Monthly Archives: August 2008

The Lone Green Bean

Have you ever eaten a lone green bean?

So this update comes from India where I’ve been bouncing around between Bombay, Delhi and Bangalore.  Next to Thai food, I probably have to put Indian near the top of the list.  The type of food is very different between the south (where it tends to be VERY spicy) and the north (where it is less spicy, but more oily).  All of it is incredible – especially to someone who loves curry – me.

Anyway, with my fish curry meal on Tuesday night, there was a single green bean sitting on top of my rice.  You know what I mean?  I think they call them haricot beans back home.  It’s about an inch long and cut at both ends.  I have to admit that I thought it was a little strange that they serve one lone green bean with the meal, but when in India … As soon as I put it into my mouth and crunched down, my Indian colleague remarked on how brave I was.  I think his exact words were, "Wow.  I don’t think I’ve eaten one of them since I was 12 years old."

It wasn’t a green bean.  And I can still feel it burning a hole through my intestine two days later.  🙂

Eating here is a bit of an adventure!  You don’t realize how inept you are at eating until you try to eat all the food with only your right hand and your left hand in your lap.  Pity the poor person who is left handed.  It is considered very bad taste to touch food with the left hand (or to accept business cards or anything else for that matter).  Regardless, the flavors are fantastic and I highly recommend the … things that I’ve eaten this week.  Just watch out for the lone green bean.

Deep Dive

Deep DiverThis summer has brought some really incredible diving.  Last week, I was able to explore a 102′ tugboat called the Baleen that sunk just outside Boston harbor after catching fire back in 1975.  While the wreck was largely intact, you could see evidence of the fire in and around the wheelhouse.  Sitting down at 170 FSW, I have to add this to one of the top 3 wrecks in New England.  Of course, hanging out on decompression for twice the length of the bottom time is a bit of a hassle, but the plant and ocean life are unbelievable.  To top off the dive, we had a whale breaching alongside the dive boat on the way back in … I would LOVE to actually dive with one of these.  Unfortunately, I have no pictures to show for it because my camera is only rated to 140′ and I didn’t bring it along.

Then of course, there are the interesting people you meet on the boat.  This time, I was heading out with one of the top executives from CSL Group (Canada Steamship Lines) who was born in Canada, but has lived all over the world and is now down in the Boston area.  CSL is actually owned by Paul Martin (21st Prime Minister of Canada) and this he had worked with Mr. Martin for more than 20 years.  Very fascinating …

Now it’s off to Las Vegas for a few days and then two weeks of vacation in Nova Scotia.  Yay!  Smile. 🙂