Culturisms #3 and #4

Culturism #3

Taking and "Borrowing"

We have learned about the interesting perspective on belongings here in Rwanda. In the U.S. there are many social and physical boundaries which are non-existent here. For example, if we need to borrow something from a friend, we would ask them if we could borrow it, letting them know that we will (try to) return it promptly when we are finished with the item. Here, if you need something and you see it, you just take it. It is not the same as stealing if you know you will use it, you simply take it without telling the person. It's not intentionally deceitful, you are just fulfilling a need. So, things just seem to disappear.

Jerry cans are a popular item. You can never have too many jerry cans for transporting water, especially in times of water shortages. The Thomases once tried to combat their lack of jerry cans by buying a large number of them, and most of them disappeared. The workers probably assumed the Thomases had more then they could use, and slowly the jerry cans vanished.

This happens with food, also. Our roommate once got out of the shower to find someone going through our cupboards, looking for who knows what? We've also had issues with houseworkers helping themselves to plenty of food or sugar from our cupboards.

We've also heard that if someone compliments you on something you are wearing, they are saying that they want that particular item.

Culturism #4

Sugar

Rwandans use no sugar in their cooking. They are constantly amazed at how much sugar we use in our cooking and baking: sauces, bread, granola, etc., not to mention desserts. When it comes to tea, Rwandans have found one place where they like sugar. And LOTS of it. Of course, they complain that our tea and coffee preferences are much too strong. For them, many could practically drink hot water with sugar (they will pour hot water through a strainer with tea and it will be very light brown: a perfect cup of tea). To this light brown liquid they will add heaping tablespoons of sugar. We've had to limit our workers' sugar usage to two tablespoons for a cup of tea. Otherwise, they would continue to heap the sugar. We have a small sugar bowl, and many times before we imposed this sugar limit we'd find the bowl emptied by two workers from their single cups of tea. We were flying through sugar! At a recent houseworker meeting, they explained to us that this is the one place where they will have something sweet, whereas we Americans like everything sweet.