Tailor time

On Saturday Helen, Nicola and I met at Serrakunda Market to shop for material with which to make our Tobaski outfits. Tobaski is coming up on Friday 26 October (depending on the moon) and is the Gambian celebration of Eid-ul-Kabir. On Tobaski day all heads of families that can afford it slaughter a ram, goat or cow and divide the meat between friends, relatives and charity. After prayer in the morning, feasting and drumming begins, and everyone wears their best outfits… hence the trip to the tailor!

After shopping in the hectic market we came back to Bakau to get some food before heading to the tailor in Bakau market. We had a Gambian dish of okra, palm oil, dried fish and chili with rice, and watched the world go by.

View over Bakau lower basic school, complete with 7x7 taxi

I wanted some very bright material for my traditional Gambian outfit – and I think I succeeded! We took it to the tailor, and picked our designs. All three of us have gone for something different, but we will all have Gambian headpieces made in the same fabric as our dresses – I can’t wait to see how they look! 

Nicola getting measured for her dress by Bass the tailor