Sunday, December 18, 2011
Photo: Our Christmas Tree
Photo: The Christmas Wreath We Made
It was funny because I also had garland on the window sill outside next to it, but the next day it was gone. I'm pretty sure the workers thought it was trash and took it haha.
December 18: Lifestyle Changes 4-6
Hugs
Hugging is one of the many awkward experiences that a Westerner may have when living in Rwanda. When the Rwandese hug, they do this sort of reaching out to touch each others shoulders thing, followed by a hand shake. As you know, in America it is almost always one or the other. For the longest time I could never tell which one they were going for, and it made for some really awkward situations. Especially when I would just go in for the kill when I saw they wanted a hug, but then realized that they were keeping me at a distance. Then I would be so distracted by the fool I just made out of myself that I didn't notice the fact that I completely left them hanging on the whole hand-shake follow. Not to mention, whenever they shake hands, they don't intertwine the thumbs (whether you have noticed or not, we do that). They just sort of touch their hands, wrists, or forearms together. I have now perfected the method though, and wonder if I won't accidentally carry it on back in America.
Bugs
There are actually relatively few strange creatures that we deal with (thankfully). The most common are lizards (everywhere), small thick black spiders, mosquitoes and other flying pests (of course), and giant toads. Iman Ishimye (praise God) that there has only been one sighting of a snake. It was a two-headed snake that Andrew quickly got control of and cut both heads off of.
Anyway, about our second month here, we started getting dozens of bites a night, even though we were using the mosquito net. I was just positive every day that I would get Malaria because I thought they were mosquito bites. We finally realized that they couldn't be, as they were on every part of the body, even those covered with clothing. We ruled out bed bugs, and finally figured out that they were fleas. Drew had been making friends with a dog, and shortly after we started having this problem. Two weeks ago we took an entire day and using boiling water, washed, literally, every cloth item that we owned. Bags, rags, suitcases, shoes, clothing--EVERYTHING. Thankfully we have incredible workers that helped us. It was such an intense job, especially because everything is done by hand and then air dried. Not to mention it was boiling hot. When the storms started, we had to bring everything in and then put them back out when the sun came out again. We are now flea free though! Hopefully it will stay that way.
Thugs
I really only made this category because I couldn't think of anything else relevant that rhymed with "hugs" and "bugs," but actually, I suppose I have been exposed to this category. Technologically (I'm not referring to other ways), Rwanda is decades and decades behind America. Usually (though not always), crime in America is complicated and organized. Our movies consist of the most intense and complicated crime plots ever. Here, it seems like their crime is simple. They need something, so they take it.
Their way of dealing with crime is also fascinating. The court system is not nearly the thing that it is in America. I know that it exists, but I haven't heard a word about it, or seen any effects of it since we have been here. It seems like the way they deal with local crime is relatively primal. While our first impulse after a theft is to call the police, here that is not the case. If a thief is caught, those around him deal with him as they see appropriate to the crime. Usually the crime is theft, and the punishment is a good beating. Drew and I have experienced watching this a couple of times, actually. Just a week ago we were at the bus stop waiting, when we saw a crowd of people about 20 feet away from us shouting. We realized quickly that they were beating up some young man. I have never experienced anything like that. I grew up with all women, and we didn't even wrestle (Except for my sister Katie Beth, who beat me up on one or two occasions)! It was so surreal. After all the violent movies I have been exposed to, a "simple" beating really shook me up. There is something about seeing someones flesh actually being affected by the attacks of others in real life; hearing what it sounds like for someone to be kicked full force in the back or stomach. To see the real pain and anguish in someones face as they are outnumbered by a laughing crowd. I felt so helpless.
In some sense, you can see how they would have more "justice" than we have here in America. What happens for us is that the criminals get a slap on the wrist and maybe sent to jail for some time, where they bide their time until their release. There is no immediate gratification for the person that was affected. You can see how those here would feel as though justice had been served, and in earthly terms, it has been. It also shows how they think about community in keeping each other accountable. Even so, for someone who is used to what we would call "civilized" justice, it was a shock. I am very thankful that when I sin, that God does not see it, and expose it to the world for a public beating (although sometimes metaphorically that does happen). Instead, He shows me unmeasurable grace over and over again.
Julianna
Hugging is one of the many awkward experiences that a Westerner may have when living in Rwanda. When the Rwandese hug, they do this sort of reaching out to touch each others shoulders thing, followed by a hand shake. As you know, in America it is almost always one or the other. For the longest time I could never tell which one they were going for, and it made for some really awkward situations. Especially when I would just go in for the kill when I saw they wanted a hug, but then realized that they were keeping me at a distance. Then I would be so distracted by the fool I just made out of myself that I didn't notice the fact that I completely left them hanging on the whole hand-shake follow. Not to mention, whenever they shake hands, they don't intertwine the thumbs (whether you have noticed or not, we do that). They just sort of touch their hands, wrists, or forearms together. I have now perfected the method though, and wonder if I won't accidentally carry it on back in America.
Bugs
There are actually relatively few strange creatures that we deal with (thankfully). The most common are lizards (everywhere), small thick black spiders, mosquitoes and other flying pests (of course), and giant toads. Iman Ishimye (praise God) that there has only been one sighting of a snake. It was a two-headed snake that Andrew quickly got control of and cut both heads off of.
Anyway, about our second month here, we started getting dozens of bites a night, even though we were using the mosquito net. I was just positive every day that I would get Malaria because I thought they were mosquito bites. We finally realized that they couldn't be, as they were on every part of the body, even those covered with clothing. We ruled out bed bugs, and finally figured out that they were fleas. Drew had been making friends with a dog, and shortly after we started having this problem. Two weeks ago we took an entire day and using boiling water, washed, literally, every cloth item that we owned. Bags, rags, suitcases, shoes, clothing--EVERYTHING. Thankfully we have incredible workers that helped us. It was such an intense job, especially because everything is done by hand and then air dried. Not to mention it was boiling hot. When the storms started, we had to bring everything in and then put them back out when the sun came out again. We are now flea free though! Hopefully it will stay that way.
Thugs
I really only made this category because I couldn't think of anything else relevant that rhymed with "hugs" and "bugs," but actually, I suppose I have been exposed to this category. Technologically (I'm not referring to other ways), Rwanda is decades and decades behind America. Usually (though not always), crime in America is complicated and organized. Our movies consist of the most intense and complicated crime plots ever. Here, it seems like their crime is simple. They need something, so they take it.
Their way of dealing with crime is also fascinating. The court system is not nearly the thing that it is in America. I know that it exists, but I haven't heard a word about it, or seen any effects of it since we have been here. It seems like the way they deal with local crime is relatively primal. While our first impulse after a theft is to call the police, here that is not the case. If a thief is caught, those around him deal with him as they see appropriate to the crime. Usually the crime is theft, and the punishment is a good beating. Drew and I have experienced watching this a couple of times, actually. Just a week ago we were at the bus stop waiting, when we saw a crowd of people about 20 feet away from us shouting. We realized quickly that they were beating up some young man. I have never experienced anything like that. I grew up with all women, and we didn't even wrestle (Except for my sister Katie Beth, who beat me up on one or two occasions)! It was so surreal. After all the violent movies I have been exposed to, a "simple" beating really shook me up. There is something about seeing someones flesh actually being affected by the attacks of others in real life; hearing what it sounds like for someone to be kicked full force in the back or stomach. To see the real pain and anguish in someones face as they are outnumbered by a laughing crowd. I felt so helpless.
In some sense, you can see how they would have more "justice" than we have here in America. What happens for us is that the criminals get a slap on the wrist and maybe sent to jail for some time, where they bide their time until their release. There is no immediate gratification for the person that was affected. You can see how those here would feel as though justice had been served, and in earthly terms, it has been. It also shows how they think about community in keeping each other accountable. Even so, for someone who is used to what we would call "civilized" justice, it was a shock. I am very thankful that when I sin, that God does not see it, and expose it to the world for a public beating (although sometimes metaphorically that does happen). Instead, He shows me unmeasurable grace over and over again.
Julianna
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