Hope of Manipur girl in Chennai resturant

From Agencies

Chennai, March 08: Her face a mask of concentration, the young girl's nimble fingers slide a sharp blade through the flesh of a watermelon, slicing out slivers of fruit. Kim Boi is a senior vegetable carver at Thai restaurant Benjarong, and spends most of her day, crouching on a platform, carving vegetables and fruits into different shapes to decorate the dishes.

"I always thought I would be a nurse or join the police force. I had to come all the way here as my family was facing a financial crisis," says the 24-year-old from Manipur, her eyes still on the watermelon which is being shaped into a rose.

Kim came to Chennai in 2007, leaving her parents and young siblings behind. "I was 21 when I left Manipur. I used to teach at a missionary school in my village, Tui Tenz Mun. The school just had two teachers. I taught general knowledge and our language, Vaiphei," she says.

It's been 3 years since Kim left her home. She lives with her sister in Chennai who works as a hostess at the same restaurant. "I miss Manipur a lot. I find it hard to communicate with people here. Though I have picked little Tamil, Manipur and Chennai are total opposites," she giggles.

Kim is a perfectionist. Customers often stop to watch as she meticulously and dextrously sculpts vegetables and fruits into roses, flowers and leaves, and arranges them on plates. Her responsibilities include preparing mian khum', a traditional Thai appetiser. "Benjarong sent me to Kolkata and Bangalore to train people. You know, they think I am good," she adds with a broad smile.

She holds God responsible for her success. "I had no idea I would be doing this. I always wanted to do something for society. Then suddenly, I come all the way to Chennai and I am a senior vegetable carver. Who else do you blame it on?" she says, chuckling. "Though my goals as a child were different, I am happy with my life now," she says, as the chunk of watermelon is transformed into a rose.