Rainy season is the new fall

It’s time for my second rainy season in Rwanda (there are 2 each year, the first starting around April). This one is not as intense as the first, and I don’t know if it’s because of where I’m living, an unusual year, normal variation, etc. Still, I don’t leave the house without a raincoat wadded up in my bag. I live in a big, open valley and when there’s a storm, I can literally see it coming a mile away. The lightning looks pretty spectacular, too.

Another nice thing about the timing of the rainy season is that it’s cooler, matching up nicely with the weather back home. It’s definitely not “November in Ohio” cold here right now, but it was nice to be a little cold at night and to have a Halloween bonfire. The temperature doesn’t vary all that much in Rwanda, and having a little bit of a season change is helping my body comprehend that I’ve really been gone almost a year, missing half of winter, and all of spring, summer, and fall at home. This is the longest I’ve ever been out of the US.

The cooler weather makes me want to make comfort food all the time. My organization feeds all of its staff three meals a day, which is great, but I miss getting to cook all the time, and one the weekend, I almost always make macaroni and cheese. It somehow seems especially good when it rains.

To make it:

Make most of a bag of curly pasta.

While that cooks, grate a couple of handfuls of gouda (the only cheese you can get in Rwanda, and God bless whatever Belgians or whoever introduced it).
In a saucepan, combine 4 tbs of butter or blue band or butter. I’ve also used oil. Melt the butter, then stir in 4 tbs. of flour. If you don’t have measuring spoons, don’t sweat it. The idea is to use equal amounts. Stir or whisk them together for a few minutes, being careful that they don’t burn. Add one cup of milk and stir until the sauce thickens. Then stir in your cheese, until it melts. If it gets all stringy and weird, just keep stirring until it’s a smooth consistency (add more milk if it seems too thick). At this point, you could theoretically add the noodles, and it would be great. However, I like to start adding a bunch of condiments to try to fake what it would be like with sharp cheddar. This usually involves about 3 spoonfuls of mustard, some Worcestershire sauce, a few squirts of hot sauce (not urusenda), and a bunch of black pepper, just because. When I like it, it’s done.

I'm trying to find a new housing situation, something less secluded and more like a normal Peace Corps setup. Hopefully I'll have more to post soon.