One of our kids has been craving a hot dog for a couple weeks now. We all get like this where something just sounds SO GOOD to us, so we try to comply if at all possible. We knew that there was this stand at this mall, on the other side of town! There's really no other hot dogs that I know of available. So we all jumped in a cab tonight and crissed crossed the city (as I held on to our youngest child's shirt tale b/c I was afraid if the cab door got any weight on it, it would come open as we were flying down the road!) and made it. Notice the name is HOG dog. Yep, no joke. Read the descriptions of the different types available ... now that's creative! But really just very "Indian". When we said we just wanted one with ONLY ketchup, they looked at us like we had 3 heads. We repeated it a couple times and even after they had put the ketchup on it they still went to douse it with salt and pepper. Luckily, I've learned to be very observant in these situations and was able to stop them before it was too late! Our oldest said it "hit the spot" ... the drive was worth it!
The first pic is a guy in a stand along the sidewalk. It still fascinates me the that shopkeepers sit IN their stands! He is sitting up inside the stand, this is very common. He is making pan (not pronounced like what you use to cook with, pronounced like pawn). It a big green leaf (a betel leaf) that they put all kinds of different things in, such as lime, areca nut, cloves, etc.. and then they roll it up in the leaf and put in the their mouth on the inside of their cheek. Some of it can contain tobacco, but I think most of it doesn't.
The next one is just a typical pic of Indian ladies/men walking down the road. LOTS of pedestrians and bicycles here. If you look towards the back, you'll see 2 dogs laying down on the side. Another very typical site here. Dogs everywhere and they just lay all over the place.
The first one is a bunch of men along the side of the road (again - very common!) playing cards. The men sit and play cards all the time. We see circles of them every day on the sidewalk, in the middle of the road in the median, in a field, anywhere!
The last one is an ironing stand along the side of the road. You can see the iron, the old fashioned, lead, heavy kind that you put on coals to heat up, near his right hand sitting up. They earn typically 2 to 5 rupees per piece (which is less than 10 cents). They do know how to iron though! It's continues to amaze me how many people here look so clean when there's dirt and filth everywhere. Part of the culture here really takes pride in how they look and how they present themselves, it's rather impressive seeing what they have to overcome to look clean and put together!
There's more, but I am tired. Long day in Language class today, so extra sleep is very much needed!
4 comments:
Funny. I wonder how many Americans would eat something called a Hog Dog. Salt and Pepper?????? Are you kidding. Go on and entertain us with the other options. I also think it is amazing how great so many of these folks look.
We love all of the pictures. Makes us feel like we are there. Even though we are here watching American Idol wearing cotton pj's and just ate pork chops from the OVEN. LORD LET THIS FAMILY HAVE AN OVEN.
Hugs The Sandalas
... and pork chops. :-) hahaha
Great pictures! Thanks for posting them. Sounds like quite an adventure! Especially in a taxi with that crazy traffic! How nice of you to go the "extra mile" to help the kids adjust to life in another culture!
Hugs from "Back Home in Indiana"
I was watching the Amazing Race the other day and got to see some of the sites of India from the comforts of my own home. I think India would be a great place to visit but I don't know that I could actually live there.
And many cultures believe in the "cleanliness is next to godliness" thing. I believe India is one of them, always washing before eating and praying.
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