9/22

i have been a bad journaler this week, so i have no journal entries to transcribe. but a short update is that we are in mombasa, which, despite being in kenya, is very different from nairobi. we have been here for almost two days now. mombasa is mostly muslim, as it is the city of the swahili tribe, which follows islam only. therefore, the interactions we have had have been really interesting. at first, we walked around in conservative western clothing-- long skirts, blouses, sandals-- and were treated as tourists. but yesterday morning, we went out and bought traditional muslim clothin-- most of us women bought bui buis with hijabs, though a few bought kangas. the attitude change-- the way people looked at and spoke to us-- was dramatic. people seemed amazed and very grateful that we were wearing these clothes (the boys dressed in traditional wear, as well-- a long sort of dress with a hat). 'respect' is the best word, i think, for how we were treated after changing our clothes. i wish you could see photos. many people now assume we are muslim, and ask. before, some of the guys on the street looked at us like raw meat, others asked for money. now they just seem really happy, perhaps a little curious, and tell us we are beautiful. it is very hard to be analytical when the relief of not being treated like a mix between tourist and prostitute is so great. i am writing an essay on this whole situation for class, and will probably transcribe it onto here later, so i'll hold off on any attempt at deep analysis right now.

another thing-- it is hot. so hot. it's hot, and we're walking around constantly, draped completely in black, including necks and heads, and wearing shoes, and clothes underneath all of it. wow. it's hot. but we have lots of water, good food, and are staying at a hotel until tomorrow morning (and our rooms are air conditioned!). i wish you could see the bathroom in my hotel room. i've draped clothes lines through the small washroom, so that you can only open the door a quarter way through, and then slink between the door and the toilet to get in, while ducking under the lines of undergarments and damp shirts.

homestays start tomorrow evening. we fly out of mombasa by tiny plane tomorrow morning.

we are being led around mombasa by ahmed sheikh, a renound scholar of islam and poet. i'm in a rush, but experiences have included: mosque, prayer demonstration, fancy dinner with lime juice, lecture at swahili institute, tour of fort jesus (yep), and a bunch of other stuff.

gotta go! hope you're all well.