PHENI!!!!

AND while I am at the subject of DIWALI, I think I will dedicate one post to PHENI. Indeed, I have to, how can a Diwali pass by without it;)

I don't know since when I was in love with it, but I think it was from the time my Mom used to give me Pheni every evening when I was in UKG I think. I should say "since" I was in UKG as I have been eating it ever since. An excerpt from a news article about Hyderabad:

"Pheni is a sweet vermicelli delicacy mainly served during the festival season such as Diwali, Ramadan, and Double Ka Mitha. Hyderabad House, Madinah Hotel, Yusufain Pista House, Café Bahar, 555 Hotel, Paradise, and Bawarchi are some of the local restaurants, which serve Hyderabadi specialties."

Now, since when is Double ka Meetha a festival by itself, I know not;) The guy who wrote that seems to have gotten confused;) But I wanted to be true to that excerpt, so not changing it;)

Hyderabad, the one place I love and Pheni so typical of Hyd. I long to eat Pheni, I haven't had it once in the five years I have been here:( I saw it once in an Indian store at Madison but didn't buy it then, it was too expensive in the eyes of an F1 student:D

So last year, I decided to make Diwali at least somewhat special by eating Pheni, now that I can afford it:D My parents were also here and so was Subhash, so I thought, all the more reason for me to buy it. Diwali is my faaaaaaaaaaaavvvvvvvvorite festival, all the food and the firecrackers:D:D Of course, the new clothes. Ah! How I love festivals, but Diwali is thus far my favorite:D After getting here, even wishing people on Diwali used to seem meaningless, in that we hardly did anything on that day, just get to work and go back home. So I decided to introduce Pheni into the routine. But I was too late last year, I went Pheni hunting only on Diwali evening, and all stores had run out of it. I was so sad that evening, I can't even describe it:(

So this year, I decided I HAVE to make the race with Pheni;)

Subhash and I went to Rajjot for Chat two weeks ago on Friday evening, and I saw Pheni there:D I was so happy, Subhash asked me to buy some right away but I thought, nah, its too early, we can buy it closer to Diwali (not as close as last year though;) ). So this Monday I went to Rajjot directly from work and guess what:((:(( They just ran out of it on Sunday, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa:(( waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa:(( (Should listen to Subhash, he is far wiser than I am ;) ) I was so disappointed, I wasn't even in the mood to go to the 3-4 nearby stores to check if they had some. I just came right back home. And was sulking..but then today I decided to hunt it down. After all if an Indian store in Mad town could have some, come on, California and especially Sunnyvale, could definitely do better. So I decided to start my hunt during lunch break. I started by asking Google

"Pheni, California" --No use
"Pheni, Diwali" --No use
"Pheni, Sunnyvale" -Nope, sorry! (Now I am getting desperate)
"Where can I find Pheni in Sunnyvale" -Google courteously gave me yet more trash;)

Then I decided this was not the way to go, I decided to call the one dozen Indian stores around my place. I asked Google (maata!) what the number of India Cash and Carry was. I got it and called them.

I asked "Do you have Pheni?".
The lady that answered said "Pheni? (now I am getting flustered, so do I have to explain yet again, what Pheni is?), Yes (Yay!!!!!!!!!)".

Then I wanted to be more certain, I could not believe I hit jackpot on the first try, I still remember last year of the one dozen stores I hunted for Pheni, I had to explain to at least 4-5 of them about what Pheni was in the first place;)

So I asked " Do you have a lot on stock?" Can you believe me, how desperate tsk tsk tsk, I hate to think what that lady thought of me;)
She said " Yes".
I said "Ok thanks a lot;)" and then I changed my Yahoo status to:

"I hope that Pheni lasts till I can go buy some [-o<" --The last part is the "Praying" emoticon on Yahoo!;)

So much for Pheni. I am thinking, should I just go buy it now during lunch without waiting for the evening?:D But I am being a little wiser than that. So till evening....

I hope it lasts!!