our quiet weekend in Nyaraguru

Saturday, 11.30am.

 Judy: So what are we gonna do today then Isy?

Isy: Em, there’s nothing to do in Nyaraguru. Go for a walk? Get pissed?

Famous last words.

So, when you’re visiting a friend who LOVES Rwandan pop, and LOVES a certain popstar called Dr. Claude, and she gets a phonecall to ask her to be in his music video, but she needs to be in Kigali now this minute, what do you do?

Of course, the answer is drop the rice sacks you are carrying, take your groceries and bags, and get on the first bus from Butare to Kigali. That’s how Rose and I ended up in the back of a bus, attempting to do Isy’s hair and make up while squished in beside a group of women and children on their way to a wedding. We did a brilliant makeover I have to say, even though getting changed on a bus is a bit culturally inappropriate. (Nobody saw, we waited till the child beside me puked – as they inevitably do – and used this diversion as an opportunity for Isy to get into my dress and whip off her jeans under a towel). Next step – procure a white man and a pair of shoes, which sounds easier than it was…

Next thing you know, Rose, Isy, Bert and I have been catapulted to stardom. Kind of J. I’ve never met a Rwandan rapper face to face before, and Dr. Claude was just what I would have hoped for, bling and all. He collected us from the bus, and we got to drive around Kigali in a popstar’s car, windows down, music blaring, everybody recognising Dr. Claude and waving at him. The next bit was surreal. That morning when I woke up I thought I was going to stay in Nyaraguru for a quiet night in, eating, drinking and chatting. Little did we know we’d end up prancing around on the set of a music video! In fairness, Isy and Bert are the famous ones, they’re in an actual scene. Me and Rose were the stylist and agent, we did a bit of dancing around but you won’t be seeing that in the video!

But of course it’s not all bright lights and stardom here…In other news, last week was beerfest. People complained that there wasn’t enough beer. I, however, took the shortage as a challenge and managed to get as drunk as you would expect at a beerfest, I can only conclude that the reason people didn’t get any beer was that April and I drank it all… Also, the chickens are sick, but Felicien reckons it’s nothing a bit of medicine won’t fix. Work is plodding along steadily, phonics workshops are done for now, I saw some great sample lessons at the end of it and some not so great ones, the usual highs and lows…next step is plan stuff to do while the schools are on holidays. That’s all my news for now, watch this space for a link to the music video when it’s all ready