Care package dinner

I really enjoy cooking for groups of friends, and, as I found out recently, have developed something of a reputation for doing so, particularly on the holidays.

Tonight was no holiday, but I still decided to invite a few people over for dinner and was particularly excited to do so since I had received a care package earlier in the week that was filled with delicious foodstuffs - drink mix, instant sauces, spices, packets of flavored mashed potatoes and rice, salad dressings, chocolates, tuna, and so much more. So tonight for dinner I was able to make things I'd never been able to make in Rwanda - pasta with pesto sauce, Parmesan-crusted tilapia, salad with real salad dressing, peach tea and, for dessert, banana fritters with chocolate sauce. I'm pretty sure we all overate our share, but it sure was delicious!
(Thank you, Nicole, for making this possible!!)

Sunflowers

I made it back to Rwanda just in time to catch the last of the sunflowers that grew out of the seeds I planted a few months ago. I'm so excited that they actually bloomed!

Gisenyi and the Jungle Party

My first weekend back in Rwanda was a little hectic, but so nice. I arrived at the airport on Saturday morning, was picked up by a friend, dropped my bags at another friend's house, got back in the car to go to Gisenyi, a small town in northwest Rwanda on the shores of Lake Kivu. It took about three hours to drive to Gisenyi (I slept for almost all of it since my flight had left from Lusaka at 2:35 in the morning) so we arrived around lunchtime and headed straight to the beach, where we spent the afternoon swimming, laying in the sun and relaxing.
That night was the 'Jungle Party', a monthly event of live music, dancing and bonfires on the beach at the upscale Kivu Sun Hotel. Three different east African groups performed before the main group of the night, a Jamaican duo called 'Brick and Lace', took the stage. By the time they performed their biggest hit 'Love is Wicked', there were probably a thousand people crowded onto the beach to watch.
Even though I was absolutely exhausted by the end of the night, it was so nice to be back in Rwanda with good friends, familiar places and great entertainment.

Ideas are powerful

A friend from Zambia recently told me that Andy Stanley of North Point Ministries in the Atlanta area spent some time in Rwanda this summer and recently spoke about his experiences and impressions of the country. I found his speech/sermon online and listened to it this morning. His assessment of modern Rwanda in the wake of the 1994 genocide is both accurate and powerful. If you have a few minutes, I would recommend having a listen here.

Best donuts ever

I have found the best donuts in the world. I am not exaggerating. They come from the Emmasdale Market, a tiny shop just about a block away from ZEHRP. In the very back of the right side of the store is a glass counter behind which fresh, warm donuts wait to be eaten. There are different varieties - twisted, chocolate, glazed - but the best ones are the "cream" filled that contain a delicious mixture of melted butter and sugar. It is a very, very good thing I didn't discover these until my last week in Lusaka. Otherwise I'm pretty sure I would have gained at least 10 kilos from eating at least one every day!