Supplies and Suffering Moses

Living in Kashmir: A Year of People, Places and Memories

Supplies

Before we packed for our year Kashmir, we were advised by previous Australian military observers about supplies we might need. 

As we would not be eating the local cheeses, we bought several large blocks of Kraft cheddar processed cheese. Yes, that reassuringly indestructible variety that needed no refrigeration, nestled in its blue box and wrapped within in silver alfoil. 

Australia had embraced metric measurements in 1974, so by the time we departed, all food products had been converted; I suspect the blocks we chose were the generous one-kilogram size.

Image from Australian Women's Weekly via Trove

What Australian could live without Vegemite?  Two large jars were added to our growing list, glass jars with metal lids, none of the plastic containers that came later. There was something comforting about those familiar labels, knowing they were tucked in among the luggage somewhere, ready to make even the most foreign of mornings feel a little like home.

Image from Australian Women's Weekly via Trove

Another recommendation was to take enough toilet paper for a full year. How does one even begin to calculate such a thing? Calculate it we did and a carton duly joined the pile. The advice, it turned out, had a rather colourful origin. A Chilean General who had previously commanded the mission had been notorious for appropriating the UN-supplied rolls and dispatching them back to Chile. Beyond the year's supply, we quickly learned the wisdom of tucking a small roll into any bag before venturing out, since this was decidedly not a commodity one could rely upon finding in Kashmiri public spaces.

We bought a short-wave radio so that we might keep a thread of connection to news from home. Our electric frypan proved its worth many times over, and a small toaster oven completed the more practical side of our domestic arrangements. We would rely on the UN PX (Post Exchange) store for other groceries and goods that were not available locally.

For daily provisions, we relied on whatever was available in the local market. Food shopping was best done accompanied by a local. The cherries displayed so enticingly on top of the box were plump, glossy, and perfect. They bore little resemblance to what actually found its way into one's paper bag. It was a lesson learned only once.

Suffering Moses

This merchant had one of the largest emporiums of Kashmiri crafts in Srinagar. Entering into his shop was a delight for the senses. There were four rooms and as one walked deeper into this treasure trove, older and more valuable items could be seen on display. We were surrounded by superb papier mâché, finely carved wooden boxes, exquisite embroidered shawls and so much more. His goods were excellent quality and over time this store on the Bund became a favourite.

The establishment had been founded in 1842, when his ancestor migrated from Persia, bringing with him skilled Persian craftspeople and settling them in the Kashmir Valley. That heritage was everywhere visible. The decorations on papier mâché bowls, and all sorts of small ornamental pieces reflected Persian motifs with a fidelity that spoke of an unbroken tradition. These patterns had travelled across mountain ranges and generations to arrive in Kashmir, and were still vivid in these quiet rooms. The same spirit showed in the walnut-carved boxes and small tables.

In one of many long discussions, he told the tale of being wooed by a large American store. The buyer wanted thousands of articles every month. At that time, every piece was still made entirely by hand, and no honest craftsman could fulfil such a demand without sacrificing the very quality that had prompted the approach in the first place. He had, one gathered, declined with dignity.

String Secured Parcels

This was before the polluting plastic bag had made its way into every corner of our lives. We had baskets and string bags. Purchases were often painstakingly wrapped in brown paper and then secured with endless white string. It was wrapped round and round creating a puzzle to unwind when unwrapping a purchase. Both string and paper served further purposes in an economy where sparse resources were carefully husbanded. 

A timely reminder that things have value beyond their first purpose.

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1. From Persia with Love https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/2023/Nov/18/from-persia-with-love-2633500.html

2. The Shop around the corner https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/J91GKgs0QiQwfLDITKV12I/The-shop-around-the-corner.html

This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin