I felt like I needed to share a little more about my boss, Saras, because she's such an interesting lady. She was born and raised in India and went to NYU for medical school and specialized in pediatrics and neonatology. She spent 10 or 15 years working as head of neonatology at a hospital in NYC and developed a fond affection for some of my favorite things New York - pastrami on rye, lox and bagels, chopped liver, and gefilte fish. She has a mezuzah on her door because she just thinks they're pretty and when I asked about it she immediately realized that I might know some good jewish recipes. She started grilling me, begging me to handmake gefilte fish and humantashen or chopped liver. Luckily, mom trained me well and if she sends me the recipe and I can find filling, I will bring humantashen to Bangalore!
Sometimes I think I should be calling Saras a Bubbi - she's very protective and motherly and also assertive (read: domineering) and has found me two american girls with whom I'm to be friends. The three of us are going to a play tonight and Saras has already started to make suggestions for our weekend travels - no matter that I haven't met these girls yet. And she says if I make good humantashen she'll take me on a trip to a coffee growing region in the west. Bonus point if I can teach her housekeeper/cook how to make a good pie crust, courtesy of Aunt Andi's apple pie recipe.
We sat at the dinner table two nights ago eating traditional Indian good with our hands and she told me about the time she screamed at a man behind the deli counter in New York for a full five minutes for putting her pastrami on white bread. She's a riot. When I told her how I made Matt walk 30 blocks early one Saturday morning for his first lox and bagel at Barney Greengrass she nearly salivated.
Saras's husband is a playwright and we've had some funny talks about my slow progress reading Rushdie's "Midnight's Children." Girish is not Rushdie's biggest fan, to put it mildly, and has tried to convince me to read Moby Dick instead. We settled on one of Girish's plays, though I must confess I haven't yet started it.
Well, I've successfully made it through nearly another workday and it's almost time for my date with the american girls.
Hope all is well at home.
love, julie
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2 comments:
Hi honey, fascinating and very enjoyable read, you should write a travel book from your blog; would be a best seller. I can identify somewhat with the unexpected critters. When I open my portable every day, I never know what critter/s, if any, to anticipate. It is gross since I have to work among them until a brave student either takes them outside or crushes them. I never look. India sounds so exquisitely fascinating, I am ready to go except for job and lack of dinero. Can't wait for next installment of your adventures. Stay safe. Love Eileen
Let me get this straight: if you make some traditional Jewish food for Saras, she'll take your caffeine-addicated ass to a traditional Indian coffee field? If I know you, and I think I do, then you'll be making those hamentashen first chance you get.
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