Love is in the air

Saturday January 9th, 2009 I should have know it was going to be a great day by the way it started. Mama brought me a bottle with about a gallon of bailing hot water. I was already dressed but kept saying “marcozee, maracoza” thank you thank you. That bottle mixed with a regular jug of water and I have a hot or medium hot supply of water for a bath. WHOO HOO!. I immediately changed and went back into my room to enjoy the treat. Whoo hoo. 2 gallons of warm water. Enough to bathe and wash my hair. Yes indeed I came out looking rather glamorous. Given that it was Saturday the kids don’t have school. So that meant all day play. And when I say all day…I mean all day. March, sing, toss the ball, play in the dirt, giggle etc etc. Perpetual motion times 20. Late afternoon I brought 2 coloring books and a fresh box of crayons. (Thanks Erika). They squeeled for joy. Isaac carefully reviewed all the pages with one set of kids and Sande did the other set. Each picked out a page to color. Actually 2 pages if you count front and back. The crayons were placed in the middle of the pile and the creativity began. The 1st few days the kids kept say “Lucy” “Lucy”. I asked Chantal if there was a Lucy here recently. “No” was the reply. I kept thinking about it. Each time they would some running and say “Lucy Lucy”. I would say “Missy Donna”. But then say would say “Lucy Missy Donna”. Eventually I figured it out. Lucy is Look See. It presume it came from people taking photos and then showing the screen of the camera to them say “you want to see?” Hence was born “lucy!”. So today when drawing there was a lot of “lucy” shouts to review their creations in progress or when completed. Late afternoon they announced that Isaac, Lionel and Sande had to go to the market to get their hair cut for school. I should have said “shaved”. We walked to the market with Claudine and one of the night watch men. He took the kids for their hair cut and I went with Claudine to have some pj bottoms repaired. Chantal had told her I wanted to go to the market so I was happy to have another opportunity to do so. People everywhere. Stalls of every imaginable thing. Fresh fruit, veggies, nails, shoe repairs, tennis shoes, fish, you name it. Of course the “moozongoo” was quite the stir. It’s important in this kinda of situation not to simply start snapping photos or it can get ugly. I simply show the camera and say “eggo? (yes) or oiya (no)? Oiya is the 1st reply. Then I say hi, how are you in Kinyarwanda, shake hands, ask their name. Then the crowd grows and I ask again. I have about an 80% hit rate of then gaining permission to take their photo. I always like to show it to them ….the entire crowd wants a look then they all laugh and others jump in for theirs to be taken. As you can imagine it takes some time. The little kids always want theirs taken so I am happy to do so. Then the mamas want to have their babies photos taken. They are usually on their back on lying on a start of vegetables that they are selling. I wish I could afford to bring a Polaroid camera with me and hand them a copy. I then push through the crowd to the next section of nay-sayers. The conversion begins again. Someone behind me is usually yelling ahead “moozoongoo..franc.” This means make sure you get the white person to give you a franc in order to take the photo. A few English speaking people emerged from the crowd. One trying to act all official. He asks about the “purpose” of my photos. I tell him I am a friend of Rwanda and simply want to have some photos. He backs off when I show him that I ask permission. If they say no, I don’t take it. The scene repeats itself for an hour. The people are so precious. The creativity is impressive. Outside of tailor was the ironing board. The iron was shaped like a traditional iron but the top part of open and inside was some hot charcoal. You must be very careful to get the temp right or disaster strikes. Chantal and Mbanda will be back on Monday. We shots little tour video of Chantal in all 3 homes. I look forward to my editing in the states. We stopped by the 1st home on our way from the market in order to play a bit. I spend the bulk of my time at the 2nd and 3rd home and miss hanging out with Dorine, Fabiola, Kagabo etc. I see them every day , but I live in the 3rd home so it’s just not the quality time that I would like. But you can only do so much in a day. We asked permission to come back to the 1st home the boys took their baths. Mama Immaculee quickly washed up Lionel, Sande and Isaac while I ate dinner and we were off. The security guard walked with us. I had small flashlight that I game Sande and then I put on my head lamp. That laughed but quickly saw how functional it was. ( I let the boys were it on the way back home) We played at the 1st home for about 2 hours. Isaac and Sande are learning to take photos with my camera. They love to do it and are getting pretty good. Isaac took some shot with Miss Donna and Miss Dorene tonight. Love love Love is in the air.