DAY TWENTY

This first-of-its-kind Toronto-Kampala Sushi-Making Direct-Feed hosted by Sang Kim, restauranteur extraordinaire, in Toronto.  Thank you ISP Africa for generously hosting the event, Sosolya Undugu Dance Academy, PTMOF, Kyoto Japanese Restaurant, Undugu Family Drummers, Great Valley Children’s Centre Nursary & Primary School, Step up Uganda, Kasozi Standard Primary School, Gabba Model Primary School and  Sunrise Home of Kampala.

“I’m not smoking that.” BB is quick to say but laughs along with us as he realizes that we had said Sushi not Shishax, a form of flavoured tobacco smoked using beautiful glass Turkish water pipes. At Kyoto Japanese Restaurant, our Kampala sponsor for our Sushi making event, you can have either – or venture into the foods of Turkey or other parts of the world.

Ahmet Rende, owner of Kyoto,  introduces us to their deliciously prepared etli Ekmek -a typical plate of Turkish flatbread with ground meat served with a side salad of tomatoes and onions to be used as a topping. Ahmet had the chef prepare the ground beef with a little chili -needless to say we will be returning before I leave Kampala. At Kyoto it is called lahmacun -using their main language, Arabic.

Today -we hear and see Sang on the computer via skype. “What do you think of when you hear the word sushi?” Sang Kim of Yakitori Bar and Seoul Food Co. asks Kids Canada and Kids Uganda at the start of our Toronto-Kampala Sushi-making Direct-Feed event.

“Rice!!” they say in Kampala. “Raw fish!” we hear from Toronto. Sang explains that sushi actually means seasoned rice and quickly the 10 children in Toronto introduce themselves and watch as the 27 children, representing all of the organizations Kids Canada is partnering with, do the same.

Sosolya started off the event with dances from various parts of Africa and the Undugu Family Drummers showed our Toronto kids the traditional drumming and dancing of Burundi – a neighbouring country. Everyone was charmed to see all of the kids in Toronto up on their feet dancing along from across the ocean.

The event was incredibly exciting for our kids here in Kampala (and the onlookers) as they got to dip their hands into water, grab handfuls of sticky rice and feel the textures of nori. Everyone wanted to know when we were going to make sushi again!

It was another successful story of Sang’s uncanny ability to capture our attention, hold it and to fill our heads with delicious words and our mouths with delicious flavours. We are all charmed watching our little ones step off the edge and into a culinary adventure.

I smile as I see Sang has everyone in both Toronto and Kampala jumping in, not only with both feet -but with both hands and mouth.