Fried Pork

It´s the Easter Season and along with the religious aspects of this time of year, there is also a culinary component to it. In Paraguay the traditional fare is Chipa, a manioc and cheese bread formed into the shape of a ring. Depending on how religious you are, BBQs are also quite popular. By the extent of your religious inclination, I mean that those who are firm Catholics in this country do not eat any meat during the Holy Days. Even more conservatives don't eat any meat throughout the entire Lenten season (!). Regardless of your spirituality, Easter is a 4-day holiday filled with time for family, friends and… food.

On shift at the hospital I hear a car pulling up to the front, meaning that we are receiving a patient for First Aid Care. A large man gets out of the vehicle and I patiently wait for him to make his way into the foyer. All the while he is soothingly stroking his protruding belly in circular motion. He waddles to a stop in front of me and groans. I smile inwardly, already guessing at the reason for his being here.

"Good afternoon, Sir. How can I help you?" I ask.

"Ugh… I have awful colic," he groans as he winces in pain.

Shrewdly I ask him, "What did you eat?"

With his head down in apparent shame, he hesitantly raises only his eyelids and answers, "Fried pork."

I can´t help but smile, finding the situation quite hilarious.

"FRIED Pork, Sir?"

He nods.

I give him a look of compassion and have him follow me in to our examining room.

After the doctor has come in, checked him, and left us alone, I prepare his IV meds and resume our conversation.

"Was it at least worth it?" I questioningly tease.

He turns his head to look at me and replies without pause, "YES!"

Turns out he and his wife had slaughtered a pig the previous day and not only did they have just a kilo or two of pork meat, but more than 100kgs of it!

I couldn´t help but giggle thinking that this man had so expectantly prepared himself for a 4-day holiday of binge eating, to find himself confined to a light diet for the next 7 days after only one delicious meal. Must be Karma :)