party!

My host father invited all of his family members for a party to celebrate their ancestors.
In preparation, Mma and her daughters made traditional beer out of ground mealies and amarula (a type of fruit). First, you mix the ingredients and leave them to ferment for five days (left). As it ferments, the thick mixture heats up and oozes air. It also smells like the bog of eternal stench.

The resulting sludge is strained (left, with two of my host sisters). The left over mealies are bunched into balls to ensure that all of the beer is drained (in the background of next two pictures).

Finally, the beer is ready to drink! Here, Mma scoops some into a calabash (the normal cup) to tease everyone about drinking it. You can also leave the beer out for several more days before drinking, that way it gets even stronger.











Mmamere and John (grandkids) playing with bubbles my Mom sent for Easter. Mmamere has Zack (great grandkid) on her back.