Tag: india

India [en]

Oh, and if you enjoyed my logbook (well, even if you didn’t!), be sure to check out Eric Jain’s account of his travels there. He didn’t stay quite as long as I did, but he traveled much more – there are pictures and a map of his journey to keep you on track.

Life [en]

This evening I was introduced to Meena, who came over from India some three months ago with her french husband. We are going to meet regularly so that I can practice my conversational Hindi – and in return I will teach her some French and show her around Lausanne.

I had the very pleasant surprise to see that I am still capable of holding a perfectly respectable conversation in Hindi!

Aryan Invasion [en]

The Myth of The Aryan Invasion of India, by David Frawley.

My classes on Indian culture have often put to doubt the famous “Aryan invasion” theory. My own observations of its use today by Indians to justify just about anything (superiority of fair people, caste system, North vs. South, superiority of Dravidian culture… and so on) have also brought me to cast on it a very critical eye.

Here is my account of Frawley’s article – maybe not the best nor the last writing on the subject, but nevertheless interesting and convincing.

Grandma and Bagha [en]

Each time I sit down to write one of these Life entries, I think of my Grandma. She lives in England – not that far off but still quite far.
My Grandma is over 70 now, and she logs onto the Internet regularly to visit my website. I know that what she looks for are these little (rare) Life entries.

So today I had two rather long phone calls with England. One with my Grandma – who will hopefully soon be fit to fly over and meet my animals – and one with Somak.

Speaking of animals, Somak told me he received an email from IUCAA with a rather intriguing signature:

When you find life is coming down on you, think of Bagha.

Well, Bagha was quite well known in IUCAA – particularly for breaking into people’s fridges and hanging around the canteen. And obviously, the word has spread that he emigrated from India and is now a lucky Swiss citizen. I’m sure he’ll be glad to learn that his fate helps members of the IUCAA staff lift their spirits during the hard times.

I should be going back to India beginning of August. I’m actually starting to miss India. I have cravings for dreadfully hot Marathi food (the kind of stuff I found simply dreadful when I first tasted it).
I will have a Hindi course in Rishikesh again, and I hope to be able to spend a couple of weeks in Pune before that. That means I’m going to have to work hard to get my October exams ready before I leave ; )

Chick Pea Salad [en]

Whoo! I’d forgotten how nice and easy to prepare this chick pea salad was. I used to do it quite often pre-India.

Here is my no-fuss meal-for-one version of Roshi Razzaq’s original recipe. It’s “Indian” – the kind of Indian you find in western cookery books – and it’s really yummy.

First, stick the following into a tupperware (or any lid-able recipient):

  • 250g cooked chick peas (that’s about one tin)
  • 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped mint and corianders leaves
  • chilli powder (use paprika if you don’t want it strong), salt, ground cumin (the white “asian” variety) – 1/2 teaspoon of each
  • 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh ginger (in little sticks)

Put the lid on, and shake.
Then, add about 200g of cooked potatoes (cut them up!), plus – follow your inspiration – tomato, cucumber, radish, spring onions (I usually end up with tomatos and spring onions, because I’m too lazy to buy everything).
Mix everything up together with some lemon juice – it’s ready!

You’re supposed to serve it with tamarind sauce, on lettuce leaves, with lots of fancy decoration. The tamarind sauce is really nice but a bit troublesome to prepare for one. If you have guests though, do take the trouble.

Bon appétit! – and tell me if you liked it…

Googling Them [en]

Two online articles I found via Google, which mention Somak (and Aleika).

A little net-search brought up two interesting articles: one is about Somak and Aleika’s departure for Birmingham, and the other is an account of a talk I can remember him going to England for.

For the record, Somak and Aleika (let’s not forget Akirno!) are the people who shared my life while I was in India.

Snobisme? [en]

Il n’y a rien de mieux qu’un cours de philo un peu abstrait pour m’inspirer. Vous avez déjà  remarqué cette fâcheuse tendance qu’ont les “philosophes” (et apprentis) à  produire des phrases d’une complexité telle que l’on se demande si eux-mêmes comprennent ce qu’ils viennent de dire?
Suite à  mes notes de demi-licence, j’ai dépassé le stade où j’attribuais mon incompréhension à  mon intellect limité. Maintenant, je leur donne tort, à  ces gens. Si on ne les comprend pas, c’est de leur faute!

Parler de telle façon à  ce que personne ne les comprenne, c’est du snobisme. Comme tous ces lettrés hindous qui babillent en sanskrit pour épater le peuple.
Je n’ai rien contre le sanskrit, c’est une très belle langue! et rien contre la philo non plus, d’ailleurs…

Me voilà  donc munie à  présent d’une feuille A4 recto-verso pleine de choses à  écrire, en anglais et en français. Tout à  fait en vrac et pas du tout formulées. Il y a du travail!

Maintenant que le buisson est taillé, j’ai l’impression que quelqu’un a ôté le couvercle de la casserole qui m’emprisonnait la tête!

TV Cereal [en]

Talking of my TV viewings in India (on the newly created DALnet channel #waferbaby), I remembered a few dreadful typos we came upon in the Asian Age TV program (the newspaper Somak said was so dreadful that one day he would see on the front cover “Gandhi shot dead!”).

  • Water Rates (not “Rats”)
  • Walker, Taxes Ranger (not “Texas”)
  • The worlds widest police chases (not “wildest”)

Do you have any fun typos for us?