Once a year, we pass that spot around the sun which commemorates the day that we came into this world... bloody, screaming and crying.  I used to feel it was nothing special, but as I grow older I've started to feel that perhaps ritual and commemoration are not things to be taken lightly.  

Perhaps I should spend this day screaming and crying? 🐒🐒🐒

I don't make plans because I don't know what I'll feel like doing when I wake up.  I really hate planning something only to wake up not in the mood at all. Even on a regular day, I usually have 2 possible plans and let myself or the people I’m with I choose between them depending on our moods, at least when it’s possible to do so. 

There isn’t much that I can think to do during a special day unless there is a concert or some kind of special event being held on that day and I don’t really like having a ton of noise and I no longer drink alcohol. 

The plan was original to go to the beach.  The weather was crap though, so I'm glad I had kept an open mind.

Usually on special occasions, I spend the day with my partner unless friends were planning a get together anyway. The two of us went out to our favorite nearby cafe and had some raw tuna with avocado.  The latte was weak as it tends to be in Japan (there is a little more water than there should be and more milk, and so we went home and she made me a better latte with tons of coffee beans.  

We took it easy for a few hours and planned to go to a kind of “world music live house cafe” that is like a total blend of cultures. It’s about 4 stations away from us. The streets were way more quiet than they had been this past month. 

There was a performance going on but it was about to finish so we opted for another spot. I always want to know more about the world and seeking new food.  Due to all the cool Africans I've met here, African food and culture is always high on my list, it's also the hardest to come across, so I always make an extra effort for it. 

![FB6198BB-FEFC-4C4B-82C0-35A3E5C3D308.jpeg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmPkpXABYYD9vm1QS9iEeJ5d397MgnhUQ32KZsKmSDhfoR/FB6198BB-FEFC-4C4B-82C0-35A3E5C3D308.jpeg)

![80787362-237E-4A10-86DC-BDB5E9C344D3.jpeg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmZg4YUvXTYvQhmzysBzzV7mQBJUHMkxVxLJGMPKXrUpzL/80787362-237E-4A10-86DC-BDB5E9C344D3.jpeg)

I knew there was an African restaurant in that neighborhood and had been meaning to go. It wasn’t run by an African anymore, apparently the couple had a divorce and the Nigerian husband was no longer there. 

Though she was married to a Nigerian man, she had travelled to Senegal over 20 times and had friends from Kenya and elsewhere and so her menu was about half Senegalese and half random dishes from around Africa. 

We had a coconut chicken dish which is supposed to be from Kenya. I am not sure how authentic it was but the beans were delicious, my favorite part. The other dish was Nigerian lamb with egg soup. Is it authentic?

![6C1D5E39-9F19-4DC1-AEEA-0D10616B4427.jpeg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmYRdcgpG8aVoWVhE5o2Lgauj1qB1HHR7zYHcQKPs3jCvd/6C1D5E39-9F19-4DC1-AEEA-0D10616B4427.jpeg)

![43D37675-501E-4A64-B41E-62560458383A.jpeg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmbm2FdRvKhJ56H1cQTEZxr6sBBVKNRPn9FjrG5JiSfHev/43D37675-501E-4A64-B41E-62560458383A.jpeg)

The starchy stuff was the hardest for me to get used to.  There were two different kinds.  I guess all these years in Asia have gotten me used to rice or noodles.  It wasn't bad but I can't eat that much of it.

We had some chamomile juice with spices and baobab juice...no idea where those were from, maybe Senegal. 

I’ve heard that in a lot of countries, eating foreign food is really fancy and expensive, and many places locals just eat to be full. (Just from what other people tell me, I have no idea!)  I get it though.  If it’s overpriced, forget it!  I’m lucky enough to always live in places where eating outside is not much more expensive than eating at home, and eating foreign food is almost the same price as local food.  Which is to say, pretty expensive, but if you are spending nearly that much for vegetables and meat to cook, you might as well go out sometimes. 

I did feel a bit weak like a spoiled American though. She brought us some water in a tin to wash our hands because apparently we are supposed to eat with our hands. I’ve only experienced that at Bangladeshi restaurants, and it threw me off guard because I am not used to that. 

Speaking of Bangladeshi restaurants, I have the coolest Japanese friends who like Bangladeshi food. Japanese usually consider all kinds of habits that are normal in other countries dirty, and while they don’t look down on other cultures they are ultra hesitant to participate in many things, such as eating with hands. Two of my best Japanese friends love always eat rice and curry with their hands if the restaurant is run by Bangladeshi or Indian people, even if no one else is doing it. 

I feel like a sheltered child in this respect, I don’t feel comfortable eating with my hands unless it’s bread. I can use my hands to eat Indian Nan or Ethiopian Injeri, or a burger or sandwich but that’s about it. Dry is ok. I don’t like to get my hands wet with food. Even chicken wings in America which people eat with their hands, I usually use a fork. Sorry guys 😆. If I go to the a place where everyone is using their hands I promise I will try!

I want to be someone who can jump in and out of different cultures and do as the locals do. I don’t want to be held back by discomfort and old habits.  I suppose there are some situations and foods which I will allow myself to take a pass (fresh lambs blood or insects maybe), but for the most part, I'd like to get used to lots of different things.

I wonder how my African friends feel about this place and spending my birthday in this way?  Is it silly? Is it cool?  Be honest ;-)  How does the food look?  Also, do you know if other nearby countries food resembles the food you eat at home?

For me it's always fun to touch a part of the world I've never touched.  Of course it would have been nicer if her ex-husband was there to talk to.  In the end though, people are people, and I enjoyed listening to her stories and the atmosphere of her shop, whether it was authentic or her unique style.









![23B13E74-CAC5-4373-82F5-376988272001.jpeg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmT9BxaKoFSrG2nvaGvrdZA15m5LhhQWCHXMtSPz2YRZM3/23B13E74-CAC5-4373-82F5-376988272001.jpeg)


It was a good day. 

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I’ve started a Youtube channel too. If I can monetize it, I’ll put those earnings into Hive!  A thumbs up and follow would be of great help, and if you like this post, you’ll surely like what I share there:


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