Tiffin time

I’m a certified basket-case. What ostensibly started as an affordable solution to my storage woes has come full circle — I now need dedicated storage for my beloved baskets. I’m not about to mend my ways though. I still hold that acquisitiveness, which is what we celebrate in this column, is a rewarding pursuit. A trip to that magical country, Bhutan, yielded a particularly rich haul, everything from intricate picnic baskets to bamboo tea strainers and sharp-edged quivers dangling from grass straps. And I also got me a bangchung. It’s a traditional Bhutanese lunch box, consisting of two flattish cane baskets, with the top one fitting snugly into the bottom one to create — voilà — a container. Or is it the other way round? Either way it’s pretty nifty and great for keeping a sandwich or some chapattis and pickle from prying eyes. Don’t tell my wife, but apparently they use it to store jewellery as well. It’s an object of everyday use all over Bhutan, but I paid an arm and a leg for this posh version at the government-run National Handicrafts Emporium in Thimphu. Because I’m worth it.