15 Random differences.

I posted three entries again.... so scroll down to the first one and read that first!

1. There are no trashcans.
2.     Spanish soap operas, translated into English, French, or Kinyarwanda, are SUPER popular.
3.   Public transportation consists of minibuses that seat about 15 people—they don’t leave until they’re completely full—and the buses are decorated with the most random phrases like “Jesus Rocks” and “Soulja Boy” and “Twitter.”
4. Dinner is generally served around 9pm, or later.
5. Despite it being super dusty, everyone’s shoes are pristine!  Most people take great care in cleaning their shoes, ironing their clothes, and looking super sharp every day.  I can’t believe it but I actually iron my outfit before I leave for school—who knew?
6. Here in Kigali, the city hires women to clean the streets.  It’s one of the cleanest cities I’ve ever seen.
7. Eating on the go is not acceptable.  Eating is for at home, at the table.
8. Many Rwandans tend to be soft-spoken.  Whenever I’m out with friends from the program, we tend to attract stares due to our loud chattering.
9. Most kids have school on Saturdays.
10. Many Rwandans tend to drink milk warm.  Milk is super important in Rwandan society because of the emphasis on cows (owning more cows= more powerful, traditionally) so sharing milk used to be what a king would do to honor his friends.
11. The food is primarily starch: rice, potatoes, and french fries are all usually served at one meal.
12.  Besides buses, motos are the other main form of transportation.  Literally everyone and his mother ride on these motorcycles, bags held tight, children squished between the driver and the mother, zooming every which way through traffic.
13.  Saving food is not a thing.  My family at least doesn’t have a fridge so all the food cooked for a meal has to be consumed right then—which also isn’t a problem for my family because we always end up having tons of company for dinner!
14.  Flip flops are called “slippers” and are unacceptable to wear out of the house.
15.  It seems that a main hang-out spot are the “saloons” which is what they call hair salons.  They’re always packed with people, getting their hair braided and chatting with neighbors and friends.