Singapore Diaries 1-The shakti of MDH Masalas and Ma ka pyaar.

On my first International Flight to Singapore through Silk Air I was as excited and petrified as a kid is on the first day of school.The morning of 20th October'15 and the days before that I was an emotional mess to be honest.It was the first time I was leaving my family and going to an unknown country.Now one may say that its the same if I had left Kolkata and gone elsewhere,any other city in India,I would have felt equally alone.But I beg to differ.See the thing is that any other city in India might have been unknown but it would have been the same Country.The people may look different like for example if you shifted to Kashmir or Jammu you might have suffered from a bit of fair-and-lovely complex as people there are all the colour of plaster of paris with a tinge of pink on their cheeks.Similarly if you would have travelled to the south,people may look at you if you are even remotely as fair as me because there the fair-and-lovely complex is in reverse.The dresses may have varied from thermal pants to designer lungis and the food from meat and shorbas to idlis and uttapams.But the basic trajectory would have been the same.That you would have felt a lot safer and secure because its India and people here are all same with maybe a variation to the language here and there.

But a new country is totally the opposite.I first realised this when I was flying Silk Air,Seat 18E,Economy Class.After boarding the flight and gawking at the view like a Dihati does at American porn posters when the plane took off and I could see the minuscule view of the ground with a lot of small dots of lights,a very pretty lady in uniform came up to me and smiled and said something which I totally didn't understand.So I kept staring at her till the elderly gentleman beside me told me that she was inquiring if I would like a glass a orange juice.Too embarrassed say anything lest it should make look like an imbecile I nodded my head fervently and escaped further embarrassment.Half way into my night nap which I might add is extremely uncomfortable in an economy class seat because the seat is a tad bit small compared to my butt area,the lights were switched on to happily announce its dinner time.Now honestly I was really hungry because all the emotional flood back home had made me concentrate too much on my eyes and very less on my belly which was roaring like Kejriwalji's roars on corruption.So I eagerly waited for my yummy plate of food because my hubby had told me that Silk Air being an International Line serves good food.And I realised when a ticket can cost almost 1,100 SGD,it has to be awesome dude.But what came was a small box of food the size of my class 10 tiffin box.I opened it to find that the box withheld rice,lamb,a mixed vegetable in a whitish curry,a paratha,some curd in a small tub and a scarce amount of rice pudding.I licked the plate clean and then tried to coax my still hungry tummy to get some sleep while the plane was inching closer to Singapore slowly.

After landing here and going home to Clementi my hubby took me out for a whole day sight seeing of Singaporean landmarks.We started off at Victoria Theatre and went to Marina Sands Bay and The Shoppes.There my husband,on making me aware of the fine differences between fine dining and local fare tok me for lunch to JINGS at 1 Fullerton.He ordered two bowls of shrimp dumpling noodle soup.I was quiet hungry to be honest and hence took a bite of the delicious looking shrimp dumpling only to realise that it has to go in the list of the worst things I have put in my mouth(and believe me I have really put quiet a few horrendous stuff).The shrimp was bland and there was no taste whatsoever.It was like a large shrimp inside a layer of white flour.I hardly took two more bites and passed off the ridiculously expensive soup bowl to my hubby saying I was all full.My hubby didn't have any idea that the food he loved and cherished so much,at that very moment,I was making a mental note never to eat again.EVER.

So ultimately when he took me to Little India I was on cloud nine.I could see stuff I saw in India.Never did I think that on seeing the packet of MDH masalas I would be so happy.I got no personal favouritism there regarding masalas but honestly it was like a manna from heaven for you see in India,the ads of MDH masalas are so frequent with that happy looking turbaned old man in the background,that you learn the jingle by heart.."Asli Masale Sach Sach..MDH..MDH".So in a foreign country,amidst hoisin and oyster sauce and weird looking pastes a simple red packet of MDH and Suffola Refined Vegetable Oil made my day.It was like I had got back a part of my country with me and that I was a bit stronger than yesterday armed with my knowledge of that masala and what I could do with it.

Finally on day 5 of my stay here,i.e. today,I armed myself with India Gate Basmati Rice,Suffola Oil,MDH masalas and waged war against the soya sauces and the sesame oils and the buns of Singapore to cook for my hubby and myself a simple but good meal of Rice and Chicken Curry.The aromas that came out while cooking the chicken transported me to my darling mother's kitchen in Bally,Howrah where I had learnt all I could about cooking for 29 years under the strict tutelage of my mother and my nani(The two best cooks in the World).I realised how much hard work had it taken on my ma's side to teach me all she knew so that I,her fiercely independent and rebellious daughter wouldn't have to depend on crappy,expensive,outside food to live on a day-to-day basis.And after the insatiable yet amazing lunch which me and my hubby licked off our plates,I realised that my mother was right(which she always is).That no matter where you stay and how much fine dining you can afford,in the end its the simple yet delicious flavours from home which knocks you off your feet and makes you feel shamelessly happy.

love you Ma.