I woke up this morning to the sound of birds sing-songing at my window. It was glorious! The fresh breeze bathed over my face as I squinted into the bright sunlight streaming through the grates and tried to determine the local time (11am!) and then my body's time (4am!). Hearing the pitter-patter of footsteps and clanging of pots, my best guess what that the housemaid(s) were doing their thing. I sleepily meandered out of my bed to greet them, wondering what level of English I'd encounter and prepping my best African-English accent. I first stumbled upon Serafine, our cook who has 5 children and spends her days making us (there are 5 of us staying here) a delicious barrage of Rwandan-American cuisine for dinner and stocking our endless fruit, coffee and tea supply. She is the definition of kind, reserved, and loving. Her sister, Josie, was my second Rwandan of the day. She works as our house cleaner and maid, doing our endless supply of work/running clothes and making our beds each morning. In addition, she speaks some Swahili, as does our gardener, John. My elation is hardly contained....okay, it is not contained. My battered, broken Swahili is dusted off of the crevices of my mind as I listen to their Congolese Swahili tinged in French. Later, I explore the streets I will be roaming down the next months as I run to the edge of our neighborhood, Kiyovu, and buy a SIM card for my phone, forgetting the voucher for phone credit. Alas! I later discover that Kiyovu is the wealthiest neighborhood in all of Kigali and the current president of Rwanda, Mr. Paul Kagame, is our neirghbor. If only all those guards weren't posted as each entrance, I might attempt to sneak a glance.
Intro to Kinyarwanda:
Good morning! --- Mwaramutse!
Good afternoon! --- Mwiriwe!
Thank you! --- Murakoze!
How are you? --- Amakuru (ki)?
I'm good! --- Ni meza!
Yes --- Yego
No --- Oya
