Ishtar News

Ishtar News has moved!

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:26:00 +0000

After blogging for two seasons, I have decided to set up a blog in my own name. For the continuation of Ishtar News, click here.

See you soon!

Esther aka Ishtar

Just a picture

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:07:00 +0000

My mother and I, a little less than a year ago.

Ishtar

From one world to another

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:33:00 +0000

Thanks guys for all your support! It means a lot.

The journey went well. I am tired, but have landed in Sweden this morning.

A lot of things (and feelings) have been going through my mind lately, but through it all, I feel joy, peace and happiness. Someone promised me nearly two years ago that if I came to him, he would carry me, day by day. And he has. Day by day.

I am spending the day with my dad and I feel blessed.
Will write more later.

Ishtar

In heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:20:00 +0000

My dad called me at 5 am this morning to tell me that my mother had left us. I don't know what to say right now, more than that my intellect and my soul are not in unison.

I will be leaving for Sweden on Monday.

Ishtar

Aichatu

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:16:00 +0000

I have a special little friend named Aichatu. She's young and she always has a twinkle in her eyes. She's a big rascal who always gets into trouble with the boys. I don't know how many times I haven't saved her from getting whacked, but it's been a number of times now. Wouldn't want her without that twinkle though!

Ishtar

The sire of her choice

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:18:00 +0000

Having worked so much overtime lately, Nettus and I took part of the afternoon off and brought Sahara back to the stallion station to meet with the boys. She was really one thrilled mare as we left the flock (which normally drives her nuts, seeing she's the boss and they should always accompany her in her eyes...). Unfortunately (for us), all the great sires were out of town this week, and the only one left for her to play with was Rio the colt.

Rio the colt turned to be exactly what Sahara the young but dominant mare wanted, and with Nettus being a soft hearted owner, she gave the colt's owner green light for the two of them to do whatever they wanted.

With Rio being the timid one, he took all the time in the world, nibbling her here and there and making sure all the time that she was "safe". And Sahara amazed us all, just standing there and taking it all without so much as budge.

Sahara was so taken by the young male that the hardest part was separating them and going home!

Had she had her way, she would have remained there all day and had lots and lots of fun...

Oh well. So we allowed Sahara to mate with the male of her choice and not the one that would ensure a high offspring value right from the start. Rio is really good runner though, and with his mild temperament, the mix between him and Sahara may actually turn out really well. In any case, we'll just wait for another 21 days before we bring her back, and see if her eagerness has faded or if the mating didn't take. If it didn't, I think I'll be looking out for Aldo, the local champion. Rumor has it that he'll be in town that week, but hey- we're in Africa, so we'll just take every day as it comes!

Ishtar

Meet Lawan the welder

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:18:00 +0000

Ali brought us a nice surprise today, and he was called Lawan. He'd come to do some repairs on the horse railing which should have been done yesterday, but which wasn't due to communication complications and lost pride. In any case, Lawan the 2nd (as we will have to call him) was kind, patient and hard working. And the best thing about him was that he regularly asked us if we were happy, or just redo his work by himself when he felt that it wasn't straight enough. We were thrilled! The only little minus what the security issue concerning his gear...

I'm glad no animals (except for the dog) were loose and that Tabita was not!

We are so thrilled the work got done though, and will be using him again. Next time hopefully with some good cables!

Ishtar

Painting the pool

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 09:21:00 +0000

The only thing that remains to see is if the pool paint will keep the water from leaking out of our precious little pool! If it does, I'll almost be looking forward to the warm season, lol!

Ishtar

Busy Busy Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:18:00 +0000

Today was probably the busiest weekend day we've had so far!

First of all, an entrepreneur had come with a team to move the horse fence, so that Arwen will finally have a place of her own and not have to fight to dog over his rice or tear down my plants whenever she suffers from a whim of frustration.

The mason and his assistant were there as well, continuing the work on our store which they started with almost three months ago. He does do a fab job and is worthy of all the patience in the world!

Inside, Magagi the plummer was fixing our leaking sinks, and wow, did they turn out well!

The bathrooms just needed a bit of cleaning first...

The entrepreneur was the only thing that didn't work out that day. He complained about not wanting to have to pay for anything that went wrong, so Nettus and I went out of our way to help him measure and make sure things became as straight as one could require in this particular situation... Working with women however did not seem to be his thing, and after a few incidents of miscommunication (where I should have been the one being offended, if anyone), he "threw in the towel" like we say in Swedish and left the job unfinished. So Nettus and I got to do what I have always loved; maconry work! I just need to become a little bit stronger and get some better technique, so I can turn that concrete (for hours) by myself without getting any muscle ache afterwards!

We did get the rest of the job done, and had a lot of fun doing it! And the biggest perk with doing it ourselves was that we were able to place the railing just as straight as we wanted to, without being told how impossible it was.

Ha, I really need to follow in my father's footsteps and learn to do (most) things myself!

Ishtar

Things Fall Apart

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:44:00 +0000

Our house as almost as old as I am, and as with all things, they eventually fall apart. What a shame though that both our sinks (and that would be our only sinks, except for the one in the kitchen) decided to break down at the same time! No big surprise though, when we took a good peak and had a look... Yuk! Will be glad to have it fixed, and in the meantime, we will be brushing our teeth in the shower or over the kitchen sink!

Will be glad to get this stuff fixed, and no, I do not mind replacing large parts!

Ishtar

Our terrace lizards are vegetarians

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:18:00 +0000

Which is cool, really, except for one thing:

They eat our plants!!!

Ishtar

Sahara meets with the boys

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:38:00 +0000

An expert in the US told us that Sahara might very well be having silent heats, and that it might be wise to let her interact more with stallions.

First up (behind a wall of protection) was Rio, the Snowman's colt. At first, he was a bit overexcited, but then he calmed down and the two of them got down to some serious greeting. This is actually the same colt that Sahara kicked at the race track last year, when the two of them were just two years old. Don't they look sweet together?

Next up on the roll was Gamji, our Nigerian friends' former champion. He's been in Zinder for a while in order to recover from a bad leg injury, but it seems that despite having undergone all sorts of traditional treatments (most of them involving opening up the wound again and drenching it with different potions), the only difference is that he has grown in size. I never would have considered him as a sire in normal case due to his color (which is dominant, and I am in love with brown horses!) but seeing that Aldo, the sire we would have liked to have for Sahara, was no longer in town, both Nettus and I were considering Gamji an option. It wouldn't make a 100% Nigerien Barb horse (Gamji is a Sudanese horse) but the idea of foaling Sahara in the first place would be to get a large offspring, strong enough to carry bigger persons.

With Mr Gamji, it was all pure business, from the moment that he saw her (from afar). It started off well enough, until Gamji roared and tried to jump over the wall in order to get what he wanted. Sahara freaked out - I think he actually managed to scare her - but then she turned around, aim well and gave the wall between them some very good kicks. Oh my, our little girl has some self-confidence, believing she could shrug off one of the most dominant males in the country!

We let it end there for now, and took a very proud Sahara back to the flock, who were having the time of their life running around in JR's garden. It's pretty cool to watch horses in Niger be able to stretch their legs and do whatever they like. There's just so much joy involved.

Will keep you updated on what happens with Sahara. I think we'll go back to the stallions within ten days or so and see if there will be any changes on the level of interaction.

Ishtar

The perfect siesta!

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 13:30:00 +0000

When I am in Sweden, I talk so warmly about Niger that one might think I romanticize; about the heat, the sunshine, the tasty (fat-free) food, the rides in the bush and the general super slow-slow tempo (which either kills you with frustration or makes you lead a healthier life...). Although we have been spending far too many hours at the office lately, Nettus and I have been prioritizing our siestas - our favorite time of the day.

Vital ingredient number 1: Enough time to enjoy living, a blue sky and good company. I have all of those!

Vital ingredient number 2: Healthy lowfat tasty food! This dish was cooked in the solar oven and is made of mixed vegetables, Eden nuts, sorgo and spices.

Vital ingredient number 3: Never forget your vitamins! (my mom always told me to serve something of every color...)

Vital ingredient number 4: Treat yourself to fruits. Be generous.

Vital ingredient number 5: A good dose of sunshine!

Stick to this recipe, and you're siesta is going to be just fab!

Ishtar

Hurray!

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:58:00 +0000

The mango season has begun!!!

There is nothing like a genetically unspoiled super-tasty Nigerien mango! What some mangoes lose in size, they gain in taste. Guess what we will be living off during the coming months!

Hey, I told you we were lucky people!!

Ishtar

Taking both sisters out for a good ride

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:49:00 +0000

I am a lucky person. It was always my dream to ride in the bush with Arwen's future foal running freely by her side. Unfortunately, Arwen hasn't given birth to anything yet, but when Maya happened to come our way, I just couldn't resist the temptation of letting her loose, believing that the need to belong to a flock is a stronger urge to a horse than pure freedom. Which was proven to be true, at least in the case of Maya.

Although I waited until I had passed the main road (in order not to confuse traffic!), I let her loose when as soon as we reached the outskirts of town, and then, off we went! She ran first to start with, being so eager to stretch her legs, but as soon as we were out in the open, she just tagged along, switched sides with us with regular intervals.

Nettus met us for a brief photo shoot, where Maya unsurprisingly did not care to stand still (it was all so exiting and so many things to discover!).

We did stay a few minutes, before heading off for some "real" work in the bush! Need I say that we had a lot of fun...?

Ishtar

Nigerien leather work

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:19:00 +0000

A leather carpet received my attention today. A beautiful handmade Nigerien leather carpet. Niger produces some cool things, with leather work being one of its specialties. For those of you who want to see more screen shots, have a look at Livswerk.

Warm greetings,
Ishtar

Taking another visitor for a ride

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:14:00 +0000

Horseback riding in the never ending outback of Zinder is something all horse people need to experience at some point in their lives. Although there are loads of things you can do better elsewhere, this is one of the things where Niger takes a lead over most other places in the world.

Now our good friend Ahmed had seen me ride to the race track and had heard me talk about the bush, and so I had to show him. And I was happy to find out that he was not afraid to venture outside! We hooked him up with Sahara, who's such a stable sensible ride, and because Arwen was limping, I borrowed a young stallion named Rio from the Snowman.

Nettus followed us out, but just a little while later we were on our own. We had a fabulous time, covering a large extended space for almost two hours. The horses were good tempered and so happy, just the way you want them! And we were happy to. Niger is such a beautiful country, and even Nigerians, it's a treat to see so much space!

Ishtar

Visitors from Nigeria

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 11:58:00 +0000

In November, Nettus & I got to know some people from Nigeria at the race track, introduced by our mutual friend, the Snowman. They were really nice people whom we really enjoyed talking to.

This weekend, they were back in town and came to visit, which was a lot of fun! We talked about everything from horses to politics. It was a fun and relaxing time and what a treat to be able to speak in English for a while.

And here's a picture just to make sure that our hard-working photographer is not forgotten... :-)

Ishtar

Marriage celebrations on our street

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:51:00 +0000

When Nettus and I went to work this afternoon, we stumbled upon some festivities going on in our street.

The younger brother of a friend of my brother (it's complicated, I know...) was getting married, and so the tent was up, and dancers had been hired for the occasion.

I didn't have the time to stay for long, but Nettus did, walking around with her camera and photographing the people.

It was a beautiful crowd, and as for all the people wearing the same tissue, that is one of the key issues in Niger which shows family unity.

Ishtar

Our three girls this morning...

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 07:40:00 +0000

Sahara looking beautiful as ever - but who would have thought she'd grow so much during the time that she's been with us?

Maya starting to become less and less like an indifferent bush horse and more and more like the other mares in the flock

Arwen with the right posture. I wanted a picture of that belly to see if there will be any visible difference in a few months. It's only been about four months since DanMaffia was here and did his business... She hasn't called for any male attention since, but that's about all I know about whatever is going on inside her! And let us not forget, I have been tricked before...

Ishtar

Souna part II

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 15:58:00 +0000

In the afternoon, we went back the souna, which was then in full swing.

Hampsatu and her baby daughter Sherifa

Some of the other women in the room

Some of the people outside

Nettus and Ishtar eating à la Nigerienne - although I must admit, I totally lack the skill of eating with my hands! My colleague finds this hilarious, since he knows I can eat with "sticks" (he has seen me at a Chinese restaurant) and logically, eating with your hand should be a lot easier. But it all comes down to habit, and I am untrained in the art of getting food correctly in my mouth using only my hands - without looking like a slob! The good news is that we were commended for our efforts and did not offend anyone!

Ishtar

Souna - part I

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:44:00 +0000

Today was the souna of our colleague's newborn daughter. It is custom to have the naming ceremony up to seven days after birth, when the child and mother are presented to all friends and (extended) family. It is the day when everyone gets to know the name of the child, which in this case was Sherifa.

Nettus and I on the bed together with one of Sherifa's brothers and her mother.

Outside in the courtyard, friends and family (only the women, of course!) where helping out with the upcoming dinner - a meal of meat that everyone was looking forward to!

Photos of the women

We stayed for an hour and then went home for a "break", promising to be back later on... On our way home, we stopped at Ladi's and took some pictures with her and her younger brother Abdul-something (sorry, I keep forgetting!) and sister Aïchatu. Aïchatu is the funniest little rascal you can find (worldwide) - both Nettus and I adore her. She always always makes us laugh!

Ishtar

This is where you will find me...

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:28:00 +0000

A lot of people here have been wondering if I've let the country, since I have grown so scarce. Well, both Nettus and I have been very much present, but our presence has been very much limited to the office, where we have been working long, long, long hours these past few weeks. It's a fun challenge though, and we get to do things we never thought possible for us to do before!

Ishtar

Wintertime in Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:34:00 +0000

Oh, what a perfect winter we have had this year! Great temperatures and a deep blue sky with lots of sunshine, just the way I love it!

Ishtar

Beautiful baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Ishtar) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:25:00 +0000

Our colleague got another daughter today: a beautiful baby girl! The naming ceremony will be later this week.

Ishtar