Friday, July 2, 2010

Dinner at the Neelankavils







OK, so the day, last Saturday 26 June, was a dreadful day, but it ended magically. John, even though he had spent the entire day with us, invited us to dinner because he was afraid that it might be the last time he saw us this trip and he didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to have us over for dinner. Unfortnately, my dad and sister were exhausted by the day's events so I was the only one who rallied for the late dinner. I've eaten at John's house many times over the years, and it is always a treat. Simply put, Volga, John's wife, is the best cook in the world - not only is she technically fantastic, but I've just never seen anyone who likes to cook more. After the meal is laid out she'll just sit there watching everybody eat, fretting over every meal and trying to read everyone's face to make sure that they are happy. Allegedly she had about an hour's notice that we were coming - although she had been pushing for it since we landed - but that she also had nothing to eat in the entire house (which was going to lead to us ordering take-away - yeah, right). As you can see from the picture of my plate, the cupboard hardly seemed bare - she exceeded herself once again. It was also great to spend time with Will and Jeff, their sons who are just wonderful young men. Not only did they sit and chat about school and movies, but they also helped serve us at the beginning of the meal. The last picture is of Volga calling the mythic Mr. Babu on the phone - her Tamil is better than John's and she volunteered to talk to Mr. Babu, but more on that later. It was a splendid evening that saved the entire day.

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