Extreme Eating in India

After dinner traditions- fennel and sugar ---- immature coconuts

Assamese dinner cooked and served by my host principal : Mrs. Manika Goswami Barua

State of Assam, Guwahati, India
June 8, 2011

Green Eggs and Ham
Green Eggs and Ham
I do not like green eggs and ham!
I do not like that Sam-I-Am!
Dr. Seuss taught a lesson in his famous book concerning prejudging food and people: Try them and you might find you like them!

Oh I do so like the Assamese Indian people and their food! This region of India has food that is milder in flavor, but the garnishes and pickles pick up the slack and make a statement. The sweet corn soup here is wonderful! Chicken and fish are prepared in so many different ways. The food is prepared fresh at home and out in restaurants- no relying on anything canned. If you want to eat chicken for dinner, that chicken is purchased alive from a basket on the street and slaughtered while you wait. The fish is freshwater fish and locally caught. Individuals offer fish on the side of the road along with the local vegetable produce. I have seen pork cut fresh on the side of the road too. Mutton and lamb dishes are common here as well, but Hindus do not eat beef so it is not on the menu.
Assamese food is not about convenience, but about the subtle flavors. The roti (bread) is similar to flour tortillas and is torn into pieces to eat. White rice is a staple of the Assamese diet along with lentils, potatoes, mangoes and bananas. A sort of lentil soup is served on the side of the rice plate and the idea is to spoon the lentils over the rice and mix it all with your fingers. The Assamese eat this with the right hand using three fingers as a sort of spoon and the thumb pushes across the fingers to deliver the rice dish into the mouth. There is definitely a technique for accomplishing this method of eating that requires practice. One DOES NOT lick the fingers after eating- this is very bad manners.
Achar is the Assamese name for pickles. I have tasted three types of mango pickles that are very different. These pickles are explosions of flavor and texture in the mouth. Some pickles have more vinegar, sugar or spices than others. There are certain pickles that accompany certain meats offered on the table. These pickles are so interesting that I found a few in the department specialty shop and bought some samples to take home to my family. Madam Principal Monica is giving me some of her pickles to take home when I leave India. Common spices used to prepare pickles and other foods here are coriander, turmeric, garlic, curry and chilies of many different types. Onion is a primary seasoning agent too.
The hotel breakfast buffet at Brahmaputra Ashok Hotel has a number of Indian offerings that we finally got the courage to try. There is chole which is chickpeas in a savory sauce eaten with bhutora which is a type of fried bread. Beans for breakfast- highly seasoned beans- is a radical culinary step for this Southern girl. The hotel also offers fried vegetables that look like croquettes that taste pretty good and seem to vary from day to day.
The snack foods here in India are different and tasty. The chips or crisps are flavored much differently using chilies and tomatoes. Cashews and peanuts are big for snacks too. Roadside stands offer coconut water to drink as a snack which is very different from coconut milk and I have tasted a wonderful mango drink with fresh coconut and cashew nuts on top.
This region of India is a tropical paradise so of course the fruit is spectacular. Litchi fruit is in season now and so interesting to touch, peel and eat. Madam Principal Monica showed us the Jack fruit tree with the fruit growing on it and brought us Jack fruit to sample- not bad. Both of these exotic fruits have large pits to spit out and interesting flavors and smells. Of course there are mangoes, papayas, coconuts and smaller green colored bananas that are really good!
Now let’s talk about tea- Indian tea-black or green varieties. The state of Assam is famous for their wonderful tea. Tea is served and enjoyed here in the late afternoon and is part of the social niceties whenever one visits or conducts business. The host always offers tea and biscuits, crackers or cookies to the guest. It is important to accept this invitation and then sit back and relax and enjoy something timeless that Americans seem too busy to appreciate.
Tea time pushes dinner time here in India to much later in the evening. Dinner is served starting after 8pm here- certainly not 5:30 or 6:00pm like we do in the States. At times it seems that all one does in India is EAT! At the end of a meal there are two regional customs that are always seen. A small bowl of water with a lime slice floating in it is offered to each dinner guest to wash the fingers off. A crystallized white sugar and anise seeds are offered together for a guest to take a small amount and place in the mouth to use as a breath freshener. This is so very civilized and I love it!

In extreme eating there are so many foods and so little time! I wonder what’s for breakfast in the morning???? "I do so like green eggs and ham!"

The Need for Speed- A Look at Traffic in India

American teachers Kenena Pelfrey and Sandra Chando in the bicycle rickshaw- Guwahati, India

There are no words powerful enough to describe the streets of Guwahati, India. I suspect that traffic and motorists are similar in other parts of India too. The road congestion here in Guwahati makes New York City seem tame by comparison. The locals assure me that the traffic is worse in Mumbai and other larger Indian cities, but I do not see how that could be possible. If you know me, then you know how silver my hair has been for quite some time now. If it were not already white, this past week riding the streets of northeastern India would have done the graying instantly. There are several factors at work that contribute to traffic congestion and driving conditions. Here are some of my impressions:
1. Every conceivable type of vehicle is present on the road- seriously! It reminds me at times of an Al Chymia Shriner’s Parade back home with the funny mini-cars they drive as entertainment. If you can put wheels on it, then it is legal to drive on the streets and highways in India.
2. Extreme animal hazards are present. There are cows, goats, monkeys, dogs, geese, oxen, horses, buffalo and elephants around every corner or curve in the road. All the animals do pretty well getting out of the way except for the cows. These bovines know that they are in a special class and can do as they please, take a nap in the road or stand and stare at the cars from the median in four lane traffic- absolutely no fear!
3. Drivers do not obey any traffic laws. The biggest vehicle wins the face-off in a drawdown situation. Everyone complains about the other driver’s terrible driving while dodging traffic madly too. There is constant horn blowing that is part of the driver’s vocabulary. They communicate with other vehicles with subtle differences in the pattern of the honks and the length of the tones. It all means something; I just haven’t figured it all out yet. Honking is highly encouraged here with signs on the back of trucks and buses encouraging others to honk and let them know they are back there somewhere. Horn honking is the norm here and almost illegal in my hometown.
4. Road conditions can be extreme. Construction and potholes are a big problem just like in the U.S. There are roundabouts where the traffic engineers in India threw up their hands and said “I give up.” In addition, there are more dirt roads to travel and very narrow lanes, streets and alleys in the cities which permit two-way traffic. Guwahati is in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains so there are steep, winding roads to traverse and a plunge off a bridge or cliff is a real possibility.
5. Finally, the need for speed NASCAR style is in the blood of many of the drivers. These drivers would give "The Dukes of Hazard" a run for the money. Passing takes place without restrictions on curves and anywhere at full speed. If there is a brief stretch of flat, straight road most of the drivers seem to gun the engine and put the pedal to the metal. The locals acknowledge the problem with graveyard humor on road signs. Here are a few road sign captions for your enjoyment.
“Arrive in peace- Not in pieces!”
“If you want to stay married- Divorce speed!”
“Speed thrills- Accidents kill.”
“Speed thrills- But increases your hospital bill.”
I must say that the Indian drivers have an amazing ability to thread their vehicle through any knot of traffic and find somewhere to park the car that seems impossible. They excel even the Italians in this regard in my opinion. I continue to white-knuckle my way through the streets of Guwahati and wear a small hole in the floorboard of the back seat!

A View of Spiritual Expression, Religion and Rites from India

On approach to the Hindu temple we see vendor's stands- great diversity shown here.

June 2, 2011 Guwahati, State of Assam, India

The first of the monsoon style rainstorms started this morning, but when the storm ended our Principal Madam Monica took us in her car on a field trip to visit Kamamhya Temple. This is one of the holiest of Hindu pilgrimage sites in the sub-continent atop Nilachal Hill which is a huge stone mountain overlooking Guwahati. The temple dome architecturally looks like an ornate beehive cone. This temple does not have an idol or image of the Mother Goddess and is over 4000 years old. Winding, back switch roads allow motor traffic close to the top and there are amazing views of the Brahmaputra River and the sprawling city of Guwahati. The final distance up to the temple must be walked along a path where there are many small vendors and shops selling temple offerings and souvenirs to the thousands of people that pass. Madam Principal arranged this special visit for us and took part of the day off from her busy office schedule at school to take us to the temple and make her personal sacrifice as a practicing Hindu. Mrinali, our host teacher, went along to help interpret what we experienced too.

As we approached the temple, the path changed and there was a beautiful pink marble center walk to follow up to the temple. Our priest, dressed in vermillion and saffron colors, met us and escorted us the final distance to the area of ritual foot washing. We dropped our shoes at a stall and went to the first location to wash our feet. Mrinali and Madam Principal said prayers and made an offering then we were marked with vermillion on our foreheads. The priest left us and went to make a sacrifice on our behalf in a separate area of the temple complex out of view. As we waited for him to return, we could observe the tremendous line of people already there at 9:00am waiting for a chance to make their offering in the free line. On the grounds were monkeys and cows wandering freely about, and sacrificial goats and pigeons were inside the temple complex marked with vermillion to show they were sacrificed to the gods. Our hosts explained that the Hindu priests must sacrifice an animal once a day at noon on the altar. Surrounding the temple were the residences of the priests. At Kamakhya Temple there are about 5000 priests!

When our priest returned we were escorted around to a less crowded entrance to the temple to enter down into the massive stone interior. The crush of the faithful people inside cannot be described. Some of the men fervently shouted praise as they entered this area, one prostrated himself at one of the side altars and the emotion around us was INTENSE. We soon were swept in the masses to the most holy center of the shrine which is protected by huge high-relief ornamented silver doors- absolutely beautiful and very ancient. The holy area was very dark and uneven stone steps had to be carefully managed to descend near the altar area. Madam Principal said there was no restriction against approaching this area. There was incense burning and vermillion, flowers and money offerings covered the altar area. It was necessary to touch the water around the base of the altar. The faithful Hindus put this water on their heads and prayed. I had never touched or seen anything this ancient in all my travels. As we passed through the rest of the temple there were side altars covered in vermillion and flower offerings, but the space was very confined with massive stone all around and narrow paths to travel. We were part of a river of people flowing through the temple.

After we exited the temple we passed through an area where there were many differently sized brass bells hanging on racks. We each rang a bell as we walked by them. The mark of vermillion and the red band tied around our forehead showed that we had been to the temple today. Our priest gave us a special sweet meat made of boiled milk to eat.

I teach in a Roman Catholic school and am a practicing Catholic too. I was struck by some similarities in the rituals common to both faiths. I completed a Venn Diagram in my journal with differences noted, but for this reflection I would like to focus on the ritual signs we have in common. The most striking common symbol was the use of water on hands, heads and feet. There are altars where reverence is shown and an emphasis on blood sacrifice. Both faiths use incense in ritual, although the Hindu faith requires much heavier use. We call our leaders in religious rites priests and prayers are recited with heads bowed and eyes closed. There is an emphasis on alms giving and flowers are used to honor. Side altars are present in the holy spaces and are clearly defined areas. In all the schools we have visited in India it is permitted to pray and is part of the start of each day, just like my Catholic school in Cordova, Tennessee.

India gave birth to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. About 81% of Indians practice Hinduism which is not a religion but a “way of life.” About 13% of Indians are Muslims with 2% of the population following the Sikh religion. Buddhists and Jains are each about 1% and less than 3% are Christians in India. I used the Culture Gram provided by IREX as my source for these statistics. I rode by Don Bosco Catholic Church and School earlier this week not too far from the government center of the city. From the outside it was a very impressive church. Julie, one of my new teacher friends from Maharishi School, told me it is the primary location for Catholic services, Holy Days and the Easter and Christmas services in this region. I saw two Missionary Sisters of Charity (Mother Theresa’s Order) out on the streets of Guwahati. We passed by a sign pointing toward their mission here. It was so good to see a familiar sight so unexpectedly here in India.

I will close this spiritual blog with some quotes:

At the depth of silence stays Buddha.
Life fumbles for the presence of THEE in the midst of chaos.
Author: Karabi Kakoti (poet and parent of child at Maharishi Vidya Mandir School)

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man,
The things which God hath prepared for those who love Him.
The Holy Bible 1 Corinthians 2:9

Incredible India is a Fountain of Knowledge

Incredible almost indescribable India is a riot of color, sound and motion. The great southern American author Mark Twain said: "India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only."

Of all the treasures I have witnessed already on my trip to learn and experience the culture of India, by far to me the most impressive are the educators and children of India. They inspire me to strive to learn and grow more each day. They demonstrate a love of learning, a tremendous work ethic and a desire to improve as a country and as individuals. They show tremendous pride in their country and State of Assam with it's very unique culture. We have visited the Assam State Museum to see their cultural heritage where we viewed native tribal costumes, art forms, tools, weapons and implements, had student demonstrations of song and dance in English and Assamese, sampled delicious homemade foods and breathed the very air of India. The gracious tea times spent with our fellow educators have provided time to learn more about the educational systems we have in common and the differences we see in our two educational systems. The more we share and get to know each other, the more we find how alike we truly are in love of learning and love for our students.

Truly this place must have been part of the Garden of Eden at one time and the people treasure the rich biodiversity they still have near them and are trying to protect it under difficult circumstances. The land is rich and green and grows so many exotic botanical specimens that I have never seen before anywhere in North America. I have only been here three days now, but the sensory images will last a lifetime. I have so much more to learn on this journey and I await each new day with excitement and anticipation.

Beautiful Lake Placid, NY

Rob and Jenny- the beautiful bride and handsome groom! Congratulations!

The Chando family in Lake Placid

Camp BearBerry on Lake Placid

Jenny and Rob had a picture perfect day and a very romantic wedding. Camp Bearberry was such a neat historic arts and crafts style home to spend a weekend in visiting and celebrating with family. This family wedding was special too because it marked the first time our expanded family all traveled together- even little Preston went! We toured the little town of Lake Placid and visited the Olympic venue sites. We shopped some in the outlets in the downtown area too. Carl took us out on the boat which came with Camp Bearberry for a little tour of the Whiteface Resort from the waterside. We built fires in the evenings and wore short sleeves in the middle of the day. The weather was PERFECT- just like the wedding. The Adirondack surroundings inspired the theme of the wedding. The wedding cake was made to look like Birch bark and the reception area looked out over Lake Placid and had the neatest style chairs to match the location. Jenny and Rob had brewed their own beers and bottled them as favors for the guests and they functioned as table markers giving the beer bottles original names and a unique handcrafted look. Of course, Jenny was truly beautiful in her dress. Absolutely serenely radiant! The wedding was outside and lakeside and the cocktail hour was in the adjacent resort boathouse restaurant- very nice with mountain and lake views. The music was provided by an excellent three-piece Irish band. It was great to spend time with MaryAnne and Joe and meet some of the Taylor side of the family.

Taking Washington, D.C. by Storm

My dear friends and co-workers at SFA- DYNAMIC PEOPLE!

The 8th graders have a moment of unity on their class trip to Washington, D.C.

The trip to D.C. started early Monday morning May 16th and ended fairly late Thursday night May 19th, but what a whirlwind of activities and experiences we all now share as a collective memory. Highlights of this trip include a visit to the White House and the Capitol building, the Smithsonian Museums of American History, Natural History, the Air and Space collection and the Holocaust Museum. On the base of the Lincoln Memorial the students presented Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech which was moving to everyone present at the memorial. The wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery brought tears to the eyes and reminded all of us of the price of freedom.

The just for fun part of the tour included a moonlight dinner dance and cruise down the Potomac River with other school groups and a trip to Baltimore to see the Orioles take on the New York Yankees at beautiful Camden Yards. The weather cooperated when we needed it to be dry. We really could not have asked for a more enjoyable trip.

I work with the most amazing group of teachers. The trip for the students would not have been possible without their help and support. I look forward to next year and more adventures in student travel.

Old Man River- the Mighty Mississippi 2011

Mark Twain would not be amazed at the river front in Memphis.

"The Mississippi River will always have its own way; no engineering skill can persuade it to do otherwise... -" Mark Twain

This is a city on the bluff and you cannot see ANY bluff in this picture. It is always interesting to live in a river town. The Mississippi River is usually 1/2 mile wide here and this week it was 3 MILES wide. This view is about 20 miles from our home in the suburbs. The street covered in water is Riverside Drive. The small clumps of land between the road and the M bridge are Mud Island and the river theme park on the south side of the island. There is a model of the Mississippi River on the island which ends where the flagpoles are located with a replica/swimming pool of the Gulf of Mexico.