Settling in

Tuesday morning, Day 2 in Kigali

Slowly but a little bit surely I'm settling in. What has proved to be most difficult so far hasn't been difficult situations or unfriendly or hostile people. In fact, everyone has been very friendly and helpful. The most unsettling thing for me is little hassles and struggles with the unfamiliar. It took a while before I learned where in the hotel the antenna broadcasts enough power so that I have internet access. It is in the cafe downstairs in the hotel, not in my room. So much for my hopes of privacy. I was expecting to pay with credit cards, but most places take cash only. fortunately I brought enough cash to be able to take the hotel room.

So many little things I have to learn how to do. How much of a tip to leave, and to whom? Which is the hot and which is the cold water? I almost scalded myself till I got it. How to fasten mosquito net to the bed. You get the idea.

In my multiculti class I talk about culture as "the way people do things," or better "the taken for granted way that people do things." In that sense, I'm having culture shock. All the ways that I had learned to do things, all my habits that define me, are no longer operative. And I feel it.

I'm accomplishing things, despite the hassles, though.
I had a very good talk with jean baptiste about forgiveness. I heard his story first hand, and it is a totally amazing story. He seems to have been freed from negativity and hatred. Some people who hear the story think it is denial or repression, but it doesn't feel like that. It feels like a spiritual transformation. I'm going to tape it, so those of you who want to can listen to it.

We also planned a collaboration between him and his people and me and my yeshiva resources, working on collecting and analyzing forgiveness stories.

I had two other meetings yesterday, both of them promising.

I met with Dr. Chantal Murakatete who works in a Rwandan clinic who put me in touch with a local rwandan psychiatrist, the rwandan psychiatrist, whom I will meet and discuss things with.

I also met a Dr. Paul Rusiyame (sp not exactly right) who is head of CCM at the national university, who was very welcoming about my sabbatical, and gave me some leads about setting up a connection between yeshiva and the national university.

Again, more to follow.