Punjab notes: Books: Coffee Chocolate Tey Perfume and Ungaahay Raah.

'Coffee Chocolate Tey Perfume' is Dr. Aamir Zaheer Bhatti's latest book published by Sanjh Publications, Lahore. The title, lyrical and catchy, smells good, even delicious. It's a travelogue delineating his visits to France.

Dr. Bhatti, the biographical note says, teaches French at the National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad. He edits a multilingual research journal 'Polyglot' published from his university. He is also an associate editor of different research journals brought out from Algeria and Iran. He got his doctorate from France in the field of Phonetics and Phonology. He has translated a well-known classical French literary book 'Le Roman de Renart' into Punjabi titled 'Lumar di Kahani'. His areas of interest include phonetics and phonology, lexicography, historical and comparative linguistics, and translation. His book details the story of his multiple visits to France sponsored by the government of France and its research institutions.

An interesting thing about this book is that the author takes nothing for granted. He expresses his inner feelings and a childlike sense of wonder whenever he encounters something different or unusual at airports and in France. He appears guileless and seems absolutely free of pretension. He in fact comes out as meek as a lamb showing a mark of culture and education. Such a position enables him to share with the readers the details of his experiences they are not familiar with. He is poles apart from our typical self-obsessed highbrow academics who love to speak down to people from their ivory towers.

Dr. Bhatti can make a simple conversation meaningful with his insightful remark. This is how a receptionist lodges him in the hostel in a small French town: 'We have rooms on third and fourth floors. Which one you prefer? She offered me the options. 'Third floor! It will have easier access,' I told her my choice... 'Some rooms have windows that open to a grove of trees and others open to the buildings. Which side you would like?' she asked me. 'one with window to the grove of trees,' I said. 'On this side we have room no 219, 221, 225, and 228. Which one you would like?' 'allocate me 219,' I concluded the conversation.' Then he makes a silent comment: 'So much concern for the likes and dislikes of an individual! In our country no such care is taken even when they decide the fate of an individual.'

He has many small things to report and share which assume cultural or historical significance if...