T.I.A. Part 1

Welcome to Africa, where random occurrences that don't quite fit the overarching narrative are both common and entertaining. We'll try to fill you in occasionally on the adventures of the muzungas in Kigali.

1) Our first full day here, orientation day, Willy (Claire's boss/FVA director) drove the RAs, Maggie May, and Ian to the Genocide Memorial. When we came out, we divided up and piled back into our car. 3 or 4 minutes later, we realized we were in the wrong car, with a man none of us had ever seen before. We climbed over each other to get out, apologizing profusely. Turned out he hadn't noticed either - he had brought 3 muzunga girls and 1 muzunga boy to the memorial, and 3 muzunga girls and 1 muzunga boy had gotten back in the car! Perfect. Apparently we all look alike.

2) It is well known amongst our friends that RA1 maintains a base level of ZERO interest in children. Occasionally she tolerates them as a curiousity, and she has even come to enjoy RA2's young cousins and fairy goddaughter. But in general, children are something she maintains a safe distance from. It turns out that in Rwanda, when a bus gets full and a mother has her hands full, it is customary to dump her child on the nearest person's lap. Our 1st bus ride, a mother climbed on and looked around, hesitantly gesturing at RA1 - who handed her bag to RA2 and sat happily with the child on her lap. It helped that the little girl looked EXACTLY like one of RA2's cousins, for whom she has a fondness: big smile, big dimples, and a fuzzy little ponytail. Still, no one would believe it who hasn't seen it. I SAID I WOULD TELL EVERYONE AND I DID.

3) The "guest house", where we are staying with the other volunteers, is a hostel - an old-fashioned inn. That's why there is a cook (Damian), as well as three young women who clean, do laundry, and generally run the place (Assumpta, Console and one other who's name I haven't caught - I'll get it). The guest house has visitors who aren't with our program; currently there are 6 or 7 Lithuanians, who appear to all know each other, who have been there since before we got there. There's also a handyman named Innocent. We can always tell when it's Innocent's turn to put his music in the cd player because it switches from the Christian Gospel favored by the ladies to rap and R&B. Since Innocent was cleaning the front yard and washing his car one morning, RA2 decided to hand over her iPod while she took a shower. And that's how we found out that Innocent GETS DOWN. Whenever he thinks no one is looking, he busts some seriously awesome moves. If he realizes someone can see him, he stops immediately and pretends it never happened. The iPod exchange is totally worth it.