A thawb or thobe (Arabic: ثوب‎ / ALA-LC: thawb), dishdasha (دشداشة / dishdāshah), kandura (كندورة / kandūrah), or suriyah in Libya, is an ankle-length garment, usually with long sleeves, similar to a robe. This clothing is called Kanzu in Swahili, and is commonly worn in East Africa as well.

Our favorite taxi driver brought us gifts back from his hajj to Mecca.  Here are the boys in their dishdash's.  Pretty cool, huh?

Party Time!

So we are sitting at our dining room table doing our homework at 10:00 on a Monday night.  It's a beautiful night, the windows are open wide to let in the cool breeze.  Outside music is blaring from a function (concert, party, wedding, we have no idea what it is, really??), one block away.  C went to the roof to check it out, then for a quick walk.  Whatever it is, it looks like they are having fun.  C said it's all shabaab (meaning young men),  no women in sight.  Guys dancing and doing something with swords, while another guy sings.  It's been going a couple of hours now.  The music is punctuated every few minutes with beautiful fireworks.  No wonder the kids had a hard time going to sleep tonight.  We love the festive lifestyle here!  Our friends really know how to throw a party!

...11:00 now...The music is still going...I consulted with a neighbor I saw just coming in with her husband and 2 and 4 yr old sons (This really is a late-night culture!  We night-owls love it!).  Her first reaction when I asked about the reason for the music was, "What music?"  After that she agreed, "maybe a wedding".  The busiest "wedding season" is in the summer, when there are parties like this, with music and fireworks, every Wednesday- Sunday night. Who needs a stereo?... Just open the windows!

Aroma Buffet

This is the spice and olive selection at our local supermarket.  I only wish I could transmit the aroma offered at this buffet for the senses.  It's wonderful!  (You can see my favorite shopping cart escalator in the background.)

Language-Rich

When you are trying to learn a new language, one of the things you look for in a neighborhood is a place where nobody speaks your mother tongue, so that you are forced to learn the language to survive.  We call this kind of neighborhood, "language-rich".  Ours is pretty good, in this aspect, although many people will proudly use the few English phrases they know when they find out that we are Americans.  However, many others speak Arabic only, as evidenced by one young man in his 20's who had no idea at all that his new sweatshirt read, "GRANDMA is my name and Spoiling is my Game!"  That's language-rich!

Introducing Our Newest Family Member: Bruce Lee!

One of the benefits of living in the desert is... When one of your friends is driving down the road and sees a chameleon crossing the street,  he can stop and pick it up and give it to you for your birthday!  We've had Bruce for about a month now, and he really has been a fun pet!

 He likes to get out of his aquarium and climb around.  We like him because he doesn't move very fast and he doesn't go missing if you put him down! 

 He changes color, depending on his mood or what he's doing.  Sometimes he's dark brown, sometimes tan with flecks, sometimes pale green.

We have enjoyed him more than the crabs, frogs, and geckos that have come to stay at our house recently. 

Here he is eating a fly out of M's hand.  He also likes grasshoppers and cockroaches!  We've considered fitting him with a halter and leash and renting him out to our friends!

Old stones

 Living in the Middle East, there is never a shortage of ancient ruins to climb and explore.

Ramadan Kareem

This is the first week of Ramadan, a 30 day daily fast that our Muslim neighbors here observe.  Our friends wake very early before the first call to prayer to have a big breakfast, because once the call sounds at around 4:30 am, all eating and drinking is forbidden.  They fast all day until the sun sets, and then their fast is broken with their whole family gathered for a lavish meal.

Here is a good article I found about Ramadan:

http://alameda.patch.com/articles/ramadan-a-primer-for-non-muslims

Some of our neighbors hang lights outside their homes to celebrate the holiday.  Our language teacher said her family drove around on the first night of Ramadan looking at the lights.  Sound familiar?

                            

                            

Ramadan Kareem means "generous", because people are supposed to give generously to the poor, as well as to be generous in gifts or food to their friends or guests.  It is also a time of increased focus on self-discipline, and earning Allah's favor.  Help us lift up our Muslim friends to the Father, that they would seek Him with all their hearts and that He would reveal His Truth to them.