We had been invited for meals here at people's houses so many times, that we had almost forgotten what it was like to invite people over for dinner in our Sudanese home. So, last night it was high time for us to ask some of the colleagues over and prepare some nice food for them. Here in Kosti, it is always a challenge to find all ingredients you have in mind, but luckily we still had some products that we had brought with us from Holland and Zambia. After having spend roughly 2 hours in the kitchen, we were happy to conclude that it had been worth it; it looked yummy! While we welcomed our guests, we realized that it must be quite an interesting experience for them. Instead of eating with their hands from one big dish on the floor or low table, they now saw a dinner table with candle light, napkins, individual plates, spoons, knifes and forks! Culture shocks indeed cut both ways! As soon as all the dishes were placed on the table, there was a short moment of hesitation: hands or forks?
"In our country, people also like to eat chicken with their hands, so please feel free to eat however you like!", Frank said, when he saw the hesitation and the bungling with the forks and knifes. That broke the ice and everyone dug in. It turned out a very nice and tasty evening, with a lot of busy hands and forks!
