Of Hummus, paan and friends

I often walk back home from office after work. It’s a pleasant albeit brisk one hour that I like to spend listening to music. It’s usually about 8 pm by the time I leave and I get home around 9 or so just in time for dinner.

Nowadays I don’t have dinner waiting for me at home or much reason to go home other than sleep. I therefore take a longer more circuitous route home and have picked up a curious new activity.

I walk through the various food courts and restaurant alleys along the way trying to figure out what catches my fancy and suits my vegetarianism. (Again for those not familiar with Singapore, everyone eats out here and one is literally spoilt for choice where eating out is concerned)

It was a long walk before I found an interesting Lebanese place and sat down for some yummy hummus and salad. It was close to 10.30 and I was famished which added that much more satisfaction to the meal and the aromatic Moroccan mint tea. After that rewarding repast I was on my feet again and started walking in my home’s general direction with an intent to have some dessert.

Near Mustafa I found an uncle selling paan (for those of you who are ignorant of the wonderful Indian invention it is a spiced betel leaf) and quickly decided I wanted to have a sweet one. The myriad flavors just exploded in my mouth and my taste buds were immensely grateful for my good fortune.

A short walk later I was home and more than ready for a quick shower and some welcome sleep. After my day in office the long walk (almost 3 hours not including the time spent eating) had been good but also prepared me for my shut eye. I hit the pillow and drifted off into a comfortable dreamless slumber.

At 4.30 in the morning I was rudely awaken by my ringing phone and scrambled out of bed trying to figure out where I had left it. As I could not recognize the familiar seeming number I was pleasantly surprised to hear the boisterous and mischievously gleeful greetings from my school day friends in India. They had been having an impromptu nightcap and had decided to call me on a whim.

We get to meet just once a year when I head home to Delhi for a break and was planning on looking them up just next week when I reach there and so was very happy that they were all there, together and thinking of me.

It’s nice to have friends.