Thursday, April 7, 2011

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2006 at the Reston Zoo (in VA). Mattie loved this zoo because it is really designed for small children due to its size and the fact that you can PET every animal there! In this picture, Mattie and I were waiting for a wagon to pick us up and take us to the field to look at the ostriches! That day Mattie got to hold a real ostrich egg, which is enormous! Bigger than a grapefruit! It made an impression on both of us. 

Quote of the day: This is a constructive thing to do with anger and grief. Planting a tree or a garden is a way to acknowledge the frustration in a positive way. ~ Gorman Parrish

I couldn't agree with this quote more! All I know is I would never have made it through last spring and summer without having gardens to plant and care for. Not only did Peter and I have ours at home, but I took on Ann's garden full time. It was very therapeutic.

I had lunch today with Carrie, the chair of the parent advisory board at Georgetown University Hospital. I am enjoying getting to know and work with Carrie, and since she too lost a child at the Hospital, we have a lot in common. In some ways we have similar fears, outlooks, and perspectives on life. As I said to her, and as I have said numerous times on this blog, we have survived a trauma. So we are dealing with the toxic combination of grief and trauma, neither of which are easy to come to terms with much less peace.

I am happy to say that Peter made it home safely. After 22 hours of travel, he is naturally exhausted but happy to be home. I sent him to Rwanda with my camera, and so when we got home, he showed me all the pictures he took. I really wanted to see what the country looked like and understand what he was experiencing there. Below are several pictures I would like to share with you!

Here is a picture of the Laico Hotel where Peter stayed for two weeks. The hotel is really a compound in a way, because it is surrounded by gates which are guarded 24 hours a day. Peter always described the property as lush, and seeing a picture helped me relate to his observations.

This was the scene from Peter's hotel window. In so many ways, it reminds me of aspects of California. This picture gives you a feeling for the rolling hills and greenery of the Country!

This was a picture of Peter's hotel room. I am posting it because I want you to note the netting hanging from the ceiling over the bed (to prevent insect bites at night-- if you leave your window open). Traveling to Rwanda is NOT an easy process. Peter had to be vaccinated for the following diseases:
Yellow Fever
Hepatitis A and B
Typhoid
Diphtheria
Pertussis
Tetanus
Malaria

On Peter's breakfast table one morning was this beautiful orange colored rose. A color that reminds us of Mattie!

The hotel's property was filled with trees, plants, and flowers. Rwanda remains the same temperature year round, so much so that the hotel rooms have NO central heat or air.  

Peter captured three amazing birds on the hotel property. The first was an
African Golden Oriole. This bird lives in a hanging basket-shaped nest, built in a tree, usually containing two eggs.

The second bird, which fascinated me, because it was just roaming around the hotel property and interacting with guests was the Grey Crowned Crane.
The Grey Crowned Crane is about 3.3 ft tall and weighs 7.7 lbs. Its body plumage is mainly grey. The wings are also predominantly white, but contain feathers with a range of colours. The head has a crown of stiff golden feathers. The sides of the face are white, and there is a bright red inflatable throat pouch. The bill is relatively short and grey, and the legs are black.

 
 

The third bird looked enormous and intimidating.The Augur Buzzard is probably the most commonly seen bird of prey in Africa. The belly and chest are all white with specks of gray. The rest of the body (except the tail) is slate-gray with white specks. The tail feathers are red, hence the nickname, African Red-Tailed Hawk. The beak is yellow up to the very end, where it turns gray.

Peter works for a company called Voxiva (www.voxiva.com). While in Rwanda the company moved office locations. Its original location was in the bottom floor of this building.

Here is Voxiva's new building. To me it looks like a night and day difference from the previous building. The location is wonderful, right near the American Embassy and I am so happy for the Voxiva employees because in my perspective one's physical space is VERY important to the climate and health of the work environment. I was thrilled to see this new space which is bright, spacious, and professional looking.

Though this is NOT the whole team, this picture features some of the wonderful people working for Peter and accomplishing great things!

Pictured from left to right are:
Kizito (Project Manager of TRACnet), Koama (Cognizant Technical Officer of CDC Rwanda), Eliachim (Voxiva/Rwanda SRL Country Manager), and Peter