Cultural Exchange

Feel Your Food

Folks here are still very conservative when it comes to food. They seldom eat out and when they do, they usually stick to their curry and chapatti. Last Sunday, the MBU folks brought me to a cosy little restaurant serving continental food. Guess they were feeling adventurous. I was pretty curious how western food will turn out in India.

We ordered some starters to share followed by the main course. The food turned out pretty well. I ordered fish on a bed of spinach with mashed potatoes. It came as it was described in the menu, though I would have preferred that they did not add on the layer of cheese on the dish.

We had a great time. They had a lot of fun exploring the different types of food and experimenting with their cutlery. They watched in amazement with the way I cut and handled the fish fillet. I taught them how to use their fork and knife, and also how to eat spaghetti in style by twirling it around the fork.

We shared and discussed the eating practices of different cultures. They could not fathom how one could eat rice with chopsticks! They told me, one should smell, taste and feel their food, only then will the eating experience be wholesome…

Dessert was the star of the dinner. The tiramisu was pleasantly beyond expectations. It had the correct texture and consistency, it would be perfect if they had used better quality cocoa, coffee and liquor.

We went in search for some paan after dinner. Paan is something usually eaten after food to help digestion. It’s sweet, with a mixture of herbs, spices and nuts, wrapped in a leaf. One is supposed to put the whole thing into the mouth and slowly chew. My teeth were unable to take the sweetness, but what’s left was a nice minty freshness in my mouth.



Om Shanti Om

My first Hindi movie!! The show started at 9.30pm and ended at 1.30am, with 5 intervals in between. And I thought LOTR was long. Though I could not understand Hindi and there were no English subtitles, I managed to follow the storyline with the help of two friends. Other than the duration, I actually enjoyed the show. The songs were nice, dances were energizing, the actors were good-looking and actresses beautiful…

Movies are screened at the gym every Friday night. It’s quite like the real thing, with a wide screen, seats, ticketing booth, ushers and even the bell. For Rs9.00, I think I’ll go back for more.