In Which Muslim Holidays Require Bikinis And ABBA...Not So?
on Zoe Page (Sierra Leone), 17/Nov/2010 07:25, 34 days ago
Yesterday, at 3pm, the president announced today as a public holiday. It’s Eid, which is a moveable feast, but surely someone could have given us a heads up. Still, it’s nice to have people off with me. We go to Carlton Carew to see where I will be living and then Beth and Theo come to Basha’s with us for lunch. Basha’s Bakery is a Freetown institution, not dented in the slightest by the fact it doesn’t sell bread. Their cafe menu is good and cheap, and we order humus (the nicest I’ve had here so far) and then Falafel sandwiches, with the exception of Theo who orders a pie which turns out to be more of a pizza (and not a US-style Pizza-Pie). And we eatit all and sit in the air conditioned comfort at the Aluminium tables, taking advantage of the flushing loos and running water, and learning from the massive plasma TV that Prince William is engaged which is, according to Sky, breaking news that is the most important thing happening in the world right now.Alex and I head back via Essentials (supermarket #6 of my stay in town), collect our stuff and then head out to the UN complex to swim. Yep, swimming in 35 C sunshine, at the UN– a fitting way to celebrate Eid in November, not so? (Not sois the really irritating tag they use here. It’s up there withcognisanceandsensitizationfor words that are used too much and incorrectly). There’s a gym here too, which I will totally be joining once I’m back, and while it’s not just for the hot showers, like in Mexico it’s a major bonus.Next up on the Freetown social calendar? It’s Tuesday which is film night at Mamba Point. If you think about it, it’s a little like free cinema tickets – you don’t have a choice in the film or the time or the venue, but they’ll put on a movie for free (and just expect you to buy drinks / food). We get there to find there is no filmof theirs tonight, but since some of the others have brought DVDs with them, there’s still something to watch. Mamma Mia somehow loses out to Muriel’s Wedding, which I’ve not seen since before I went to Australia but still know by heart in both English and German. But, even watching it again,as I sit there eating Eggplant Parmijana (sic) with spaghetti, followed by chocolate mousse, I can’t help feeling like this is where I belong.