Great photo essay over at Slate on the most complicated, disturbing, and lively intersection in New York City - 125th and Lex.
Whenever Momodou is in NYC and hears or sees any indication that someone might be a West African he immediately asks in mixed Wolof and English where he can get some palm oil.
From an acquaintance of mine, currently working in the region:
..[T]he Senegalese diet is one of the unhealthiest on the planet. By my estimation, the average family of eight consumes at least a liter of vegetable oil every two days. The staple of the majority of dishes is white rice drenched in vegetable oil. Small morsels of overcooked vegetables marinated in more oil mixed with Maggi or Jumbo — high-sodium, MSG-laden bouillon cubes intended to boost the flavor of the dishes – garnish the oily rice. If you want to improve the flavor, try something besides oily white rice and overcooked vegetable for a change! (Okay, I warned you at the beginning that I might have the occasional negative outburst.) Perhaps this explains why people are always asking me for medicine to cure their sicknesses – they spent their money on oil and Jumbo cubes. A liter of oil costs a little over $2 dollars, so this adds up to roughly $400 dollars per year per family, a very significant sum.Your friend is right. The Senegalese should really just go find some boot straps and start shopping at Whole Foods.
He thinks the Senegalese have mad bootstraps. Just poor spending/eating habits.
Reblog of Well, Hello...
