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Eating Fish

I love eating like a salmon but am not a big fan of the salmon itself and turns out that its good for me too.  It is part of being Bengali and growing up in India in a place where there was an abundant variety of fish. Even so, I treasured my trips to Kolkata as a kid because there was a whole new universe of small fish there that was not quite as easy to find where I lived. A lot of the fish my relatives bought were sold live in the fish market. My grandmother would not buy fish that were already dead and they had to be pretty small. She did not think bigger fish were particularly healthy and avoided them

.. eating tiny fish is said to be better for the environment, because it allows larger fish populations to thrive and puts less strain on the aquatic food systems. Smaller fish, which live shorter lives, naturally contain less mercury than larger fish and are known for being abundant sources of protein, calcium, iron — and vitamins D, A, and B12. 

Turns out that she was right. It's interesting how often I think of her as I go about my day. She was always excited to see me and was demonstrative in her affection. She made sure there were sweet treats for me - ones that she had made herself, not bought from the store. Food was a the biggest way she expressed love and care so every meal was a way for her to convey her feelings. I did not have the sense to understand all that but I still recall that warm and cozy that enveloped her far from perfect home. 

The musty smell of the ancient, dilapidated house, the lack of modern amenities or personal space did not bother me. The rhythm of life at her place was different and I was excited to jump into it and enjoy everything it had to offer. The small fish or the strange bathroom one flight down from her house where water from the river flowed into a tub were not particularly "special" things but they were unique and could belong to me for as long as I stayed there. 
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