The Mob VS little Muzungu

Just for your reference: Muzungu is a swahili word meaning white person...

Have you ever been in a mob?

I'm not talking about GoodFellas, or being at Walmart during Christmas time -

I mean in the middle of Thousands of people all trying to move in the same direction, climbing, shoving, and pushing?

Have you ever been in a mob with 7 kids? Have you ever been in a mob of thousands of people and been the ONLY white person in the whole crowd?

Well, that's what I experienced yesterday at the main stadium in Kigali at the Hope Festival. this is an event hosted by Andrew Palau (son of famous evangelist Luis Palau). Claudine, (one of the Aunties at the house) decided it would be really fun to go and take some of the kids. there were some professional skateboarders and bicyclers and a kids programs and supposed to be some good music.

I had NO idea what I was getting myself into. A friend mentioned that when I went to the festival that I would see plenty of muzungus. The only ones I saw were on stage.

When we got there, we headed toward the big stage to watch the kids program. there were thousands of people going in the same direction. We were trying to get to a place where the kids could see over the adults. As we started pushing our way toward the front it got more crammed and crazy. tapping the adults on the shoulder and using my charming smile, literally grabbing the kids by the arm to make sure they don't fall or get trampled.

THEN, the MC of the kids program stopped in the middle of what he was talking about and told everyone to NOT PUSH the children back!

THEN everyone "sat down". So at one point, I was sitting cross legged with 2 of our kids on top of me and then atleast 3 other kids who I didn't know were somehow sitting on top of the kids who were sitting on top of me! When we finally sat up, I thought my legs had fallen off...

We got into a similar situation when we went to watch the the bicyclers and skateboarders.

THEN we went into the stadium where it was a little less crazy and we could listen to the music. There were so many people just blatantly staring at me, they would literally reach out to touch my hair or just follow me around. If we were just standing somewhere waiting around eventually there would be a crowd of people standing around me staring. I would say hello and they would continue to stare. Finally I just gave up and said very loudly, "Muzungu gucheza muziki!!!" this means "white girl dances to the music" then I would dance around and still get nothing but blank stares. Claudine and I would literally laugh directly at them in front of them and be silly and there was NOTHING, no expressions. All around me I heard people speaking and suddenly they would point and say MUZUNGU!

The expressions on the faces in these pictures is what I experienced all day, especially the boy in the lower left corner...

CRAZY... As transportation goes in these parts of the world, the trip home was just as crazy and long, but that will have to be another post... Needless to say, I was very happy to get home.

My favorite questions of the day:

ARe you married? Do you have an email address? Can I come to visit you? do you need a husband? Do you have parents? Why are you here?

But the best of all: Please, Sister, would you stand up and dance for us? Will you teach me to dance?

HILARIOUS!