Eating is an agricultural act - Wendell Berry

Monday, July 20, 2009

chapathi-wali bai

this was a new one for me.
i am told that this phenomenon is quite de-rigeur in thane and other places.
the chapathi-wali bai (CWB).
a maid to exclusively make chapathis for the family meals!!

the classic kam-wali bai is one who does the regular house work is an ubiquitous presence in most upper middle class families.

but the CWB is quite a specialisation among the working class bais.
remarkable... this city is.

5 comments:

Vanessa said...

More common in Pune. Making chapatis is quite a chore, would love to have one when we get back. :)
My cousin, in Pune, had 3 maids. One regualar kamwali bai, one to take care of her son and one CWB :)

csm said...

chore...
this word needs another post...

Preeti Aghalayam aka kbpm said...

do they charge per chapati?

Vanessa said...

They charge depending on how many you want total. +-1/2 is acceptable.

Purvs said...

That is because maharashtrians don't know how to make chapatis!