Of Mango Rain, Bad Spirits and Democracy.

Malians have a habit of speaking for the entire nation: ‘in Mali we do this and we don’t do that’: there seems to be but little personal choice, and much behaviour is ruled by tradition.

The Mango season is beginning and mangoes have started to appear at the market again. We have already made a delicious mango jam for our hotel breakfasts. But until yesterday Keita had not yet eaten a mango. Why? Because he was waiting for the mango rain, before which one doesn't eat mangoes in Mali. The mango rain is just a few drops of rain around the middle of March, when the weather changes and the great heat begins. Two days ago the mango rain came, and when I returned from a short trip to Segou there was a whole basket of mangoes waiting for me, which Keita had bought in the market.