Light...

... has been spotted at the end of the tunnel! I realized that all I have done is complain since I got here, when I really should look beyond the she*%!

And once I did that, things were not that bad. Amazing what a little bit of prayer, weekend in a heavenly cottage on a volcanic crater, talking to Julie and some sleep can achieve ;-)

People, Arusha is beautiful. You get off that plane and you smell Africa (if such a thing is possible.) Nowhere else have I been where a country's personality hits you in the face from the moment those doors are opened.

It had rained when I arrived. I was accosted by that smell of recent rain on open soil, the buzz of mosquitoes accompanying the crickets and the frogs, the big expanse of sky. It felt right. I was home. And breathing becomes easier - which is weird as I have just come from below sea level to several thousand feet above! My red blood cells were not too pleased after a couple of days. But they will just have to go forth and multiply.

The fur coat came off - YES! I did take it with me to Arusha. I missed it too much in New Orleans. A woman and her coat separated for considerable lengths of time is not a good thing.

At Susan's house, I sat on the veranda, overlooking a huge garden, dotted with Hibiscus flowers, avocado trees, spider plants adding an eerie white border around the newly planted lawn, the smell of jasmin from next door's garden. All intermingling with that smell of rain we all have childhood memories of and sometimes feel may be exaggerated by the nostalgia of youth. Heaven! The sky was huge, the stars within reach. Q: Why is the sky always so much bigger here?

It is wonderful just being able to drive through huge expanse of land, viewing mountains from your veranda, being able to listen daily to the lilt of perfect Swahili, being slightly overwhelmed and humbled by the politeness and graciousness of those around you (in my quest for independence I forgot how nice it is to have someone literally do everything for you! I am still finding it very weird to get used to!)

That evening as I slept (we had talked and talked and ..... Until about 3 am) you could hear the light rain on the lemon tree outside my window and all sorts of wildlife joining in. I wake up every morning to birds singing, a glass of mango juice and freshly ground coffee. What do I really have to complain about? The professional end - well it is only a tiny blip on everything else that this amazing country and Tribunal have to offer.**

**When I start bitching again - remind me to come back to this place! ;-)

Hotel Rwanda

Based on a true story, the film depicts the actions of Paul Rusesabagina, who risked his life to save over a thousand Tutsis and Hutus marked for death during the Rwandan massacre. Using his connections as a four-star hotel manager, Paul cajoles, bribes and blackmails military and government officials in his frantic efforts to rescue over 1200 people. Don Cheadle is fantastic in it as Sophie Okonedo who plays his wife. You may remember seeing her in Dirty Pretty Things. (Tyler - this is where Rwanda is. Click here. (fn.1))

There is a museum close to where our offices are called "Via Via" that also houses a relatively OK restaurant/bar. They were screening it outside, kind of like summer movies in Queen's Square, Bristol. Luckily it was free and therefore both locals and foreigners could attend. It had been raining all day so grass a wee bit wet, but Sigall and I parked infront of the screen, butts on raincoat, southern comforts in ample supply and waited. It then began to rain, getting slightly heavier as if trying to prove a point - no one was moving. Umbrellas came out and we waited. Anyway, man upstairs must have realized that this particular part of the human race was about as stubborn as you could get, and the rain ceased - although the clouds hovered about in a menacing and threatening manner - and the film began. We were soon joined by Susan and another friend of Sigall's, Nazzarena. The atmosphere seemed apt, sitting outside, huddled together in the rain, watching the film unfold.

One aspect that was unnerving was having a celluloid depiction of Bizimungu. His trial is currently on going. Here is his indictment. You must be warned though. It is quite long. The concept of one, maybe two page indictments has not yet reached the international arena. Considering I had read and followed Rutuganda's' trial and subsequent conviction, there is something very real and disturbing having this larger than life visual image of the man in front of you. A lot of the dialogue, scenes, depictions of what happened are what I am reading/read transferred onto celluloid. The film is powerful and provocative. In its indirect and subtle jabs at the west for not intervening, it does not let us forget that the Rwandan genocide was also an unforgivable foreign-relations lapse by Western foreign administration. In addition, that the United Nations reduced its peacekeeping force to 270 men -- for the entire country -- and that Europe turned its collective back as Hutu extremists inflamed bloodlust against the Tutsi minority. We cannot forget that nearly 1 million people were killed in 100 days, the most rapid genocide in history. We cannot forget that many of the victims were hacked to death with machetes. However, this film depicts this genocide without much "emotional grandstanding or easy moralism."

So I cannot sleep. What is it with traveling to beautiful and exotic (fn.2) places and then keeping myself awake by churning everything over and over in my head? ;-) The reason behind this recent bout of insomnia was a question asked of me this morning.... "Would I ever consider death appropriate for the crimes committed by some of those already convicted or currently standing trial."

Emotive question, I know, and one I can usually rise above. However the trouble here was because the question was not simply limited to State sanctioned death. I am ashamed to admit that there have been a few certain and specific times, including in the Hague and in 1995, when I felt the very strong urge to personally erase certain individuals for acts they committed or to cause them severe pain. (fn.3) I did not care how or how irrational the thought process was. And I would play these little cinematic episodes (yes even after the age of 10) in my head of what I would do, and for some incredible reason I always possessed Herculean powers and Jackie Chan skills. (I am kind of assuming that this is "normal." If not, please wait for at least 2 weeks before sending down the men in white coats.)

And now in Arusha - I am faced with the same imagery I was faced with in 1995. Then I think (which is not always a good thing for it takes too long for me to come to any conclusion, and often I never come to one, which results in weeks, if not months of insomnia.) In the Hague, I did not sleep for weeks after reading witness testimonies in Kunarac et al, in New Orleans, debates with one's self kind of took over the hours normally dedicated to resting those brain cells. I suppose that was a a blessing somewhat for it meant very detailed blog entries. ;-) And now, not only am I quite disturbed by some of the material I am reading, but it is creating emotions in me that are not wholly conducive to my abolitionist stance. Arghhhh! I feel like a complete fraud. *

Anyway, for those who have not seen it yet, it is an amazing film. I would urge you to go see it.

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Footnotes

1. And for anyone else over 6 years of age who is not quite sure ;-)

2. Yes, New Orleans counts as "exotic" to an African farm girl!

3. This does not include UN Admin staff or certain male relatives. ;-)

*Alison G - do not worry! I am alright - slightly confused but alright. However if it prompts more photos of your cute little child, who am I to say no???

Patience and an S.O.H.

Courtesy of "Flatmate X" (2005)

There are two very important virtues here. Patience and a sense of humor. Without either one of them, you would seriously contemplate committing GBH.

I have spent the last 2 days checking in! So the above two virtues are very IMPORTANT! I have checked in with literally with every department possible, including building management services (to learn about how this building operates), transport (even though I never will borrow a car!) and staff unions (despite the fact I am not eligible to join a union.) But all almost done. The medical was survived - nice doctor actually and now I only need to learn how to fill in the forms so I can get some stationery. It might help if I could find them, but I am sure that will soon become abundantly clear. I arrived on Saturday evening having had a consultant for a foundation HIV hospital as my "plane buddy." Needless to say that we discussed everything under the sun for a considerable period. I was met by a taxi driver who had my name in orange fluorescent letters. Bless!

Susan's house is ERNOMOUS, beautiful and I discovered that European chic in an African home can actually be tasteful! My bedroom houses a double Zanzibarian bed, complete with net canopy and possibly straight out of "Out of Africa" - colonial implications I know, but please rest at the imagery.... Woke up 12 hours later! Lunched in gorgeous hotel, which unfortunately seems to be an ex-pat drinking hole so will have to be avoided. Missed a seminar that started at 9am that morning but hey as the travel department will confirm - I was not technically here ;-)

I miss New Orleans so much though. Anyway, I digress. .... Sunday was a lazy day. Read a lot - need to catch up FAST! Monday I arrived in work at 8am. Met the President of the Tribunal, Judge Mose, who is lovely. So lovely. Apparently I do not actually possess a portfolio - will soon find out why I am here which should be interesting. I am however officially a "misc!" His words not mine! He is a slight gentleman with a very easy manner. Very accessible, generous with his time, good sense of humor (this comes in very handy as I mentioned before!) and incredibly intelligent. Pictures to come.

The rest of the day was spent tracking down relative "chiefs" of different departments in their relative chiefdoms as they threw about their little "bits of power" in several directions. By 4pm I was screaming - seriously! I wanted to kill. I had just been informed that due to the fact that past staff members had been given an advance on their salary and buggered off without doing a days' work, I could not get an advance unless my section Chief personally guaranteed that he would pay the Tribunal back if I went AWOL! I felt so insulted. So I got my section chief's authorization, at which point I was informed that further enquiries needed to be made re. the bleeding U.N. rules. Yes, an S.O.H. is important. Highly recommended you come with your own and in huge supply!

Then there was Archie! There is always one who will bring sunshine into your life! Now, how bizarre is this:

Week one in New Orleans: a Liberian family takes me under their wing;

Day one in Arusha: a Liberian man takes me under his wing!

Weird, huh?

Archie is approximately 47 years (I would hate to over estimate his age), who is lovely. He gave me a tour of his "fiefdom," offered me a cup of tea and a comfy chair to take the weight off the strappy high heeled sandals I stupidly wore on my first day of work! My feet looked good though. Archie will surely be a blessing. Yes he flirts incessantly and is a charmer but totally harmless and in any case may prove to be good practice for me. I need retraining!

By Monday evening, I was ready for bed at 8pm, stress headache and all, to prepare for another day that would require well honed tracking skills. Climbed into my delicious 4 poster Zanzibarian heaven and was out!

I am here

Finally in Arusha! It has been an experience since day one. Cannot wait to tell you all about it. This place gives new meaning to the term inefficient. One thing that still has me smiling is - they could not send someone to the airport to pick me up because I did not confirm the date I was arriving. This would have been fine, except they booked my ticket!!!! When I pointed this out, they said, I still needed to confirm my arrival date. It was incumbent on the incoming staff member to confirm with the same travel department that booked their non refundable, non transferable, non endorseable ticket, their arrival date. I laughed! What else to do?

Love being in Africa though. Love it. And found Charity too. Will tell you all about her when I get another minute on a computer. Network dies here on a frequent hourly basis so forgive me if I do not post as often as I would like.

Missing New Orleans ALOT!

Karibuni!

This is an experience I look forward to sharing with you. For those who "journeyed" through New Orleans with me, hopefully you will want to experience "Arusha" experience with me too. Yay!

To my new "blog subscribers", as the new kids on the block, I expect frequent feedback ;-) well actually I hope for it, for those currently on the New Orleans blog-roll are "terrible. " Stir...stir....stir...hee hee hee!

This is bound to be a slightly more entertaining journey in my life than New Orleans (if that is possible) considering the bureaucratic nonsense that I have had to deal with already and what I am sure is to come. I might not actually get there for I am supposed to leave on Saturday and they still have not paid for my ticket ;-) Now no offence to the West Africans I love and cherish - but surely, are there no West African men that I can get along with in that place? The ones I have had to deal with are so up their own importance, so incompetent and inefficient that I wonder how the institution they are supposed to be holding together with admin support stays standing. Ha ha ha! We shall see if I get there.

Anyway...Welcome to my very bizarre world....