Monday, March 2, 2009

A Uniquely South African Slow Meal

A meal in South Africa is a more leisurely affair than an Italian is willing to endure. Dinner takes around 3 hours if you are fortunate to go somewhere with an efficient kitchen. Your waiter will refuse to let you order the main course until you've had several round of drinks. Only then they might take orders for appetizers. Try to force your way into ordering mains along with the starters and they will just shake their heads.

So when you have to work until 8 and wake up at 5 in the morning to go to terminal, it only makes sense to have a meal in. But first I had to replace my faulty phone in the room- too quiet to hear a thing and without a volume adjuster. After thirty minutes, I happily dial 17 but the woman insists on taking the order in my room. After half an hour, she comes and plunks her elbows down on my bed to take my order. And to make sure my meal is in length of the South African style, she brings my dessert in after in a third trip. I enjoyed it.

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