My mother and the generous Indian businessman

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Last week I wrote about my mother and the 'naked' Saudi doctor and it reminded me of a story she sometimes tells from way back before I was born which suddenly made sense to me just a few weeks ago. My parents married when my mother was only 19 and my dad was in the Air Force. Early in their marriage my mum was left at home whilst dad was off overseas. After a while mum decided she was sick of being left behind and when dad got send to Yemen (then known as Aden) she went with him. She applied for a job as a secretary in an office and went for an interview. The Indian businessman who needed the secretary was served a cup of tea by one of the office 'boys' and seeing mum looking slightly envious at his cup and saucer, he asked if she'd like some. Mum had been brought up to never turn down an offer of tea and said that would be lovely. The businessman took his cup and poured half of the contents into the saucer and handed it to mum who tried desperately hard to not spill it as she sipped it. I had always thought this was a bizarre story but last month on holiday we went to Ahmedabad in Gujarat where I learned that it was common practice to drink your tea from the saucer - and a good way in a hot climate to cool it down. I now find myself wondering if mum's interviewer was from Gujarat. I guess I'll never know. And I must check next time I see her whether she got the job or not.