Lingo

i have learned a new word. the word is "kiparha."

the word means "bald."

i am kiparha. today especially as i trusted my gourd to one of the dudes who calls himself a barber here in Stone Town, Zanzibar. i walk in to his alcove, eye his ancient set of clippers and say, "kiparha." i make the woosh-over-the-head hand motion that is universal for "deprive me of hair." he replies with "karibu" which means welcome, not "you look akin to a moose."

it's sweltering. rain floods the alley.

i try to relax but my barber's cutting style implies he was trained with a mallet and chisle. he tells me something i do not understand but which seems to imply he's got typhoid so he doesn't like fans. that's straight-forward. but straight-forward Stone Town-style; a place in which if a street passes three doors without kinking, turning, disappearing, or hiding under rubble it's astounding.

we've fled the beach as wonderful as it was. we're ready to start moving, traveling. i'm still culture-shocked after two weeks. figured i'd be swinging by now but i guess i'm getting old. i'm kiparha. after all.

next stop; Dar es Salaam.