Only desis would drive 10 hours to eat mangoes!
My husband and I drove back from Toronto last weekend, having gone on a Mangomania trip with 11 other friends who are part of a group called the New Jersey Wanderers. These are dedicated walkers. They used to hike, but all got scared after my ankle fracture which happened not even while I was hiking, but just walking in Manhattan. So now they walk every weekend weather permitting, with high tea afterward of course. I have not resumed the walks as I have not reached 10,000 steps a day yet. I am happy with my 1.5 miles (about 4,000 steps) 10 months after my big ankle surgery.
Like my husband, daughter and grandson, some of them are mango maniacs. They just love mangoes, the sweetest fruit ever in the world! I myself am a mangomaniac. I remember my husband’s niece’s husband gave me a book once — A Tryst with Mango! Mangoes are legendary in Southeast Asia, and quite deserving of literary serenades.
So, who would want to travel to Pakistan to have the best mangoes in season in a summer when temperatures are over 100, and keep rising every year? What’s the next best thing — drive to Canada with friends as USA is stricter with imports. Stay at the same hotel, and eat mangoes every night after wandering all over Toronto and Mississaugua where many desis live.
In the process we discovered a small strip of Pakistanmania….these are all stores, bakeries, restaurants, cafes with names like Karahi (a special dish) Boys, Karachi (a city in Pakistan) Roll corner, Yaron ka Adda (hangout for buddies), Premium Sweets — a Bengali sweet store that is just amazing. Bengali sweets are known to be the best in the Subcontinent. We even got to see a Southeast Asia festival on Gerard Street in Toronto itself, but clearly Mississauga is the place to be! Check out the video below.
Oddly enough, we had one couple with us whose last name is Bengalis. While I was in the store waiting for others, one of the women asked me where are the Bengalis? I said they are right in front of you- so many of them- meaning the different colorful enticing sweets! Then she asked again, and I said the same thing. When she asked the third time, I realized she was asking about our fellow travelers! What a laugh we all had on this little story!
Just traveling with friends with all its ups and downs can be challenging. Four or five cars traveling together is a challenge anytime, but in a big city known for traffic jams and construction, it is even harder. There were delays and wasted time, poor planning and mood swings. But when you step back and look at the big picture, you have to be so grateful that this even happened and that we can all do it still given our ages, and that we are safe and protected no matter where we go. And we are all grateful for the fruit called mango- what a blessing from our Creator!
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