First Impressions:

• Brad & Kiki are awesome (my brother and sister-in-law). They've taken great care of me and made me feel at home. If I move out, I might starve to death. Cooking is not my forte.
• My neices Oliviana and Grace are super cute. I enjoy counting with Oliviana. It goes something like this - one, two, six, two, six, one. But six is beginning to sound more like three every day.
  
• The Rwandans have been very welcoming and hospitable. I look forward to getting to know the teachers and other YFC staff. I'm a big hit with the students - they love to stare, point, laugh, and say, "Bonjur", to which I reply, "Hello", and they laugh some more.
  
• It's really dry and dusty. Apparently, this is one of the driest dry seasons they've had for awhile. I've decided a layer of dust complements my skin tone quite nicely.
• Kibagabaga is a fun word. That's the hill we live on.
  
• Motos are fun, but I should have packed a helmet! I took a moto down the hill to get a phone and enjoy a cup of coffee with my new friend, Charlotte. The driver was very safe, but the communal helmet was way too big and the chin strap was tied together so that it could not be adjusted. No worries though - I held it on with one hand while using the other to keep my skirt from blowing up and revealing my knees. That may have been scandelous to all the onlookers.
  
• Kigali is a different city than it was a few years ago - it's expanded tremendously, a skyscrapper is being built, and it's much more westernized. I hear a lot more English (actually, it's more EngRish) around town, see a lot more jeans and women with braided hair, and even hear American music - the hardware store was playing some R&B and the grocery store was playing some top 40.
• For a mere 12,000 francs, I can buy a box of sugar smacks - that's around $21 USD. Instead I'm opting for the very cheap Whetabex. It's like oatmeal, only made with wheat instead of oats.
  
• Rice and beans are not so bad. We eat them every day for lunch with some cabbage and potatoes. It's especially good with seasoning salt, BBQ sauce, or super hot sauce called Pele Pele. I cleared out my sinuses today with a few too many drops of Pele Pele.
• I love dinner - that's when Kiki fixes a non-Rwandan meal.
  
• I love shower days, but showering everyday is really not necessary - spit baths on the off days work just fine. I already smell better than everyone I meet - it must be my natural phermones!
  
• The hills are really big and covered with several inches of dust (only a handful of the main roads are paved). I'm not sure I'll make it up the hill from our house driving a standard - luckily though, I'd have to roll back pretty far to hit the house below the road.
  
• I like having a dog and wouldn't mind having a cat. They eat or at least kill all the creatures that I'm not too fond of, like snakes and rats.