June Pics

Here are some pictures from my Sony Cybershot.  We've become accustomed to the 'unexpected' now.  That means that we can live more normal lives here and enjoy the fantastic warm weather and increasing sunshine...no more heavy rains.

This was my birthday dinner at an outdoor Indian restaurant.  Zain arranged for the staff to bring a surprise 'cake' made of fresh fruit, ice cream, and tea light candles.  They sang Happy Birthday to me with recorded music coming from the music system.

 Zeena (right), our student (business)/housekeeper/personal shopper, buying mangos for us at the Kirimonko market. She is a tough negotiator!  

Piles of legumes at the Kirimonko Market.

The open air part of the Kirimonko Market.  

Zeena (right) wearing the new glasses that I bought for her.

Zain and I at the Genocide Memorial Centre.  Very impressive and thought-provoking exhibition of pictures, quotes, commentary, human bones including skulls, and clothing from that period.  The point was that genocide has occurred in other places at other times and must be recognized as such and be prevented in the future.  The message about blame boiled down to the individual conscience.  This country has young adults like Zeena and Ezekial who both lost their parents 18 years ago.  We have observed the void in their lives especially since with dignity and appreciation, they have adopted us as parents!  We don't mind because all they look for is human kindness. They have remained good people despite their struggles in a country where there are so many like them including those who as children lost not only family but legs and arms.  The genocide was a man-made, racist mania instigated by a few very bad people who manipulated others using mass media including radio.  They controlled missiles and arms provided by the French government at the time.  At this site, there are 250,000 unknown people buried in a mass grave.  It's estimated that close to a million people were killed.

Visiting the Hotel de Mille Colline formerly Hotel Rwanda.  This is my favourite painting with the blue baskets raised to the blue sky.   By the way, this is my natural African sun tan!

The Hotel de Mille Collines (Hotel of a Thousand Hills) has that "boxy" look from the 1970's similar to our home in Toronto.  This lobby has been decorated recently with a French flair e.g. black velvet drapes for the  meeting room to the rear, wall paper on the two pillars beside me.