Hissing, High Fives & Apologies; Some Habits I Have Acquired In Rwanda

During my 5+ months here in Rwanda, I’ve made myself at home in Kigali, and adapted to the Rwandese lifestyle. I have also picked up some…interesting habits, many of which will not translate when I return home to the US in June. Below are a handful of quirks that I have acquired during my crash-course in Rwandese culture:

1) Hissing

Here in Rwanda, it’s acceptable to hiss at someone in order to get their attention. A simple “tsssss!” is effective for: attracting the attention of a moto-taxi, calling a waiter or bartender, getting someone’s attention on the street, among other things. When I first arrived here, the hissing phenomenon struck me as being very rude. But, after 5 months here, I am coming around to it. The sound carries surprisingly well, so it is more effective than the seemingly more polite attention-getting mechanisms, like waving, or saying “excuse me”, especially in a noisy restaurant. I have been refraining from the whole hissing thing, however, because it is a habit that I am afraid of taking back with me to my native San Francisco. I can see it now; being at one of my favorite bars or restaurants in the city, and, forgetting myself, hissing at a waitress, waiter, or bartender. I imagine this slip-up might warrant an extra ingredient with my drink order (read: saliva). So, instead, I’ve opted to use my favorite word in Kinyarwanda:

2) “UMVA!”

“Umva” (OOM-vuh), meaning “look” or “listen”, is possibly the most versatile word I’ve come across so far in Kinyarwanda. It can be used to get someone’s attention, to emphasize a point, begin an argument, etc, etc. Due to my aforementioned paranoia about becoming too comfortable with hissing at people, this word has become a prominent part of my vocabulary. However, no matter how enthusiastic I am about my new favorite word, I doubt I will be successful in starting an “umva” trend in the Bay Area.

3) “Sorry, sorry”

Let’s face it; I am a klutz. I am constantly exhibiting my lack of motor skills in public by tripping, falling, spilling stuff, or walking into people or things. In this way, my life in Rwanda has been no different. Except for one thing; whenever I do any of the previously mentioned embarrassing things in front of people, passers-by will give me a concerned face and utter a very sympathetic, “ohhhhh sorry, sorry”. At first, it struck me as odd; I’m the one who bumped into you, why are you apologizing? After a while, I became accustomed to this expression of sympathy, and have since started doing it myself. Now, whenever someone stumbles, drops something, or bumps into me, my first reaction is to apologize. Not because I think it was my fault, but because I sympathize with the person for their bout of clumsiness. Believe me, I do. I think I am currently on the receiving end of about 5-10 “sorry, sorry’s” every day.

4) High-fiving strangers

Maybe it’s because, as a pasty-faced foreigner, I stick out like a sore thumb all the time. Or maybe it’s the general friendliness of the Rwandese culture. Maybe it’s a little bit of both, but I seem to receive a lot of high-fives whenever I am out and about in my neighborhood. This happens particularly during my post-work runs around Kigali (which many people do around here. Yayyyy sidewalks!). Whenever I set out for my evening run, I am usually greeted by packs of small children or adolescents who will give me high-fives as I run by. It’s sweet, encouraging, and I admit, it makes me feel like a bit of a rock star. A series of high fives from a group of school kids can be motivation to keep going, especially when I am red-faced and breathless towards the end of my route (which is due to the altitude here in Kigali, at 5144 ft. It definitely has nothing to do with the multitude of French fries that have weaseled their way into my diet since my arrival in Rwanda. Nope. Nothing at all). When I attempt to tackle the hills of San Francisco upon my return, I’ll miss those high fives. Among other aspects of Rwandese culture, of course

Caitlin Ross is a member of KF14 in Kigali, Rwanda, where she is doing back-to-back placements with Amasezerano Community Banking, S.A. She is currently trying to cut back on her French fry intake.

Also, she will probably still try to make “umva” happen in San Francisco upon her return.

Lend to an Amasezerano borrower here: http://www.kiva.org/partners/170

Join the lending team! Click here: http://www.kiva.org/team/amasezerano