Dinner at the Diocese (September 13)

On my first Sunday in Rwanda and in Gitarama I was invited, with Patrick escorting me, to attend dinner with the Rector of UCK. The Rector met Patrick and I at the university where we passed about a half hour in his office getting acquainted before we piled into his SUV and drove to the rectory. Now I’m not sure what I was expecting the residence of the rector of a university to be like but somehow it didn’t quite occur to me that he would be living in a large stone building next to the cathedral with many other priests. Surely that is ignorance. Nonetheless I thought dinner with one priest in his home was intimidating until I was introduced one by one to the several others who also live in the rectory.

Being that I was terrified I was going to display insufficient table manners for dinner in such a setting I think I managed to survive relatively blunder free (Thanks, Mom). I did feel foolish when I sat in the chair I was directed to only to realize that grace is said while still standing behind your chair, thus I quickly rose and bowed my head. Just after we sat down and dished out the food one last person entered the room for dinner – none other than the Bishop of Kabgayi. Selecting the free chair directly across from me he said his prayer and sat down to enjoy his meal. As many meals here are served with beer the Bishop proceeded to offer me one and open it. In some cruel comedy of errors the beer foamed rather viciously when the cap was removed creating a minor spectacle as we both awkwardly tried to keep it from making a huge mess. To make things better, as soon as I thought the crisis as averted it started again! And then just to prove that my reality is especially warped the Bishop busts out his cell phone and starts making a couple calls in the middle of dinner!

There are moments in my life where my circumstances suddenly strike me as ridiculous or odd or extremely unlikely and one thought quickly overtakes my mind: how on Earth did I get here? At which point I usually take a virtual tour of the path of my life, noting the forks at which my choice of turn lead me to the current moment and I relish in the beauty of its improbability. In these moments, more often than not, I feel incredibly fortunate.

Eating dinner across from the Bishop of Kabgayi was definitely one of those moments.

Culture Shock

Everyone here answers their cell phones everywhere! At dinner, in class. Even the teachers and the Bishop. That this is perfectly acceptable behavior will take some getting used to. And I’m not sure I’ll like it.