Bánh Mì Chị Tôi - My Sister's Sandwich Café

When archeologists came to Africa and found elongated skulls, they run with it that it was the skulls of the “ALIENS” who built those sophisticated and advanced civilizations that were scattered all over Africa.

The elongated skull has been a part and parcel of the traditions of some African tribes, especially the Mangbetu tribe of the Congo.

Below is a mother and daughter from the Mangbetu tribe, in 1930 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Limpombo (head elongation) was believed to allow the brain to grow bigger thus increasing intelligence and it was also a sign of beauty.

The Mangbetu are celebrated for their exquisite art and music, with the renowned Mangbetu harp/guitar symbolizing their cultural heritage. These prized instruments have fetched over $100,000, while musicologists strive to document their captivating melodies.

The Mangbetu captivated European colonists with their distinctively elongated heads, achieved through the traditional practice known as Lipombo. By tightly wrapping infants' heads with cloth, they created a remarkable appearance that became synonymous with their culture.

However, with the influx of Europeans and the spread of Westernization, this practice gradually declined from the 1950s onwards. Nonetheless, the unmistakable Mangbetu figures in African art continue to serve as enduring testaments to their unique aesthetic heritage.

“One of the biggest fears that parents have when their daughter has to drive across country to go back to school is being stranded with a broken down car in the middle of nowhere and no help. I was in South Dakota and was literally 9 hours from home and still had about 10 more hours to go. Approximately at 10:45 pm last night, a raccoon on the highway jumped right into our car. It was completely unavoidable. The raccoon broke the bumper and grill and busted my radiator and my car was not drivable anymore. We were about 15 miles from the closest town and gas station.

I called 911 and Trooper Regan came to us so quickly! He was the kindest police officer I had ever met. He helped take a look at my car and was literally there for us every step of the way to make sure we were taken care of. He could of easily told us to just call a tow truck while we waited in our car and I’m sure he had more important things to do than help a college student with a broken down car but instead he told us to wait in his warm car while we waited for the tow truck. He helped explain everything to them when they showed up and made sure to have them give us a ride into town where we could stay in a hotel for a couple days to get my car fixed.

This was my first time ever in South Dakota and he definitely made a good name for his state! I was in awe about the hospitality shown in my time of need. Lately, it seems that social media just focuses on the bad, especially when it comes to law enforcement but we don’t focus on all the good they do and all the people they choose to serve everyday. I am just taking this moment to appreciate Trooper Regan and the South Dakota Highway Patrol for their willingness to do more than what’s asked of them to help a helpless person in the time of need.

And to Trooper Regan’s daughter who is going off to college soon too, you truly are so blessed to have a father who cares so much. Trooper Regan was able to empathize with my situation because he thought of you, his own daughter.

These words cannot express my gratitude for you taking care of us last night and making sure we arrived to our hotel safely, with little to no cost to us. Your service will never be forgotten and I will make sure to pay it forward one day. God bless you and your family. Thank you so much!”

Credit: Chao Vang