No One Leaves Without Dancing

Last Saturday, after I attended my first Student Government Association meeting (I wrote something up about that too but it hasn't gone up on the ORI blog yet), Jackson, the SGA Secretary, invited Julie, Lauren, and me to the house that he shares with four other ORI students. About half of ORI's scholarship recipients live in group house settings that are arranged and paid for by ORI. This group had just moved to their new house a couple weeks prior and they wanted us to join them for a small housewarming.

Jackson and his housemates were excellent hosts, serving us Fanta and snacks, and it was really fun for me to get to know the guys a little better. Conversation ranged from US politics, to the career ambitions of the guys in the house (i.e. which one of them would become a senator first), to their opinions and impressions of some of ORI's programming. Charles, the elder statesmen of the house, made a point of letting us know that the students are always willing to give back to ORI staff because they know we're volunteers. He told us to never pay for a guide or tourist information about the country, but to instead rely on the students. I've already seen that magnanimous spirit in action, as two different students have independently offered to accompany me as a narrator on a trip to a genocide memorial. In the same speech, though, Charles also let us know that guests at his house don't get to leave without dancing first. I gave Julie a "did you know this was coming?" look, and she just started laughing. Sure enough, the roommates started moving the furniture, pulled out a couple huge speakers, and started dancing. The results weren't pretty for me, and were far better for graceful guys like Nicholas, but I had a blast.