So, which bit to start with?

A few days before Christmas, I was stood in the British Embassy courtyard supping (in a very genteel manner) from a glowing glass of mulled wine. I even munched upon a mince pie! I sang Ding Dong Merrily on High. I laughed, and chattered and giggled away – as far away from Rwanda as you almost possibly could be. When mum heard about the invitation to all Brits to come and be festive at a Christmas carol servie she gave possibly the best advice one could give to a VSO volunteer; “Make sure you take a doggy bag!”.

I didn’t need to be told twice.

Unfortunately, last year’s VSO volunteers (of which there are still many still here) had probably received the same advice, and I am positive that as the trays of canapes (yes, really!) came wandering around, there was a distinct swerve away from our huddled mass of volunteer vultures. We came in droves – free food and drink! Oh, and of course the urge to be festive and get merry. But it was unfair if they really did swerve as much as I think they did. We were officially the Life and Soul of the party. Seriously. I don’t know what getting a large salary (ridiculously inflated as regards a local rate), does to your personality but these guys working for the UN or for the British Department for International Development or whoever else, refused to really get into the spirit of things. I mean, if you can’t shout and holler at the “Five gold rings!”part of the twelve days of Christmas, then you either are stupidly self-conscious or are overly aware of your boss standing just inches away. The true value of being a volunteer I guess.

Anyhow, I’d been working right up til that very day – the 22nd or 23rd and was about to take my first few days of holiday since I got here back in September. I was very up for a good old shin-dig and managed to comfortably stuff myself on a large mince pie in the process. Mulled wine has never tasted so good (as when it tastes not really like it should??).