Thanks to a babysitter, Heidi and I were able to attend a friend’s father-in-law’s funeral together last week. Their family lives in the center of town and are a big part of this tight-knit community. The funeral wasn’t a particularly large one, but all the “regulars” were there.
Immediately when we showed up the drummers called us out to dance. At this point, folks just love to see us try to dance – no matter how horrible we are. I suppose we’re gonna have to step up our game at some point and get some legit coaching.
After dancing and visiting with the family, we presented our aduuwa (condolence gift) to the head of the household. There’s no subtle slipping cash to someone here. When you give the gift they show it to everyone or parade you around the courtyard announcing to everyone what you gave. As an American it seems awkward, but here it is showing everyone that we are contributing as a part of the community.