More coco nuts...

Here is a picture of a Coco de mer in its more common state. It is de-husked.








And my price-less immigration stamp.

The Coco de mer is a seed and not a fruit as some people think and the biggest in the world at that too – sometimes weighing as much as 20kg. (No wonder you die if it falls on your head!) It is unique to Seychelles and not surprising has become an unofficial National emblem. My pass port is full of coco de mer stamps too. Every visit for the past 9 years the immigration officials have adorned the inside pages of my pass port with this priceless stamp. I have come to like these cute little stamps with growing affinity. This year however I got a different stamp. I almost want to call it a traitor stamp. A bland stamp. A stupid stamp. Have the local officials gone nuts? What on earth could have persuaded them to discard this priceless stamp?

After some inquiry, it turns out that an Islamic leader complained that the stamp was too “explicit”. Apparently it reveals too much of the nature of a woman. Of course I can’t help but think it takes a foul mind to think like that – even if there is a striking resemblance.

Hey Seychelles government. What’s up with that?

It of course brings me to another subject. A more controversial one and one that I am probably going to put my foot into, no matter how delicate I try to handle it. Consider the fact that Islam extremists have burned heaps of bibles and nothing happened. So one Christian Pastor wants to burn the Koran and all hell breaks loose! (Pardon the pun.)

Poor Pastor. I mean, think about it. He is probably very aware of the Islamic influence in his country and of the 9/11 disaster and of the heaps of bibles that has been burnt and one can understand how perhaps he has just had enough. It is of course NOT the Christian way of doing it (The modern Christians do not go about burning other religious books) but heaven knows, I can sympathise with the man!

Double standards?

It seems the pastor is not the only one who is getting fed up. Apparently the French have banned the wearing of the traditional face cover for Muslim women – with a 200$ fine and up to a year sentence for men who are found to have enforced their wives to do so. Of course I am aware that this has nothing to do with the Islamic religion either but it serves to illustrates my point.

Interesting indeed!

:) Perhaps this is what I should write about to get some feedback. Let’s see…

Yes, I know this has absolutely nothing to do with flying or sharks…

Still. Wish you were here!
:)