Some of the most pleasant snacks on a hot day in Benin come from the FanMilk product line, which is composed of ice cream and frozen treats. FanMilk carts are pushed or pedaled around town, accompanied by the blow of a handheld horn so that passerbys know what's coming. Peace Corps Volunteers have a nickname for the man who pushes the cart: the FanMan.
The name FanMan reminded me of the '50s song "Mr. Sandman" performed by the Chordettes, so I retooled the lyrics from the song to make it a plea to the FanMan instead. So without further ado...
Mr. FanMan
To the tune of "Mr. Sandman" by the Chordettes
Mr. FanMan, bring me ice cream.
Make it the sweetest that I've ever seen.
Give me choco, just like Russell Stover.
Please tell me that my hungry days are over.
FanMan, I want Coldstone.
What I would give for a waffle cone!
Out here there is no Dairy Queen.
Mr. FanMan, bring me ice cream.
Mr. FanMan, bring me ice cream.
Make it the sweetest that I've ever seen.
Please come to me whenever you rover.
Just tell me that my hungry days are over.
FanMan, I want Coldstone.
What I would give for a waffle cone!
Out here there is no Dairy Queen.
Mr. FanMan, bring me ice cream.
Mr. FanMan, bring us ice cream.
Give me some Fan Yogo, to make true my dream.
And you can warm my heart with some Fan Vanille.
Blend that with mangoes and let's drink a smoothie.
Mr. FanMan, something real cold
Would be so peachy when it's so chaud.
So please turn on your magic beam.
Mr. FanMan, bring us, please, please, please,
Mr. FanMan, bring us ice cream.
Notes:
Fan Choco, Fan Yogo, and Fan Vanille are names of flavors.
The last syllable of 'Vanille' is more or less pronounced like -ee.
'Chaud' rhymes with 'so' and means hot. Peace Corps Volunteers tend to use the French word even when speaking English to each other.
For those of you who don't remember/know the original song, here it is on YouTube:
And finally, some photos of the FanMan and his products:
The name FanMan reminded me of the '50s song "Mr. Sandman" performed by the Chordettes, so I retooled the lyrics from the song to make it a plea to the FanMan instead. So without further ado...
Mr. FanMan
To the tune of "Mr. Sandman" by the Chordettes
Mr. FanMan, bring me ice cream.
Make it the sweetest that I've ever seen.
Give me choco, just like Russell Stover.
Please tell me that my hungry days are over.
FanMan, I want Coldstone.
What I would give for a waffle cone!
Out here there is no Dairy Queen.
Mr. FanMan, bring me ice cream.
Mr. FanMan, bring me ice cream.
Make it the sweetest that I've ever seen.
Please come to me whenever you rover.
Just tell me that my hungry days are over.
FanMan, I want Coldstone.
What I would give for a waffle cone!
Out here there is no Dairy Queen.
Mr. FanMan, bring me ice cream.
Mr. FanMan, bring us ice cream.
Give me some Fan Yogo, to make true my dream.
And you can warm my heart with some Fan Vanille.
Blend that with mangoes and let's drink a smoothie.
Mr. FanMan, something real cold
Would be so peachy when it's so chaud.
So please turn on your magic beam.
Mr. FanMan, bring us, please, please, please,
Mr. FanMan, bring us ice cream.
Notes:
Fan Choco, Fan Yogo, and Fan Vanille are names of flavors.
The last syllable of 'Vanille' is more or less pronounced like -ee.
'Chaud' rhymes with 'so' and means hot. Peace Corps Volunteers tend to use the French word even when speaking English to each other.
For those of you who don't remember/know the original song, here it is on YouTube:
And finally, some photos of the FanMan and his products:
 |
| A volunteer buying a product from the FanMan |
 |
| Some FanMilk products - rip off a corner with your teeth and enjoy! |
Very good! Did you teach your fellow Peace Corps workers your lyrics? Thanks for the explanations at the bottom. I figured Chaud was hot, but wondered about the rhyming. Thanks also for the Chordettes on YouTube. I remembered the tune, still it was fun to listen. I forgot the part about Liberace. :)
ReplyDeleteI see you are multi-talented. :) In the heat, ice cream is certainly a welcome treat and especially where one would not expect to have such. Do you even have a choice of flavors? If not, you could always make suggestions.
ReplyDeleteJean Ralley
Theoretically, there are about 8 types of FanMilk, but most vendors only sell a few. The FanMilk flavors include yogurt, orange, chocolate, and vanilla. My favorite variety is the one that tastes the most like ice cream, but it's not available in the north because it requires constant refrigeration, which isn't possible given the constant power outages even in cities with electricity.
ReplyDeleteFanMilk was one of my favorite treats in Benin. The first time I had it was on a very hot day and it was like a cold, sweet, refreshing milk. It was perfect!
ReplyDelete