Posted on November 8, 2019
Climb a tree!
In August 2014 MB found himself in Sudan, compliments of a wedding invitation he received from a young Sudani friend. MB took the opportunity to do a bit of exploring. Sudani friends organised for MB to visit an area called Soba with his camera, just outside the capital city, Khartoum.
It was the middle of the day when MB arrived with his Sudani friends. Most of the Soba male inhabitants were missing, having travelled to the city in early-morning to sell vegetables or bottled water in markets and street corners.
By Westerns (or many other) standards, Soba is extremely poor, with the inhabitants living a subsistence-level lifestyle. The houses people live in are not far removed from the houses their sheep and goats live in. But regardless of the relative poverty, most inhabitants that MB encountered had a smile on their faces, especially the children.
MB caught the kids in his below pic at their favourite tree.
So this weekend, MB suggests that you go climb a tree, if you can.
And be damn grateful for the hand of cards that life has dealt you.
Posted on November 26, 2017
On Friday last, over 300 Sufi Muslim worshipers were killed during prayer time at a mosque in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula. Many more were injured. MB read in some reports that the attack on the Mosque was unexpected. This is not true. The mosque was in a remote out-of-city location and was a prime target for the fascist DAISH/ISIS murderers who consider the very spiritual Sufis to be heretics who must be killed whenever the chance arises. Similar to their views on Shia Muslims, other Muslim sects or any others who do not fit into their extremist fascist Sunni Islamic view of the world. Any imbecile would have known that the mosque was a target. Target – with a capital ‘T’.
MB has a fondness for the Sufis since he encountered them on his trip to Sudan three years back when he wrote a post about his encounter and including many photos. The following is MB’s final paragraph of that post:
The Sufis consider themselves the original Muslims from the time of the Prophet (PBOH). All spirituality, chanting to Allah, playing drums and enjoying the celebration. And at same time putting on a real spectacle for the many non-Sufi observers who attend just to observe and enjoy. The more extreme Salafi & Wahabi schools of Islam would consider the Sufis to be heretics or some such and would not have kind words for them. In fact, many on the extreme wing of Islam (like ISIS) would have all the Sufis killed if they could. MB prefers the Sufis, with their dreadlock hairstyles and their music and drum playing, and the happy smiles on their faces. Smiling is not a strong point with their Islamic opponents.
Long live the Sufis!
Sudani Sufi (he’s the one in the middle!) at the graveyard in Khartoum, with 2 European teachers who were on a short UN programme teaching female teachers from Yemen. It was unsafe to carry out the programme in Yemen. August 2014.
Posted on November 17, 2017
MB has posted some pics from his August 2014 trip to Sudan in recent posts. For this week’s Foto Friday he gives you one of his favorite pics from that trip.
YSL and friends had just taken MB on a tour of a very poor shanty town (maybe not the correct term but MB can not think of better as he types) on the outskirts of Khartoum called Soba. It was then time to smoke some shisha in a nearby shisha hut. MB is not a smoker. Never was. Never will be. But on this occasion, he puffed some shisha with YSL and friends just to be sociable, and thankful for the effort they had all made.
The shisha hut was just that. A hut with a frail timber frame and some bamboo leaves (or similar on the outside. And some light paper fabric on the inside. The AC was great!
Posted on November 15, 2017
In August 2014, MB found himself in Khartoum, Sudan, for a wedding. Read More
Category: Irish man in the Middle East Tagged: Adventure, Experimental, Henna, Khartoum, postaday, Sudan, Tattoo, Travel, Weekly Photo Challenge
Posted on November 12, 2017
Man in Sudan. August 2014.
Category: Irish man in the Middle East Tagged: Khartoum, Man, Smoker, Sudan
Posted on November 10, 2017
All kids love a tyre! Khartoum, August 2014.
Posted on March 7, 2017
MB screwed up the countdown to the International Women’s Day. Yesterday’s post read ‘Minus 3’ and today’s reads ‘Minus 1’. ‘Minus 2’ has never materialised and has disappeared into the fourth dimension or some such place where things that don’t exist reside.
For ‘Minus 1’ MB gives followers a shot of the bride at her wedding party from an August 2014 wedding that MB attended to Khartoum, Sudan.
Category: Irish man in the Middle East Tagged: International, Khartoum, Sudan, wedding, Womens Day
Posted on March 15, 2015
The Henna Lady
MB went to a wedding in Sudan in August 2014. One of the many wedding parties that takes place as part of the overall wedding festival is the Henna party. There are two separate parties in truth – one henna party for the bride & one for the groom. Each party is like a wedding party in itself. Food, music, dancing and loads of family & friends in attendance.
At the end of the night when the music stops and the crowd drifts off, close family members and close friends remain on to receive a decorative henna tattoo on the hand (men) or hand and arm and a lot more elaborate for the ladies. The procedure involves placing some henna oil on the hand. A portion of henna mud is then held in the palm of the closed fist. Oil & strips of henna mud are then dressed over the knuckles as shown in the pic – where MB’s white Irish skin is visible. The lady who did MB’s henna was an aunt of the groom, and a superb job she did. Following day MB had and orange coloured tattoo which turned jet black over the following 48 hours.
Posted on September 30, 2014
What a week that was. And we’re only half way there! Read More
Category: Irish man in the Middle East Tagged: Colombo, Culture, France, Ireland, Khartoum, Limerick, Liptons seat, liptons tea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Travel, Vive La France
Posted on September 25, 2014
Final Sudan shots! Read More
Category: Irish man in the Middle East Tagged: Al Nilin Mosque, Blue Nile, Corinthia Hotel, Ghadaffi's Egg, Henna, Khartoum, Nile, Ozone Cafe, River, Shisha, St Mathews Cathedral, Sudan, Tattoo, White Nile
Posted on September 25, 2014
Category: Irish man in the Middle East Tagged: 3rd World, africa, Khartoum, life, Nile river, Omar al-Bashir, Poverty, struggle, Sudan
Posted on September 18, 2014
First & foremost, let’s start with the band.
MB shot this short very blurry arty video to give you all a flavour of the music and crack at the wedding in Khartoum – where the Blue & White Nile rivers converge (zero relevance to the wedding or the music ladies – just geographical knowledge). Listen also for the high pitched shrieks from some the ladies present at approx 50 seconds – called ‘ullulation’. They are doing so to honour the bride or groom:
Category: Irish man in the Middle East Tagged: africa, Culture, Khartoum, Love, Photographer, Romance, Service, Sudan, wedding, Wedding Music
Posted on September 17, 2014
Posted on September 8, 2014
From MB’s Sudani trip of two weeks back. On the outskirts of Khartoum:
Read More
Category: Uncategorized Tagged: Adventure, Khartoum, postaday, Sudan, Travel, Weekly Photo Challenge
Posted on September 8, 2014
MB is not a Sufi. Read More
Category: Uncategorized Tagged: Celebration, Corruption, Culture, Festival, islam, Khartoum, Poverty, religion, Sudan, Sufi
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