Mardi Gras in New Delhi - 2011

The first care package sent to us from the United States was from my sister: a box full of doubloons, beads, masks and plastic cups along with a CD filled with the tunes of Mardi Gras……….the box took over 2 months to reach us, probably due to baffling the agents in customs……….and by that time Mardi Gras was long past………..bit the spirit remained.


The Mardi Gras "Care Package"

It has been said that people from New Orleans can move away, but you can never take New Orleans out of them…………….I am here to tell you that the spirit of New Orleans is alive and well even in New Delhi India.

The "Love Guru" and his gals!

A few Saturday nights ago, Linda and I were invited to the annual Mardi Gras party thrown by some friends, Janet and Jack……………..Janet, is a New Orleanian through and through………….even after living in all parts of the world, and in New Delhi for the past 15+ years, she is testament that you simply cannot remove New Orleans from a native. She hasn’t even lost her accent!

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Happy Mardi Gras!

Janet and Jack’s Mardi Gras parties are famous here in Delhi………..they have been hosting it every year at their farm home………..This year, Janet and Jack moved their family right down to the end of our street……..which was extremely convenient considering I was traveling and getting into town literally minutes before the party began and not knowing what costume I was going to wear!

Linda and I before leaving for the party!

I decided that I would put on my New Orleans Saints pajama bottoms and the Saints shirt my mom gave me at Christmas…………..with that big gold Fleur-de-lis  on the chest………and the mask my sister sent us three years ago………….after a few quick pictures at the house, we were off to party!

Jack as a Talosian and "Wille Nelson"

We were greeted by Jack……….who had crafted a Star Trek Talosian ……………..who explained that Janet was still getting ready…………..he explained that earlier in the day their cook had decided to quit on the day of the party…………….and Janet was running a bit behind with getting her costume on.

Janet handing out Mardi Gras Beads

In typical New Orleans style, we were told where the food was and then escorted to the bar which was on the roof of their new home.

Tent Walla magic in New Delhi

Linda and I were both amazed at what the “Tent Walla” was able to do……………the terrace had been transformed into Mardi Gras Central……….Purple, Green and Gold fabric above our heads…….the music was spilling out Mardi Gras tunes and the weather was perfect………..

Party goers and Janet and Jack in the background!

It made Linda and I both homesick for the real thing…………..brought back many memories of good times with old friends………….for a minute it was surreal………the costumes, the people from all different countries……I never would have dreamed in my life that I would ever celebrate Mardi Gras in India…….but it happened………..the night was magical in many ways.



Our friends Don and Mari

Now picture this………….I am standing near the entrance to the party………..and in walks a man in costume…….and he taps me on the shoulder and says in a strong French accent …..”you are wearing the shirt of the football team from New Orleans”……to which I replied………..”Why yes………….have you been to New Orleans?”……………


Marc and his wife arriving at the party!

He proudly stated “I was born in New Orleans”……………..to make a long story short, my new French friend wearing formal Chinese dress with a heart painted on his face and I have much in common.



Me and Marc

While we were born one year apart, we share the same city of birth and the same birthday……….another “incredible” India story………….this year my new friend, Marc Antoine, will celebrate our birthdays in New Delhi together this August…………..maybe in costume once again…..who knows?

Our friend Christy dressed as a "baby sitter"

I hope you enjoy the pictures………and Happy Mardi Gras to everyone!

Our friends Shelly (dressed as "blackmail") and Margaret (dressed as a "spice rack")

Husband and wife! Believe it or not!



Two Diva's!



India and Butterscotch.........a poll!

As a child, typically around Christmas, my mother inevitably had candy bowl after candy bowl filled with golden wrapped hard butterscotch candy...........I would eat them by the handful........while I haven't had them in years, I can still remember the distinctive sound made by the golden wrapping as I peeled away the neatly twisted ends......................or how I graduated to the "quick strip" by holding just one twisted end between my thumb and finger, placing my teeth around the candy and then pulling until the force of creamy golden butterscotch candy forced the other twisted end to unwrap and the candy fell perfectly on my tongue.

YUMMMMMMMM!

I am sure that I am not the only one in this world to use this technique..........surely there is some reader out there that has done the same thing.

Since arriving here I have been a student of all things "India"......an observer of life, environment, people, food, art, architecture, the incredible, the rarities and the oddities...........and just when you think you have seen something out of the ordinary, just around the corner there is something else to amaze you.

One thing that struck me as rather odd was what appeared to me was that Indian's are lovers of Butterscotch Ice Cream............a flavor not so popular in the United States..........but why here?............how did this happen? It has been in the back of my mind for almost two years now, after being first served the flavor on a train from Ludhiana.

While I had been meaning to explore this with some of my colleagues, the topic never seemed to come to my mind when I was with any of them.......until......one night at dinner at the Four Points by Sheraton Visakhapatnam (Vizag)......and the opportunity presented itself.

Picture this.............the last plates were cleared.........and the waiter asked the table if it would like some desert...........and since I am an ice cream lover...........I asked what flavors.............Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry and yep...........Butterscotch. I ordered vanilla..........the waiter disappeared.

Immediately, I sprung into action by commenting to the people at the table that I have been observing something for some time, and asked......"Why do Indian's have an affinity for Butterscotch Ice Cream".....the reply I received was counter to my observation and both of the people at the table stated that they did not have a preference for "butterscotch" .....and whole-heartedly felt that my observation was incorrect..........and I quickly repliedthat they were the exception to the rule............that Indian's were truly "in love" with Butterscotch Ice Cream...........and this led to an unofficial poll to be conducted by one of the "naysayers" at the table.

When the waiter returned, my colleague casually asked him........"What flavor of ice cream is your favorite?".....his reply was quick and without hesitation the word "Butterscotch" rolled off his tongue........

One after another, my colleague continued polling............calling over one employee after another.......by the time we had reached the 10th person...........we had 70% that had answered in my favor.............and that was including the two naysayers at the table.......

Needless to say, while certainly not scientific, everyone walked away from the table that night with a better idea of the percentage of Indian's that favor Butterscotch Ice Cream..........but the question remained in my mind as to how and why!

My premise is that it had to be a legacy of the British...........like "tea time" and the Indian Railway system.....could this be one of the simple things that has become so en grained in the Indian lifestyle that no one has paid attention as to how it started...............?

I embarked on my mission to research "Butterscotch in India"............googling these words I found many recipes for butterscotch cakes, etc and even a question posted by an Indian on "Yahoo Answers India" asking "Can I give my dog butterscotch ice cream?"..................

While the recipes were abounding and I even discovered some sites about butterscotch ice cream in India..........I could find nothing about how it became so popular a flavor here.

What did I learn.........here it goes......Butterscotch is British.......and the word was recorded to first be used in Doncaster by a candy maker named Samuel Parkinson..........the year was 1817 and the Parkinson confectionary became extremely popular..........so much that butterscotch became one of Doncasters most famous exports and the "Royal" highlight of the St Leger race week...........where apparently special "tins" were made to be filled with the butterscotch candy to commemorate the occasion. The confectioner's company even carried the "Royal Seal of Approval"...............

So there it was.....the British connection was established...........but how did the candy make it's way from Britain to the shores of India............no doubt, because of it's popularity it made it's way over with several of the hundreds of thousands of British citizens and soldiers during the 200+ years that Britain ruled India..........

I can see it now..............somewhere here in India someone was making ice cream one day..........had a tin of St. Leger race week butterscotch candy............crushed them and mixed them into the creamy vanilla ice cream and the flavor became popular.............

I would like to continue the informal poll...........I would like all of you who read this blog article to please take the time to leave a comment about ice cream......"What is your flavour???..........simple...............but feel free to also write additional comments about the history of butterscotch in India.............I would really like to try and trace the roots!

True Colors - Holi 2011 New Delhi

Preston shortly after arriving at the Holi Party

"My skin is kind of sort of brownish pinkish yellowish white.  My eyes are greyish blueish green, but I'm told they look orange in the night.  My hair is reddish blondish brown, but it's silver when its wet, and all the colors I am inside have not been invented yet."  ~Shel Silverstein

I find the quote by Shel Silverstein to be quite fitting while reflecting back on this years Holi celebration......and it made me think...........Shel Silverstein - Biography



Water, gulal..........looks like fun!

For the past two years, Holi was either celebrated from the safe confines of our car or from the balcony of our apartment that provided a lofty advantage while "playing" with the neighborhood children down below...........however, last year was fun...having invented "Holi Gras"!


Preston and his friends - Holi 2011

This year was totally different...........having been invited to participate with the students of Linda's latest volunteer project.........the students of "Make a Difference", more affectionately known as "MAD".


Children waiting for the teachers to arrive

More on MAD later..............right now, let me tell you about the day, and how exciting and fun it was...........the chance to really "play Holi" in a very controlled environment...........no huge and unpredictable crowds........no "Bhang"........the marijuana induced sweet lassi drink that gets you stoned.............and "organic gulal" .......the bright Holi powder that gets thrown on you.



Linda greeting Krishna, one of her students

I first dropped Preston off at his friends house, and the fun began immediately......he was multi-colored in no time at all.......his friends rushed him with powder and water, doused him well and he was barely recognizable within a matter of minutes.



Sally and Linda gathering all the children for the walk to the Embassy

After a few quick photographs and a group shot, I returned to the house to pick up Linda........and to head to the Roosevelt House, where Sally and Tim Roemer, U.S. Ambassador to India live............



Linda with some of the students

A few short weeks ago, Sally reached out to Linda and some of her other close friends to begin teaching English as a second language to the children of the "juggi"(slum) that exists just across the street from the Embassy and the school where Preston attends High School.



Dressed in some of their nicest clothing - before the fun begins!

Today, Sally invited the 32 children who were tested and hand selected for the program to celebrate Holi with their teachers at the Ambassador's home on the grounds of the U.S. Embassy..........a very special treat indeed.



Let the fun begin - gulal neatly arranged on tables for the kids

It was a very special treat for me as well..............as I was fortunate to be in town instead of traveling for work.........and it was also great to interact with the students that Linda has been teaching..........putting a face to those I had only knew by name until today.



It did not take long! - Ambassador Tim Roemer in a cloud of Holi Colors

Each year, we send Preston out into the streets of Delhi wearing some of the oldest clothing he has knowing that they will not come back in wearable condition...........but not the children of the MAD class.........they were wearing what appeared to be some of their best clothing to attend today's function.............they looked almost too dressed up for what was about to take place.



Linda celebrating Holi 2011

Nevertheless, they were ready to celebrate...........and after the long walk from the juggi to the grounds of the Roosevelt house, it did not take them long to get into action.............waiting for them, neatly arranged on plates were mounds of "gulal"................and without having to let them know when to begin.........the air was filled with color.........and every ones skin and hair was changing color by the second.



Linda and Pinky

While the fun was taking place before my eyes, I was remaining relatively "unscathed" thanks to the fact that the children were well behaved and respected the fact that I had a camera in my hand...............one of the biggest worries that I had..............unfortunately, there was just no escaping the powder that filled the air and settled on the surface of everything..................my camera was soon various shades of green, yellow and red....but it was still functioning fine.



Linda and Ashish Kumar - The "Little Man"

 I didn't remain "colorless" for long...........I believe that it was the Ambassador himself that gave me my first dose of color and it was downhill from there...........so when in India............do like the Indian's..........this was my first year to truly celebrate Holi as it was intended......OK, not authentically like they do in Vrindavan or in Mathura......cities known for this celebration......it was much more "controlled"..........but I think it may be as authentic as it will get for me.



Linda and Sally in living color

Preston is very good friends with the son's of Sally and Tim, and they showed up a bit after the fun began, but participated in the event as well..............he also volunteers as a teacher after school and helps Linda teach her students.



Preston, Ambassador Roemer and Matt

The children had a great time......Holi Colors, traditional Holi snacks............juice and soft drinks and for all of them a chance to celebrate Holi in a very special place.


Preston and Sonu

 About MAD............When the First Lady of the U.S., Michelle Obama, recently visited India, one of the places that she spent some time was at an NGO named "Make a Difference"............an organization started by some students from a similar background that realized how learning to speak English transformed their life.......their education and their ability to make a sustainable income and to work their way out of poverty for them and their family. Sally Roemer was so touched by what she saw in Mumbai, the home of the original MAD program, that she decided that she would start a chapter in Delhi with the help of her friends...........and with the assistance of the campus of the American Embassy School and the students.



Linda and Preston surrounded by the drummers

The children attending the classes are not the only ones benefiting from MAD..........speaking only for our family, Linda and Preston have also been touched by having the ability to know that they are Making a Difference in the lives of ........the children..........Pinky, Vedprakash, Krishna, Neeraj, Ashish Kumar, Sonya, Anju, Kavita, Chanda, Abhishek, Vishnu, Sonu and the others.........

Colorful girl!

While all of them were united in the traditional colors of Holi on the outside............I wonder what the "color" of helping someone looks like.............what does the color of volunteerism look like?, what does the color of "feeling good inside" look like?



Preston playing the drums.........and he wasn't that bad!

I am so grateful that I have been able to play a "supporting role" in the volunteering that Linda and Preston have been doing since coming to India.............I am also envious of them............and wish that my job allowed me the time to contribute to the betterment of someones life while I am in India...........in the meantime, I will have to be content with the small behind the scenes help that I am doing............I think I need to work on my "inside colors".



MAD Class of 2011 - New Delhi Chapter

What about you? Are you Making a Difference and working on your colors inside? What are your True Colors?..........Happy Holi everyone!

For more about MAD.........here is the link               Make A Difference