For Tony

8 JUNE 2018

4.57 PM: It's Friday, and I am looking at my to-do list and hoping the day gets done soon. That I get to go home and enjoy the start of another weekend. One of the WhatsApp groups buzzed.

"Anthony Bourdain is dead. Shite."

I was the first to reply.

"NO".

"WHAT?"

And then I started to Google with a strange mix of anxiety and sadness. Say it wasn't true.

Bourdain was gone. 61 years young. It was surreal. 

I pinged D but knew he would be asleep as he was working the night shift. Gawd, D will be devastated to wake up to this news. My mind was racing. Bourdain would feature in our conversations often over the years and I didn't know anyone who was a bigger fan of the chef-turned-storyteller. Still can’t believe it.

People were shocked but I was in another zone. My hands had turned cold and my brain was blank. What the hell had just happened? That it was by suicide was equally perplexing. And very very very heartbreaking. 

Here are some random conversations (with typos et al) with D and L which mentioned Bourdain and our love for him.

25 SEPTEMBER 2014

j: My life toh is upside down here. No orientation of time or day. Plus my parents arrived on Tuesday morning.... just like that. No notice. Nothing. Surprise, it seems. But I was actually relieved to see them.

d: oh nice. Ull get nice food

j: SIL's birthday today 

Kori roti and chicken curry 

And pork 

Yummy

d: wow

j: Yeah

But I reached after everyone finished dinner and were singing Happy Birthday

Sigh

Life

d: thats ok as long as u got the food

j: Lol

d: im eating rubbish here

j: At least I reached earlier than my own birthday

d: craving for a nice plate of food and im watching masterchef so that makes things worse

d: what is the last episode on star world ?

j: Sheesh I haven't watched since two days

Last one was the team challenge

Red vs Blue after Laura's immunity challenge

d: what was the challenge ?

j: Some restaurant challenge under Marco Pierre White

I saw only the end

d: ahhhhh Marco week I loved Marco week !!!!

I love him

j: You should marry him LOL

Yeah, I like him too

d: no 

My first love is Bourdain

j: That we all know :P

d: hahaha. You do ?

j: Yeah 

You keep tweeting about him

d: hahha :) parts unknown new season stars next week first stop : China :)

    

12 JULY 2014

d: seriously think i am in the wrong line of work

i want anthony bourdain's job

j: Hmmm You just need to be disciplined about the blogging/writing

d: i write horribly no grammar no spell check nothing lol

but i like to eat

j: Then create a YouTube show Don't write

I would love to be on the road...and eat and travel.

But I don't think I am disciplined enough People have told me to take up writing more seriously... but zero dedication I have

6 SEPTEMBER 2011

l: btw u know what i cooked for easter this year?

prawn biryani, pimento styled egss, tongue, mutton chops fried and of course salad

j: Woahhhhhhhhh

All by yourself? And you eat tongue?

l: yup

j: I have never had tongue

l: i had an off so i cooked :) my fav

j: I've heard of tongue sandwiches

l: actuallty mom had sent the tongue so i can't take credit for it but i did heat it... everything else i prepared from scratch

j: Imagine if a vegetarian was reading this conversation... how grossed how s/he would be reading "tongue" as food

I'd like to try it some day

l: hahaha i know

and to think we eat ox tail, and goat feet

j: That's one of the few reasons I'm glad to be born a Catlick :P

l: i don't eat brain, lover, heart and pig feet hahahaha

j: I've had pig's intestines As in... cooked like a sorpotel

l: urrghhhhhhhh

j: But differnt

l: not my thing

are u sure it was pig and not cow's

j: It doesn't look like intestines

l: i've heard of cow's intestine

j: And is cut into tiny pieces And cleaned very well

l: i know... imagine

j: My uncle is an expert in it

l: btw the tongue is sliced up so u don't really know

j: Called "rakhti" because it involves cooking with pig's blood

l: i see

j: But when it's made her now... we don't add blood

l: my aunt puts pig's blood in sorpotel

j: Anthony Bourdain would like us very much :P

Screengrab courtesy: explorepartsunknown.com

Yes, Tony... what we'd have given to have met you even once! You inspired us to look at and beyond food in our personal journeys. You opened our minds and hearts to a world that wasn't always Instagram-worthy, yet it was meaningful and far more interesting. We lived and learned and loved the world through your eyes. Thank you for the stories. I am sure you're rocking the heavens too!

My favorite story teller. When he spoke, you listened. Feel like I've seen the world, eaten the best food, and learned about other cultures  just by watching his shows. Thank you for the ride, chef. I wanted to be as cool as you. You were my hero. pic.twitter.com/VjWTROC9TN

— DeeSee (@BeingDeeSee) June 8, 2018

Till we meet again,

~j~