For holidays such as Diwali or Holi, my manager would make food for the office. While his cooking was fantastic, I always struggled with the tiny bones in the fish. I would eat much more slowly than everyone else as I was trying to navigate the bones! After a few meals shared, he asked me if I didn't like the food because of how slowly I eat. In my broken Hindi, I tried to explain how much I enjoy it but how it is a challenge for me.
Here, once again, I find myself facing some difficulties with the mere technicalities of actually eating the food. I can only imagine how clumsily I eat the fish, trying to separate the meat from the bones, but I remind myself that the only way to get good at anything is to be bad at it at first. So even for a situation as simple as eating, I remember that it is okay to be a bit clumsy in the pursuit of new experiences.
Another example of this is eating with your hands. In the north of India, roti is very common, and in the south, rice is more common. So, in Delhi, I had a relatively easy time using roti or naan to eat. Here, I have trouble using only my fingers to eat rice, and I often end up grabbing a spoon even if others are not doing the same. At times, I can feel a bit awkward as I'm not eating in the same manner as everyone else.
Despite having previously lived in India, I would not say I ever got particularly good at cooking Indian food. There is a big culture of domestic help here. While it sounds strange to many Americans, most people in Delhi have cooks who come to their home and prepare meals on a daily basis.
