GUESS WHAT I JUST ATE?

Date: Monday, 10 December 2007

More yams you say? Nope.
Perhaps some fish? Well, no.
Okay, surely it's rice? I'm afraid not.
An apple? No.
Spaghetti? Nah.
(I'm tempted to go on for a while, but I won't)

BEEF PATTIES AND FRENCH FRIES. I ATE THEM. At home! I came home at about 7pm tonight, exhausted out of my brains, thinking to myself, "wow, I really don't know if I can stomach anything tonight, too tired to be tolerant of all foods."

Imagine my delight when I get called out for dinner, tread apprehensively to the little table set up on the veranda for me, and see what I can only assume was a miracle sent to me from the heavens. I thought I was dreaming. BEEF? POTATOES? NOT YAMS? NOT CANNED FISH? NOT? And then Clara casually comes along with a bottle of Heinz sauce, and like it ain't no thang, just asks, "You want ketchup?"

I believe that at that point, tears started to well up in my eyes. UM YES I WANT KETCHUP. I was so happy. While I was eating, I thought I should perhaps take a picture to capture this truly extraordinary moment, but unfortunately, as soon as I laid my eyes on this glorious meal, its existence in the realm of uneaten foods was abruptly terminated. I don't think I've ever eaten so fast in my life.

WOW BEEF. And not with strange bones and slabs of lard hanging off its weird pinkness. Patties. Beautiful, amazing, wonderful patties.

I just had to share.

Another food/beverage-related moment this morning that I found very amusing:

Okay so several of us were sitting by the roadside, waiting to get into the car to head out to the villages for the day. It's 6.30 in the morning and I'm tired and cranky and thinking how I would actually sell my soul for a good coffee. So a little while later, this fellow passes by, carrying two large stainless steel thermoses (thermii? What's the plural of thermos - anyone?), a small tin of Nescafe, a box of sugar, and a plastic container which had a plastic cup and a small shot glass in it. I watched him curiously as he headed towards the driver of the car. They exchanged words quietly. So then the man gets the shot glass, puts some Nescafe in, some sugar, hot water from the thermos, and then engages in a riveting exercise whereby he transferred the coffee from one cup to another. He was extremely graceful, pouring this black gold from quite high up, into the other cup. He did it about 10 times, and then, lo and behold, there was froth on top! He then proceeded to hand the shot glass to the driver, who drank it happily while he waited for him to finish. Once he was done, he gave the glass back, the guy washed it with some water, and he was on his way.

............

He saw me watching and then raised his eyebrows at me and smiled inquisitively. Deep down in my heart, I really wanted one but the recycling of the glass put me off slightly. Unfortunately, I'm still a hygiene freak. But WOW, the whole phenomenon was like the offspring of drinking your coffee in a cafe and having it to go. The best of both worlds, I believe.