Christmas Crackers

The two Peace Corps Response Volunteers that stay in Mongu and are both good friends came by for a day of hanging out, enjoying some mild libation, eating a 'light' brunch of homemade pancakes and eggs, followed almost six hours later by one of my more of my memorable culinary performances:

1. Mongu [Super] Rice (of course)
2. Stir-fried tomatoes, garlic, green peppers, mushrooms, sesame seeds, millet, and lightly crushed groundnuts
3. Cowpeas, bambara nuts, and harricot beans 
4. Local squash with sauteed onions / garlic ... baked grilled
5. Shin steak
6. Plaaswoers (Afrikaans for "farmer sausage", I guess)
7. Beer can chicken

It was epic, tasty, and yet simple enough not to overwhelm the our shared bond of loneliness, of separation from kith and kin. 

The two Christmas traditions we followed:

1. Christmas Crackers - Totally British, but now I know where originated all the paper crowns depicted in English Christmas films. 
2. Prayer. As one of the PCRV's said ... it'd be a sin not to pray in front of all this food. 

To all my friends ... it's been a bumpy year, but you take the good with the bad, and the former usually outweighs the latter. 

I'm still doing what I do best, though not very well;

I still am learning more from the farmers than they teach me; 

Never take what little / excess you have for granted;

I miss you all so much;

And the best is yet to come;

Take care, Happy Holidays, and Godspeed in 2013

Danny & Carl