleeping a woman and her baby sat next to me.
As I continued to sleep for the next 2 hours, the almost perpetual breast feeding did not bother me. What did both me was when the mother changed the baby's diaper or rather just removed the diaper as the was not replacement. The removed diaper was hen folded and placed between us.
Disgusting? Yes. But not nearly as bad as when the baby had to relieve herself again, and did, on her mothers lap. It got better- the mother than started throwing up. And as Jess was awake in front of me that becam my cue to move to he row ahead.
We did arrive safely in Kampala, and other than my seat partner the 2 most interesting parts were when we drove into Uganda we switched from drivig on the right side to the left. And the second was crossing the equator.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
On Thursday, the day following the Candlelight Vigil, we woke up at 5:00am to catch a bus to Kampala. The ride started uneventful- Kerry and Theo together and I had the window behind Jessica. About 3hours in, while I was sleeping a woman and her baby sat next to me.
As I continued to sleep for the next 2 hours, the almost perpetual breast feeding did not bother me. What did both me was when the mother changed the baby's diaper or rather just removed the diaper as the was not replacement. The removed diaper was hen folded and placed between us.
Disgusting? Yes. But not nearly as bad as when the baby had to relieve herself again, and did, on her mothers lap. It got better- the mother than started throwing up. And as Jess was awake in front of me that becam my cue to move to he row ahead.
We did arrive safely in Kampala, and other than my seat partner the 2 most interesting parts were when we drove into Uganda we switched from drivig on the right side to the left. And the second was crossing the equator.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
16 years ago... where were you?
I was in 3rd grade. The O.J Simpson trial and the Tanya Harding scandal dominated the news. And those 2 events I remember very clearly. It wasn't until 10 years that I realized what else had happened...
From my window I can see the airport where the president's plane did not land. I can see the stadium where Tutsi's waited in fear, because although it was the UN headquarters, they knew the UN wouldn't save them. I can walk to the Kicukiro College of Technology where the UN left, and as they left the 3,000 people who had taken refuge there were slaughtered. In 100 days, 800,000 people were brutally killed, not in a madness that suddenly overtook a country, but in a perfectly planned genocide.
I remember the nightmares I got when I was writing my thesis, and I knew at the time they were nothing compared to the nightmare lived and relived by millions of people. I think that was why I felt most inadequate.
I have learned to hate the phrase "never again." Because, quite frankly, it's bullshit. People said it after the Holocaust, and Serbia and Rwanda and Cambodia and even Iraq happened. People repeated the phrase, but look at Sudan, and Congo.
Being born into Western culture is a privilege. We have relatively corruption free elections, heck, we can even not vote if we want. We have free speech. Colleges now have a higher percentage of women in attendance than men. I can go out to eat every day. I can drive a car, on (almost) pot-hole free roads. I can assume buses won't tip over a cliff. I can buy a tv, and I can watch more than one station repeated on 33 channels. I can wear a bikini on the street if I wanted. I can swear at the top of my voice in a mall if I wanted. I can go to a mall. I can curse our president in public. I can start a political party. I can call my congressman and senators and tell them what matters to me. And if they don't listen, I can vote against them. Ice cream is a privilege. Eating meat, or choosing to be a vegetarian, is a privilege. Eating food from your neighbor, and not wondering if it was poisoned, is a privilege.
But despite this privilege, or because of it, I do not have the right to be ignorant. I do not get to ignore the fact that almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. I do not get to ignore trafficking. I do not get to ignore slavery. Or oppression. Or mass rapes. I do not get to ignore genocide.
Part of me wants you to feel guilty. And I'm sure a part of you, if you are still reading, is mad at me. How dare I assume that your life is easy? I don't. I know life is hard. But with great power comes great responsibility.
A friend of mine lost her grandmother this week. And I am so sorry for her loss, because it is a great loss, and I don't discount that. I just ask you to remember Rwanda, who lost a tenth of her population 16 years ago. Everyone of those 800,000 victims were someones Mother. Father. Sister. Brother. Child. Lover. Friend. Neighbor. Grandparent. Godparent. And they didn't just die, they were brutally murdered by their neighbors. I know Americans are more likely to respond to a single person's grief than an entire country's, but think about it today. Consider how fortunate you are and be grateful. Be grateful that you can't even imagine the horror that was here.
I know that I can't imagine what happened. I know I can't imagine the grief still felt. I know that no matter what I do, I can't make it go away or somehow better. All I can do is grade my papers, and go to the vigil tomorrow and lamely say "never again"...
From my window I can see the airport where the president's plane did not land. I can see the stadium where Tutsi's waited in fear, because although it was the UN headquarters, they knew the UN wouldn't save them. I can walk to the Kicukiro College of Technology where the UN left, and as they left the 3,000 people who had taken refuge there were slaughtered. In 100 days, 800,000 people were brutally killed, not in a madness that suddenly overtook a country, but in a perfectly planned genocide.
I remember the nightmares I got when I was writing my thesis, and I knew at the time they were nothing compared to the nightmare lived and relived by millions of people. I think that was why I felt most inadequate.
I have learned to hate the phrase "never again." Because, quite frankly, it's bullshit. People said it after the Holocaust, and Serbia and Rwanda and Cambodia and even Iraq happened. People repeated the phrase, but look at Sudan, and Congo.
Being born into Western culture is a privilege. We have relatively corruption free elections, heck, we can even not vote if we want. We have free speech. Colleges now have a higher percentage of women in attendance than men. I can go out to eat every day. I can drive a car, on (almost) pot-hole free roads. I can assume buses won't tip over a cliff. I can buy a tv, and I can watch more than one station repeated on 33 channels. I can wear a bikini on the street if I wanted. I can swear at the top of my voice in a mall if I wanted. I can go to a mall. I can curse our president in public. I can start a political party. I can call my congressman and senators and tell them what matters to me. And if they don't listen, I can vote against them. Ice cream is a privilege. Eating meat, or choosing to be a vegetarian, is a privilege. Eating food from your neighbor, and not wondering if it was poisoned, is a privilege.
But despite this privilege, or because of it, I do not have the right to be ignorant. I do not get to ignore the fact that almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. I do not get to ignore trafficking. I do not get to ignore slavery. Or oppression. Or mass rapes. I do not get to ignore genocide.
Part of me wants you to feel guilty. And I'm sure a part of you, if you are still reading, is mad at me. How dare I assume that your life is easy? I don't. I know life is hard. But with great power comes great responsibility.
A friend of mine lost her grandmother this week. And I am so sorry for her loss, because it is a great loss, and I don't discount that. I just ask you to remember Rwanda, who lost a tenth of her population 16 years ago. Everyone of those 800,000 victims were someones Mother. Father. Sister. Brother. Child. Lover. Friend. Neighbor. Grandparent. Godparent. And they didn't just die, they were brutally murdered by their neighbors. I know Americans are more likely to respond to a single person's grief than an entire country's, but think about it today. Consider how fortunate you are and be grateful. Be grateful that you can't even imagine the horror that was here.
I know that I can't imagine what happened. I know I can't imagine the grief still felt. I know that no matter what I do, I can't make it go away or somehow better. All I can do is grade my papers, and go to the vigil tomorrow and lamely say "never again"...
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