Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

minomino · Joined: 25 Sep 2006 Posts: 21

Hi! I'm Japnese girl. Very Happy

It will come soon NEW YEAR'S DAY
I'm looking forward to new years days Laughing

In Japan,many people enjoy themselves on new year's day.Paticulary,Japanese enjoy special food.
For example, we make rice cake,what is called "Mochi".Rice cake is abundantly popular food.Additionally,we eat rice-cake soup.Both food is very interesting andtypical Japanese culture. Maybe most Japanese like them Very Happy

Also,a lot of Japanese have special new years Japanese lunch box,which is called "OSECHI".It's very traditional food.The dishes differ from one area to another but often include black beans and herring eggs.

How was your country food on NEW YEAR'S DAY??? Laughing

Anuradha Chepur · Joined: 20 May 2006 Posts: 933

People mostly eat a lot of Indian snacks, bakery stuff, potato wafers and other fast foods.
Or famous Indian rice preparation called "Biryani".
Vegans eat Cauliflower manchuria, spring rolls, etc.
Others eat Chicken-65, chicken manchuria, prawns, etc.
A lot of them get drunk.
Those who don't take alcohol drink Coke.
We have community/family/friends get- togethers with dance, music, cultural programmes, etc.
Some people watch special programmes on TV.
Some people enjoy at the pubs, discotheques, clubs, hotels, etc.

minomino · Joined: 25 Sep 2006 Posts: 21

Thank you Anuradha Very Happy

And Happy New Year Laughing

I could feel New Year's costom is very differnt in country .
When I hear your country costom in India, I' intersted in your country culture,uch as,food,singing and dancing. I want to eat these food and watch dacing and isten to singing. in Japan ,adults give some money to children,it's called "Otosidama ". So most children is loking forward to New years day. What other do you have any costom in India??? Question

Anuradha Chepur · Joined: 20 May 2006 Posts: 933

Actually, Mino, we have our own new years in India, which is different in the different regions and cultures. In my regional culture, the new year (called Ugadi) falls some day in March/April. It is mostly a religious affair. Indian calenders are lunar and we follow them for purposes of religion, festivals, horoscopes, fixing up weddings, etc.

As everywhere else, we follow the Christian era for all official purposes.
The Christian new year is mostly associated with fun.

You can watch Bollywood (Hindi) movies if you want to see the songs and dances. Watch Devdas, Hum dil de chuke sanam, Bunty aur Babli, Hum apke hai kaun, Main hoon na, etc.
Song and dance is an essential ingredient of Indian films, just as action scenes are important to English films. But it is because of the song and dance scenes that Indian films don't get Oscars; probably the Oscar judges don't like them.

If you have Indian restaurants in your place, you can try out Biryani, Chole, Dosa, Idli, or whatever else is available.

simplyblessedwithlove · Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 11:09 am Post subject:

Anuradha Chepur · Joined: 20 May 2006 Posts: 933

I eat vegetable biryani, and Indians cook it well. I didn't get opportunity to taste Biryani cooked by a Pakistani.
As for Chicken/meat biryani, I don't think there is any gross difference between Indian and Pakistani biryani.
Both could be equally good.
If your Pakistani boss thinks that Pakistani biryani is better than the
Indian one, then probably that is her way of showing her patriotism.

Biryani is also called pulao. Kashimiri pulao is awesome. In it, they put saffron, dry fruits and fruit slices.

Oriani · Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Posts: 208 Location: Venezuela

Excellent! In my country we eat at Christmas season and for the New year's Eve/day a traditional dish which is call HALLACAS

I hope you take a look at it Wink

Anuradha Chepur · Joined: 20 May 2006 Posts: 933

I had a look at your Hallacas.
I remember, my grandmother used to prepare a similar dish.
She used to wrap something in colocasia leaves then deep fry them.

Philo Kevetch · Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 564

"Boudin blanc" (white blood sausage) is a traditional New Years' meal ...and of course... a good bottle of wine to go with it! Happy New Years to all...Philo

simplyblessedwithlove · Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 11:40 am Post subject:

Anuradha Chepur · Joined: 20 May 2006 Posts: 933

We get good biryani in the restaurants in Hyderabad, though.
A place called "Bawarchi" is the most famous restaurant for Biryani.

Oriani · Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Posts: 208 Location: Venezuela

simplyblessedwithlove · Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 8:59 pm Post subject:

Anuradha Chepur · Joined: 20 May 2006 Posts: 933

Oriani, I am an Indian, and so was my grandmother.

Simplyblessedwithlove:

simplyblessedwithlove · Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:23 pm Post subject:

You know what, I think this is the difference here. The biryani my boss cooked didn't have yogurt, but the one at the restaurant did. That's why the restaurant's biryani seemed quite wet while the other biryani was kinda dried and non-oily.

Like my family when we were in Vietnam, we only ate this traditional dish for New Year on New Year only. However, when we came to the States, my mom has cooked it on regular days, too. And she throws in eggs also.
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Len T.