"OUCH" Party

I titled this an "ouch party" because for the reality of what it really is, I could not bring myself to say that in the title. One tradition with Muslim families is that boys are circumcised by the age of 8. At the time that the family is ready for this to occur, they plan a full day event. 

Olith is one of our STN surf club boys and his family had invited our family, Andy, and other friends/family to come celebrate. I guess as much as they put into a girl starting her first menstruation and becoming a woman, they also put into a boy being circumcised and becoming a man. When we first arrived, we had lunch with the family. I joined the girls in the back room, and was excited as I felt we were making progress in our talking as my tamil has increased over the last few years. Parties are always a great way to interact with Muslim women, because they stay in their homes most of their life. 

After a couple of hours of eating, talking, hanging out, they decorated the front room all nice and put this precious little "tambe" in new clothes on his little throne. Like other birthday parties and such, they did the whole fire sparklers around him, feeding him food, etc. We managed to thank them for lunch and escape before the Muslim man (that rides on his bicycle with all of his doctor utensils) was to arrive and perform the "snippy." This little boy will be kept in a room, basically pinned down for one week to heal and such is their custom. Poor thing :( He was all smiles; but I don't know that he really knew what was coming :( Just another day in A-Bay.