I'm writing this post while outside enjoying a nice breeze and watching the perfectly blue sky and pool. I understand the weather in DC is roller-coastering. It's much quieter here, with daily highs around 80, daily lows around 65, and brief thunderstorms every day just to spice things up.
This has been a relatively quiet week, save for an unexpected (but totally awesome) day off on Wednesday for Youth Day. I took that opportunity to do a little bit more exploring in my one-mile stretch that is considered the safest part of town. And I discovered that there really isn't much, beyond the two shopping centers. The Parliament building is halfway between them and tucked back off the main road, but that's about it. Perhaps soon I'll check out the University of Zambia, just to see it. With a whole lot of weekends coming up and with few plans for any of them, I'm going to need to find good activities.
In any case, I'm thinking about getting a shirt that on the front says "No, I Don't Need a Taxi" and on the back says "Yes, I Know I'm White." As soon as I step off the hotel grounds, taxi drivers incessantly try to get me to get in their taxis. The other day, I had a great exchange with one of them:
"Hey! Mzungu! Taxi?" (I wasn't sure if he was talking to me at first because there are a surprisingly large number of white people in Zambia, including a lot of white Zambians.)
"No."
"Where are you going?"
"Arcades." (the shopping mall across the street)
"Let me take you there. 10 kwacha." (that's about $1.50)
"No thanks. It'd be quicker for me to walk."
"But my car has air conditioning. Just 10 kwacha."
"That's OK," I said, and by that point I was already halfway across the street and he gave up.
The best part? I saw the same driver on my way back to my hotel (he was waiting at Arcades looking for someone to take) and he raised the price to 15 kwacha for me:
"Hey, mzungu mzungu! Taxi?" (my thinking: I know I'm pale, but did he really need to double the mzungu?!?!)
"No."
"But you're white." (as if that was supposed to convince me to take a taxi?)
"No, don't need a taxi."
"15 kwacha. Where are you going?"
"Back to my hotel."
"Oh." Success.
I've seen the same driver a few other times during the week, and now he just laughs at me. Unfortunately, he's the only one who knows I don't need a taxi.
This cover of A Great Big World's Say Something isn't even my favorite one, but it's Pentatonix, and it's really good, so enjoy. I love the way they changed it up a bit, although I am a bit disappointed that the guy's playing a real cello.
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| My View as I Write This Post |
In any case, I'm thinking about getting a shirt that on the front says "No, I Don't Need a Taxi" and on the back says "Yes, I Know I'm White." As soon as I step off the hotel grounds, taxi drivers incessantly try to get me to get in their taxis. The other day, I had a great exchange with one of them:
"Hey! Mzungu! Taxi?" (I wasn't sure if he was talking to me at first because there are a surprisingly large number of white people in Zambia, including a lot of white Zambians.)
"No."
"Where are you going?"
"Arcades." (the shopping mall across the street)
"Let me take you there. 10 kwacha." (that's about $1.50)
"No thanks. It'd be quicker for me to walk."
"But my car has air conditioning. Just 10 kwacha."
"That's OK," I said, and by that point I was already halfway across the street and he gave up.
The best part? I saw the same driver on my way back to my hotel (he was waiting at Arcades looking for someone to take) and he raised the price to 15 kwacha for me:
"Hey, mzungu mzungu! Taxi?" (my thinking: I know I'm pale, but did he really need to double the mzungu?!?!)
"No."
"But you're white." (as if that was supposed to convince me to take a taxi?)
"No, don't need a taxi."
"15 kwacha. Where are you going?"
"Back to my hotel."
"Oh." Success.
I've seen the same driver a few other times during the week, and now he just laughs at me. Unfortunately, he's the only one who knows I don't need a taxi.
This cover of A Great Big World's Say Something isn't even my favorite one, but it's Pentatonix, and it's really good, so enjoy. I love the way they changed it up a bit, although I am a bit disappointed that the guy's playing a real cello.
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