Twenty-five years ago, Charlotte founded Wuthering Bites, a café on the Lakeshore in Mimico that focused on the arts and community. With a diverse background in teaching, research and advocacy, and a passion for writing and visual art, Charlotte is thrilled to now be working with Lakeshore Arts as they launch exciting new initiatives for our South Etobicoke neighbourhood. She is especially thrilled to have a unique opportunity to focus on engagement and programming for seniors.
Treasures of Ours
Nabil Shash
Ethnicity: Ethiopian
Attached is a photo of a hat and scarf that’s gifted to Harari men when we get married. Although I rarely get to wear it, it symbolizes a step into adulthood. These two items were made in Harar, Ethiopia and gifted to me by a friend of my father. It also symbolizes the love my parents have received from the community, through to me.
As a child of diaspora, the closes connection I have to the harari community is through weddings. That’s where you see traditional clothing, hear traditional songs, and celebrate in a traditional fashion. I don’t know the language, how to cook the food and didn’t get married to a Harari woman. So these garments represent community, my community, and outside of my parents and my blood, are my only connection to it.
The hat is called a quofia, which I think literally translates into hat. I never learned what the scarf’s actual name is but let me check with my dad. They were gifted to me by a friend of my parents on the day of my wedding to wear. Traditionally, I should continue to wear it at weddings as a symbol that I am married.