A few more creations

My wonderful roommate agreed to model a few items for me.  These are items I have created on the treadle sewing machine during the past  couple weeks.  Hope you enjoy!

On a personal note, I am very happy to say I will be meeting up with my dad and brother this evening and we will be begining our Christmas holiday together.  My mom and sister will join up with us over the next week.  Due to work they needed to postphone their arrival.  This is our first family vacation in five years and my parents and sister's first time in Africa!  Wish us luck.

Last Stop Kigali?

Thursday afternoon I was again found myself on a bus continuing my journey.  I am now staying in Kigali with friends.  The weekend began with fresh bagels and cream cheese – a true delicacy here.  Saturday afternoon we braved the markets in hunt of fabric for some new skirts.  My friends were successful in their hunt and we returned home happy with some vibrant fabrics.  I have put myself on a fabric diet and managed to refrain from adding to my collection.  I did pick up a few pieces of fabric when I was in Butare and have a few half finished garments.  Saturday evening I managed to get some sewing time in, on an electric machine no less.  I completed one dress and another one is well on its way.  I will try and post some picks of my new garments later this week. 

Sunday evening I enjoyed wonderful fellowship at a home group church.  It was a very nice service complete with singing and Advent candles.  There is not much Christmas spirit to be seen around Rwanda.  Most years around this time I note there is perhaps too much going on around home.  However, I do find myself missing the preparations and anticipation it brings for Christmas day.  Christmas, in general, is a low key holiday here.  Many people do celebrate the holiday with a family dinner but not on the same scale as at home.  It will be interesting to experience a very different Christmas this year.  My mom will be flying in to the Entebbe airport Christmas morning, so rather than stockings and Christmas trees there will be runways and custom agents.  I am just as excited though.

Home for the Weekend

This past Thursday I was honoured to attend an event in Kigali and I thought since I was half way back to Musanze I could just continue the journey and go to my Rwandan home town for the weekend.  It was great to see my Rwandan family and spend time with the kids.  The kids are on holidays from school, but Sandra like many other Rwandan children are attending morning classes to help them prepare for the new school year beginning in January.  Sandra will be entering primary six and in Rwanda the children take their first nation exam at the end of primary six.  Saturday morning Tantin made French toast for the family which was a very nice treat. 

Saturday and Sunday night I spent with a good friend Pam, she helps run Excel School in town.  It was wonderful to catch up and hear how the school year wrap up has gone.  Sunday afternoon she took me to Smart Saloon and I enjoyed a pedicure and manicure.  The girl, Grace, was very through and I am not so embarrassed of my feet any more.  My nails are now purple which I am very much enjoying.  I didn’t bring any nail polish with me as I was unsure how they would do in the plane and I have missed the colour.  Monday I made the four hour bus trip back to Butare.  I cannot say I am fond of the bus trip – especially as this round I was not able to sleep on it, but it was worth it to see everyone.

What start the trip was I was invited to attend an event at Akilah Institute in Kigali on the Thursday evening.  Akilah is a three year hospitality training program for girls.  The girls attend many different classes over the three years including management, community building, and two internships.  The event was fantastic and I was lucky enough to  be able to chat with a few of the students and hear their stories.  It was really good to see such a positive, impactful organization up close. 

Rwandan Pizza

Butare has been an interesting change for me.  The town is very different from Musanze and I have had to relearn prices and shop customs.  I am not alone in this change though.  Prince and some of his friends have also recently made the move from Musanze to Butare to attend the National University.  As it is Saturday and they are not studying too hard yet, we decided to enjoy some Rwandan pizza together.  It is mainly because none of us have ovens we had to make it Rwandan style.  The pizza began with a trip to the market.  In Butare, they have recently built a four story building in which the market is situated - already different as Musanze’s market is semi outdoors.  Food is located on the bottom floor of the market and it is there we picked up the essentials for pizza – tomato paste, tomatoes, green pepper, white onions, cheese and charcoal.    Back at home I taught the boys how to sauté onions, caramel colouring was not in the vocab so we went for honey coloured onions.  As the boys are uni students their kitchen is not fully stocked with utensils so I got to chop the cheese in to grated style pieces.  Now is when the Rwandan style really comes in though, we used chapattis as a base as I was not convinced we could cook pizza dough on charcoal.  After a quick demonstration of how to dress a pizza the boys each made their own pizzas to their liking and pan fried them to perfection.  I am not sure how the Italians would feel about our creations but we were all feeling satisfied by the meal. 

First Creation in Rwanda

As my blog is titled a journey in fashion, I thought I should begin including some style posts.  So far I have not had the courage to ask people on the street who are wearing fashionable outfits if I can snap their photo so for now you just get to enjoy my work.  In my first few days in Musanze I thought I would check out the market and see what is available and what the custom design experience is like here.  It was a little bit of a chaotic experience, likely more so because I am muzungu (white).  I began by looking about the many fabric stalls.  When I had decided upon the fabric I liked many people became involved.  As I don’t speak Kinyarwanda many passerbyers like to help and sometimes translate; however, not all of them know English so it often just leads to a big somewhat noisy crowd with many good intentions.  Once I purchased the fabric I went to one of the ladies in the market, many ladies come with their machines and do repairs and custom work right in the market.  I drew the skirt I wanted, a full skirt cut on the bias, with a piece of white chalk on her sewing table.  She then sat me down and cut and sewed the skirt right there.  I was wearing pants that day so I just put the skirt on over top to see if it fit okay.  It did fit well, but she cut an A-line skirt and with the waxed fabric so it sat on me a little like a lamp shade.  I took my lamp shade home and after pondering different options decided box pleats on the side was the best option.  This time I did the measuring and drew a line where I wanted the pleats sewn until.  I then took it to another lady in a different market and had her sew the lines.  Now the skirt works quite well and I am very happy with it.   

For the second creation of my trip I designed and cut the dress; then had one of the girls at the Masion Arbara sew it for me.  The design stage included an afternoon when David and I were colouring together, I would draw different sketches then David would share his expert opinion on which styles he likes best.  The floor length is thanks to him, he much preferred that to a mid calf length.  The sewing stage went smoother than I anticipated, the girl was very good.  I would illustrate where I wanted her to stitch by hand motions and usually the message went across well.  Here are a couple pictures of both creations; turns out taking pictures of oneself is more challenging than I would have thought, please bare with me will I learn the art.

November 1st Update

This past week has gone by smoothly without too many major events.  There were no jack-o-lanterns decorating the streets or fireworks lighting up the sky in Musanze.  We did have enough rain for me to almost think I was back in Vancouver though.  When I left Vancouver I told many people I was moving to Africa for the sunshine but it seems they have fooled me.  Sunday morning it was gorgeous and sunny so I took a chance and left the house without my rain jacket, probably the first time all month.  Half way to my friend’s place the rains came and by the time I reached her place, less than a ten minute walk, I was completely soaked.  So life goes here.  Many people just hide out in the shops or under the bus stops; however thus far I have been too stubborn to join them in waiting out the rain.  On Thursday I will continue my search for sunshine as I will be moving to Butare; there is a map as to its location on a previous post.  Butare is not as high up in the mountains so supposedly their weather is more enjoyable.  I will let you know if this proves to be true. 

To fill my time this past week I have taken up making breakfast with the kids I live with.  We made thin pancakes together last Thursday.  It was great fun to cook with the kids and share a breakfast from home with them.  This morning we fixed up French toast and fruit salad.  It may not sound like much of a feat but for those who know me well they know cooking is not my forte.  It should also be kept in mind cooking here usually includes a coal stove which does not have a turn dial to control the temperature.  Out of habit I kept looking for one when cooking the pancakes. 

Uganda Visit

It seems weekends are when the excitement occurs.  This past weekend I ended up in Uganda and enjoyed a very fantastic visit with my brother.  We stayed in a town called Kabale, about three hours from the Rwandan border.  The Thursday evening, when we arrived, we meet up with a friend and watched the news about Libya in a local restaurant.  On Saturday we went to Lake Bunyonyi and went canoeing in a dugout canoe, a first for both of us.  The lake and surrounding hills were beautiful and we enjoyed them for longer than anticipated as we got a little turned around while on the water.  We made it back safely though tired and a little redder than when we left.  In the evening we enjoyed a tasty supper of curry with our friend.  I am very much enjoying the Rwandan food but it was nice to have a little variety.  All in all the trip went well and it was so good to catch up with Anthony and hear about his studies and life in Kampala.  It was also very interesting to see the differences in culture, although Uganda and Rwanda share a boarder they are very different countries.  I hope in the coming months I will be able to see more of Uganda.  For now I will be remaining in Musanze and enjoying life here.

A Weekend in Butare

I am now home from Butare after enjoying a wonderful weekend there.  Pam and Prince were my travelling companions for the weekend.  Friday was full of rain and we all arrived in Butare soaked through and through.  After a quick bite at Faucon, a hotel in town, we resigned to our own sleeping quarters.  I stayed at the Catholic hotel in town and splurged for the room with hot water.  Prince settled in to his new home, he is beginning university in Butare next week.  Pam resided with a pastor friend in town.  Saturday I began my day with two breakfasts.  The first restaurant I went to had no tea, but we had worked so hard to put my food order in I couldn’t bear wasting the effort.  So I took some bread at the first place then found another which served tea.  After which I walked about 2.5km down the main road to the National Museum.  The museum grounds were beautiful, unfortunately I did not bring my camera along, and the exhibits were done very well.  There were some very intricately woven baskets on display; baskets are the main arts and crafts item here.  Most are made with banana leave or papyrus.  They also had a traditional hut which visitors could walk in to and explore.  The traditional housing is very different from the traditional houses I saw in Ghana, it has been very interesting to learn the differences between the two countries.  Visually they appear similar at first; however, I am learning culturally they are quite different.  In the afternoon I visited Expo Vente which is a souvenir shop that buys from the local cooperatives.  There were many beautifully carved items as well as some bags and banana leaf pictures.  I attempted to learn more about the cooperatives which made the items but language and culture proved to be a barrier and I was not able to obtain too much information.  In the evening our traveling trio reconvened and enjoyed a lovely evening together. 

 

Sunday was the day of churches.  Prince and Pam were both in the worship team for the Sunday morning services.  I attended the English service promptly at 7:30am, then ducked out during the Kinyarwanda service so I could find some breakfast.  Pam spoke during both services; her talk in the English service was about time.  Something I have struggled to get right.  When people ask about Canada I say we are always out of time in Canada.  In honesty, part of the reason I returned to Africa is because I had time when I was in Ghana.  I was able to spend time with the kids I was teaching and talk to people in the market because my life wasn’t so scheduled.  This time around I am feeling like I have a little too much time mainly as I am not working on a project yet.  Not having my day scheduled means I get less done each day.  I hope that I will be able to find a balance between being productive and being available to the people around me.  Carrying on with Sunday, we also attended Heart of Worship in the evening.  It was a casual worship filled with young people who wanted to additional praise time on Sunday.  The service was followed by tea and fellowship. 

Monday I travelled home to Musanze, about a five hour trip.  It rained briefly but mainly when I was on buses so I managed to remain dry.  The photos included in this post are from the drive home from Butare.  Rwanda is often referred to as land of a thousand hills and it is very true, the drive took us though valleys and over mountains.  The scenery here is incredible.  The full impact does not come though in my pictures so to truly appreciate it I would recommend a visit.  

Beginning of Week Three

First I would like to apologize for my slow updates on my blog.  I no longer have wifi where I am staying which means my computer time is a little more limited.  Initially when I arrived in Musanze I was stayed with Pam, which was great.  Due to circumstances I have now moved in with a family and have been staying with them for about a week and half now.  It has been very good.  Currently there are three in the family, there is another niece (Sandra) who stays with them as well but is at boarding school until the end of the month.  There is a grandma, aunt (Mireille) and nephew (David).  David is in primary three at school and is eight years.  Mireille runs a restaurant in town and attends university by distance educations.  The family has been very welcoming to me and it has been so comforting to have a home to come back to each day.  I taught David 'go fish' the other night and after one game he became a card fanatic much like myself.

In case you thought I forgot why I have come to Rwanda I thought I should note I am continuing my search.  I have begun to process of meeting with different organizations looking for a compatible match.  This has meant some trips to Kigali and other towns.  This weekend I will be traveling to Butare to look about and see what is happening there.  In my search I have been blessed to meet so many fantastic people and hear about some incredible organizations.  It continues to amaze me how helpful everyone has been with connecting me to co operatives and organizations which are cohesive with what I can offer.  If anyone needs some reading they can check out Azizi Life and Friends Peace House, two highlight organizations of my trip so far. (http://www.azizilife.com/    http://friendspeacehouse.rw/about/)

Maison Arbara

                        

Well it seems, at least for the time being, Musanze is my new home.  Pam was kind enough to let me share her place with her for just over a week.  Monday I moved in with a Rwandan family.  There are currently three in the family I am living with, there is another niece but she is at boarding school till the end of the month.  

In between my moving about I have been spending time with a tailor and his crew in town.  Deo has welcomed me in to his shop Maison Arbara which sells custom made clothing as well as prêt a porter.  The shop is always bustling with people, and languages, but in between customers Deo shared with me some of the history of his shop.  Deo attended university for economics after working for some time he decided to switch careers and become a tailor.  He began the company in 1994 with one trundle sewing machine.  His shop has since expanded to include 18 employees in addition to himself and his wife and eight electric embroidery machines and 28 trundle sewing machines.  About eight of the trundle machines are kept in his shop the rest remain for training new employees.  Deo trains his workers himself which ensure consistency and quality of the product produced.  The shop specializes in embroidery, all of which is hand drawn on to the fabrics then free stitched by the electric machines.  Deo and his shop are a tangible symbol for me of the hard working dedicated citizens of Rwanda.  In my short time here I have found many stories of people who are strongly dedicated to creating a better future for themselves and those around them.  It continues to impress me how willing they are to share their knowledge and experience with me.  All the workers at Maison Arbara have been very kind and though various motions and my broken French they have explained how they construct the different garments.  It has been great fun getting to know all the workers at the shop and observing the shop.  I have included some pictures from my visits highlighting some of my favourite designs and some of my new friends.  

 

Week One

Mwaramutse, good morning.  I have almost completed my first week in Rwanda although in many ways it feels as though I have been here longer.  After spending my first two and a half days in Kigali, the capital city, a took a two hour bus ride up to Musanze (Ruhengeri) where I am currently staying with Pam.  Pam has kindly agreed to take me in while I look for a project and has been a great help connecting me with people.  Saturday I was able to tour Sonrise school, where Pam works, then we were off to the markets.  Although the market here is much smaller than the one in Ghana I frequented it brought back many fond memories and there were many fantastic fabrics to look at.  Sunday I got to attend the Cathedral for a very lively service in Kinyarwanda (kin yar wanda), I believe there were three possibly four choirs at the service.  It was great fun to be part of.

Since in Musanze, I have slowly been finding my way about town in between the rains.  I feel like I am back in Vancouver summer, it has been raining for periods throughout the day most days and the weather is quite chilly.  The city is quite beautiful though, it is surrounded by mountains and there are plenty of gardens in town to admire.

I have begun making a few connections in the city and am hoping to spend some time here.  It has been great to have a place to settle in to a little and I am looking forward to the coming week and the opportunities it will hopefully bring.
 

Landed in Kigali

Good morning all.

Currently it is about 9:30am in Kigali, I arrived around 2am this morning.  My flights all went smoothly, I am feeling a little sore from the journey but over all well.  I am able to take a taxi to my hotel last night without any complications and enjoy a very nice view of the city from my hotel room.  I will try and get pictures up shortly.

This morning I have began exploring Kigali and am quite enjoying the city.  The weather is mild which is quite nice while I adjust.

Before I go I would like to say a big thank you to all who helped me get ready for the trip.  I am so lucky to have such a strong community at home and I appreciate you all very much.  Thank you for all your support and kind words during my preperation for this trip.  I am looking forward to sharing my adventures with you in the coming months.

Alexandria

 

Here is a sampling from my 2012 Resort wear collection I created for my graduating line from Kwantlen Polytechnic.  The collection was largely inspired by African prints.  Mixing prints was new for me and it was exciting to experience the freedom in putting together unique combinations of the fabrics.  These photos are of the three outfits which I believe highlight and represent the line well.