Celebrating Eid in Ghana

Last week, on either Saturday, Sunday or Monday Muslims celebrated Eid ul Fitr at the end of Ramadan fasting.
I was in Gushiegu village when they were celebrating last Monday. It was so lovely to see everyone dressed up in their best clothes, I think I've captured several contenders for Ghana's next top model here.

Any guesses as to what these kids got for Eid gifts?

Wise Words

Wise Words

Market day in Gushiegu

Market day here is every sixth day. It is busy, bright and bustling. You can buy a wide variety of things from fruit and veg to pots and pans and shoes and clothes. I love going and seeing whats available.

Bits of Egypt

While thinking and packing for my Ghana trip I thought about the other travelling I've done.
This is a little film I've put together from a 2006 trip to Egypt

Beautiful Hydrangea

These are some of my favourite flowers. They grow in my parent's front garden and they're so beautiful.

Last year a florist who had been driving by stopped to ask if she could buy some as her stockist was out and she was doing flowers for a wedding  and had been specifically asked for them. My mum was very pleased!

Wise words

I'm not sure where this came from, I'd saved it ages ago.

Pemberley

 The house used as Pemberley in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is pretty local to where I grew up. In real life it is Lyme Park, a National Trust property.
We often went around the park to feed the ducks and use the fantastic playground that existed when I was little. The house is in a huge parkland so with both family and friends I've been a lot for walks there.

Wise Words

Enchanted Forest

The friend I'm visiting in Ghana has been my best friend since we were at school.
 I think one of the factors in our first getting to know each other was finding out we have the same birthday. We've tried to celebrate the 3rd of May by being in touch in some way ever since we were 14. Often we've been together but when I spent our 19th birthday in Burkina Faso we had to cope instead with a phone call, then both being away at different universities and having a birthday in the middle of exam time meant we haven't often managed to be together since.
Our 23rd birthday in 2008 was a bit different though. We were living in a house together along with three friends of mine from uni.
Our birthday celebrations were immense. We chose an enchanted forest theme that meant our guests could dress as characters from a whole range of well known stories, myths and even abstract themes: one of our housemates dressed as fire!
We also went wild with the decorations. Using left over leaflets, pictures from magazines, paint, crepe paper, peculiar things from pound shops, ikea and charity shops we created a complete story book forest including a spooky area, a jungle and gingerbread house.
It might have been a bit too much.

 

Handing over the ceremonial sword, Marv is a wizard, I made him a hat from tin foil, he wasn't impressed

the Mad Hatter under attack!

Luke is on Fire! Ruth as Glenda; they're now married!

Getting tired- but check out that backdrop!

Mr Tumnus

Little Red Riding Hood exploring the scary part of the woods; it helps that two of the house mates have degrees in animatronics and had made body parts.