Sara Goes to Africa: The African Life

Up until now, the women who have been cooking our meals, Margaret and Margaret, have stuck with more American fare; pizza, enchiladas, hamburgers, quiche, stews, etc. Those who know me well know that I am not an adventurous eater but I was very intrigued to try the traditional African cuisine. The other day, the Margarets prepared a lovely African lunch for us. We feasted on fou fou, njama jama, beef (not for this vegetarian!) and bananas. The fou fou is a cornmeal mush that is cooked and served in a plastic bag. The Cameroonians use it as a way to pick up other items on their plate. The njama jama is cooked spinach. Both were very good, especially with the homemade tomato sauce that was made and served along side

Fou Fou

Njama jama

Yum!

Earlier in the week, Liz, Hannah, Jane, and I had all been measured for African dresses by an amazing seamstress named Bertha. She is the wife of one of the surgery residents at the hospital. We were surprised to receive a call just 48 hours later saying that she had finished all four of them! Words can’t describe how beautiful and intricate they are. Each dress (actually skirt and top) fit each of us perfectly, even Jane. Bertha chose fabric for us based on colors we told her we liked and she created what she thought would look best. She is truly a talented woman who we were blessed to come across. Below is us trying on the dresses to make sure they fit. I’ll post more pictures on Sunday when we wear them to church.