INDIAN

a spot of indulgence and extravagance tonight, friends
a culinary treat at an indian rest her aunt
in the heart of seoul
enjoyed with a couple of pals
indian cuisine
oh food of the gods
oh fragrant ambrosia
what gifts you do bestow
on my humble english palate
on my appreciative anglo-saxon taste buds
raised on bread and potatoes
what's more
to my delight my influence for once prevails
we order three veggie dishes to share
not a dead carcass
or grieving mother in sight
aloo gobi
tarka dal (no otter!)
vegetable bahji
nan bread and chawal rice
oh just the names, my seeds, the names!
like something out of lord of the rings
oh there's something special about india
transcending the grinding mundane poverty
which is all a lot of people seem to associate with the country
the taste explosion of the food
the olefactory punch of the fragrances
the saffron yellow vividness of the colours
the exotic cadences of the music
the grace of the saried women
the spirituality of the people
the home of yoga, buddhism, hinduism
the birthplace of karma and karma sutra
the motherland of ghandi
enough said!
of all the places i have travelled to
india wins hands down
head and shoulders above the rest
though the delhi belly
or in my case the calcutta flutter
i heartily do not recommend