Relax day

Norpal and his lovely wife have been invited to Jubal for a religious ceremony that goes all day and will be still on tomorrow. It only happens every 60 years. They asked me along, but driving an hour to listen to chanting for 7 hours sounds like the death. 

I go for a morning walk with Ani to check the apple trees and things.  

Then breakfast, and a walk with Abu (Rishabh) to his grandma's pace, and into the village. I continue along the path into a wonderful small plaza surrounded by homes. I can easily see the oldies sitting here in summer. The ancestral home sits above this collection of homes. It is in his condition but needs a couple of families in there.

A film crew want to document the Italian apple trees and the results of their fertilisers etc. Abu may be famous there after being photographed on the farm in front of the healthy trees. 

I nap a bit, then me and Abu go visit Arushika. She reminds me she told me she works in a logistics company in Chandigarh. She studied politics and works in HR. We went for a tour of the home. She is a smart young thing. Her mum and sister watch me with some kind of interest and end up asking me to stay, which seems standard, and would be awkward I think, but a lovely gesture. They take a shot with me and the ladies. It's strange for me as a westerner to be sitting with these ladies. They are pros of their beautiful home.

Left: after leaving Arushika's home, there was some kind of fire burning. The guys didn't get any call to help out with that.

 

Cooking tonight, parents are away, Abu heats sunflower oil up until a couple of cumin seeds bubble in there, then chuck in a handful, half an onion or so, tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, thumb rubbed coriander seeds + cardamom leaves.

Photo: Arushika at the front, her mum, a friend and Rishabh on the couch.

Ani is making Bari of water and jagri ( solid molasses/ brown sugar chunks), boiled up, remove impurities by filter, boil more, add flour to solidify.  I'll report on that shortly. Eat it with ghee. Was pretty nice tasting, with texture of plasticine. 

A pure veg meal was had, tasty and filling.