Read Anjula’s contribution to The Telegraph’s Good News Newsletter

The Good News Newsletter

By Sarah Ebner, Head of email and editorial newsletters
Stories of support, community spirit, and positive news
You Are Not Alone…
Hello!

I feel the need to start with some fantastic animal rescue stories this morning (and that’s not a sentence I usually write). The first is taking place off the flooded Longicharo Island near Lake Baringo in Kenya. Here the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Save Giraffes Now, and the Northern Rangelands Trust are coordinating a remarkable rescue operation to save eight Rothschild’s giraffes, using a specially adapted barge to move the giraffes, one at a time, to a nearby nature preserve. Two giraffes have been moved so far.

My other, completely different animal rescue good news story, is about a puppy found by a good Samaritan who just so happens to be a drone pilot too. Brian James was quite the hero after he returned Meadow to her family. He shared these wise words with World News Tonight: “Everybody’s got the capability to help. You never know what will come of it.”

From animals to food! Last Thursday I wrote about British Curry Day, fusion food and celebrating the way we sometimes learn to do things differently. It was lovely to hear from so many of my fellow curry fans and I particularly enjoyed the message from Kaye who told me about her grandmother. Kaye told me that her Nan was born in 1910 and was “in service at ‘the big house’ from the age of 12 and specifically in the latter days of British rule in India.” She explained that this meant she had wonderful curry recipes which had been passed down the family who then “jazzed them up.” Another form of fusion cookery!

I was also delighted to be contacted by Anjula Devi, a chef, teacher and author, who has not only had to pivot her business hugely due to the pandemic, but also come up with her own fusion food.

Anjula, who’s a consultant chef for Manchester United, told me that her workload “practically went from 90 per cent busy to 10 per cent in a matter of weeks” in the first lockdown. She added: “I was feeling close to devastated by the seismic change in my professional life. My work came to an almost immediate halt and I started to wonder if my hospitality career was under threat.”

When the second lockdown occurred, Anjula felt worried about her future again. But: “after a week of making hell for anyone who tried to talk to me, I gave myself a good talking to.”

She decided that her creativity might solve her problems. “Throughout my life, the one place I have felt completely comfortable and confident is in my kitchen. I know how to make great Indian food; I’ve been making it since I was 10 years old. I decided that it was time to turn my hand to exploring other cuisines.”

Anjula (who can be found on Instagram) specialises in Indian food, but realised she should try something new. So she did. That’s meant pasta filled with butter chicken, tempura with Punjabi style Gobi, and Mexican tacos with an Indian twist.

She said: “I think that turning a stressful situation, and using my creativity, in positive ways has definitely saved me in more ways than one.” I’m sure she’s not alone.

There’s been so much creativity this year, despite (or perhaps because of) lockdown. Let me know what you’ve been up to, and please share any other upbeat positive stories or tales of kindness. You can contact me via email or on twitter @sarahjebner. I’ll be back on Monday. Have a good weekend.

Read full article here