I was, of course, beaming when I was sent to a (getting popular) structured cultural awareness workshop. I’m now a little over three years living (and working) in Abu Dhabi and you might ask  isn’t it too late? When an expatriate or any non-national goes to another country, it’s a given that one must orient himself in many possible ways before landing in a foreign land. Especially when one crosses borders to augment and/or explore the workforce. It’s specially tricky in the UAE because it’s not simply dealing with the UAE Nationals; it actually means dealing with different Arabs and Muslims + the other nationalities. Configure the equation that not all Arabs are Muslims, not all Muslims are Arabs, and all the other nationalities could either be Muslims or not. Hence, when I was picked to attend the “proper” cultural awareness workshop, there was so much wooooow painted in my heart and face. I just really find it interesting to learn about new culture, everyday there’s always a new discovery.

Oftentimes the situation is catching me by surprise that I’d tell, “I didn’t expect that it could get any better”. Apparently, Ali AlSaloom, the top cultural consultant of the Gulf, facilitated the workshop. Another starstruck moment. The workshop started with a cultural quiz which got me one incorrect answer  (it really helps when you are mingling with the locals (appropriately called UAE Nationals or Emiratis) and when you are keeping an open mind about the things around you) — I got it wrong when I responded yes to the question that to eat pork is always haram (legally forbidden by Islamic law) for the Muslims. As Ali explained, they may eat pork if that is the last resort. But as I gathered from most of my Muslim colleagues, they would rather die than eat it. The workshop was so stimulating that we didn’t want it to end. So far, the biggest (among the new) information to me is that the UAE government supports lesbians and gays, to a certain extent. That Emiratis who have strong inclination that they have gender issues, if they willingly approach the concerned government agency, will be subjected to medical tests. And if indeed warranted, the government will pay for the sex change surgery and the necessary changing of identifications like passport. Thought-provoking.

When he gave us the newly updated version of his book “Ask Ali: A Guide to Abu Dhabi” at the end of the workshop, I was already cooking a plan to ask him to sign my copy. And he did and even wrote (the salutation) my name in Arabic and English and gave me an extra (a bookmark). Only then the other participants queued to ask him to sign theirs. If the author was right infront of you, seize the day! But I chickened out to have a photo with him, nobody dared. Anyway, there might be a next time. I still recall how I fared when we were asked to introduced ourselves at the start, “…. that I was born and raised in Manila” though technically I was born in Quezon City. As to go with the flow, it was a given that I came from the Philippines and instead of being asked from which city, better yet to mention Manila although I technically grew in Laguna and spent much of life in Manila and Makati and our connotations about Manila may vary. On the other picture, Abu Dhabi is often confused as part of Dubai. No, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are two of the seven emirates of the UAE . Hence, the “United” in United Arab Emirates.

You might be wondering, why the brand “Ask Ali”, he loves to explain anything which is Arab-related. And it shows that even beyond that arena. He is a credible source that he has been appointed as a cultural ambassador. What’s especially interesting is when you get information or clarification from an Emirati himself and not from a foreign author; he who has been exposed to different cultures and traveled a lot. I was not too surprised of his seemingly multi-accents to non-accent pattern. For long time or new residents and tourists in Abu Dhabi or the UAE as a whole, I am encouraging you to visit his site ask-ali.com and Embrace Arabia.

The other references, aside from the online information and Ask Ali: A Guide to Abu Dhabi, that I found to be giving healthy awareness about Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the Gulf, are From Rags to Riches: A Story of Abu Dhabi and Don’t They Know It’s Friday? (The men on the covers both walking to the same direction is a fascinating coincidence.)  These were instrumental to my easy-going adjustment in the UAE. These made me ponder what are the top books, preferably authored by Filipinos, that I should recommend in case a non-Filipino (and even Filipinos) will ask about the best references for someone who would want an enriching read about cultural awareness in the Philippines.

Suddenly, I’m reminded of my random list of what makes Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi. That is I’m writing about stuff that is so Abu Dhabi on a per encounter basis. As I recollect it, it would be informative, trivial and classic. I guess I should write about that.

I’ve started reading Errornomics, one of the previous birthday presents I got. It talks about why we make mistakes and what we can do to avoid them. It’s an enjoyable read and although I’m still 200+ pages to the end, I’ve already exclaimed “Aha!” plenty of times. Since I’m still miles away to making a book review, I just want to share the specific learning points that I’ve “tested” or realized.

As we look for things, we don’t always see.

This morning, we were in Lulu Hypermarket to do the weekly groceries. We intentionally went in during the peak hour to test one theory. Apparently, handedness is the best predictor of a person’s directional preference. Hence, most people who are right handed, like me, tend to look at the right when searching for the shortest lines for people at stores, banks, and the like. At the supermarket today, as we were about to pay, I checked the queues at the left first. Really short!

(A card sent by one of my Iggy sisters; I liked that this Papemelroti card depicts a lot about the colorful life in the Philippines. I miss riding the tricyle but not the craziness and unpredictability of situations like hold ups.)

Not that I want to test another theory, but I noticed that in some documentaries and investigative series men and women witnesses give separate strengths in their accounts of the story. But Errornomics suggests that in case of hold-ups/snatching event, it is better to have a man as a witness (ugh, I am a woman). Allegedly, women tend to notice the appearance and actions of the woman whose purse was being snatched while men pay more attention to the thief, hence, they are more accurate regarding the details about the thief.

The book mentioned other interesting examples of “looked but did not see” errors (and that’s just one chapter). It’s a good start to rekindle my affair with the books. It’s been a long time. And I want to find out the relevant symbolisms of those peeled bananas on the book cover,

I’m starting to lose faith in me whenever I’d say that I’m not going to buy another book until I’m done with my pending reads. I’m thankful to those who gifted me books for my last birthday. That way, fate finds a reason to bless me with fresh reads. The challenge with having to deal with pending reads is that I have the tendency to embrace the LIFO (last in, first out) methodology. Anyway, I dropped by in my most favorite bookstore in the UAE and was not able to resist buying Ilustrado which was authored by our very own Miguel Syjuco. It has been listed by New York Times as one of the 100 notable books of 2010.

On a lighter note, it was interesting to see a PacMan book, i.e. Behind the Scenes with Manny Pacquiao, The Greatest Pound-for-Pound Boxer in the World on the same display-shelf wherein Barack Obama, George Bush and Nelson Mandela were on. Aside from that boxing glove sticker I put on, another landmark is that he’s side by side Justin Bieber’s First Step 2 Forever.

I think that it is odd that I got surprised when I learned that the third installment of the Twilight Saga, Eclipse, is going to be shown in the cinemas soon. I mean, I used to be very informed of anything Twilight related. While it is debuting on the 30th of June in most of the countries, we got the 8th of July playdate here. It is odder that I did not take it as a big deal like when I did when the first installment was shown here few days late. Really, the delay strained my patience and even pained my sleep. I even made pre-screening preparations like re-reading the book, having the ticket in advance, at a minimum. It is interesting though that there is going to be an advanced screening (which is rarely happening in the UAE) of Eclipse on 1st of July. The oddest thing was that I did not even consider that. Wow, I think I have matured a lot (*facepalm*).

If you are a follower of this blog, you can attest that I was soooo consumed by Twilight. I can not help but giggle when I re-read my crazy entries on the day I got the four books (and reading it several times), that I was so engrossed that I associated too many things with Twilight that it affected my conversations with selected few, going gaga over my Twilight shoes (I love this pair until now; I think this is going to be one of my treasured pairs forever), writing my review for the first film adaptation after watching it thrice in the cinema, and more. Well, I thought those were the most logical stuff to write that moment. Seriously.

I am randomly recollecting how this Twilight madness enriched my well-being. Aside from the unexpected financial benefit which I got during one of my travels (i.e. I did not pay for my excess baggage, more than 10 kilos as I remember, when I was in Hong Kong, because I was wearing my Twilight shoes which signaled the airport officer that we are on the same boat. The rest is history. Hence, I got an implicit discount.), I think what matters more to me is the friendship it strengthened and the one of a kind virtual association I gained by sharing the same passion for Jacob and/or Edward (just kidding), errr, by sharing the same interest – to put it simply (special mention to Toni, who has been there through thick and thin; yes, there’s such a thing!). You probably know how it feels when you are fighting for a common cause.

Going back to my claimed “maturity”, I saw it coming when I was never tempted to get a graphic novel at all and New Moon DVD (but I watched it twice on the big screen, haha) soon. I was not tracking Stephenie Meyer‘s new novel as well. Unlike when I finished the four books, I was very hungry for anything Meyer that I also read The Host (yes, she knows other creatures other than vampires and wolves!), which made me realize just now that I have not done a review yet.

It is interesting how junk food for the brain (the same with Farm Town, chic literatures, etc.) consumes us in a way as if it meant the world to us. That during those times, we tried hard to manage the addiction without really knowing when the fever is going to subside. When I re-read my Twilight entries and Farm Town madness, I never felt though that I wanted to delete any of these even if it is going to be embarrassing to some extent… because they formed part of my interests and made me. We must be thankful for this kind of junk food because they kept us sane. We can never be too serious, there is going to be the other side of us always. But as the term suggests, we need to precaution ourselves not to take too much junk for our brains.

What are your junk food for the brain?

(Is it possible for the Kapampangan, Ilongga, Bulakeño and Batangueña chefs to agree with a single version of preparation and presentation of a Filipino dish?)

I have been often asked for gift suggestions for a person who will be based abroad. I would consistently remark that it should be something practical, handy and useful. A cookbook has been one of the favorite suggestions. Yes, the person taking off may not immediately appreciate it until he or she begins experimenting in the kitchen. But whether you are gifting it to a kitchen expert or not, there is one cookbook that is an absolute pleaser.

Kulinarya: A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine is a product of genius effort from six well-known and respected Filipino chefs, with its editor Michaela Fenix.  They have collaborated, debated and performed kitchen testings since 2006 to come up with precise recipes that all Filipinos would embrace as their own no matter which dialect they speak.

It sounds like it is impossible to standardize recipes since we grew up in different homes such that each ilaw ng tahanan (mother) has her own way of preparing the dish (e.g. there are at least 8 versions of adobo as mentioned in the preceding entry).

(It was a perfect timing that I was in the culinary tour in the house of Claude Tayag, one of the writers-chefs, when the book has just been launched. Next in line when he autographed it was the foodie/former GMA newscaster/Erap’s spokesperson Margaux Salcedo. I remember almost behaving like a giddy adolescent when he was writing on my copy. How can you not be starstruck by the chef featured by Anthony Bourdain and is the brain of 5 ways lechon that made me eat for 5 hours straight? He was also the food stylist of this book.)

I got a copy of the “most coveted” cookbook in December 2008. Since then, it serves like a bestfriend in the kitchen and an easy reference for everyone.  (Well, when someone’s consulting over the telephone or through the email, I can at least pretend that I know how to prepare a certain dish. There is a codigo to help me.)  Although there are some recipes that I do not follow 100% because of certain preferences influenced by my orientation, like putting in a little amount of sugar to my chicken pork adobo, simplified halo halo because I prefer the hard to replicate Razon’s version, etc.

Kulinarya has positioned itself  as an edible library which is a rich source of reliable documentation on how our major Filipino dishes should taste like withstanding the given variations for each region. Although the authors avoid using the term, I think that they succeeded in the  ”standardization” of the recipes.

Kulinarya becomes extra appealing because recipes are documented in a way that you are psyched to conclude that “yes, this is easy!” And no matter how difficult cooking  may seem to a kitchen newbie, the delicious photos (taken by Neal Oshima) situated beside each recipe is more than enough motivation to give it a try. To the extent that you will be inspired to prepare everything down to the last line, creating an occasion to do it.

(Crispy Pata)

For people like me who is poor in butchery know-how, there are dedicated pages for butchery orientation, e.g. equivalent of Western to Filipino cuts and corresponding cooking methods (saute, grill, braise, etc.).

(Butchery guide)

(Pancit Molo)

“Kulinarya was very expensive and a very difficult book to produce. The pre-production, the kitchen testing of the recipes and the initial writing of the text took about 2 years. The principal photography, graphic design, including its seven revisions took about a year to complete. All in all, it took about three and a half years to produce Kulinarya. The publishers, the chefs, the photographer, the book designer and the stylist were very patient to make sure that the book see light of day.

Kulinarya is now on its fifth printing and some of the recipes tweaked and essays updated based on the reader’s response. We also included, Anthony Bourdain’s views on his last visit and interview with Claude Tayag, one of the six chefs featured in Kulinarya.” - Ige Ramos, Book Designer (2 May, 2009)

(Ensaladang Filipina)

(Ensaladang Talong)

Recipe selections were based on regional preferences and popularity throughout the country. At least 90 recipes were presented into different sections such as pulutan (appetizers), sabaw (soups), gulay at ensalada (vegetables and salads), ulam (main dishes), adobo (vinegar braised), pancit (noodles), merienda (snacks), and minatamis (desserts).

(Beef Bulalo)

(Pinais na Alimasag)

(Pinakbet)

“Filipino cuisine is a sum of Filipino history, from the indigenous food of the prehispanic era, to the influences of Southeast Asian cooking brought by trade, and the colonial influences brought by conquest.” – Michaela Fenix, Kulinarya editor

(Pinaputok na Isda)

(Relyenong Manok)

(Kare-kare)

(Palitaw)

(Sans Rival)

Sawsawan (Sauces and condiments)

Kulinarya is a project of Asia Society, in cooperation with the Philippine Department of Tourism, which advocates improved cooking methods and best practices in the preparation and presentation of Filipino food. It hopes to build greater appreciation for and understanding of Filipino cuisine and its traditions at home and throughout the world.

Kulinarya: A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine

Available at bookstores in the Philippines
You may call Anvil Publishing at +63 2 637 3621/ +63 2 631 7045
Hardbound (Php 2,500), Softbound (Php 750)

(1) Adobong Puti (Stewed Pork and Chicken in White Vinegar) got its name from the white vinegar that it uses. However, the appearance of the dish is brown because of the frying. It is claimed that this is the classic version since it highlights the basic adobo flavors such as vinegar, garlic and peppercorns, and excludes soy sauce which outweighs the rest of the flavors.

If you will be living outside the country, would be living on your own, will be mandated to know by heart to prepare one dish, or at least because you are a Filipino, I think that it is necessary that you know how to cook adobo. While it is not officially declared as our national dish, it is often associated with Filipinos. I am particularly speaking for those based overseas, it would be very embarrassing when non-Filipino colleagues or whenever the situation would call for it that you must prepare an adobo, and you can not. Of course, simple googling  and an overseas call probably to a family member (because each family has its very own adobo) would help, but believe me, if you still have the time, do not think twice to perfect it.

While it is improbable, if you are going to master only one dish in your lifetime, go for this. If you do, you will successfully please everyone even with an adobo week because of the several variations.

(2) Adobo sa Gata (Stewed Chicken in Vinegar and Coconut Cream) uses gata (coconut milk) which is most popular in Bicol.

Adobo is derived from the French adouber which originally means to dress a knight in armor and eventually meant to arrange, to construct, to tan leather, and to dress foods. During the Spanish colonization, adobar was introduced in the Philippines using the local vinegar instead of grave vine as used in their home country. [The Governor's General Kitchen, p. 43]

“… the Spanish and Mexicans saw the dish the Filipinos were already cooking, recognized its similarity to theirs, and called it adobo de los naturales which are the words used by dictionary maker Pedro de San Buenaventura (1613)…”

(3) Adobong Baka (Braised Beef in Vinegar) is the least common. On a personal note, I am not a fan of beef.

(4) Adobong Kangkong (Braised Water Spinach) is a version of the Ilonggo apan apan adobado. What differentiates it is the sprinkling of tulapa (bits of pork fat made up of oil) which is normally sold by bakeries which use pork lard to make Spanish cookies such as hojaldres, kinamoncil and banadas.

(5) Adobong Malutong (Crisp Adobo Flakes) can be made from left over chicken pork adobo or right after cooling down from its first cooking. It has a long shelf life, especially when refrigerated on a sealed container. This can be paired with kare-kare, sinangag or as a topping for lugaw (rice porridge).

(6) Adobong Manok at Baboy (Stewed Pork and Chicken in Vinegar and Soy Sauce) is popularly known as the standard version of adobo. The soy sauce gives it a dark color and salty flavor. This is my favorite among the versions and I normally put a little sugar in it. I also find it better the day after it is re-heated.

(7) Adobong Pusit (Stewed Squid) can be cooked with or without the ink sacs. I prefer it without the ink and with a decent amount of Sprite or 7-up in it.

(8) Adobong Puso ng Saging (Banana Flower Sauteed in White Vinegar) is also known as pancit puso (heart noodles) because the banana flower resembles the shape of a heart. The puso ng saging (banana flower) is used as a souring agent instead of calamansi.

Of course, I did not understand these many faces of adobo until I got this very reliable and helpful cookbook in 2008 (the delicious photos above were snapped from the recipe book’s pages), from one of the authors himself. It made wonders in my life in the kitchen, makes me, people joining me on the dining table /guests happier, and makes us put on weight (hahaha). I promise to write about it on my next entry.

(Photo taken at Welbart Exhibit in the Philippines, 2008). These men are like the politicians during the campaign period, trying to market themselves to the public.

I’ve registered for the absentee voting last August and now that the election is near, I still don’t have my final list. Although it’s only one vote that’s coming from me, I reserve my right to be choosy about the candidates. The possibility of cheating in the canvassing of votes is beyond my control. I think that one of the better things that came up now is the availability of several means to get oriented with the salesmen (aka political candidates).

The survey results are tricky to the undecided and to those who are investing on candidates. Here’s from one of my current reads, Freakonomics:

In order to figure out the relationship between money and elections, it helps to consider the incentives at play in campaign finance. Let’s say you are the kind of person whom might contribute $1,000 to a candidate. Chances are you’ll give the money in one of two situations: a close race, in which you think the money will influence the outcome; or a campaign in which one candidate is a sure winner and you would like to bask in reflected glory or receive some future in-kind consideration. The one candidate you won’t contribute to is a sure loser. So front-runners and incumbents raise a lot of money than long shots. And what about spending that money? Incumbent and front-runners obviously have more cash, but they only spend a lot of it when they stand a legitimate chance of losing; otherwise, why dip into a war chest that might be more useful later on, when a more formidable opponent appears?

Now picture two candidates, one intrinsically appealing and the other not so. The appealing candidate raises much more money and wins easily. But was it the money that won him the votes, or was it his appeal that won the votes and the money?

That’s a crucial question but a very hard one to answer. Voter appeal, after all, isn’t very easy to quantify. How can it be measured?

It can’t, really – except in one special case. The key is to measure a candidate against… himself. That is, Candidate A today is likely to be similar to Candidate A two or four years hence. The same could be said for Candidate B. If only Candidate A ran against Candidate B in two consecutive elections but in each case spent different amounts of money. Then, with the candidates’ appeal more or less constant, we could measure the money’s impact.

Here’s the surprise: the amount of money spent by the candidates hardly matters at all. A winning candidate can cut his spending in half and lose only 1 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, a losing candidate who doubles his spending can expect to shift the vote in his favor by only that same 1 percent. What really matters to a political candidate is not how much you spend; what matters is who you are (The same could be said about parents). Some politicians are inherently attractive to voters and others simply aren’t, and no amount of money can do much about it.

What’s your basis of selection of candidates?
a.) The results of sales of 711 presidentiables’ cups?
b.) Surveys
c.) Campaign ads
d.) Things that help you make an informed choice
e.) None of the above/ Others

Our basic Arabic course is over. Now, it is time to find and practise the ways to improve it. I am thinking of:

(a) Watching the Arab Channels, at least the news and not the teleseryes.
(b) Reading the broadsheets (which I have already started). Nosebleed!
(c) Talking (more) to Arabic speaking friends and colleagues.
(d) Reading Arabic comics, if available. I remember one of the better means that improved my reading before I enrolled to gradeschool was the comics, particularly the ones in Filipino. How can I forget the hahaha (ecstatic, laughing), hehehe (plainly happy and sometimes on a mischievous tone), hihihi (female, sometimes in flirtatious tone), hohoho (for Santa Claus), huhuhu (crying), hik-hik-hik (drunk), etc. Even the foreigners who want to improve their Filipino read comics.
(e) Buying a CD and book-guide for intermediate Arabic. I already did (the same day with a set for French).
(f) Reading the Twilight Saga (at least the first book, with the apple on the cover just like in the photo) which is written in Arabic. I am doubtful though that it will be effective because maybe I have memorized the English version.

(My copy of the limited edition “Ickle and Lardee’s Grand Adventure”, debuting in this blog together with my newly set up 5-foot Christmas tree. I almost gave up finding a fine tree for this season in the Gulf).

If I am to name the coolest and cutest blog ever, it is going to be Milk Toof. I learned about it through oodlesofgoodles several months ago. Since then, I’ve been following the teeth’s adventure. The blog is authored by Inhae Lee, an artist working in Berkeley, California. On the stars of her blog, she wrote (and it also appears on the back cover of the book):

When I was young, I placed my baby teeth under my pillow and when I woke up I’d find a shiny new quarter. But whatever happened to those little teeth? Where did they go? Would I ever see them again?

Many years later, a little tooth was standing at my door. It looked familiar. Welcome home, my milk toof!

The books were sold out few days after its release. Lucky me to have ordered it on time. The 80-page book tells the story of Ickle and Lardee on the day they went out to find a turtle, got lost, met a snail and other creatures until they found their way home again. That’s equivalent to 80 groovy photos with charming little captions on each. I read it thrice already and as always I carefully flip each page, as if I’m holding a prized possession.

Enclosed in the package sent to me are three photocards. What a bonus! They originally came in a 3R size. But I decided to play with the layout for an added coolness.

There’s no plan yet to reprint the book. But the blog alone is more than sufficient to entertain you. Check out what’s happening with the adventurous teeth as they prep up for the holidays.

Given that the story is really inventive, hence bagging the 2002 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, one of my favorite chapters was pre-ship tragedy when he was exploring and experiencing test of faith. Although it’s not the actual case, but I felt the particular chapter was talking to me. As you probably know, I’m based in UAE wherein several religions are observed by different people (it’s a fact everywhere).  But in this part of the world, most of the people are Christians/Catholics, Muslims and Hindu.   I was nodding and non-maliciously smiling as I read this part:

Note: Without his parents and religious leaders knowledge, Pi embraces three religions and on that fateful day they coincidentally met in Salai seaside esplanade. That his secret exploded like a bomb.

After the “Hellos” and the “Good days”, there was an awkward silence. The priest broke it when he said, with pride in his voice, “Piscine is a good Christian boy. I hope to see him join our choir soon.”

My parents, the pandit and the imam looked surprised.

“You must be mistaken. He’s a good Muslim boy. He comes without fail to Friday prayer, and his knowledge of the Holy Qur’an is coming along nicely.” So said the imam.

My parents, the priest and the pandit looked incredulous.

The pandit spoke. “You’re both wrong. He’s a good Hindu boy. I see him all the time at the temple coming for darshan and performing puja.”

My parents, the imam and the priest looked astounded.

“There is no mistake,” said the priest. “I know this boy. He is Piscine Molitor Patel and he’s a Christian.”

“I know him too, and I tell you he’s a Muslim,” asserted the imam.

“Nonsense!” cried the pandit. “Piscine was born a Hindu, lives a Hindu and will die a Hindu!”

The three wise men stared at each other, breathless and disbelieving.

Lord, avert their eyes from me, I whispered in my soul.

All eyes fell upon me.

“Piscine, can this be true?” asked the imam earnestly. “Hindus and Christians are idolaters. They have many gods.”

“And Muslims have many wives,” responded the pandit.

The priest looked askance at both of them. “Piscine,” he nearly whispered, “there is salvation only in Jesus.”

“Balderdash! Christians know nothing about religion,” said the pandit.

“They stayed long ago from God’s path,” said the imam.

“Where’s God in your religion?” snapped the priest. “You don’t have a single miracle to show for it. What kind of religion is that, without miracles?”

“It isn’t a circus with dead people jumping out of tombs all the time, that’s what! We Muslims stick to the essential miracle of existence. Birds flying, rain falling, crops growing – these are miracles enough for us.”

“Feathers and rain are all very nice, but we like to know that God is truly with us.”

“Is that so? Well, a whole lot of good it did God to be with you – you tried to kill him! You banged him to a cross with great big nails. Is that a civilized way to treat a prophet? The prophet Muhammad- peace be upon him – brought us the word of God without any undignified nonsense and died at a ripe old age.”

“The word of God? To that illiterate merchant of yours in the middle of the desert? Those were drooling epileptic fits brought on by the swaying of his camel, not divine revelation. That, or the sun frying his brains.”

“If the Prophet – p.b.u.h. – were alive, he would have choice words for you,” replied the imam, with narrowed eyes.

“Well, he’s not! Christ is alive, while your old ‘p.b.u.h”is dead, dead, dead!”

The pandit interrupted them quietly. In Tamil he said, “The real question is, why is Piscine dallying with these foreign religions?”

The eyes of the priest and the imam popped put of their heads. They were both native Tamils.

“God is universal,” spluttered the priest.

The imam nodded strong approval. “There is only one God.”

“And with their one god Muslims are always causing troubles and provoking riots. The proof of how bad Islam is, is how uncivilized Muslims are,” pronounced the pandit.

“Says the slave-driver of the caste system,” huffed the imam. “Hindus enslave people and worship dressed-up dolls.”

“They are golden calf lovers. They kneel before cows,” the priest chimed in.

“While Christians kneel before a white man! They are the flunkies of a foreign god. They are the nightmare of all non-white people.”

“And they eat pigs and are cannibals,” added the imam for good measure.

“What it comes down to,” the priest put out with cool rage, “is whether Piscine wants real religion – or myths from a cartoon strip.”

“God – or idols,” intoned the imam gravely.

“Our gods – or colonial gods,” hissed the pandit.

“Mr. Patel, Piscine’s piety is admirable. In these troubled times it’s good to see a boy so keen on God. We all agree on that.” The imam and the priest nodded. “But he can’t be a Hindu, a Christian and a Muslim. It’s impossible. He must choose.”

“I don’t think it’s a crime, but I suppose you’re right,” Father replied.

The three murmured agreement and looked heavenward, as did Father, whence they felt the decision must come. Mother looked at me.

A silence fell heavily on my shoulders.

“Hmmm, Piscine?” Mother nudged me. “How do you feel about the question?”

“Bapu Gandhi said, ‘All religions are true.’ I just want to love God,” I blurted out, and looked down red in the face.

Father cleared his throat and said in a half voice, “I suppose that’s what we’re trying to do – love God.”

During Pi’s most struggling days to survive from the ship tragedy, he prayed to different gods at different circumstances.

*“We sailed from from the Madras across the Bay of Bengal, down through the Strait of Malacca, around Singapore and up to Manila. We were in Manila for two days, a question of of fresh feed, new cargo and, we were told the performing of routine maintenance and work on the engines.”

(Photo source).