Update from Keren

From now on, we will be making weekly entries to our blog on Thursdays or Fridays. These are Kim and my days off as our school works on the islamic calendar.

Since I last wrote, there have been many more positives to add to the list:

- we watched a bunch (herd) of camels walk down our lane this morning on their way to market with bundles on wood on their backs. They really are interesting looking creatures. They look very wise and calm.

- I was invited to celebrate the first day of Ramadam (sorry about the spelling) with one of my students. We shared the evening meal with here family: dates, fried bannock, and injera with sheep intestine and goat stew (it was good), followed by a coffee ceremony. This is an Eritrean custom which I'll talk about in another blog. The family was very warm. I couldn't communicate with the mother except for a few halting words of arabic and tigrinya, but she was very welcoming. Kim wasn't invited because the women in that family wear veils in front of men who aren't in their family.

- I have finally almost figured out my headscarf, which I wear at school. It kept coming undone to peals of laughter from our students, who then help me put it back on. Everyone is very happy that I wear this at school, and it makes me feel that I fit in.

- Kim's lesson on the weather was very easy to teach. Today, it is sunny, hot and dry. Yesterday, it was sunny, hot and dry. Tomorrow, it will be sunny, hot and dry. The middle of the day gets a bit too hot, but we veg out in the house until it cools down.

- I finally figured out bread. You stand outside the bakery with the masses at precisely 4 pm with your bag and some money. Don't wait with the children, they get served last and will get pushed to the ground if they crowd too much. I was escorted into the group of women and served very quickly. The whole thing is very strange, but hopefully we will get bread from now on.

- we are beginning to get Arabic and Tigre language lessons in the staffroom from our colleagues, some of whom are eager to learn English. Outside of school, mostly people speak Tigre and many speak Tigrinya, so we have many languages to learn. Most also speak English: "What's your name, what's your name, how are you, China (we are either tilianos or chinas), how are you, you, you, you, you, you" are common comments from children we pass. Kim is managing quite well with Spanish, which is the language which tends to come out of his mouth when he tries to communicate with the locals.

Ciao from Eritrea.