Al Manama

The supermarket in my apartment building has everything, including lamb's brains. One day I pointed at the brains in the case, wrapped neatly in their little plastic like any other meat product, and asked the butcher what they were. "Brains," he said.

Next to the brains were entire lambs' heads, skull and all. I pointed at those and inquired. "Lambs' heads," the guy said in his very thick Indian accent. I actually couldn't really understand him, but it was clear enough what he said. You don't have to be an Indian grocer to recognize a skull when you see one. Lambs have serious underbite, by the way.

Then I pointed at the shapeless meat on the other side of the brains. What are those? I asked the butcher. I didn't understand what he said, because I know he couldn't have said what I thought I heard. I thought he said "booty."

I left before he could see me snickering. By the way, let's take a vote: Do you want a photo of what little brains look like, wrapped up in meat packaging? Comment below.