Ready, Steady, Cook

On arrival the shell of the kitchen was somewhat a shock! Anu had failed to tell me that not only had the carpenter not been able to finish his work, but in fact he hadn’t even started it & neither had the plumber, plasterer, painter or tiler!! This seems to be a strategy adopted by many Indians as they don’t like to disappoint. This goes for everything; even asking for directions! If you stop and ask someone, “Is this town this way or that way?” they will say, “yes” rather than that they don’t know! Talking to a friend about the situation gave a bit of a better understanding as to why this had happened. The hierarchy in the village is so prevalent that if someone ‘higher’ requires a tradesman then it is the others ‘duty’ to let the workers move jobs. This is something I have to accept as no amount of money, anger or persistence will change it! Anyway this has meant that for the past week I have eaten out.. oh what a hardship! Today I sorted out a makeshift kitchen and went shopping for veggies and milk yesterday so could make chai and some lunch at home today. It was so nice to have a chai and sit in the top room looking over the mountains this lazy Sunday morning.