An Anglo-Indian Interview in Southall and Dinner with Friends

Tuesday, April 21, 2009
London

My day began at 6 am when I awoke and continued reading The Order of the Phoenix. Then the emailing began and I was kept busy attending to that while also juggling the grading of a batch of draft essays I received from my students. Breakfast followed--a high protein affair (as I am trying to lose some weight) with my frittata and bacon and sausages with decaff coffee. A quick shower and I was out of the house by 12 noon taking the Tube to Northolt and a bus to Southall to arrive at the home of Johnny Bartels who had agreed to become part of my inquiry into Anglo-Indians in the UK.

It turned out to be a very interesting afternoon as Johnny was full of marvelous stories that made me laugh out loud on occasion. It is amazing but having interviewed close to thirty members of the community, I find that no two stories are alike and each person provides me with life stories that are startlingly different. I am having such a great time doing these interviews that while I will be relieved, I will also be sorry when they are completed.

As in the case of most of the Anglo-Indians I have met in the UK, Johnny was warm and outgoing and hospitable. His wife was away but she had made sure there were enough 'snacks' for me--samosas and pakoras with chutney, cheese and ham sandwiches and cake all served with coffee! How very kind and generous! Unfortunately, I had to tell Johnny that I had started a low-carb diet and could not eat many of the things he spread out before me. He told me that had I given him more notice (I had made the appointment with him more than two months ago and had confirmed a few days ago!), his wife would have cooked me "a proper Anglo-Indian lunch which you do not get in any of the restaurants", he said. Well, I appreciated the thought, but it is obvious to me that these folks make appointments with me and promptly forget about them!!!

Back home on the Tube, I got off at Holborn--one station earlier than my stop at Chancery Lane--so I could get a Lebara Top-Up for my cell phone and walk to Lincoln Inn's Field where I sat for an hour and graded papers as the day was just gorgeous. The cherry trees were in full bloom and their soft petals had already begun to paint the lawns a soft pink. While I was at it, my cell phone rang. It was my high school classmate Charmaine, visiting London for a few weeks, inviting me to join her at a friend's place for dinner. It was all very informal she said and her friend said that I was most welcome.

Well, I accepted the impromptu invitation and walked home to freshen up. Charmaine arrived at my door about a half hour later and we continued chatting nineteen to the dozen as we were meeting after 35 years and had so much distance to bridge. But then it was time for us to walk to Theobald's Road, just 5 minutes away, where we arrived at Sushil's home. Within no time at all, we were deep in conversation. Sushil served us some wine, then attended to the dinner that he had fixed himself--meat curry and rice with dal and raita. I declined the rice but ate everything else and enjoyed the home-cooked Indian meal.

Suddenly and quite unexpectedly, Sushil invited me to join Charmaine and him in Paris for four days this coming weekend. He was driving there, he said, and all I had to do was pack an overnight bag and be at his place by 9 am on Thursday. We would drive to Folkeston from where the car would board the ferry that would take us to Calais from where we'd drive to Paris where he owns an apartment at Montmartre! Now how on earth would it be possible for me to turn down such an invitation? I told them that they did not need to twist my arm too tightly--I would be there in a heartbeat provided I had nothing on my calendar that demanded my presence here. They simply would not take No for an answer. I did remember vaguely that I have tickets to see Three Days of Rain with James McEvoy on Friday...but I figured I could easily sell that ticket...

Dinner done, Charmaine showed me some video of her home and family members in Australia where she has lived for several years. Then, at 11 pm, she got up to leave and we thanked Sushil for his hospitality. His friend Gareth had joined us at the very end and we bade him goodbye too.

As soon as I got home, I took a look at my calendar and discovered that in addition to the play, I actually do have to teach 2 classes this coming Friday. These are make-up classes for the Bank Holiday classes we will be missing on Monday, May 4. I was devastated. I guess it was simply not meant to be.

But soon I did not feel too badly about it. I am scheduled to go to Paris next month anyway, so I will just postpone the pleasure for a little while. I emailed Charmaine and Sushil immediately and bowed out.

I am ready now for bed...pleased also that the mix-up with the Oxford Lecture dates have been resolved and I am now scheduled to give a lecture on Post-Colonial Literature from the Indian Sub-Continent at Exeter College on Wednesday, July 22. I have now to start working on this assignment. I am very excited indeed but very nervous as well.