DF’s Development Dialogue Dinner at Hotel Naveen (aka a lesson in Darwin’s Survival of the Fittest)

Dinner on the second night of DD was hosted outside Hotel Naveen, arguably Hubli’s nicest hotel that is situated next to the aquatic wonder known as Unkal Lake. The pre-dinner entertainment put on by Samarthanam - a Bangalore-based NGO for blind and physically handicapped people – was great, and during this time we also had a very long conversation with Madan about his beliefs in deep ecology (everything goes in circles and must be returned to the earth), got more insights about his vocational school, and was invited to visit and work with him near Everest Base Camp later this year. Things really started to go downhill after this though when the announcement came for dinner, in what we consider a prime example of the concept ‘Survival of the Fittest.’ Here’s a timeline of the events:

9:03: All food stalls are set up in one row between the side of pool and a row of grass and bushes, so access is not at all people-friendly. Although there were probably more than 200 people, there was only one server for soup, one for bread, one for curry, and one for rice (you do the math). We cautiously hope that this will turn out better than it looks.

9:05: The only thing available is soup, so we along with at least 150 make a mad dash for that food stall. People are coming from all angles to the circular table for the liquid gold, but things actually go smoother than expected for us given the high probability of spillage. We are close to this table when dinner is called, so we both manage to get a full bowl unscathed.

9:15: The next logical thing to do is go for the bread stall, but instead the caterers opt to fill the curry table next. The lone server here is being very stingy on the quantities so people have to keep coming back for more or prodding him to add another scoop during their initial trip. Of course, people are acting in the classic Indian free-for-all and not adhering to any organized structure (i.e., maintaining a line or other orderly position). We somehow come away with a bit of aloo and kofta, and go out in search of bread.

9:20: We sight the table was for rice, rasam, and curd, which is traditionally eaten as the final course. Because more people are busy waiting so long for the other courses, the crowd around this table is actually minimal. This leads to some hungry patrons deviating from the normal sequence of a South Indian meal (blasphemy!) but at least provides them with some much needed food. As we already have our scattered amounts of curry (but still no bread), we opt to stick it out and follow the traditional routine.

9:21: After patiently staring at our half-full plate and waiting for the bread table to be stocked, we decide to go for it. This area is by far the most chaotic of all with arms and bodies going everywhere like people trying to get on an already overcrowded bus. Again, there is just one person serving the bread, and people pushing their way through from all angles, reaching their arms out in hopes of landing a sacred piece of naan or poori. Within 30 seconds, the entire tray is empty with at least 20 empty plates extended towards the server begging for more. The way people were acting, you would believe that they have not eaten for days! At least one of us (Adam) lucks out, landing naan on at least two occasions thanks to the strategy of getting the plate in low and as close to the bread tray as possible.

9:30: We sight a couple of Sandbox Fellows that have been standing in the curry line for about 10 minutes without moving an inch and let them know that if they continue to stand there, there was a low probability that they would ever get served. They heed our advice, but this of course just causes them to be a part of the chaos and push ahead and around the crowd until whatever quantity they can muster is thrown on their plate.

9:45: Along with those who actually successfully made it through their course of curry and bread in the appropriate sequence, we start to head over to the rice table. This naturally leads to yet another traffic jam. Hotel Naveen and their wonderful catering logistics team again only places one server at this table but requires that he serve three different dishes at once (hence the need for at least one more arm). One of the DD participants takes charge behind the table and also starts serving people as well. This improves the flow of traffic and we land some coveted rice and curd without incident, but only after barely getting out of the way of a full vat of yogurt that is hurled off the table by the flustered server.

9:58: We notice that by the time dessert comes around, people are finally acting in a civilized manner and forming a line, and so we decide to join them. We attribute this change to either accepting that getting in line is actually the most efficient way to get food, or because people are just too tired to push their way to the front one last time. The quantities of gajar (carrot) halva with vanilla ice-cream are large and very tasty.

10:10: Things are finally winding down and there is still some food at the dessert table, so we manage to score a much deserved second helping!

10:20: The remaining guests that have managed to survive dinner through the end are called to get on the last buses to their hotels. We, along with most of the other fellows, walk over to the hotel bar for a much needed drink.

We know that Desh has been pushing for competition in the NGO sector, but this was a bit much!