Monday, October 3, 2011

Culture shocks, food adventures, men's business and other things of note.



It has been a while since I last posted. Work has been crazy busy and with my WONDERFUL trip to South Africa. I'm out of the habit of writing- so it's time to get back into it.


So anyone who has read my earlier blogs will have heard about the magic concoction which is Tango Congo - The drink that claims to be the miracle cure for everything from hiccups to malaria. In fact it tickled me so much that I had it as a background on my PC.

Just before I left for SA one of the technicians came over to hook up my PC to one of the printers and saw the background. He asked where I bought it and I told him I got it from Peloustore and wasn't it amazing. He agreed and we had a good laugh over what I thought was something hilariously ridiculous......he wasn't.


I was later informed by my colleague that he had indeed gone to the store especially to buy this 'miracle cure', with all sincerity....O....M......G. Culture shock right there. That an educated, lovely guy believed in the claims enough to go out and spend his hard earned cash on a drink that tastes like this...




However, don't think I'm small minded about the food of other cultures in the last week I have tried Crocodile (very fatty) and chips, and went to dinner at one of the local girls who I work with house for dinner.


There I had my first chance of eating real homemade Congolese food. H and I went and picked up one of our other Congolese colleagues and drove out of the Gombe area (the South Ken of Kinshasa) out through Ma Compagne (like the Putney) and out to let Bidwan I think it was called. We were now in Kinshasa where the Kinois live. (However the colleague that we picked up was one of the head's of the Congolese police so wasn't worried at all and neither should you mum!)


Well Congolese traffic isn't great, as I'm sure you can imagine the state of the average Congolese car isn't great leading to numerous breakdowns and a huge amount of congestion as everyone tries to manouvre around said cars. At one point our colleague jumped out and started direction traffic himself, which was somewhat like if Rudolf Giuliani jumped out and started directing traffic in Brooklyn.

Eventually we made it to N's house and sat down for dinner, which consisted of:


Smoked fish - yummy

Poondu - the spinach like stuff - decent

Fu Fu - balls of flour you roll up and eat with your hand - bland but harmless

and


Grubs- I didn't know what they were and I decided not to ask until I had finished my plate. If only I was on I'm a celebrity get me out of here and I would have been paid a mint. But I sufficed with pleasing my host who had been kind enough to open her home and share her food with me - so clean plate it was.

Now, there is one beer in Congo which is the equivalent of the Yorkie chocolate bar - It's not for girls. In fact their strap line is Affaire D'Homme - (Man's Business. ) This of course intrigued me greatly, and like a small child told not to open the door- I asked for a Turbo King.


Watch the video to truely understand:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2f0-_tP9Q0

I was met with a reaction of amusement and horror, 'but I was a girl!' 'It's not for women!' 'You won't like it! That's insane! ' But my obliging host poured me a glass and watched in amazement at a woman drinking Turbo King.


One giant step for equality in the DRC. Result.

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