It’s cashew season again!  Mwafo gave me my first batch of cashews from his farm the other day so this evening I invited all the kids who were on my porch to come fry them up and eat them.  Since they are straight from the tree, they are still in the shell and it’s a cool little process to get them out…first we throw all of the cashews on a piece of tin over an open flame, then the oils inside the shells get so hot that they light themselves on fire and pop and shoot firecracker-like flames.  After they’ve been on fire for a couple minutes you dump them in the dirt to put out the flames, let them cool off a little,  tap off the charred shell with a stick and you’ve got warm fresh cashew nuts!  As much as I don’t want to start with the sappy sentimental stuff already, tonight when I was sitting amongst seven of my favorite kids tapping off the cashew shells with my stick, I couldn’t help but think I won’t get to do this with them next season. 

It is also Ramadan right now and since about 95% of my village is Muslim, everything is shut down.  Ok that’s not entirely true, but my favorite restaurant to buy chapati at is closed as are most restaurants.  However, the end is near and I’m looking forward to the celebration this year!  Last year I didn’t even know there was a celebration let alone what day it was, but next Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the moon, Idd is coming and everyone will be dressed in their best, cooking amazing food, drumming and singing in celebration of the end of Ramadan.  Kids run around collecting 5 and 10 shilling coins kind of like trick or treating, and Mamas are busy cooking up pilau, different kinds of meat, and everything else delicious in preparation of breaking their month-long fast.  It’s not an absolute fast, but they aren’t allowed to eat or drink anything between sunrise and sunset.  My neighbors love my yellow cake so I’m baking them one for the party and saving up all my small coins for the kids.  It’s going to be a fun time! 

Sorry this is a short one.  I'll try to have a good entry next month.