Just Thinking... Dangerous I Know...

It’s so interesting to me how some things across the board are the same no matter where you are!! People are people and we are all humans… But then sometimes there are things that we don’t think the same on and I have to laugh because to me they seem silly or foreign … But then I try to put myself in their shoes and sometimes I start to understand… other times I still laugh!!! Here are a few experiences… enjoy :)

Example 1-One of my coworkers is in charge of farming cooperatives at 7 Health Centers and has started them from scratch. Since about a year ago he has done amazing things and I am just in awe!!! He found and purchased land for the farms and is working on teaching/training the members to be farmers. There are many barriers to making this part happen like no commitment, embarrassed to be seen in the coop, thinks someone should always tell them when to plant and harvest, has no time… but spends all day at the bar, and so many more issues!!! He has decided that it would be helpful to have a structure built near each Health Center where members of his farming coops and members of another project in the NGO could meet to have trainings, food preparation demonstrations and storage of important items. This way they are out of bad weather and actually have someplace to sit and try to learn. Such great ideas!! He gets right on finding a technician and budgeting out how much each structure will cost and makes a detailed line itemized list to show to our founder for approval!! Before showing her he asks a doctor at the hospital to take a look at the blue prints and just go over everything he has planned!! Still thinking this is going super well!!! He comes back from meeting the doctor and is very distressed… I ask him why and what happened!! He was so excited earlier this morning!! He says the doctor suggested he include ELECTRICITY and WATER to his plan and budget… at this moment in the conversation I am shocked and in awe… my brain just hit a wall!!! Who would think to build a building without electricity or water?? Hahaha I couldn't believe he never thought of that before!! I guess when there is not electricity to be used you don’t think of putting it in a building…

Example 2-Rwandans take such pride in their dress and really care that they look nice when going out in public!! This is great!! I love being clean and looking nice!! Some kind of bathing on a daily basis is a great practice!! Till you learn what parts of the body are being bathed and what parts are not :/ For Rwandans feet are probably one of the most important if not the most important things to clean!! I think that’s great because I have had 12 chiggers and would love not to get more :) But when feet are more important than cleaning your hands after using the bathroom… I start having a think session. The next most important thing to clean is probably their actual clothing (including shoes)!! Also a great idea to wash clothes on a regular basis!! Why not?? I am a dirty person and spill all the time!!! But when I can’t leave the house with a pair of pants on I have only worn one day but happen to get a little dirt on the knee I start to think again… It takes so long to wash clothes here and then even longer to dry them especially if it’s raining :/ Why are feet and clothes so important?? Well, after much thinking I have come to the conclusion that YOU DON”T ACTUALLY NEED TO BE CLEAN :) You just need to LOOK clean!! No one cares what you smell like or the last time you washed your pits or your crotch as long as you look nice!!! Brushing your teeth or washing your hair is just wasting time if you don’t have hair or teeth!! Hahaha no one can see the dirt… they just see your nicely washed feet and clothes…

Example 3-Durring the dry season its very dry!! Hahaha… and there is dirt everywhere!! Rwanda’s are always cleaning the house and making sure to keep everything as dirt free as possible!!! Makes sense right?? We do the same thing in America!!! The weird part, which I don’t know if it’s smart or not yet, is sweeping the dirt outside… yes sweeping the dirt outside!!! They do it every morning and evening :/ It’s crazy!!!! I guess they think it helps or they wouldn't do it :) Now I figured once it started raining they would stop doing it and wait for the dry season again to continue… ummmm… NOPE!!!! They sweep the wet dirt too!!! Bahahahaha seems like a waste of time… and they have to bend in half to do it because they use a broom that is only like 1.5 feet tall… It’s crazy uncomfortable to do longer than 10 minutes and they do it for about an hour every morning and evening all year no matter if its dry or raining :/ hahaha to each their own!!!

Example 4-Driving :/ Ok so since I go to Kigali every weekend to teach English and go to church so I am in the mini buses often!!! The roads are mostly dirt that I take and they are not good by any sense of the imagination!! There are pot holes and rocks and random huge ditches that we drive over as well as super creepy scary bridges over big bodies of water!!!! Sometimes the driver is very safe and tries to take the less bumpy path and tries to stay out of the way of people walking on the side of the road!!! Sounds good right?? Well sometimes they don’t think at all :/ It’s so scary!!!! They will take the worst part of the road and there will be people over there too!!!! They don’t try to stay on the right or left they just use the whole road and have fun swerving all over the place!!!! People are not important and should run for their lives when they hear the bus coming!!!! The driver will get as close to them as possible and will expect them to move out of the way!!! Sometimes he doesn’t even slow down to give them time… I know because I have also been the person walking and almost had my arm ripped off by a bus passing at a speed so fast and so close to me I thought I was going to die!!! Hahaha but I didn't and so far the buses I have been in have not hit anything :) I guess their theory of driving works enough!!!

Ok that’s all for now!!! I hope you liked my random thinking :)