Koriteh

On Friday, Ramadan officially finished and the celebration that followed is called Koriteh. People wear their best outfits on Koriteh and often change several times in the day. The mood on the compound was ecstatic! People were cooking from the early hours of the morning (during Ramadan people can’t eat during the day). Most of the people on my compound don’t have gas stoves; they build little fires in their outdoor areas at the back of their houses and use those to cook. We all live in close proximity so you can smell the fires and food across the compound.

I helped one of the girls get the stones and weevils out of the rice prior to cooking. We ran out of time though so the rice that we hadn’t done just had a quick rinse and got thrown into the pot anyway! Once the food is cooked it is often put in large ‘food bowls’ and is shared with whoever is around. There is an etiquette involved with sharing a food bowl but not sharing it, even just to have a little, could be considered in-polite. If you’re not around when the food is being cooked then the chances are that someone will plate you some up and bring it round for you. It’s all very thoughtful but as you can imagine it’s a bit difficult on the western stomach and the day after Koriteh I was confined to the bedroom for the whole day with stomach cramps, lying naked on my bed with a towel hanging by the door so I could quickly run out in the pouring rain to the pit latrine throughout the day. Horrific in so many ways! Paul’s wife Courtney was a real treasure though. She has been visiting Paul for Koriteh (she lives in the Kombos) and was sympathetic to my illness, checking on me throughout the day and bringing me water and rehydration sachets.

During Koriteh I also had my first ‘attayah’ experience. Attayah is like a herbal tea and the brewing and drinking process can take several hours. It’s as much a social event as it is about tea consumption. Lamin, a guy on the compound invited us (Paul, Courtney and I) to join him for attayah. Though there were just the four of us drinking the crowd of people soon gathered round to watch, chat and generally chill. The attayah was nice, very sweet as lots of sugar is involved. Don’t really get the whole process but it involves a little portable stove, a small tea pot, two glass cups, attayah tea leaves, sugar and lots of pouring from one glass to the other. Everyone who drinks attayah will share the same cups (not great for the stomach again!) It was a good experience.

I managed to take lots of photographs of the people on the compound. They were so keen to have their pictures taken when wearing their best outfits. Everyone wanted a picture and then would want to examine it! It was quite good fun. I haven’t seen many developed photographs here so I might get some of the Koriteh pictures put into a book and then give it as a present (will have to liaise with big sister Lucy)!

All in all Koriteh was a really good day (though I suffered for it the following day)!

The other 'Kaddy'

Some of the compound children

Some of the compound young women

More children on the compound (all dressed up for Koriteh)

Basi (my most frequent house guest!!)

Women of the compound posing for picture just outside the compound

One of the Ceesay brother's wives with her husband's baby (to a different wife)

Posing by the well (inside the compound)

Best dress for Koriteh

More posing going on here! Not sure where the shades came from but I think everybody had a go at wearing them at some point in the day!!

Lamin pouring attayah