Indian Weekend

So last year we joined the local Malayalee Association which holds several group events during the year. The big ones are a summer picnic, Onam and Christmas/New Years party. Last year we went to the picnic and Merlin did not want to miss a chance to enjoy Malayalee food and fun. To me I go along since we are a couple and I think its important to stay connected to his culture. It however is somewhat of a lonely experience for me since I noticed I stay with Merlin and land up with a lot of the men coming over to converse with him and the wives all gather in another area. We have no kids, something that normally would bond women together...and I don't speak the language so another strike against me. I do have one lady who I met last year whom I enjoy talking to. She and her family had just moved from Singapore, so she was a "newby" too. This year however she has expanded her wings and I didn't expect her to sit with me the whole time. Sometimes taking one for the team is a little uncomfortable, but I knew that Merlin would enjoy the company, being able to hear his native tongue and food that I don't cook--kappa and meen (tapioca and fish curry).

It just so happens the picnic falls on the same weekend as the South Asian Festival on Gerrard St. in Toronto. So off we went to Toronto to walk Little India and be able to enjoy food, dance, music and browse the wares that were on offer. It was hot--too hot actually to be in a concrete area with lots of people walking along the roadway. I think numbers were down probably for the same reason that the place was like a tandoor! When Merlin says its hot, I know that its not just me then feeling the heat. Merlin tried to negotiate to get a power pack to change our mixer grinder over from 220 to 120 with no success. Instead we came home with a pressure cooker, which should be an interesting although he swears it will make cooking so much easier. I enjoyed a dish of channa bhatura, chickpeas and a fried bread--delicious and was able to get a free henna tattoo. After spending several hours there we packed up and came home to our air conditioned house....what a relief and so thankful to have central air.

A hot weekend here in South Western Ontario with lots of good Indian food, laughter, nice weather and a few desi things to help make life a little easier--so Merlin says! :)