Work Work Work

Mwiriwe!

Sorry for not writing sooner, but we have been very busy with our lab samples! We have had 3 rain events now and are up to our elbows in labwork. We have a lab setup in our room, complete with microbial testing, an incubator, pH and conductivity testing, and all of our field samples. It is quite the setup, but it is working well.

The children here have been absolutely wonderful. Although they are covered in snot and constantly coughing, they are very sweet and display their bright smiles and waving hands when we pass. Bernie and I have both been trying to get involved in the culture and are learning to play with some of the children's toys and to balance things on our heads (I carried a wooden chair on my head the other day).

Our Kinyarwanda is improving in leaps and bounds thanks to the guards at our house. One speaks enough English to form full sentences and the other knows only a few words. With the help of our dictionary we have learned quite a lot from them.

Last night Karisoke Research Center had a party for some of its staff that were leaving and for the party they hired Rwandan dancers (who were formerly orphans living on the street). They danced traditional dances in costume, it was amazing. I have a short video clip to share when we get home.

We are planning day-by-day, depending on the imvura (rain), so we do not know what our plans are. This weekend we might travel to Butare (in the South) to see something different.

Hope all is well at home!

Love,
Kelly and Bernie