Easter Monday

Just a few quick observations.

1. Here they celebrate Easter Monday. And the day before yesterday I went to Mohammed's birthday party (yes I am talking about the prophet).
2. Trees don't grow straight here- they grow all kiddy-wompus towards sunlight. They grow around other trees and buildings and anything. And once they get to the sunlight they sprout enormous coconuts, papayas, mangoes, passionfruits, leachees, breadfruits, guavas, bananas, and about 20 different fruits I swear I have never seen before.
3. If a vehicle doesn't work very well, that doesn't stop anyone from using it. For example, the bus that we usually take around Chake CHake (city) has to be started Little Miss Sunshine style. If that doesn't mean anything to you- before the engine actually starts, you have to push the bus about 50 yards to get it going. There might be 5-6 men pushing the bus and then the engine revs up. Another example- we took a boat out the other day that had to be bailed out continuously- and when I say it had to be bailed out I mean someone had to continuously dump water out or I'm sure we would have sank. If there were lots of waves, and they splashed into the boat, you could bail out a 5 gallon bucket in probably 30 seconds. Without waves, it might have taken 2 minutes or so. But we went way out into the Indian Ocean, fearless (like the true Oberlin students that some of us are), without any concern that we might sink.
4. Colors are brighter here. I was thinking about how my hair is blonder and my skin is browner here- and started noticing that everything is brighter. Trees are rich green colors, the dirt is bright red, houses are pink and turquoise, and women wear vibrant, clashing colors and patterns. People are more colorful, the landscape is definitely more majestic, and the buildings are either made of bright red mud or painted wild colors. It puts me in a good mood. :)
5. People name their prized possessions with ridiculous English names. For example, I have been collecting names of Dalla Dallas (minibuses or trucks) that I think are funny. Here are just a few: The Cops, Baby Girl, The Spiritual Battle, Fresh Meat: Try Again, Fantastic, Sugary Treat, Gunner, Racing, Sweet Love, Judgement Day, Guzzle Sport, My Baby, California Love, Home Boyz, Laver Boy, and my personal favorite, Titanic. I could honestly go on and on for quite a while.

Well, I'm off into the world again. Baadaye, rafiki.