Hi folk, this is a first.
I had not planned to post this week, I was going to take the easy option with my excuse being that it's half term. Pathetic excuse though, as it's not as if my 17 and 15 year old are babies, they very much do their own thing. I just stay at home out of habit with them, while they ignore me and wonder 'why is this woman at home, hugging the remote control?'
Sorry to digress but while on the subject of 'hugging' why do our people love the rude phrase 'go and hug a transformer' when 'cussing' people out?
Anyway as I try to hold on to the last of my youth by engaging in up-to-date-hippy banter with my girls,
they are hardly ever impressed though, as keeping up with the youth today is another matter entirely you see they use all their own slangs. When I share a joke with them which I feel is really funny, they roll their eyes and refer to it as "fish n chip" banter!! (That's their slang for 'substandard'). I've just asked them what word would they use to qualify my good banter though, they replied 'mummy you've never cracked good banter, we'll let you know when you do'
My feelings are rather hurt as I've always thought of myself having a GSOH (good sense of humour). And I think back to a late night chat I had with a witty 'aburo' (younger one!) last week as the usual trend conversation starts off all sensible and above board and then somehow the tone is lowered and we get all giggly and hysterical over our chat. I don't know what led to this chat about our Naija food, okra, ewedu and apon and why for the life of us we refer to such as 'draw soup' and how obviously the word 'draw soup' is a Naija coined termed as not in a single dictionary uses the word 'draw' to describe the consistency of a soup!! And we took it further by imagining what would happen if we visited a top notch Jamie Oliver or the foul mouthed Gordon Ramsey English restaurant and made a request for 'draw soup'. And the perplexed response we could expect like 'you want what?? Draw soup? Sorry hun, this is a restaurant think you got the wrong place this is not an art gallery and you can't make any 'drawings' of soup here'
Oh dear, I've just checked and some poor soul has actually made a rather unimpressive attempt to define 'draw soup' on Wikipedia and I quote:
"Draw soup is a soup popular in the southeastern region of Nigeria. It is made, typically, from okra or pumpkin seeds. It gets its name from the thick nature of the broth as it 'draws' out of the bowl when eaten with a spoon, or more typically, when eaten by dipping a small piece of pounded yam into it. This is a popular dish especially with ground rice"
The problem I have with this definition is they do not actually explain what 'draw' is so only my people would understand what they mean, so could any of the 'cookers' in the building help us out here?
And in other breaking news 'my sister from another mother' Mummy Dun, celebrated a landmark birthday on Sunday, she invited a number of us (sorry I'll amend that, she invited a HUGE NUMBER OF US) to her thanksgiving service followed by a meal at a Chinese restaurant, I ate myself into stupor!! So much for my previously insisting Naija food is the only way forward as those eat-as-much-as-you-like buffet, no get part 2 if you visit a good one, you know?
We were spoilt for choice. In my head I was doing 'enny meeny miny mo' before selecting next dish, there is an 'art' to eating such meals you see, the secret is not to fill up on too much fluids and to pace yourself. My only regret was the high heels I wore, as they made navigation around the food stations somewhat difficult. I did have an old pair of well worn flat boots in car but sis-in-law and brother made it clear if I attempted to put them on they would not sit with me!
I thought I was done and could eat no more, until I noticed the sweetie station filled with every type of sweet one could imagine, jelly babies, smarties, jelly beans, pear drops, bon-bons, toffee to mention a few, though accompanied with a large notice "These sweets are to be eaten in restaurant and are not for takeaway' (they must have known my people were in the building!)
I sat back at the table, my brain in overdrive, I need a visit to sweet station but these shoes are a killer, I enquire from my cousin SOJ, where was the youngest person in the vicinity, so I could send them to get the sweets for me, she points out to me I should stop being a 'random' Aunty!!! (you need to read my post Because I'm your mother that's why! to appreciate the subtle insult she has just thrown my way!!!). Anyway she's really nice and rather than have me bully her daughter 'Big Sis J' into getting the sweets for me she actually goes to get them herself.
Bless your cotton socks 'cousin' Xxxx
Thanks 'Sis from another mother' for such a nice day.
On that note guys have a great week.
10 comments:
Ola, what did you expect. You will never be able to keep up with these youngsters and to say it as it is, they don't really want you acting their age or trying to fit in. Mummy! LOL
Every time you write about food, its like I'm making a defense where no offense has been committed. I so much love food(Naija or Chinese or Brazilian or Indian), that it is robbing off on my kids. I could remember in the days of chinese buffet, the waiters were always asking when my son & I would be leaving (obviously you know the meaning of that). I will tell you a little boring story (not funny at all). I always wake up in the night to eat proper naija food when my household have gone to bed as I have never been contented with the non-naija food eaten in my house (I always call them medenmeden). But I have never complained, rather I crawl downstairs into the kitchen late in the night & fix myself up. On one occasion, I did not realize my son (14yrs old then) was behind me, he became my partner in crime. Within weeks we graduated into sneaking out to a naija restaurant for a quick take away of roasted fish & dodo. We would eat & finish it on our way back home, clean out mouths & sneaked back in unnoticed. That was fantastic until a day that my wife opened one of her mails & it was a parking ticket with the picture of my son & I eating the meal on the dash board of her car. You can guess the rest of the story. I can safely tell you that my son locked himself in his room & kept shouting "its daddy" and refused to answer any question from my wife until the coast became cleared.......Demola
Ola, I fully understand your plight. I always endeavour to fight my corner with my older offspring ; as I tend to act and become comical in the presence of her friends. In other words I pretend to understand their banter. The poor child closes her eyes and rebuke herself for allowing me to sit with her friends...lol. Our banter are different to theirs. They actually think our jokes are so not funny!!. Hence, I keep my jokes to myself now. By way of digression; I made some draw soup today...lol. Yemi ( Esther)
The best word to described draw soup would be sticky or slimey. Or when describing draw soup to an oyinbo person just make hand sign rotating fingers to mimic eating the food. And if they don't understand that's their problem.
I thought you only post on Fridays?
I emphatise with you.
Lately my neighbours 11yr old son has been telling me "you are just not down with the kids"
Apparently I need to not be ME to be down with the kids..
My several attempts at singing "CAMP ROCK" songs have equally been met with disdain!
Now "draw soup" is an interesting one. A bit like "swallow"
(Ngbati, ngbati relatives need no apply)
Wikipedia is all up in my kool-aid without knowing what flavour it is"
I'M SO DOWN WITH THE KIDS!!!
It is ok for some. They can afford to blog mid week and expect comments mid week, forgetting that some of us have to go to work. By the way, is another blog due this Jimoh, this Friday?
I suggest you refrain from making a spectacle of yourself in the presence of the children. Most times we are an embarassment to them. Their idea of fun is different from ours.
Never heard the phrase 'go and hug a transformer'. What on earth does this mean? Jo se alaye, meaning please explain.
The matter of draw soup, well explained, however I am not sure who in the southeastern part of Nigeria will eat draw soup with spoon, more like with their 'ika' meaning fingers.
I was shocked when a friend asked if I wanted to eat swallow. I thought she was mad and I asked what she meant by swallow. She then asked if I wanted to eat eba, iyan or Amala. I reminded my friend that I am omo Eko, that where I come from we do not eat 'swallow' but swallow what we eat.
We are allowed one or two sweets, not a handful. Not for family but individual consumption.
Deaconness
Alhaja Risi, sorry u dont av good banta with d girls. For ribs cracking bantas in town, contact mummydun@tottenham.com (lol)
As for the buffet, I didnt see or tasted all d good food but lucky girl got a free ticket for two cos d manager said he observed that i wasnt eating. I will share my experience with u soonest.
Lastly, its good to be unique in party planning. Stop looking for draw soup, iyan, efo riro and eba all the time. We live in a western world and when u r in Rome, u behave like a Roman. I am happy u enjoyed yourself on Sunday. Thanks a bunch.
Slimy soup is the best way to describe draw soup FTA
Nice post! All-you-can-eat buffets are a bonanza for hungry, frugal diners and an ordeal for dieters or healthy lifestyle seekers. Even if one is in great shape and willing to follow strict diet rules, it’s hard to resist a nice full buffet.
What I do is to take a seat as far away as l can from the food station. The more distance there is between me and the food station, the less likely I am to get up for seconds, or crave more. If it’s not possible to avoid more food, I try to station myself closer to the salad bar than the dessert bar, as I figure I might consume more of whatever is conveniently within my reach. Nearness in space and time has a great influence on estimated and actual consumption.
So Sister with this your new experience, I am beginning to think you longer feel Naija food is the only way forward. Glad you wore those uncomfortable heels which made navigation around the food stations difficult, otherwise you might have gone overboard with the plates. And please do not join the league of the “randoms”.
For the benefit of Deaconess and others "Go hug a transformer" or "Go hug a wet transformer" is a common street slang in Nigeria which literally means a person should get lost but could be right deadly if a person actually goes ahead to hug a transformer with a high tension electrical cable.
Perhaps it could also mean that the slang is country-specific so that it might be harmless to hug a transformer in Nigeria since the electricity supply in Nigeria is comatose.
Food food food why Risi you dey waka all this waka you nor dey call me? You know me when e reach food no distance for me. I beg make you try for me next time.
Draw soup or any name you call am the important thing bi say na food so name nor matter to me. As for trying to banter with the young ones I nor dey try am o I know my place and na so them know their place becos if I start my pigin them too go lost so as water know him level so too oil if you know what I mean.
Put your feet up you deserve it. Nor let our girls show you off
MOE
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