Food writer and Modern Spice cookbook author Monica Bhide
recently returned from visiting her family in India, and we asked her
to share some glimpses of contemporary life she noticed while there. You can read her previous posts here and here.
I have always loved to read, and I love a bargain. In India, the way to find out what titles are hot is through street vendors who sell their wares along the Delhi roads. When you stop at a traffic light, they come up to your car to sell books and magazines. They only carry books that are on the bestseller list. Almost all the vendors I spoke with were illiterate, yet they could tell me a bit about each book they carried. Mostly the description was "Oh, Madam, very good, very good book. You like. Nice. Nice." Everything from Dan Brown to Paulo Coelho was "nice, nice."
In addition to books, these vendors sell many other different products like windshield wipers, cleaning cloths, and children's toys. Bargaining is a must. I bought Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger for Rs.100 (a bit over $2), bargained down from Rs. 250 (about $5). Bestsellers at a price I love--what is not to like? Of course, you have to be fast and learn to bargain in under three minutes, which is the time cars usually stop at long traffic lights.
Photo: Monica Bhide
I have always loved to read, and I love a bargain. In India, the way to find out what titles are hot is through street vendors who sell their wares along the Delhi roads. When you stop at a traffic light, they come up to your car to sell books and magazines. They only carry books that are on the bestseller list. Almost all the vendors I spoke with were illiterate, yet they could tell me a bit about each book they carried. Mostly the description was "Oh, Madam, very good, very good book. You like. Nice. Nice." Everything from Dan Brown to Paulo Coelho was "nice, nice." In addition to books, these vendors sell many other different products like windshield wipers, cleaning cloths, and children's toys. Bargaining is a must. I bought Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger for Rs.100 (a bit over $2), bargained down from Rs. 250 (about $5). Bestsellers at a price I love--what is not to like? Of course, you have to be fast and learn to bargain in under three minutes, which is the time cars usually stop at long traffic lights.
Photo: Monica Bhide
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Oh! I can't wait to visit India. Soon...