India, day 10... when Vicki learns that Udaipur is a great place to find food, jewelry, fabrics, art—and wisdom
Technically, the tour I'm taking through India is a food tour—and although the food has been consistently delicious, the people have been the highlight of my trip. Our first day in Udaipur was all about kings and elephants. But today is all about food: a trip to the market, and then a thali cooking class in old Udaipur. The highlight will be neither of those things.A market, and a taste of everyday life
We visit the vegetable market in Udaipur's old city where our hosts shop every day. We're picking up some ingredients for our cooking class. Most of the stalls are run by women, crouched down on their haunches, almost hidden behind mounds of shiny green chilies, purple onions and bright red pomegranates. The colours—I know, this is an Indian cliche—are stunning.
A thali cooking class in old Udaipur
Ingredients bought, it's time to cook. We head down a narrow alley in old Udaipur, and up some narrow stairs. Our hosts occupy this whole tiny building: their store on the ground floor, cooking school upstairs, and home above that. Their boys stand on the stairs, shyly watching us.We are making a thali. Thali simply means plate, and it can refer to a meal with a selection of various foods—curries, chutneys, breads—or a platter designed for that type of meal.
We cook chana masala, okra (tip: keep cooking until it's no longer sticky), bottle gourds, chapatis and even heavenly masala chai (note: it's so much better when you cook it from scratch).
Our hosts are gracious and patient, and the meal is delicious. "Do you cook like this every day?" I ask, thinking about the time and care that goes into every meal. They answer "yes," and look at me as if to say: How can you not cook like this? I think about North American cooking: less freshness, more expediency. I resolve to do better when I get home.
"You think too much!"
After lunch we head our separate ways; we all want to shop. Udaipur is known for its silver jewelry, but it's also a great place to find art and textiles. I have fallen in love with the miniature Rajasthani paintings, the colorful fabrics, and the jewelry that mimics the elaborate latticework in the palaces we've visited. I'm regretting the already-full small backpack I brought on this trip (note to self: bring a half-full bag next time).
Wandering down a quiet road lined with quiet businesses in the old city, I'm reminded that tattoos are great conversation starters. "What does it mean?" I hear. I turn around, and see a man sitting in one of the shops; he's a jeweler, a silversmith. "These are all the cities I've lived in," I reply, explaining one of my tattoos."Where do you live now?" he asks. Canada, I tell him.
"You don't seem Canadian," he replies, and I explain my history: born in England, grew up in Australia, lived in Canada for a long time, hence the tattoo. Sunny—he introduces himself—knows people from all of the places I've lived; he has traveled far beyond Udaipur.
"Australians are great travelers," he tells me. "We say Canadians are like a black cloud, always raining. You think too much!" I laugh; it's true.
"Indians: we are so crazy!"
For the next two hours I sit in Sunny's tiny shop; it's about the size of my bathroom at home. Soon we are joined by some of my friends from the tour. Sunny sends someone to get us chai; it arrives in a wire basket that reminds me of the old milk bottle carriers in England.
We buy a few things: delicate silver bracelets with elephants for my nieces, some earrings. But mostly we talk about life, relationships and India, and Sunny shares one quotable quote after another:
- On happiness: "In India we have very little but we are happy. We say: a smile costs nothing... If you are not smiling and you are not happy, what is the use of the life?"
- On letting go: "There is good and bad in life. Why take on someone else’s bad energy?... Indians, we are so crazy! When we think something, we say it—because it makes us lighter. When we hold onto our thoughts, we get heavy."
- On doing the right thing: "Karma comes back to you, but not always right away. If you give, you will get back—not in money or riches, but it will come back."
- On road rules: "We are crazy! To drive here you need to have two things: a license and patience. You have to drive like everyone is blind. They say we drive on the left, but we drive left, right." (He waves his hands wildly to show how traffic flows in India.)
- On corruption: "India is a country where we make the rules and we break the rules."
Sunny starts telling our fortunes; he reads my friend perfectly. To me he says: "You are very creative, and picky. You work in marketing? You are meant to do something more creative—but you already know what you are meant to do."
I don't already know! I want to say. Tell me, Sunny; enlighten me! Alas, he does not. [Thinking about it now, I wonder if he knew I was meant to start writing again?]
I don't already know! I want to say. Tell me, Sunny; enlighten me! Alas, he does not. [Thinking about it now, I wonder if he knew I was meant to start writing again?]
A final sunset in Udaipur
We reluctantly leave Sunny (not before he gives us his WhatsApp details), then walk through the old city and across the bridge, so we can have dinner looking across Lake Pichola toward the City Palace. The buildings start to glow as the sun dips, and the lights reflect on the water. It’s beautiful and peaceful.
We have drinks, and more food; we are all relaxed and happy. We laugh, and tell stories. We talk about what we've experienced so far, and what's ahead: an overnight train from Udaipur to Mumbai. Some of the stories are making me nervous, but I push them aside. Right here, right now, is perfect.
Sitting with friends, talking about my encounters with the old woman who gave me a thumbs up and the jeweler who told my fortune, I feel full of life. I expected a day of great food, and I got it—but once again it was the people who made my day.