Time for a Picnic!
It’s spring, and our community seems to have gone picnic-crazy. We joined in the craziness last Sunday with an outing to a lovely local park. 
We had been planning this outing with our landlord and his family in honor of their 16-year-old daughter’s completion of a major set of exams. She had studied almost non-stop for several months, and was ready to see the outdoors again. The weather was perfect, and the huge chinar trees had burst out in bright new foliage. Our landlord’s wife had made rice and chicken, we brought fruit and banana bread, and enjoyed mango popsicles for dessert!
We’ve learned that picnics are a serious Indian pastime. Historical texts from many centuries ago describe the picnics that wealthy merchants and nobles would take, getting out of the city and into the woods with a caravan of servants bearing a portable banquet. The Mogul emperors created beautiful gardens wherever they went, taking care to lay out terraces to maximize lake and mountain views for their grand picnics. The British, also fond of dining al fresco, found in India exotic new venues for enjoying their afternoon tea.
Sunday the park was crowded with families, who came toting blankets, tiffins of rice and dahl, and thermoses of chai.
The women were dressed in their brightest spring outfits and snappy sandals. Children chased balls while teenaged girls posed for group selfies next to the roses, with groups of teenaged boys watching from an almost-respectful distance. The Moguls wouldn’t have recognized the mobile phones and selfies, but the pleasure of warm sun and fresh air after a long, cold winter is a constant through the centuries. And doesn’t food always taste better outdoors? If you haven’t had a picnic lately, now’s the time!
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged picnic by Lisa
Picnic, with Cows
On Sunday we invited our landlord and his family to join us for a drive into the hills and a picnic lunch. It was an exploratory trip; we followed a winding road into a canyon and eventually found what we were looking for—a grassy spot in the shade, next to a stream. We laid down the blanket and unpacked our baskets.
It was like many picnics we have enjoyed over the years; we ate lunch and drank tea with the relaxing sound of water cascading over rocks in the background. Doesn’t food always taste better when eaten outdoors? We weren’t bothered by ants at this picnic, but a small herd of cows, along with four goats, passed by on their way to a watering hole.
Picnics here in North India have their differences, as well. Instead of sandwiches, we ate chapatis (flat bread) and dahl (lentils). Our conversation with our landlord’s family alternated between English and the local language, as we practiced expressions for what we were observing around us. Our landlord doesn’t drive, so this was a rare chance for his family to explore “off the beaten track.” We hope this is only the first of many adventures together!
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged picnic by Lisa