I forgot to post yesterday that we actually had dinner at a McDonalds in a Mall approximately 15 min walking distance from the hotel. We were simply curious what the menu in India looks like – I had a McSpicy Paneer.
Today was a field trip ahead of us again. Hemal from Concept Society picked us up at the hotel and without us knowing we stopped in Old Indore for a quick breakfast on the street. We had Boha (not sure this is spelled correctly), this was mashed rice with some vegetables, a piece of lime and some spicy seasoning on top. A bit spicy but very yummy.
On our 1 ½ hrs journey we spotted some camels that have walked all the way from Pakistan. When arriving at the tribe we have been welcomed again with a bindi and flowers. We then sat in an area where they would usually teach children; you could see some of the education material hanging on the wall. The women introduced themselves to us and we had a good conversation with them about how they are living and their agriculture.
Then a tractor came by, playing loud music and everyone got excited. The women started to show us a dance, and all of a sudden we were in the middle of it. We were told they love to dance and would usually do this all evening. After we took a group picture of all of us it was already time to leave again.
Next stop was Concept Society's Manpur Office, where we got to meet three of the field officers running the offices and the projects for the surrounding area. We exchanged a lot of information and the time went by too quickly. While being there we have been served a lunch (at around 3:00 pm). It was very interesting, even though we asked the staff to sit and eat with us, it is tradition that they would only eat after the guest would have left. I had a strange feeling about it, but this is their culture and we need to respect this... as they accept some of the things that we do, which they might find strange.
While having another 1 ½ hrs ride back to the hotel we made a quick stop on our way to try the sugar cane juice. We were not really sure if this is a good idea, as this was against all the instructions we have been given, only to eat things that have been cooked, can be pealed... Oh well, we took the risk and it was delicious… sugarcane, with lemon, ginger, mint and some garlic.
This was again a great day that Hemal has organized for us… I know this post mainly focused on food, but after having spent those 2 days with her, her team, and the women she is supporting gave us a great insight on the work that Concept Society is doing and I am so impressed by how much Hemal and her team has achieved in only 7 years… incredible! The other thing that strikes me most is with how little the people in the villages and tribes can live, this puts my ‘normal’ life, once again, into some very different perspective...
Today was a field trip ahead of us again. Hemal from Concept Society picked us up at the hotel and without us knowing we stopped in Old Indore for a quick breakfast on the street. We had Boha (not sure this is spelled correctly), this was mashed rice with some vegetables, a piece of lime and some spicy seasoning on top. A bit spicy but very yummy.On our 1 ½ hrs journey we spotted some camels that have walked all the way from Pakistan. When arriving at the tribe we have been welcomed again with a bindi and flowers. We then sat in an area where they would usually teach children; you could see some of the education material hanging on the wall. The women introduced themselves to us and we had a good conversation with them about how they are living and their agriculture.Then a tractor came by, playing loud music and everyone got excited. The women started to show us a dance, and all of a sudden we were in the middle of it. We were told they love to dance and would usually do this all evening. After we took a group picture of all of us it was already time to leave again.Next stop was Concept Society's Manpur Office, where we got to meet three of the field officers running the offices and the projects for the surrounding area. We exchanged a lot of information and the time went by too quickly. While being there we have been served a lunch (at around 3:00 pm). It was very interesting, even though we asked the staff to sit and eat with us, it is tradition that they would only eat after the guest would have left. I had a strange feeling about it, but this is their culture and we need to respect this... as they accept some of the things that we do, which they might find strange. While having another 1 ½ hrs ride back to the hotel we made a quick stop on our way to try the sugar cane juice. We were not really sure if this is a good idea, as this was against all the instructions we have been given, only to eat things that have been cooked, can be pealed... Oh well, we took the risk and it was delicious… sugarcane, with lemon, ginger, mint and some garlic.This was again a great day that Hemal has organized for us… I know this post mainly focused on food, but after having spent those 2 days with her, her team, and the women she is supporting gave us a great insight on the work that Concept Society is doing and I am so impressed by how much Hemal and her team has achieved in only 7 years… incredible! The other thing that strikes me most is with how little the people in the villages and tribes can live, this puts my ‘normal’ life, once again, into some very different perspective... 
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