Zanzibar. The name evokes mystery and depth, adventure and compelling narrative replete with an amalgamation of cultures living on a small archipelago of islands off the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean. For me it has been a second home which rests deeply in my heart.
Down the street from my home in Zanzibar is a famous square called Jaws Corner. It is a meeting place for conversation, dominoes, and the tiny cups of black coffee brewed over an open flame. During World Cup football a TV is mounted on a wall with cheering young men and boys watching from every available vantage point. It is here that the debates and conversation happen about current events, politics, gossip - where everyone flaps their jaws.
When the rains come to Zanzibar the tropical flood never lets up. It comes in torrents and sheets bouncing off the metal rooftops with a mighty roar. No one seems to mind….too much. You find yourself leaping over deep puddles and jumping between barazas.