Tabaski

The Monday that just passed was the day where muslims all over the world celebrated what they call "Eid al-Adha", or better known as "Tabaski" in West Africa and "The Festival of Sacrifice" in the English-speaking world. I had the pleasure of celebrating this important religious holiday at a friend's house in the Somone, Senegal.

As a non-muslim and a devoted Christian, I did not partake in the early-morning prayers at the mosque, but instead joined in later during the killing of the sheeps.

When I arrived at my friend's house the men were already beginning to dig several holes on the ground which I later learned that his family has purchased nine sheeps to be slaughtered in this year's feast. Although I have seen it done before back in my Haiti days, the idea of chewing the poor animal's meat after having seen it bleed to death is kind of a nerve-rattling experience. This is not something that we are used to seeing back home as Taiwan's muslim community stands at less than one percent of the island's total population, plus we usually get our meat gutted, cleaned and pre-packed at the local supermarket.

Okay, maybe if it were chicken I'd feel a lot less uneasy. I guess I'm just not that crazy about mutton!

We had a small table set for the three of us in the shade as the midday sun was becoming quite unbearable. After the chopped mutton was cooked on a charcoal grill for about 20 minutes our food was then served to us on a steel platter. The meat, though extremely well-done, was nevertheless too gamy for my liking. Although the whole food thing did not go down too well with my taste buds, the day's experience was nonetheless fun.  

Touchdown Monrovia

I've learned about the civil war long before having set foot in the West African nation of Liberia, which has plagued the nation for 14 dreadful years. I still remember the VHS video tape which my dad bought off from a street peddler back in my Togo days, some 20-or-so years ago. The tape was a pirated copy of a documentary titled "1989 Civil War in Liberia" featuring then-rebel leader Prince Johnson cutting the ear off the former Head of State, Samuel Doe, and later torturing him to death.



I can still remember how at first I thought it was just another action-war movie my father got from the video rental store on the way back from his office. How naive I was back then. The images depicted in the documentary stuck with me after all these years, and that my impression of the country since then has been anything but negative, a country ran by evil warlords and teenage John Rambo wannabes clinching AK-47s.


That impression changed on October 25, 2011.



The town of Monrovia is now a bustling city filled with vibrant economic activities. I have come across rows of small- to mid-scaled shops, supermarkets and restaurants run by Indian, Chinese and Lebanese immigrants. And the electronic stores surrounding Carey Street sell an array of today's popular gadgets ranging from iPod to smartphones. New hotels are also springing up, and the ones that are damaged during the war are also undergoing repair. The only noticeable difference one would differenciate Monrovia from that of a normal, socially-stable city is the UNMIL peacekeepers, which can be seen pretty much on every corner of the street. And with the ongoing Presidential election being held in the months of October and November, UNMIL is increasing the number of patrols and security posts throughout the city network.


So far I've not sensed an air of uncertainty or fear amongst the Liberians I came across, with each one of them voicing their support for Ma Ellen, as the locals will call her, the current Head of State, Ellen Sirleaf, and currently also a holder of this year's Nobel Peace Award. I wish nothing but the best for the proud people of Liberia, may peace dawn on the nation for many years to come.

                                        The Temple of Justice, downtown Monrovia