To Market I Will Go - December 22, 2011

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, even so far from home.  All over
in my Indian village, one smells sweets cooking and, since I have "family"
everywhere ( it seems like half the village is of the Santos clan ), I am being
offered tidbits by everyone.

The other day, I went with Kamlah, the lady who comes twice daily to help
Lorna with household chores, do laundry, and run to the market.  I wanted
to buy myself some more Odomos cream, my weapon in the war against

the mosquitoes.

Outside, in the large compound next to the house, I found a vigorous game
of cricket under way.  I stopped to cheer the lads who, initially were a bit
shy.  I asked if I could take pictures and they agreed and began to ham
it up.  I told them I was from California and no one seemed to know
where that was until I said, "it's the home of Disneyland."

Aren't these the cutest guys you've ever seen?  One of them

may well be a cricket star someday.  From what I've observed,

it's a bit like American baseball.

I love papaya, especially the small Hawaiian variety.  These look more

like the ones I've had in Mexico.  I pass them going to the market.

Village shrine honoring the deceased members of the Santos family

We stopped at the chemist so I could replenish my Odomos.  It seems that

they only had one large tube and one small tube left so I took both and 

asked them to order more.  I know I'll need it.  I finally had my face nearly

cleared up but, somehow, last night, I guess I didn't apply enough and I, 

once again, have red splotches everywhere....VERY EMBARRASSING,

as blogger friend, Deepak Amembal is picking me up tomorrow for a

luncheon meeting with Indian bloggers.

Here's the fish lady showing me "bombay duck" - a fish I enjoy very much.  I always

wondered how it got that name since it certainly isn't a duck and I turned to

the ever trusty Wikipedia for information.  It is actually bummalo ( Harpadon

nehereus ), a lizardfish.  It's native to the waters between Mumbai and Kutch 

in the Arabian Sea.  Once the fish is dried and salted, it has a most powerful

smell and is usually transported in air-tight containers.  

While the acquisition of the term "Bombay duck" is debatable, one answer

is that, when rail service was started,because of its strong smell, it was 

relegated to the mail train - the Bombay Mail or  Bombay Dak.  People,

strongly scented, were accused of smelling like Bombay Dak, a term used

in the days of the British Raj.  Thanks, Wikipedia!

There are about a dozen feral cats that hang out under this 

table waiting for scraps to fall.

Lulu Santos getting her fish for dinner!

Hard work, cleaning and cutting the fish

Sweet Lulu, with a friendly wave

At one point, a man in the crowd asked me to take his picture.  When I

hesitated, he grabbed up a stay dog and said, "How about now?"  I couldn't

refuse so here he is:

On the way home from the market, we passed a lassi, chai stand and I told

Kamlah I wanted a lassi.  She suggested we get it to go but I wanted to sit and

drink it there.  I plopped myself down and ordered and it wasn't till I was 

sipping my delicious lassi, equivalent $.40 US.  I looked around and realized

there were about 15 men seated and I was the only woman.  I looked at

Kamlah, waiting in front.  "Why am I the only woman," I asked.  "Women 

don't usually sit here."  I laughed and asked the man who served me, "Have

I made some sort of horrible mistake... are the women all home working and

the men are all goofing off?  Should I leave?"  They all looked at me, smiling

and told me, "No, stay."  I did, of course - but I did, then feel very out of

place!!!

More to come in the adventures of Carmen and Sahar Village in Mumbai.