Sunday is family day in many cultures, from Kansas to Senegal. We spent today with Paul’s family, or apparently a small portion of it. By my count, we were 17 humans, two dogs, six sheep and a dozen or so pigeons. The human count starts with Paul’s wonderful parents Mami and Papi and descends through several generations to the youngest, Seal at 15 months and Wesley at four.
We laughed and ate and laughed and ate. The main dish was kachoupa, a yummy mélange of fava, pinto, garbanzo and red beans, hominy, tomatoes and spices cooked with ham hocks. On the side, there was also fish, manioc and potatoes. The food kept us quiet only momentarily. Even with my limited French language skills, it was pretty clear that Paul’s family doesn’t let language become an obstacle to communication. They are equal opportunity teasers and flirts, and they are proficient in any language at any age.
If increasing the number of family members had proportionally increased the hospitality and fun, I fear my heart would have exploded.
Lovely!
ReplyDeletethe food sounds terrific
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