How I learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Papadum: A Field Guide To Surviving A Journey Through Chaos

How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Papadum follows the genuinely true story of Mat, a down on his luck, dead beat British artist, and Ana. A beautifully innocent Business Analyst who arrives in the UK, wide eyed and fresh faced from Bangalore, all set to begin work on an extended contract for her Indian employer. With Mat desperate to sublet a spare room in his house in order to makes ends meet, and Ana dealing with the nightmare of a clerical error that leaves her struggling to survive in the confines of a facility free budget hotel, the perfect solution to both of their woes is staring them straight in the face. 4 Years later, a beautifully whacky friendship has blossomed. The unlikely pair have not only shared a house, but also their lives, their cultures and their dreams with each other. Ana finds herself perfectly schooled in the true ways of a down trodden, sarcastically native Brit, while Mat has become truly fascinated and enthralled by the stories and mysticisms of Ana’s alluring and baffling culture. All is happily harmonious. All is perfectly peachy. Until… Ana’s immediate return to India is suddenly and unexpectedly demanded. At the devastating drop of a hat, the walls of their serenely idyllic little world come tumbling down about their feet. As another years passes, the struggles and frustrations of maintaining a friendship through iPads and phone calls is beginning to take its toll. But, Ana is hatching a cunning, startling, daunting plan. “Matty, come and visit India. Come stay with me. You will absolutely love it” A statement of pure truth that Mat simply cannot deny. So, after a fierce battle to conquer his almighty fear of flying, the tickets are booked, and Mat is on his way. To the Motherland. With the pair finally reunited, and a mind already brimming with a wealth of wonderfully distorted knowledge, Mat considers himself fully prepared to tackle the mysterious Indian adventure that lays ahead. Mat, is not prepared at all. To suggest that India is about to throw him in at ‘the deep end’ and leave him flailing about, scrambling for the shores of sanity, is somewhat of an understatement. As the beautifully, stunningly, terrifyingly true nature of culture shock begins to take hold, Mat very quickly arrives at the conclusion that, without Ana… he may not survive at all. And survival is most certainly the name the game. Every single Indian minute proves to elate, stun, baffle, confuse, delight and bemuse. Daily life. Religion. The customs. The traditions. The temples, the cows and the endless travelling hours. Seriously, if the sleeper train doesn’t finish Mat off, the sleeper coach to Goa just might. And throughout all of the madness, the mayhem and the chaos, Mat simply cannot help himself. He is beginning to fall head over heels in love. With India. But, not just the country. Not just the warmth and compassion of India’s bewilderingly tightening embrace. He is beginning to fall in love… with Ana. And he’s about to pluck up the courage to ask her a question that carries the power to change both of their live. Forever.

Table of Contents:
1 – A Port In A Strom 2 – Are You Going To Let Me In? 3 – How Big Is It? 4 – Flyover 5 – Cows And Dominoes 6 – Dandiya 7 – Bhubaneswar 8 – Ginger And True Rules 9 – Matta Monty And The Temple Of Porn 10 – Blessed By Durga 11 – A Broken Car 12 – Hilary Frickin’ Briss 13 – 23 Fucking Hours 14 – Wonderla…? 15 – Cursed By Ola. The Day From Hell 16 – Many… Many Rain 17 – Is Your Name Sandra, Or Have You Just Been Watching ‘Speed’ 18 – It’s A Beach Jim… But Not As We Know It 19 – With My Friends 20 – Indian Ink 21 - These Days Are The Past… But In The Tales They’ll Last 22 – Aya Gunna? Aya Gunna? Aya Gunna? Epilogue

About the Author :
Charles Misra is a British born author and artist who lives and works between the UK and India. Although best known for the creation of the epic ‘White Dolemite’ empire, Charles has worked within the film industry for over 30 years as a writer, artist and occasionally as an actor. In 2016 Charles married Anandita and became an Indian citizen shortly after. Charles and Anandita have extensively travelled across India together in search of adventure and inspiration, and Charles now spends his time either screen writing for Indian cinema and television, attempting to decipher the grunts and groans of Brûlée, his beloved Chow Chow, or intensively debating vitally crucial cinematic conundrums such as Abhishek Bachchan’s acting abilities for instance… ‘No… look, all I am saying is, I personally think he is an exceptional actor, and ‘Raavan’ perfectly illustrates my point whether you bloody well like it or not. I am just not so sure that he should be allowed anywhere near a dance floor if you know what I mean. Let’s put it this way, he ain’t no ‘Hrithik’ now is he? Crikey me, Dad dancer alert…!’ In addition to his creative career, Charles mistakenly believes himself to be somewhat of a style icon. This is categorically untrue. He is most certainly not, by any stretch of the imagination. He is however, secretly addicted to Haldiram ‘lacha’ whilst his pitiful culinary prowess is no more elaborate than attempting to make ingredients hotter than they were before. Charles is also allergic to mathematics.