The following short story happened during our visit to the Garden of Groves @ Lucaya in Grand Bahamas Island.
We were a group of 25 from our cruise touring this island one early rainy morning with almost sleep studded on most of our eyes.We were the only 2 indians in the group.When we reached a botanical garden,a zestful afro american lady named jessica introduced herself as our tour guide.She was taking us around every grass,shrub & tree out there explaining their medicinal & horticultural importance like some botanical scientist.My husband was like 'not my kind of tour' from the beginning popping out his eyes for few of her serious descriptions on those insignificant grasses.Finally when we reached the one & only protected neem tree at almost end of our tour,she was in all praises for it and i believe during the course of our tour with her sharp acumen she realised that i am definitely from India.May be i had a strong indian stamp on my face.So when she pointed out the tree,she boldly declared to the group that i will be the one out there who should be well aware of all facts and truth about this tree.Everyone took a second look at me.And she began educating the group that in india - people brush their teeth with neem bark and their tooth stays strong until 85,they don't get any skin diseases since they boil these leaves and drink the filtered water every single day of their lives,they make soups with the bitter neem pulpy fruit,they dry them,powder them and consume it everyday to purify their blood blah blah blah and a confirmation from me for every statement that she made.Choice less was I.Had to loudly acknowledge every statement made by her.My husband was quaking with laughter peels standing right behind her.Suddenly there were too many clicks of that solitary neem tree than any others,i felt.The funniest part is she led these people to the rare garden shop saying a variety of neem products are available here and she requested them to feel free to buy those.
To our funniest surprise almost everyone in the group barring few very old souls who believed they might not really benefit out these neem products at the age of lying in the coffin, bought neem creams,neem tablets,neem sunscreens and neem powders along with books which exclusively talked about neem trees,all costing exorbitant prices.
Back home in india there are these neem trees standing tall,in groups,in solitude all over the cities,villages with leaves falling,drying and blooming where no one cares much to cut and discard a neem tree.Oh what a pity. Time to gift the americans some neem saplings,i thought to myself.
We were a group of 25 from our cruise touring this island one early rainy morning with almost sleep studded on most of our eyes.We were the only 2 indians in the group.When we reached a botanical garden,a zestful afro american lady named jessica introduced herself as our tour guide.She was taking us around every grass,shrub & tree out there explaining their medicinal & horticultural importance like some botanical scientist.My husband was like 'not my kind of tour' from the beginning popping out his eyes for few of her serious descriptions on those insignificant grasses.Finally when we reached the one & only protected neem tree at almost end of our tour,she was in all praises for it and i believe during the course of our tour with her sharp acumen she realised that i am definitely from India.May be i had a strong indian stamp on my face.So when she pointed out the tree,she boldly declared to the group that i will be the one out there who should be well aware of all facts and truth about this tree.Everyone took a second look at me.And she began educating the group that in india - people brush their teeth with neem bark and their tooth stays strong until 85,they don't get any skin diseases since they boil these leaves and drink the filtered water every single day of their lives,they make soups with the bitter neem pulpy fruit,they dry them,powder them and consume it everyday to purify their blood blah blah blah and a confirmation from me for every statement that she made.Choice less was I.Had to loudly acknowledge every statement made by her.My husband was quaking with laughter peels standing right behind her.Suddenly there were too many clicks of that solitary neem tree than any others,i felt.The funniest part is she led these people to the rare garden shop saying a variety of neem products are available here and she requested them to feel free to buy those.
To our funniest surprise almost everyone in the group barring few very old souls who believed they might not really benefit out these neem products at the age of lying in the coffin, bought neem creams,neem tablets,neem sunscreens and neem powders along with books which exclusively talked about neem trees,all costing exorbitant prices.
Back home in india there are these neem trees standing tall,in groups,in solitude all over the cities,villages with leaves falling,drying and blooming where no one cares much to cut and discard a neem tree.Oh what a pity. Time to gift the americans some neem saplings,i thought to myself.
My husband said,'I expected them to click your pix since u 2 are a rare one.How come honey none did that' adding fuel to the fire.Later when i crossed a 60 + white lady with my ice coffee topped with ample cream to rejuvenate myself from that tiring garden tour,she was very curious to know what was that i was sipping.I took a moment to tell her ' thatz an Ice coffee'.Since i was in the lime light that hour my husband added saying 'No she z hiding - thatZ ice coffee topped with some neem oil'.Everyone in the group burst out laughing :)
