A few random encounters!

1. Walking into a bank, sitting down and asking what percentage of people have accounts, who takes out loans, what for and for how much. I can imagine walking into TD Banknorth, they would think that I was crazy to ask for these numbers. Just to add a little humor; the bank manager took out his lap top, opened this spread sheet, started highlighting things and clicking which as we know just does absolutely nothing. I was watching him, he just kept doing that over and over, scrolling down the page and writing in numbers where he felt like it. After 20 minutes he pointed to the number and said, "62." I am not sure where he got that number or what it was representing but I wrote it down. It was obvious that he had just made it up.

2. Walking back from the office the other day, I had to go to the pharmacy to buy Malaria Medication. The lady was talking to someone in front of me so I waited my turn. Soon someone walks in from outside and says to me, "Hello! The lady wanted me to ask you why you were not telling her what you want, but you are just standing there." I laughed cause there was someone in front of me. I then tried to explain Malaria medication to her, she was like, "what kind of sickness do you have!" I said, "no it's to prevent malaria!" She thought I was crazy, I wrote down "Doxycycline" and the man finally understood. I said I needed enough for sixty days. He brings out a box of 8 and he said, "you can just buy the whole box." I said, "Oh how many are in it?" "8" he said. "Oh I need enough for two months like 60 days!" and he said, "Yes you can buy one box." I said, "OK I need 8 boxes!" This went on for a few minutes and finally I had what I needed and I paid him and walked out.

3. On the way home a man was walking with me, as do many Rwandans when they see a white person, they just begin talking to you like you are old friends. He turned to me and said, "Good Morning! Welcome to Africa! Where are you coming from?" I said, "Thanks I am coming from the United States, but I just came from Uganda!" He was overexcited and said, "Oh well, Thank you for coming to Rwanda!" I said, "Your Welcome! It is my pleasure!" Then he said something about his birthday and I said, "Oh is your birthday today?" He said, "no it's tomorrow!" i said, "Tomorrow is your birthday?" He said, "Well, its today or tomorrow!" I think he may have wanted a present or something. Nevertheless I was still excited because he was the first stranger that had welcomed me to his country as opposed to just staring.

Communication here is so funny! It makes me laugh all the time, you are never sure what someone is saying to you or if they quite understood what you are saying to them. We have a week left of Practicum and then we start more classes and the last leg of our trip! I can't believe it's here already!

I just wanted to say that I am refreshed! I have a renewed excitement for being here and I am still amazed at the opportunities I have for growth here!

"Muraho!" GREETINGS!

"Uri guseke iki?" "Why are you laughing?" I finally learned what will become my favorite phrase here in Rwanda if I can learn to let it role off my tongue easy enough. It is what I am most commonly thinking as people pass me on the street and start laughing to see a white person. I would love to be able to respond with something funny in thier own language so they can really laugh.

Today on the bus I finally got my opportunity to ask a nice young Rwandan woman why she was laughing. She gazed over at me from across the isle and I smiled. She laughed nervously putting her face in her hands, so naturally I laughed to seal the awkwardness. We had several exchanges exactly like this one until she finally said, "why are you laughing?" (In English of course otherwise I would not have understood her.) I said, "I was wondering why you were laughing at me? I am only smiling and you are laughing!" She just kept laughing and the man next to me began to translate for her. He said, "in her country when you are laughing at someone it means that you are pleased with them.!" I said to her, "Je suis content!" which means - "I am happy!" in French.

A few minutes later we were exchanging stories and numbers, and emails. Caritsa is her name and the girl next to her, unrelated, is Stella! We all became friends just from a simple smile to offset an awkward stare! Turns out Stella is becoming a nurse and is only 20 years old - I told her about my sister Lucy who is a nurse and she was excited to hear it. Caritsa has one daughter. When Danielle and I arrived in Kigali, Caritsa helped us find a taxi and accompanied us to where we were staying because she wanted to see it and make sure we had gotten there safely. Stella called me this evening to say "Goodnight!" What a pleasant bus ride and now I have two more friends! I love how God works, He truly is amazing!

I also got a Kinyarwandan lesson from the man sitting next to me as well. I just wanted to say... "Imana Iragukundu!" which means "God loves you!"