Lunchtime

Since I’ve been here I’ve started making all kinds of food from scratch (because there’s no other way) and I’ve found myself to be a pretty rockin’ cook. I’ve got skills I didn’t even know about… Well, lately I’ve decided that I need to learn how to cook more things using the local ingredients and the local methods, and today I happened to bring my camera along while doing so.

I went with a friend to another person’s house, where we proceeded to make lunch for about 15 people (six adults, nine kids). First, my friend and I went to the market and got everything we’d need. I generously offered to pay, as it was my idea, and do you know what the grand total was? Roughly $1.20. To feed FIFTEEN people. And we had plenty of food. Not the most vitamin-enriched, but high in protein…

So anyway, when we arrived, this little guy on the left was the first one to greet me. He walked up to me, buck naked, and took my hand to lead me around outside the house. His name is Vito, and he’s one of the cutest kids I’ve ever seen. He kept coming up to me and just holding onto my leg, or climbing into my lap. Most kids are afraid of us whiteys and cry when we get too close, but this one had no fear whatsoever. His mom finally put some clothes on him… And I can’t remember this guy’s name on the right, but his mom was our cooking assistant, and I just thought this was a nice photo.


And as soon as the kids figure out that you’ve got a camera, they crowd around so you’ll take their photo and then show it to them. They’re even more amazed if you turn on the LCD screen and show them something as it’s being recorded. They were amazed that they could see their own toes wiggling on the LCD. I asked them all to vogue for this next one, and they gave me the kung-fu stances. We didn’t feed all these kids, some of them were neighbors.


This is Paula, the woman who helped us cook. African style is an interesting thing. Most of the time, style here is just wearing whatever you can get your hands on. I’ve seen men wearing skirts or blouses, as well as women’s shoes with the heels cut off. But the women’s clothing is usually really bright and vibrant. I’ve wondered why that is, and the only thing I can come up with is that it’s a stark contrast with the earthy tones of life around them. When the roads are dirt, the houses are mud-brick and straw, and nothing has been painted in the last several decades, I guess you need to get your kicks where you can. And they pull it off very well.


I took one more photo with me in it, and then I had to put the camera away because the kids all started asking for individual photos. But these guys were a few of the ones who ate with us. And, of course, I again got the biggest portion. At least I bought the food this time, so it was understandable, but I still had to feign being full so they would be willing to give the rest to the kids. And do you know what everyone did after lunch? Had a dance party, of course. Let me just tell you that if you’ve never seen a bunch of African kids (from ~2yrs to probably 12) freestyle dancing, well, then you’re just missing out. They were throwing in moves from Michael Jackson, MC Hammer, A Night at the Roxbury, and everything in between. I took out the camera for one last shot… You can’t really tell, but the little guys were dancing as well. They were just kind of bumping their butts, it was really funny.