What in the World Is FuFu?

Our first week here has been chock-full of new experiences.

This was my first time taking a water-taxi, which some of us took to the wrong hotel. In some ways, Sierra Leone reminds me of Beirut (where I was this Spring) because the water is so close to the mountains, so you can see them at the same time. It also reminds me of Beirut because the driving is pretty crazy (one cab driver ran over a dog) but most of all because of the warmth and hospitality.

You're probably wondering what FuFu is, since I mentioned it at the end of the last post. FuFu is a popular food here which is similar to mashed potatoes and is made of cassava leaves among other things. Another popular and delicious dish is Yum Yum which is a loaf of bread with the center cut out which one can then fill with what he or she pleases, such as meat.

Before I left for Sierra Leone, my family made me some dishes described online as Sierra Leonian food (see picture): Chicken Stew with veggies and peanut butter sauce, avocado/lemon/peanut/cinnamon salad, fruit salad (mango, papaya, banana, pineapple), and Ginger Cakes (like shortbread but with crushed red-pepper and lots of ginger -- these have a kick!). Here's the recipe: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/African-Ginger-Cake-2155.

Since we've arrived, we've been in lots of meetings with some really interesting people including the Director of Economic Policy and Research Unit for the Ministry of Finance, the Director of Government Politics for Sierra Leone and Centralization Secretariat, and a Professor from Boston College (Dr. Joe Allie) who gave us a history lesson. We are also working with Catholic Relief Services and have had meetings at the US Embassy. Except for the meeting at the US embassy, things have tended to start about an hour late, which is another thing that reminds me of Lebanon (except with Arab time, it is two hours late!).

All of us Robertson Scholars stick out very prominently and are sometimes greeted as "Hey white man!" or "Hey little white girl!" Although some of us have gotten a hold of it faster, I'm still having trouble understanding Krio, which is like English but with missing letters (which were considered "unnecessary").

Most of the houses here are made of corrugated metal. When received as a guest, one is given food as well as a bowl of soapy water for their hands. Also, most of the electricity comes from generators. Again, the hospitality is so welcoming; our new friend and colleague Abu Bakar Juanna is one of the people gracious enough to have us to their home.

A few more fun moments: 1) A cab driver watching a Bob Marley video on a portable DVD player while driving, 2) a club called ACES that played the same seven decade-old pop songs on repeat, 3) when we ride in the Poda Poda (a small bus/van), nobody likes to sit next to me because it is pretty cramped inside and I take up a lot more space.

That's all for now -- today we leave for Bo for a couple of days and then go to the village in the Kilhaun district where we will spend the next 2.5 weeks!