Random thoughts for the week:

1. Most 13 year old girls are drama queens regardless of culture or native language. Theory is now officially law.

2. I hate teaching grammar with the passion of a thousand firey suns. Note: I speak English. This is not the same as being able to teach English.

3. I made grilled cheese today. I think it was the best thing I’ve tasted in weeks. Besides Kim’s birthday cake, of course.

4. Yesterday, I learned that one of my Senior 1 students escaped the boarding school, made it all the way to Kigali, and is now claiming she saw a holy apparition that told her to break school policy and leave unannounced. See #1.

5. A few of my Senior 2 girls like to fake being sick to get out of school work. They’re magically cured around 4:30 every day. Again: See #1

6. Generally, I love my students. No, really.

7. Unlike my fellow volunteers, I’ve successfully avoided the mattress fleas and the poison ivy-like skin rash that makes you look like you’re mutating into Mystique. Yeah, probably just jinxed myself.

8. Howl by the band Empires should have been the soundtrack for the Sookie Stackhouse books. Just saying.

9. But just to reaffirm where I stand: Buffy Summers > Sookie Stackhouse > Bella Swan.

10. Being mocked for my existence gets old. I’m learning to deal, though. Note: Yes, the muzungu needs to buy potatoes just like the rest of the human population. Yes, the muzungu does her own laundry and cooks her own food. Deal.

11. I had a conversation with the teachers at my school about cohabitation before marriage being a personal choice in The States. It went as well as you can imagine. Won’t open that can of worms ever again.

12. My students think it’s absolutely hilarious when I say anything in Kinyarwanda. Omva, nde Umwarimu.

13. They also enjoy my attempts at drawing. My wildebeest drawing looked like a pig with stick legs. Whatever. I’ll look ridiculous if it keeps their attention.

14. The word chocolate comes from a Greek word meaning ‘food of the goats’ according to my Senior 4 class dictations. They may have misunderstood my crazy American pronunciation.

15. Internet withdraw is not fun. America is a terrible internet-addict enabler and Rwanda enjoyed ripping that from me, cold turkey. Like removing a band-aid with superglue adhesive using a blow torch. I’m anticipating sweet relapse in about nine months.

16. I had a conversation with an eight year old boy on my way to town the other day. We’d never met before. He reached out to hold my hand as we walked together, and I think it was a metaphor for something. Until I figure out what, it’ll be enough that it makes me smile.