Terry, a Rabbi visiting from Miami, sounded the shofar with the cousins looking on for Rosh Hashana in the ASYV Tikkun Olam Hut
Bruce, ASYV intern and alumnus who teaches photo and film editing at the Village watches the TV Club’s news production of the week with students in the club.
We went to great heights shooting the cousin’s rap music video. Rachel braved a fear of heights up on the goal posts with Max’s help. All of this to get a cool shot.
Two students break down a pick-and-roll in the Basketball Enrichment Program. Lilliose puts up a jump shot.
The cousins listen to the instructions for the Kinyarwanda Spelling Bee. We all put in a huge effort studying words and definitions in an attempt to show that this year’s cousins are the gold standard for all other cohorts to be compared. While I was poised to win among our cohort, I was very proud of my roommate Max. Rwandans typically use “fail” in place of “lose,” so I was told by kid after kid how much I failed. I didn’t feel that way though. A highlight of the bee was walking down the amphitheater steps to “Sirius” by the Alan Parsons Project (the player introduction song in Space Jam and at Chicago Bulls’ games). Max’s idea.
A very special Shabbat with visitors and cousins after a prolific challah bake that rivaled the challah from my family’s favorite “yummy bread store” back home. And the best part…
Challah French toast! Banana and strawberry jam on top.
Jean Claude and Prince sign up for email addresses. Maybe a way for them to get on Facebook, but soon they’ll put their emails to good use.
Things get silly during dinners at home. We compared ideas of beauty in Rwanda and the US, and in Rwanda, as Bruce and Guy illustrated with this bottle of soy sauce, they’re all about that bass.
More silliness: after-dinner arm wrestling!
The cousins joined a potluck Yom Kippur break fast hosted by an ex-pat living in Kigali. Notice the guacamole I made with chapati chips. It was a big hit!
A family that flosses together stays together: I demonstrated my two-teeth-at-once flossing technique at the Kigali apartment. (Check out the new haircut!)
Goat brochette and chips at Dolce Bar in Kiyovu, Kigali.
Yogurt (drinkable) and chocolate cake at Shokola Café in Kimihurura, Kigali.
Tonto (Uncle) Issa gives remarks on behalf of the ASYV staff in attendance at Mable’s wedding. The Village joke was that I was going to marry Mable. No hard feelings, but she did look stunning.
Prince shares Bop It with family and friends during Parent’s Visiting Day.
A full house of kids and parents at the Neil Armstrong house.
This post is my own and does not reflect the views of the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village or the Joint Distribution Committee.
Alan@ASYV 
Alan, every week I look forward to reading your blog to find out how you are doing and what you are up to, Thanks for sharing and for so positively impacting the lives of people you come into contact. Esther
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