Sunday, July 27, 2008

Rwanda reflection : “a man at the end of his strength, exhausted by his work in Africa”

In his speech at our farewell dinner, the bishop said many kind words, but also used this phrase to describe me. The reason is simple : I lost about 20kg in the 2 years and in particular I am thinner about the face. I was neither overweight to start with, nor underweight at the end – I simply moved from near the top recommended end of the Body Mass Index to the bottom end. I am leaving Rwanda feeling fit (in training for a half marathon in September), energetic and in good shape mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
It’s an interesting demonstration of how culture affects perceptions. The African concept of a “big man” is not just about power or influence : one is expected to be physically big in order to qualify fully for the title! Putting on weight is almost invariably perceived as a good thing, losing it as bad. More money means less walking, less physical work and better food, hence more weight. It is an idea which still has a lot of power. The corollary is that as I have lost some weight (due, I believe to some loss of appetite, less rich food and an end to “snacking”), I must be wearing myself out with work.

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