Heron on the Nile
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  Na'faj Trouble Brewing Wed 5 Jan 2005  

Tuti Island Nuer women
Tuti Island Nuer women
I am at the British Council to meet someone, but I am far too early so I decide to make use of the free internet. Out of idle curiosity I search for home-brewing advice. I'm surprised to find the "online home-brewer's manual" website is blocked. I search for anything about "stills in rural Sudan/Africa". Just how do these village ladies produce a clear distilled spirit from fermented dates? One site offers a video clip with a transcript about the "column still". That could be interesting, at least to see what it looks like. I put on the headphones and started the video. The images come up on the screen but I can't hear anything in the headphones. Coincidently, at that moment, there is an announcement to the library over the public address system… or is it? I soon realise that everyone is staring at me and the librarian is rushing to my assistance. Evidently, the headphones are not plugged in and everyone in the library has heard - at full volume - the chirpy commentary "ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS TO MAKE YOUR OWN ALCOHOL …"
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