I arrived at school this morning at 8am GMT+2. As the last polls closed in the US, I sat at my computer checking headlines. Outside my window, elementary students arrived on the playground. Second and third graders echo-chanted “BA-RAK! O-BA-MA! BA-RAK! O-BA-MA!” As I walked to the staff lounge to check my box, I received several congratulatory greetings. The Kenyan ground staff taking down the Halloween party tents were all grins and chuckles, and the high school kids had already decided that Thursday would be a day off school. By noon it was official: President Kibaki had declared Thursday to be a public holiday, and since the school observes all Kenyan holidays, the school director was obliged to call the day off. I laughed when I heard the news – here I am in Kenya and I get to sleep in tomorrow because this country is going to celebrate an Obama victory. Turns out though that we’re getting the short end of the stick – Uganda is taking two days off and Nigeria is taking five!