When I was doing a post on Ethiopian cooking and food traditions I really wanted to add some pictures of Ethiopia. While I was reading about Ethiopian food I had read such vivid and lovely descriptions of the dining arrangements, coffee ceremony, women making injera and girls and women grinding spices in their vast backyards in the old-fashioned mortar and pastel way that one way or the other I wanted to share those wonderful ceremonies and food tradition pictures to all my readers! Now I can always write accounts and accounts of each of them but hey, a picture speaks a thousand words, doesn't it! I have never been to Ethiopia (but I hope to someday!) and neither has anyone from my family or friends from whom I could borrow some pictures.. so what to do, I sat and thought for a while until an idea struck my mind.. what if I draw the sketches of these traditions that I want my readers to see! Eureka, except, well, I haven't really sketched in like say last 20 years.. but hey, where there is a will there is a way. So I sat down one evening with my pencil and paper and tried my best to take a snapshot of these images. They are barely passable, but I hope they convey the intention and you all get a glimpse into the world I was trying to open up to you :)
So, here they are. Much credit goes to the Exotic Ethiopian Cooking book while inspired me to make these sketches. The post about Ethiopian cooking for which I drew the sketches is here.