You are meant to come here

In Ahmedabad we got up early to join the heritage walk, only to be taken to the wrong Swaminarayan temple. Too late to join the walk we meet an Anglo-Indian woman who talked to us about the temple and then we join her husband for a free breakfast, which is offered at many temples. Her take was that we were meant to come there, so we went with the flow and followed her recommendation to head to the nearby Swaminarayan ashram, the same Hindu sect of the Neasden temple, the largest Indian temple outside of India. Escaping the city chaos was welcome and the ashram was a tranquil oasis, and we were the only westerners in sight!  Very different from other ashrams I’ve visited, as the devout were all Indian. 

Oh no I’m a married man

Affection is not outwardly demonstrated here in India. You don’t see married couples walking arm in arm, but men sometimes do walk hand in hand! So as an outsider you have to be very culturally sensitive and when greeting friends or saying farewell you dampen down your contact. On saying goodbye to Kamlesh and his family I made sure that hugs were given in the privacy of the house, and when I went to hug his brother in law he declined saying he was a married man. It’s interesting to realise that it’s a real cultural exchange staying with people and we all definitely learn from each other.  

Why the tiny cups?

We English love a good cup of tea, and a masala chai becomes an everyday treat here. Full of ginger or cardamom the masala chai is delicious, but there’s always a catch .... it’s always served in a tiny cup, leaving you wanting more! Same issue even in someone’s home .... why the tiny cups?