missing mutzig

it's been just a few days since my return, and it's taking me a bit of time to acclimatize to life outside of africa ...

just barely a week ago i was relishing my last 'day' in rwanda, sipping earthy beer by the pool and enjoying the african sky ... work completed, feeling satisfied!!!

jet lag, regular life, easing back into the routine - it's all good - but no mutzig here - wahhh!

home sweet home

a long trip draws to a close ... and the same is true for a long evening.

upon landing in kenya, i chat with the woman sitting behind me on the plane ... very sweet and interesting!  i call jane, text jc (*code name), and continue on my merry way.  8 hours later i awake to find that we are landing in bruxelles - a good night sleep has been had!  i have breakfast with my new 'swedish' friend, which is a complete treat!  i am delighted to find out that for the final leg of the journey, i have been upgraded to first class, which will take the edge off the eight hour flight home from europe.

i chat with dear debbie from bruxelles, feeling sorry that i didn't get to see her and her gang this weekend.  alas, nice to speak nonetheless, and after purchasing boxes of chocolates for my crew, i take off in style!  fully reclined, drinking champagne, watching tv, i zoom back to new york fairly rested ... it's a gorgeous day, i'm off the plane and through customs instantly; no checked luggage allows me to get into the waiting limousine straight away.

back in woodbury, i get a warm greeting from waiting children who promptly ignore me shortly thereafter - jane arrives, insisting i stay awake despite the time difference; my parents are here too, looking great and enjoying the kids.

another inspiring journey for which i am thankful, but it certainly is great to be back ...

best,

h

the long haul

in congo, one way to success is to invest in toothpaste. if one can somehow finance the investment - that is, the purchase of 12 tubes of crest or colgate, there is money to be made. the young entrepeneur takes said cleansing agent, and offers it for pennies (everything in congo is in dollars) to eager buyers, who extend their toothbrushes for the daily dose that they have just paid for ...

in nigeria, it is possible to get rich off corruption - businessmen in cahoots with crooked government officials scheme to siphon off oil from corporate pipelines. by sending out a flotila of 'fishing boats' manned with skilled divers, one can tap into exxon and mobil's oil flow in smallish quantities, then send the stolen slick into offshore waters, where chinese tankers wait thirstily for the goods.

just about to take off for kenya, finally!!! hoping i make my connection in bruxelles tomorrow, que sera sera!

today turns out to be quite pleasant! a good workout in the gym (inexplicably, every fitness center in rwanda is incredibly well equipped!), a light breakfast, and lounging like a lizard at the pool (yes manda, wearing sunscreen this time!) - no attempt whatsoever to immerse myself in african culture. today, i am an expat!

just to reassure you, people ARE people. some observations from today on rwandans:
*they put ‘floaties’ on their kids when they go into the pool (although how they learn to swim in a landlocked country is beyond me!
*they put up fancy tents here too for weddings (one happening today at my hotel)
*they laugh at the same things westerners do, and boy, do they LOVE to laugh!
*they are diligent and deliberate - in all manners
*they are incredibly clean and proud - spotless dishes, floors, bathrooms, etc. - restaurants too!
*they LOVE clothing - and are fast forward stylish - low slung jeans, pointy shoes, crisp shirts, gold and silver handbags
*the husbands bring cash down to their wives who are sitting by the pools
*the dads are the ones swimming with the kids and ‘teaching’ them
*they have incredible table manners, and they eat their vegetables!
*they can switch back between french, kinyarwanda, english, and swahili with the greatest of ease!
*they are very relaxed - no shrieking parents, hushed tones, and the kids are extremely well behaved
*they are shocked when i relate that i have been married 19 years (to the same woman!) - generally, both men and women finish higher education, work for a few years, and get married in their low to mid ‘30’s
*they enjoy a broad range of ethnic foods in kigali, from great italian, to chinese, to indian!
*they work to live, and don’t live to work
*they mind their own business while still engaging with others
*they are happy that famous westerners are visiting rwanda - ben affleck, jenna bush, bill gates
*they believe (rightly so) that they are an ‘isle’ of civilization and are incredibly unique, compared to their neighbors
*they don’t understand how the genocide happened, and they are not so sure it couldn’t happen again - yikes!
*they have extremely clean nails and hands
*they wear sporty adidas and nike outfits to work out
*they love dancing
*they love ping pong
*they love american music (a foil to native senegalese and congolese music which is popular in other african countries)
*they are fond of their internet access
*the like tall lattés! starbucks, here we come!
*they eat fresh, not frozen
*they despise government corruption, which is NOT endemic in this land
*they don't smoke and they rarely drink

an interesting, if too-long adventure comes to an end - ready for home!!!

amour d’afrique,

h

how green is my valley

thinking that today i would be leaving for nairobi and bruxelles, i relish my last day in africa ... a leisurely breakfast on the terrace overlooking the lake! a long chat with oscar and alain about the political situation in neighboring congo, the internal situation here in rwanda, and the purpose of the UN forces (peacekeeping, but what peace ARE they keeping?). oscar, the manager, explains how being raised in congo means receiving a single cow eight days after birth - this animal ‘brings’ others during it’s lifetime, resulting in a much larger herd which serves as a ‘bank account’. when one travels, they sell a cow to finance the trip. for university, a couple of cows are sacrificed for the good of higher education. sure beats a trust fund!

at the guest house where we stay, there must be twenty people servicing the four large apartments. workers come and go, bringing coffee, wiping terraces, opening gates - quite a contrast to the skeletal staff at any hampton inn, where a sole individual seems to man the night shift!

we begin the drive back to kigali, as i need to review some drawings at the architecture office prior to taking off. the countryside continues to astound me - it is green, lush, and terraces, and truly looks like hawai’i. it’s a gorgeous day and a glorious drive - many people walking along the side of the road, women balancing baskets, sugar cane, and twigs on their heads with nary a hand to help them. the men, on the other hand, stroll along at their own pace, chatting or riding their bikes (whose ownership gives them elevated social status). as we zip through small villages, we see large clumps of people hanging out, standing still, just not moving.

we make it back to kigali mid-afternoon, and when we arrive at the offices, we are joined by fred, the contractor for our project. he queries about my schedule, and asks if i’m flying SN tonight ... my affirmative response is rebuffed - the flight has been canceled i’m told. no!!!

unfortunately, my dear friend speaks the truth ... the plane is not coming from bruxelles, and alain helps me scramble over to the town office of the airline. they rebook my on an improvised flight for tomorrow evening, much to my chagrin, and refuse to put me up for the night at the serena. they propose the milles collines (the hotel of ‘hotel rwanda’ fame) ... the carpets in the rooms have not been cleaned since the genocide, so i pass and opt for the also-offered novotel.

i will now miss seeing my close friends in belgium, will be forced to spend an extra nonproductive day in kigali, and will have to run to make my connection on monday to get back to new york in time to bake marlee’s birthday cake (the big day is tuesday!). not to mention i will be traveling straight from kigali to nairobi to bruxelles to new york - 22 hours!

time for a quick bite and a whole lot of mutzig!!!

h

go jump in the lake

today i am treated to a mini-break. i leave my home for the past week, the serena (and how serene it is!) to travel east with my friend alain to gisenyi - a 'resort' town on the shores of lake kivu, directly on the border with the scariest and most tense part of congo.

we weave through the countryside which links kigali to this part of the interior - and pass through more of the terraced, steep hills which define this land. the colors are vivid and eye popping, as are the throngs of people in each town - it is market day today. alain and i discuss the genocide, which seems more incredible and incomprehensible the more we talk. why did it happen? how could it happen? could it happen again?!

we arrive to lake kivu, which looks like an african version of lugano, switzerland. it is a huge lake with high hills around it, and a lovely if somewhat neglected corniche. we make our way past the villas, ending up literally at the congo border - it is wierd and frightening to think of what is happening on the other side of the post. we turn around, and find kiki's apart-hotel a few steps away - it is a newly constructed property, and we have been offered a three-bedroom, four bath apartment overlooking the water. it's lovely, with all of the finest accoutrements, and we relax on the terrace before heading out for a lunch along the shore. we dine on tilapia and mutzig, and pass a relaxing afternoon staring at the water.

we return to the rooms, and i actually nap while alain visits family. i enjoy a bit of television from congo - basically, a series of long commercials, which really are a gas. in the most memorable, a band of three young men burst into song - reggae married to hip-hop, and go around to various 'fictional' characters in distress, singing about their products and offering hope. it is hysterical, particularly when the product placement finds the recipients of their benevolence grinning in thanks!

we hang out, read the paper, and listen to the extraordinarily loud christmas carols being sung by the children of the family occupying the apartment next to ours. mercifully, i am armed with xanax, ear plugs, and eye patches for sleep tonight! convoys of trucks from ngo's crossing into congo pass us - medecins sans frontieres and the like - to help with the throngs of people just over the border who are in distress.

later in the evening, we go the the serena in this town, the only other in rwanda owned by the south african hoteliers. the hotel is really spiffy, and we have dinner on the terrace, complete with music and dance enacted by a troop of intore performers. it's quite superb! suddenly, a huge rain looms and appears, replete with thunder and intense lightening crackling against the huge lake. we move indoors, and end up meeting the brother of eric, who works at the architecture office in kigali - we know this as they look and sound practically identical! moments later, we bump into the manager of bourbon coffee, at who's establishment we dined last night before sifa flew off to belgium. rwanda is a VERY small country!

tomorrow is my last day in africa before scurrying back to belgium to see debbie and dino and gang (if we can arrange it) or paris - not sure yet. it will be a long night tomorrow, so i'm off to bed to get some rest ...

shabbat shalom!

h

'allo, dear chap!

from today's new times, kigali:

one evening, bayingana had his supper while watching the english news on rwandan television; little did he know that he was watching his beautiful sony for the last time. the next day, he was up at 6 am, and to his dismay a window-like hole had been created on his wall. he must have begged g-d to turn it into a dream but everything was real. "so, this is how i've been paid for the hard earned savings that enable me to get all these super machines", he thought. a hand must have been borrowed from an engineer because they had tools and expertise which helped them put his house wall apart. and that's the last time his living room heard of the screen, dvd player, and decoder.

the scenario taught bayingana something so true about a section of our police. my dear friend always heaped praise upon our police force; you would think these guys walk on water and have a direct line to g-d. they got his emergency call and the best help he parted was being told to take pictures of the scene as if every citizen of rwanda is meant to have a camera. this is ample negligence enough to let bin laden smoke at one of teh c.i.a. headquarters' balcony.

say, wah?

i am continuously struck at the formality of rwandans, and by conjecture, sub-saharan africa. there is a manner of speaking which belies the informality of any given situation - people are friendly and physically affectionate, and yet they converse rather oddly in this way. people are most often smiling broadly and warmly, and i assume that perhaps this idiosyncrasy is the result of a long period of colonization. it is evident in both the french speaking people who have 'come back' from congo (belgian) as well as in the english speaking residents who have returned from uganda or kenya (british).

at any rate, it is quite endearing and actually extremely pleasant to listen to - particularly coming from america where slang is de rigeur, and there is little or no emphasis placed on grammar or pronunciation.

my work is pretty much done here for now, so tomorrow i leave for a 36 hour mini-break, where i hope to recharge my batteries. last round of samosas and mutzig beer are enjoyed in my room while packing, and tomorrow brings my last breakfast on the terrace overlooking the garden ... goodbye summer, hello winter -

h

good times, ain't we lucky we got 'em!

from today's new times article, 'how to increase sales this christmas':

now that christmas is underway, you need to get the best profits out of your business. end of year parties are thrown with bonuses for best performers as well as remunerations for other employees. so they seem to have just enough money to meet the exorbitant bills. one of the reasons as to why you are in business is basically to make profits; but how can one get profits this season amidst cutthroat competition?!

probably not the best choice of words, but i digress.

another long day in rwanda, where the sun goes down long before the work is ever done! fear not, we have made progress - yes hillary, it really DOES take a village!

amongst other things i do today, i have the opportunity to meet the minister of youth, sports, and culture - the political attaché for our project. we visit him at his office, at the football stadium, to get some papers signed. his administrative assistant, alice, is a bright and lovely young lady, who sports a fashionable bustier top over flared pantaloons and heels. her hair is braided back and astonishingly reemerges as a thelma evans' mystical pom pom bun (jj's sister on good times) - extremely flattering and stylish!

did you know:
1. many men in rwanda are named desiré?
2. the rwandan handshake comes at you like a left hook, grabbing you squarely and swiftly at the palm of your hand?
3. rwanda has more female parliamentarians than any other country in the world?
4. rwanda is the most densely populated country in africa? (i don't believe that one either!)
5. this country was colonized initially by the germans, and then by the belgians?
6. that dian fossey, the gorilla scientist, died here in 1985?
7. the vast majority of the people are either roman catholic or protestant?
8. the twa are a native pygmy people and were the first ethnic group to settle here?
9. the most distant source of the nile river is in southern rwanda?
10. it is currently summer here, as we are 2º south of the equator?
11. they play a muzak version of the song 'sweet life (it's the only life i know)' on a continuous loop tape 24 hours a day in the lobby of my hotel, thereby rendering all inhabitants temporarily insane?!

a quick update - we have almost concluded with design for the village - it is incredibly laborious, requiring hours and hours of intensive work, but we are actually getting there! we have nicknamed the major pedestrian path between the residential and scholastic zone the 'mustache' in honor of it's curvilinear shape which mimics my own recent facial hair. school, library, dining, visitors' area, homes for 500, landscape, and support - very broad indeed. we will conclude tomorrow, when part of the team will fly back to the u.s. and italy. i will stay through saturday, visiting the lakeside resort of gisenyi on the border with congo, before returning to europe.

hope you're all well, wishing you a great holiday season and happy travels if you're hitting the road ... hariko, whatever that means (heard it a lot today!) -

h

come fly with me

from today's new times, editorial section:

if the kinyarwanda culture is legendary the world over for anything, it is for the intore dance, the one in which striking female dancers fully clad in traditional shawls, bare-chested men strapped across the chest and back, wearing ‘manes’ made from a special tree, doing flying bird-like movements, blissfully, and perhaps appropriately referred to as the traditional ballet.

women and men of all shapes and sizes, heights and classes suddenly move their bodies in a fluid-like pattern that has no particular consistency except for the amazing rhythmic correlation.

you will think all rwandese have been bred and trained in the art of performing this dance from childhood.

i was pleasantly surprised to learn that the outstretched arms and the extended skirts simulate the shape of the long curved horns of ‘ankole’ cattle and the flapping of elephant ears (from a new york times article of all places).

rwandans love their cattle, and for a man to tell the woman he fancies that she resembles a cow ''is very, very nice,'' says one leonia uwimana. in fact, when you curiously observe the men’s hands movement, they actually take from the movements of the cattle’s front limbs, doing a slow walk before turning awkwardly but beautifully in a different direction just like a bull that has suddenly been jerked away from its peaceful munching of juicy green pasture.

it will then gallop away, the pairs of hind and front legs leaving or landing on the ground concurrently.

this morning i had a funny encounter on my way to an eleven hour day at the office of the architects, here in kigali. as i was getting picked up at the lobby, i waited patiently for my lift. one of the two doormen (my friends!) side stepped up to me and whispered something to me. i didn't quite get him and told him so in french; he tried again in english, and again i was stumped by his low tone and (cultured east african) accent. finally, rather sheepishly but firmly, he pleaded: 'sir, you have left your fly unzipped!'. i flushed red and actually laughed hysterically, it was so ridiculously funny! a great way to start the day.

it is an interesting thing, volunteering one's time towards an altruistic effort in east africa. firstly, you quickly realize you are not alone. there are literally tons of people, agencies, and organizations working on the ground in rwanda. remember, the genocide here happened almost fourteen years ago. and although, as a westerner, it's easy to dismiss this and other 'developing' countries as impoverished, it's not quite a fully accurate account. it is true that this country has experienced incredible turmoil since that time - many survivors did leave, and other 'rwandans' by lineage came 'back' for the first time, making a new life in their recently liberated homeland.

but being here one is struck by the fact that as a westerner, you can move about freely and on your own, with security and safety - even at night. this is in stark contrast to the events that define rwanda today of course.

so now the west lends a helping hand, perhaps in part as a way of atoning for mistakes of the past. and although i may feel as if i am the only one coming to this part of the world, doing what i'm doing, i'm in fact not special or unique at all in this regard. there are so many people doing the same thing, it is incredible. building orphanages, schools, medical clinics. and you wonder about all of this - are they selfless? do they have an agenda? are they opportunistic? or are they here to inspire, to lead, to redefine 'success'.

it's all very humbling indeed, and at the same time very enriching on a personal level. perhaps i am 'getting back' more than i'm giving ...

h

18,000 trees

from the new times sport section today:

saturday results: burundi 0-0 tanzania; ethiopia 0-0 sudan

tanzania's kilmanjaro stars are up for a busy task as they face sudan in the quarter finals of the cecafa senior challenge cup at the national stadium dar es salaam, tanzania. a slim 10-1 win over somalia on wednesday as well as a goalless draw against burundi on saturday provoked local fans here to lose hope.

sudan didn't perform as expected as it earned its points from draws against ethiopia and zanzibar. ethiopia had lost it fixtures against zanzibar 2-3 on thursday, following djibouti and somalia in the exit chamber. eritrea is the only surviving team from the horn of africa.

hmmm ... wonder why sudan is so distracted these days?

once again, i am unable to sleep at a normal hour - ugghhh! despite feeling zonked, i work out in the wee hours of the morning, and enjoy an early sumptuous breakfast on the terrace in the hot african sun. my roasted tomatoes with cheese are back - oh, the simple joys of life. piping hot rwandan coffee sends me on my way!

we go to the site today - finally - after rendezvous-ing with the team at the contractor's office to review and approve samples. once again, we seem to be only talking about toilets and the price of cement (how many times can i hear that it's going up - i have my own problems!) ... but it is all very convivial and helpful, and our convoy speeds away. we wind through the hills - the countryside is spectacular, as the 'light' rainy season has just ended, and everything is green(er) than july. we weave through magnificent vistas, looking down into deep valleys - like driving in vermont, but with bananas (everywhere!) and statuesque african women in their multi colored print dresses.

we arrive to the huge construction zone, the future home of the agahozo shalom youth village - incredible. what was once just two large hills separated by a valley with views to burundi is now taking shape as a real, habitable place! there are 350 workers on site - making foundations, laying masonry, making blocks on site - it's amazing. there are workers quarters, a canteen, an office, and people everywhere. suddenly, homes for 524 orphans are rising!

we tour the site, making decisions whilst deciding what it is that is still undecided - basically, planning out our work for the next few days. there are lots of things to address, and we move in a pack, driving the entire site first, then walking to the key locations - the central plaza, the school, the library ... amazing!

it is 80º and sunny, a spectacular day, and we look beyond to the terraced fields that lie beyond. suddenly, the mayor and governor arrive, and we all mobilize to greet them! they hold the key to making the village's realization 'smooth', and have popped by just to say hello. the governor, a genial man with all the accoutrements - pierre carden shirt, prada glasses, latest mobile phone, etc. has us all sit at a makeshift conference table in the construction office. he has come to let us know that the prefect is donating 18,000 trees to the effort, including the actual planting of the species (mango, eucalyptus, etc.) - amazing!

this is an incredible thing, particularly since the site feels denuded by the work going on. and not only is this a politically positive development, it is also layered with meaning ... the number 18 - chai in hebrew, which means life - perfectly suited to a village housing children who survived the genocide here. the gift of trees - green both in color and earthly attitude - giving life and oxygen. upward growth - the children - and sustainability for this fractured country. we are delighted!

but there's still lots to be done, so we head back to kigali in the mid-afternoon, for a meeting and a bite. i'm totally exhausted - from lack of sleep! additionally, i discover that i am incredibly sunburned, not having thought of the need for sunscreen before i left this morning - duhh. hot equatorial sun on in open area - feeling better though.

after the pow-wow, i hop into town, and snake my way through the market - it's dusk and gorgeous! no one smokes here, and they're constantly sweeping the streets, so it is not overwhelming in that sense. everyone is out and it's hopping - and is everything that you would think of, if you were to think of a sub-saharan bazaar. incredible, and i score a pair of funky rwandan boots - the standard issue item here - for a great price!

back at the serena, i grab a quick bite, a mutzig draft beer, and it's time for zzzzzzz's - good night all!

h

you wand'a new suit?

from an article in today's new times titled 'men equally should replenish wardbrobes':

tweed is a very heavy wool fabric. today, tweed suits are popular in rwanda, because of a permanent chill in the air (did i miss something?). the average wearer of tweed (again, did i miss something?) is more mature if you get the meaning. stay away from tweed, especially if you are packing a few extra pounds (or packing heat). tweed is not a larger man's friend.

okay, you look at linen and you think of hanging out at the beach (rwanda is landlocked) or clubbing. and you probably enjoy that leisurely walk with your pants rolled up a touch. stop dreaming! as a fabric goes, linen wrinkles quickly, stains, and doesn't wear well. it is not acceptable for a suit, unless you really are one of the lucky few that actually do live on a beach in a tropical place like mombasa.

just being here is a trip!

oh, to be back, roaming the streets of kigali. the slight smell of charcoal in the air, the milles collines (thousand hills), the gentle people (except for those watching the manchester united/liverpool football match - oh, the screaming!) ... all a sight for sore eyes!

a bright sunny day and breakfast with my colleague sifa - she disdains all offers of food, whilst i eat for two - rwandan cheeses, fresh baked scones, whole yogurt, honey from 'upcountry', and delicious local roast french press coffee - a great way to start the day! we head off with alain on this glorious morning, thinking that this is a whole lot better than the wintry weather of the northeast ... birds chirping, 78º and sunny!

we loop around kigali, through the minority muslim quarter, along a road built by qaddafi, to the bourgeois neighborhood with it's own mcmansions, and onto a residential area filled with bougainvillea and villas peaking through stone walls. very civilized. we enjoy a lunch on the terrace of soleluna, an italian eatery with a large, wood burning oven that turns out the most tasty thin crust pizzas ... divine!

back to the kigali international airport to pick up manlio, our jdc associate, who is flying in from addis ababa, ethiopia to participate in this week's efforts. we bump into kiki, le grand patron of the architecture firm here - fetching a friend in for his sister's wedding - and stumble upon p-diddy lookalike (his driver, who almost plunged us off of a number of hillsides during my last visit, careening around corners at hundreds of kilometers per hour - yikes!).

we collect manlio (roman), no worse for the wear, a long flight with a stop in entebbe (en-ticing!). we arrive back at the hotel mid-afternoon, and quickly convene on the terrace for tea and talks. we are joined thereafter by erik, our newest addition, an expat from bruxelles who will assist with technical details. so at the table we are canadian, american, italian, belgian, rwandan - our own UN.

we finish up in anticipation of tomorrow's long day - visiting the site for the project in rwamagana with the entire extended construction team - should be exciting (especially as i'm not driving with the aforementioned p-diddy). can't wait to see the progress! manlio and i have a bite of dinner later on, swapping travel stories and anecdotes about our sephardic wives (his is egyptian), and i stumble upstairs ... almost bedtime, hoping i can get to sleep before 2 am tonight (a goal which has eluded me to date on this journey!).

i will be wearing neither tweed or linen tomorrow!

welcome back, kotter

warden message
kigali, rwanda
14 december 2007

the u.s. embassy hereby informs american citizens in rwanda that all non-essential travel to the province of north kivu, democratic republic of congo (drc) should be deferred until further notice.

according to media reports, as well as information provided by the UN mission in congo (MONUC) and the u.s. embassy representative in goma, the armed forces of the democratic republic of the congo (FARDC) stepped up military action against general laurent nkunda and his forces, using helicopter gunships and heavy artillery in the area of mushake on 04 december. nkunda loyalists are moving from kabati and kilolirwe towards kichanda and further north. movements of forces on both sides, build-up of government troops, and continued clashes are expected. numerous civilians are fleeing the region.

american citizens in rwanda who are considering traveling into the DRC are advised to closely monitor local and international news from reliable sources for updated reports. radio okapi broadcasts in french on 103.5 fm at 0700, 0800, 1200 and 1800 as well as flash broadcasts throughout the day. english language news can be found on BBC at 92.6 FM.

additionally, american citizens are urged to review and update their personal and professional emergency plans, and take necessary precautions to avoid being caught in dangerous situations.

i guess we're not in brooklyn anymore!

taken from the lovely and non-threatening email i receive late last evening in belgium, regarding the area in western rwanda where i will be spending next weekend before returning home. how nice! how relaxing! how will i make it back in one piece!

i am back in kigali, rwanda - feeling like i never left!

i’m up early in bruxelles, quickly enjoying a yummy european breakfast (cheese!!!). i am the only one in the gym, go figure, as it is pitch black outside (7 am, but in reality it is still dark at 8:30 in the morning!). as i’m traveling light, i quickly shower and presto, change-o, i’m packed up and checked out.

i cross the footpath to the airport, say a quick hi to debbie via phone, and i’m set to go ... brussels airlines flight to nairobi, which drops me in kigali on the way (thanks!). despite my vehement protests, my tiny carry-on bag is wrestled from my arms - too heavy i’m told, at a whopping 13 kilograms (they only allow 10 kg per passenger in the cabin during the holiday season, for fear of the probable overloading which would otherwise occur!). so now i am really traveling light ...

a flyover of strange proportions ... belgium, luxembourg, france, germany, switzerland (snow-capped alps, not even looking real!), italy, and out over the azul mediterranean ...

we cross into africa, not at egypt (as in the summer) but rather directly over tripoli, libya. a bit further south and we’re over the sahara, perfectly clear with sand dunes and all - gorgeous afternoon light, no roads or signs of civilization visible below. we fly onto chad, a bit further west of darfur, over a giant meteoric crater, and huge red outcrops appear - then they’re gone, and so are we ... central african republic (did you know this country existed?), through democratic republic of congo (see above!) and into rwanda ... home.

it's great to be back ... alain and sifa are there with big smiles to greet me, and we immediately fall back into familiar ways, laughing, talking about african politics, ngo's, the united nations, etc.. i blink and we're at the serena, kigali's fancy hotel, where as it turns out there is the big celebration of kiki's sister's wedding (kiki is the lead architect in rwanda responsible for our project).

i check in quickly, have a brief chat with jane, who is having 'tea with the girls', and scurry downstairs for a big draft beer, lamb and vegetarian samosas, and some lively banter with sifa on the terrace by the pool.

upstairs in my familiar surroundings, i unpack and prepare for tomorrow - it's late, well past midnight, time to turn in ...

as they say, kisses from kigali!

h

bonjour from bruxelles!

despite yesterday’s dire warnings of the hail, sleet, and snow (‘the sky is falling’) i make my way to europe. a day of controlled chaos - marlee with a fever home from school, no bags packed, on and off impending ice storms - and then the car service arrives at the house. a gigantic stretch limo at that, putting fifteen feet between me and the driver! we make it to jfk in somewhat record time, i check in at the near empty medallion lounge and pass through this elite security area unscathed, leaving me hours and hours to call at the delta crowne room (wine, wine, and more wine!).

a two hour delay and half a xanax later, we are airborne - i am blocked with eye shades and ear plugs, and resolutely occupy three seats, turning them into my own flat bed (eat your heart out, emirates!). so all in all, i manage to eek out a good night of sleep - landing in belgium one hour behind schedule. off i stroll, with trusty carry-on bag, checking in for tomorrow’s kigali flight rather quickly.

the hotel is in the airport, another quick lift up to my soundproofed room, a super hot shower, and i am on my way to antwerp to meet debbie’s sister karen. we find each other in this super hip port city - very funky - and head to the ‘bourse’ - the diamond exchange. there are more lubavitch jews here than at the lower east side! on bikes, walking, with kids - moving furtively about! we pass through security at the diamond center, and karen (keke) seems to know everyone! so funny, this shtetl! she takes me to the old-fashioned ‘jewish’ restaurant there, where the merchants have lunch, as a kick (think katz’s deli) ... it’s great - soup with knedlach, lox, egg salads, beets - all served up in that post ‘50’s glam that we associate with this type of eatery.

then we do the grand tour - the huge new yohji yamamoto shop, dries van noten, ann demeulemeester, and see fabulous home design shops, bookstores, and other modern purveyors of goods (chocolate!). we stop for a mid-afternoon drink, do some more shopping, and head back to her and phillipe’s home to meet their three gorgeous and sweet kids ...

debbie’s father comes to collect me and brings me to the lieber residence - a pearl of contemporary architecture with clean lines, glass, gardens, impeccable furniture, and other ‘moments’ which exhibit their exquisite taste and passion for quality design. this is the forum for a wonderful shabbat dinner, prepared by debbie’s mother, as debbie and dino and the kids arrive from bruxelles, along with debbie's brother and his family - all so warm, welcoming, and interesting! it is easy to understand how debbie is, knowing that she comes from such stock.

a truly special and unique night at home with the family lessens the distance to my own crew, back in new york - missing them but comforted by this evening’s festivities! we make our way back to bruxelles after a short car ride, and i bid farewell to my dear belgian friends ...

tomorrow, rwanda!