Saturday, January 16, 2016

On "Dishwashing"

(Mention of pyrotherapy from uncle reminded me of this simple episode from life)

I have known Salim Sahab for almost 12 years now. He was my neighbor when I moved here, and we stayed in touch due to the proximity of the same neighborhood. His children grew in front of me and went from elementary to college. He is known in his house to be responsible for dishwashing every night. Despite having an electric dishwasher available, he has his unique way of dishwashing. He will leave all utensils in natural hot water with tons of jhag from his favorite dishwashing liquid brand (dawn) for 2-3 hours, and then will clean and rinse them under hot water, one by one. 2 weeks ago, I was invited to his place for a dawat. I stayed at his home to hang out after other guests left and his family went to bed. I asked him about his obsession with dishwashing. He replied.


"Nothing soothes me better than dishwashing. Every night after family dinner, I leave dishes under hot water and washing gel in the sink. A half-hour before I retire to bed, I put my favorite songs on youtube and rinse each utensil slowly under very hot water. It may sound crazy, but the dim light of the kitchen, low volume of songs but otherwise silence around, a touch of hot water, and taking hard stickies from plates - allow me to rinse my head from the dirt of all day. I see my mistakes, my falters, my blind spots, and my weaknesses. Call it my meditation. Trust me; I use the ritual of dishwashing as a sleeping pill".


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3 comments:

bsc said...

Wow what a description and nearly true for me but I do not do that unless asked by my wife. (Not this method though)
Now I was familiar with "dishwashing" as a paid job even before leaving Pakistan that many "famous" people when they were in England did this job to support themselves and yes I know some real people who did and I almost was driven to take up that "job" but luckily I got house surgeons job just in time to start my career in the West.
Then I learned the way many people used the same method in England (electric dishwashers were not common in those days or else I only visited less wealthy English people)
My wife wont let me do it that way now but I think it is better and more clean way of doing

Beyond said...

I saw an english friend of mine doing dishes this way. Leaving the dishes in hot water with soap and rhen rinsing them.

Funny that you mentioned this. I was watch The Big Bang Theory and this was the exact topic that was discussed. Doing dishes is meditative. This is an actual phenomenon.

mystic-soul said...

Uncle! I did wash dishes and cleaned bathrooms like many other immigrants and FOBs (Fresh off boats).

Beyond, I did not know that doing dishes is meditative - is an actual phenomenon.