Being hospitable

Dear friends, Its not that I don’t remember you all but it seemed life has been uneventful. It’s easier to end up writing when you internalize your feelings. Now that Keyur is here I end up talking about everything that I see, hear and feel. Also I feel less like a tourist and more at home so wondering has reduced. Also, at times I feel resigned as to why this endless explanation, who would want to know from a person without a purpose.

Anyway, after coming, pillar of my strength and smile of my soul, my mother dug our flat in ahmedabad to make it more comfortable for her ‘foreign returned kids’!! Two months sitting in the middle of heap of cement and sand took its toll on everyone but she is the one who never complained once and not only that, made every recipe with lot of care to suit our taste buds cooking on floor in single room living space. Still, every morning I wake up with aroma of sukhdi, upama, peanut halwa and what have you. And I ask why? There is no need when there are no resources and she goes 'in case so and so ends up coming' and that 'so and so likes that item' so she is ready with token of her affection for that individual that she would be carrying all the time. She is eternally overflowing with love and whoever comes across receives it and moves on. To me she is true ‘hospitality industry’ in herself. Nothing in the world can beat that. But today I want to write about real Indian hospitality Industry.

So now I had reason to find out about party scene in India. I enquired to various known names, Taj vivanta, palm meadows, oazone, unwind island etc etc to gather and with help of local new and some long time friends and relatives I approached and finalised with one hotel, savannah. It is first time I kept my head sleepy through out planning. Bit like mental paralysis. It just happened without much effort from me. Only thing I had to do was think aloud and I got help from friends, friends-friends and drivers of friends-friends!! Last Diwali I made assorted 3 variety of fruit jams. This year nothing! Thought this party is good reason to think of something as take away return gift. As soon as I expressed my desire I got idea from a well wishers on ways I could do it. Nobody said once ‘r u sure u want to do this?’, ‘there is no need to do this’. People don’t question or challenge your social commitment. Next comes budget… again nobody judges or gets impressed by what you can do. ‘Yatha-shakti’ is appreciated and implemented with respect however little. Even if I had settled to distribute elphants as return gift, without goose bumps they would have suggested the best way to acquire them and how to manage before party and how to arrange distribution. There were suggestions to give freshly made chocolates and there was suggestion for stuffing goody bags with chashew preparation with chocolate. I chose the nutty option.

And the real stuff is the dinner. It is reassuring to have chef, event manager and a friend all sit together and discuss various dishes. I was silent observer of new trends. First lesson is that any variety of Koftas are out of favourites-list. It has been replaced by lot of dishes of lightly prepared vegetables in range that streches from mexico to guantanamo bay. When chef came to know that party is being planned in his hotel and not catered else where, was delighted and volunteered that he can be as creative as he can be. I needed to know how? He described how he can almost create a kitchen theatre by some dessert menus. We chose Flambe fruits they prepare fruits as they do Christmas pudding on fire and sets the atmosphere. The pancake station and the list is end less.

Maam we will keep six variety of mocktails. Sounds good to me I am already sold. (I only know what it took for me to make even one fruit punch starting from carrying bagful of fruits from Tesco) Six mocktails prepared and served by others is unthinkable luxury for me. Let my friend negotiate on prices and number of cocktails. My thirst was already quenched and I remained satisfied detached observer.

Now I had to choose 3 salad from 20. Not too bad, I can visualize some and I can taste some. Some I could try from their buffet counter before I decide at lunch time. Thanks to a friend this buffet was offered to figure out what we would really like.

Now the overwhelming part. Choose four vegetables from over 100. Divided mainly in 4 categories. One from Paneer and cheese. Other three from International cuisine, oriental and Indian. Same categories applied to again seasonal vegetable preparations. Not my cuppaT!! I allowed my doctor lady companion to make the decision. She knew the new trends and tried global recipes. (doctor and not talking about oncalls and medicine but passionate about creative cooking and world cuisine!! That’s very refreshing change to my ears ) What I also feel is when you eat Indian food outside India its way below the standard Indians can prepare, even if it is prepared by Indian residing abroad. Where as Indians here can take any world cuisine and make it so appeatizing!! Mexican obergine subji!! The list is mind blowing, mouth watering.

They prepared the welcome board for guests and the staff circulated to ask for drinks and starters. I did not have to go in overdrive to check and say ‘have this, try this’.

Hotel manager not just sorted the food and the décor he also suggested about organzing DJ and MC. DJ I have heard before but what is MC? I gave blank look feeling bit like a tarzen just entering the civilization. MC, you know! master of ceremony. He gave range of options again. This guys and gals are endlessly enegetic, work in offices in day and evening they plan events and some days perform. They are in all shapes and sizes and value attached. Some command lot of money bcos doing small time parties is not their style. They work with corporate giants only. Their charges start from 10k to 2.5 lakh. Just like my chef he recited many themes to choose from caricature artist, tattoo, table magicians and the list is long. Again its how they package and sell those predictable art to suit the party is interesting. I called DJ and he was off to Goa for some carnival but arranged everything and remained on phone with his associates here through out party if they were following the time and requirements. He suggested number of DJs and understood our need and respected our fobias about kind of DJ/MC we can have due to sizeable young crowd with girls as well as guys.

He did not raise eyebrows when he realized that basically we were looking for someone like ramdevbaba with little bit of knowldge of hiphop. He promptly reassured me he had just the person in mind, only it will cost more. Never once he made us feel we were weird and he tried till last minute to find suitable person. Not only that his services extended way beyond his call of duty as DJ. For me he was event manager and also when anxious kid expressed objection to planning he said 'maam, let me do the talking'. He got her to think our way in the end so he acted as proffessional councillor. On way back from Goa he picked up CD of photos for me before coming to collect his dues. He was eager to see all the photos and get introduced to who's'who. (Business expansion w/o MBA) and when going through photos I expressed horror to my size, he had solution ready in pocket. 'Maam dont worry, give me you PC and he tweeked few pixels to eliminate undesirables'

He even arranged phographer. I don’t know what photographer looked like as he was there but almost invisible. Most pictures he took were natural rather specially given poses, Aaah that’s better somebody thinks like me. When I got engaged nobody understood beauty of real life photos instead people preferred to give forced smiles.

So that’s the end of partying to mark my kitten entering kidult to adulthood. She says she had the best birthday ever. she says Indians are the most sociable without hang ups and join in effortlessly when you come up with idea. That was my experiment with heady mix of having young crowd along with elder community relatives and professional friends and neighbours. I was nervous and restless if it backfire. From choice of music, food, cloths everything has to be considered keeping in mind broader section of society present on the same floor but I think it went just fine. For some watching these youth dancing away was a show or theatre as they would never go to disco techs. We ended the event by waving good bye to party place situated on terrace by the pool.

We had cracking diwali too. Keyur got 2 firework items only. Both 10,000 loom of tadaafudee. One in ahmedabad and one in Bangalore. I thought my blog was becoming dominated by festival after festival so took a break!! Fond memories of days spent with you all. More later……...