look so sad in your photos. Why didn't you smile?" The response is always the same: "It is the culture for a bride to look sad. If she smiles, it means that she was not happy with her family and she is happy to finally be leaving home." I suppose I do believe this could be the truth, however I feel like some of the brides, especially the younger ones, might genuinely be displaying what they feel in their hearts-sadness of being sent away to live with a man they may not love, all because their mother can no longer afford food and clothing for her eldest Relationship do's and don'ts. Photo of a child of 8 or decorative wall hanging made in Rwanda. 9. Don't take this last statement as gold though, this is just my opinion on the matter. Most women and girls probably are genuinely happy, but if this is the case, I certainly can't tell. There isn't a performance in the world that can beat the pained and torturous looks that these women display on what should noticeably be the happiest day of their lives.
Four Cultural No-No's Peace Corps did their best to teach us about Rwandan culture and social etiquette, however in just two short months of training, there is only so much you can see and learn about a world that is completely new to you. Below is a list of four cultural no-no's that I've picked up on along the way. They are more or less unspoken, but if you pay close attention, you will find that they are very prominent in Rwandan culture: Grudges There have been plenty of days when I arrived to GRUDGES the health center for work, only to find two or three of my coworkers shouting in the local language about something I wasn't quite able to understand. I remember one of my coworkers venting to me after one particular heated discussion; apparently one of our other coworkers betrayed him and he would never forgive him. As he told me this, I thought to myself, Oh Lord, please don't let this man put me in the middle of their foolishness. However to my surprise, the very next day, the two men were laughing and having a pleasant conversation as if the conflict had never happened. I observed them with wonder and admiration for how they were able to forgive one another so quickly, as people in the States, including myself, tend to hold grudges for weeks or longer. Sensing the obvious look of confusion on my face, my coworker addressed me saying that he asked God to help him forgive. He said to me, "To hold a grudge is very bad. It can make you sick. And how can you work together when you are angry? It is not possible." At this, I thought to myself, Man, these people can really teach a thing or two to us grudge-holding, unforgiving Americans. I love that no matter how angry two people may be with one another, it's like they have an unspoken mutual understanding that their anger cannot last. I think the longest grudge I've witnessed here was one full day; no matter what,
14