Week 1: Day 3

Week 1: Day 3


Above is a translation of the poem the title of this blog is inspired by. It was originally written in the late 19th century by Rabindranath Tagore. 


Rebecca and Abhijeet are making dinner right now. So far we've had traditional Bengali multi-course meals. Each meal includes rice, dhal, greens, and at least one other vegetable dish - and that's usually the bare minimum. Abhijeet made 4 vegetable dishes yesterday for one meal! It might have even been 5. Dishes are spiced very specifically and I am really able to savor the flavor of each dish as most of them have less than 4 spices. Generally there is turmeric, ginger, and chili in almost every dish. Then, depending on the vegetables, mustards seeds, kalonji, and/or garlic may be included. Rebecca and I are vegetarians, while Abhijeet and his father eat meat. So he'll cook fish sometimes. From what I've heard, Bengali's eat a lot of fish. Perhaps because of all the rivers and, of course, the Bengal coast. Abhijeet is the dominant cook around here, while Rebecca and I have been assisting with the chopping. Rebecca's also a great cook and she made lunch today. 

In the mornings, Pinky, the 'servant' (she's paid) makes chapati (Indian flat bread) and a vegetable dish (generally potato, cauliflower, and a little tomato with cumin and turmeric - probably also some fresh chili and ginger). Only myself and Baba (Abhijeet's dad) take part. Rebecca and Abhijeet have been opting for oatmeal. Nobody seems to be a  fan of Pinky's cooking. Apparently Baba isn't and he complains about Pinky's cooking - but he still eats it because he is very picky with what he eats and is very particular that his food is ready at a certain time every morning. 

These past two days I've really enjoyed Pinky's breakfasts. I was telling Rebecca this morning that I really liked it and she told me I should let Pinky know because generally her cooking is criticized. So Rebecca taught me how to tell Pinky in Bengali, since Pinky doesn't speak a word of English. I repeated the phrase in my mind over and over so I wouldn't forget it and I went to Pinky while she was hanging our washed clothes to dry on the balcony. I peeked out the door and said to her, "Pinky, Khaabar Bhaalo Lege Che" which means something like, "the food felt good to me" which is the Bengali way of saying, "I liked your food today." Pinky is very cute and pretty, with a round face, glowing skin, full lips and a peaceful demeanor. So she looked toward me and made a shy smile and moved her head gently from side to side which is the Indian way of saying 'ok, i heard you.' It doesn't always mean someone agrees with you, sometimes it even means, 'forget it.' It can also mean, 'of course, no problem' - so basically you really have to take in to consideration the context of the general interaction to know what somebody means by this head 'wag'.


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Just back from dinner, we're all getting ready for bed. I think I'm beginning to adjust to the time difference. More later....