I cannot believe I left my camera at home last night! We were invited to eat at some friend's home last night. We met them about a year ago and have seen them from time to time but have never been in their home. We arrived at a reasonable supper time around 7ish and were worried because we were a little late....
When we first arrived I went to take a quick potty break. After returning to the living room I found a very strange look on Matt's face. I knew something was up but had no idea what was in store for the evening. The woman of the house soon left the room and Matt said in a very low tone, "We are having pigeon for supper!" I whispered back, "What!? I can't eat pigeon!" Meredith was there with us and she repeated, "I can't eat pigeon!" He kindly instructed us that we WOULD be eating pigeon, that we WOULD NOT be making the faces that we were currently making and that we would smile about it! :)
I don't know why we were worried about arriving late... The husband arrived home from work at around 8:30 (which is really the regular Egyptian time for supper) and we sat down to eat. I should have saved all of my worrying for what I was about to eat! Our menu: Pigeon (one for each person), mashy (stuffed zucchini), mululhaya (slimey green soup), refrigerated green beans with onions, baboganooh (eggplant dip), bird's tongue soup (no, it is not really bird's tongue!) and flat bread.
Now to be sure I have consumed foods more disgusting than pigeon. To be honest, its not bad. It tastes like greasy chicken meat and mixed with rice and an assortment of other items is hardly recognizable in the pallet. What was over the line was when Matt ate the brain. Our host suggested that it was delicious and proceeded to show us how to remove the skull and extract the soft grey matter. Before we knew it Matt had popped one in and swallowed it down!!! At that point Meredith and I forgot all about the faces we were NOT supposed to be making!!!
After dinner they told us that we were having mangos for dessert. It is the favorite fruit here this time of year and is considered very special. BUT I REALLY don't like Mangos...so, for me choking down the mango was even more difficult than eating the pigeon!
All in all it was a very enjoyable, interesting, cultural learning, encouraging, and funny evening....I just wish I had had my camera!!!
Needless to say, upon our return home, Matt promptly brushed, flossed, and brushed again.:):):)
