It was 5:30 pm on a regular day after work. The moto driver
who provided daily transportation between home and office during the past month
was driving me to a supermarket in downtown of Kigali. Another moto was
catching up. The driver turned his head, winked at me while making a V sign
with his fingers, and then drove away.
That’s usually the thing that makes my day, a simple smile
that makes me feel warm inside. That reminded me of a conversation with a
colleague at the company I am currently interning with. On the first day at work, he introduced me
pieces of Rwandan culture in which he said people are genuinely hospitable to
each other, even more so to foreigners. Local people see foreigners as guests
who should be treated better. That is also how Chinese people see foreigners.
That’s one of the factors that constantly grow my love for
this territoriality small country in East Africa. How time flies! It has been an
entire month since I set foot on this beautiful land of thousand hills. It
truly is.
So many things happened within the month that built up the amazing
and memorable experience.
Experience:
Like a celebrity or
an alien?
This must not be new to foreigners who visit Rwanda.
“Muzungu,” meaning “white people,” is the word local people, especially
children, use to call foreigners when they see one. It usually goes with a
long-time attentive stare and continuous follow around. I don’t remember that I
have never been paid so much attention since I was born. It feels quite
flattering, and sometimes overwhelming, especially when colleagues took me on
field trips to rural areas. I was greeted all along the way, more than half an
hour drive on moto, by children standing on the dirt roads, by women gathering
crops and by men repairing roads. Sometimes, kids chased the moto, screaming
“muzungu” while waving at me. The intensity almost convinced me that I am the
first Chinese ever that has even been there or I am nothing they have seen
before. When walking in the village, I was surrounded by local people and was
given a full body visual examination from head to toe. From time to time, they talked to each other
and laughed at intervals of stares. Sometimes I felt lost and just responded with a
smile.
A month has passed. I still receive the same amount of
attention, but I have gradually gotten used to it.
Informal is the new normal!
The informal sector contributes about 55 per cent of Sub-Saharan
Africa’s GDP and 80 percent of the labor force. Nine in 10 rural and urban
workers have informal jobs in Africa and most employees are women and youth. Rwanda
is an evident demonstration of the above statement. Wherever I go, there are people
carrying on their head a yellow water can, or a basket of vegetables, or fruits,
or a pile of shirts for sale. Some men take a plastic basket filled with bread
or hard boiled eggs. There are also men selling self-made news digest
collecting major news items from local newspapers. Moto taxis seem to be the
major transportation, shuttling to and fro on streets. The major transportation
hub is crammed with private vans and buses vying with each other for
passengers. Agents of MTN, Tigo, and Airtel, major telecom companies in Africa,
are lining up along major streets, selling phone credits to whoever pass by.
Streets are always busy. People seem to enjoy the hustle and
bustle.
Fast and Furious!
For more than 20 years before coming to Rwanda, I had promised
myself that I would never take motors as a way of commuting because, to me, the
moment I am on a moto, I lose control of my life. I eat my words after I got to
Kigali because of their cheap price, efficiency and easy access through traffic
jams. Now moto becomes my only means of transport between home and office,
restaurants and bars. I don’t have to wait for more than 2 minutes to get a
moto. Wave, negotiate the price, put on the helmet, and hop on. Then the moto
speeds off, so fast that my heartbeat raced three times faster with every
passing meter. The good thing is that I can get to my destination without
worrying about traffic. Moto drivers always find a way to weave recklessly
among cars, buses and trucks running on narrow roads.
There were times that I enjoyed riding a moto. After several
drinks at a bar, I felt like flying on a racing moto; when listening to music
with strong beats, I feel like a really cool person.
Fun stuff:
Rwanda bans lightweight
plastic bags to protect environment. About one hour away from landing,
flight attendant announced that all the plastic bags we had with us should be
left on the plane before entering Rwanda. As a small country where environment matters
particularly, policy is necessary and effective implementation is crucial.
Bromance is prevailing.
Adult men holding hands or holding each other by waist while walking can be seen
quite often in Kigali and rural areas. Colleagues told me that Rwandan people
believe there are no homosexuals in their country and in their culture so it’s
no problem for two adult men to do that. Holding hands is an expression of
friendship. However, those who have been to other countries, such as South
Africa, don’t think in that way any longer and could not bear the thought of
taking another man’s hand.
Drinking matters. Drinking
is an important part of Rwandan people’s life since history, for all walks of
life. There are three major structures at the King’s Palace. One for receiving
visitors and sleeping; another two for storing milk and beer. Commercials may
be indicative of people’s life. Commercial posters or paintings are all over the
country, whether it is in downtown or in villages where people don’t have access
to light. Two types of commercial are there to be found: telecommunication and
beer.
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