forms of feasting

Lunch was a feast today.

Walking across the shopping area with four colleagues out into the cold, crisply sunny air
To realize with a quickening of the heart, that the hot turk-intern falls in step with me and asks in his accented maddeningly cute accent “so you are all dressed up for the holidays I see

Stand in the middle of the courtyard wondering which cuisine to head towards.
Hot turk tilts the balance to my choice with a slight nod of his head and a wink of the eye as I grin triumphantly at the rest

All five troop in towards the Thai Place.
Hot turk waits, as my shoe slips off my feet and stands holding the door open in a dutiful chivalrous pose

Conversations turn towards drinks from each country. The Russian vodka, the Turkish Raki, The Brazilian Caipirinh,  and The French Cognac.
I sit across the 3 feet table from him wondering if I’ve had more than my share of Raki, as the tummy and senses lighten hearing him talk animatedly.

Decide to have spicy eggplant, and an order of drunken noodles to share with the other female colleague.
Secretly thrilled that the hot turk orders a veggie tofu dish, and wondering why I was thrilled in the first place!

“Thai spicy?” asked the slant-eyed-dimpled-waitress, to which I say “Sure why not, I like it hot!”
Braving a pink-faced-embarrasment as I realize that the Turk may have picked up on an inuendo that sub-consciously slipped my mind as he throws an angular smile at me across his lean sharp jawline.

“Drunken noodles for the ladies?” He asks innocently, as the older man teases “o, all the talk on drinks and liquor is influencing the ladies!
Decide that I really should stop staring at him lest he thinks am glassy eyed and stoned, but more importantly quite starved.

Food arrives hot and delicious looking, as each claims their choice. Turk exclaims at mine “I can smell the spice, it must be quite hot!”.
Smile and nod, as thoughts and sanity race to keep the statement as PG 13 as possible

Talk turns towards his visa status and how he plans to stay on, but that there is a possibility that next week could be his last with us.
Sinkingly realize that I will not be around next week and this very well could be the last time I lay my eyes on his lanky runners body.

Conversation turns to heritages and the mapping of the genome project.
Wonder if the Turk had any Indian ancestors as his sharp nose bore a strong resemblance to Naseeruddin Shah that he could do a Gandhi with elan. Add the deep pools of smoldering brown embers for eyes, and a 3 day stubble, and it was hard to tear eyes off.

Dismayingly realize that I did not have cash to chip in. Turk dives in and says “let me” to which I vehemently oppose as I gently remind him that I may not be able to pay him back if today was his last day here. To which he says “Do not worry, you can buy me lunch next time”
Laugh and let him pay as my brain processes the line very late to not make much sense if that was his indeed last day!

As we head out, he pulls apart from the crowd to walk towards the shuttle. He shakes hands with all and does a squeeze-that-really-isnt-a-shake-but-more-like-a-cross-between-a-hifive-and-a-warm-buddy-hand-hold-for-an-entire-2-seconds-that-I-thought-I’d-swoon-or-palpitate-if-I were-in-any-less-public-space.
Spacing out the entire time I walked back with the rest

Blog about it instead of writing a report due in 24 hours!
Swear that I do have to take that trip to Turkland pretty soon and start looking up all vacations catering to single women that would assure the tourists of some quality time with the locals.

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15 replies on “forms of feasting”
  1. says: Terri

    Title of this post should’ve been: “How rads got her groove back.”

    You wrote this post for me, didn’cha?

  2. says: rads

    Terri: Thanks! 🙂 But of crse, I mean, who else understands me the way you do 😉

    Archana: haha, na, he’s going back to Turkey and promised to show me around if I do visit. *sigh

  3. “Do not worry, you can buy me lunch next time”
    I am sure you figured out the translation already:
    “Please visit Turkey ASAP. So you can reply me for the lunch but I will also take you all around Turkey and host you as long as you want. Please please please…”

  4. This whole thing about women being smitten by men from ‘exotic’ countries is so…false. Prior to arriving in Melbourne, friends told me that Aussie women would be all over me thanks to the fact that I’m Indian…but so far…zilch…nada.

    I’m this close to getting a pair of those curly toed shoes and a turban…

  5. says: Jam

    Hey there Rads,

    I dunno if it was only me, but man, was this story a little naughty or what!!! Actually, it was more than just a little naughty, what with the references to the “lanky runners body” and stuff like that.

    In any case, I really do hope you do make it to Turkey, and more importantly take some pix of the place and upload it on the blog. That way the rest of us get to see what you missed out on seeing because of focusing your energies on something (or someone) else. 😉

    Cheers…….Jam

  6. says: some body

    terri and rads:

    you guys should’ve joined alpha. along the way, crying creaky limbs (or any other such excuse), you should’ve/could’ve/would’ve detoured to turkey!

    that would be quitting kilimanjaro (for) cold (hot) turkey now, wouldn’t it?

    – s.b.

  7. says: rads

    sb: Terri and I are like lost twin souls when it comes to such ventures. Turkey’s quite delicious looking these days 😉

    bpsk: Quite Japanese if I can go by the feel of his palm during the 2 second handshake that really wasn’t one! 😉

    Jam: Thank you for stating the obvious 😀
    Yes, I hope so too. So would you like online albums, or did you want 4*3 pictures snail-mailed to you?! 😉

    Prestid: See, I try not to generalize unless proven wrong. This is the 3rd Turk am encountering and each have driven home the point, if you catch my drift. 😉

    You should make use of the look you’ve created and tie in the crystal ball and belly dance thing in, complete the picture and all?

    tdna: What? Are we translating for a travelog or a children’s book?!
    My mind’s interpreted this on a much exciting endorphin scale. 😉

  8. says: rads

    Vinesh: Any idea why you were marked as spam? 😛
    Interesting choice of words you use. hmm..

    SB: I have a desi version which is so much better. Pg 13 too!

  9. says: some body

    rads:

    evidently, my cut-and-paste did not work properly. and the boymongoose version is oh-so-2006! that was the one i meant when i said “last year’s favourite”

    – s.b.

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