It seemed an indelicate way to arrive at a religious ceremony. We bumped in, out and around gravestones set in desert scrub, before pulling up in the minivan in front of a huge circle of men in white robes. The pounding beat got louder as we walked to the edges of the circle and… Continue reading Sufi dancers in Omdurman
By Alison Bate My article about the perfume Bint el Sudan and my grandfather was published in Reader's Digest Canada in December 2009. However, there wasn't room to include all the stories I collected about the perfume. Here are some of them, including those from perfumers who used to work at the U.K. company of Bush… Continue reading Memories of Bint el Sudan
My story about teaching in Khartoum, Sudan was published by Transitions Abroad. Here's the full story: By Alison Bate Shortly after I arrived in Sudan, one of my favorite male students quietly passed me a handwritten note, whispering that I should read it later. After class, I read a charming explanation that because he was… Continue reading Teaching in the Muslim World
