Where is Your Milk Moustache?

Cold milk. That is the answer to the question of what I miss most. I had been asked the question many times by people leaving Shyira to return to the States. “And what will you eat first when you get home?’ I would normally answer that I enjoyed the food here and there is nothing that I missed terribly. Sure, the convenience of a microwave and refrigerator were nice, but the gas stove and filtered room temp water were working out just fine. Even at Thanksgiving I didn’t feel like I craved the mashed potatoes or turkey the American Embassy provided for all the ex-pats.
I still had no answer to the question of what I would eat when I got home. It was over breakfast this morning that I found out. I was about to order juice or coffee as usual when my companion ordered some milk. I decided that even though I get fresh milk daily from the cows in Shyira, it had been a while since I had anything refrigerated and some ice-cold milk would hit the spot. I was a bit skeptical when the waitress brought out a square packet, snipped the edge off and poured the whopping 3.2% milk into my glass. I had never heard of milk coming in small half-liter plastic bags, only cartons or plastic jugs. But when that creamy goodness hit my lips, I knew that I had an exact answer next time someone asks what I will eat when I get home. I assume I’ll eat Oreo, or chocolate chip cookies, or anything else that goes with milk, just as long as I have milk. After drinking a liter to myself, I felt like a million bucks.
The weekend in Kigali has been a nice change so far. I enjoy how slow and rural Shyira is, but I’m 23 and need to get out do something every once in a while. I met up with a good sized group of Americans after the Thanksgiving dinner and we went over to Dr. King’s cousin’s house to socialize, play cards, and just hang out. Around 11 o’clock I realized what my small town living had done to my biological clock, and I headed home catch some sleep. Ill be going back to Shyira on Sunday and I have to admit I’m looking forward to a little peace and quiet.