Thursday Oct 1st - How to Stroll in Rwanda

On Thursday afternoon, after settling into our rooms upon arrival, I walk to the National University with our Production Assistant, the tenacious & thorough Jeannie Calleja, and our fixer/translator Laurette Kabanyana. We are going to the opening ceremonies of the Festival.  Hard to believe we arrived in Kigali last night at 3 am, only just got here by bus, and are running to the next thing already.  The Film crew will be covering the event tonite, after following our technicians through their early work in the space where we will be performing, a space just chosen after touring all available venues, a space hard-won by all organizers involved.  The NUR Auditorium, where we will also see the opening of the Festival this evening.

We are powering downhill on the dusty and rocky verge of the highway, with Laurette periodically grabbing our elbows when we get too close to the edge of the roadway. The taxi vans & motorcycle taxis will sometimes share one lane as they pass you, and Laurette is afraid we will be schmucked on our way. After such a long journey, flexing the legs feels really good. The day is hot and dry and we soak up the heat as we pass Rwandans also walking downhill toward the University.

We meet a man coming towards us and as he passes he smiles at us, speaks a phrase in Kinyarwandan to Laurette, and she laughs – a deep chuckle. We ask Laurette what he said to her.

“What’s your hurry?”

It will take me the whole two weeks to relax (or become exhausted!) before, in the last few days in Kigali, I can finally walk Africa speed.

It feels wonderful.

When we arrive at the National University of Rwanda, Jeannie & I are stopped by the security guard who saunters over, Africa speed. I realize it is very powerful to walk slowly, especially when someone is waiting for you. We must show our passports to gain entry to the University (luckily, we have them). Laurette explains in Kinyarwandan (again, it proves vital to have a fixer/translator at your side) that we are artists for the Festival.

He stares at our passports for a long time, and finally lets us through to the University.

The opening ceremonies await us.

Then we will attend a multi-disciplinarian piece of dance theatre with live music.



 
Post by Tara