Home » Benin » Le Petit Four, 16 Septembre, 2006

Since I asked to publish their journals (yes, I asked), both of my visitors left their notebook at home Friday morning, leaving two days completely blank. That is not acceptable in my writing, so while eating a late lunch/early supper at Le Petit Four, I asked a few questions to fill in the holes.

Le Petit Four, 16 Septembre, 2006

Erika Kraus
2006-10-07 13:45:31

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this question, then Greta…
Gpa: Why? Do you think I won’t know the answer?
Ebk: We’ll see. What’s the difference between la pate and yam pile?
Gpa: [With complete confidence] la pate is corn and yam pile is pounded yams.
Ebk: Okay. The second part of this question is for Greta, via Grandpa: what is la pate rouge?
Gpa: [Not the same look of confidence as before.] We’ve had it. Corn cooked a certain way, eaten with a sauce and a fork. Not eaten with your hands like yam pilé.

Ebk turns to Greta and immediately starts laughing seeing her older sister using both hands to clamp down the pending explosion of laughter.

Gpa: What, think she’ll [Greta] do better than that?

Ebk and Greta let loose their laughter.

Greta: Well, technically la pate and yam pile…
Gpa: Greta doesn’t get to answer the first part of the question! I answered correctly! She gets no credit for that part!
Greta: Oh sheesh. Alright. La pate rouge is boiled corn flour cooked in the drippings of the meat eaten in the same meal, such as rabbit or chicken.
Gpa: Yeah, she’s basically right.

Ebk: How did you find sodabe?
Gpa: I don’t know.
Greta: It’s alright if you like it. [Ebk] likes it, you can say you like it too!
Gpa: It’s like vodka, but I don’t feel really qualified to respond.
Greta: Strong [said with big eyes for emphasis]. Will remove naturally occurring mucus in throat and will clear sinus. [Has been seen to take paint of tables.]
Ebk: And palm wine?
Greta: Good.
Gpa: Yeah, it was good. I liked it. [Grandpa is a wine-o.]

Milkshakes and ice cream arrive. Greta eats her two scoops in relative peace, disturbed only by laughing at Grandpa and ebk trading pulls on the straws of the chocolate and coffee flavored milkshakes.

Ebk: What was the most disgusting part of this trip?
Greta: My food poisoning. That was ...