The Pudumjee Family

The next few posts should catch you up to what I've been up to for the last week.  When I left you last, I had just been picked up by my host family, the Pudumjees, for a weekend in their home.  This home-stay  experience was truly refreshing, and I feel like I was able to recharge from the intensity of our school, village, and NGO visits.  Friday evening we ate a delicious dinner consisting of traditional Parsee dishes at Pesi's (host grandfather) house.  We returned to the Pudumjee Bungalow and headed straight to bed.

The next morning, we got up early and had some time to read and enjoy a cup or two of coffee.  Then, we went to a book store and a few other shops, where I bought a lovely purse.  Next, we went to the Kelkar Museum in Pune, which is the exhibition of a private collection of Indian artifacts.  Most of the artifacts are from the state of Maharastra, but many came from other places in India as well.  There were amazing wooden, metal, fabric, and ivory artifacts from as early as the 18th century.  Next, we had a delicious lunch of kebabs at the Boat Club, where we also got a view of the river (though no one goes boating there anymore because the river is too polluted).

Following lunch, went home to recollect ourselves, then went to Phoenix.  Phoenix is the 2nd largest mall in Pune, and the 1st largest mall I've ever seen in my life.  Four stories that each rivaled the size of Southpoint were overwhelming, so my host sisters, Shehroo and Viera, took Jeff and I for a beer at an Irish pub.  We returned home for dinner, and then went out for kolfi for dessert.  Kolfi is a boiled cream ice cream that is delicious.  Apparently though, the best place for kolfi is in a pretty sketchy part of town near the rail station, so we ate our kolfi in the car. 

Wiped, we went to bed early to be ready for the next day of adventures.  Shehroo and Viera had been talking all weekend about this snake park, and so that's where we went on Sunday morning.  There were a lot of snakes, but it was also a zoo with many other animals like a white tiger, deer, bears, and more.  We then got to partake in the Pudumjee Sunday routine of having a huge delicious traditionally Parsee lunch followed by a nap.  However, Shehroo and her friend Cheryl noticed I wasn't looking ready for a nap, and took me for a drink at Phoenix mall again.  

Sunday night, we came back to the hotel and then met up with the whole group and all the host families for a thank-you dinner at the Poona Club (note: Poona is the old name of Pune, like Bombay is the old name of Mumbai). It truly was sad to say goodbye to the Pudumjees, as their generosity, hospitality, and kindness made our weekend amazing.  I am sincerely hopeful that Shehroo will find herself at UNC for her Ph.D. studies, as it would be wonderful to continue the friendship we built in this short weekend hanging out. I really feel like I got to experience a typical (qualifier: typical for a more affluent family) weekend in Pune on the home stay, and that I will have a lifelong connection to the Pudumjees!

And here are pictures: