the tribes After one week in the Himalayas, we went back to Chidderwala as promised we will stay three weeks. The family and the servants were waiting for us with a delicious meal (Curry pakora). Everyone was enthustiastic to see each other again but it was maybe too much! Indeed on Monday we wanted to start some projects but we really had nothing to do! No material, no instruction neither so we decided to deal with our own mission: getting ready for Thailand and Cambodia too! We applied to some volunteering jobs and we found one in Trat (Thailand) and in Shinoukville (Cambodia). We also went to the river to wash our clothes after one week trek if was more than needed, we read books, we chilled a lot, we edit pictures, we visited our neighboor the tribes and we got even an argument with the owner of the guesthouse. About the row everything started when the mother and her son went out of town for a week to attend the opening of her daughter dentist practice. The father did not go pretending to have duties! The very same evening he invited some people (guru and foreigners) to spend one night and eat good food. At 8 pm when going to the kitchen for diner the servant was stressed and needed urgently helped. She told us that 8 guests were coming!!!! She had to prepare diner!!!! It was not the first time that we were facing such a situation. The only issue is that the servants don’t have anything to say either they do the job or they will be fired. They start working at 8am until needed when guests are invited. So no contracts, labour law whatsoever, just 5000 RS per month equivalent 75€. We helped as solidarity, we chopped lots of veg and prepared as much as we could. Meanwhile, the other servant was preparing in the other place meat! Here is one strict rule: alcool, meat and egg are prohibited in the kitchen and the guesthouse. That evening, the guests ate meat in the eating room and had lot of alcool! They were without knowing it breaking the rules.They played music until late and had so much fun. We were not invited even we were offered food without rice and chappati! Obviously the owner of the guesthouse did not want us around and the servants had to stay until 11:30 pm. THE EMPTY FRIDGE AND KKRUST The very next day we had to live another reality: the fridge was empty and the guests were gone!!!! The father usually goes for grocery shopping but just brought a cucumber as veg for the rest of the week! We concluded: no mother no food! Indian way of doing thing: tricking! Önder was asked what we wanted for breakfast: he said as usual paratas! He replied he cannot offer a continental breakfast. No one spoke of bread and butter! The only breakfast he could offer was chick peas! As I heard the conversation, as usual I was not involved, but I took the right to speak! I just went into the kitchen and raise my case!!!! From that day on we cooked our food. Right after we went to eat great burgers at KKrust down town and we bought some groceries fruits and veg, pasta for the rest of the week! For this volunteering we had a contribution of 3, 50 € per day and per head, we just paid the meals we had! The owner did not talk to us anymore and did not say good bye?! The wedding Visiting the tribes was a new experience. We could not really understand each other, a simple smile is sometimes more than enough! They left Jemmu and Kashmir and now they live in a spartan way: one trunck, few cooking ustensiles, cows and few chickens. Their house is made of mud and hay. A spring runs just in front of the house, it helps to wash dishes and clothes and have a shower. They get power supply from the guesthouse. Every day a little boy was coming and shouted “auntie, auntie, light!” Water, light and few items are enough to make a living out of it. The kids did not have no toys, the only thing they could have it what they built with wood and plastic. Despite it they looked happy and went often swimming in the spring. We liked to go there and play with the kids. the argument with the owner Saturday afternoon, we (the helpers, the new yoga teacher and us) were sitting under the mango tree enduring the heat, 45 degrees, no wind, no rain, just heat and high pressure while 500 m away music was playing very loud. We assumed it was a wedding going on. Around 8 we decided just to go for half an hour and had a look! It was pitch dark even using our torch was scary. We still had in mind the experience with the cobra. We only spotted a rat in the sewage. Enough to make me jump! Once at the wedding place, we met the owner´s father and he invited us to come in to have some food. Ir was very nice of him but we just had diner (sweet paratas and noodles), we were not hungry at all. It was a buffet. We had some salad, rice with fish curry and some sweets. The men asked Önder to go with them and drink behind the curtain/next door. Refusing a drink was not acceptable but they gave up. The women as usual were staying with the kids on the other side. People had fun starring at us or taking pictures or videos of us. When we were about to go back to the guesthouse, guests took us to the dance floor. Kids enjoyed the Punjab music and danced like crazy, women sat in a row like onions and just next to the men drinking and sitting in circle. Since we arrived a energetic grand mother seemed to like us and helped to get some food, to be integrated us amongst the women and designed a henna tatoo as well! We were obliged to dance hindi style, Önder with a drunken guy and I with the grandmother. It was a blast! It was time to go home... The most surprising thing is that the bride and groom were not there.
The wedding will actually take place the day at midnight. The tradition is that the couple has to go around a fire 7 times.
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