Party at the Neighbors!

At 7:00 this morning, as we were eating breakfast, the aroma of incense came wafting over the wall that separates us from our neighbors and we knew the party was starting!  It was a "baptism" for a baby boy, born 8 days ago, to the daughter of the Muslim family next door.  We were invited for 7:30am.  As we walked out our gate we were surprised to see 50 or more men sitting on the street in front of their yard.  

I was taken into the courtyard where there were so many women we could barely thread our way through to the back where the mother and baby were.  

 The baby was darling... I got to hold him.  This is the naming ceremony, the name was given by the father.  Since this is the mom's first baby, she will stay in the house for 40 days during which she is coddled and fattened up and given a chance to recuperate.  At the end of the 40 day period she will get her hair fixed, be given a new outfit and sent back to her husband.

The beautiful young mother.  

I sat with the other women, clueless as to what was going to happen next.  But when I saw them wrestle and tie down a goat and  then sharpen a knife, I had a pretty good idea.  The Imam came to do the initial slitting of the throat and then went out and announced to the men what the infant's name was.  

We were served an assortment of popcorn, fritter-like cakes and dates and cola nuts.

The local drummers arrived.  When they saw the white lady, they surrounded me and beat their drums.  And beat their drums.  And beat their drums.  I finally concluded that this was a "you give me money and I'll quit" drumming and as I had no money for them they continued to drum!  And I pretended I didn't know what they wanted.  It was actually quite entertaining.  They finally stopped and in frustration one of them said, "Madame, money!"  They left thoroughly disgusted and went outside to play for Tom who had a coin in his pocket for them.

One of the drummers had a coin in his ear--I didn't know if this was a type of ear plug or a hint...

We were then served another dish--a sort of couscous made from corn and mixed with a certain leaf.  They placed platters around the yard and we all crowded into groups and helped ourselves.

My dear "grandma" and I enjoyed the time together in spite of the fact that she speaks no French and I speak no Hausa.

  

There were goats and sheep in abundance in the yard along with one cow.  Amazing.  They licked the platters clean.

 

 

Early Morning Walk

During the 6 weeks I was in Kansas this past summer,  one of the highlights was leaving the house before the sun came up and walking east on our quiet country roads while watching the sun edge up over the horizon.   Never any cars.  Fresh air.  An occasional deer.  A great time to sing and pray (and visit with my walking partner).

This morning I walked east on my road in Niamey.

We have a lovely, new, mile-long cement road in front of our house to walk on now (it's still being worked on so is closed to most traffic).  There were people wrapped  in sheets or mosquito nets sleeping on the sidewalks.  Long sticks stuck in the ground to hold up mosquito nets lined the road while people dozed in the cooler early morning breeze.  There were quite a few people up and about--even "Grandma" from next door was out getting her morning exercise.

Notice the lights!  I'm dreaming of  benches with flowering pots of petunias...

Earlier in the week I walked to our office which winds its way through the university campus.  I enjoy this section of the walk due to the sidewalk as pedestrians NEVER have the right away here.

I was amazed at the different look to the university grounds from what it looked like in June when we left.  What were huge empty fields of sand and scrub with the occasional university building in June are now planted to beans and spear-head millet.  Every where.  Around all the buildings.

I passed a motorcycle repairman who had set up shop on the side of the busy road.

At the edge of the university campus was the river made by the flooding.  All the homes in this area that were made of mud-brick melted away during the flood. Hundreds of them.  What used to be a road is now passable only by wading through the water or you can pay 10 cents for a canoe ride.

 When I arrived home this morning,  my neighbor was sweeping the area where she was heating the oil to fry and sell her "onion donuts" to hungry passers-by.

Twelve Days with Melissa

We just dropped Melissa off at the airport. Tears.  Where did the twelve days go?  We had such a good time, didn't we Liss.   I just sat down to re-look at the many pictures we took and that brought smiles.  So many great memories.

Here are a few:  (check out her blog for more pictures at melissadorsch.blogspot.com)

We had taxied all around town.  There is no lack of interesting sights.

 We shopped for food and fabric and souvenirs. 

My awesome tailor's shop:  Madame Comfort

Melissa hadn't lost her bargaining skills.

We hung out with neighbors and friends.

Melissa, thanks for letting me use a couple of these pictures.  You are an amazing photographer. 

We had an awesome out-of-town adventure seeing giraffes on the open plains.

We were horrified at the devastation of the flooding.

 

Refugees are living at the local elementary schools. 

Water was over the road for several days.  

Mud brick houses just "melted" away.

Canoes are replacing taxis and motorcycles in the hardest hit areas. 

 

We laughed and talked and talked and laughed.  Thanks for coming. 

I miss you already!