January 22, 2001 - How I met Miss Velankanni.
January 22, 2001 - How I met Miss Velankanni. |
Vela To The Rescue I met Vela on my first trip to Madras in January 1998. She saved my life. I am a very seasoned traveler. I had just spent one week in Singapore mastering the entire public transportation systems in just three days... without any guide books. I have lived in Beirut and Japan while attending school and have traveled throughout 30 countries from Europe to New Zealand. I eagerly enjoy learning about new and different cultures. Therefore, I was expecting no trouble. I planned a simple three month trip in India starting in the south and working north. Wrong! |
|
|
The Shock Of India The shock of India was overwhelming. Some people complain of the poverty or the lack of sanitation. That is nothing! The real shock of India is how the people think and how they react to you. It is more than crazy. It is absolutely insane! Nothing in the world prepares you for India. It is like the "negative universe" where all the rules of physics are backwards. Nothing makes sense. There is no logic to it. Everything works the opposite of what you expect. (Vela bought me the cap to protect |
Is The Food Safe To Eat? When I arrived in India, I had a tiny supply of dried fruit with me. That was all. I was afraid to eat anything I saw India. I knew it was safe to eat oranges from street vendors but that was all. So... after five days of having nothing substantial to eat, I was extremely hungry. A tiny, skinny beggar child approached me and asked for 5 rupees. Naturally, I refused. Unlike the other kids who ask for money, the little girl then pointed to a restaurant and ask for a meal. I had already looked at the local restaurants (actually restaurants are called "hotels" and hotels are called "lodges") and was horrified. Having lived in Arabic countries, I personally know the dangers of eating even the slightest bit of unclean food or dirty water in a tropical climate. In cold climates, bacteria dry out or are too cold to multiply rapidly, But in hot and humid weather, bacteria can poison food in less than an hour. The inexpensive hotels in Madras are as unsanitary as anything you can possibly imagine. I was totally afraid to eat anything I saw. By now, I was desperate. |
Here is one of the breakfast foods of southern India called Rice Pungle. This is the only food in southern India which actually comes with a spoon. All the rest, you eat with your right hand. Actually Rice Pungle is very good but you will rarely find it on the menu. The ball seems to be a mixture of steamed rice and and other grains. The white sauce is supposed to be from coconut but never tastes like it. The yellow stuff is a soup like mixture for wetting the rice. The green thing is a banana leaf which you can wash before you eat on it. In Arabia, people often eat with their fingers. In India, people eat with their whole hand, mashing and wetting the food to create the proper consistency. |
When Vela is happy, she smiles and she loves to pose for cameras. She looks like a boy in this photo because of the haircut. (A fun story.) (Vela, 1998) |
I Want Dinner! So after a few seconds of thought, I took another look at the girl's face. She was not particularly beautiful but she had a special look about her. So again I asked what she wanted. Again, she pointed to the hotel and indicated that she wanted a meal. So I said, "Yes". We walked across the street to the hotel and she told the cashier what she wanted. I paid what he asked and I indicated to the girl to sit down at one of the tables. To everyone's surprise, I sat down opposite her and waited until they brought her meal. The food was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It looked horrible. The tiny metal dishes were different from anything I had ever used before. And to top it all off, there were absolutely no utensils. I was even more surprised by the method which the girl ate her food. She really seemed to enjoy wetting, mixing, and smashing her food with her fingers while combining it with a stew before throwing it into her mouth. I definitely would have starved to death before I had figured this out. |
Looking at the food, I was certain the girl would surely die from eating it. I felt sorry for poisoning her. When the little girl was finished, we left the restaurant and outside she shook my hand with a single up and down motion and she disappear in the crowded streets. At dinner time, she appeared again. I carefully looked to see if she was still healthy. The food had not killed her nor did she appear to be sick from the food. So we went to the same hotel and this time when she ordered, I casually indicated that I wanted the same. This time the food was different but no less frightening. I simply watched the girl and did what she did.. as best I could... while everyone watched and quietly laughing. This is how I met Vela. And for the next three months, she kept me alive. (And now I am trying to keep her alive.) |
When we go on trips, we begin the day with breakfast. Mari's brother is our rickshaw driver so I ask him to eat with us. In the picture are Ramu, Kumar, Vela, and Prabhu with a waiter who looks like a hero in a Tamil movie. The green is a banana leaf which is more sanitary than the wet metal plate underneath. Initially, I would ask Vela to order food for us. Later, I was able to order things in Tamil. It is surprising how much the kids will teach you. Kumar will even show you how to wear a Lingee which is a simple skirt for men which is the national dress for Tamil men. |
|
