blood sausage, liver, skin, oh my!

Erin Chew

Last night we went to a Festa at the nearby imperio. Piles of bread were scattered about the long tables that lined the street. What looked like white Christmas lights hung over the street and children raced around their parents. What seemed to be about 100 or so local Portuguese men and women squeezed together and gestured for us to join them. After clumsily making our way through the crowded eating area, 9 of us Americans found seats for our first festa. As wine and bread was passed we made new friends by attempting to play charades with the few words of Portuguese we know I couldn't help but notice the the beautiful architecture of the imperio which is apparently the oldest one on this island, built in the 1600s. The white crown rests on elegant red cloth. Deep bubbling laughs and humorous conversations were shared between both family and strangers. The first dish was a bread soup-its exactly as it sounds: huge chunks of sweet bread in a strong salty cabbage soup. After the first course, a huge platter of what seemed to be every part of a cow and pig was brought for us to dig in. Literally. While I refused to eat the solidified cow blood, Fei Fei was the only one brave enough to try liver and blood...at the same time. Though I am proud to say that I got Vanessa, who only eats chicken, to try beef. Since my family is from Malaysia and they eat anything and everything of every animal that exists, I was used to seeing abnormal meat on dishes. However, I still refused the opportunity to eat blood. We were then brought yet another beef dish called Alcatra. Now at this point, I'm pretty sure there was no room for me to physically eat another bite of anything. But as always, I somehow had room for dessert: a sweet lemon sticky rice platter. I am so impressed by the sense of community in the islands and the way in which the locals bond and share lives over bread and wine. I forgot to mention that all of the food provided is financed by donations only. Its so encouraging to see the church community pulling together to provide so much food for locals, guests, and tourists like us! While I initially came to the islands to focus on my hospital internship and gain new medical perspectives, I realized that I will leave this island with so many culturally enriching experiences that I have been so blessed to participate in.