By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — As the summer reading program “One World, Many Stories” wound down at the Caribou Library on July 27, Rani Belanger took youths on a mental field trip across the globe to explore India.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Rani Belanger made sure that all youths could see the pictures of the Indian story she shared in conjunction with the summer reading program at the Caribou Public Library. on July 27.
From little lessons in the Hindi language to sharing tastes and tales of the land, Belanger educated the eager young minds about the country her father came from. (Her mother was Canadian, and youths were very interested in that part of Belanger’s heritage as well).
Belanger even passed around a cook book written by her mother, Krishna Mehta, in 1963 called “Vegetarian Delights” that listed meatless dishes prepared with the flavors of India. A popular Indian dish that Belanger recommends for anyone interested in trying something new is chicken curry.
While participating youths didn’t get to try chicken curry during the library program, they did get to taste naan (a type of flat bread) with mango pepper jelly.
The youths also had an abundance of questions that Belanger gracefully answered.
“Do all women have to wear a dot on their heads in India?” one curious little girl asked.
“It’s called a Bindi, and that’s a very good question,” Belanger answered with patience and poise as she explained that many married women in India wear a Bindi just like many American woman wear wedding rings.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Olivia Engstrom checks out a cookbook written by the mother of guest speaker Rani Belanger during the “One World, Many Stories” program at the Caribou Library. Viewing the book from a far were, in front, Rachel Seidell and, in middle, Ahlanda Engstrom.
