Saying It With Some Signs!

T.

Here’s a place that offers you the option of “Chiniese”, Continental, or Goan food with a common theme of Chicken running through all 3 cuisines. If you’re vegetarian like me you’re stuck with “Pasta” or “Spageti”!

The rather long break between my last post and this one has been unintentional. This one lasted over 3 weeks, 24 days to be exact which means that I have posted only twice this month which should be a blogging record of sorts even for me!

This time the excuse isn’t the inevitable “Can’t seem to find anything to blog about…….” Or “Been hit by the blogging block” sort of thing. It’s because we have been busy trying to make some sense and order out of chaos surrounding us.

We shifted houses and then it took about 3 weeks to have our broadband shifted and reconnected at our new address. Our connection had to move a distance of less than 10km, but it turned out that the officer who had to authorize/ sign the transfer order was on leave and there was no one else in that department who could take on that responsibility in his absence!

Here’s a place that offers you the option of “Chiniese”, Continental, or Goan food with a common theme of Chicken running through all 3 cuisines. If you’re vegetarian like me you’re stuck with “Pasta” or “Spageti”!

Now that our internet is back, I’m back to posting though I’m still a little short of time to write out posts. Unpacking and settling things in the middle of everything else, seems to be taking up more of my time and effort than I expected.

That hasn’t stopped me from taking photographs whenever I could, and something new that fascinates me are the numerous signs and boards I see these days all around me, related to food or otherwise.

I found this rather eye-catching set of boards on the road from Calangute to Panaji, and am not sure exactly what they want to convey. Its outside an eatery called “A Piece of Pie from Pai” which is a rather clever take on the Goan surname of Pai. They offer “Smoothies, Shakes, Sandwiches and more….” and maybe you would know what “more” was if you can read the Russian written below!

Goa is an Indian state that has a largely tourism based economy, so a lot of what goes on here is designed to attract tourists and persuade them to enrich the local businesses. There are parts of Goa for example, where one can see plenty of signs in only 2 languages, English and Russian, because these places are very popular with tourists from there!

It also means that there are signs/ signboards everywhere advertising all manners of things from local or more exotic sounding food, rooms to rent, pubs, to conducted tours, clubbing/ partying hotspots and rave parties! Some of the signs are quite creative, while others would bring a smile to your face while the odd one will have you in splits thanks to mis-spelling or grammatical bloopers. Many of the signs are of the run-of-the-mill variety but quite a few are worth capturing for posterity, in my opinion, and I have decided to collect as many of them as I can.

I’ve never seen a place here (not that I’ve seen them all, so don’t take my word for it) that sells waffles, so this one in Anjuna caught my attention. Unfortunately for me, it was a Sunday, the end of the tourist season and the place was closed!

All the photographs in this post were taken in and around what we at home here like to refer to as the “beach belt” which are beaches and surrounding areas that are very popular with both foreign and Indian tourists alike. There are the occasional references to non-vegetarian stuff in some of these photographs and perhaps not material for a vegetarian blog, some might argue. But all’s fair in photography.

Another signboard I came across in Anjuna which was actually offering vegetarian (not very common) and vegan (very unusual) fare, but was also closed because the tourist season is over.

I’m sending off the BW ones from this small collection to my friend Sravanthiof When My Soup Came Alive who is hosting this week’s edition of Black WhiteWednesday (BWW). BWW is the brainchild of another friend Susan, The Well-SeasonedCook and is a weekly showcase of black and white food photography from the world of food blogging.

For all my fish loving friends (I can call you all fishaholics now!) here’s the stuff many of you come to Goa for, apart from the beaches and feni. You m__ight want to think twice though, as the sign above this one (which you cannot see here) says “Authentic Delhi-style Food! This was taken in Saligao.

True Goan fare and it will be good, the chef seems to say. There’s another board behind which says “Original Recipe Since 1806”, but I’m not sure what the recipe is for. Yet another one from Saligao.

When you know you want simple and filling fare, Indian style, then “Thali Meals” are the way to go even as late as 5:30pm!__ I would caution vegetarians though, since you don’t know what non-vegetarian stuff might have just made it into the Veg Thali, as the kitchens for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food is usually the same! The sign points to the right which is actually the road towards Panaji!

And some more fish to delight seafood lovers. The road to Panaji seems to be a “fishy” haven! There’s Chonak (White Snapper) and Shark and even some “Sqeeds” should you like to try them………..

Finally, before I end this post, I want to say a big “Thank You” to all those who joined me in my first food photography exercise. I shall be posting the next one on the 2ndof June so keep an eye out for that post if you would like to be a part of this series.