Hey fatty bum bum
A woman is like a merino sheep:
her beauty is judged by her backside
– Sotho of Lesotho and South Africa
A couple of years ago we came across an article in the weekend paper. The South African journalist’s opening line was “we are a nation of fatty boom booms”. Priceless journalism.
It took me straight back to my childhood, to 70s London. My dad used to play the song by Jamaican reggae singer and percussionist, Carl Malcom in his old Ford Escort. And he would sing along. We all knew the words.
“Hey fatty bum bum,
Sweet sugar dumpling”
Do you remember this song?
South Africa is not far behind (no pun intended) USA and UK when it comes to so called obesity figures. And its not surprising! Here’s part of the problem; the country is too dam delicious; Delectable Western Cape cheeses, mouth watering Malva Puddings, spicy Bunny Chows. Every day, off the scale deliciousness is right here. Hot, pastry pies filled with pepper steak or spinach and feta are tantalisingly tasty. Braais, a national institution, are lekker. And food is such a massive part of travelling. I didn’t know any of these flavours before coming to South Africa seventeen years ago.
Which foods have you discovered through travelling?
The Mother City could be called the food capital of the country. S.A does yum! Cape Town’s Test Kitchen in Woodstock, has been voted the Best Restaurant in Africa. And it’s not the only award winner. Recently Cape Town scooped up a string of awards at The Mercedes Benz Restaurant Awards. It’s all about the food.
This weekend the Mother City will host the first ever Dessert Expo at the Cape Town Stadium. Its goal is to celebrate the sweet stuff. Visitors will be able to indulge in decadent desserts and sweet sensations. Three days of wall to wall cup cakes, gelato, pastries and macarons.
And why not?!
I remember my initial surprise at people’s thinking about body size in Zambia. A colleague of ours was ‘plus plus’ sized. Within her first month in the country she had been asked out on numerous dates and received marriage proposals. Why? Because in the local culture, being fat was considered a sign of wealth and health.
Have you travelled somewhere or lived in a place where attitudes about body size were on the generous side?
In Kenya, it was quite similar. I did not come across the same expectation to be skinny. You could jiggle your Botticelli booty freely.
I recall a headline in the national newspaper ‘Big, beautiful and blessed’. ‘Plus sized’ women are celebrated in glossy magazines and fashion shows. The town of Kisumu hosts the ‘plus size fashion affair’, with a positive effort to honour beauty differently.
These days there are so many regimes and crazes when it comes to food. Some of that is fuelled by an agenda being pushed about how we should look. We have lived in too many places where so many people don’t have enough. So, forget the fads, ditch the detox and the diets. If you are lucky enough to enjoy delicious food, eat it!
Christmas is coming. The goose is getting fat. And so are we!
And so what!
The festive, holiday weeks ahead will, hopefully for most people, revolve around family, friends and food. It kicks off today with thanksgiving.
‘Hey, fatty bum bum,
A sweet sugar dumpling.
Hey, fatty bum bum,
Let me tell you something”.
Eat, drink and be merry.
Just enjoy!
Do you know of other places in the world where definitions of beauty are different?
©Maggie M/Mother City Time
Links
https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/mail-guardian/20180831/282153587151260
https://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/food-drink/restaurants/its-official-the-test-kitchen-is-the-best-restaurant-in-africa-
15569144http://www.eatout.co.za/article/winners-2018-eat-out-restaurant-awards/