City vs Country Life

I have been spending more time in the capital, Kigali, the last few weeks, which has been very refreshing and definitely a change of pace.  I have a second school vacation at the end of July and instead of spending a lot of money to go abroad, I am just going to rent a room in Kigali for the time I am there.  It is only about an hour away but I’m always surprised by the completely different life people lead here! 

Living standards and income

To vastly oversimplify, if you have or want money you should be in Kigali.  According to the 2012 statistical yearbook published by the government, the poverty rate in Rwanda in 2011 was 44.9%, but in Kigali City it is only 16.8%. The province with next lowest rate of poverty jumps to 42.6% in the Eastern Province.

Picture of Gacuriro, courtesy of livinginkigali.com

courtesy of http://kateturner45.files.wordpress.com/

My breakfast the last time I spent the night in Kigali
Avocado ginger smoothie and chocolate-almond croissant

That room I am renting over school vacation is located in a very affluent.  And it almost feels a little fake, like I’m not in Rwanda but rather in American suburbia.  People do not even need mosquito nets there!  Part of the rent includes a servant who does laundry and some cooking (please don’t judge me).  Last time I was there, I walked to get a breakfast smoothie (!) and passed a 24/7 pizza place, a couple with their tennis gear, an apartment complex with a pool, and a yoga studio.  The houses all have the same layout and are behind gates with cars in the driveway.  I honestly do not know if I would want to live there permanently because it is very secluded from the life of the average Rwandan.  But I’m really looking forward to it as a short term vacation.

Noise

One of the most surprising parts of Maranyundo that I always forget until I go to Kigali is how quiet it is.  In the city, there are cars, people walking right by the window, opening and closing gates. 

Maranyundo has it’s own noise from the frogs at night, but that is all and I find it soothing.  Just the other day, I walked out and saw this huge bird perching next to the garden. You can’t find that in Kigali!

Shopping

In Nyamata we can basically only do heavy shopping on Wednesday and Sunday when there is market.

.In Kigali, things are open every day except Sunday mornings for church. Also, people are always complaining about how things are more expensive in Nyamata and I’ve found that to be true. For example, it costs about a $1 more to buy peanut butter in Nyamata than Kigali.  But I’m pretty sure it is because there is only one store that sells in in town and we seem to be the only ones to come buy it so he increased the price from when we arrived.  Otherwise, there are many products that are just not possible to find and you must go to a city to purchase, including seasonal produce.

Social

I will be honest that I’m usually much more social than I have been in Rwanda and it wasn’t something I really missed from the US.  However, just a few weeks ago, I started improving a lot on that front and have been socializing with both expats and Rwandans. In Nyamata, people really don’t seem to go out very much, at least my roommates don’t and the teachers don’t seem interested.  The average evening for me consists of making dinner, reading and going to bed.

But in Kigali….wow, it is so different.  The bars are packed.  And where I’ve lived, establishments have always closed by 2 am.  But not here! Some clubs are still busy until the early morning.

In addition to the typical drinking scene, in Kigali there are more restaurants, gyms, organizations and other entertainment venues.  It even has a bowling alley!

Food

Restaurants are a fairly new concept in Rwanda.  It is still considered pretty shameful to eat in public, so almost all restaurants are behind some kind of wall to ensure privacy from the streets.  Most Rwandan restaurants do not have a menu, which is okay because they all serve the same things: goat brochette, French fries, potatoes, or omelette.  This is the only dining option in Nyamata.

But Kigali has much more of an international scene with a lot of variety.  When I went to the American Embassy for the fourth of July, they had options from different restaurants and the fare included bakery desserts (including donuts and cheesecake!), Tex Mex (including margaritas), and Asian (including expensive sushi). 

There is also more variety in the supermarkets, including basic international ingredients, cold options and different types of produce.