Right now, I'm sitting in our common room reflecting on the lovely "meal" I just enjoyed with the village's Hospitality Club. The students in this club are learning how to work in and manage restaurants and hotels. Usually the Monday sessions are reserved for learning theory, but in our honor, the teacher allowed them to have a practical session.
Thus, after a great discussion with Greta, I found myself side by side with her, sharing an elaborately set table with two students who were the equivalent of juniors in high school. The four of us enjoyed a lovely pretend meal, with other students playing the part of hostess and waitress. Although the only ingestible thing we were served was water, the four of us giggled for an hour over our fake food, learning about each other's lives and playing the part of diners at a restaurant.
This experience with the hospitality club was just one in a line of fun extracurriculars: we have been able to enjoy many different activities with the students, from basketball to traditional art.
As much as I have enjoyed spending time with the students and getting to know them, we have also had some really memorable times on this trip as a group. The spontaneous conversations that we have throughout the day are profound and complex beyond the normal level of conversation we are used to in our daily lives. It has been really refreshing to connect with other people on such a level day after day, and this has also impacted the way I think about myself, my religion, and others around me. I can't believe that we've only spent four full days in Rwanda, and I can't wait to see what else we will accomplish in our time here.
-Jamie Etkind
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