Beginning to explore the French Flavours...

"Chai..chai...garama garam chai! " The words with the jangling of the saucers, reverberate in our minds. For most Indians, a day without a piping hot cup of tea is unthinkable. A visit to the kitli beside your office is a must! A refreshing drink to wash down all the worries of the day...

Likewise, its no wonder that Vincent Van Gogh's "The Cafe' Terrace in the Place du Forum at Night, Arles" (now known as Cafe' Van Gogh) painted in Arles, France, 1888 tells us about Coffee's popularity among the French!

But its amusing to know how we adapt to different tastes in a short time. So while the French relish our Adrak chai, we sip Le Café au lait...the coffee in milk! This cultural exchange programme of 2009 is going to be a memorable experience for each one of us.

I can say this because, it was a wonderful experience for me when I got the opportunity to be a host to a group of French guests for a few days. I was one of the volunteers to accompany them to the Calico Museum and a few Jain Temples in Ahmedabad. Interacting with the French group was great and conversing with them in French was my privilege! The group mostly consisted of senior ladies and gentlemen. Most of them were retired school teachers. They were curious to know about the temples and the gods and it was a bolt from the blue when I came to know that a few of them knew more about the temples and the carvings than I did!

Besides this what I enjoyed the most was the French Evening. It was so much fun and the group had put in a lot of efforts. When I entered the hall where the event was organised, I felt as if there was a little part of France there. In one corner, the walls were decorated with maps of France where little flags were pinned up to identify which part of the country each of the French visitors came from. In another corner a table was stacked with juices, soft drinks, a tray of chocolates and the famous French cheese. They made it sure that everyone present got a piece of it! Later, they performed school poems, french waltz dance, with music et al! One of the ladies called Nicole also played 'Mera Juta hai Japani and Jana Gana Mana' on the keyboard and made us feel proud and grateful. And to bring that all to an end, not to forget...the French Food! They served us with delicacies like Couscous( similar to our upama), pastas, salads, steamed veggies, and french deserts like the apple pie and cake. It was quite yummy unlike what we have been hearing about the french food!

Well, now the buck has been passed to us! It's our turn to show what Indian culture is all about. The talents that we possess, the skills that we have, the food that has a hint of our diversity and our hospitable nature that stands for our unity!

So lets bring all that together and work towards a grand Indian Evening in France! Cheers to this journey from India to France which will not only create new ties and bonds but which will also give us a chance to explore the person within us!!! :)