Tia Foin: Lose That Collarbone Today!

Did you happen to see these popsicle people last week? Well one has caused a bit of controversy in the Sensamaust household.

Mama Youyou gently brought me Mamitsho’s popsicle and danced around for a bit with the French equivalent of, “Madame, umm, hmm, well… Have you seen this photo of Mamitsho? Well, hmm, has she seen it? Is she okay with this?”

I told her I thought it was a lovely picture of Mamitsho and in fact everyone who’s seen it comments on how nice she looks. (In retrospect, I guess it was only Americans giving the compliments.)

Well, Madame it’s not a good photo. She looks skinny. It must be embarrassing for her. You can see her (and then she yell-whispered) collarbone!

So I had to promise Mama Youyou I would check-in with Mamitsho regarding the obviously humiliating display of her protruding collarbone.

It’s true, though. There’s no need to step on a scale on the continent of Africa. I know I’m gaining weight when I start getting compliments on my appearance. More specifically, my butt. 

One must have lots of meat on their bones. For example, remember that time Mama Youyou had to remind us to feed our children?

There’s a whole phenomenon in Congo called Tia Foin. The Congolese ideal is a nice, rotund, well-fed figure. More specifically, big butts. So much so that women now take supplements or injections that were formally used to beef-up animals, literally.

Think: Tia Foin ≠ Jenny Craig.

"Venus Hottentot" and the phénomène Tia Foin as reported in the Kinshasa glossy, LOOK'in Magazine

A lot of people I've talked to know of at least one person taking supplements and participating in the phénomène Tia Foin. 

As for Mamitsho, I'm happy to report she won't be taking injections to get rid of her unsightly collarbone anytime soon. She was unembarrassed by her photo. 

And I'm planning on showing Mama Youyou all the pictures of myself I'm unhappy with so she can shower me with compliments of how well-fed I look.