All posts tagged: Horn of africa

on the inside

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As in Mali, and elsewhere, many homes in Hargeisa are hidden behind compound walls. From the outside you can’t see much, although there’s plenty to hear. Below are some of my insides, on this Hargeisa hilltop. My popcorn obsession continues, bolstered by the availability of kernels in almost every corner store. Below, popcorn gets dressed up Malian style for a date with my Somali colleagues. In the bathroom, a bit of the eucalyptus that line the roads of Hargeisa, for visual and olfactory effect. How are your insides doing ?

on eid-al-fitr

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It was Eid al-Fitr, following the month of Ramadan, and we had a goal: to win over the neighbors on our hilltop. our strategy: cookies, as many kinds as we could manage to churn out of our small stove. We mixed and rolled and patted… …and raided the grocery store and our kitchens for the most cookie-esque ingredients we could muster. We did well, with an assortment of shortbreads: cocoa, coffee and chocolate, lime, date and nutmeg, cardamom, and peanut butter with blueberry (green!) jam. We packed and wrapped in flashy, Eid-appropriate paper, tied with a string. …and headed out into the neighborhood, intent on making smiles, and crumbs, and friends.

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 trip to the camel market

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I’ve seen a few camels from a distance since arriving to this place, and I’ve had my fair share of camel delicacies (spiced hump!). Yet, the mystery remained–what strange creatures! For an opportunity to get up close and (very) personal with these bizarrely majestic (or majestically bizarre) animals, we headed to the Hargeisa camel market of a Friday. It was a light day at the market, as a holiday had been declared; camel trade just wasn’t what it usually is. Nevertheless, there were gracious and comedic regulars all too ready to help us get to know the stock for sale. For future reference: a camel sounds precisely like a dinosaur. Or, like a dinosaur ought to sound. We hemmed and hawed and snapped photos, but decided not to purchase on that particular day; perhaps we’ll be back when we’re ready to reconsider. For now, much appreciation to the market folk who allowed us to sniff, pet, and ogle, and especially those who helped us get out of the way just in time. Other finds at the …

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, …