22nd October 2006 @ 18h00 local time

I had brought some Medjul dates to nibble on at work, 5 hours is long time without sustainance. As I was eating some, I was reminded of my visit to a local Fruit & Veg City (this is a green-grocer chain). There was a long queue at the dried fruit and nut counter. People were waiting for their purchases to be weighed. From the numerous headscarves I jassumed the buyers were stocking up for the evening breaking of the fast or for Eid, the end of Ramadaan.

I bought some dried apricots, local ones. They are harder and sourer (and cheaper) than Turkish ones. I prefer their hardness and sourness. (The new season's apricots, fresh ones, should be in the shops around Christmas. Besides apples and bananas, my favourite fruits are summer's offerings, peaches, apricots and nectarines. There are peaches and nectarines in the supermarket and at the green-grocer's, but they are they have been imported, and are therefore pricey. I will have to wait a bit longer.)

Seeing people buying nuts and dried fruit, particularly dates and dried figs, reminded me of my early childhood Christmasses in England. We always had dates and dried figs then. The dates were boxed still attached to a twig. There was a little wooden fork to eat them with. They were a shiny brown, soft and sweet. I have only seen dates like this once, since I came to Africa. Next April I will have lived 50 years in Africa.