Facebook post from 2016.
A Stella day with Bodudaitha and the day is still young.
So I am here in Nolhivaranfaru and keeping company of Bodudaitha as she is home alone since everyone else had to go to Male’ to seek much-needed health care
#FoodSecurity #SelfSustanance 1/13

On request, Bodudaitha woke me up at 5:00 am. We had a coffee and went to the bush and foraged the forest floor for tropical almonds. We only found a few as we were late. It was fun nonetheless. 2/13

On the way back we also found a fallen palm frond and we got lucky according to Bodudaitha.
There are so many thatch weavers and too few palms. Many groves now lie within the area closed off for the city hotel. 3/13

Palm leaves are valued like gold especially after the people of Faridhoo, Mavaidhoo and Kuburdhoo were moved to Nolhivaranfaru as part of the population consolidation program. Consequently, the demand rose. 4/13

On the way back we went and watered the farm plot that is maintained by Bodudiatha for extra income. 5/13

There wasn’t much cultivation as most of the crops got destroyed in the rain so it didn’t take long either but it was hard work as we had to fetch water from a well and fill the watering cans. We harvested a huge pumpkin on the way back for breakfast. 6/13

I helped Bodudaitha with preparation for breakfast and we cooked the most delicious pumpkin curry with smoked tuna. A special spice combination was ground on a dai with a foi (grinding stone and roller). 7/13

Boduiatha plucked chilies and curry leaves from the backyard garden. We also made flatbread to go with the curry. The curry was so good and it all tasted very fresh. 8/13

After breakfast, I went for a quick swim & when I got back Bodudiath was opening country almonds to get the nut. This is a rather tedious process. She told me that the thatch collecting vessel has docked and we now have to take the thatch bundles to the jetty to be sold off. 9/13

We loaded it on to a trolley and pulled it to the jetty. It was received by the boatmen who counted and loaded the bundles on to the boat. Bodudaitha got paid and also got a word of appreciation for her hard work and she looked happy. 10/13

As we were about to leave the fishermen returned with their catch. Bodudiatha told me that we have to get fish so we grabbed too humongous ones. It was weighed and a kilo was sold to us for MVR 20. 11/13

I was instructed to gut the fish at the beach so I did I was told, alas my skills have gone rusty. We came back and cleaned the fish and cooked Garudhiya (fish soup) with one half and got the other half ready to be BBQed. 12/13

Bodudiatha has now gone back to weaving thatch and I am checking my e-mails. I have been tasked with BBQing the fish on a coconut shell fire so gotta end this here….
It is only 13:00hrs but I feel like I have done a lot or have I? 13/13