Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Evacuate, Club, Mass 5/25 - 5/26/13




With additional UN Peace Keepers mandated to use force arriving in Goma, the rebels are flexing their muscles by shelling the outskirts of Goma.  In response, the Texas A&M has been forced to relocate us just across the Rwandan border. We moved less than a mile away from Goma but there is a stark contrast in standards of living between the DR Congo and Rwanda.



After a long business dinner overlooking the lake, our group started to thin out until it was just Vince and I sitting next to our hotel pool discussing the logistics of the project.  At 10pm the restaurant turned down their music and across the lake and in the mountains we could hear the melodies of African club music. The music was a call to adventure Vince and I couldn’t resist. We asked our two waiters who were our age to join us in finding the source of the music.

I couldn’t believe I was leaving the confines of the hotel and venturing out into a new country on the back of a small motorcycle taxi.

The two night clubs we visited were small but packed with people. Surprisingly, guys stood around in circles and danced. Occasionally, a girl would grab a guy to dance with but just as often two guys would dance with each other.  The dancing was little uncomfortable but overall it was a great time. I like to think I’m pretty adventurous but I didn’t dance with any of the guys. Haha.

Early the next morning, Dr. Price, Justus and I attended a local Catholic Church for Mass. The service was in Kiswahili, and we think it might have been a special Mass for the children because there were A LOT of children and the service was being videotaped. I have always found comfort in attending Mass abroad. No matter where I am in the world, I can always find my home in the Catholic Church.

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