Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Priya goes to field finally..
Cheese pakoras, veg sandwich, some French fries and veg cutlets, all wrapped separately in aluminum foil and put in a cardboard box. That was our lunch for the day. I saved some of mine for the gloomy evening that I knew was sure to follow the rather tiring day we were in for. We left Gangtok heavily behind schedule after some not so serious incidents turned around and became rather serious, resulting in a very ruffled me shuttling between the police station and office. After 5 hours of traveling reached hiley from where the walking would begin, not a very long one; just a little over an hour through rhododendron and conifer and bamboo forests. It was sad that most of the rhodos were past blooming but even the grandii and falconeri that remained proved to be quite a sight.
Later we sat in the semi dark of the forest barrack with a solar lamp providing us enough light to have some sensible conversations about the bears of India and sambhars. Soon when the tummy started complaining I remembered the leftover from lunch which I had, safely tucked in my backpack. I took them and laid it out on the table; the three of us shared the cold cheese pakoras and the sandwich. It tasted even better now.
The man took the aluminum foil in his hands and started feeling them in a way that filled the two of us with a strange foreboding about the question that was about to pop forth from him. He was someone always popping questions, bursting with them; they flowed out from him incessantly, and they ran down and chased us. By now we were acquainted.
Do you know they wrap potatoes in these foils and cook them ya? That was the way he spoke usually ending his queries with a ya.
We both nodded agreement. Then five seconds later.
How many layers ya?
How many layers of what..??
Of this foil they use..
Confidently I give the answer- ONE
Wonly one?? You sure??
Yes, I am sure.
You mean to tell me that if I put this in the fire it won’t burn??
No.
Why?
Because its aluminum. That’s why.
He only shakes his head. After a moment of silent contemplation he starts opening out the crumpled foil and rolls it carefully into a ball leaving a hollow in the middle, then suddenly stands up and announces- I am going to the kitchen to try and see if it burns.
We wait. A minute later, he is back.
You know I put it into the fire and it did not burn ya.
Yay!! Yay!! Yay!!
Cheese pakoras, veg sandwich, some French fries and veg cutlets, all wrapped separately in aluminum foil and put in a cardboard box. That was our lunch for the day. I saved some of mine for the gloomy evening that I knew was sure to follow the rather tiring day we were in for. We left Gangtok heavily behind schedule after some not so serious incidents turned around and became rather serious, resulting in a very ruffled me shuttling between the police station and office. After 5 hours of traveling reached hiley from where the walking would begin, not a very long one; just a little over an hour through rhododendron and conifer and bamboo forests. It was sad that most of the rhodos were past blooming but even the grandii and falconeri that remained proved to be quite a sight.
Later we sat in the semi dark of the forest barrack with a solar lamp providing us enough light to have some sensible conversations about the bears of India and sambhars. Soon when the tummy started complaining I remembered the leftover from lunch which I had, safely tucked in my backpack. I took them and laid it out on the table; the three of us shared the cold cheese pakoras and the sandwich. It tasted even better now.
The man took the aluminum foil in his hands and started feeling them in a way that filled the two of us with a strange foreboding about the question that was about to pop forth from him. He was someone always popping questions, bursting with them; they flowed out from him incessantly, and they ran down and chased us. By now we were acquainted.
Do you know they wrap potatoes in these foils and cook them ya? That was the way he spoke usually ending his queries with a ya.
We both nodded agreement. Then five seconds later.
How many layers ya?
How many layers of what..??
Of this foil they use..
Confidently I give the answer- ONE
Wonly one?? You sure??
Yes, I am sure.
You mean to tell me that if I put this in the fire it won’t burn??
No.
Why?
Because its aluminum. That’s why.
He only shakes his head. After a moment of silent contemplation he starts opening out the crumpled foil and rolls it carefully into a ball leaving a hollow in the middle, then suddenly stands up and announces- I am going to the kitchen to try and see if it burns.
We wait. A minute later, he is back.
You know I put it into the fire and it did not burn ya.
Yay!! Yay!! Yay!!
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