THE JOHANNESBURG DIARIES - HOSPITALITY - #BLOGCHATTERA2Z2023

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Indians are supposed to be the most hospitable of people. They open out their hearts and hearths to visitors, feed them to the brim and generally share their joys with them. When we were part of the Indian Army, there was an unspoken rule that if anyone landed up at mealtimes, they would be offered a meal, even if it was just rotis and egg bhujia with a quick dal and pickle.

Those were the days when youngsters used to raid senior officers at midnight, clean out their refrigerators and bars, a ploy that ensured a bond between the guests and hosts that would last a lifetime.

It makes all the difference to guests when the hosts welcome them with a cheery greeting and a wide smile. That is what hospitality is all about, after all. There is a whole hospitality business out there, with soft skills being the course to pursue if one wants to do well in whatever field one is interested in.

                                                                       Twitter

We have been coming to Johannesburg over the past decade - seven times, to be precise. The first thing that we noticed was how polite even perfect strangers are. We would be greeted with a warm ‘Hello, how are you today?” The easiest response to that was, “Good! And yourself?” A phrase that got bandied about myriad times in a day, be it at malls, stores, restaurants and even parking lots.

In fact, here it is considered impolite if you do not smile and greet people, something I appreciate thoroughly. Back in India, I still remember life men and security guards giving me a blank look when I thanked them for helping me out in some manner. Maybe, it was the Army brat in me that made me do so because children in the Army are brought up to wish everyone they come across – all the Aunties and Uncles, however many times they come across them during the course of a day.

Today, when we see our daughter teaching her little ones to be kind to others or our son-in-love whispering to them about the little intricacies of normal behaviour, it warms the cockles of our hearts. Sometimes when they are asked as parents why they need to teach their offspring to be pleasant, the answer is always the same. “That is how I was brought up and hey, it does make the world a better place, doesn’t it?”

                                                                  Quote master

And so, we walk around, peppering our outings with bright smiles and cheer, it makes us feel happy as well. When we go out to people’s places for a meal, they go out of their way to take care of us. Last night we had a wonderful evening with our daughter's parents-in-love, and the evening started with an amazing cauldron filled with Chicken 65, tender and spicy. This was followed by a fragrant rice dish, butter chicken and a delicious chicken curry and various pickles. The sweet dish was an unusual bread pudding with white chocolate and hot cross buns.

However, what made the evening even better was the amazing company since the whole family was around, the nippy night air in the garden where we were sitting, the laughter, the jokes, the camaraderie – all of which carried on till the wee hours of the morning.

As we sat, drinking in the beauty of the moonlit night, I was reminded of one of my favourite Longfellow quotes:

“And the night shall be filled with music/ And the cares that infest the day/

Shall fold their tents like the Arabs/ And silently steal away.”

 

 This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z2023.

https://www.theblogchatter.com/



Comments

  1. A Rustic Mind4/10/2023 09:46:00 PM

    "There was an unspoken rule that if anyone landed up at mealtimes, they would be offered a meal"
    I'm not an army child/wife but I've been blessed with most people I've come across and know well, who are like this. This was especially very heartwarming for a homesick me when I moved to Mumbai from my hometown at the age of 18

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. deepti menon4/10/2023 10:48:00 PM

      It is a beautiful custom, isn't it? It is a blessing to have such folks around you.

      Delete

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