You will never leave Punjab hungry

There is a proverb in Punjab that says "You will never leave Punjab hungry". I would add to it "And do not plan to lose weight in this place".

The dinners are an experience for themselves. The Indian hospitality seeks its equal. It makes you feel home while you are far away from your own. At the same time, the food is so delicious that it is almost impossible to stop. 

One of our dinners was at the home of our fellow team, which works or Swabhimaan foundation (they provide education to underprivileged children). Our host, Sanjay and his wife, gave us a really warm welcome.

As the chance would have it, it was the birthday of our colleague from Japan, Kazu. This meant that each of us had to cut off a piece of the cake and to feed the jubilarian. After this experience, he will probably never want to have a big birthday party.

 

With the delicious dishes and the great company, the time went by really fast. At the end, Sanjay presented us the Maharaj pagdi (turban) which he wore at his wedding, which was passed from one head to the next to take good pictures. 

 

The other dinner was again at Jaspeet's (our local consultant in Ludhiana) home. It was great to see his family for a second time. We started by watching a famous Bollywood movie called Dil Chahta Hai. How can we not watch a Bollywood movie when being in India?

The entertainment was, of course, accompanied by yummy food. In the middle of the movie, Jaspreet suggested to have a break for dinner. Dinner? We thought we already had dinner. Jaspreet only laughed and said that these were just starters. Again, you will not leave Punjab hungry...

It was another great night, and the second working week was coming to an end. The plan of the weekend has been already prepared. It was time to change Ludhiana's congested air to the fresh and cool one of the former summer residence of the British and today's capital of Himachal Pradesh - the city of Shimla.