Hi everyone, Divyansh here, the Stoves Project Co-Lead! After a long and arduous journey, we finally made it to Baroda last night. Extremely jet-lagged, we woke up super early today and were treated with hot chai, coffee, and a plethora of snacks to make up for the weight lost during travel. We also got to meet Keny’s aunt and uncle, Mr. Dilip Shah and Mrs. Krupa Shah, as well as her cousins. They stopped by all the way from Ahemdabad (a 2 hour drive) just to see their beloved niece for a few minutes, talk about dedication!
We decided to trek outside this afternoon
in search for an SD card, some playing cards, and a good book to pass some time. Note for future travelers: do not buy playing cards from Crossword, they’re absurdly overpriced and you will pay an arm, leg, and perhaps a kidney. After a successful trip, we were treated to a delicious lunch, courtesy of Harishbhai (the man, the myth, the legend) who fed us wholeheartedly.
think I’ve already put on 6 pounds, everything is fine. Then, we played a few rousing hands of Do-Teen-Paanch, a traditional Indian card game, which of course I won. Then Kabir and I took a nap, which certainly didn’t help our jet-lag, while Keny chilled on the balcony soaking up some humid Baroda weather.
In the evening, I was able to get in touch with my family friends who used to live in Massachusetts, and recently moved to Baroda. Shilpa Aunty and Uday Uncle, I just wanted to take this moment to thank you for an absolutely amazing dinner at Secret Kitchen. It was truly a delight being able to see you this far away from home, and having the opportunity to catch up.
The restaurant was quite the experience, extremely artsy with fantastic food. There were samosas in cages, papad in boxes, and palette cleansers in syringes. It was one of the finest dining experiences I’ve had in my life, 13/10 would recommend. Also, Kabir fell in love with Santa (Disclaimer: Santa may be a woman).
After that, we came home and knocked out within a half hour. Big day at the office tomorrow, can’t wait to meet everyone!
See ya later, crocodile and Merry Christmas eve.