‘When a man learns to guzzle soup, the woman learns to make it watery’, goes an African proverb. Nobody respects this proverb like the Kigali ‘Happening People’.These guys ‘party hard’ no matter the day of the month. With many barely surviving on their salary (many get a salary advance by the 9th of the month) they still somehow manage to have enough money to hop from one bar to the next drinking, eating and having fun like they are Aliko Dangote’s relatives.Early this week I happened to get caught up in this crowd. It’s then I understood how they manage to surf the financial waves. First we went to Mukubite (easy on the pocket bar & restaurants) these restaurants prepared better food than most five stars hotels. We ate local fresh food, while others opted for boilo (boiled meat mixed with Irish- potatoes and banana) other for ikinono (cow hoof soup) With full tummies we went to another humble bar where beer prices were ‘down to the floor’. Here folks irrigated their throats while waiting for other friends who were still at work.By 10pm we were all in the party mood, those with gas guzzling cars drop them at the nearby night-car park. Just when I thought it was time to retire home, I was informed that the night had just begun. Our next stop was at King Faisal Hospital ATM machine, why here? I asked. “Well, a few people use this machine. When other AT Machines are out of cash, this one is always full to the brim,” came the reply. “Besides when someone sees you here they think you are going to pay hospital bills not to party”.We crowned the night at one of the top (and most expensive) hotels by this time we needed nothing to eat or drink, we just chilled and rubbed shoulders with the crème de la crème of society. Only we were much happier than them at very little cost. When it was time to leave, my pals called freelance drivers to drive us home. You see they have drivers who are always on standby to drive them home. It’s cheaper to pay these drivers than pay the fine for being caught driving while drunk.
