Former US consul generals raved about their Kolkata posting: Melinda Pavek | Kolkata News – Times of India

Kolkata News

While redecorating her residence in Kolkata, US Consul General Melinda Pavek chose to paint the walls blue to signify the importance of rivers and oceans in India and the US. She took her time to settle down in the city after she assumed office in August. Before the interview, she posed for us around the Christmas decorations in her house and lawn. “I love Christmas decorations. Each tree decoration has some significance. But to be honest, I don’t really enjoy decorating it. I ask for help,” she said with a smile. In a chat that followed, she spoke to us about her journey as a foreign service official and more. Excerpts:

What are your plans for Christmas?

I’m going to stay in Kolkata. I’ve heard about Christmas on Park Street and New Market and I’ll definitely explore that. Some of my team members won’t travel, so we’ll get together for a consulate family celebration. I have a personal tradition of cookie decoration parties. In the past, I used to make the cookies myself. But this year, house staff will make about 1,200 cookies in different shapes and 16 different colours of icing with all kinds of decorations. People can come and decorate their cookies.
I’ll also celebrate with the rest of my family. My parents and one sister are in Minnesota. My other sister is married to a Japanese man and lives in Tokyo. So, we use video calls to open the gifts together. Adjusting the time, I’ll probably wake up at 4.30 am. The children will open the gifts. A few years ago, we adults decided to pool money for a family vacation instead of exchanging gifts. Last time we all went to Hawaii.
Meanwhile, my partner is in Chicago. We have a tradition of exchanging books every year. We buy two copies of the same book, read it and have a discussion about what it means to us. He is wonderful and I wish I was half as smart as he is (laughs).

Is he also in foreign service?

No. He’s into corporate finance and his job doesn’t allow him to relocate. In March we’ll celebrate our fifth anniversary. And I think about the four years we’ve lived in different countries.

You’ve been in Kolkata for almost four months. How is it treating you?

When I think about Kolkata, my description would be ‘warm’. That is of course both for the temperature and the people. I’d also say it’s wet. When I arrived, it was rainy and it continued longer than expected. Naturally, it’s very humid. And when you think of rain, you think of the river. When I was redecorating my home, I asked some friends what the colour should be. And they said that one of the things common between the US and India is that we are riverine societies. That’s why I chose the blue for the house in order to refer to water – the rivers and the oceans and what they mean to us.

You mentioned that your Christmas decorations have significance.

I feel our lives have themes. They are not only about how we live but also how we interact with each other and other cultures. For instance, my last name, Pavek, means peacock in Czech (my father’s heritage). So if you look at the Christmas decorations, you’ll find a lot of peacocks. And peacock is also a very strong symbol in India. So it’s one theme that attracted me to India.

What are the things that surprised you or matched your expectations?

I spoke to a number of former US consul generals to Kolkata and everyone raved about this posting. They said it’s the best job in the foreign service because the people are so wonderful and you get to do the most interesting outreach programmes. The entire consular district (Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim and the seven states of the Northeast) is a part of India that is less known in the US. The exploration of cultural diversity is fascinating. I still find there is so much more to learn.
In the city, two things came as a surprise. First, the number of business associations. I come from a business background. I met some and I am yet to meet many. The sheer number is amazing. I also went to Kumartuli before Durga Puja. I was so impressed to see the process of making the idols from scratch, the artistry that goes into them and then to know that in the end, they will be immersed. It’s just like our whole life that leads up to something and then we get washed away and are reborn.

Enjoyed Durga Puja this year?

This was my first Durga Puja and our celebration was a bit low-key. In the future, I’ll definitely do more. However, I did visit four Pujas.

You were also part of a music video on Mahishasuramardini on Mahalaya…

Sourendra (Mullick) and Soumyojit (Das) are wonderful. They are fun to work with. I also have a bad memory. I was told that there would be a teleprompter. So I didn’t think of memorising the lines. When I got there, I found that there was no tele-prompter (laughs)! They were very patient. We had so many takes. In the end, everything came together well.

Did you try Bengali food?

I love it! A good friend of mine in foreign service is originally from Kolkata. Her mother still lives here. We served together in Jamaica and her mother came there and stayed. We got close. So somehow, I feel that I’ve come home and there’s a Bengali mom to take care of me. So, my favourite Bengali food is anything she cooks. She’s a wonderful cook and she puts special love into everything she makes. I love fish in mustard sauce. I don’t know how you cannot love it. I love spicy dal. In January 2020, I found out that I’m gluten sensitive. In Bengali cuisine, there are so many alternative options.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/former-us-consul-generals-raved-about-their-kolkata-posting-melinda-pavek/articleshow/88222362.cms