Richy Rich Ice Cream

At Richy Rich Ice Cream on Rangapillai Street in Pondicherry, things stay pretty cool despite the heat outside. We are right near the Kovai Pazhamuthir Nilayam, which is that big fruit shop everyone knows. Being in Pondicherry, we get a lot of tourists walking by, but mostly it's just the locals who stop in for a quick scoop. I spend my time cleaning the glass on the freezers and making sure the floor isn't sticky, which is a real challenge when you sell ice cream to kids. The shop isn't very large, so sometimes people have to eat their cones outside on the sidewalk. I usually have to keep an eye on the power because if the freezer goes out, we’re in big trouble. It’s a simple life, mostly just chatting with people while they decide between two flavors they’ve had a hundred times before. The street outside is always noisy with scooters and people shouting to each other across the road. We don't have a big fancy menu, just the favorites that people expect. It’s a bit of a messy job, honestly, with the chocolate sauce and the sprinkles getting everywhere, but it’s what we do. Sometimes the humidity makes everything feel damp, but once you have a cold cup in your hand, it doesn't matter much. We’ve been at number 52 for a good while now and we’re just part of the furniture on this street.