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You learn something new everyday

You think you know some place and then someone who's never been there before will show you something new and unexpected - like a beach in Alaska.

I met a friend at Mocha at midnight. He was late because he'd spent a toad's infinity in the gym. He'd done something called a benchpress, which strangely enough is a maneuver where you do not not press a bench; several sets of crunches, which again is a cruel term to call something you do to your abdomen; several miles on the treadmill, etc. etc. All this, I was told, after he'd sprinted on the beach. Tardiness was therefore excusable.

'And what did you do?', he asked me in his haloed healthy glow.

'I reached for the remote', I snapped.

It was his first time in Mocha. He looked through the menu and turned up his nose (a very foreboding gesture if done in an eatery or near boss.) Then he told me what most men tell me in restaurants, 'You order for me.'

But before I could, he qualified his request - 'I don't want anything with cheese, cream, or chocolate.' Hmm, interesting - these fitness-shitness types. Let's tour Alaska but let's not go to those areas with ice.

Anyway, by this time the waiter who had emerged like that butler in Adam's Family, took down my swift and yummy order. My friend hemmed and hawed and hemmed some more. Before his next haw, the waiter straightened his posture and asked, 'Anything particular you're looking for, sir?'

My friend repeated, 'No cheese, no cream, no chocolate.' And if that wasn't ridiculous enough, he followed it up with, 'Can I get a salad?'

I was gulping down some water. Embarrassing situations can be rather dehydrating. It was heart-wrenching, though, the way he innocently asked for raw veggies in a place that describes its items 'rich' and 'gooey'.

But what followed stunched me. (Stunch is not a word. I made it up.)

The waiter, as much as his impassive demeanor would allow, leapt to action. Clearly the salad question had touched a chord. In the crowd of decadent clientele asking for calorifically high dishes, here was a man who wanted salad. 'My hero', his glassy eyes seemed to say.

The waiter swept up the menu card, opened to a page on the card menu, pointed to an item, and said, 'I'll get you this salad, sir. It's shredded celery and carrots with a light vinaigrette dressing.'
My friend, now happy that he'll get a gourmet Loony Tune meal, sipped his decaffeinated brew.

I, as mentioned earlier, was stunched. Salad? In Mocha? In my Mocha? In this place I know and love? It's been on the menu all along and yet I'd never seen it before. Truly, love is blind. It sees what it wants to see. And what it doesn't, must be revealed by a stranger. (The stranger in question was now animatedly telling me about back exercises.)

Anyway, we got our orders shortly thereafter. I saw my friend bask in the Alaskan sun.

Comments

sameer said…
that was a well written post! :)
anumita said…
To eat salad in Mocha would be like eating pork sorpotel in Mecca. Sacrilege!!! How could you allow that!
You back in office?
Anonymous said…
Came here via DesiPundit.

Sorry, I do not understand the "Beach in Alaska" comment. Having not read your earlier posts, for a moment I thought Mocha is a restaurant in an Alaskan beach and this is a travelogue.

AW
TB said…
:D
Truly stunched!! Carrots and celery at Mocha?? My favourite bit was 'fitness-shitness', though. :P
Mukta Raut said…
Kafka - thank you

Anumita - How could I allow that? I'll take the qestion with me to my grave! And yep - back in office.

Anonymous - welcome welcome! Ah! The beach in alaska comment is an analogy I have used to indicate that just as there are no beaches in Alaska (the place being covered with snow), there are no salads in Mocha. But since my pal did indeed get salad in Mocha, perhaps there could be a beach in Alaska. The analogy was basically to indicate unexpected things. (Sorry - i'm bad at explaining myself.)

Tablemannered - hullo! 'Fitness-shitness', huh? hee hee! i need to be getting into that soon though. I've started looking like one of those couches at Mocha. :-D
R. said…
Whats the use of working out if you can't eat...
Mukta Raut said…
Hey R!

How are you? Like anumita, you too raise questions that I shall take to my grave. :-D
Heh Heh said…
Heh. "Fitness-shitness". Nice.
~ another ex-mocha lover
Unknown said…
"Let's tour Alaska but let's not go to those areas with ice" - Loved this
R. said…
Hey mukta, I'm good, ty. How's yourself?
Mukta Raut said…
Hi Q

It's been a long time. How are you?

R - hullo again,

Me fine! Thanks
Anonymous said…
Hi to all the great people who has commented on this MOCHA stuff, i m the man in que. well, i should tell you all that you all including MUKTA are very poor in knowlwdge of places, fyi ALASKA do have sea and beach in summers, to remind u all, oil tanker " exxon valdaze" ran aground there spilling lot of oil and killing sea guls. so its clear ships do not sail on ice.
now abt SALAD in MOCHA, i personlly feel very strongly that it is not the menu of things around which gives you high, rather its the company which matter.i did enjoyed that SALAD and company. only one thing off beat was lot of nuts in salad and one nut in front of me. i will suggest every one of you, u try ur level best for thing u want and then c u will all get it.

my id is mariner217@yahoo.co.in


any one agree to my way of thinking do write me on my id, i wish to have good evening at MOCHA again, guys excuse me.
Proseaholics said…
This comment has been removed by the author.

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