Rwanda and classes starting

I spent the last week in Rwanda! We left at 5 am to go to drive there. We drove about 8 hours, crossed the border (where an amazing Ugandan girl named Brendah helped me exchange money), and arrived just in time for tea. Tea is very popular here, and is pretty informal. UCU’s meal plan includes two tea times-morning and evening! Usually there is black sweet tea or milk tea that is sweet. Some places had instant coffee or drinking chocolate (hot chocolate with no sugar).

The girls spent the night in a one room dormitory for the 25ish of us. A minister met with us about Rwanda, and then on Sunday we broke up into groups and went to churches. My group went to the second most rural parish named Masuza Parish. We drove up and there were a ton of people milling around, and we later estimated there were about 800 people there. The service lasted almost three hours but seemed to fly by quickly. There were at least three choirs that sang, and at one point everyone got up in the congregation and danced around (mostly jumping) in the center of the room. It was exhilarating and loud and wonderful.

On the way back from Rwanda, we saw zebras on the side of the road! We drove by so quickly that I could not take pictures, but they do exist here!

The classes I am taking are Faith and Action in the Ugandan Context (F&A-our core study abroad class), African Literature (Lit), Introduction to Ugandan Politics (UP), East African Politics Since Independence (EAP), and African Traditional Religions, Islam, and Christianity (ATR).

Fun facts:
- White people here are called mzungus. Muh-zoo-ng-ews.
- Also, calling someone on the telephone without them answering is called “beeping.”

I hope to get pictures up soon, but the internet is not very fast here! Have a good week!