We ate the liver first

bookSo happy belated Tabaski! The Muslim holiday that follows two months after Korite. Tabaski is as big as Christmas in America. Preparations are expensive and chic: everyone has to have their hair done and get brand new clothing made; markets are like shopping malls and the food is real good… but let me explain.
So when I moved in to my family’s compound, they mentioned there are like 3 or 4 spare rooms that relatives stay in for holidays. So when I saw that Fatou, my host mom purchased not just one sheep, she got three, I figured we were having quite a few guests. I guessed wrong! One guest was here for lunch, and two others made it in time for our second dinner. 2 others were here to… umm… prepare dinner.
The day started when I wanted to go and get breakfast but Fatou had already been up for a few hours and let me have some bread. Then we started cutting potatoes and onions, and pealing garlic. At this point, I still thought we were going to be feeding an army, no joke. I probably pealed 4 entire cloves of garlic! After the call to prayer in the morning, we grabbed the unluckiest sheep of the three and the men held it down as we all stood in a line holding each other. I could barely watch but the sound of the knife and breathing out of a slit rather than its mouth was mortifying. Use your imagination – they dug a hole in the sand to absorb the blood. My host sister took pictures on her camera so I hope to get them put on here!
The first piece of meat that was eaten was the liver. Next were the testicles. I didn’t ask if there is a reason for this but that’s just what we did! The liver was delicious, surprising, even though I was thinking the whole time that just a half hour ago, this liver was a perfectly functioning liver in the sheep that lived in our backyard for the past few days. I didn’t dare touch the testicles; there’s always next year.
The rest of the meat kept coming, and we had just about every part of it grilled on the open flame. It really was tasty (still trying to get the sound of it out of my head before it died). Since there were only about 7 of us eating and entire sheep, and our fridge is dorm-size, we ate a lot and I would get harassed every time I tried to say I was full.
After dinner, we sat around and people came to visit. One of our guests is from Guinea and only moved here two years ago and I loved it when I would get complimented that I speak better Wolof than him. (I really don’t but people are nice on the holidays) Kids do what seems like trick-or-treating and go house-to-house asking for change, but they were all dressed in pretty boubous rather than as monsters. After another meal, I went to meet neighbors and had them teach me how to dance Senegalese in my new outfit. Then I went with my sister around to see some more people and since she had on heals that hurt, we walked at a snail’s pace around Bambey. Came back after 11 and Fatou tried to offer more food but I successfully turned it down. Instead of tea, we had hot milk with a mint flavor and I was in bed by 1. The morning after I could smell meat cooking outside but took my time getting ready!
I have big plans to celebrate the Christian way starting the 23rd. I went to see my Thies host family because they were really bummed I couldn’t made it for Tabaski and because I miss little Oumar. Monday, Mandi and I are headed up to Richard Toll and see the northern country for a week and enjoy a mini vacation. I think we may even make some eggnog! I have friends spread all along the boarder of Mauritania so we all are going to get together. Then, and this is the best part, we are staying in a hotel (yes, a hotel) with a pool for 3 nights in Saint Louis to celebrate 2008!
Merry Christmas to all! Happy New Year!