So far, my internship with UNDP is going quite well. But other days, the work is slow moving as it climbs up, down, and around a bureaucratic jungle gym of supervisors, government stakeholders, and other partners.
Today was one of those days.
Luckily, even the stiffest of days can be busted by the king-fu-panda hilarity of the chai-walla, ‘Annha’. Our banter is ridiculous, and includes an assemblage of common hawker sounds, animal noises, and absolute nonsense.
Annha-ji is my height, 5 foot, but three times my size in diameter, although this weight is disproportionately concentrated around his stomach like a walking, upright bell curve. One of his most distinct features are his absolutely mad-dog eyes that have a pug-like way of pointing in two directions. Don’t be fooled though, his perception is acute, and it could be because of his natural bifocals that he gives the impression that he can see right through you. Annha has been working as a chai-walla in UNDP long enough for the oldest of staff members to fondly call him ‘beta’ (son), and he can carry more chais at one time than I can count.
At first, our relationship was tense. For a start, I don’t usually take sugar in my tea. This was pretty devastating for Annha, who immediately classified me as an alien after rejected his cup of: 50% sugar, 25% milk, 25% tea. Secondly, I am consistently inconsistent. I don’t ever have any regular cup of tea, but one day might want a nimbu-walli chai (one with lemon, nimbu, instead of milk, doodh), or coffee, or even, and this really gets him wound up.. a sweet cup of tea.
Another thing is that Anna has always made jokes, but in the beginning of my internship here at UNDP, I had no idea what this mad-dog was talking about. Not only was my hindi pretty horrible, but he doesn’t speak in proper sentences. Now we have a healthy conversation that often goes something like:
Annha: ‘pesa de do!’ (give me money!)
Me: ‘nay paisa-walla, mujhe pesa de-do’ (no, rich-guy, you give ME money!)
Annha: ‘garam-garam chai piyo! Pesa de-do’ (drink hot hot chai! Give me money!)
Me: (rant about how I’m not earning any money, the chai in the office is expensive, and people on the street drink it cheaper) ending with a classic Indian-train breakfast-walla chant ‘breaaaaaaaad-butter cutlaaaaat’
And that brings us onto the last point of friction. I don’t think Anna was prepared to hear an American regularly cripping and gripping about the meager cost of a cup of tea. After explaining the T's & C's of my internship (Note: no remuneration will be given, no daily travel expenditure covered, no cost of lunch provided, and there should be no expectation of employment after this internship... please sign the dotted line..), I couldn't tell whether Annha thought the concept of an internship is horrifying or hilarious. In any case, while he still doesn't give me any chai for free, he certainly adds a real-life touch to a long day of 'typing-vyping' work, as my granny calls it.
love,
Anika Bahra
Communication and Documentation Focal Point
GoI-UNDP-GEF Medicinal Plant Project
Energy and Environment Unit
United Nations Development Programme
55, Lodhi Estate
New Delhi – 110 003, India
91 – 11 – 46532261
91 – 11 – 24627612 Fax
