Proud of my audacity - This morning I walked to the nearby Indian International Center (IIC)

for back to back showings of two older Indian films.  The walk was less pleasant than normal as the piles of excrement of unidentified origin were prolific and forced focus on my feet.  When I did manage to lift my gaze it was to notice that two new kinds of tree are flowering: one with a gentle white umbrella of blooms and the other with amazing powder puff pink and white exotic spheres.

When I turned onto Max Mueller Marg (where the IIC is) I fell into step behind a young man carrying a plastic bucket with what looked like chopped onion and lentils.  Curiosity increased with every step.   Max Mueller Marg is the location for all kinds of foundations and non-profits: World Wildlife Fund, Ford Foundation, Alliance Francaise, to name a few.  My young delivery man stopped to ask someone directions and then continued on.  Finally he met two others and I could catch up and get a good look at the bucket.  As it was broad daylight and there were passersby in full view I pulled out some small change and gesticulated that I'd like to photograph them.  They looked suitably distressed by the westerner flashing money about (albeit 20cent notes) and somewhat relieved when they realized I was interested in their buckets.  I hope you can spot the styrofoam dividers in the bucket separating chopped onions from cooked chickpeas, and something else I am not sure of.  One of the other boys had a similar bucket and the third chap had a large pot of tea with a stove.  There are no roadside stands on this street, so my guess is that some local kitchen hired out the chopping and just did the cooking themselves.  From the number of hot chili peppers in the bucket I'd guess that it was an Indian organization's kitchen.  I bought one tiny handful of those green chilis the first week we moved in and they are so hot that only Bert really enjoys them.  I fear tht my small handful will rot before I actually finish using them.