Gujarati thali

It was nice to wake up in my own room this morning and have a leisurely breakfast with Rashmi and Arpita. Arpita made Poha which was this beaten rice with some vegetables and spices that was really nice. If I’m not describing the food well enough, it’s usually because even when they tell me what it is, it may be something we don’t have in the US. This morning I went through the cupboard asking Arpita what all the things were, even when she tells me, it doesn’t mean much to me if I don’t know what it’s used for or what it tastes like. Also I could tell you probably many different names of things that are made from rice and vegetables but the spices differ so it’s hard to describe. I’ve been told that Gujarati food – the state I am now in – their food is always a little sweet. Punjabi food, my friend Harpreet tells me, is very thick and rich, so it just differs by the state or region.

Caryn and I went out to the Foreign Registration Office this afternoon. We are supposed to register with them within 14 days of arrival, but we needed proof of our address and residence here. We keep hearing stories about how difficult it can be registering and how you need a million copies of everything, but so far it doesn’t seem too bad, but we have to go back tomorrow. Also I got lectured because I only brought copies of my passport, and not the actual passport, so we’ll see how it goes tomorrow.

Shrawan took us out to this very traditional Gujarati restaurant, Saasooji for thali. Thali is the word for plate but it also means the meal they serve on this big plate. You get this metal plate with all these little metal bowls and they fill it up and keep bringing you more of what you want, so it’s a little like ‘family style’ in the US. He took us all – Caryn and me, Nihal and Karuna, and another couple he knows – the husband has worked for the planning office in Gandhinagar for 30 years! So he’ll be a great help for my research! And then his wife works at a bank, so they were both very nice. She was explaining all the different food on the plate. There were two different kinds of daal – which are lentils. There are sooo many kinds of lentils and ways of preparing them. There was different subji- which means vegetables cooked up. Papad – a cracker-like wafer, Roti – kind of an equivalent to a quesadilla and used to scoop up the food. Srikaand – a sweet yogurty-pudding-y dessert with nuts – very good. Little tiny samosas…and more – but I don’t k now how to really describe it! But I could definitely taste the sweetness in all of it, like they say it typical of Gujarati food! It was really nice and fun!

Tonight was the first time in India I have been that it has rained really much at all! But they took us home in their car which was nice. I had trouble getting there – the rickshaw driver didn’t really understand or know where I wanted to go. He kept speaking to me in Hindi like I could understand him! People seem to be impressed when I try and speak the little Hindi I know. That’s the problem because as soon as I try to speak a little Hindi people start talking to me like I am fluent! But it is difficult to fiIt was nice to wake up in my own room this morning and have a leisurely breakfast with Rashmi and Arpita. Arpita made Poha which was this beaten rice with some vegetables and spices that was really nice. If I’m not describing the food well enough, it’s usually because even when they tell me what it is, it may be something we don’t have in the US. This morning I went through the cupboard asking Arpita what all the things were, even when she tells me, it doesn’t mean much to me if I don’t know what it’s used for or what it tastes like. Also I could tell you probably many different names of things that are made from rice and vegetables but the spices differ so it’s hard to describe. I’ve been told that Gujarati food – the state I am now in – their food is always a little sweet. Punjabi food, my friend Harpreet tells me, is very thick and rich, so it just differs by the state or region.

Caryn and I went out to the Foreign Registration Office this afternoon. We are supposed to register with them within 14 days of arrival, but we needed proof of our address and residence here. We keep hearing stories about how difficult it can be registering and how you need a million copies of everything, but so far it doesn’t seem too bad, but we have to go back tomorrow. Also I got lectured because I only brought copies of my passport, and not the actual passport, so we’ll see how it goes tomorrow.

I feel quite lucky that I managed to get a flat so easily! Nihal and Caryn and still having trouble finding a place. My place is a bit farther from CEPT than I would have liked, but Arpita and Rashmi are great! I was showing them pictures of my family last night, and then Arpita was showing me hers and pics from her trip up to Leh which is in the Himalayas. It’s really beautiful! I’ll have to go!nd your way around here. Even a map doesn’t help too much because most of the times the street names aren’t labeled so they really rely on landmarks. But the trouble is, not being from here, we don’t know which are the main landmarks. They say knowing the crossroads is the best way to get around. Sometimes you just have to wander around a bit to find the kind of shop you need, sometimes you get lucky and find it right away.

The pictures of us at Saasuji, the Gujarati place and then of my two roommates, Rashmi and Arpita - aren't they so cute?