Funny things...

These funny things really tickled me today…

1. I remembered a situation a few weeks ago where I was working with another volunteer in her TTC. We had an open day for local Primary and Secondary teachers to share ideas about active methodology, songs, games and resources. Having gathered a group of teachers together to show them how to play skittles (made from empty water bottles) we explained some of the maths links and opportunities for children to practice turn taking etc. We carefully set up the skittles ready for the first turn and my friend demonstrated how to roll the ball to knock them down. She knocked over most of the skittles, and modelling how to give children praise, I said, ‘Well done! Let’s clap for her!’

One teacher looked at me, horrified…and with a puzzled look on his face, said:

‘Why ever should we clap for her? She has absolutely demolished the game…’!

Fair point!

2. I invited a friend round for tea the other day and asking him how he liked his tea, he replied that he didn't really have a sweet tooth and wasn't so keen on sugar. We started with 3 tablespoons, but he politely asked for a little more after a few sips...but 5 tablespoons was just right! Not a sweet tooth, eh?

3. After work this afternoon I went into the village to head to the market. On my way I received a phone call… one of the mystery calls where a friend (or a friend of a friend who’s obtained your number) calls but doesn’t tell you who they are. I didn’t recognise their number and asked them who they were.

Mystery Caller: Hi Hazel. How are you? (So they knew me)

Me: I am fine thanks, how are you?

Mystery Caller: I am fine thank you.
Me: I am not sure who I am speaking to as I don’t have your number saved on my phone. Who are you?
Mystery Caller: I’m fine thanks. Did you know the exam results have been released? (A colleague perhaps?)
Me: Yeah I know. But, who are you?
Mystery Caller: I am fine thanks, how are you?
Me: I am fine too. But I said who are you, not how are you.
Mystery Caller: I’m fine!
Me: I am glad you are fine. Please tell me who is speaking.
Mystery Caller: Eh?
Me: Who are you?
Mystery Caller: I am fine thanks, how are you?
Me: No… not HOW are you, WHO are you?

And so the conversation continued until my mystery caller ran out of credit and half of my village were laughing at me as they followed my poor attempts to solve my myetery and increasingly puzzled expression…

4. As a white person living in a small Rwandan village you get used to people being interested in you, who you are, what you are doing, how you do things etc. That’s fine and I’m as interested in their lives and culture and ways of doing things as they are of mine. Curiosity is healthy and I love chatting with people in my village. But I think I know most people now and to be honest, after 6 months everyone must be used to seeing me around the village. I walk to work every day, chat to everyone I meet and pass them again as I return home for lunch and then go back to work.  I am always in the market or in church or at the shops. So it surprises me a little that I still get stared at. I’m nothing new here – anymore! Or, have a look… that’s ok, but say hi too, especially if I greet you first. Please don’t just stare!

This afternoon, as I was in my garden, a man walked past my front gate and as he walked along the path, he stared with an intensity I haven’t seen since I first arrived here! Perhaps there was an elephant or something behind me in my garden? He really had to crane his neck to continue staring, even as he continued past my house. I waved and greeted him, but he didn’t even acknowledge me, just continuing to have a good gawp. It made me feel a little uncomfortable. So when he tripped over, disappearing beneath the hedge, I’m afraid I couldn’t help laughing! OK, I felt a little bit mean, but I think there may be a lesson in there somewhere!

5. Enjoying brunch with a friend who spread his bread first with jam... and then with margarine on top! Different!

OK, maybe on that occasion it was me who was staring!

 

Houston, I think we’ve got a ploblem.

Something that you quickly realise here is that for Rwandans (as well as across many African countries apparently), ‘L’s and ‘R’s are pretty inter-changeable, and sound similar to the French 'rrrr'. Within everyday conversation this can cause confusion, tongue-twisters and occasional hirarity! Ironic in a country called R-wanda… often just known as Wanda! So I have friends here known as Frorence, shortened to Frola (Flora) and Emery becomes Emily!

In college, where my students love sport, I’m never really sure whether they are learning or running, and at runch time we all sit down to merange.

And I once had a conversation with a friend at completely cross purposes:

Me:  Are you coming to the party?

Him: No, I’m praying.

Later…

Me: How was church?

Him: Eh? I was praying football with my fliends?

Weekends are sometimes spent in Chigari (‘K’s are also sometimes exchanged for ‘Ch’), where I am often asked about the Crime-rate back home (climate)! Confusing until you work this one out!

I was laughing about the L/R thing with a friend a few weekends ago and comparing funny stories whilst having a beer (Plimus) and eating Plingles!  She has a friend who had actually texted her that he had a ‘ploblem’…so the confusion even extends to writing/texting. However, I quite liked my favourite example of an evening spent with a friend discussing Somalian pilots! Hirarious!

Village Magic!

Where there is love there is no darkness — Burundian Proverb

During my time here, I have been struck by the kind, thoughtful, sweet nature of my friends and colleagues which truly makes life here magical! The quote I’ve used as the title for this blog really captures that feeling.

Greeting calls are common here and an aspect of life here that I love! ‘Hazel, I am calling to greet you, have a wonderful day, bye!’  always makes me feel warm inside because people here are so sweet and thoughtful! I just love it that someone thought of me. However, part of this is receiving 5.30 am greeting calls… which I love a little less, especially on a Sunday morning! But I’d say that we’ve chatted about these and timings have improved a little bit these days!

One morning was REALLY challenging...but then one of my favourite people dropped at by at work just to tell me that they would be like the sunshine to me and always brighten my day. Later in the day, I bumped into my best friend who told me that God would keep me safe and that I would always have a friend in Africa...and I spotted a student at my TTC with a team Hazel t-shirt that he'd got made in the holidays...wow! ♥

Every day I am blown away by the kindness of my friends here... as I walked through my little village a couple of weeks ago, I was presented with gifts all the way and arrived home with 3 passion fruits (my little friend spotted me as I walked along the road and climbed to the top of a tree just to pick me some of the ripest fruits), 2 avocados (another lovely friend told me to wait while she sprinted home to bring me 2 huge avocadoes she’d saved especially for me as she knows I love them) and a corn on the cob, from my neighbours who thought I’d worked very hard and looked hungry! I felt a little bit like I’d become part of a story book – Handa’s surprise or The Very Hungry Caterpillar!

Friends here miss you terribly when you are away, as I often am, working in Kigali or at another TTC. One friend, with an amazing way with language, was anxious that I would not come back after I mentioned that  would be away for a few days and as I left he called ‘Wherever you are, I will find you in the atmosphere!’  I find moments like that really precious.

When you have been away, you are ‘lost’. Friends call or text you to say ‘You are lost’ which means ‘I missed you so much’. I love this phrase and have started to use it… but it also seems to work well in different situations. For example, after a rainy night, I woke up to find that my village was shrouded in mist… it was lost!

But coming back is also very important here and I’m often inundated with messages and visitors to my home or work telling me that I am ‘So welcome back’. Food is brought round as I must be so tired after my journey and one friend brings his bike round in case I want to use it as he knows that I love to cycle in the village. Children call ‘Good afternoon Hazel’ – definite progress from ‘Good morning Sir’ or sometimes just ‘Mzungu’… and they run from miles away, along little paths when they spot me in the distance, just to throw their arms around me and give me a hug.  These things always make it so easy to return here – I love my village!

One night I was unwell in the night and my neighbours came to be with me just to make sure I was ok, and they returned the next day to check on me and bring food, dashing home in their break and lunchtimes. Colleagues also come round to make sure everything was ok ‘We need to see that you are ok…you are far from your home and we will look after you. We have prayed for you and we see that God has answered our prayers as you are getting better. Now we will leave you to rest’. Just knowing how much people care actually makes the world of difference here.

When I arrive at a new town, or I’m just lost in Kigali, people will come out of their way not only to give directions but to walk with me to my destination, before wishing me a wonderful day and continuing on their way. Sometimes they enjoy the opportunity to ask about my life and work and practice their English, but often it’s simply a kind gesture – nothing is too much trouble, it seems. It’s also not uncommon for people to discretely pay your bus fare on the bus – ‘You are a guest here, it is my pleasure to do this for you’.

As well as experiencing incredibly kind behaviour by friends as well as strangers, I frequently find that I’m in the middle of a truly special moment – magical times in my village with friends or neighbours.

Occasionally I go to church, when I am in the village on a Sunday morning. A time for quiet reflection and singing and dancing. People here love it when I go and I often find myself accompanied by new friends from church as we walk back into the village after the service. One morning a lady introduced herself to me and we chatted in Kinyarwanda as we wandered back the centre of the village. She was really happy that we were together and we continued to walk together, sharing my umbrella, even as it started to rain. But as I looked back, I discovered that we were not alone, in fact about 20 other people, adults and children had formed a procession behind us and the image has stayed with me of the trail of brightly coloured twirling umbrellas!

There are two rainy seasons here and I have adapted to the changing seasons.  I adore the enormous thunderstorms that roll over the village most afternoons. My Rwandan friends are definitely onto something by going back to bed when it rains - you really can't beat curling up in bed during a thunder storm as the rain hammers on your tin roof... and emerging later to blue skies and sunshine for a late afternoon walk...the village full of umbrellas, cool air and muddy puddles!

Towards the end of the last rainy season, the village became full of sunflowers, which stood tall and striking, against bright blue skies or thundery clouds. The yellow flowers were a beautiful contrast to the green banana trees and red muddy roads.

There are so many other little things that really make my day: a text from a friend one evening asking the meaning of Fuzzy and wishing me a wonderful night, an invitation from another friend to join them swimming (‘It would double my happy’), laughing as the moto drivers have races through my village when business is quiet, sitting with my neighbours shelling beans while they braid each other’s hair, dancing together in the moonlight, chatting with students in college who are desperate to read, and with friends in the village who ask me which I love the most…the moon or stars… and why?

 

Being here, I am always reminded of another saying I heard once (In fact I read it before one of my trips to India)...

 

Love wasn't put in your heart to stay

Love isn't love 'till you give it away.

 

... and I think its true here every day.