The Sikh Festival - Free Indian Food

A mixture of Indian food, a journey of taste and everything else on my plate I smell right now. The food from India is so full of aroma with herbs and spices, delightful to the hungry nose.  A piece of bread, deep fried to brown, just plain bread, gummy to taste yet delightful to bite. Some garbanzos in tomato sauce I believe taste salty and a green sauce to dip plus sour cream to add, creating a vegetarian meal. And oh, some freshly cut onions on the side, too. This is my first time to try something foreign to me. I love spices, please understand but India's food overwhelms me with spices so strong the aroma drowns me to my deepest. I will eat like a real person who hails from India just to challenge myself. I am not a picky eater so it should be fine. I have no clue how it would taste for now. All I have is smell.

It was a Sunday, after church I happen to pass by a temple, Sikh temple perhaps? Cars everywhere, covering all areas surrounding the temple.  By the ditch, a few took courage to park. Some parked on the side of a green field and the lucky ones parked on the side of the road, next to the temple. There were people everywhere inside the gated temple, the majority wearing fancy dressed and men with turban cloth. The women in particular look stunningly beautiful with their dark features and round eyes. The dress in bright colors adorned with glittering beads and matching silky pants made it obvious of the word respect of body, covering mostly all for the Sikh Festival. No baring, no midriffs and short lengths for them. Little children go around dress like the women and men of Sikhism - a monotheistic religion that originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region.

There are vendors lined along the gate as I enter the wide open gate. They each have a space, a shade from the sun, selling picture frames mainly of Sikh Leaders to jewelry of beauty and toys. Mostly are things from India, something Sikhs use as part of life like materials for the temple. The jewelries are abundant, most vendors display jewelry of some sort; earrings, bangles, necklace and something for the forehead. There are jewelry sets that are gorgeous, fit for a special occasion like this festivity. I fell in love and bought some earrings of soft baby colors and necklace to match for $10.  

I look around and suddenly it seems like I am in India. The thought of being a stranger; to them as they are to me, scattered everywhere hold together in a moment. Some looked at me with curiosity and animosity, I felt, wondering how different I was in clothes and look. I did the same stare but with curiosity and admiration with the way they carry their faith, decent and modest. I poked my head just enough to take a look inside, step back out in a minute and walk away from the temple.  Then, I noticed on one side of the open area, people line up with plates on hand. I wonder what is going on there and walk towards the line to explore...

Not sure what is going on, I ask one of the servers how much they sell the bread for. She responded to me - FREE. What? Free? Again, she spoke in a gentle voice "Food is free today. Would you like to try some?"  

I said yes quickly, not wanting to give her a chance to change her mind though I am not desperately hungry. She got a plate for me, a piece of bread (still warm), a serving from each pan ladled on my plate and hand it to me. I tried them all with enthusiasm, burn my tongue from the chili but happy my tummy is now filled. I sat on the edge of the pavement to eat my meal just like them and smiled.

After consuming my plate clean as a slate, I stood up and went back in line to get seconds for my husband. This time, I was an expert, line up like going with the flow, no questions because I know what to do. I did ask for a plate to bring home and the server smiled, meaning it is all right. I wish to say goodbye but there was nobody to talk to and just like that, I walk to the gate to get to my car. A couple was getting out behind me and said something about the bread so good. I replied "Yes, indeed. It is very good with a smile on my face."

Does it look like someone starving, leaving only the bones? 

Difference between a Passport and a Visa

A passport is required for everybody who plan to travel from one country / nation to another country / nation. Everybody means everybody, no exceptions, young and old, professional, military personnel, athletes, business people, students, workers, entertainers, children, parents and anybody who has a plan to travel.

A passport is an identification of your nationality and states what country you are from.

A Passport bears your picture, your name, date of birth, sex, place of birth, where the passport was issued, issue date and expiration date of the passport. Different countries / nations have different rules on passport.

The holder of a passport will be allowed to travel internationally with or without a visa depending on the country of entry or port of entry. It is best to apply a new passport if your passport is expiring within 6 months before you travel as some countries / nations might deny you entry.

Passports can be confusing to new applicants as there are different kinds of passport issued by each country. Some of the types are - Non-citizen, Citizen of the said nation / country, diplomatic, travel document and other passport type. Passports are issued by the government of the country that you are a citizen of or if you are given a special privilege in that country to hold a passport through marriage, employment or residency reasons to name a few. The holder of a passport will be allowed to travel internationally with or without a visa depending on the country of entry or port of entry. Always keep your passport safe as it can be a hassle to apply a passport while away from your country of origin.

A visa is a documentation for you to be able to enter a certain country in a specific time. Visas are issued by the country you are planning to visit. Before planning a travel, it is best to inquire from the country of entry whether a visa is needed or unnecessary for your type of passport. Visas are sometimes attached to your passport, stamped, glued or a separate piece of documentation with the same information as your passport. Most important is to take note of the given dates on the visa document - time to travel, expiration and length of time allowed to stay. Doing so will save you trouble, you don't pay any penalty if you stayed too long and keep your visa safe. Visas varies and will be good for a number of days, months and years that allows a traveler to travel within the given date.

Some countries do not require visa for some passport holder depending on what type of passport you are holding. However, a few countries still requires a visa for any traveler to enter their country.

Few travel examples:

a.) U.S. passport holder can travel to mostly anywhere in the world but requires a visa to enter China.

b.) Philippine Passport holder do not need a visa to enter Hong Kong

c.) Taiwan passport holder need a visa to get in Hong Kong, Brazil, Autralia, U.S.

d.) Taiwan Passport holder do not need a visa to get in Singapore

e.)U.S. Passport holder do not need a visa to get in Philippines with allowed 21 days maximum stay.

f.) U.S. Passport holder do not need a visa to enter New Zealand and Australia.

Some countries do not require a visa if you are staying for a few days only - 14 days or less. This all depends on what country of entry, what passport you are holding and the relationship between the two countries - departing country / nation and arriving country / nation.

Visas also come in different forms from tourist visa, immigration visas, business visa, work visa, student visa and each type of visa has its own application process and different fees to pay.

It is also possible to apply for visas while in a foreign country. Let's say a Taiwan passport holder who travels to Australia and stayed for a few months to enjoy the beautiful Australia can apply a visa to be able to travel to Brazil. What is interesting in this situation is that you don't have to go back to your country of residence in order to travel to your next destination which is Brazil and it is a long way to go. It is like going around the globe in a matter of days. Lastly, remember to bring enough money to spend while visiting different places.