Hats off to the Graduate!

Well, unfortunately we were not able to go to the U POP (aka Ugandan pop-I've learned) concert on Sunday--major bummer, right? Our friends ended up not being able to go, the sky was threatening a wicked rainstorm and Court, Adam and I decided our time could be better spent sampling coffees from around Eastern Uganda and craft shopping. It was a nice afternoon, for sure!

On Saturday night though I did get to attend my friend Didier's graduation party. Rather, Dr. Didas' graduation party... just in case he reads this I know he'd like that better...

Since I was told things started at 7:30, I arrived a little before 8. I figured that was on African time.... Jokes on me, I was probably one of the last to get there! I snuck in with my friend Jasiri and we tried to sit in the back (the whole courtyard of Didas' home had transformed into a sea of lawn chairs) where we saw our other friend Rapha. Well...Olivier (Dr.s' brother) wasn't going to have any of that - we were to sit up with the family in the row chairs that faced the crowd, of course! Of course!

After I delivered my much-rehearsed greetings in Swahili to Dr Didas and Oliver's mother, the Doctor himself came out in a rather grand entrance. He looked rightly proud in his cap & gown and his parents were beaming. The crowd goes wild! I'm so proud of him too; it's a HUGE accomplishment, and he graduated with a degree in Software Engineering at that!

Next up was FOOD and the DANCE PARTY, my favorite combination of events. We were delighted to dance to a lovely mix of Congolese music and some R. Kelly/Usher/50 cent etc... (Windsor, you would be proud!). The food was great too, we even had beignets and meat - mmmmm. A nice switch for my palette.

After we digested and got a little more dancing in (those Congolese LOVE to dance. Scratch that, Africans love to dance..) Dr's dad came out to greet me. He's very intelligent and well spoken! I was invited into the family's home to have a beer, and soon after the graduate, Olivier, their 2 sisters and other brother came in to join their US: their father, mother, grandmother, a few aunts and me. It was time for heartfelt speeches, warming thank-yous and me to feel like I happened in on a private family affair. No one seemed to notice but me, of course.. It was really touching and makes me even more proud to call them my friends!

Finally, a few of us decided it was time to take the party to the real dance floor and we went to a nearby bar where the latest Congolese music videos were played, with some R. Kelly/Usher/50 cent mixed in of course.

It was a great night indeed!