Harjeet Coffee Cake
I got this recipe from a friend I met in London when I was working as a shop assistant in Oxford St. I was in my early twenties and it was summertime. She was an Indian girl, with long, straight black hair, a Sikh who was born and living in England. We immediately became friends; it was not much because we were the same age, it was mainly we shared the same ideas and dreams, as I’d call them now, but at that time it was more like fighting against old prejudices and behaviour codes. It was a time when I was studying Japanese and was fascinated by Eastern cultures and philosophy. I had already got a Japanese friend, I had met a few years before in London, and we’re still good friends! It was my first hand experience of a multicultural society and I was thrilled at the idea of friends sharing same ideas although coming from different backgrounds. I’m not changed much though... I dare say... which I don’t know whether to consider it positive or not..... I learnt to see my problems under another perspective and realised I was quite lucky in my family! My parents, my father in particular, loved travelling; when he was a boy, he was dreaming to become a sailor to see the world, but then he saw the war, WW2 , and all his dreams were gone! The war had destroyed his youth but made his love for family and friendship bondings even greater. He was ever so happy to have guests and happier if they were foreigners. So to cut it short, Harjeet, this Indian friend of mine, came to my place and met my family, my father and his little coffee pot. This is the cake she thought he’d love.
Song: Sgt Pepper
It was twenty or more years ago....
