Don't Ask....Don't Tell....

Me having some fun in the Peace Corps Office during down time.

A big part of the Peace Corps experience is getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things. Things like no running water, constant hot weather, low level of living, being poor and trying new foods. Usually when it comes to the topic of food here you don't ask what it is unless you want to know the honest truth, which usually isn't good. Its easier to just eat the food given to you and not ask what it is, so this code of conduct i have been following. My host family is VERY good about explaining all of the fruits and vegetables here, because most of them i have never heard of before. But when it comes to meat, we eat alot of chicken around here, and that's pretty easily identified, so there is no need to worry. And then they present another meat that is NOT easily identified. Do you ask what it is? Follow the code of conduct? Eat it and wish you didn't later?

All valid questions, questions that were running thru my head today as we had a meal of noodles and what looked like fajita beef strips. It looked really good, but i wasn't gonna ask if it was beef so i grabbed my helping of food and sat down with my family. We were chomping along and my youngest sister Iffy says, "daddy is this beef or goat," as i am putting the last bite in my mouth. At this point I'm thinking "you have GOT to be flippin kidding me," but no sooner my host dad says "yes Iffy, i slaughtered the goat this morning." YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THE GOAT OUT BACK THAT WAKES ME UP EVERY MORNING?!?! The same goat that the family made me pet as i arrived? Talk about traumatizing experience. Not only am i not gonna get to pet the goat every day as i walk downstairs, now I'm eating him for dinner. I felt as if i was now destined for hell after eating the so called "family pet," until i realized something.

This one goat is a delicacy to this family. My host mom and dad saved many months of salary to buy this goat, to nourish him with food so that one day, when its special enough, they can share their hard work with others. They shared that hard work with me. They knew for many months that soon enough they would get to share that hard work with someone special. So that i can then continue to save up my life skills to one day use them on something special. I'm here to do something special, to give that goat to someone special. I'm here to decide where i can help, and find people that want to be worth something. So that one day...i can help someone get their own goat.