Today we had the pleasure of being welcomed into Dominic's home for lunch. What a wonderful experience!
Dominic's has a family of 4: wife Neeta, 6-year old daughter Aville, & 5-year old son Kevin. They recently moved into a new apartment, which is owned by Neeta's mother. The building appeared to hold 5-6 apartments, each being only 1 or 2 rooms each. Their apartment is on the second/top floor and was 2 rooms.
We spent our time in the living room, which had just been furnished this week. After glancing into other apartments in the building, this room probably only contained a blanket on the floor previously, which is very normal in this economic class. The other room contained a full-size bed, a cabinet for all their belongings, and the kitchen.
Neeta sleeps with the 2 kids in the bed, while Dominic sleeps on the floor. I asked him if he would sleep on the sofa, now that they have one. He said he preferred the floor because it is cooler.
The kitchen area had some shelves on the wall that mostly contained stainless steel dishes - the display was actually very attractive. There was a counter with a portable double-burner gas stove on it, similar to what we have for camping.
There was also a bathroom off the kitchen, which I did not have a chance to see, but the bathroom does not contain the toilet. My understanding is that there is another area of the apartment house or a seperate building that contains the toilet. I also understand that they have their own toilet within this other room/building.
I got the impression that they had prepared for our visit for the last several days...and it was very much a joint effort by the extended family. Dominic's mother, who was not there, had prepared a dish for us to enjoy. While we were there, Neeta's mother and Auntie were in the kitchen preparing the meal and all the dishes. They stayed in the kitchen while we were with Dominic's immediate family in the living room.
Since many families don't have lots of furniture, they spend a lot of time on the floor. The ladies in the kitchen were sitting on the floor surrounded by dishes as the prepared everything. Even as Neeta's Auntie prepared more Naan bread (a flat indian bread), she sat on the floor with a board and rolling pin to roll it out.
They filled the coffee table with many delicious Indian dishes...and filled our plates over & over...even when we weren't looking. There were spoons available, but many Indian's still eat with just their hands...and just their RIGHT hand. Left hand is considered unsantitary b/c it is used for other purposes ;). So, you tear off a piece of the Naan bread (tricky to tear only using one hand), then use the bread as a pincher to grab the food. But, even Dominic & Neeta used a spoon for the rice dish. I did my best to eat how they did...somehow, in the end, their right hand looked much cleaner than mine.
Benjamin, Avilla and Kevin played so nicely. Just like any other 6 year old girl, Aville was facinated with Benjamin. She wanted to touch him and hold him. She was thrilled when he gave her a hug and eskimo kisses.
As we left, we stopped in the apartment below to meet some more relatives, including Neeta's grandmother.
It was such an honor that they opened their home to us. We have invited them to come to enjoy some time with us in the future. They get so nervous about coming to places that they wouldn't be able to afford on their own. We've seen this when we have taken Dominic to restaurants with us. The interesting thing is...they look just as nice & put-together as the others in the restaurant. They probably fit in more than they realize.
Days like today are truly a blessing. It is so wonderful to see a family that has so little, according to our standards, but in some ways has so much more than many westerners...love, laughter, & happiness.
Dominic's has a family of 4: wife Neeta, 6-year old daughter Aville, & 5-year old son Kevin. They recently moved into a new apartment, which is owned by Neeta's mother. The building appeared to hold 5-6 apartments, each being only 1 or 2 rooms each. Their apartment is on the second/top floor and was 2 rooms.
We spent our time in the living room, which had just been furnished this week. After glancing into other apartments in the building, this room probably only contained a blanket on the floor previously, which is very normal in this economic class. The other room contained a full-size bed, a cabinet for all their belongings, and the kitchen.
Neeta sleeps with the 2 kids in the bed, while Dominic sleeps on the floor. I asked him if he would sleep on the sofa, now that they have one. He said he preferred the floor because it is cooler.
The kitchen area had some shelves on the wall that mostly contained stainless steel dishes - the display was actually very attractive. There was a counter with a portable double-burner gas stove on it, similar to what we have for camping.
There was also a bathroom off the kitchen, which I did not have a chance to see, but the bathroom does not contain the toilet. My understanding is that there is another area of the apartment house or a seperate building that contains the toilet. I also understand that they have their own toilet within this other room/building.
I got the impression that they had prepared for our visit for the last several days...and it was very much a joint effort by the extended family. Dominic's mother, who was not there, had prepared a dish for us to enjoy. While we were there, Neeta's mother and Auntie were in the kitchen preparing the meal and all the dishes. They stayed in the kitchen while we were with Dominic's immediate family in the living room.
Since many families don't have lots of furniture, they spend a lot of time on the floor. The ladies in the kitchen were sitting on the floor surrounded by dishes as the prepared everything. Even as Neeta's Auntie prepared more Naan bread (a flat indian bread), she sat on the floor with a board and rolling pin to roll it out.
They filled the coffee table with many delicious Indian dishes...and filled our plates over & over...even when we weren't looking. There were spoons available, but many Indian's still eat with just their hands...and just their RIGHT hand. Left hand is considered unsantitary b/c it is used for other purposes ;). So, you tear off a piece of the Naan bread (tricky to tear only using one hand), then use the bread as a pincher to grab the food. But, even Dominic & Neeta used a spoon for the rice dish. I did my best to eat how they did...somehow, in the end, their right hand looked much cleaner than mine.
Benjamin, Avilla and Kevin played so nicely. Just like any other 6 year old girl, Aville was facinated with Benjamin. She wanted to touch him and hold him. She was thrilled when he gave her a hug and eskimo kisses.
As we left, we stopped in the apartment below to meet some more relatives, including Neeta's grandmother.
It was such an honor that they opened their home to us. We have invited them to come to enjoy some time with us in the future. They get so nervous about coming to places that they wouldn't be able to afford on their own. We've seen this when we have taken Dominic to restaurants with us. The interesting thing is...they look just as nice & put-together as the others in the restaurant. They probably fit in more than they realize.
Days like today are truly a blessing. It is so wonderful to see a family that has so little, according to our standards, but in some ways has so much more than many westerners...love, laughter, & happiness.
And here I am worrying I won't find a house that will fit all my stuff. Good that you are getting a chance to see a slice of true Indian life and meet the people.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful family! Not sure how you were even able to eat with one hand.
ReplyDelete