(I wrote this almost 2 months ago, about 2 weeks after we moved, but took me awhile to get posted.)

Slowly, we are making friends.  It is exhausting to have every child shout for a crowd (mzungu! MZUNGU!) every time we leave the house, so we are hoping people get used to us.  We’ve started with our neighbors: I explained to the kids on one side, (age 2 &4) in my halting kinyarwanda that I would appreciate it if they used my name, instead.  They didn’t quite get it, but their mom did, and she helped explain.  These kids and their mom & grandmother (?) are very friendly, and we have small conversations every day.  The 4-year old boy is especially enthusiastic! (Its nice because the girl on the other side hid and cried every time she saw us for the first week.)

He came over while I was washing dishes, and one of us asked “iki n’iki?” (What is it?)  He picked up every cup and asked, “iki n’iki?”

Now, this is the perfect game.  I can practice the words I know, and learn new ones, AND he is having fun!

Update: the fearful little girl and I have since made friends, beginning with small games of repeating actions, from a distance