Taken for a meal and a warm welcome

While i was out watering my new raised bed i saw my neighbours Donellise and her husband Joseph. They where going for a meal and invited me to join them. It was 5pm and i didn't even know where they where going i said i would follow them. Not wanting to go wandering around i just stayed in my house after completing my watering and started to get my evening meal ready. At 7pm came a knock at the door and one of the ladies from the village came for me to go around with her for a meal. I followed and up a tiny lane through an arch there is a covered outside area  where there was tables and benches all laid out.

There must have been about 60 people all gathered around seated and standing  drinking, taking and eating. I was met by Rita the daughter of a family i met when i moved in last year, Rita speaks quite good English. During the time spent there a number of others who could speak English came over to welcome me and practice there English on me.

The meal consisted of a vegetable soup and much better than i can make, barbecued meats Belly Pork, sausage and a black sausage. Also a huge pan of Goat meat. The selection of desserts was vast and the best was a orange cake and the pineapple cake was just to die for. Not wanting to be seen as being greedy i made do with just the two desserts but i could have eat more.

I had a great time even though i couldn't speak or understand what was being said sometimes you don't need to know the language you still can understand what is being said.  But Sunday it all started again another neighbour Pedro who lives up the lane called with a memory stick of photos from the night before for me to put on my computer. What i didn't expect was to be invited for another meal, i was asked to come around  about 1pm so here it all starts again but very welcome.

I arrived at just after 1pm and instead of sitting at the end of a bench and away from the main group of people instead i was called over to sit with some of the local men i recognized from the village. If i felt like an outsider before then i certainly don't anymore i was welcomed just like everybody else. How do you show thanks to people who are so kind and friendly, i don't know but when i can i will.