Redistribution in Ghana

February 27, 2010. Redistribution in Ghana
This time we’re talking about weight. I now weigh exactly what I did when I first married, but the distribution seems to be quite different. The waistline has definitely not gone back to that magic number of yore, and my new bra size appears to be 36 long. But people want to know the secret, and I am glad to share. I am pretty sure any of you could lose 35 pounds if you just gave up bread and dairy for a few months. We’re not talking here about wheat toast and a little yoghurt for breakfast. We’re talking about crusty French bread smothered in drippy cheese, or that good Italian bread soaked in olive oil just before the rich, creamy parmesan sauce appears on the pasta. Or scones with real butter. Or that second bowl of ice cream just before bed. I can do a version of mac and cheese here, but it involves powdered milk, wedges of Laughing Cow, and mustard from one of those little packets from the hot-dog stand in the US. It’s not the same. The other problem involves cooking for one with no refrigeration. I have lived alone and eaten very well for many years, some might say too well. But I could always make a great stew, or a ratatouille, and if I didn’t want to eat it for a week I could freeze the rest for later. Now, putting more than three ingredients in a single recipe makes too much for one meal, and there is no way to keep it safe. It’s also possible that one- or two-item dishes just don’t seem that appetizing, day after day and I now understand why Ghanaians do not eroticize their food the way we do at home. So give it a try, but this is probably just a temporary state of affairs. I like my new body, however, and really hope that when I get home and have access to all that good stuff I can hold the line at no more than 10 lbs. We’ll see.