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Transit tales - 3

A small observation.

On multiple occasions, I've looked nay stared at what passes for vegetarian food during flights. There's some dubious looking salad consisting chiefly of lettuce leaves. There's the coffee cream. There's the cold noodles. And there's the jello. I will look at the said menu, look at the stewardess who will look back at me challengingly and ask me what I'd like to drink. Ahem...

So, while I'm gloomily masticating on a combination of jello & coffee cream, the matriarch sitting a few seats to the left is ploughing her way through the 'asian' veg menu. From what I've seen in the past, this sacrifices taste for recognizability i.e. you can swear to the fact that there is a roti, some rice and chole on your plate, but a bite of any of them will make you pause, chew slowly and thoughtfully and eventually swallow.

But it sure beats eating the jello + coffee cream, let me tell you.

So, this time I was determined. Come what may, I was going to at least have them serve me the asian veg food and specified so very emphatically when booking my flights. And believe you me, I got it.

I got the rice.
I got the roti.

& I got potatoes and rajma with a vengeance. On every flight.

Why, I don't know. And, like a certain Mr. Butler I don't give a flying f***.

However, there was one pleasant surprise waiting for me on the flight from HK to Phnom Penh. The potatoes were there but it was vada. Yes, yes one half of the vada-paav. And the square white lump next to it turned out to be upma.

The smallest things in the strangest places can make one smile.

Song for the moment: Maximum Consumption - The Kinks

Comments

Gaurav said…
hey i din't know that vada pav is so famous.. Did you like it?
Anonymous said…
Yes boss... it actually tasted nice. But, I doubt it's presence had anything to do with fame. The sizable Indian population in HK may be the answer.

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