Thursday, August 17, 2017

Bali Hai in the north

About two decades ago, during my California years, one day I drooled so much for fresh, home-made முள்ளு தேன்குழல் (mullu thenkuzhal) that I decided to make it at home.

Yep, get ready for the disaster story!

I got the equipment ready.  The flour and spices all mixed.  The oil was hot.  I squeezed the flour paste into the oil.

It exploded.  Hot oil blobbed on my arms.

I yelled. Screamed.  Turned the gas off.  And we rushed to the health center that was less than a mile away.

The physician was an Indian-American who calmly treated me.  And throughout, he talked about his own fascination with those delicious snacks.

I, always searching for a few good male friends, decided to become friends with him.

I like to think that it was not my friendship that made him leave town within a year! ;)  He sold his home, and moved to ... Guam.

He had never been to Guam.  But, he knew he wanted to live the island life.  A tropical island.

Which was pretty much the first time I had to ever learn about Guam.  Until then I knew there was a place called Guam, but otherwise knew nothing about it.

After a couple of years there, he moved again. To the Big Island, which is where he continues to live his tropical island paradise dream life.

Over the years of teaching, I have run into quite a few students--born and brought up in America--who do not know that Guam is a US territory.  It is like how back in the old country the people of the northeast are "aliens" to the rest of their fellow citizens.

Now, Guam is in the news, but for all the wrong reasons.

Description at the source:
Demonstrators hold signs during a People for Peace Rally at the Chief Quipuha Statue in Hagatna, Guam.

I know Guam.  And also know that I should never attempt to make those snacks.


2 comments:

Ramesh said...

You tried to make mullu tenkuzhal all by yourself ???? Wow. I bow to thee, Oh Almighty Chef. Seriously impressed. If only you took that bravery and daring to something else other than the mundane matter of cooking :)

Guam is not part of the United States, please. Its nothing but a colony, no different from British India. Guamese are second class citizens - they do not have the right to vote. Guam ID is not regularly accepted in many states of the US. You've used Guam as a dumping ground for nuclear and chemical waste. Its convenient as a military base, which is why America is there. Full stop.

Sriram Khé said...

Yep, it is a colony. Like how Puerto Rico is. Like how American Samoa is. Without using the word "colony" John Oliver describes that condition in the video that I had embedded.

And we treat them that way because, ahem, they are brown-skinned. More on that kind of white supremacy in my latest post.