There is at least one braai (br-eye)- barbeque- every week cuz it's summer and pools are quite common here in South Africa which is nice. But they don't understand the concept of veggie patties here.

"Why not?"
"Cuz we're South African."
As simple as that- welcome to the meat eating country of South Africa.

Last weekend, I went to a Christmas spit-braai. This naive Canadian soon learned that this means, they have the body of an entire lamb on a spit, turning around being cooked. This process begins at 9 in the morning. We arrive at 3 in the afternoon, it's still turning and half of it is gone. There is a huge wok where they are stir-frying marinated prawns. A friend's family owns a butchery and he supplied the rest of the meat. Chicken drumsticks, boervols (Afrikaans sausages), ribs, pork chops, the works.

By this time I'm feeling a bit woozy just seeing all this raw carcass parts (might be the alcohol as well. . .) My favourite food item at the party is fresh sushi that one of their friends is making on site. I made cookies for the event which throws me to the bottom of the popularity rung in the company of these avid meat eaters. I half-expect the head of the lamb to be displayed somewhere in the huge yard, maybe by the pool on a stake, reminiscent of Lord of the Flies. The conch on this scenario is in the form of any of the rampant booze in coolers, deadly shooters and the like.

People are thrown into the pool avec clothes, and they come out of the house in fresh new clothes every so often. I hide in the shadows uncertain of this cultural experience. "So are spit braais normal?" "You mean you don't have this in Canada? We don't have it all the time but it's common." (I heard about a party where they put an entire cow on the spit).The evening dragged on with people emptying their stomachs into toilets, lying in the middle of someone's bedroom passed out, taking final dunks into the pool with swimming trunks. I feel sick so I leave to sleep.

The next day after lunch, we come back. Most of the same people are still there, some had returned and there is still food on the grill- healthy signs of a weekend long braai. They eat hotdogs and drumsticks. We make Don Pedros- ice-cream milkshakes with Amarula (yummy South African Liquor that tastes like fruity Bailey's). And then we have congee for dinner.

Lot's more SA eating adventures to come in the new year but meanwhile. . .have a safe and happy festive seaon everybody!!!