In the aftermath of Tabaski - or Eid al-Adha - we had a couple of pairs of sheep horns boiled in Dakar so that the stuff from inside the horns would come out. This was the easy part of the process and now the idea is to make some new snappy objects out of them, but preferably without the accompanying smell! Washing the inside of the horn with strong tea or beer are the suggestions we have come up with so far, but somehow I doubt the effectiveness of these methods. We already tried bleach but the horn aroma still triumphs…  How on earth did the cupper get rid of the smell of her cupping horns in the old days? Or did she? If you have any ideas - preferably based on experience - please help!

 Somewhat belatedly I’m wishing you all a very happy, inspirational and bacteria-free New Year!

I’ve been off line for the past weeks firstly because of my trip to Senegal and secondly because I fell ill upon my return home. I caught a typhoid fever, which is a life-threatening illness caused by bacteria. It is typically passed from person to person through food and drink or by drinking from contaminated water supplies. The bacteria multiply and spread to the bloodstream and cause high fever, headache and other nasty symptoms. After a week in isolation in the hospital with impressive daily doses of antibiotics and paracetamol intra vena, all the every day trivia at home and small errands here and there simply seem delightful now!