Fun under the Sun in Kigutu

I wanted to post some photos to give you an idea of why I love this place. I talk so much about medical and non-medical issues that I also want to show you some of the people, places, and things that have stolen my heart.

This first picture is simply four beautiful women sitting by the side of what passes for a road in Kigutu.

This is a little boy that I saw in the clinic. As you can see, he is wearing a black pin-stripe suit that is too big for him. It does not matter, for, as you can also see, he looks adorable in the suit. Like many of the clothes that the children wear, I have no idea from whom or where the suit originated.

The next two pictures are of me holding these adorable 18 month old twin boys. This was taken in my office. I have no idea where they got the matching Mickey Mouse outfits. In case you were worried about the boys, they were not particularly sick. I believe that they had respiratory viruses.

This is just the mother and her twin boys.
I show you this picture just to demonstrate that African mothers will breast-feed whenever their children demand to be breast-fed. They don't care, and they're right. It is not an issue here, nor should it be. This happened to be in the triage line at clinic, as they were waiting to be seen.
Yesterday was my first experience in what is called "Gym Tonic" (the "tonic" part being pronounced "tonique."). It is basically the Burundian equivalent of an aerobics class. However, there is no teacher, nor any organized activity. What one does is put on dancing music that runs continuously, and then everyone dances or does exercises to that music. it is very much free-form, as it should be here in Africa. The two pictures that you see are of the drummer boys after drumming rehearsal. They joined the class. You can clearly see the joy with which they dance. They were all amazing dancers, as they moved effortlessly and rhythmically to the music. They are all remarkably flexible. Their dancing is a metaphor for the "espirit" of this country. It is that "espirit" that captivates me.

These last two pictures are taken at sunset from the top of the hill above the clinic. The sun is setting over Lake Tanganyika. This is my favorite place on earth, especially at that time of day. I cannot help but feel a sense of peace and tranquility and even joy as I sit there, experiencing the serenity and beauty that is the essence of that place and that time.