No this is not the hunger for anything larger in life or something like success or happiness. This is about the actual physical hunger, the thing which makes you want to eat something, anything, just put it in your mouth and start chewing it and letting it go down to your stomach or wherever else it may want to go. That hunger for food, the most important thing known to man. Every one does whatever they do, for food. Because no matter what you do, who you are or where you are, you need food to eat. Not want, need.
Then there are those who WANT food. Like me. Every time I talk about something like this, I am reminded of this incident at school where this teacher was asking rapid fire questions to everyone in class and she asked me whether I ate to live or lived to eat. Guess what I said. I am talking about those kind of people. My kind of people. Food is not just a necessity, it's a hobby, a passion, a religion. And every meal is an event, an occasion, a celebration (when the food is good of course). Words like eating don't do justice to what we do. We enjoy, love, relish and savor our food. We like to look at pictures of it and fantasize about it so much so that we can almost taste the flavors in our mouths. I kid you not, there was this one time when I was thinking about KFC so hard that I could actually taste it! Anyways, I digress. Also, I'm very hungry right now.
Now, as I'm sure you all are aware that we have all these festivals in India. The biggest and most eventful of them (for me at least) being Holi and Diwali. Holi is known as the festival of colors. Diwali is the festival of lights. If I had to pick one out of the two, it would be a very difficult choice. Holi is short-lived whereas Diwali goes on for an entire month. Holi is crude, raw and just about having fun. Diwali is much more civilized and refined. So my vote goes to Holi just for the overwhelming fun factor when everyone lose their inhibitions in pursuit of the fun. That is the true spirit of Holi.
On the day of Holi, after you've woken up super-early to prepare your ammo of water balloons, covered yourself with lotion/oil, picked out the clothes you want to sacrifice, bravely walked out into the war-zone, had the time of your life, ran out of colors/water/energy, you decide to head back to the pavilion. This, for me, is the best time of the day. You have no energy left, you look like some failed painter's canvas but no one gives a shit because you have just enjoyed yourself to the core. You can do whatever you want to right now. Laze around, go to sleep, watch TV, go out (rare), eat whatever you want, as much as you want and no one will say anything. Those 2-3 hours are sheer bliss.
All of this was what got me thinking. People like me need a festival that is purely about food. No fancy gimmicks like colors or lights, it's just about having good food. It should last for at least two weeks, a month would be too much to handle for normal people. It would begin lightly with the addition of a meal to your daily routine - breakfast, lunch, the meal and then dinner. You have to have all four meals or the Gods will not be pleased. The meal has to be something different everyday and the fancier it is and the more you eat, the more the Gods will be pleased. On the holi day of the actual festival, when some God had held up the principles of justice and truth and good food against the evils of lies, gluttony and inedible food (that which can be found in hostel cafeterias across the world), you have to go all out and eat the things that your heart desires the most. No holds barred. Every sip and bite should fill you with pleasure and make you remember the Lord's name. You should Hero-worship Him by the end of the meal. Ah, bliss. There shouldn't be an ounce of food left over or thou shalt face the wrath of a thousand thundering typhoons.
Also, food fights with bad food will be encouraged as a way of re-enacting the events of the victory of the Gods.
Then there are those who WANT food. Like me. Every time I talk about something like this, I am reminded of this incident at school where this teacher was asking rapid fire questions to everyone in class and she asked me whether I ate to live or lived to eat. Guess what I said. I am talking about those kind of people. My kind of people. Food is not just a necessity, it's a hobby, a passion, a religion. And every meal is an event, an occasion, a celebration (when the food is good of course). Words like eating don't do justice to what we do. We enjoy, love, relish and savor our food. We like to look at pictures of it and fantasize about it so much so that we can almost taste the flavors in our mouths. I kid you not, there was this one time when I was thinking about KFC so hard that I could actually taste it! Anyways, I digress. Also, I'm very hungry right now.
Now, as I'm sure you all are aware that we have all these festivals in India. The biggest and most eventful of them (for me at least) being Holi and Diwali. Holi is known as the festival of colors. Diwali is the festival of lights. If I had to pick one out of the two, it would be a very difficult choice. Holi is short-lived whereas Diwali goes on for an entire month. Holi is crude, raw and just about having fun. Diwali is much more civilized and refined. So my vote goes to Holi just for the overwhelming fun factor when everyone lose their inhibitions in pursuit of the fun. That is the true spirit of Holi.
On the day of Holi, after you've woken up super-early to prepare your ammo of water balloons, covered yourself with lotion/oil, picked out the clothes you want to sacrifice, bravely walked out into the war-zone, had the time of your life, ran out of colors/water/energy, you decide to head back to the pavilion. This, for me, is the best time of the day. You have no energy left, you look like some failed painter's canvas but no one gives a shit because you have just enjoyed yourself to the core. You can do whatever you want to right now. Laze around, go to sleep, watch TV, go out (rare), eat whatever you want, as much as you want and no one will say anything. Those 2-3 hours are sheer bliss.
All of this was what got me thinking. People like me need a festival that is purely about food. No fancy gimmicks like colors or lights, it's just about having good food. It should last for at least two weeks, a month would be too much to handle for normal people. It would begin lightly with the addition of a meal to your daily routine - breakfast, lunch, the meal and then dinner. You have to have all four meals or the Gods will not be pleased. The meal has to be something different everyday and the fancier it is and the more you eat, the more the Gods will be pleased. On the holi day of the actual festival, when some God had held up the principles of justice and truth and good food against the evils of lies, gluttony and inedible food (that which can be found in hostel cafeterias across the world), you have to go all out and eat the things that your heart desires the most. No holds barred. Every sip and bite should fill you with pleasure and make you remember the Lord's name. You should Hero-worship Him by the end of the meal. Ah, bliss. There shouldn't be an ounce of food left over or thou shalt face the wrath of a thousand thundering typhoons.
OK, I'm hungry now. Gotta go!
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