Monday, March 13, 2017

Eating with my hands

You may not know this but I often eat with my hands. You are always taught not to eat with your hands but there are many types of food here that if you try to eat it with a fork you get mocked for being a white person who knows nothing. I have started to learn the art of eating with your hands. It is often things with the form of foofoo, that corn flower jello type stuff. When that stuff is fresh it burns but you’re not allowed to show that you are in so much pain. And when you eat you better finish it all. However, this week I had some amazing dishes that you eat with your hands. I had
igname pilé pictures below, that stuff is amazing. I don’t really know what it is but it’s made by two mamas that smash it with big sticks in a wooden basin. It’s really crazy, but so good. I also had some junguly which is like flower beans, spices and all sorts of other good stuff mixed together, picture also below if the internet connection will allow me to send it.
This week was good, we took some time to see the converts of Elder Raveneau because he is leaving soon and it reminded me that I have some converts too so this last Sunday I called them up and wow it’s so great to hear how my converts are progressing in the church. Mama Na___ and her daughter are doing great. It was so great to talk to them and joke with them in Fon because I’m learning more and more every day.

I’m glad many people were interested in all that voodoo stuff I talked about last week and it really is crazy to see the things I see. I have begun to realize the things I see that are just normal weren’t like that at the beginning but you know it just shows human nature how when you see something weird so many times it just becomes normal.

I do want to finish this email but there is some dude right behind me watching everything I write and it’s making me super uncomfortable he is literally right there asking me all these questions. It’s good he doesn’t speak English or he would understand all this but I’ll just send it anyway.

Me eating igname pilé
A plate of junguly
My first booumba - tailored to fit me
A caged monkey we pass every day
The tree stumps I talked about last week