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Neighbours

Posted on August 23, 2010 by marialachica.
Categories: Blogging.

(No, I’m not talking about the Australian soap opera…)

After 5 months in Basingstoke, we still only know one set of neighbours. The couple at the end of the road have the same type of house as us, so we have talked a couple of times, about the house, the development, etc. Last week, the husband popped in to ask Jon about some plumbing stuff and decided then to meet up for tea on the following Sunday (aka, yesterday).

They are a lovely couple from North India (Delhi, I suppose, I didn’t ask exactly where), have been in the UK for 4 years and they have a very cute and funny 3-year-old son.

We got to their house at 4 o’clock as agreed, and I must admit that I wasn’t sure of what to expect. We looked online beforehand for what the polite thing would be regarding gifts. We wanted to take something as a thank you for the invite, but were unsure about their traditions and customs. We settled for some chocolate truffles and some cinnamon rolls (they almost rejected the gifts, arguing that it was far too formal, but we insisted and they took them in the end)

After the formal introductions*, we sat down in the sofa, had some tea and cake (our truffles and rolls were nowhere to be seen…) and started to chat.

We got on very well. Better than I thought. I must admit my ignorance about the Indian culture in general (this was the first time I met some proper Indians) and have to say that I was pleasantly surprised of how “western” they were both in behaviour and way of thinking. Apart from their Indian accent, I couldn’t tell any different from any other couple from anywhere else in the western world.

We chatted and chatted and we were all quite comfortable, even with the almost-hyper-active kid, who kept calling us “uncle” and “auntie” all the time. We talked about India, about Spain, about England, their food, our food, houses, children, education and many many more subjects. I was pleased to see that they were very open to talk about anything, even financial stuff.

We have set a date for a proper diner where we will have both traditional Spanish and Indian food (they think that the Indian food that you get here in restaurants has nothing to do with the real stuff – exactly the same as with Spanish restaurants!) and I must admit that I am really looking forward to it!

I believe this could be the beginning of a great friendship!

*We have a massive problem, and it’s that even after having repeated their names a couple of times, we still struggle to remember the wife’s name! We remember the husband’s and the kid’s, but not the wife… Doh! It’s definitely a two-syllable word, with a k and and a in it…

5 comments.

Comment on August 23rd, 2010.

I agreed about the Indian food. We have Indian friends and they’ve told us that in UK the “indian restaurants” are more from Bangladesh or Pakistan.

So, they are from North india (perhaps “punyabi” region?)..be ready for a super spice food!! :-D
What are you going to cook? Don’t forget to ask them if they are vegetarian!!

Comment on August 23rd, 2010.

We were friends with a couple from India in Cambridge, and had the exact same problem with the wife’s name! They were extremely warm, the food they prepared was always excellent (we don’t enjoy ‘Indian restaurant food’ but loved their home made dishes) and the first couple of times we were also surprised at their Western-like behaviour and values.
Glad you found a new couple to hang out with! I wish I had as much to say (sigh).

Comment on August 23rd, 2010.

ow I have a friend from Sri Lanka, and Sri Lankan food is apparently similar to Indian one….just one piece of advise…starve yourself a month before going to the dinner….because it is delicious and you will not be able to stop eating and eating and if your stomach is full you will explode but wont stop eating :D :D

Comment on August 24th, 2010.

Agreed with everybody. How lucky you are about having neighbourghs that actually talk to you. I have experienced that in Scotland but not in England :)

ABout the indian food, call mom and tell her to send Almax if they are, as it seems, from the Punjab :-) Maybe they will moderate themselves while cooking but…

One thing is for sure, a mixture of Spanish and Indian dishes with the aim to show off is a very bad combination for a weekend, yet alone for one night… Good luck!

Comment on August 25th, 2010.

@Elenita, I am supposed to cook the starter and dessert, so I thought something really typical and easy. For starter we’ll have Spanish omelette and “ensalada de pimientos asados”. For pudding, maybe “flan de huevo casero” :)
Also, there are not vegetarian, as they’ll cook chicken (however my dishes are “vegetarian-proof”!)

@Mortiziia, yeah, I’m quite chuffed to have friendly neighbours! Now let’s hope that the rest are as nice.

@Pelocha, I will have to starve myself, definitely, because I am not used to have 3 course dinners any more.. there’ll be a LOT of food!

@Eduardo, Jon and I love spices and are mentally prepared for something really spiced (although we’ve asked them to cook whatever it is as “medium” and they have agreed)
I know the combination of Spanish/Indian is not great, but it is our first experiment and we have to try!

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