Rotund Lord Beautifully Rendered

In Shunyi, we head to Victor’s to have Indian food.  It’s is good.  It is acceptable.  It is not great nor particularly memorable.  They do have a large TV screen with a constant flow of Bollywood movies.  It doesn’t matter whether or not I face the screen, I will crane my neck as necessary to see the cool, rich guy look over at the young dancing girl who smile and maybe even winks, but then always dances away out of reach. 

If it were any other establishment I would write it off my list.  Who wants to dine with big TV screen.  Plenty of people, perhaps.  But for one would leave if some proprietor thought good eating and good viewing per to be pursued in parallel.  But not at Victors.  Not at any Indian restaurant, I think.  For now logical reason, I enjoy the simple plots that only require, a few seconds to surmize and the attractive, upbeat choreography over the infectious bangra beat.   Certainly,  Bollywood then, a strong current of Indian soft power.  

Last night, we were up in Rhinebeck.  Cinnamon is a place that is run by a woman from Sri Lanka as I understand it.  They used to be a few miles down Route 9, before you got to Rhinebeck, which was fine with me.  But this new setting is certainly an upgrade.  They do, what seems to be a select but surely, pan-Indian menu.  Not sure why but I didn’t ask for what was specifically Sri Lankan about things, but everything we had from the dhosa to the lamb, was fantastic. 

Up in front of me was an enormous painting of Ganesh.  The rotund lord beautifully rendered and is suitably elephantine in size.  He stares down, contented, upbeat, and older vein of Indian soft power.  Peaceful and strong he seems to make the room and make the evening.  I don't miss the big screen tonight though these tastes make me think of colorful sets of dancing people.  Well, maybe a little.

Monday 7/23/18