The Feast!

It was quite a week, culminating in our great feast for all the parents and family members from the colonies who came on parents day to visit their children.  Christin Harding, from Boston, and her cute daughter Ann, were the directors of the production, with Ann Tempest as photographer and our daughter Elizabeth as a helper.  We planned for 450 people, and I don't think we had more than about 300 to 350 that we actually fed.  It was a very large amount of food that was prepared, with people coming from the village to cook in huge pots over wood fires all the biriyani that was served.  It was so much that it seemed worthwhile to hire that portion of the cooking out--money well spent to have it catered. Have you ever had a main course for a party for 350 people catered for under $40!  I'd like to bring them home with us for the big party we're doing for our grandson's "night before the wedding" celebration.

The preparations had been ongoing through the week.  Christin knew what she wanted to do (although she had come expecting to serve 30 to 50!), and she bought fun fabric in two patterns that stretched on the ground all the way through the mango grove nearest to the hostel.  Down the center she had the lovely traditional flower leis spread--orange, green and white, with a bit of red.  Almost India flag colors (minus the red.)  Banana leaves were at each place to serve the meal on, and except for the wind coming up and having to get the boys to try and hold everything down it all looked so pretty.  Christin is a fabulous party giver and caterer, and had recipes that were mostly followed by the Indian kitchen staff and all the American helpers who chopped fruit, broke green beans in small pieces, and assisted with potatoes, onions, garlic, etc.

The dishes served were lovely--biriyani in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian (with chicken), onions in a delicious curd, a potato dish with green beans, and beautiful fruit platters for dessert, followed by Hershey's chocolate bars that Christin had hauled from home.  (The chocolate almost caused a riot!)  We all thought it was quite memorable--not sure that the colony people felt the same way, but if it ultimately benefits their children they will think more fondly of it!

Christin is planning a cookbook, that will come out in December when she gives her annual Christmas party for her many friends of the Boston area.  Proceeds will benefit Rising Star Outreach, and help us on the path to funding our kitchen/dining facility.

Our week with Elizabeth here was so wonderful.  She was such a help and joy to have around--I really wanted to write her family and suggest they might get her back at Christmastime!  Becky Douglas was also here for the same period of time (actually she just left today) and that was also joyful.  Everyone here loves her so much--it is fun to follow in her shadow.  

We had our first Rising Star India Board meeting yesterday, here in our apartment in Chennai. We have some wonderful members on the board, including Padma Venkatramen (daughter of a former president of India); a retired high ranking government minister; a member of the Rotary International Board of Directors, who is also a member of the Madras Rotary Club that has given so much to Rising Star Outreach school and the micro-lending program; the head of all the Marriotts in India, Pakistan, and two other countries; and a man who heads up the Cobra out-sourcing program here for a big US law firm, and employs 50 attorneys.  It's a powerful group all interested and dedicated to Rising Star.  We were appalled with the report on the bombing of the Marriott in Islamabad, Pakistan.  30 employees killed (mostly security people, and about 10 hotel guests.  The person responsible parked a large garbage truck across the street from the hotel.  He set himself on fire, then ignited the 25 kg of explosives as the security people were rushing to aid him.  It was the largest blast ever in Pakistan.  Scary!

Always we must refocus on the children--it's why we're here and what makes us happy.