Eating with your hand - proud or ashamed?

Recently we took the Zee network connection. My in-laws are here and we thought something Indian on TV might just help make them feel at home. Turns out its one of the saddest channels ever in existence. Anyway, in one of those senseless serials that I happened to see, this man/hero was chiding his wife/illiterate wife for eating with hands/fingers and actually making all those gross expressions as if his wife was uncivilized (so happens she is a villager). I was kind of pissed with that whole thing. Somehow I get a little irritated when especially Indians themselves react to eating with fingers/hands that way.

A few people (non-Indians) in NZ questioned me about this too. Its not like I have had Indian food in public especially overseas with my hands/fingers. (I would be outcast by now ;) I agree that you have to be a Roman when in Rome). Somehow I didnt know what else to say other than the fact that its a tradition and there is nothing wrong about it and we enjoy traditional meals that way. But isn't it unhygienic was the next question. How? As if we are that uncivilized that we don't know to wash our hands with soap before we eat. What about all the times when I see some non-Indians lick their fingers after a sandwich/burger and not wash their hands afterwards? Isn't that unhygienic?

The fact is to enjoy Indian food and thoroughly relish it it must be eaten by hands/fingers. I read the following in someone's blog, which we all know, but is well worded:

There is a philosophy behind this Indian practice of eating with the fingers. In India, eating is perceived as being a very sensual activity. The idea is that one should be able to enjoy the process of eating with as many of the senses as possible – taste, smell, sight, and touch.



Source: http://foodsofindia.blogspot.com/2006/02/practice-of-indians-eating-with-their.html

As you sow, so shall you reap

......One does not even have to wait till the next birth, if you believe in it, that is. Right here, right now in this big, big world you will get, what you give. Sometimes I wonder why two people are constantly bickering or two people are so fond of each other. Answer is simple, thats' because its always mutual disagreement or mutual admiration, the same old law - what goes around comes around!

Sanskrit quotation

I had Sanskrit in school (from Class 5 to 8th) as an additional language. We were taught a lot of quotations during the course. One such quotes I remember very clearly is below, which is fairly simple if you understand Hindi:

अल्सस्य कुथो विद्या
अविध्य्स्य कुथो धनं
अधन्स्य कुथो मित्रं
अमित्र्स्य कुथो सुखं

You cannot acquire education, if lazy.

If you have no education, there would be no wealth,

If there is no wealth, you will not have any friends,

If you have no friends, you will have no happiness

I just randomly happened to remember it!

Point to ponder

I read this somewhere; quoted by Dalai Lama; which in different words, tells us how 'what does not destroy us makes us stronger'

“We cannot learn real patience and tolerance from a guru or a friend. They can be practiced only when we come in contact with someone who creates unpleasant experiences. According to Shantideva, enemies are really good for us as we can learn a lot from them and build our inner strength"

Observation

Its amazing how somethings dont change. People still adore flattery, absolutely like it when they are praised even if it is not true. They think people who praise them are good natured. Hmmmm, cant they see that when someone is overly being good in such short duration in a relationship is simply too good to be true? I have always been the overly frank kinds (who is not appreciated for her frankness at times and comes across as arrogant :( ). I need to learn the knack to get through such people who favor pretentious attitude. I thought by now I would have learnt it - Alas! (deeeep sigh!!!!)

Gosh! I am focusing on petty things.; I should come out of it soon! :)

Shakespearean mood

For some reason I miss reading Shakespeare as we did in school. Today especially I was in a mood to read Twelfth night, so ended up reading some parts online due to time constraint :(

The two verses which I will however never forget from Twelfth night are the opening lines by Duke Orsino as below:

If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again! it had a dying fall:
O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound,
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing and giving odour! Enough; no more:
'Tis not so sweet now as it was before.
O spirit of love! how quick and fresh art thou,
That, notwithstanding thy capacity
Receiveth as the sea, nought enters there,
Of what validity and pitch soe'er,
But falls into abatement and low price,
Even in a minute: so full of shapes is fancy
That it alone is high fantastical.

....and Malvolio's line:

" Some are born great, some achieve greatness, some have greatness thrust upon them"

Twelfth night, Macbeth, Romeo&Juliet, Hamlet and Othello are some of my favorites! I am yearning to see a play now!!!!!!!
:)