This is Leah, Anna, Kim and I dressed as EGOT's. Yeah I didn't know what that was either. Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony...Basically just a reason for us to wear all gold. The best thing about holidays are that they are a reason to see friends from other regions that we get entirely too little contact with.
On the holiday note, Tabaski recently passed. This is the most important Islamic holiday. I spent it in village with my family and it seemed pretty much the same as Korite to me. We woke up early to drumming at the mosque and ate a soup of macaroni noodles and palm oil that we soaked up with bread for breakfast. I know, how refreshing, but this is seriously a treat for my village.
After breakfast I gave my family some Tabaski gifts. After my mom heard that my family here in Senegal loves Parcheesi, she sent an amazing board my way. The center is mosques and the pawns are yaks, camels, elephants and hyennas. It could not be more perfect for an Islamic, Senegalese, Parcheesi loving bunch. I wrapped it up like a Christmas present and they opened it Tabaski morning and LOVED it.
We then went to mosque and prayed and greeted people. After mosque we returned home to slaughter our goat, like every other family does to commemorate Tabaski. Surprisingly, I watched the entire process. I don't particularly like the idea of killing an animal, but here in village it is completely justified. Plus, we eat meat all the time in America not thinking twice about where it came from. At one point it to was not in the boneless, skinless refrigerated section of the supermarket. Just another reality check.
I thought I'd spare you the slaughter photos. This is my brother and father blessing the goat before they killed it.
The rest of Tabaski, I went around Medina Bloc spending time with the families of my village and eating various meals. My sister-in-law and I brought her parents lunch, which I carried on my head all the way to their house, no big deal. At night everyone put on their new outfits, bought for the occasion, and walked around the village greeting one another and having random fits of dance. All in all, it was a successful Tabaski.
Thank you for all the love from home! I've gotten so much of it lately :o) Aunt Kim, Uncle Bill and Susan thank you so much for the packages filled to the brim with delicious treats. Jannis, the letters from all your students made my week. They were so funny and creative! I love and miss everyone! I'll be home for Christmas, not only in my dreams(!!!) and can't wait to love on everyone back home!
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