Stars, stripes and M16's

Conveniently the fourth of july is a holiday in Rwanda as well. While Rwanda's Independence day (from Belgium) is on July 1, July 4 or Liberation day marks the end of the 1994 genocide. (the current state of Rwanda is summed up quite nicely in this NYT's blog. ) In fact, I am writing this entry from one of the "two european standard malls" located about 400 meters from my home.
So no fireworks here on liberation day, just closure of a lot of stores, some small parades (which i watched on TV), and hours of oddly amusing music videos on Rwandan TV (the only station we get) which consisted of the Rwandan Defense Force awkwardly dancing (and singing) to what i believe to be rwandan folk songs while pumping automatic rifles in the air. (with occasional footage of hand held rocket launches shooting at planes) i can only imagine what would happen in America if instead of the latest american idol belting out the stars and stripes they had a camcorder recording of the marines singing its a grand old flag while doing the macarena....
Meanwhile, I engaged in a rather typical 4th celebration and headed over to the American Embassy. There were over 200 americans there and i spent much of the 3 hours waiting in line to get my hamburger and potato slaw...(by the time i got through the line the brownies were long gone...booo!!!!). Anyway, while in line i was sandwiched between some very nice interns for a youth leadership group who are working at a local orphanage (one just graduated from simmons, but alas did not know katie) and a group of 3 businessmen from Texas who worked with various orphanages internationally (one had been to uralsk!). It is astonishing the amount of ex pats that live in this city! Anyway, the marines provided free beer, blues traveler and guns and roses belted from the sound system, a volley ball tournament was organized and i can only imagine what the Rwandans were thinking on the other side of the massive fortress that is the U.S. embassy. (pictured in the times article). Despite the lack of fireworks (and brownies) it felt very fourth of julyish....
Today i found out that my "host cousin" Kuku and one of my closest local friends here (some people call us twins because i am exactly one day older than her, and she also works in public health) is dating a member of Parlement who aside from being slightly creepy-today he informed me that one of the only words i know in kinyarwanda and one that i use on a regular basis "amazi", i have been mispronouncing. Instead of saying I would like water, I have been saying something to the affect of I would like to be pleased (if you know what i mean)....hmm...anyway, after i offered him some amazi he offered to drive me to Burundi in a few weeks...tempting, as i have heard they have some of the best beaches in Africa, but i'm not sure i want to get caught up in some sort of rwanda political scandal.