Grasshopper/locusts, who knows what

There is a time of year here when these green things go crazy. I remember one night as my colleague and I were leaving the parliament there were SWARMS of these insects flying all over the place. The next morning when I returned to work the ground/walls/everywhere was covered. You couldn’t help but step on them. They even managed to get into the elevators.
Now what you might enjoy, like I did, was seeing all the workers catching them and putting them into used plastic bottles and just any old bag around. Even little children were climbing around the outside of the walls of the parliament to pick-them. (note I’m not sure why the parliament is the go-to spot for them, but I think it’s because of whatever bulbs they use in the lamp posts around the grounds)
After they are collected they sell them. If you go to the market you find huge sacks of them available, and they are quite expensive.
Well one day in class some of my lady students made a comment that as a good wife I need to bring some home and prepare them for my husband. I smiled of course and said ok yah. Well the next day these ladies were serious. At the end of class I had 3 members of parliament running around the room and catching them for me to put into 2 plastic water bottles. When the bottles were filled I thanked them and went on my way. Since I knew that I would never prepare them myself I decided to take them to my 4 nieces and nephews who had recently moved from Uganda to Kigali.
When I brought those water bottles out in front of the kids I have never seen such excitement. I said I didn’t know how to do it, but the 12 year old quickly said don’t worry he knew. I then watched these 4 little kids de-wing, de-leg them. We were left with maybe a half an inch to inch long body. Then they cut up some onions for extra flavor. They then told me you put them in the fry pan, but no oil is necessary because the bodies give off good oil. Then we cooked the little suckers up.
I didn’t give in and eat one, but I did love watching the kids eat some. We had used one water bottle and I wanted to make sure they left some for their mom, but they couldn’t contain themselves. In the end they ate them all. When their mom finally did come home she saw what they had and even she got super excited, so the kids prepared some more for her.
For sure this is something I won’t forget.
Oh and I should mention that the next day in class my students asked me about how it went and I told them and they were so excited.
This was just the beginning of the amazing relationship that I have been enjoying with my nieces and nephews.. more adventures with them to come, not to mention pictures.