Watering the mouth

Today being the extended Mahalaya, the curtain rises for the long-awaited yearly arrival of Uma with her entourage from the heaven. As if to welcome her the heavenly pouring is also on hold since last evening.

Spending quality time during the days of festivities is something everyone looks forward to. Indeed for many the plans date back several months.

Petpujo, I believe, is perhaps one popular recurrence on all pujo days. And why not? Thronging to eateries you pass by throughout the year is an alluring prospect never to be denied.

Talking of worshipping one’s own stomach reminds me a Khushwant Singh piece of Sep 20 in the TT that partly talks on the fares at Beijing Olympics. Here it goes:

To tempt Western tourists during the Olympics, the Chinese shopkeepers displayed following banners:

At a tailor’s shop: “Ladies and gents tailor. Ladies have fits upstairs.”

Baker’s Shop: “Best loafer in town.” Optician and dentist’s shop: “Eyes and teeth inserted, latest Methodist!”

Furrier’s shop: “Coats made to order from your own skin or ours.”

Restaurant: “Famous for chicken dishes: eat chicken before it is born (egg) or after it is murdered”.

While these may or may not rightly describe the quality of Chinese offerings at the greatest sporting event thus far, the pictures below of some (sent to me by a friend) certainly bring water to my mouth each time I look at them. What about you?

P.S.
I’ll be away from Kolkata for nearly a month. So the next post may be quite some time from now. Here’s wishing all readers a very happy time ahead.