So what I really need is a day of thinking, processing and writing for every day of being here. The trouble is, all there are is days of being here with new things happening ALL THE TIME! And once again I'm so tired and brain full I can't begin to think of saying everything but I do want to try and capture some things while they're still fresh. My journal entries these days are full of one disjointed snippet of an image after another.
For now here are a few quick stories from the past two days.
Up country (pretty much anywhere outside of Bujumbura and Bujumbura Rural) is stunningly beautiful. It's very hilly, in some places mountainy, country and absolutely everything is green except the roads which are deep rusty red (like Georgia or Kauaii) and the clothinges of the women which are every other bright color under the sun. We drove for about 2 hours, much of the way on unpaved, twisting roads. Fidele, who drove, could medal in mountain driving and that the little Toyota we were riding in was up for the challenge is the best commericial they could ask for. We were going to Muhero because Adrien needed to meet with some pastors of the Friends church there about a project they were working on together. We passed many new homes being built alongside the ruins of those which had been destroyed in the fighting. On the way Adrien pointed out a place where there is an IDP camp (Internally Displaced Persons) for people who had to leave their homes during the civil war. Many still live in it and now consider the area their home. Recently he facilitated a HROC workshop there, bringing togetherHutu and Tutsi to begin the process of reconciliation on a local level. The participants told him the pain was still very raw for them because very close by was a mass grave where many of their loved ones were shallowly buried, the victims of a single day's violence which killed 300 people. They wanted to bury the bodies properly but needed the assistance and permission of the government because the task is so large. So now Adrien is trying to think of ways to help them do that but the issue is complicated by a number of factors and really needs a whole person (or several people) just devoted to it.
OK these were supposed to be quick stories. From today I'll say that we celebrated Independence Day in high style. When I packed clothes for this trip I planned for mostly manual labor with one or two nice things for church on Sunday and weddings. I did not pack for "seat on the parade grandstand with high ranking government officials" followed by "evening reception for the President" with ambassadors and so on. So wedding ensemble it was and hope for the best.
2 quick things from the reception then I must start cycling down so I can have some hope of going to sleep. Hard to turn the brain off when it's whirring with so many thoughts. Burundians have a long tradition of drumming and we saw what I'm guessing is the best drum troupe in the country. The thing is, it's not only drumming but an amazing combination of drumming, singing, dancing and acrobatics with some storytelling thown in for good measure. They enter balancing the drums on their heads while playing them and the front drummer also kicks his foot up high enough to touch the drum every few steps. Once they've processed in they place the drums in a semi circle and the serious drumming begins. The drums are pretty big (made from tree trunks, more on that in a second) and the sound is huge, the same deep booming that resonates in your chest when you hear fireworks from close up. They' re made from a special kind of tree and Elie told us that even if you have one of these trees in your yard it doesn't belong to you, it belongs to the drummers and when it's mature the goverment will come and take the tree so it can be made into drums. There's some dancing by the drummers themselves while they're at the drums and there are also separate dancers who execute improbably high leaps, backflips and back somersaults in the air. Just spectacular. After the performance when the President made the rounds to meet people, John and Andrew got to shake his hand, this is the president of the country, mind you. I missed out because I was too busy dancing with the Minister of Youth and Culture. Not how I'd ever pictured spending an evening when I left.
Still I'm glad that our actual work begins tomorrow. I mean our actual tangible work, I do feel we've been accomplishing tiny, nebulous things all along. It's time to start really earning our beautiful, warm welcome.
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