----- Original Message ----- From: Dan Driscoll
To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 10:12 PM Subject: Churna Paste. . .
Looking for a GTDC 'Feedback' Button, but perhaps you can do the needful. With some visiting friends from Canada I took the Backwater (Savoi Village) Tour last Tuesday. Actually I myself am a Canadian, but married to Goan and living in Goa for now more than twenty years.
In general the Tour was quite okay, and what I have to relate is not by way of Complaint; rather let us say it may be taken as an 'Alert' or 'Cautionary Tale', lest it ever happen again.
I have not had Paan more than three times since coming to India, first in 1973. At Savoi Village we sampled nice food, and the Paan was described as 'Indian Chewing Gum'. There was no erstwhile Paan Wallah to assist us, so we helped ourself to the betal leaf and prepared our own 'Paan Supari'. I mis-judged the white paste to be something in the order of 'mayonnaise', so I helped myself to half a teaspoonful, liberally applied on the leaf and topped by other ingredients.
When I bit into it, I soon knew I could be in trouble. I managed to spit most of it out, but my tongue, roof of mouth and gums have been paining ever since, to the point that I am hardly able to take solid food, and must take a pain reliever to sleep at night.
I suggest that measures be taken to prevent all persons unfamiliar with the Paan digestive application not to make up their own Paan. A printed card could be prominently displayed, and perhaps someone should play the role of Paan Wallah, so that the lime paste is sparingly applied.
This has been almost a traumatic experience for me, and it is not over yet---three full days later.
Sgd: Daniel Driscoll (Mob Phone 9822123470).
