Monday, April 26, 2010

Sight




How to express this multifaceted and full sense, I do not know; but I will try to highlight a few things which have been especially meaningful or noticeable to me. There are three colors which are especially vivid in Rwanda: green, blue, and orange-brown. In fact, if I had to eliminate one of those, I would take away blue, though its contrast to the others highlights them beautifully. But everything seems to make use of one of these colors. The manicured lawns are not limited to wealthy estates, but each home and place of business large enough to have a yard, even the medians in the road, are occupied by perfectly cut, vividly green grass and trees. The hills (this is the land of a thousand hills) are similarly vivid. Each hill appears fresh and alive; most are filled not only with wild greens, but are cultivated and full of crops of corn, cassava, pumpkin, banana trees, and I’m sure a variety of other things that I cannot yet identify. Then, in contrast to the green, is this orange-brown. It is so similar to both colors, I cannot call it either, neither can it be distinguished from one or the other. It is the color of bricks, or rust, similar in tone to the dirt of Eastern Montana, if you are familiar with said dirt, yet it is brighter. The children here are painted in orange, especially those who live in villages; it is as though their wash is done in orange-brown dye, though I think it is more correct to think they simply gather their colors as they play, since their parents do not display the same color palette. Even as I look past my yard into the valley of the city beyond, I am struck again by these same colors. And a cream color, that appears to be the paint of choice by those fortunate enough to color their homes.
Besides the colors, I find it hard to describe Kigali. It is surprisingly clean, though ramshackle houses fill in the gaps between the larger, more dignified homes. Anyone can afford to has a wall around their property, often topped by bits of glass, barbed wire, or other spiky objects, intended to keep out those that might somehow manage to scale the large imposing walls and huge metal gates. The people in the streets are well dressed, men typically dress very western, though their source of western wear might be limited to a closet fresh from the 80’s or 90’s, men are also occasionally spotted in more traditional dress, long shirts with pants to match in brightly colored and patterned fabric. Women, similarly, choose a combination of western dress and traditional, though I have not noticed the women here to have a style nearly so out-of-date as their male counterparts. Many women choose traditional fabrics, and look stunning as they do. They have an ability to combine colors and patterns that would make any fashion conscious westerner cringe, yet they wear it well. Their fabrics are a variety of patterns; some are simply shapes, while others display envelopes, beverages, even political figures (Obama is a very popular choice). I am at a loss as how to describe this place beyond what I have already. I feel as though what I’ve said is such a small spectrum of what I see (though you may feel differently, as you have been reading my lengthy descriptions), but perhaps if I were better able to describe this place, you might be less inclined to see it for yourself, and that would be a pity for sure.

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