Cultural shock kicked off – phase 1.
Ok… so, safely brought to the host family’s house. The flat is in a block of flats with 3-4 floors. It’s got a very beautiful balcony decorated with huge pot-plants.
I am immediately struck with the marble floors. I am telling my hosts that in Russia it is a privilege available mainly for governmental and official buildings. In the living room I find the Christmas tree and this nice composition with newly born Jesus. I get to know that my host family are Roman Catholics and they are coming from the South of India (Tamil Nadu). Therefore, they tell me that I am gonna be introduced to the traditions of the south-indian family.
What I get introduced to immediately is food. I am getting a large metal plate and some food is served in small bowls. I am getting rice fried with cashew nuts, dalh soup with dosai and some fried hot carrots. As easily excited by food as I am I get crazy.. This was so nice, so…authentic, so keeping home warmth, so plain and so delicious… The mother gave me a huge clementine (called orange here, thought) as a nice desert. And then came tchai. Before I was reading about the necessity to take your time when it comes to food in India. They say foreigners have trouble with that and therefore they should get incremental, so to say, introduction to the Indian cuisine. Well…so far so good for me… Just keep trying things and keep loving them.
There is no central heating in the houses, so electric heaters are used to warm up apartments and to provide some hot water. Best way to sleep comfortably is to wrap yourself in a woolen blanket – such a kind of it that you find in Russian trains and many Russian houses. Good night!
I am immediately struck with the marble floors. I am telling my hosts that in Russia it is a privilege available mainly for governmental and official buildings. In the living room I find the Christmas tree and this nice composition with newly born Jesus. I get to know that my host family are Roman Catholics and they are coming from the South of India (Tamil Nadu). Therefore, they tell me that I am gonna be introduced to the traditions of the south-indian family.
What I get introduced to immediately is food. I am getting a large metal plate and some food is served in small bowls. I am getting rice fried with cashew nuts, dalh soup with dosai and some fried hot carrots. As easily excited by food as I am I get crazy.. This was so nice, so…authentic, so keeping home warmth, so plain and so delicious… The mother gave me a huge clementine (called orange here, thought) as a nice desert. And then came tchai. Before I was reading about the necessity to take your time when it comes to food in India. They say foreigners have trouble with that and therefore they should get incremental, so to say, introduction to the Indian cuisine. Well…so far so good for me… Just keep trying things and keep loving them.
There is no central heating in the houses, so electric heaters are used to warm up apartments and to provide some hot water. Best way to sleep comfortably is to wrap yourself in a woolen blanket – such a kind of it that you find in Russian trains and many Russian houses. Good night!
posted by Olga Tikhonova | 1:31 am
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