November 27, 2014 -- Amritsar

Wednesday afternoon, we left from school about about noon to drive to Amritsar for a marketing junket. When I say we, I mean Rob, Seguinder (the marketing head) and I.

It is a 5 hour drive to Amritsar ( home of the Golden Temple –  a very Holy place in the Sikh religion, and of political importance too in history).  The distance required an overnight stay, as the actual visit to present at the high school was not scheduled until 10 a.m. Thursday. Therefore, once we arrived in Amritsar, we were free to visit the Golden Temple and do our own thing for the evening.

Golden Temple

Rob has already been to Amritsar marketing twice this trip (2014) and doubtless sent pictures around. But I will attach a few, for it really is a magnificent sight.

Harpreet had been planning to go along – for the fun of the trip, for the purposes of helping to market our programs (she is the Principal of CIIS) and because she is Sikh and loves Amritsar. Anyway, at the last minute she had to stay back, so charged Seguinder with the task of making sure we got a guide at the Golden Temple, AND taking us to a famous dhaba for Amritsar kulcha. Two MOST important things.

Somehow, a guide was not available, and waiting for an hour for one to materialize still produced NO GUIDE, so the old guy in the Information office sat us down and, with the help of a little guide book, explained the whole history of the Temple and the significance of everything therein. Only then could we go inside.

Everyone has to take off and check their shoes, and then walk through a cleansing trough of water before entering.  Men and women both are required to cover their heads. If you have head-covering with you, fine. Otherwise, they sell little kerchiefs for the purpose, and even have a box of cast-off kerchiefs one can take for free. 

The water surrounding the Temple is Holy Water.  Many people dip into it for a blessing or strip down and actually get right into the pool. We were told that 80,000 people per day are fed free at the kitchen located in one corner and there are free accomodations for anyone who wants to stay for up to three days. If you want more info. you should Google.

After leaving the Temple, we wandered down the narrow, cobbled, winding streets and shopped in a Dried Fruit and Nut establishment while Seguinder stopped at a Tikki vendor for a snack. Amritsar is known for its dried fruit, so many such stores abound. Every city has its own feel. Certainly true of Amritsar – a VERY old city dating back 500 years and purposely NOT being modernized to preserve its history.  Of course, the streets were teeming with vehicles, people, vendors. We saw many vendors with braziers selling roasted shuker kandi (sweet potatoes) as well as roasted chestnuts (singhara). If you chose one of the sweet potatoes, the wala would peel and cut it up into a little dish – squeeze on lemon juice, then green chutney, tamarind chutney then sprinkle it with masala – and VOILA. Or you can skip the chutneys.  These braziers looked so inviting in the dark with their glow from the coals.

Glowing coals of roasted sweet potatoes (Shuker kandi)

Roasted Chestnuts (Singhara)

Shuker kandi by night

Another shuker kandi vendor with Rob giving the delectables the once over;
note the little round lemons decorating the display

We headed to the dhaba for dinner. This dhaba is actually two dhabas, side by side. One is called Brothers Dhaba, and the other is called the same thing, only in Punjabi.  In the past, there was only one dhaba, run by both brothers. But I guess they had a falling out, so one of them opened his own dhaba RIGHT NEXT to the original. Funny. We all ordered the famous Amritsar kulcha which was as delicious as promised, though Seguinder, with a belly full of tikki, though the kulchas were heavy. They WERE filling, for sure. I saved one of mine for the drive home.

Amritsar Kulcha

I found out this morning that we have three marketing trips net week. Don/t know where we are going next!

Hansi

November 25, 2014 -- The Things you see

Yesterday I saw the BEST thing.

Just as we were nearing the school in our vehicle, we passed a man pulling his brahma bull along by a rope.  Over the bull was a beautiful blanket to keep it warm, but the blanket had been actually TAILORED to exactly fit the hump - just like you might have a cover for you toaster, or your food processor.  So there was the "hump cosy " - cut and sewn decoratively to perfectly fit the hump - from which the rest of the blanket fell gracefully over the animal.   I did not have time to snap a picture, and am just KICKING myself about that.  How kind was that man to make such a warm, lovely garment for his beast of burden.  It went beyond functional to "styled" and actually decorated - and I can imagine that man telling the tailor how he wanted that blanket to look.

So many things to admire about this country.

Hansi

November 24, 2014 -- Flour Mill and Aloo Tikki

Hi there all,

Vinod, a guy who drives with us every day (Principal of another of our schools at CGI) got into the car one night with a huge bagful of wheat he had been given by a student (farm family).  He told us he would get it ground into flour.  We thought, “Yeah, right.  That’ll be convenient!”

We told him we thought that might be more trouble than it was worth to which he replied, “Oh, there is a mill very close to my house,” and Harpreet agreed with him.  We were skeptical.

Well, it turns out that once you start looking for flour mills, they keep popping up everywhere. In fact, on our walk over to Phase 5 yesterday, we discovered one right in the thick of things. By golly! Now that I know this, if someone offers me a big bag of wheat, I’m going to accept it!

In Phase 5 we found Amrit Bakery.  This is a large modern bakery shop with sweets (not just Indian sweets) and savory things.  It also has a dairy case with milk, yogurt and some cheese, but I think only processed cheeses by Amul Dairy here.   At the back of the store was a large counter full of many different cookies, and low and behold, staring me in the face, were dark brown crinkle ginger cookies.  Oh goodie.  Sometimes, looks can be deceiving, so we asked to taste one, and yes, it was up to my high standards – very spicy almost hot ginger taste, reminiscent of the great ginger cookies laced with candied ginger that we used to be able to buy.  So we said we would take a half kilo, which turns out to be two giant bagsful of ginger cookies.  Good grief!  I have been craving gingerbread [which I cannot make without a) an oven and b) molasses] but now I don’t have to as the cookies suffice.

The quantity is not going to be a problem.  We took two jars to work today to share with friends, and…Milo has found what’s left, in the drawer.  They won’t last long.

After work tonight on the drive home we were talking food.  Harpreet said, “Shall we stop in Phase 7 and get aloo tikka?”  Now Rob wrote in June about going with Harpreet to this street vendor to have aloo tikka – basically a potato cake – cooked outside on a nearly flat wok.  This is another kind of chaat or street snack.

So we stopped, found the guy busily at work and ordered 6 -  one each for Harpreet, Rob, me, and Aman, our driver, plus two take-out for Milo and Harpreet’s dad.  I will attach pictures.  These went well beyond any potato cake I have ever had, and could be one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten (well, this week, at least).  Start with two crispy (on the outside) potato cakes, crumble papri - a crisp fried flour disc (or papdi - not sure if there is a difference) on top, then spoon on plenty of tamarind chutney, then yogurt, then green chutney made of coriander leaves .  Don’t forget a handful of thinly sliced onion.  Voila!  Aloo tikka!  Harpreet says this guy comes to that spot every evening at 5 and sells tikka until 8 pm or whenever he runs out – and he sells out every night, so you do not dare get there too late. 

Aloo Tikka almost ready

The finishing touches

Aloo Tikka--Yummy!

Hansi

P.S. I forgot to mention that in a case in front of the Amrit Bakery were several goodies for purchase.  Two that amused me are the pasta roll and pasta pizza both of which I imagine would be a dietician's worst nightmare.  Probably delicious.  Heck, you could always serve lots of greens on the side, right?

November 22, 2014 -- Kalagram Cultural Event

We went to a huge cultural event here on Sunday - on for a week - which features handicrafts and clothing from all the states of India as well as food stalls serving up traditional dishes from each of these areas. 

We decided to try a couple of things from the Gujarati stall - a little hesitantly - and both were delicious.  It is surprising how different the spices and dishes can be from state to state.  We had a big stuffed chili pepper called murchi bhajji - full of potatoes and gram flour then battered and deep-fried (with the little stem sticking out one end).  We also had kachauri - a stuffed thick patty-shaped thing (deep-fried, so crispy on the outside) which I believe was stuffed with moong dal (lentils) After purchase, the top  was  broken open by the seller (of course, with his thumbs) who then spooned tamarind chutney and mint/coriander chutney into the hole. Very good indeed.  

Gujarati stall at festival

Many, many stalls had hand-crafted items from all over India – purses, shoes, kurtas, saris, rugs, shawls, etc.   Sort of overwhelming , ( and ALSO, we had neglected to go to the Bank Machine before reaching the Event),  so bought very little.  However, we enjoyed the cultural aspect of the Mela (means Fair, ) – Rajasthani puppet show, dancers from the Punjab, Assam, Rajasthan, etc. 

No pony rides here

One man  (also from Rajasthan) was dancing around in a ring to the sound of flute and drum– wearing a highly decorated horse body (no Silly, not a real horse) I would have loved to own that horse suit.  I will attach a few  pictures of the Kalagram Fair. 

We have been searching for a cribbage board in any store that looks promising – since I got here.  We bought a deck of cards but the actual cribbage board is not to be had (nor understood, to be honest)  Today, Rob and I made one of the homeliest cribbage boards ever fashioned, but bear in mind that we have no tools here,  and no stationery supplies either without hoofing up to the little shop near  us and desperately trying to make them understand what we need.  It turns out that staples are called “pins” here and rulers are called “scales.”  Today’s purchase, push pins, are referred to as “drawing pins”   We’re learning . . . 

Homemade Cribbage Board

We walked down to sector 5 to mail a parcel this afternoon.  That gave us an opportunity to pass the auto market which is just a series of storefronts – none much wider than a roll-front door - in a row(basically the whole block)  which are dedicated to fixing cars and scooters.  There are no garages – just the sidewalk and curb – so mechanics are deconstructing motors or painting cars right out to the street so that to pass, one has to go out into the traffic to get by.  Tools are laid out on the ground, oil pans, grease rags, mechanics, waiting auto- owners, - dozens of each of these things crowd that whole block.  Serious industry at work there.

Curbside touch-up paint while you wait

Curbside car repair

Curbside motorcycle repair

Outdoor motorcycle repair

We had to stop to take a picture of the “ speaker car” which had gone past our house this morning but was still driving up and down  the main street blaring its message this afternoon.  Many, many years ago, I remember that messages were delivered to neighbourhoods by speaker car, but of course, none that looked like this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv4U_NxRXPs&feature=youtu.be

   Proselytizing Rickshaw

I surely have mentioned the dyers who set up shop on a street corner.  All they need is a fire, a big pot and their box of powered dyes.  People bring them articles of clothing to dye – usually dupattas to match a lady’s Punjabi suit or curtains etc.  These dyers are amazingly accurate matching a desired colour.  I have already  told about getting the pillowcases dyed some time ago, but I just had to stop on my way past today to snap a picture.  The finished work gets hung up on a clothesline to dry.

Street Corner Dyer

Hansi

November 22, 2014 -- Phase 7 Market

Hi all

I've just acquired a new video editor (Apple QuickTime Pro) which takes the HUGE video files from my iPhone and compresses them down to a reasonable size for uploading to YouTube. Try the link below and let me know how it works out:

http://youtu.be/UjV5SinIaFg

FYI: This is a huge fruit and veggie market which sets up every Thursday and Sunday in a field in Phase 7 - a 20-25 minute walk from us down the main drag (Sarovar Path aka Cricket Stadium Road) where all of our other shops are lined up. There are also vendors selling spices (big burlap bags full), vegetable oils, jilebis, popcorn, cookies, crisps, samosas and other sundries.

The video captures a little of the sense of the market which is a cacophony of visual delight with a strong audio track! The vendors tend to group according to their wares: mountains of tomatoes, heaps of bananas, stacks of apples, red carrots, green beans, mangoes a-go-go and all of the other items Hansi has mentioned. Aside from certain staples (potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, carrots, eggplant and the like) the market has delectable seasonal goodies which is what makes it such a treat. Last summer mangoes (many, many varieties - same as we have with apples or peaches) were everywhere. Now we're seeing lots of apples, oranges, tangerines, peanuts, green beans, cauliflower, bitter gourd - the list is long and our enjoyment of it all is great.

Competition is keen so the vendors are hawking the virtues of their wares at full voice - gotta love it. When we come across a fruit or vegetable that we don't recognize, there's always a customer to ask and help out since the vendors, by and large, don't speak English. The same applies for prices, although we can usually get the drift by holding up fingers - everything is sold by the Kg (all kinds of weigh scales, accuracy questionable but what the heck, right?). Sometimes people will just stop and tell us what the price should be because us "foreigners" might be overcharged (ya think?). Actually that's unfair to say - by and large I'd say we pay the same as everyone else.

When it comes to auto-rickshaw fares that is definitely NOT the case, however. Typically the initial fair quote is more than 2-3 times what an Indian would pay. We bargain down to about 2 times what the fare should be and then pay the full fare anyway when we add in a tip. Example: In Sector 17 which is about 10kms from our apartment in sector 3B2, an Indian would pay 80-90 rupees:

"How much to 3B2?"

"200 rupees."

"No way, we'll pay 100."

"Not possible, 180 only."

"No, no, still way too much."

"OK, 150."

"Nope, we'll ask this other driver" (as we walk away).

"No, no. 120."

"All right" (we agree reluctantly and hop in).

Twenty-five minutes later after a wonderful ride through the traffic, which is up and personal in a rickshaw, we arrive and give the driver 200 rupees anyway (I know, I know but it's the principle of the thing and it's only about $4).

Rob

November 17, 2014 -- Peanuts etc.

I just want to share a few pictures of things that interest me.

First thing

For maybe a month or more , we are seeing vendors with carts on the road, or men sitting on the sidewalk beside a HUGE pile of peanuts – in the shell. Ah, so it’s peanut season!

Roasted Peanut Vendor

These guys roast their peanuts right where they sit, using a method of heating up sand until very hot – then adding the peanuts. You can buy a little paper of them for a few rupees or get a kilo or about 80 rupees. Delish, and HOT! I am also enclosing the info I found on Wikipedia.

Second Thing
In all the markets here, we see street food of every description being prepared and voraciously eaten until quite late every night. When we go out in the evening to our local street market, no matter what we have eaten for dinner, the sight and aromas of these various stalls is very enticing. One such cart makes paneer kabobs. Big hunks of cheese are skewered with green peppers, onions and tomatoes and then doused with tikka season (very reddish) before barbequing on a grill. Rob is tortured by these every time, so one day, we will have to try one out. You know we don’t really eat street food, because our gut is used to different microbes – plus, it is not possible to know about the hygiene practise of those who prepared it. But, we are getting a little bolder, the longer we are here – and figure that when food has been cooked at high temperature, it probably is safe for us foreigners. See Picture.

Paneer Kabobs

The Third thing is Chaat
My friend Shilpa used to RAVE about CHAAT. Her favourite street food – though she could never quite make me understand WHAT it was.

The picture I already sent from Pondicherry of that delicious concoction of chickpeas, onion, tomatoes and cilantro in a huge dish – ready to be scooped onto little plates – was a chaat. 

Chat with chickpeas

A very common snack we see in the markets is called Bhelpuri – Crunchy Snack. – another chaat. People just LOVVVVVVE it and I’m sure it is tasty. Pour in enough tamarind chutney and anything would be tasty, methinks. I am attaching a picture and a description from a recipe site I found online. I think the Bhelpuri in the picture has corn flakes, as well as puffed rice.

Bhelpuri

Bhelpuri (Hindi भेलपूरी, Marathi भेळ) is a savoury Indian snack, and is also a type of chaat. It is made out of puffed rice, vegetables and a tangy tamarind sauce.

I know, I know – another email about FOOD. Simple pleasures. What can I say?

From Wikipedia
Hot sand frying is a common cooking technique for street-side food vendors in China and India to cook chestnuts and peanuts. A large wok is filled with black sand and heated to high temperature. Nuts are buried in the hot sand and occasionally turned with a spatula, then the sand and nuts are separated through a wire-mesh screen.

Hansi

November 16, 2014 -- This & That

Hi all

Just a few odds and ends. There is a Barrista Coffe shop just around the corner from us where we can get a very nice Cappuccino - see attached. So far we've avoided the Swiss Hot Chocolate . . .

Harpreet (CIIS Academic Principal and good friend) took us to visit the Banda Singh Bahadur memorial on the way home from work last week (same day we saw the peacocks). This commemorates a fierce warrior and leader from the 1700s who fought the Mughals - see Google for the complete story. It is beautiful, new (opened 2013 and still not quite complete) and very peaceful. As usual (seems so to us), a few groups of school girls arrived just as we did and they followed us around screwing up the courage to ask for a photograph (we're in 100s of photographs from all over India by now). Cute kids and why they us in their pictures . . . ?

Hansi & Rob in the obligatory "school girl" photo

Hansi and Harpreet at Banda Singh Bahadur Memorial

School term is winding down (December 8 is the last day of classes) and I'm looking forward to the time when I do not have any classroom prep work (I'd forgotten how much work is involved). Teaching classes of Indian students is an experience second to none and I've enjoyed both great joy and major frustration. The "kids" area delight (they stand when you enter the classroom and thank you on the way out), often funny, always sociable and frequently having a laugh at me in Punjabi. Their work habits are all over the place ranging from studious "keeners" to major "slackers" (not too different than Canada). But, given their school experience until now (lots of rote memorization, very little faculty interaction other than punitive and berating, a lot of "nannying" to keep them focussed on their work, little or no independent work expectations, family intervention at school to get them "off the hook" etc etc), the road to our way of teaching/learning is a tough one.

It is gratifying to see the positive changes in attitude and English proficiency that have taken place since we all started last August - makes it all worthwhile. This model (first year in India and then transfer to Canada to complete degree/diploma at Canadian partner institution) works and I only wish there were more Canadian faculty over here.

Hansi and I are off (by auto rickshaw, of course) to a big outdoor craft show or mela which is on the other side of Chandigarh from us. Sounds like fun - it's cool and sunny and maybe we'll get a little nosh to boot!

Rob