Friday, April 17, 2015

So I was asked to cover the hard hitting, gut wrenching, emotionally challenging topics for this trip. I will start with the food. I think all of us had pretty low expectations for what we were going to be served while in a very rural part of a very poor town. Boy were we wrong. My main man Bowah (not sure how to spell most people's names here) is a magician in the kitchen. It's like everyday he is given the daunting task of creating a variety of masterpieces from very limited ingredients. Have you ever seen the Top Chef or the Iron Chef episodes where the contestants have to make filet mignon from rice crispies and mayo? Bowah and his bro Ben (always reppin the TCU horned frogs) would literally crush the competition. I can't even count on all my fingers and toes how many different meals we have had all made from either cabbage, peas, corn, rice, noodles, tuna, middle eastern sharp cheddar, beef of some sort?, and guinea fowl chicken. We have even had some authentic groundnut "peanut" stew and Fu Fu. The groundnut stew is a fantastical blend of peanut butter, chicken/guinea fowl, maybe some water, and sticky rice balls. The Fu Fu or Foo Foo (you pick your favorite spelling) is smashed up yams and a sauce/topping that you slather over the yams. To make the Fu Fu there are women crowded around a large metal bowl taking out their frustrations of having to deal with rival wives on these poor yams with what seems like a small tree trunk. Dr. Cohen tried to give a little 10 year old girl a run for her money smashing some yams but with a quick giggle and a grin, she showed us all how the pros do it. Anyways, to get to the point, we have been extremely blessed to have such hearty meals here at the guesthouse when many children are malnourished just outside the baptist medical center gates. It's tough here in Nalerigu and we are doing everything we can to make it a little easier for everyone we come in contact with.

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