Buke, buke (slowly, slowly)

After a great night of pizza, good conversation, and hanging out with the four of us I went to bed refreshed. I’m not sure if it is the pent up emotion that is now coming out because I can chat with people back home whenever I want or the fact that I had a great night with friends but I woke up very sad. I was longing to go home. I was longing for an easier life, longing for conversations that are real, like the one I had the night before. Bitter tears streamed down my face as I began my day. I was frustrated with the fact that I am powerless over my situation, I represent the university at all times; I have to work within, not only my cultural norms but the university norms. I’m pretty sure that back home I would always break cultural norms so being on my best behavior all the time is wearing on me. Praise the Lord for unlimited internet. I had my first real skype date with my sister. Thanks for being up Sarah. It was amazing! Being able to talk to her in real time. I turned it on and she could tell I was crying. She said, “What’s wrong.” She didn’t have any answers; she was just there to listen. It’s what I needed. I told her about the boy who was beaten and other frustrations. Thanks God for a great sister.
Then Steph and I had a good time conversing about things.
Then the phone rang. It was time to go to the beach with friends, the four of us again. In 4 weeks it will be down to three. Then 2 more weeks and it will be just 2. Then in 2 months it will be just Stephanie and I. I’m not looking forward to my friends leaving.
There was a big political rally going on and so the bus route was changed and it took forever on both the first bus and the second bus. It was great to see different areas of town I haven’t seen before from the “comfort” of the hot bus.
When we got to the place at the beach it was filled with people! Normally there are a few groups of people speaking French but today there were tons! I even heard an English word now and then. We brought books to read and were just going to relax. It wasn’t long before my eyes were wondering from my book looking for something else to do besides read. I saw a Frisbee. I live on a college campus and there are no Frisbees here. What was I thinking not bringing one. It would be the perfect evening activity with the students. I collected my courage, along with some help from Stephanie and Brandon, and I walked down to the two who were playing with it. I asked where they got the Frisbee or if they brought it. The man said, “you want to play”. Oh ya!!! He then said that it wasn’t his. (I’m speaking to someone in English and it’s great. In the back of my mind I’m thinking, friends?) The girl brought it from home. So much for the hope of purchasing one for myself in town.
You must remember that including Canadians there are only 70 registered Americans living here in Burundi. So for me to happen to be chatting with 2 Americans is very unusual. And very exciting!
They had been playing for a while and were done. I went back to my book. Then a volleyball game was starting. This took less encouragement from the peanut gallery. Again I was playing and chatting in English! You don’t realize how important your mother tongue is until you are deprived of it for 3 months. Now I do chat between the four of us in English but to meet random strangers and be able to have a conversation that I don’t have to work to understand is just great! In the middle of the game while waiting for a serve I noticed something. I was on a beach volleyball court and I was the only one with a shirt on. I was not only playing sports and wearing pants, 2 things that are taboo for women here but I was doing these things with a group of 11 men who not wearing shirts. (remember beach volley ball in hot sticky Buja). There was a man who was walking on the beach and stopped to take a picture of us playing. I just thought, there goes your reputation Rachel. I didn’t care; in my culture it’s all ok. And I was playing with a bunch of white guys from my culture. It was great to joke around about the game.
On our way home the bus didn’t come so we began to walk. A woman we met at the US embassy thing was driving by. They stopped and offered us a ride. It was great. I'm making friends, my friend, say it with me, friends. As they say in Burundi, slowly slowly.