Settled

It’s a sunny Saturday morning ahead of another warm day. Preparing myself to go to a wedding of a close friend’s daughter. I hope I will survive the negotiations between the two families as I only went to bed at four. Catherine arrived last night and as traditional Rwandan welcoming is what it is, you can imagine that even in the middle of the night there is time for talking and talking and….

I had a busy but a feel good week. I was teaching my first full day and it’s so great to see those dancers with whom I’m working since 2010 growing and growing and being dedicated. I did my first attempt to know their names; everyone knows how terrible I am in this. We will see what’s left over next week Monday…

Also yesterday I went to town for the first time to do some shopping with the kids. It’s funny to meet Minister Joe at the supermarket’s gate followed by his faithful shadow. What I first thought to be his driver, his umbrella carrier, seems to be his body guard. Even funnier is the idea I have that the minister could be his bodyguards’ bodyguard but for those to whom I should give the wrong inspiration, be aware that the shadow player is a trained military, so be carefully when you approach the Minister with bad ideas! ;-)

Joe Habineza, Minister of Sports and Culture of the department with the same name, most known as ‘minispoc’ (the Dutch must love this abbreviation). I met him this week in a short meeting we had about the workshops in Kanombe, the remake of the Agaciro movie in Murambi at the latest in 2018-2019 and the creation of a vocational school for dance. We also agreed fast on a few practical things regarding the showcase by Abatarutwa on January 4^th. Lauren Makuza, his advisor and Director of Culture Promotion whom I met already last week will start the implementation…. Rwandan efficiency at its best.

The same afternoon Minister Joe was also present at the Presidential Palace Museum for the historical show prepared by the kids of Kanombe with their trainers, most of them dancers from Abatarutwa. Like last year it was a sublime show about the history of Rwanda till colonization, with even more participants and attendants. As a special guest I had the privilege to sit a while next to the freshly chosen Miss Rwanda and to show my rather limited skills in Rwandan traditional dance flanked by the honorable guests. I’m happy the camera only took the last, lost steps, all the more that the Abatarutwa dancers whom can be considered amongst the best of Rwanda had shown their spectacular style at the opening of the show. That moment, when you feel proud to have the privilege to work with them in urban… Urban? Yes we decided to use urban rather than contemporary at least for the moment…

Most of my days end here at home with the family at the dining table after analyzing the movies of my classes. And then… to bed because tomorrow is another ‘working’ day.

Yes I am settled.

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