My Dreams of India

My Fascination with a Foreign Land

I guess I never gave all that

much thought to India while I

was growing up.  Then I went

 to college and one of my roommates

had spent the first 10 years of

her life in India.

Sonj introduced me to a color

and vibrancy I had never known

before.  She told me tales of the

snakes and the tigers, and stories

of life in her family's palace.  She told

me the story of how her Mom & Dad

met and the tales and legends she

had grown up with.  I got to know her

handsome brother who would come to

visit us and was so nice and polite and

her adorable little sister who was a

"little Sonj".

On the weekends we were usually

the only ones in our apartment and

we would watch the great Indian films

on a scratchy VHF channel (this was

pre-cable).  Her Mom would often

send up food to sample and this is

how I really fell in love with India.

The aroma, the intensity, the spice ~

captured me.

And even now, many years

after those college days,

it is still my favorite food.

When my family goes out

for a meal our first choice

is Indian food.  Luckily my

kids enjoy it, they have been

eating it since they were young.

We even cook Indian food

at home, our fridge is filled

with Indian condiments.

Of course, ours can't compare

with Sonj's Mom's food.

Our local Midwestern grocery

store even sells a decent Naan.

I still have not visited India ~ it

is on my bucket list.  But in a way,

I feel I have already been there

through the stories and tales

from Sonj.

Thank you, Sonjui!

Namaste.