mmm, lodsi mena (red beans)

I had a piviotal moment in my Peace Corps experience the other day... put my beans in a pan, warmed the water and left them to soak. Upon return, I opened the lid, pulled one out with a spoon to taste, decided they were good to go... and then saw the cockroach in the pot. Hmm. My first thought - was it DOA, or did it die when I heated the water? Upon reflection I am not sure what difference that would have made, but at the time it seemed crucial to the moment. Next step was throwing the roach out, and draining the water. Only when I had added new water in and gone to light my stove did I think "Is it weird that I am not phased by the roachy bean situation? Is there some sort of disease I should be worried about? I mean, if nothing really kills those suckers I would assume it could be harboring a pleathora of germs that then soaked into my beans, just waiting to be ingested by an unsuspecting human..." I have to admit that I felt like a bit of a pansy when I threw the beans out and ate a can of tuna instead. It was Happy Tuna, but I was too ashamed of my food wasting to enjoy the smiling fish on the can. Next time...

Love from Madaland!

Bisous