Dehra Dun Bazaar

As I mentioned yesterday, we spent the weekend of Quarter Break in Dehra Dun, at the President Hotel. On Saturday morning we enjoyed walking deep into Paltan Bazaar beyond the Clock Tower. We were amazed at many of the shops selling modern appliances, up-to-date camping equipment, and a wild variety of other items. The pictures are some random shots I took.

Water Chestnuts for Sale

Chicken Shop

(note they sell Chicken, Eggs and Frozen)

Green Vegetables for Sale

Parked Motorcycles and Scooters

Wedding Car

Fall Break

Last weekend was the 4-day holiday over Gandhi’s birthday. It marked the end of the first quarter of the academic year. Some staff took a break away from Mussoorie, others just relaxed at home. And one of my co-workers cared for another staff member’s two children aged 1 and 4. A brave soul!

Dan and I spent the weekend in Dehra Dun, where we relaxed, did some shopping, and spent some time with our old friend Ajit Singh.

I’ve been thinking about the same break we had in 1969. Our son was 6 months old and my parents came to visit us from the US. We had a pleasant week or so here in Mussoorie then we headed to Delhi and Agra for the holiday. My memories from 40 years ago are a bit muddled, but two things stand out: walking through the Delhi Zoo in the heat, my father paused, wiped his sweaty face, and muttered “Mad dogs and Englishmen…” I always thought this was a quote from Kipling, but just learned that it is from a song by Noel Coward.

Another memory was while we were staying at the Clark’s Shiraz Hotel in Agra (very posh, above our usual standard in those days). We went to the hotel dining room for dinner fairly late (I suspect they didn’t even begin serving until 8:00 or so) and left our baby sleeping in the hotel room. There was a bearer in the hall and we asked him to call us from the dining room if he heard crying. In the US these days, we would probably be arrested for child endangerment, but it seemed OK at that time in those circumstances. (And he evidently didn’t wake up or cry while we were gone.)

I know that first sight of the Taj Mahal was wonderful, but I can’t remember it now separately from the times I’ve been there since.

New Bridge

The path between Edgehill and the hospital, which we take on our way from Uncle Tom’s Cabin to the bazaar, has had a bad break in it. The landslide that took part of the path goes all the way down to the road, probably 300 feet or so. I had to tread very carefully, staying close to the khud (hillside). Last week it was repaired by spanning the break with beams, rebar, and cement to form a bridge. It’s a little creepy walking on it, knowing that there is nothing under the outer side. But it appears to be very strong and does the job. It’s not a place where a new pushta (retaining wall) could easily be built, as is done at many spots where the mountain falls away. All this reminds me that the Himalayas are the newest mountains in the world and are still continually on the move. (We felt a small earthquake just last week.) It will be many many centuries before the loose land has completely settled and it becomes like the Shivaliks, the mountains to the south of us that are some of the oldest.

View of crumbling rock from on the bridge.

View approaching bridge from the bazaar side.

Birthday

The birth of a child or grandchild is a celebratory event in India. The new parent or grandparent often provides sweets for the friends and neighbors.

My co-worker, Immu, has two daughters who are living in Australia. Immu is Ethiopian and her husband is Indian. They live at the top of Landour hill. Immu’s daughter gave birth to the first grandchild a year ago. Now she and her husband and little Tariku are here volunteering at the school in the P.E. department. Last Saturday was Tariku’s first birthday. Because Tariku was born in Australia (and Immu went there to visit during that time), she did not celebrate his birth here in India.

So on Friday we had a special tea put on by Immu, with a nice cake and freshly-made samosas. All the staff were invited. It was a lovely occasion and I have a nice picture of Immu with her grandson.

During the gym dedication on the 18th, Tariku enjoyed playing around and another staff member caught a good photo of him.

Chips

I don't know if you can see it clearly here, but all the potato chip and snack products that are in sealed bags swell up here. The high altitude (6500-7000 feet) affects the air pressure and the bags look like they are almost bursting. It looks funny when you first see it.

Yes, Lay's is here, along with other brands. A popular flavor of Lay's is "India's Magic Masala." Kurkure are cheese doodles with added spices. Recently I've seen "Hippo" brand chips, which advertise themselves as baked, not fried. What we call crackers in the U.S., I guess.

There is no lack of snack food here. Another one we like is called "Cracker Nuts," and they are peanuts coated with a kind of pakora batter and fried (I'm sure). Very tasty! And of course the very best are the samosas freshly made from a sweet shop, not packed in sealed bags.

Test Post

No great new information; I'm just testing the Notes Link feature of Facebook to see if my blog posts will automatically come in as status updates.

Household Help

It is a common thing in this culture to have employees who help with daily household chores. Last spring when we stayed in the school guestroom, someone came in daily to sweep, clean the bathroom, and remove the garbage. He also changed the sheets and towels weekly. I washed my personal laundry by hand and hung it out on the balcony and we hired a dhobi (washerman) who came to take our outer clothes for cleaning weekly. This time our place is more remote from campus and not served by the regular school cleaners.

We’ve been supplied everything we need – two sets of sheets and towels, table linens, pots, dishes, fridge, two-burner gas cooktop, etc. But we have had to arrange for our own additional helpers. There is an association called Mussoorie Clean that sends someone around to all the houses daily to pick up garbage. It is taken to a central place, sorted, recycled, burned and disposed of properly (a great improvement over the past, when garbage was dumped anywhere). Our neighbor volunteered to share the ayah Guddi who works for her. She comes in for about 45 minutes to an hour twice a week. She cleans the bathroom, sweeps the floors, mops the kitchen, and does my hand-washing. She is a lovely, pleasant woman and she is happy for the additional (although small) income. Her husband works as a security guard for the school.

More on the dhobi next week.

Signs

I always enjoy looking at signs in English (especially when they have humorous misspellings) and like to photograph them when I can. Here are a couple from our last bazaar trip. The menu from the Inder Restaurant (above the well-known Inder Bengali Sweet Shop in Kulri) is painted on the wall of the building. Sometime I must try some of their interesting items. I see this every week when we go for pooris at Agarwal's.

This one is a small shop right across the corner from Picture Palace. I couldn’t resist its spelling of communication – an area in which we all struggle at times. And how great that you can have a cup of "espressoo" while you get your Xeroxing done.

It’s a Small World After All

Everyone who has ever been associated with Woodstock School (or other international experiences) has multiple small-world stories. I always enjoy them and of course have many of my own. Here’s a new one that happened Friday evening after the gym dedication during supper.

I took my plate of dosa and sambar into the staff dining room area where it was quiet and I could sit at a table to eat. Two high-school students were in there and I started talking with them, asking them about themselves and their future plans (they are seniors). The girl, Han-Sol, said she was hoping to attend the new college of New York University in Abu Dhabi. Immediately I told her about our alumna and former staff member, Susan Downs, who teaches in the American School in Abu Dhabi. She was here with her family for the gym dedication, so I went out into the Quad, found her, brought her into the dining room, and introduced them. Susan knows some of the people involved in getting NYU started there and she was able to exchange contact information with Han-Sol. I hope it works out well for all of them! I would guess that many of you reading this blog have your own stories that are similar. I'd be happy for you to share them in the comments.

Sorry, no pictures today!

Win Mumby Gym Dedication

This place really knows how to put on a gala event! Friday afternoon began with a special tea served in the Quad. The area was covered and twinkling lights were installed overhead. Many invited guests were there, along with representatives from the Mumby and Downs families. By 4:45 everyone was seated in the new gym for the dedication ceremony. Not only is it world-class, but it was constructed in record time, under budget, and with every brick and supply brought up on mules from Tehri Road. (See April posts "Noontime Walks" and "Win Mumby Gym" for more on the gym construction.) The equipment is all top-notch. The bleachers can seat over 750 people. And it was full with students, staff, and many guests. There are many more (and better) pictures and information on the Woodstock website at woodstock.ac.in. Marc Mumby, nephew of Win and Carol Mumby, has been blogging about his trip and the new gym at mmumby.wordpress.com. He has good pictures on his site, too. Following the dedication, a wonderful dinner was served in the Quad for all attendees. There were food stations for North and South Indian food, burgers and hot dogs, salads, and a variety of desserts (the lemon tarts were amazing!). Thanks to Sanjay Narang for bringing in special chefs.

Some special guests at the tea. (Amita Alter, Saroj Kapadia, Ellen Alter, Bhavanesh Kumari, Bob Alter)

The hit of the event was the Woodstock Tiger. Later in the evening he even went to the elementary school residence to tuck the youngsters into bed.

Exhausted and hot! The fan inside the head wasn't quite enough. (Darab Nagarwalla)

Board Meetings

Last week was a busy blur of meetings and activities. Thursday the various committees of the board held meetings. These include Buildings and Grounds, Development Advisory, Education, Audit, Finance, Governance and Nominations, and Student Life. Much of the work of the board gets done in these committee meetings, and the chair of each reports in the full board meeting. This year I was invited to sit in on the full board meetings. They took place Friday from 8:30 to 3:30 and Saturday 8:00 to 12:00. I found them very informative and helpful. I was very impressed with the dedication and caring for the school that all the board members showed, alumni and others alike.

In preparation for the major event of the weekend, the dedication of the Win Mumby gym, brown and gold windbreakers were given out to board members, staff, and others. Here is a picture of Ajay Mark modeling the jacket. (More tomorrow on the gym.)

Walking to School

The house we are staying in, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, is above Edgehill, on a level with Maple Cottage. My walk to school descends on a major path past the entrance to Edgehill proper (dorm for young students), above Woodstock Villa (where we lived 1968-71), outside the door to Tafton, and down to the gate. It is wide all the way, with concrete steps at the steepest parts. Here are some of the views:

Flowers (a bit like petunias):

Sunshine on the Springview corner:

Drying (dying) ferns:

Monsoon

Sunday morning we awoke to one of the best sights of the monsoon season – a clear sky and bright sunshine. It lasted until about 10:30, when the mists began to roll in again. Our place has been sitting empty for a while so is a bit musty. It will be good once the rains are finished and we can open it up to the outside air. I did a little handwashing of quick-dry items Sunday morning and they were still slightly damp Tuesday morning.

The monsoon is probably the most beautiful time of the year in Mussoorie. Everything is green: paths are overgrown with vegetation, trees have ferns growing out of their trunks, and flowers are blooming (hydrangeas and cosmos are the ones I recognize). The end of the monsoon is heralded by the ferns turning brown on the edges, and that seems to have already begun. The temperature fluctuates, but is mostly comfortable. When I wear a sweater in the morning, I will take it off and put it back on numerous times throughout the day. The evenings are cool in our cabin.

Settling In

We are staying in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a cottage on the Edgehill Estate, which was purchased by Woodstock School last spring from Interserve. It has been sitting empty for a while but was nicely outfitted by the school’s hospitality department (thank you, Mrs. Chelvam!). It is cozy but spacious, with three bedrooms and a nice-sized kitchen and living area. We had left a number of things here – clothing, kitchen items, books, etc. Everything got unpacked and stowed away in the roomy cupboards by suppertime. [The picture isn't bad; that's monsoon mist floating around the cabin.]

It rained lightly most of the night but let up mid-morning. We headed into the bazaar to pick up some basic necessities – tomato soup mix, jam, fruit, juice, etc. I also wanted a soap dish with drainage holes. Mine is solid and the soap just melts in this kind of damp weather. Mr. Goel, whose store sells all kinds of plastic and crockery items, welcomed us back and reminded us he is now 80. Dan told him his father is almost 91, and Mr. Goel replied that after all he is 85, but he feels younger! Last spring we would often see him walking in the far end of the bazaar, so he does get around pretty well.

We are at a good location for getting to the bazaar quite quickly. We can cut down through the hospital just around the bend below us. The path that goes more directly to the top of Mullingar Hill is overgrown, narrow and full of trash. In the other direction, it’s a quick walk to Woodstock Villa, down to the road, and into the school gate.

Back in Mussoorie

We arrived back in Mussoorie on Friday, September 11. It wasn’t raining, but the monsoon mist is here.

Our trip out was excellent; we spent five days in Amsterdam and one in Delhi. In Amsterdam Susan Strickler-Polstra ‘77 met us and showed us around the city. We stayed in the Van Onna Hotel very near the Anne Frank House. It was comfortable and a great location. We walked miles all over the central city, including a visit to the Van Gogh Museum. On Sunday afternoon, Susan hosted some other former WS students – Maria Franken Affourtit ’70 and Afshaan Shafi ’78. And Susan’s daughter Anya Polstra was a SAGE student in 2007-08. It was a pleasure to visit with these students we knew long ago. On our last day, Tuesday, Susan took us to The Hague by train where we were able to visit Liana Gertsch ’80. We went to the beach, where we saw people frolicking in the cold North Sea waters – it was an unusually warm day. We also walked through the historic parliament buildings on our way to the train station. When we arrived back in Amsterdam, Susan’s husband Thijs picked us up at the station and we drove to the village of Marken for Dutch pankoekken for supper. A lovely end to a great trip. We also got over the major portion of our jet lag while we were there, making the transition here in India very easy. The picture below is the canal outside our hotel.

We didn’t do much in one day in Delhi. It had rained record amounts in the 24 hours previous and right after our arrival. In the afternoon we took the Metro to Connaught Place where we hoped to visit Doma in her shop. However, the rain had kept her home and her grandson Tashi was minding the store alone. Our friends Sandeep and Anju Lal ’91 Tikku picked us up there on Janpath and drove us back to Karol Bagh and our hotel. We had a pleasant evening of visiting and dining.

As always, we were happy to board the Dehra Dun Shatabdi train early on Friday morning. We met up with Peter Bittenbender ’77, whose wife is now teaching at WS, and shared a taxi up the hill. It’s good to be back!

Heading back to Mussoorie

Our trip back to India is just around the corner - we fly out on Thursday. We are fortunate to have a bus service from Mishawaka (about 45 minutes away) with a parking lot where we can leave our car for the entire time we are gone (for free!). We've done this several times for long periods of time and had no problems starting up when we returned. The bus goes directly to O'Hare Airport. We'll catch the 9:50 AM bus to make our 4:15 flight to Amsterdam. We are staying for a few days in Amsterdam, looking forward to seeing some former students, visiting museums, and walking along the canals. We might even get in some bicycle riding.

We'll arrive in Delhi on September 9 and have a day to recuperate. Then we'll take the Shatabdi train to Dehra Dun on the 11th and a taxi on up to Mussoorie. We'll be living in Uncle Tom's Cabin on the Edgehill Estate this time, so that will be a bit different from being right in the Quad.

I'm planning to start posting again regularly on Monday, September 14, when I'll be back in the Development Office at Woodstock.

Class of 1979 Reunion

We were happy to be included in the Woodstock class of 1979 reunion held at Dale Hollow Lake in Tennessee last weekend. It was almost a 9-hour drive from home and we arrived on Friday afternoon. After checking into our cabin, we chatted with the others and soon a pontoon boat came to pick us up. Five houseboats had been rented and driven to a secluded cove, about a 15-minute boat ride from the cabin and marina area. I would guess that about half the 80-or-so people were staying on the boats. They were tied up to shore so you could get from one to the next by land. Here you can see Dan and Deirdré on top of one with several others in the background.

James had done all the food gathering and preparation and passed it out to each boat. The evening meal was ribs, burgers, hot dogs, and wings. Each boat grilled its own and those of us from shore wandered from boat to boat choosing where to eat. Very informal but it worked well. In the early evening a rainstorm came through, just as some late arrivals were arriving by pontoon boat. They came in soaking wet but happy to be there. Someone got a bonfire going on the shore.

The next morning we had breakfast food in cabin number 8, which had the largest group of those staying on land. Around 9:00 the pontoons began shuttling us out to the houseboat area again. When we arrived there were lots of swimmers in the water enjoying the clear lake. Wayne brought his speedboat from California and took many trips with waterskiers and rafters. There were lots of kids and they had a great time all around.

Again as evening approached it rained, this time with thunder and lightning. A wonderful curry dinner was warmed up and rice was cooked and we again wandered from boat to boat eating.

There were several other staff members there as well as members of other classes from 1974 to 1981. It was so enjoyable to see former students that I hadn't seen in the past 30 years as well as others that I've seen more often. A number of us left on Sunday morning due to other commitments, but I'm sure the party continued well without us. Congratulations to James and Kevin for their incredible planning and organization.

I'll begin regular posts again once we are settled back in Mussoorie in mid-September.

Sunday at the WOSA/NA Reunion

I was too exhausted by Sunday evening to write up the day, and we've been on the way home ever since. Nice to be back at home for a few days!

The Sunday morning service of celebration was a wonderful combination of readings and music. Vance George directed the largest-ever choir in "Morning Has Broken" and the "Kyrie" from the Schubert Mass in G, accompanied by Addie Amstutz Yoder. Reid Blickenstaff played a movement from a Bach Cello Suite (on his violin), David Wagner played a recorder, and Robert Bonham played the piano. (I hope I didn't forget anyone!)

Paul Chaffee, class of 1963, did an excellent job of pulling together many people reading a wide variety of readings, mostly spiritual reflections on outdoor and environmental topics. Dan and I read the names of Woodstock friends who have died in the past year. This is always a moving moment for me, especially looking around the room and seeing many friends whose parents' names were read.

After lunch three of the workshops from Saturday were repeated. I enjoyed Bob Fleming's talk, but the quiz was far too hard for me! The pictures were amazing.

Just before the silent auction closed, there was a lot of activity in the bazaar. I assisted with the collating of purchases and it was amazing how many items were brought in and purchased by someone else. I thought I'd go take a rest, but I kept running into more people to talk with and just couldn't resist.

Supper was a barbecue held on the grassy lawn outside our dorms and seemed to be enjoyed by all. This pictures shows some of the tables positioned in the shade.

After the barbecue, Tim Manickam emceed a story-telling session in the center quadrangle of our dorms. There were many interesting stories. Once again, I realized how amazing Woodstock people are. This picture shows David Wagner, who chaired the reunion with his remarkable wife Connie, getting the stories going.

Next weekend Dan and I are attending the Class of 1979 plus friends reunion being held on a lake in Tennessee. I'll try to take some pictures and write about it when I get home.

Saturday at WOSA/NA

Last evening the opening session consisted mainly of welcome, announcements, and introductions. We ended by singing all the Woodstock School songs rousingly led by Charlene.

Today was the first full day of the reunion. The morning began with the WOSA/NA Annual Meeting, as required by our bylaws. We began with the business of last year's minutes, election of Council members, and thank you's. Nathan gave a brief presentation on SAGE with a student-produced video of the winter tour that was enjoyed by all. Chris introduced the theme of the next year's annual fund - "Raise Your Hand For Woodstock." He also announced the first annual Worldwide Woodstock Day on October 24 where Woodstockites everywhere are encouraged to get together and send a picture or recording of themselves to the school.

David Laurenson spoke about his first year as principal at the school. He was well received and there were good questions from the audience.

There are four workshops being presented twice. We attended Greg's talk on Biodiversity and Genetics. He explained complicated research topics in a way that we all could understand. Again, the questions from the audience were excellent.

In the afternoon there was free time for visiting, walking, choir practice, and whatever folks wanted to do. The bazaar area was busy most of the time. The khana was held in a gym in the evening. Unfortunately, the kitchen didn't quite realize the size of Woodstock appetites for Indian food and it ran a bit short at the end. The program focused on Outdoor Education at Woodstock and concluded with a slide show hike up Flag Hill.

WOSA/NA Reunion Gets Rolling

Today (Friday July 17) is the beginning of the annual WOSA/NA reunion. The WOSA/NA Council usually meets on this day before the reunion gets going in the late afternoon. This year we are at the University of Oregon in Eugene. We had a good session today with a special emphasis on fund-raising plans. The following two pictures show the Council hard at work. Please believe me when I say that we have much more fun than it looks like here!

After our meeting was completed, some of us went to the bazaar area where people were busily preparing their donated items for the silent auction and Li Chu was

organizing the sales table with some helpers.

This evening we will have supper together followed by the welcome session where we all get to see who else is here.

More tomorrow!

What Next

This will be my last blog post for a while. I plan to write about the WOSA-NA reunion in Eugene in July and put up some pictures. I am also attending the Class of 1979 plus Friends reunion in Tennessee the following weekend and will post a write-up of that. So check back here after July 17.

Dan and I are planning to return to Woodstock in mid-September for another volunteer stint. I have enjoyed my time here and have learned a lot. I can only hope that I have been of some help as well. I will probably begin posting regularly again at that time – there will be lots of special events going on here.

Thanks for reading!

Farewell for Now Part One

Friday will be my last day working in the WS Development and Alumni Relations Office as a volunteer. It has been an interesting and enjoyable two months. All of the people here work very hard for the school and for the alumni. They are involved with students and obviously care greatly about student welfare and the future of the school.

This office produces virtually all the communications you see about Woodstock – the Quad, the Brown and Gold, the website, E-News, letters, and other items. Managing the school website, Wsalumni.com, Facebook presence, and other online information can be very time-consuming. Planning and executing the Annual Fund appeal as well as working on other fund-raising issues are very important and can also take a lot of time.

One of the pleasures of being in this department is seeing alumni visitors, who stop here first when they come back to the school. Some are now parents of students, which shows that they value what they received here. Some come frequently, others after a long time away. One former student we knew came to visit in March after 30 years. It’s a treat to watch these visitors as they remember their time here as a student.

Tomorrow: What’s Next

Kulri Bazaar

The road from the Clock Tower to Picture Palace has changed dramatically. There are now tiny shops all the way with only a few breaks. One sad storefront is Thukral’s old shop. He was the school photographer for many years. A few years ago when we visited, Mrs. Thukral could be seen sitting on the stoop in a chair in the sun. It now appears completely closed.


Kulri is a tourist area, packed with cars and people, especially now in "the season." It also has many restaurants. The first one we ever ate at in 1968 was Neelam’s, with Diana Biswas. She introduced us to one of their signature dishes, Simla Mirch (stuffed green peppers). When we were there on Easter weekend we had it again in memory of her. The filthy curtain near the sink that everyone used to dry hands is gone (a good thing!). There used to be a small poori shop across the alley and below the other shops, but it is long gone. Now Agarwal’s across from the Inder Bengali Sweet Shop is where we go for poories (and Inder's still has the best rasgullah).

At the top of Kulri hill many businesses have been in the same location for years. Bata Shoes, the Kashmiri shop, Chic Chocolate and Bee Kay Opticians were all places we shopped long ago. Dan got a new pair of glasses at Bee Kay last month, and we always have to pick up a few Kashmiri things at that store.


The Kwality restaurant at the top of Kulri hill near Hamer’s and the old Rialto Cinema was a landmark, one of the few places a female could count on finding a place to relieve herself. Now the first floor is a Domino’s Pizza and the upper floor a Coffee Café Day. Hamer’s is still open but the cinema is long closed.
We are always looking for more books and the two bookshops in Mussoorie are right next to each other, Chander and Cambridge. Cambridge Book Depot has just undergone renovations. Both of them are packed with bookshelves and piles of books, mostly English paperbacks, Indian, American and English. Cambridge has a good display of Mussoorie writers in the front section. Their magazines and newspapers are right out on the front stoop.

Landour Bazaar Then and Now - Part 2

Continuing with our trip through the bazaar, we come to one of the most-frequented-by-Woodstock shops, Ram Chander. For many years, RC sent a man around to all the hillside and staff homes every weekday morning to take orders. Whatever might be needed in the kitchen was written on his list and then delivered in the afternoon by a Nepalese coolie with a large wooden box on his back. Nowadays many people have vehicles so the delivery system isn’t needed. We thought RC carried everything we needed, but you should see it now! Black or green olives in jars, Kellogg’s cereals, and Indian-made varieties of all kinds of specialty foods. This is not the Ram Chander of your memories! You can barely read the name of the store on the sign put up by Airtel mobile phone company. The inside is quite pristine with many glass-fronted cabinets and modern shelving.


Goel Stores has been right near Ram Chander's for a long time. Old Mr. Goel is 93 and we see him walking through the bazaar every time we go. His sons are doing most of the management of the store now. You can buy all kinds of plastic items and crockery here.


Jain Cloth House is across the street from Goel and Ram Chander. They have a wide selection of yard goods.


Tomorrow we continue into Kulri.

Landour Bazaar Then and Now

The bazaar has changed a lot in the past 50 years or so. Unfortunately, I don’t have old pictures with me. However, when we went to the bazaar on Saturday, I tried to take pictures of those places that have changed the least. It is good to see old faces that were in the same places in 1968 when we first arrived in India, even if, like ours, they are older. And many businesses are being run by the second or third generation of the family.

The Victory egg man used to come around to our houses with a wire basket of eggs several times a week. Now you have to go to the store near the top of Mullingar Hill.

Faiz Tailors, also on Mullingar, was the source of many western-style clothes copied from the pages of magazines and pattern books, and still is a busy shop today.

No changes to the Landour Post Office!

Notice the dosa place is now called the "Old South Indian Restaurant," since newer dosa shops have opened on each side of the old one. But this is the original where we had our first dosas.

More on this topic tomorrow...

More About Food

Food and cooking in India are of continual interest to me. I have recently read Eating India by Chitrita Banerji, an odyssey to many places in India where she tries local foods and combines historical details with the food. At home I have the book Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors by Lizzie Collingham (thanks to a farewell gift from the Central Virginia Curry Club). Curry also packs a lot of history into its discussion of Indian food and its influences from all around the world. Neither of these books has recipes, but I already own more than my share of Indian cookbooks.

The Landour Center Community Cookbook was first published in 1930 and has remained popular on the Hillside and with Woodstock staff ever since. (For more information, see Philip McEldowney’s site at http://people.virginia.edu/~pm9k/59/landourcookbook.html) Many of the recipes in the LCC are adaptations of American recipes using ingredients available in India at the time. In the last 20 years or so, the variety of imported foods available here has grown exponentially. There is almost nothing you can’t get now if you are willing to pay for it.

Our cook in the 1970s, Bhag Chand, had his own style of cooking. He tended to want us to eat boiled meat and potatoes more than we wanted to – he just wasn’t sure how appropriate it was for us to eat Indian food as much as we’d have liked. He was pretty creative. Our family all remember clearly the night he smilingly presented us with a pizza. It looked a little strange, but we cut and dug in. Well, it was interesting all right. The crust was pie dough and the topping was ground-up left-over liver mixed with some peas and grated carrots and maybe a bit of ketchup. He was so proud of it that we could hardly bear to tell him how awful it was.

Last evening we had dinner with some staff friends (delicious soup and biscuits). For dessert the neighbors brought over a lemon dish that looked like lemon pie topping on a crust. One of the women had taught her cook to make a peanut-butter crust with a chocolate topping and the cook decided that would work well for lemon as well. Oddly enough, peanut butter and lemon topping (gelatin?) don’t really mix all that well. I guess we can’t expect palates of other cultures to understand our strange likes and dislikes.