By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS,
Guwahati : From the tangy fish curry to the very typical Assamese delicacy khar and a penchant for the foot stomping Bihu dance of Assam, US astronaut Mike Fincke loves almost everything about this northeastern Indian state.
And there is every reason to do so as his wife Renita, an engineer with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), hails from the state. Mike is endearingly called Assam’s son-in-law.
“I really relish Assamese food… Mashor Tenga (sour fish curry) and khar… oh I love that,” Mike told IANS.
Now on a visit to Assam flanked by his wife and three children, Chandra, Surya, and Tarali, Mike is simply at awe.
“People here are simple and intelligent, very warm and hospitable. I love Bihu (dance and song) and never miss an opportunity to take part in the festivity celebrated by the Assamese community back in the US,” Mike said.
Mike led the International Space Station (ISS) expedition from Oct 12, 2008, to April 8, 2009, launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, aboard the Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft.
As the ISS Commander, he and his three-member crew helped prepare the station for a future six-person crew and hosted the Space Shuttle crews of STS-126 and STS-119. The expedition concluded with undocking from the station and safe landing back in Kazakhstan after nearly seven months.
For the couple, it was love at first sight.
“I liked Mike for his intelligence and he is so articulate… he is the perfect man for me,” wife Renita told IANS as Mike blushed.
Mike and Renita are in Assam’s main city Guwahati to attend a series of functions.
“I saw the Brahmaputra from space and today I have seen with my own eyes and it is indeed a pleasure to be by the side of this great river,” Mike said.
“I am indeed very happy to be in my native land and look forward to spending some time here,” Renita said.
And Mike assured tea planters here he would take a packet of the famous Assam tea to space on his next voyage.
(Syed Zarir Hussain can be contacted at [email protected])