The start of the pilgrimage within the pilgrimage was the afternoon of
February 22. SMC, his wife, my wife, and I got on the sloooow train
from Calcutta to the hill country. We could have taken the faster
Darjeeling Mail, but that would have meant traveling at night both
there and back, and I'd asked for some daylight travel so as to see
the countryside from the train window.

The train chugged off around 1:30, and would leave us at our
destination around first light the next morning. That afternoon was a
nice, relaxing way for all of us to hang out and get to know each
other better. The flat countryside of rural low-country West Bengal
rolled by, with frequent stops. Usually, when the train stopped,
there would be more activity from vendors than from passengers getting
on or off. And among the vendors there would always be a tea guy.

The end product would be sweet, strong Assam CTC tea. There would
always be a big kettle. Sometimes the kettle would contain the
finished product, and sometimes it would hold hot, milky sugar water,
with tea made in the cup using a tea bag. Sometimes the cup would be
the classic unglazed clay, soon to return to the earth, and sometimes
it would be plastic, but always it would be about 3 ounces. (We heard
that the Railway Ministry has decreed that vendors will have to return
to the old-style clay cups soon.) The price: 4 rupees, or less than a
dime.

As I type this, there's a clay cup before me that I took home as a
souvenir.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
BRO wisdom: DASHING MEANS DANGER

I'm enjoying these. Thanks.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

"Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
news
> The start of the pilgrimage within the pilgrimage was the afternoon of
> February 22. SMC, his wife, my wife, and I got on the sloooow train
> from Calcutta to the hill country. We could have taken the faster
> Darjeeling Mail, but that would have meant traveling at night both
> there and back, and I'd asked for some daylight travel so as to see
> the countryside from the train window.
>
> The train chugged off around 1:30, and would leave us at our
> destination around first light the next morning. That afternoon was a
> nice, relaxing way for all of us to hang out and get to know each
> other better. The flat countryside of rural low-country West Bengal
> rolled by, with frequent stops. Usually, when the train stopped,
> there would be more activity from vendors than from passengers getting
> on or off. And among the vendors there would always be a tea guy.
>
> The end product would be sweet, strong Assam CTC tea. There would
> always be a big kettle. Sometimes the kettle would contain the
> finished product, and sometimes it would hold hot, milky sugar water,
> with tea made in the cup using a tea bag. Sometimes the cup would be
> the classic unglazed clay, soon to return to the earth, and sometimes
> it would be plastic, but always it would be about 3 ounces. (We heard
> that the Railway Ministry has decreed that vendors will have to return
> to the old-style clay cups soon.) The price: 4 rupees, or less than a
> dime.
>
> As I type this, there's a clay cup before me that I took home as a
> souvenir.
>
> /Lew
> ---
> Lew Perin /
> http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
> BRO wisdom: DASHING MEANS DANGER

Hi Lewis,

Keep telling us. A trip to India is one of my old dreams. With your stories,
I'm in the train too...

Kuri

Lewis 3/14/05

snip snip snippity snip snip snip

> Sometimes the kettle would contain the
> finished product, and sometimes it would hold hot, milky sugar water,
> with tea made in the cup using a tea bag. Sometimes the cup would be
> the classic unglazed clay, soon to return to the earth, and sometimes
> it would be plastic, but always it would be about 3 ounces. (We heard
> that the Railway Ministry has decreed that vendors will have to return
> to the old-style clay cups soon.) The price: 4 rupees, or less than a
> dime.

FOUR RUPEES!!!!??????!!!!!!!!******** Oh, God, what has become of the world?
PLASTIC CUPS!!!!!!!!!?????????!!!!!!!!!**********Nothing is sacred.
TEA BAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!* ******I cry for India.

M

[snip]
>
> As I type this, there's a clay cup before me that I took home as a
> souvenir.
>
> /Lew

Lew,

These reports are great. I just finished reading Kipling's "Kim" a few
weeks ago, and it sounds like not much has changed, with the exception of
tea in bags (!).

I'm personally a Darjeeling lover, so I for one will be especially
interested to hear your impressions from the Hills.

Thanks for taking us with you, at least in spirit.

Dean

"DPM" > writes:

> [snip]
> >
> > As I type this, there's a clay cup before me that I took home as a
> > souvenir.
>
> These reports are great.

Thanks!

> I just finished reading Kipling's "Kim" a few weeks ago,

Funny, I read an excerpt from _Kim_ while I was in India: the part
where he persuades the old hill princess to accept the monk and him as
traveling companions. Great stuff, and I'm going to have to read the
whole book.

> and it sounds like not much has changed, with the exception of tea
> in bags (!).

I think you've got a point, but, even neglecting the modern aspects of
places like Calcutta, most of the villages and towns Kipling knew must
be vastly larger now. Still, the bustle verging on chaos would be
instantly familiar, I'm sure.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

Thanks a lot Lew, I haven't check RFDT for a while. I was waiting for
your story. Please tell us more.....

Ripon
Maputo, Mozambique

Thanks for the story Lew, India is also one of the places (probably the
first one) I want to visit someday. Did the chaiwallas hang onto the train
as it moved selling their cups of tea? I'd read they do that sometimes. The
clay cups are at least biodegradable...

A book that I'm going to start reading here any day is called Maximum City:
Bombay Lost and Found by Suketu Mehta. No index so I can't find tea
references in it right now...but I'll mention them if I find any interesting
ones. India is just fascinating...and encouraging.

Melinda

--
"The country has entered an era in which
questions are not asked, for questions are
daughters of disquiet or arrogance, both
fruits of temptation and the food of sacrilege." Djaout
"Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
news
> The start of the pilgrimage within the pilgrimage was the afternoon of
> February 22. SMC, his wife, my wife, and I got on the sloooow train
> from Calcutta to the hill country. We could have taken the faster
> Darjeeling Mail, but that would have meant traveling at night both
> there and back, and I'd asked for some daylight travel so as to see
> the countryside from the train window.
>
> The train chugged off around 1:30, and would leave us at our
> destination around first light the next morning. That afternoon was a
> nice, relaxing way for all of us to hang out and get to know each
> other better. The flat countryside of rural low-country West Bengal
> rolled by, with frequent stops. Usually, when the train stopped,
> there would be more activity from vendors than from passengers getting
> on or off. And among the vendors there would always be a tea guy.
>
> The end product would be sweet, strong Assam CTC tea. There would
> always be a big kettle. Sometimes the kettle would contain the
> finished product, and sometimes it would hold hot, milky sugar water,
> with tea made in the cup using a tea bag. Sometimes the cup would be
> the classic unglazed clay, soon to return to the earth, and sometimes
> it would be plastic, but always it would be about 3 ounces. (We heard
> that the Railway Ministry has decreed that vendors will have to return
> to the old-style clay cups soon.) The price: 4 rupees, or less than a
> dime.
>
> As I type this, there's a clay cup before me that I took home as a
> souvenir.
>
> /Lew
> ---
> Lew Perin /
> http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
> BRO wisdom: DASHING MEANS DANGER

Lewis 3/15/05

> "DPM" > writes:
>
>> [snip]
>>>
>>> As I type this, there's a clay cup before me that I took home as a
>>> souvenir.
>>
>> These reports are great.
>
> Thanks!
>
>> I just finished reading Kipling's "Kim" a few weeks ago,
>
> Funny, I read an excerpt from _Kim_ while I was in India: the part
> where he persuades the old hill princess to accept the monk and him as
> traveling companions. Great stuff, and I'm going to have to read the
> whole book.
>
>> and it sounds like not much has changed, with the exception of tea
>> in bags (!).
>
> I think you've got a point, but, even neglecting the modern aspects of
> places like Calcutta, most of the villages and towns Kipling knew must
> be vastly larger now. Still, the bustle verging on chaos would be
> instantly familiar, I'm sure.


In the 60's, my experiences in villages -- with populations of 200 souls,
give or take -- were relaxed and ordered. We did a bit of farming during the
day, and sat on the roof in the evening watching the sun go down and
singing. There was more to it, but I remember it being much nicer and much
calmer than life in the cities and towns, where bustle verging on chaos was
the order of the day. My life style didn't allow for sleeping berths,
though. I was in the mud with the common horde. And unfortunately I was not
the least bit interested in tea at that time beyond drinking the delightful
rough rich sweet tea that we are given to call "chai."

Lew, keep those stories coming.

Michael

As the others have said more eloquently, thank you SO much for sharing
these stories! Please keep them coming!

Resa

Sounds like the Peace Corp.

Jim

Michael Plant wrote:
> In the 60's, my experiences in villages -- with populations of 200
souls,
> give or take -- were relaxed and ordered. We did a bit of farming
during the
> day, and sat on the roof in the evening watching the sun go down and
> singing. There was more to it, but I remember it being much nicer and
much
> calmer than life in the cities and towns, where bustle verging on
chaos was
> the order of the day. My life style didn't allow for sleeping berths,
> though. I was in the mud with the common horde. And unfortunately I
was not
> the least bit interested in tea at that time beyond drinking the
delightful
> rough rich sweet tea that we are given to call "chai."
>
> Lew, keep those stories coming.
>
> Michael

"Melinda" > writes:

> Thanks for the story Lew, India is also one of the places (probably the
> first one) I want to visit someday. Did the chaiwallas hang onto the train
> as it moved selling their cups of tea? I'd read they do that sometimes. The
> clay cups are at least biodegradable...

Sometimes they hang onto the train. Sometimes they come onto the
train and stay on until the next stop. Sometimes you have to get down
while the train is stopped to do business with them. If you want
consistency, try driving in Calcutta traffic, I suppose.[1]

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
[1]Actually, I wouldn't dare.

Space 3/16/05


> Sounds like the Peace Corp.
> Jim

[Michael]
I'm proud and pleased to say it wasn't. I just met the local school masters,
offered to teach, plopped myself down, and did. Far fewer forms. None
in fact.

>
> Michael Plant wrote:
>> In the 60's, my experiences in villages -- with populations of 200
> souls,
>> give or take -- were relaxed and ordered. We did a bit of farming
> during the
>> day, and sat on the roof in the evening watching the sun go down and
>> singing. There was more to it, but I remember it being much nicer and
> much
>> calmer than life in the cities and towns, where bustle verging on
> chaos was
>> the order of the day. My life style didn't allow for sleeping berths,
>> though. I was in the mud with the common horde. And unfortunately I
> was not
>> the least bit interested in tea at that time beyond drinking the
> delightful
>> rough rich sweet tea that we are given to call "chai."
>>
>> Lew, keep those stories coming.
>>
>> Michael
>