My two nephews Praveen and Prabhat are adults now. Praveen is a management graduate, seeking admission for further studies. Prabhat is studying engineering. They used to go to school in one of the top private schools in our city. Run by a Roman Catholic organisation, it was very difficult to get into that school unless one came from a Christian family. But they did it. It is situated beside the Catholic Cathedral in the heart of the city. I wanted to send my boys Neil and Nitin there, but Yash, their father sent them to a public school situated in our area. It was a good choice. The school Yash picked is one of the top ten public schools in India.
Every day Praveen and Prabhat would come home from school and go straight to sleep for a couple of hours, totally refusing to eat the dal and rice their grandmother had ready for them. The old lady used to have a fit. She'd shout and scream at them to eat their food but they never did. We never really knew why. They didn't look like starving children to me!
I've recently solved the mystery of why they were not eating. One day, when I was getting ready to go to the city centre for some work, Prabhat asked me would I go to a certain shop called the "Apollo Bakery" opposite his old school and pick up a vegetarian kebab for him. So I did. And I saw lots of boys from his school enjoying food there. Kebabs, burgers, both the vegetarian and non-vegetarian variety. Lots of other things besides. And all at throw away prices! When I go shopping my kids love to go for a burger. The famous (or should I say infamous!) burger restaurants make a song and dance about the fact that their burgers cost 'only twenty rupees'. But you have to have french fries and a drink to complete the enjoyment. These are grossly overpriced. If you buy a cold drink in a bottle in a shop, it costs nine rupees. The same size drink in the burger restaurants costs four times as much. I decided that whenever I'm in the city centre I'll bring my kids here to eat. It is not that I'm mean, but with four kids, my bill for burgers and cola and french fries comes out very high.
Praveen told me that he and Prabhat used to go to the 'Apollo' every day. That's why they never ate their lunch when they got home from school! Well, I'm not surprised!
Every day Praveen and Prabhat would come home from school and go straight to sleep for a couple of hours, totally refusing to eat the dal and rice their grandmother had ready for them. The old lady used to have a fit. She'd shout and scream at them to eat their food but they never did. We never really knew why. They didn't look like starving children to me!
I've recently solved the mystery of why they were not eating. One day, when I was getting ready to go to the city centre for some work, Prabhat asked me would I go to a certain shop called the "Apollo Bakery" opposite his old school and pick up a vegetarian kebab for him. So I did. And I saw lots of boys from his school enjoying food there. Kebabs, burgers, both the vegetarian and non-vegetarian variety. Lots of other things besides. And all at throw away prices! When I go shopping my kids love to go for a burger. The famous (or should I say infamous!) burger restaurants make a song and dance about the fact that their burgers cost 'only twenty rupees'. But you have to have french fries and a drink to complete the enjoyment. These are grossly overpriced. If you buy a cold drink in a bottle in a shop, it costs nine rupees. The same size drink in the burger restaurants costs four times as much. I decided that whenever I'm in the city centre I'll bring my kids here to eat. It is not that I'm mean, but with four kids, my bill for burgers and cola and french fries comes out very high.
Praveen told me that he and Prabhat used to go to the 'Apollo' every day. That's why they never ate their lunch when they got home from school! Well, I'm not surprised!
My kids do that all the time! Drives me crazy. I make a meal and they've stopped at McDonald's because they were STARVING after school.
ReplyDeleteGlad you were able to solve the big mystery...maybe you missed your calling as a Private Investigator. LOL!
Hope you have a great weekend Gaelikaa!
That was funny; well at least the food was not bad for them.;) At my old school (in Sweden) we had a candy shop opposite the school, all the kids went there to buy candy and soft drinks. Luckily I never had enough money to spend on candy, so it never became a habbit of mine.;)
ReplyDeletexo
My mom hates at eating such outlets where they charge a lot just for burgers deals! Fews weeks back, we ate out at Subway and payed, 700 rupees for three 6' sandwiches and drinks!
ReplyDeleteShe always points out that there are people out there who can't even afford clean water and you are wasting 700 rupees on sandwiches! :(
Guiltily I agree she is right! :)
Hi Greetings:)
ReplyDeleteI think dal and rice is very boring to eat. Probably if the grandmother made some fried chicken and noodles the children would have eaten at home. But even then the children enjoy the company of their friends while eating and surely it is great fun.
Very interesting to read your post. It brought to my mind how my children behaved when they were small.
Have a lovely day:)
Joseph
So parents were aware of the taste of that dal and let that happen regularly ... lol
ReplyDeleteAs long as the place is clean and food taste good, I would not bother about any brand names!!!
A great story! No wonder they weren't wasting away.
ReplyDeleteNice story. Kids everywhere do this. I remember my children at that age doing the same thing from time to time. Of course its mostly to hang out with their peers rather than just the food.
ReplyDeleteLet's see...rice and dal versus burger and fries...What would you choose?
ReplyDeleteIf only there was something like that near our school too ;)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely go there. Why would you want to spend any more than you have to.
ReplyDeleteLive in Lucknow and not have Khababs? Not on. Tunda Mutton Kurma and Tunda khabab from that shop at the crossing of Aminabad and Nazirabad crossing if my memory serves me right and that wonderful one armed khabab man in the Chowk whose khababs used to melt in one's mouth. Gilehi khababs or some such exotic name. I understand that there is now no beef khababs in Lucknow and it is a pity. I now restrict myself to vegetarian fare, but my son and my father hog on the local varieties and do not believe me that Lucknow offers the best in India. I am not at all surprised that your nephews prefer those delicacies.
ReplyDeleteI passed out of the same school you mention and witnessed the evolving craze of the Apollo "frankies"!
ReplyDeleteI think there's immense value in what you write, people who celebrate the banality of ordinary life are rare.