Titles

Rwandans love to use titles instead of names, even outside of work. Sheena’s worst experience in a meeting was to be called “Madam Missionary Education Officer”, but fortunately the translator, on seeing her face, changed this to “Madam Sheena”.
Meanwhile I get called “Padre” by strangers a couple of times a week (usually when I am without Sheena, of course!). I’m not exactly sure why people assume I am a priest.
Even in small groups, people will be referred to by title (“the secretary will pray now”) and spouses often do the same instead of using their partner’s name. The corollary of this is that sometimes people do not KNOW the names of people they work beside. In one extreme case, someone tried to introduce me to his wife’s cousin who had been staying in his house for a few days, but then discovered that he did not know the man’s name!