Home at Last

13 January 2011 Cooking Day

My taxi ride to Jyoti (joe-tee), the cooking teacher, took longer than intended. I had a rookie driver who kept stopping for directions. It's been great to have a cell phone here. My brother's friend Rakesh lent me his Indian cell and we used it for the entire trip. I put R1500 or about $36 on the sim card when I first got to Delhi. I called home several times and made many local calls. It was also convenient for calling places we were going to give directions to the taxi or tuk tuk drivers. In this case it didn't help at all. I ended up getting out of the car and walking around to find Jyoti's apartment!

Jyoti had invited 3 Americans and a German to join me--that made it more fun. We had a 3 hour demo and then ate lunch. It turns out that one couple was on our flight home the next day and sat in front of me on the plane! They were just great--he is a researcher (fuel from green algae) and she's a med student.

Jyoti drove me to a fascinating and high end government run outdoor market with street food stalls--with food and goods from around India called Dilli Haat. What a cool place. I didn't have much cash with me so I couldn't buy much...there was an ATM nearby but my card was blocked! I think it was because I'd taken so much out the day before.

We ate sev puri--deep-fried rounds with mashed spiced potatoes on top, raw onion, tomato, cilantro and lots of tamarind sauce then covered with the thin deep fried chickpea noodles called sev. Tasty but heartburn city. Lots of crafts and handmade shawls etc. very colorful and enticing. Prices were almost what you'd pay here, though. India is fast becoming an more expensive place to travel and shop...living wages and all...

Jyoti took me to another Haldiran's--this time it was full of desserts. I got the most expensive: a gooey green pistachio square covered with silver foil (varak), and a cashew roll with varak. Most Indian desserts don't appeal to me--Jyoti said that her favorites are the milk-based desserts like rasgullah--milk balls simmered in rose scented sugar syrup. The choices were enormous, varied and quite beautiful. They put me in mind of Japanese wagashi--artful but without the deep flavor of Western sweets--mainly sugary. We went for dinner later, but it was unremarkable. I was disappointed in the fish curry and vegetables.

Next day I had success at the ATM finally. Misty and I took a tuk tuk over to pick up the tops we had made by a local woman tailor. We had bought fabric at a khadi fabric store in Goa. Misty had her pale green cotton khadi made into a long caftan while I had my deeper green and a pale grey-pink made into two knee-length tops with V-necks, side slits and 3/4 sleeves. Each of my pieces cost about $2.50 to be made. I sure wish it was that easy and cheap in the US.

We took the tuk tuk to the Cottage Industries store where I bought a rose colored ikat fabric for my sister in law to make cushions for her dining room chairs. My second suitcase (which I bought in Chennai) came to exactly the AAirlines limit of 23 kilos. Sigh. I wished I had bought more...the fabrics were amazing.

I walked in our neighborhood one last time--it was so warm and sunny--like an early spring at home. I had lunch in a small, delightful café that served Western desserts (apple crisp and chocolate cake were the top-sellers the proprietor said) and Western and Indian style Middle Eastern food--a chickpea salad and "hummus" with pita triangles. The real hit of the meal was the fresh squeezed pomegranate juice. I could have drank 3 of them! I bought a book (the café had a good selection of books for sale) called "Being Indian", which I will soon read. I also visit Anokh, a woman's clothing shop with beautiful and not expensive Indian clothes. I think they have a store in L.A.

Right now I'm reading Shantaram, which Rachel in Chennai recommended. It is a GREAT book, full of adventure, intrigue and insights into India. Written by an Australian man who had escaped from an Australian prison for armed robbery and went to Mumbai, it is a loosely novelized form of his real life story.

I ate a last dinner prepared by the Nepali women who work at Eleven--the ubiquitous fried spiced potatoes, rice, dal and spiced cabbage. There was a spinach-paneer, but I don't eat dairy. We left Eleven around 8.30PM and finally flew out at 1AM. We had to go through security twice for this trip. The first time through my cast-iron tempering tool from Kerala was discovered in my carry-on--I'd forgotten to remove it. Damn. They decided it was a hazard. The guard looked at it cross-eyed and amused, he didn't know what it was. I told him and begged him to take it home to his wife, but it's a Southern tool that isn't much used in the North, though they do temper--infuse spices into ghee or oil to pour onto dishes. Sigh, another loss. My other loss was converting rupees into dollars at the airport. Big mistake. I should have spent it. I lost about 20%.

Our 14 hour flight was uneventful with good airline food and great flight attendants. We whizzed through customs at 5AM in Chicago then settled in for our 7 hour wait to fly home. When I finally got to bed at 7.30PM on Saturday it had been 48 hours that I'd been awake. I was a zombie. Still am taking hard afternoon naps where I awaken discombobulated.

Ive been dreaming of India, my stomach was in knots and I kept dreaming of things I'd left undone there. When I left India it was with the thought I'd never go back--too far too expensive too too too much. But I realize it was simply the trick that allowed me to leave. I loved India in all its beauty and dirt, color and poverty, good and bad, spiritual and crass. Indians are pragmatists--they respect money and power--and work hard to achieve it--something that resonates with my Eastern European immigrant background (my parents). Many we met also have generous hearts and a pundit's wisdom.

I'm so glad to hear from Misty that 30 years has brought about large changes--an exploding middle class and less people on the street. They've a ways to go but I have no doubt that India will be very different in even another decade. Many people predict that India, the world's largest democracy and the richest ethnic group in the US, with more degree-holders than the population of France, is poised to be a major player in the 21st century. The 21st century will see India contributing 1/6th of the world population. Visit now!

I hope that I can return there.