Sunder Nagar market

A day out with french friends

Today's little excursion took us to Sunder Nagar market in Delhi:
"Just south of Purana Qila, this genteel enclave specialises in Indian and Nepali handicrafts, replica ‘antiques', furniture and glass doorknobs. There are numerous stores to browse, plus two outstanding tea shops, selling fine Indian teas." (link)

First stop Mittal Stores. Does not look like much, does it... then we went in ...

"Started by Lt. Shri B.D Mittal, Mittal Stores was established in 1954 as an all needs store. After about two decades it was converted into a tea store, making it one of the first shops to sell leaf tea in Delhi. His son, Mr.Vikram Mittal joined the family business after completing his engineering from IIT Delhi. He is a professional tea taster and lecturer. He loves to interact with people and recommend them teas that will be most appreciated.  His focus is to spread health and happiness." link

I suspect we were in the presence of Mr. Vikram Mittal himself! In any case, this lovely man loved to interact and spread health and happiness. He treated us to a very special tasting, a first for me and of course it had to be in India :-)

Three different kinds of tea were brewed in special little cups and a fourth one in a glass pot to show the beautiful leaves as they unfolded in the hot water.

He explained the difference between the different kinds of tea and showed us how a true tea taster tastes tea... *slurp*

 

The tea is strained and then gently put in a little tasting cup with a special spoon. It was a solemn moment.

To examine the leaves after brewing is part of the quality controll.

We have a winner! The Darjeeling vintage first flush

"So, Mr. Mittal, I see you actually have a few packets of tea in bags on your shelves." "Yes, indeed, to cater to our Japanese and Chinese customers mainly." ??? But these tea bags were not your ordinary blends in paper bags like you would find in Tesco or Sainsbury, oh no! Rather, cloth like cheese cloth, hand made out of organic clean cotton by women, who otherwise might have been unemployed. At Mittal's you can order any blend you like and have it put in these little bags.

Thank you very much, Mr. Mittal. Very interesting indeed.

Next stop was next door, the Asia Tea House, also with a fine selection of teas from the best tea growing areas of India as well as Sri Lanka - the full bodied teas from Assam as well as the more delicate brews from Darjeeling. Well, then of course all kinds of tea paraphernalia you can imagine, and some you probably can't.

Here my second tea tasting of my life was had. They offered us a taste of a very special tea - a hand made little bundle of tea leaves with a flower hidden in the middle, which opened slowly during 3 minutes in hot water!

  Like a work of art!

Does it not look like a raspberry in the middle?

And, pray, what does it taste like? Like a summer's day by the sea with a gentle breeze! The smoothest tea ever.

We were happy. Mr. Vijay Kumar Singhal was very happy telling us about his "garden" in Darjeeling, where he visits at least a couple of times every year, and sometimes brings guests. Hmmm, ok ... ;-) I think I know what I want to do in April.

Onwards and upwards ... or, more sideways maybe ... to a jeweller and art dealer a couple of doors down the road.

Oh, my gosh, the stuff they have!

How would this little Ganeesh orchestra look on my mantlepiece? Now I just need the mantlepiece.

Our last stop ... and words fail me. You will have to look for yourselves without me prattling on.

Prepare yourselves - here we go!

Told you!

At some point I had to leave, it was like my senses just could not take it anymore. So, I went outside and spotted the often spotted Indian fuse box, a fine specimen at that.

Christmas Lunch with the British Contact Group in Delhi NCR

The British Contact Group in Delhi and Gurgaon had invited to a British Christmas lunch with roast chicken, roast potatoes, gravy, carrots, broccoli and beans. Yummm! Of course, we could not pass such a great opportunity to eat non-Indian food :-)

The Union Jack Club at the British High Commission in Delhi was festively decorated, there was even a bouncy castle for the children (some of these pictures courtesy of Gemma Kelly).

We all got a glass of something bubbly ... 

...and a goodie bag upon arrival.

Candy canes and toothbrushes (!!) for the children and a personalised mug and a deck of cards for the adults ... hmmm, to be honest that did lower my expectations a bit, but I need not have worried.

A little mingling to start with, but we soon had to move in the shade ... a first for me at a Christmas party ;-)

FOOOOOOOOD! I know it is not the best quality picture, but can you spot the meeting point sign? Very appropriate :-)

For dessert Christmas pudding and ... yes ... mince pies! Custard? Well, of course.
Actually, one of the goodie bags did contain something the other ones did not ...

To keep the drink and ourselves a little less warm we had to move in the shade, but, alas, too late! As you can see we all had sunstroke.
Was it a good party then?

Thumbs up

Nestlé Family Day

On a sunny Friday afternoon Nestlé had invited the families of employees at R&D Manesar. If you have ever been to, or even ventured to go on a web site about Manesar, you will immediately understand that this is no place for a party. Instead, Nestlé had chosen one of the many lovey hotels here in Gurgaon, the Courtyard Marriott.

The entrance was ...

... and the place designated for eating was ...

 ... full of balloons. Most often husband and daughter run a mile when they see balloons - the high risk of popping and thus making an uncomfortable noise is simply to great! I tend to agree, but I would never admit to that.

Suddenly this guy pops up from nowhere and asks Maia to kindly choose a card.

The eight of diamonds, ok, got it.

The guy actually heated up a piece of copper thread, which magically formed an 8 and a diamond shape!!

No family day would be complete without Mickey Mouse! I did not envy whoever was in there, it was a hot day! Maybe there was a fan on in there to keep the costume inflated ...

On the roof terrace was more fun and games ... and VERY LOUD music! Maia and I put ear plugs in, to the amusement of most :-)

 

 Oh, hello!

Well, if you insist.

 

Both Maia and I had "tattooes" made.

 Maia has decided her future profession.

The magician came back for a show, there was more VERY LOUD music and dancing.

It was getting late and time for the Stokoe Westbergs to head home ... definitely time! ;-)

A little bit closer to getting into the Christmas spirit ... or?

I am desperately trying to get into some sort of Christmas spirit! With all the usual signs - you know, the markets, the lights, the cold, the short days, the julbord, the glögg, the Christmas concerts everywhere, the announcement of this years Christmas gift (!), etc - virtually absent, I find it a challenge. In addition, the sun is shining and it is 26 degrees, well, at least in the afternoons.

Today I took off together with some fellow Nestlé partners to visit the much talked about Aman's Christmas Collection in Noida. Noida, you ask? Yes, well, sort of an appendix to Delhi in the east with the Yamuna river as the only visible indicator of having crossed to another city - and indeed to another state, Uttar Pradesh, or UP for the initiated :-)

This fellow greeted us at the door - ok, maybe a start ...

Inside ... well, it is an export company that is open for sale only a few weeks per year, and only when it is too late to export Christmas decorations. Everything was covered in a rather substantial layer of dust!

The collection ranges from "quite nice" to "you must be kidding me!" Sorting through stars, ribbon, gift bags, stockings, wreaths, birds, butterflies and ... yes ... the much loved traditional Christmas elephants was a little surreal and very dirty! 

Above a whole wall full of Christmas balls.

These lovely heads sticking out of the wall ... gave me the creeps to be honest :-) I just could not help but thinking about their potentially painful death, then the beheading ... well, a gruesome story.

Nevertheless, we left the facilities with no less than 3 full shopping bags! Did we not have enough Christmas decorations already? Will we spend Christmas at home in Gurgaon anyway? DON'T ASK, please.

I think the bottom line has to be ... tiring!