food

I have consumed ridiculous quantities of food today.  I had a big breakfast because I didn't know exactly when I would be home after attending the meeting of the women's organization in Dharavi.   Around mid-morning, I went over to Zakir Uncle and Shehnaz Aunty's house-- their flat is directly upstairs.  They are fun to talk to and extremely welcoming... they invited me to lunch.  Shehnaz Aunty is a really good cook and she made fish in two different ways, both delicious.  Although they were not satisfied with my level of food consumption, I did my best... I was really full when I left.  Then, in the early evening, I met Indira, who is about my age and is a researcher and organizer with LEARN India, and she took me over to the women's meeting in Dharavi.  Only, it had been canceled.  So since we had time on our hands, she took me back to her place (a lovely apartment on the 29th floor overlooking the coast) and I hung out with her and her husband.  We went out to an extravagant dinner-- Chinese food.  I think I've felt overfed for about 14 straight hours now.

While I'm on the topic of food,  I also had two dosas yesterday... one in a restaurant with Qusay Uncle and Alifiah Aunty and one on the street with Maimoona.  Both were just excellent.  And earlier yesterday, I had gone to visit Masi Khadija, one of Dadi's sisters.  (I've heard so much about her from Dadi, it was nice to finally meet her.  She was really sweet).  As I was leaving, she brought me a glass of coconut water, and I downed it, because Shabbir uncle was waiting for me downstairs.   And then he insisted that I try some fresh orange juice (not orange, actually... it was a fruit they call a sweet lime (mosambi) that tasted suspiciously like an orange to me) from a street vendor... and I downed that too.  Here, people seem to drink things all at once... no such thing as small sips or nursing a drink.  I felt I had to keep pace.  By that time, I really did feel like my stomach was going to burst!   

So Bombay is a yummy place.

(And yet, so many people are hungry.  I have instituted a policy that if I buy myself a drink or a snack on the street, and if there is a child begging nearby, I get him/her something too.  And the funny thing is, I still end up spending under a dollar or two).

Here is the view from Indira's apt: