All posts tagged: East Africa

on a wedding luncheon

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A colleague (and s’mores enthusiast) married his fiancée in the weeks before Ramadan, and graciously invited our staff to a celebratory lunch at his family’s home. While dozens of family and friends ate from shared platters throughout the house, we special guests (!) were seated around a dining table, and served enough food for a crowd twice our number. A few highlights here, of broken bread and hearty congratulations. Camel! Or was it goat? An outrageous most generous portion of spaghetti. And custardy, fruit-filled desserts. After stuffing ourselves full, we headed out in gratitude, and gave our best to the newly- weds. Wishing you long and happy unions.

on a suhoor

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In Hargeisa, fajr prayer happens around 4:30am each morning, which means that during the month of Ramadan most of the country rises even earlier to take suhoor, the pre-dawn meal before the day’s fast begins. For some, including myself, this is the most uncomfortable aspect of fasting: rising early to eat and drink, when your body is still half asleep, to sustain you for as many hours as possible thereafter. But I’ve tried to be a sport about it, and make sure I consume healthy proteins, and plenty of water, etc. I managed to organize myself enough in the evenings to take suhoor in my bedroom, including heating water in a tea kettle and storing warm foods in a metal tin. The above suhoor included dates, eggs and potatoes with flax seed, halwa, peanuts, sunflower seeds, butter cookies, turmeric tea, and a large bottle of water. The rhythm of Ramadan has finally – graciously – started to sink in after 7 days of fasting, and I’m able to sleep again after suhoor until it’s time to greet the day, …

on s’mores in s’maliland

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Granted, I was looking for an excuse to eat melty, roasted marshmallows. On the record, however, s’mores were a legitimate morale-boosting, Ramadan-welcoming, staff-bonding activity. The lovely Salma managed to find the perfect – perfect! – tools on on her first-ever hunt for roasting sticks. And it only took three… … well, maybe 4 people to finally get the coals burning in the whipping wind of this Hargeisa hilltop. But eventually we were up and running, and ready to roast. The uninitiated had no hesitations, and jumped right in, Spearing their marshmallows and coaxing the perfect golden crust. (A few required a little moral support, considering the complexities of the ideal s’more). But they liked – success! – they liked, or so I guessed, based on the seconds, thirds… er, fourths… and the s’more-inspired smiles all around. Happy Roasting, from Hargeisa!

on window shopping

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In Hargeisa, window shopping takes on a whole new meaning, as vendors of everything from shawarma to juice to potted plants will sidle up to your car, haggle a price, and make a sale. They’ll even offer a tasty sample, to entice the dollars and shillings from your pocket… as curious onlookers consider the scene. Side note: two, large, off-season watermelons cost $20 USD. It wasn’t until we drove away that my colleagues mentioned I could get the same for about $1 USD in a few weeks. Should’ve gone with the papaya…

on henna, and turning 30

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She’s a true artist, free-handing wild, whimsical designs on not one, but four out-stretched arms. she brought in an ipad for musical inspiration, and sang along to the tunes, turning the volume down only slightly when the adhaan sounded through the windows. There was something about her confidence, her self-assurance, as she embraced a new canvas and created in the moment. A finesse that comes with experience, a groundedness, a simplicity of movement that was so impressive, even as she spun delicate designs. In my 30th year, I hope to remain inspired by this scene, this spirit, this act of grace and confident, complex creativity. Happy birthday to the June bugs and the summer babies. [Hargeisa, Somaliland]