Masharami

This is the Rain Goddess, one of the many floats that paraded the streets last Friday 23rd February - a public holiday - called Masharami. Like a carnival people came out in their hundreds and picnicked along the side of the road,waiting for the floats and bands to trundle by, and the many vendors selling food and hats and windmills and flags walking up and down. Although the papers, the next day, said that it all ended in chaos we did not see any of that and really enjoyed our day people watching and even managed to get into the stadium to watch the judging of the floats. The winners will be announced later this week. This year was particularly noisy and energetic as their is a big war in process between 'Blue Power' Cell Link phones and the new on the scene (red) Digicel who is trying to take over the market. Although I don't have either model of cell phone I feel I ought to support Digicel as the CEO is a contact we made in Malawi through our friend there. Strange isn't it how you meet up with people again. Mick was cycling in the park and bumped into Tim out with his kids. He was doing something similar in Africa when we first met him.
Here's a littler one on one of the floats much more interested in her bottle of water than the load music in her ears!

One of the complaints about the carnival is the amount of 'whining' on display. This seems to be a particularly sexy, and some think excessively vulgar, form of dancing. As most of the participants are scantily dressed it brings a new meaning to ribald.
here is a less explicit photo of it!!!! Now add to this the loud music and the fantastically mobile hip movements of both male and female and the rest is for your imagination.