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August 22 Ginger snap!Ok... Katy and I have a resolution to try and make Indian food once a week. It was a little bit of a challenge at first because Holland isn't necessarily the spice capital of the world. However, with persistence, we have been collecting spices...some of them come from our repeated visits to India, we buy some online, and we can even buy some in Holland. However, that isn't the only challenge, cooking Indian food requires different tools, different utensils, and wide open windows! We have also, with dogged determinedness, collected the tools of the trade. Our kitchen is now "stocked" (relatively) with enough items to have an Indian meal when the mood hits. Our weekly foray into Indian cuisine took a hit last week when we were planning on making vadas (a deep fried appetizer) and coconut chutney. Now, vadas are my specialty...big move considering how little I know about cooking. Our (mis)adventures with the chutney have been well documented. Last week, we finally had everything in place for a good snack when I stopped by the grocery store to pick up one little item for the chutney... ginger! Now, walking around the vegetable aisle with a basket strapped around an elbow can be entertaining only for so long. I could not find the ginger ANYWHERE. I finally stopped one of the "runner" and asked him where I could find the ginger. He told me that there was a recall a few days back and they were out of ginger and not expecting them back anytime soon! My Indian-ness honestly couldn't believe it...seriously... how can you cook Indian food without ginger?! Fortunately we had some in a jar at home and were able to manage. It was still a little weird... and yesterday, I was back looking for more ginger... and this worker that I finally asked looked at me like I had 2 heads when I said I wanted some ginger! They are still OUT... anybody know where I can find ginger in Holland? How come I didn't hear of this "ginger ban"? Maybe it happened when I was in India? Hmm....strange... Speaking of being unaware...I got to meet some lovely ladies from the Red Hat Society yesterday. I just don't get how I could have lived in the US for as long as I have and not seen them around! Of course, now that I have seen them, I will most definitely see them all over the place... funny how life works huh?:) Hope you are enjoying a wonderful day... August 07 Captain Bluetooth and the Cardamom Princess(I lost the entire blog I had typed up...so this is take 2) Katy and I are back in the U.S.A. Our flight back was pretty uneventful which is really how all flights need to be. We got in late Thursday night and we had just enough time to make sure our house was "functional" again before we crashed. I love travelling westward because you gain time back. I also think that it works well to arrive around 9 PM because all you can do at that time is make your bed and then go to sleep! You might have the "wake up at 2 AM feeling hungry" feeling but for the most part this is a lot easier than travelling eastward to India. You usually arrive there in the wee hours of the morning and you have to fight to stay awake all day. For a lot of people, the sensory overload that is India is usually the perfect recipe to staying awake. In any case, we got to bed.
Katy and I really did not have the chance to ease into life here. On friday, I had to participate in a rehearsal and dinner for a couple that is special to us. On Saturday, I had to perform a wedding (almost all of it except the "pronouncement"). It was quite an honor and privilege. Teresa, one of my youth group treasures, married Dan, a techie that is so dear to my heart. The wedding was beautiful, the bride resplendant, and the groom smooth. We had a lot of fun visiting with people we hadn't seen in a long time. It was also fun to see people we do see on occassion together under one roof.
So, it is now Tuesday morning and the pile around me on my desk seems to keep growing. I have a lot of catching up to do but I am also going through some of the photos and videos that were shot this summer in India. It got me thinking about how our summer really went. Katy and I went through a big learning curve. I think every time we lead teams to India, we grow in experience and we have new chapters that we are constantly learning. Our trip this summer was no different. We learned so much. A lot of people come to India, and their experiences are quite life-changing on different levels. However, I have noticed the tendency to compartmentalize the entire experience into "You won't believe what I ate" or "I'm so thankful for all the stuff I have" or "Our group was amazing!" I was pleasantly surprised when I talked to some people on this group who actually got it. India was not some strange land they were entering as passive observers. They wanted to be active participants. These are the people who wanted to hear stories. They wanted to appreciate India for what it was. These people do not idealize India and neither do they villify it. And some even go the extra mile to observe their own country and culture through the lens of India. I have always said and believed that I learned so much more about India after having left it.
There is a busy fall looming for us. I have another trip to India scheduled in November. This will be with yet another group. Should be good. Also, we hope that my parents can come and spend some time with us during the month of October. As far as my American parents go, its their anniversary today...so Happy Anniversary mom and dad!:)
I am adding some photos from the weekend. I apologize for the poor resolution on some of them. Hope you are all having a beautiful day! |
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