Do Drink the Water...But Careful of the Curry!

The first two posts on this blog tackled some pretty serious material. My hope is that I can share both the important information from experiences, as well as the more lighthearted side of my time here. With that said I'm diving belly-flop style into the latter!
For as long as I can remember I have been blessed with what some might call a "stomach of steel". I can eat just about anything someone can dish up, including the ultra hot, super sour, and utterly weird...enjoying every second I might add! Some of the best foods I've eaten have come from street carts and sidewalk stands. From the best tacos (a street cart in Cabo San Lucas) to the best Pad Thai (a night market in Bangkok) I've found international dining to be an utmost enjoyable experience...that was until last month. Now, I will preface this by saying that 95% of what I've eaten here has been great, downright delicious, but that still leaves 5%, 5% accompanied by a whole lotta prayers.:) One of my favorite TV shows is Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations on the Travel Channel. If you're not familiar with the show, it follows rebel chef Tony Bourdain as he travels the world downing all that the locals dine on. He respects the food, whether sheep's stomach or sea urchin, to him it is what real food is all about. During his trip to Namibia, however, he got sick, real sick! After sharing a meal of wild boar's colon with the San Tribe, he went down hard, to the tune of an hospital visit (Antibiotic IV included). With that in mind I've cautiously tried every dish given to me, always inquiring before tasting, but always tasting. Some of the bizarre foods I've tried the last few months include cow's stomach, sheep intestines, cow's nose(with steamed bread of course), curries, curries, and more curries! Unfortunately, I have had a few days of agony because I forbid myself to sit on the sidelines during mealtime. My famous "stomach of steel" has been humbled to a "stomach of thin aluminum" at best. I know all too well that goat, crocodile, and any of the various antelope are heading my way soon enough. Like Bourdan, I feel this food should be respected. I'm sure I'll never include cow's nose on my list of top favorites, but by sharing in something so important as a traditional dish with others, one becomes immediately connected to them. I'm sure they'll feel that same connection when I break out some Polish recipes around Christmas time. Few things are as culturally personal as eating. I don't mean grabbing a burger from Mickey D's on the way home, I mean COOKING A MEAL, SITTING DOWN, and SHARING IT WITH LOVED ONES. America is addicted to convenience food, myself included. Something I'm learning here is that tradition trumps convenience, always. Upon my return to the states, I won't be giving up the occasional chili cheese burrito, but I will have a better appreciation for sharing a home cooked meal. I've spent one night a week at our parish pastor's house helping his wife, Ma Shozi, cook dinner. It usually consists of a curry of some sort, rice or maize meal, spinach, and squash. Simple, well made dishes that stick to your soul and leave more than your stomach filled. I may get the occasional bout of "King Shaka's Revenge" (Montezuma never ate Zulu cuisine) but I'll take it, because it is worth the sacrifice to share in another culture. As the saying goes, "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger". So, with my Tums, Imodium, and Cipro in hand, could you please pass the sheep intestines:)