Bex in Moz

Eid celebrations

Yesterday and today Pemba is celebrating Eid. Yesterday for those who follow the moon cycle in Mozambique, today for those following Mecca, at least that’s how I understood it. Which means two very bad days for goats in Pemba – all you could see of them yesterday was their feet sticking up over the edge of the basins that people were carrying home to the Eid feast. And their tanned skins on the drums and tamborines being carried to and from the mosques by young boys in long robes and skull caps. It also means two days of rather delicious little cakes and the like for me; especially tasty were the ones given me this morning by the lady who owns the shop where Sebastian hangs out while I’m at work. She’s a little, roundish, talkative Indian lady called Amina who is a very accomplished saleswoman, and very kindly allows Sebastian an the lady who takes care of him to use her shop as a creche. It’s two doors down from the office, which couldn’t be more convenient for me and means Sebastian just pops in for feeds. The original offer was surely made in the hope that I would start buying from her rather over-priced shop – which of course I have, I told you she was accomplished – but she has now fallen for Sebastian in a big way. She has claimed him as an additional grandson, and we have become so much part of her family that she says she’ll invite us to her daughter’s forthcoming wedding. I haven’t the heart to tell her that as of January Sebastian will be staying at home (if I can get him to take a bottle, which is proving difficult). I think I’ll have to bring him in for the occasional visit or she’ll never forgive me.

posted by Rebecca @ 10:07 am