On this New Year’s Eve, I woke up to the sounds of an army of goats who have moved in to the empty lot next door. Though it may be the celebration of a new year for me, the city is alive with another kind of busyness. According to the cycle of the moon, we are sitting on the eve of the second Eid I will experience in this country. However, the post-Ramadan Eid and this coming one are very different. For one, this one involves a lot more livestock! Entire cattle markets have popped up over night. On any given street there are anywhere between 2 and 15 bulls being dressed up and paraded home in preparation for Eid. You see this Eid is all about sacrifice…sacrifice in a very Old Testament way. I am more than a little bit excited for the photo opportunities I might get tomorrow considering that there will literally be sacrifices in the streets. Though I’m sure I’ll be learning more about the intricacies of this Eid tomorrow, I can say that it already fascinates me. Watching men get dragged home down the streets by unruly bulls covered with flower ornaments and painted horns brings the whole world of the Old Testament ALIVE!
I will begin my 2007 with the blood of the sacrifice of an entire city in the streets…talk about transitions! What a way to end a year, an internship, an experience like this and move towards a new year full of unknown potential and possibility.
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Bri,
Please tell me that you will continue to write when you get back home. I so yearn to hear your thoughts and understand your experiences.
I love how you describe your heart being left in these countries. Ever thought of actually leaving something there? Like, what do they call it in the bible...an ebenezer? Like, as in, a piece of you will always be left there. Even though I will still be in Japan for a while yet, I have already started thinking about what I might want to leave here. Something, in a special place.
I don't know, just something I've been pondering on.
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