Tabaski November 6, 2011

We celebrated the feast of the ram or tabaski on Sunday. On saturday I got henna on my arms by one of my students and they fed me good beef jerky and cookies. On Sunday I went to watch the prayer around 8 am and then I walked back with my neighbor Amaya. Aie stayed at home because unfortunately her grandfather died so her grandmother is very sad. Well, we all are. So a little after we got back the iman and the macabo came to cut the throat of the ram. Well, something wasn't right. We gathered around the animal and we going to sit and pat it while it took its last breaths, but it wasn't right and it was thrashing and putting up a fight. The girls yelled for me to help them and we had to hold the poor guy down for like 15 minutes until it died. Then they cut it up while we just chatted. The girls did my hair and we took pictures. I also went to a co-workers house and Louise's neighbors house. The women spend all day cooking and preparing different dishes with the mutton. My neighbors gave me a big hunk again and I marinated it overnight with spices sent from the states and then slow cooked it for an hour an a hour. The day after Tabaski was Monday and school was cancelled. Everyone eats more mutton the day after, so I went to visit another friend and had some more. Its mutton breakfast, lunch and dinner for at least 3 days!