The Art of Eating

I have highlighted food throughout my blog from the very beginning of my tour here, partly because, at the beginning people were showing an interest in what I was eating, or not eating, (I hope they are still interested because it has been a staple subject in the inventory all this time – if you’re not can you let me know because I’m not wasting my time thinking of interesting things to say if nobody is interested !). I’ve also included it because I’ve found it both interesting and frustrating sometimes – not just the food but the customs and the myths surrounding this part of the world (I have only seen sheep’s eyes once since I have been here and they were still in the sheep’s head – it’d been cooked but I didn’t see anyone rushing to dig them out with a fork……)

Nobody has shown any interest in me eating just with one hand or another (they are very keen on washing hands before a meal –which is nice) or just using my fingers. They use cutlery as well as their hands, in fact some of them would use a shovel if they thought they could get it in quicker.

There is a sort of ritual though about any meal, well, more a sense of reverence I guess – they take eating very seriously. Whether they are sitting down alone……..

Note the way everything is laid out, the numerous different sorts of bits and pieces, the glasses for tea, with two inches of sugar in the bottom waiting for two inches of tea (which they make directly in the kettle – note the teabag strings hanging out of the top of the kettle in the background). You will also note that Haydar has settled down for his lunch (a takeaway that he has collected from somewhere on the way to work – he’s on the afternoon shift), he’s undone his belt and unbuttoned his trousers, and he’s feeling no pain ! You won’t shift him until he’s finished and he’s enjoyed every last morsel. You can’t see the huge plate of watermelon and other melon (left over from yesterdays feast) in the fridge which they will tuck into as a desert.

Or sitting down for some kind of celebration or formal occasion……

I showed you this picture yesterday but didn’t really tell you anything about the food. Whenever we have these things, and I have probably been to at least 4 since I got here, there is enough food to fed twice as many people. That’s a cultural thing I’m told – that they want you to eat as much as you can to show their hospitality. They don’t seem in the least bit offended if you don’t eat a whole roast chicken for lunch (as I have been presented with on more than one occasion……) just as long as you eat your fill. The leftovers then go down the chain of command, to the other workers and guards, and the drivers, then finally to the odd job boys who are there to clear up afterwards. They must have eaten well yesterday !

We had a huge local fish yesterday – called a Saburra, cooked flat in a clay oven, which is ridiculously expensive due to the population being in decline (for once nothing to do with us and our constant quest for more oil – I looked it up on the internet because I wasn’t paying attention when they were telling me !). There were 7 or 8 of these down the table, there were about 20 roast chickens, piles of my favourite flat bread, huge platefuls of rice with meat, fruit and nuts, plates of humus, yogurt, pickles, cucumber and other salad stuff. There were bowls of spicy mutton and potato soup all over the table (I would have been happy with just one of those and a flat bread, it’s scrummy !) and then falling off the table were bottles of water, cartons of juice and cans of fizzy drink. In another room was taken tea and fruit (apples, grapes, oranges, and piles of melon), I think simply because they hadn’t got room for them where we were eating.

The upshot was, that very little work was done that afternoon and when I finally got so frustrated that I went back over to site to get something useful done, the third wave were in, to hoover up the remains and fill bags to take home. I guess that’s something at least – very little will go to waste from a meal like that. The fridge is stocked with fruit and bread and the freezer full of drinks (they don’t freeze anyway as they never get cold enough in this weather !). People are telling me that they don’t have that sort of celebration at home ever, although it has to be said that they are happy to tuck in when they get the chance !

Let’s not forget that all this is taking place in a building site office in the middle of the dessert !

Today’s inventory:

2 cigars – OK, I confess that they are three times the size of the ones I have been smoking up to now (which are half as big as the ones I smoke at home – I hope you’re keeping up……….)

0 units and $0 dollars – They (my Iraqi site staff) wouldn’t let me give them any money for the emergency pack they brought for me – apparently it came out of the meals allowance they get. I suspect there has been some kind of bartering going on with the people that provide the meals for us…… you won’t find me arguing !

Gym – nothing again today except about 2 miles of walking in 55deg heat which I suspect is enough in the weight loss stakes !

Food – I think I have said enough about food today !

Countdown – This time next week I will be in Dubai, wondering why I am drunk on two glasses of wine I suspect, but we will see !

7 sleeps to Dubai and 1 more to home.