Kinyarwanda is the main language spoken. Many people (especially people older than 40 years old) also know French because that was the main language used to teach before 2008. English is not as common, but it is becoming more common. Swahili is also spoken here because the DRC, Tanzania, Burundi and parts of Uganda use the Swahili language.
The Rwandan franc (RWF) is used here. Right now, the exchange rate is 1,278.75 RWF equals $1.00.
A small bottle of water (500 ml) costs 500 RWF, or about 50 cents. A bigger bottle of water (1.5 liters) costs 800 or 1,000 RWF depending on where you shop. The most common brands of bottled water here are Nil and Inyange.
I cooked with my friends when I visted them. We made rice, fried potatoes and a peanut sauce with green beans, tomatoes, eggplant, carrots, onions and green peppers. It was delicious!
I have been grading lots and lots of papers this week (255 exams to be exact)! To keep me going, I have been listening to a lot of classical music or jazz music with no words. I can't grade and listen to music with words or I get distracted. When I visited my friends, we listened to Rwandan music and Nigerian artists.
