Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Bhel Puri Wisdom

When I was a kid, I used to love spicy food. I did not like too much of sweet stuff then. It wonders me that these days I have developed a better liking for sweet food and am slowly moving away from spicy food.

I do not know the exact reason, but I like to believe that I have had too much of spicy food and hence nature is asking me to change my ways before I cause damage to my body. I like the idea of 'going with the flow of nature'. The trees sway in the direction of the wind. They never rationalize. And I guess they are pretty fine too.

Adyar Anand Bhavan Bhel Puri is usually a bit spicy for me. The first few spoonfuls are really exciting, but it soon turns out to be too spicy for the tongue to truly savor. I wondered if it is only me or the Bhel Puri is really spicy.

Recently, I went for a walk on a beautiful Sunday evening. Rain had just stopped. The air was pure. Bangalore was at its best. I visited the Deenabandhu Temple in CMH Road. The Vedic chanting and the serenity of the place relaxed me very much. I continued walking in CMH road with Norah Jones crooning through the earphones of my MP3 player.

I reached Adyar Anand Bhavan and decided to stop for a snack. I bought a plate of Bhel Puri. Norah's Voice was shielding me from the noisy restaurant environment. I took the first spoonful. What a shock it was ! It felt like a spoonful of needles. I tried to ignore the feeling, but stopped after taking a few more spoonfuls.

Realization dawned. A highly relaxed mood was in great contrast with the spicy Bhel Puri. I still like Bhel Puri, but realize that most people fail to notice that it is sometimes too spicy to relish - because they are in a rush. The mad rush of modern life.

Tongue-burning Spicy food. Deafening music. Aggressive corporate culture. Dil maange more ?