Ciao!

I bought a fridge today! I'm like a little kid running over to see if it's cold yet. Not exactly the ultimate Peace Corps experience but, with the level of humidity and the number of bugs at my place, I decided I couldn't do without one. Now, when my neighboor brings me hot chai in the morning, I can make it iced chai!!! Beyond excited about that! I'm actually going to have ICE!!! Tomorrow I'm going to do some major grocery shopping, now that I have a safe place to put it. Hmmm... wonder if I can make some bourbon slush...

It's funny, Malindi is a major Italian tourist area so the "howareyou!" of Loitokitok has been replaced by "ciao!" and sometimes even "ciao, bella!" I tend to ignore the shouts because, first of all, I don't really know what they expect me to say in response (the expected response to "howareyou!" is "fiiiiiine," saying "good" was usually met with blank stares and disappointment) and, secondly, I do not want to further their idea that I am an Italian tourist. One thing that should separate me from the other "mzungus" is that they all seem to be in their 50's and 60's. But perhaps that's just a seasonal thing since it's not really vacation time.

There is a nation wide teacher’s strike planned to start on Monday (but some teachers started practicing last week.) I’ve heard varying opinions about the expectations of what may happen and it seems that there are varying degrees of seriousness across Kenya. In other parts of Kenya there will be demonstrations and Peace Corps volunteers have been told not to go to town. But here on the coast I think we just stay away from school and relax. Malindi teachers are so relaxed about the strike that I’ve heard teachers from places father west and more serious about the strike may come to our school to make sure teachers don’t work and perhaps even try to start a rally. As with most things in the Peace Corps, I’m not allowed to have an opinion (not that I feel qualified to make one after teaching for less than a week.) Most people I’ve talked to here think that it will all be over as quickly as it starts but other areas in Kenya may feel differently. As with everything in the Peace Corps, only time will tell. I wonder what they’d have us do if there was another strike like in ’98 and teachers were out for 3 months.