A taste of India in my own kitchen

It seems so long ago since I was in India but now with our British summer finally in full swing and Rick Stein’s recent television series extolling the virtues of the many culinary delights India has to offer have both reminded me of my experiences in  that wonderful country back in April. I really do long to return and explore the regions I haven’t yet had the pleasure of visiting and connect again with the people of India whose work ethic, spirituality and sense of belonging both to their immediate families and also to the wider community inspired and improved my faith with humanity.

Rick Stein also visited Rajasthan to explore the recipes associated with this region and also took in many of the tourist sights.  He both ate and shared recipes with the local people as I did and not always in conventional eating places.  However, not once did I see him picnicking on the floor of a spice shop feasting on traditional dishes of the region as I did which to this day  is still one of the most unusual places I’ve been served a picnic .

I adore Indian food and was lucky enough, just like Rick, to venture into a authentic kitchen and watch the chefs at work guiding me through the different spices and flavour combinations.  The enthusiasm and pleasure found in the kitchen motivated me to continue to experiment with spices and dabble with recipes for Indian dishes.  Chapatis are now a regular accompaniment to my spicy dahl dishes and my cupboards overflow with spices, pulses and almost every kind of lentil you can buy.  Paneer, a traditional Indian cheese is always on my shopping list as this offers a delightful contrast when added to a spicy curry sauce.

Once back in the UK I was eager to master the art of making Pakoras and although it took some time to source the Gram flour on the high street (Tesco in case you’re wondering) I soon mastered the art of making these sumptuous and indulgent vegetarian delights.  Although the calorie and fat content of these is fairly prohibitive this make the  snacks all the more alluring and it’s very difficult to stop yourself digging into a hearty helping of these beauties.

I have taken a peek at Rick Stein’s recipes and there is plenty there to tickle my taste buds including the most delicious creamy desserts which I will be serving up soon to see if these gain favour with the rest of my tribe.  Jodphur sweets are also a renowned speciality and the range of flavours, some conventional and other more unusual ingredients make these a once eaten never forgotten experience.  Unfortunately these delicacies are not so easy to replicate at home but if anyone has a recipe to share I would be really grateful. 

Supermarkets have already embraced the idea of selling Greek pastries such as  baklava to the masses but I think they should broaden this idea with a range of Indian sweets as I for one would be first in the queue!

Everyone Is Afraid To Do What They Love

The Truth You Always Knew

Throughout the last few years, as I’ve been contemplating what to do with my life, I’ve realized that everyone is afraid to do what they love. How do I know? Too many people work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, doing something that they don’t love to do.

Why? I think it’s because somewhere down their paths, they were too afraid. I think a lot of it comes from being scared of failure, being embarrassed or being made fun of. People don’t go for their goals because of what people might say or think.

I’ve been down this line of thought many times, and I’ve realized that beneath it all, the one thing we ALL are, is afraid. It’s our one and only major limitation to do anything. It’s the fundamental thing that keeps us all from where we want to be, from striving to be great.

We…

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The Haves and Have Nots

In the UK we have grown used to having supermarkets with shelves abundantly filled with food, high street stores selling goods for every conceivable lifestyle requirement, internet and plentiful gas and electricity supplies which power our labour saving devices.  However, during times of recession money for some is often scarce but the longing to worship at the altar of conspicuous consumption serves as a constant temptation.  For those of us, including myself, facing up to financial difficulties the drip feed of advertisements and marketing madness urging us to buy the latest electronic gadgets,  high performance cars or  luxury holidays in  far away lands can sometimes trigger a sense of deprivation and envy as we misguidedly crave these symbols of wealth as the marketing of these products are strategically packaged to appeal to our inherent desire to ‘fit in’.  But the question is does the acquisition and ownership of these expensive goods really make us happier.

From my perspective and experience volunteering in India was defined by meeting those with few material possessions yet who still seemed to capable of being spiritually uplifted by both their faith and the presence of extended families and friends which sadly seems to be in decline in our culture.  I was in awe just quietly observing the concentration, determination and sometimes joy which everyday tasks were approached; the housekeeper who swept the leaves from outside my room two or three times a day, the young kitchen apprentice, just beginning his journey into adulthood whose job it was to make the chapati dough for each meal and the tuk tuk drivers taking their lives in their hands as they negotiated the Jodhpur traffic, which followed road rules alien to me and probably every other passing tourist from the western hemisphere.

I experienced nearly every form of transport during my travels to India but none were quite as exhilarating as one of the journeys I experienced in a tuk tuk towards the end of Holi week.  As the tuk tuk wound its way through the back streets of Jodphur we stumbled upon groups of males, vigorously pounding drums and chanting enthusiastically.  I sensed a strong feeling of camaraderie and belonging; groups of people bound together by faith and friendship bonding together in celebration.

The energy infused within me during this journey has inspired me to continue to seek fulfilment by following the same principles.  That is to appreciate the relationships with my family and friends, to buy only what I need and seek a higher understanding of how faith can be beneficial in contributing to a more fulfilled and often extended life.

Making a Difference

As regular readers of my blog will know my decision to volunteer in India was not given much consideration, other than, when I read about the Book Bus then I just knew that I was destined to work with the organisation. Call it what you will, a hunch, intuition, my third eye sensing opportunity but there was a voice within urging me to pick up the gauntlet which had been thrown down by the Google search engine! 

Normally I would think twice about such a mountainous challenge, not only the hard work and planning which was necessary to raise the funds but to also travel alone to another continent.  There was no time really to fear the unknown, time raced by and one minute I was alone in my kitchen making mincemeat to sell at Christmas and the next I was sitting on a Lufthansa flight on my way to Delhi and then onwards to Jodphur.

The decision was a brave one for me as after years of struggling with mental health problems I finally was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder.  In normal circumstances I don’t like to label myself, however, this diagnosis enabled me to get the right medication and support and ultimately be braver with the life decisions I am called upon to make.

For those struggling with mental health problems, volunteering is positively encouraged for many reasons.  It boosts social skills, confidence and self esteem and gives a motivation for getting out of bed in the morning – which although during my bad times was a source of comfort and protection, latterly I had become to regard this as my pit, in so far that the longer I stayed in bed the deeper the hole became and my ever increasing struggle to see daylight was ebbing slowly away.

I regard my trip to India to be life enhancing, it allowed me to experience another culture and to learn from the people, all of whom I spoke to have left their mark and my soul is richer for both having and creating this opportunity. On my brief sightseeing trip around Delhi, I visited the Lotus Temple.  It struck me that a multi-denominational approach to life as well as religious beliefs is necessary to enable understanding and empathy for those whose life battles are different to your own and to offer a supporting hand should it be necessary.

Ultimately, volunteering has helped me to be braver, increased my resilience and to identify skills and talents that were not apparent to me or those which were lying dormant, outside my protective shell where a little voice within and those outside told me not to spend so much energy on pursuing things I’m not really good at.  I’m pleased to report I’m trying to stop listening to these voices and for those of you who are thinking about volunteering but hesitating then I urge you to pick up that glove and pursue whatever your chosen cause is with energy, love and compassion.

Operation – Free the Desert Nine

I have an exceptionally frenetic schedule at present but normal blog service will be resumed next week.  In the meantime, you may be interested in reading about  the work of the Book Bus from another perspective.

The blog refers to getting ‘stuck’ in the desert – I was on board the jeep that day along with 8 other members of the group and it did cross my mind this was an adhoc team building exercise.  I’ve attached a couple of photographs showing the manoeuvreings in an attempt to break free.  I’d like to report I was instrumental in the success of the plan but in the words of Elizabeth I

” I have the body of a feeble woman but the heart and stomach of a King”

Speaking of stomachs, cooking is a subject close to my heart and I’ll share my thoughts on the wonderful vegetarian dishes I sampled during this visit in a later blog!

Learning through craft activities

Although the focus of the Book Bus project is to improve English literacy, the learning tools used to meet this objective were varied, each activity structured to reinforce the theme of the lesson.  Routinely the class would begin with a story enabling learning through actions to demonstrate key words,  followed by the use of flash cards to familiarise the children with the shape of the alphabet.

The school children would then be divided into smaller groups to concentrate on more focused written tasks or games, word bingo was particularly successful which enabled the children to both recognize and enact the word which was always fun; the children’s contagious laughter and their competitive spirit were both a reward and an indication of enjoyment for volunteers facilitating the task.

By far and above, the most popular part of each lesson was the craft activity, which was again designed to consolidate the theme.  As someone with self-perceived limited artistic ability, I found it fascinating to see how the children approached the craft activities such as colouring and cutting out and this often revealed telling signs of a child’s learning style and personality.  Some of the children took their time to meticulously colour their tree templates, using green and brown crayons to preserve authenticity, whilst the more competitive children often took less care with their colouring in order to complete the task first.  The most creative amongst the group would use the tree template but creatively adapt this using multiple colours and designs.  Cutting out shapes also  demonstrated pupil’s spatial awareness and co-ordination strengths and weaknesses.  It was sometimes difficult to differentiate between those children who found using scissors difficult and those who wanted someone else to do the cutting out even if they were not lacking in ability.  It was a challenge to devise methods to encourage those who had difficulty with this task and on one occasion spent some time rotating the drawing and offering direction to enable one of the children to do this independently.

The smile on the faces of the children at the end of the tasks as they paraded the result of their hard work was always worth it despite sometimes needing a pair of extra arms to cope with the squeals for help from the children.  Without a doubt craft time was always the most popular pursuit and overall lent itself well to fulfilling the objectives of the lesson, particularly for those with a kinaesthetic learning style.

True Colours

As is often the case in our lives, sometimes we pause and wonder why we are drawn to the path we find ourselves on, and at 50 I find myself with a new love in my life, India.  There are of course a myriad of reasons for this connection; the magical wonders and sights, the cultural and spiritual connections and the people.  However, without hesitation I would say that the paramount attraction for this L’amour is the colour which pervades the senses like an explosion in a paint factory.  There is something incredibly life-affirming about the rainbow spectrum, each hue and tone seductively beckoning to hold on to your attention. 

 

Admittedly, I used to fervently shop for clothing in the UK with the energy of an Olympic athlete vying for the gold medal.   However, having embraced the symbolic nature of colour and fabric, I have woken up to the realisation that western fashion focuses solely on this season’s must have items and clothes, uniquely designed for the catwalk, are stripped of their individuality and painstakingly reproduced for the masses.

 

Shopping in India is a sumptuous gourmet feast for the eyes, opulent colours, textures and multi-faceted fabrics which shimmer in the sunlight and designed not for the catwalks of New York, London or Milan but inspired by tradition and culture.

 

Colour in India also goes beyond the realms of fabric, furnishings and clothes and enters the spiritual conscience with an explosion; revered and celebrated every year as part of the festival Holi, otherwise known as the festival of colour.  Although the festival is primarily a Hindu celebration, it is also universally enjoyed by visitors to India lucky enough to witness the spectacle and abundance of bonfires, coloured powder and water, the celebrations have been typified in many adverts including Dulux and more recently used to illustrate the features of the water resistant Sony Xperia Z phone. 

 

Sadly for Sony, I am not tempted by the phone but being part of the Holi celebrations in India is at the top of my wish list…

 

Compassion and love in the face of tragedy

I am taking a short sabbatical from writing about my recent experiences in India to add my voice to an article written by Owen Jones which was published in the i newspaper yesterday.  The premise of this article was based on a tweet which Owen Jones wrote shortly after the Boston Bombing highlighting the deaths in Iraq which had occurred on the same day.  The response from the Twitter community moved him to explore whether there was in fact a ‘hierarchy of death’ The full article can be accessed via the link below.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/owen-jones-our-shameful-hierarchy–some-deaths-matter-more-than-others-8581715.html

The article resonated with me, not only because I have first hand experience of visiting India, not as a tourist, but as volunteer which enabled me to have privileged access to explore local attitudes to education, spirituality and gender issues.  This experience has enabled me to build an emotional connection and as such, would respond to collective and individual atrocities in the East in the same way as I respond when I hear of shocking events in the Western world. 

I was saddened to hear about the Boston bombing fatalities and this irrational act has left a grieving community and families deprived of their loved ones.  But equally I am saddened when I read of honour killings, brutal gang rapes on Indian buses and children needlessly dying because of the unsanitary conditions coupled with lack of proper medical provision which they are forced to endure.

As Owen Jones succinctly stated

“all of us have a responsibility to challenge our own prejudices and to work on empathising with fellow humans who suffer in lands distant…”

 

Spice of life

In between my visits to the schools  with the Book Bus I also took regular jaunts into the Blue City of Jodphur.  The monolithic Meranghar Fort  stands high above the City with its imposing patriarchal presence luring tourists to the city to wander around the splendor contained within the walls.  Sadly, for shops and businesses,  tourists usually only pay a fleeting visit to the city, primarily to visit the fort and then venture on to explore the other wonders which India has to offer.  On my rest days I ambled around the city with my camera and immersed myself in the noise, colour and chaos which I soon learnt to embrace.

The people of Jodphur are curious about western presence in the city and the openness with which you are scrutinized by the locals is often unnerving but after a while you learn to accept and to curiously return the gaze.  As a visitor, exploring the city on foot, chances are you will  be approached by local business owners who will try and lure you into their shops with the vain hope that they will be able to persuade you to part with some rupees.

In an earlier blog, I spoke about Abdul and his spice shop.  Abdul is a 29 year old spice shop owner in Jodphur, the business was started up by his father and Abdul had been working and learning the ropes of the business since he was seven.  He spoke excellent English but sadly for Abdul, he had never received any formal education and had learnt all he knew only from the school of life.  After exhausting his usual sales patter and successfully making a sale, the conversation suddenly took a new turn and curiously and hesitantly, over a cup of saffron tea we respectfully shared perspectives and experiences from our individual cultures.

Abdul extended an invitation to lunch with him in his shop the following day which I unhesitatingly accepted.  There is something quite surreal about sharing a most agreeable and delicious lunch which had been lovingly prepared by Abdul’s mother with a new friend.  Encounters of this kind elevate the usual tourist experience of visiting a new country into new and unforgettable realms. Exploring places of interest does provide ample opportunity for cultural exploration and photo opportunities but the meeting of 2 minds from opposite sides of the globes adds colour and nuance to my visit which will remain with me forever. 

Gender Inequalities in Indian Schools

One of the most interesting aspects about the Book Bus school visits was to see first hand whether gender differences impacted on the quality of the education offered and ultimately how these affected the achievements of boys and girls in the primary schools.

Children in India are provided with free and compulsory education up to the age of 14, however, the outlook for girls fulfilling their educational potential is still uncertain.  The Book Bus project focused on schools in the rural areas of Jodphur and it was a pleasant surprise to find out there were high achievers who could not only read and write in Hindi but had a good grasp of English.  This can only be a positive step forward enabling the children to be open and receptive to opportunities which may have otherwise have been beyond their reach.  There was still a notable disparity in male and female attainments and generally speaking, the educational high fliers were boys.

Culturally, it is deemed important for boys in India to complete their education, attain a good literacy level and, familial circumstances allowing, be educated beyond the age of 14.  For the girls, however, the outlook is bleaker, particularly in rural areas where sadly there are still some girls who do not participate in any formal education.  The socio-cultural factors, seen most frequently in the lower-caste system often dictate that young girls are expected to work at home and ultimately enter arranged marriages at a young age.  The stark truth remains that even if investment in education in India is forthcoming sadly in some areas, females will never experience paid employment.