Shopping

The past few days I have spent hauling in various directions around town, searching for items we need for the tour. Shoes & socks were bought today, and we put in requests for bike shorts and undershirts for the girls' costumes. We also got several long rolls of material for drum bags (the tailors are coming in the next few days to construct these bags around the drums). Next up: carry-on bags, legwarmers, and tablecloths for our merchandise tables.
The shopping is challenging. Gone are the days of yesteryear where we carried millions of shillings in our pants pockets and bought things helterskelter at the secondhand market, collecting little scraps of anonymous receipts to hand in... the auditors are much more strict and so we have to buy from legitimate business that can invoice us properly, making a trip to get a quote, a trip to pay, another trip to pick up the materials.

Lead performers Geofrey and Jane spent much of the day stringing together beads for the Rwandese dances. Robert and Geofrey inspect the work:


Robert isn't sure there are enough... especially not if he gets to wear as many as he wants...