As the data for Omicron has been showing a favourable trend in certain towns, the restrictions are also slowly waning. The mask industry that has been doing a thriving business with multiple variants 3-4-5 layered, cotton versus linen, alluringly coloured, exotically designed, attractively embroidered – hitting the markets, may see a downward trend in sales. Of course a handful cautious don it as it should be worn, while others loosely cover only the mouth and the mask is seen gently puffing in and out as the person speaks.
Amongst many the masks are seen either dangling around the neck or safely ensconced in the man’s pocket or the lady’s bag. A few of course do not even bother to locate the mask before leaving the four walls of the house. So in most places, especially in smaller towns, it is more of an exception to see a masked person, and I myself have been chided by the husband for opting to wear one. We surely make an odd couple, one masked and the other unmasked and generally I end up joining the bandwagon. Hotels are doing brisk business with people shedding their fears and sitting close together spending good time in gastronomic delight. I eat without guilt at the few restaurants having the practice of laying a small plantain leaf on the metal plate.
There are grand ceremonies and one can see the crowds, masked and unmasked, at such places. During lunch time the mask has no use and especially where the meal is served to people sitting along long tables, social distancing does not make sense. I had occasion to attend a function where the lunch was served on a banana leaf, laid on the table and on the floor. As my friend veered to the table section, I too followed, along with the husband. As the items kept falling on the leaf one after the other without respite, my pace did a volte-face and slowed down. At one juncture the server tried to locate a free zone on my leaf and bent over and served a drop of the dish giving me a smile that he had done his job. The eater was treated like a machine supposed to gobble up the food as it was served – ever seen the paper shredder?
The sweets are generally the highlights of the menu and eagerly awaited by the non-diabetic. At this particular event, it was the “padar peni”, a layered round crispy, over which sugar and milk are added and the whole thing crushed and enjoyed to the full. It is always served on a separate plate for easy consumption. So I was taken aback when it was served on the plantain leaf, laid on a table which stood on a slightly sloping ground. Before the husband and I could lay our hands on the crispy to crush and make it ready for the milk, akin to the potter’s mud getting squashed to take in more water, the milk was poured without a thought and thankfully our reflexes took over. I slid over chunks of rice and built a sort of embankment to save the silk sari, whereas the husband simply parted his pant clad legs and let the milk flow onto the floor. The experience entitled a share-worthy article.
