Rat Soup and Beans

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Yuck.

Back at site and I will admit: seeing everyone in my family compound and people at the CSPS made me smile. They (the villagers who know me) seemed happy that I’m back – so that’s actually something that makes being here a little easier. I was greeted by smiles, surprise, questions and demands of gifts…okay – 3 out of 4 is a good start. I should reply with “I brought you back a smile! CHEESE!” That way, they might catch on that I’m not made out of money and I will rarely bring back gifts. && Speaking of money, I have realized that I spend way too much of it when I’m away from site. I need to start a daily budget for when I’m away.

• Breakfast: 500-550CFA
• Lunch: 550-800CFA
• Dinner: 1.000CFA

For a grand total of 2.050-2.350CFA and 16.450 per week I’m away. That seems a lot, and if I stay at it for a month, it’s 65.800CFA. That’s more than double what I spend while saving money. Point is I gotta watch what I spend when I’m not in ville. Write it down. So I can see how much money I’m spending, and on what!

On a side note (not so side after the title of the entry), rat is gross. I bike over to Agathe’s house and she’s preparing dinner for tonight as usual: onions, tomatoes, some kind of carb (rice, mac, tô or potatoes) and then I see what protein we’ll be consuming tonight. It looks a little funny at first; I can’t figure out if it’s part of a goat or if it’s chicken…Okay, fine – but then I look a little closer and I see this long tail. Wait… What? Then I examine it in a more detailed manner and identify it as a small mammal… better known as a rodent… oh no… that’s a rat. I promise you – it’s the biggest rat I have ever seen and then Agathe starts cutting up a second one. She leaves the feet, tail and skin attached… but, thoughtfully, she chunks the head and very tip of the tail – so gracious. I am trying to squirm my way out of being invited to dinner – but she beats me to the punch and tells me she’s preparing a soup tonight and I’m cordially invited. I’m obligated to RSVP on the spot…so I accept and she tells me ready at 19:30. Alright, I suppose I’ll be trying rat meat tonight. I did. I didn’t like it one bit. Maybe it was because I knew it was a rodent, but I could have sworn it tasted dirty. It was very soft, and the skin just didn’t sit well on my tongue. I will say the beans (black eyed peas…Burkinabe don’t realize there are other varieties of beans) she served were delicious, and the sauce that was the “soup” was tasty – just the meat… oh the meat.

Good news: I have mail at the post in Sapouy! This could be anything from Peace Corps “junk mail,” to a letter or a package from Americaland! YAY

Going to Sapouy tomorrow and then off to Ouaga and another village for Christmas… then home again.