Nagasaga Burundi

My Last Night in Burundi we went out and had dinner at Khana Khizana's, our local "We'll look for any excuse to eat at Khizana's," hang out joint.

So my time in Bujumbura Burundi has finally come to an end.

Things that I'll miss:

-African Rainstorms...the thunder, the lightening, the flooding of my room. (Ok, maybe not that.)

-Goat Brochettes.

-Grilled Sweet Potato.

-Attempting to speak French and Kirundi.

-Looking out over Lake Tanganyika at the Congo Mountains.

-Wearing skirts everyday. (I am going to return and have utterly no fashion I am afraid.)

-Bartering at the market. I am a Burundi Kazi (Burundian Woman) and one hard bargainer!

-No Ques for lines. Whatever will I do when I come across a line. Hopefully I put myself in check and won't cut...

-No rules on the Road.

-Sitting in the back of Landcruisers.

-The Burundian Finger...(I know what you're thinking, whatever is the Burundian finger? You'll see. I'm sure I'll pull it out in the States. Its like an index finger wave with a shake of the head. It stops anything:)

-Playing stupid when I get pulled over at a roadblock. A quick innocent look and a simple, "I only speak English Sir," often gets me a smile in return and a wave to go ahead. La Vie Dans Afrique.

-Hippos.

-Getting tangled in my Mosquito net.

-Taking my malaria pill every day.

-Boiling my own water.

-Pot Holes.

-The rooster just outside my window.

-Washing laundry by hand.

-Burning garbage...

-Big hairy African rain spiders.

-Sweating all of the time. (And when I say all of the time, I mean ALL of the time!)

- Hearing Mzungu, Mzungu wherever I go...

Well maybe I wont miss everything on the list...

I especially won't miss being called Mzungu! I wish I had some craftier response to the continual call of "Mzungu." All I could think of was "Aburundi," or "Excusez-moi. Vous me connaissez? Je m'appelle pas Mzungu!" (Excuse me, you know me? My name is not Mzungu!) C'est la vie!

Nagasaga Burundi!

(Goodbye Burundi!)