The worst thing about staying in countries like US and Canada is that you have to cook your own food. Of course, there are smart people like me who stay with good cooks. My utensil washing ability combined with their cooking ability ensures that we co-exist happily. But once in a while, there comes a day when the cooks are busy and the utensil washer is all by himself. Today was such a day.
I had initially decided to fast the whole day but by afternoon, my stomach had started revolting resulting in strange rumbling sounds. I decided to cook something. A quick research on the internet suggested that cooking a simple potato dish was achievable for amateurs. I went to the kitchen, poured half a litre of oil in a pan and started heating it. Meanwhile, I ransacked the kitchen for masalas and found 3-4 packets. I took one masala packet and started putting it into the oil. Suddenly it slipped from my hands and the entire masala was in the oil. But no problem... more masala means tastier food !
I put some more masalas into the pan and started cutting potatoes. 10 mins later, the pan started vibrating violently. I peeped into the pan to see the entire mixture turning dark red, then brown and then black. It had started behaving like one of those volcanoes they show on the Discovery channel. Before I could do anything, the oil caught fire releasing tons of smoke. The fire alarm started ringing. The situation was out of control now. I hurled the pan into the sink and poured water into it but it resulted in more smoke.
I remembered being told that if the fire brigade arrived, the fine was $5000. I was at my wits end. I kicked all doors and windows open, grabbed a towel and started waving it frantically to get rid of the smoke. Meanwhile, my brain was calculating the total amount of money I would have to borrow to pay $5000. Suddenly, the alarm stopped ringing. My towel flapping had done the trick. But the danger was not over yet. The fire alarm had been ringing for quite sometime and there was a huge risk of the fire brigade arriving. There was only one hope - God.
Speaking of God, it sure is advantageous being a Hindu. We have 320 million Gods and there is a high probability that at least one of them will be available for your help. I started chanting all prayers I knew for invoking as many Gods as possible. Suddenly I heard the siren of a fire brigade. I started praying even harder. I promised God that I will visit a temple and offer 5000 coconuts. My bribe seemed to work. The siren died down after sometime. After waiting for 15 mins, I heaved a sigh of relief… $5000 saved !
P.S. I know that I could have ordered a pizza instead of cooking, but a hungry stomach destroys the mind's capability of thinking logically. I also realized later that 5000 coconuts will cost more than $5000 !!!
I had initially decided to fast the whole day but by afternoon, my stomach had started revolting resulting in strange rumbling sounds. I decided to cook something. A quick research on the internet suggested that cooking a simple potato dish was achievable for amateurs. I went to the kitchen, poured half a litre of oil in a pan and started heating it. Meanwhile, I ransacked the kitchen for masalas and found 3-4 packets. I took one masala packet and started putting it into the oil. Suddenly it slipped from my hands and the entire masala was in the oil. But no problem... more masala means tastier food !
I put some more masalas into the pan and started cutting potatoes. 10 mins later, the pan started vibrating violently. I peeped into the pan to see the entire mixture turning dark red, then brown and then black. It had started behaving like one of those volcanoes they show on the Discovery channel. Before I could do anything, the oil caught fire releasing tons of smoke. The fire alarm started ringing. The situation was out of control now. I hurled the pan into the sink and poured water into it but it resulted in more smoke.
I remembered being told that if the fire brigade arrived, the fine was $5000. I was at my wits end. I kicked all doors and windows open, grabbed a towel and started waving it frantically to get rid of the smoke. Meanwhile, my brain was calculating the total amount of money I would have to borrow to pay $5000. Suddenly, the alarm stopped ringing. My towel flapping had done the trick. But the danger was not over yet. The fire alarm had been ringing for quite sometime and there was a huge risk of the fire brigade arriving. There was only one hope - God.
Speaking of God, it sure is advantageous being a Hindu. We have 320 million Gods and there is a high probability that at least one of them will be available for your help. I started chanting all prayers I knew for invoking as many Gods as possible. Suddenly I heard the siren of a fire brigade. I started praying even harder. I promised God that I will visit a temple and offer 5000 coconuts. My bribe seemed to work. The siren died down after sometime. After waiting for 15 mins, I heaved a sigh of relief… $5000 saved !
P.S. I know that I could have ordered a pizza instead of cooking, but a hungry stomach destroys the mind's capability of thinking logically. I also realized later that 5000 coconuts will cost more than $5000 !!!
